Book Excerpt : Extension to Black Sand Pool

If you continue west where the two walkways around Daisy become one, you'll see the White Pyramid (or White Throne), the cone of an extinct geyser, across the meadow to the north. At its base is small but active Pyramid Geyser.

   A little farther west is the almost perfectly circular Punch Bowl Spring^*. The center of this beautiful spring boils a foot or so above its rim, which is nearly 2 feet (0.6 m) in height. It overflows constantly, creating a colorful runoff channel.

Geyserite precipitating from Punch Bowl Spring has created a finely sculpted bowl.

   It's a short distance to Black Sand Pool^*, the last major feature on this route. Black Sand acts infrequently as a geyser and has a large and colorful runoff stream to its west. The area at the base of the runoff was named Specimen Lake (when it had more water) for the "specimens" of still-standing silicified trees killed by Black Sand's runoff. In and around Black Sand Pool you'll see good examples of the black obsidian sand (a volcanic glass) that gives the pool and the geyser basin to its southwest their names.

   The small but deep, dangerous crater just across the path and south of Black Sand Pool is called Demon's Cave. Avoid going near its overhanging ledge.

   You can continue from here to Black Sand Basin (described on pages 70-72) or turn back to the Daisy Group.

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NOTE: The red hiker symbol () means this is a recommended walk. The asterisks (*) after Punch Bowl Spring and Black Sand Pool are used here instead of the single black star, a symbol in the guidebook that means a feature or place is worth making time for or taking a detour.

CREDITS: The Punch Bowl Spring photo is by Bruno Giletti.

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 This is an excerpt from Yellowstone Treasures, 2nd edition, page 102. For a map showing most of the geysers of the Upper Geyser Basin, see Yellowstone Treasures, page 83.

Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.