WLM | explore
didn’t take long to decide that I had two projects on my
hands: the hot springs….and the rest of Yellowstone.
The matter achieved another dimension of complexity
as I made flights in the changeover to winter: the hot
springs change. Part of it has to do with seasonal and
daily lighting, and other factors relate to weather and
temperature. In addition to these cyclical realities,
the springs undergo various geologic processes which
alter their appearance – new features appearing, and
existing features shutting off hydrothermal flow. A few
of the springs began to show different colors entirely
from when I flew months earlier. The project, having
previously expanded in scope, was now a subtly
moving target.
I decided that my goal was to overcome some of the
challenges of visiting the park on the ground, realities
of walking over a brittle active geothermal hot spot: it
is simply impossible to see everything. Some springs
have boardwalks and access points which afford
incredible views; others do not. No one can walk on
bacterial films or mineral accumulations due to danger
and the fact that the park would be ruined in short
order. Drones are also not allowed, which means that
many springs are viewable at some element of angle or
distance, which was somewhat agitating to me when
visiting on the ground. My goal with the project is
to present things that cannot be seen easily, or at all:
straight down into some springs, off limits areas, or
backcountry destinations which require a lot of time
and work to explore.
Some of the highlights of the project to me were images
of springs that filled my screen entirely at home, yet I
was only looking at a fraction of the colorful hot springs.
In other instances, there are rivers of red flowing
reasonably long distances from their origin source,
creating an apocalyptic scene. The absolute highlight,
which I will never forget, is seeing Old Faithful while
not erupting, and finding an abundance of jewel-like
pools adorning the geyser, something I could only see
from above with a slow airplane. W L M
“Yellowstone’s Hot Springs: An Aviator’s Perspective” is
available at Amazon.com, garrettfisher.me, Valley Bookstore
in Jackson, Eagle Flight Services in Afton, and Cody Coffee
Roasters at the Cody airport.
www.wyolifestyle.com
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