Ink & Penstemon

Porcelain Basin in the Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. 

According to the Park Service’s plaque,

“The milky color of the mineral deposited here inspired the naming of Porcelain Basin and Porcelain Springs. The mineral, siliceous sinter, is brought to the surface by hot water and forms a sinter “sheet” over this flat area as the water flows across the ground and the mineral settles out. This is the fastest changing area in Norris….If the mineral seals off a hot spring or geyser by accumulating in its vent, the hot, pressurized water may flow underground to another weak area and blow through it.

“Siliceous sinter is also called geyserite. Deposits usually accumulate very slowly—less than one inch per century—and form the geyser cones and mounds seen in most geyser basins.”

Upper Mesa Falls, Targhee National Forest, Idaho.

I just got back from my annual summer vacation where this time, I got some particularly good photos of these falls, thanks to a decent camera. They are a hidden jewel of the Greater Yellowstone area and I never leave without a visit. According to a plaque on site, the falls “are part of the Henrys Fork of the Snake River. It is approximately 114 feet big [tall] and 200 feet wide. The average volume of water flowing over the falls varies between 600 and 1,500 cubic feet per second. This equates to 387 million to 967 million gallons per day.”

I’ve put a panorama that shows more of the gorge on my Flickr account. There’s a link through the side bar.

Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park.

Balsamhoirza hookeri. Hooker’s Balsamroot. Photo credit Steve Hegji.

“I took this same picture last year, but I was further back and I didn’t like it. Then I read that ‘fields’ of flowers appear better when there are some in the foreground that are large and in focus. I agree.”—S.H.

Lots of color in this meadow near Duchesne, Utah. Photo by James Mikkelsen. From NARGS photo gallery.

Our town.

Oriental poppies in Alpine, Utah.

In 1910, George Cannon Lambert made a summer home and planted orange oriental poppies and a yellow tea rose next to his home. The house is now a ruin but the roses are thriving and the poppies have naturalized into the surrounding sagebrush and trees.

Malcomia fields forever. Photo credit Steve Hegji. 

Purple is the Malcomia africana; yellow in foreground and middle is Descurainia sophia (Flixweed).

Correction: After closer inspection, Steve found this was actually Chorispora tenella (Musk Mustard). As Steve explains, it’s an easy error to make: “The two plants look similar from a distance, but have many differences close up. The most noticeable difference is that Malcolmia africana has long, straight pods, whereas Chorispora tenella has shorter, curved pods.”

Bryce Canyon National Park, which is where I went last week for spring break. Which National Park will you visit for National Park Week?

Panoramic view from the top of Black Mountain in the Lakeside Mountain range next to the Great Salt Lake. Photo credit Steve Hegji.