Yellowstone IV

Gardiner, MT is right on the edge of the park and on the Yellowstone river.  As you leave town you drive (or walk) through Roosevelt arch and then there is the park entrance.  

After resupplying we walked to the entrance and then took the Old Gardiner road into Mammoth Hot Springs.  Today is the park's birthday and it was free to all.  I've never seen anything like these hot springs.  

The flow of water and springs created these terraces which look like marble and gold pyramids and moonscapes.  

After Mammoth we took the Sportsman Lake trail west and northwest.  It wound through some beautiful forested mini canyons and past a couple of meadows. We only had thirteen miles to our reserved campsite which gave us time to enjoy the park and not feel rushed.  It's getting dark sooner though.  I'm feeling sad cause I lost my warm hat and I really liked it.  It's probably at the hotel.  It's harder to keep track of stuff when there are four hikers crammed into one tiny room.  Still, a great day with no rain.