25 Sep Images of the West: Letting Off Steam

Let’s face it, Old Faithful, Great Fountain Geyser, Norris Geyser Basin, and the various Yellowstone fumaroles don’t get a lot of attention when they’re in the steam phase, which comes after all the “oohs” and “ahhs” and visual thrills of an eruption. Sitting by myself, as dawn and dusk splash their palette on steamy thermal areas, I still find myself mesmerized. Colorful, reflected hues in the hot waters flowing from the vents or a steamy Old Faithful silhouetted against the dusk sky can be equally thrilling — and silent… It’s a quiet and magical time I relish.

Usually unnoticed, this blue pool sits above Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs. When viewed from a far boardwalk, the beautifully etched formations encompassing the pool are equally stunning. The Yellowstone National Park 2025 calendar featured this photo on its cover.

Steam and fog announce the arrival of autumn’s cool mornings and brilliantly colored grasses. A solo bison engulfed in an ethereal atmosphere plucks the seasonal shoots. Once the sun peeks through the rising veil, the deep red and gold grasses are further exposed. 

This bison was nothing special until the sun highlighted the gold and red grasses as it peeked through the rising steam. The once-green grasses now appeared as a bejewelled crowned carpet. For an hour, I moved with the bison. Eventually, the background trees came into focus as he munched in quiet solace.

I move with the bison, my camera in hand, as it quietly munches. Background scenery presents itself as a framed picture within the grandeur and splendor of a typical fall morning in Yellowstone. I take my time as the fog slowly lifts. An hour passes as the sublime beauty continues to unveil itself.

Viewing Grand Prismatic from the boardwalk has consistently intrigued me over the past few decades. Every time I go, I see different patterns and colors form on the bacteria mat, a living organism. Each area has its own series of mini edges, which create ongoing patterns. The morning steam reflects the bacteria mat in pastel hues as it slowly lifts, drifting upward and hovering over the hot pool.

Over the decades, I’ve experienced the steamy thermals from the ground, but an aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring is breathtaking. Its surroundings are lifeless compared to the kaleidoscopic colors within the thermal pool. The austere, brown boardwalk follows the spring’s curve and then meanders as it connects to other thermals. Shadowed figures appear on the boardwalk, giving a vertical edge to the otherwise colorful curves of the pool, which emanates orange flames. Arriving too early at Grand Prismatic on these cool mornings, whether on the ground or in the air, means I won’t see anything: There’s too much steam. Thus, calculating the best arrival time is important.

I missed the early evening Old Faithful eruption, not because I wasn’t in my prime spot, but because clouds drifted in and covered the sun. No geyser spray could be seen as it blended in with the cloudy sky. Not to be completely foiled — and since I was camping nearby — I decided to wait another hour for the geyser to erupt again, hoping it would happen before the sun dropped below the horizon. As I sat on the bench dreaming of possibilities that were not destined to happen, the steam phase burst into the sky, setting off a haunting spectacle I hadn’t previously seen.

Great Fountain Geyser is usually throbbing with people during the daytime, but not in the morning when I decide to drive along Firehole Lake Drive. The area is silent as I approach the pool. Dawn’s pink and orange hues paint the sky. I set up my tripod and am free to move at will, capturing the steam and colors peeking above the heavy fog. The thermal water reflects the sky as steam drifts lazily from the vent. It’s a serene, atmospheric environment shared only between me and my photos.

Cool late-September and October mornings on Quake Lake are filled with fog. Dead trees from the 1959 earthquake make this entire scene evocative as I drift in my kayak. Meanwhile, the colorful aspen trees are in their full glory, adorning the hillsides as the fog hangs, suspended, above them.

Dewy grasses glitter in the early morning fog, another sign of the season. A precariously perched Savannah sparrow peers through the stems. Dark, hulking bison offer perspective in the background. I hope the tiny bird won’t get trampled; surely the wary bird will find a safe perch on another dewy log.

Silex Spring, with its deep blue hues, is the first beautiful thermal visible along the boardwalk at Fountain Paint Pots. It also exhibits intense orange thermophile mats that survive along the edge of the pool.

Quake Lake, another of my haunts, lies within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Arriving early at the boat launch, I push off in my kayak and paddle toward the east end, racing to catch the fog before it completely dissipates. Once this happens, the sun exposes the brilliantly colored aspen leaves and red bushes on the hills. The dead trees give the environment an added mysticism while ducks and geese meander through, quietly engrossed in their own paddling.

Somewhat unpredictable in its eruptions, Great Fountain Geyser lies on Firehole River Drive, off the main road near the Fountain Flats area. In the early morning light, the pool reflects visually astounding dawn colors. It was eerie and desolate as I moved around the boardwalk capturing changing colors and edges, alone within the silence.

This season’s steam offers a welcome transition from the summer’s verdant greens. I dress warmly in gloves and layered clothing, though once the steamy fog lifts, the sun’s warmth envelops my body as it does the landscape around me.

Carol Polich has been a nature photographer and author for the past three decades. Her written and visual work has been featured in regional, national, and international magazines, and her images have been included in calendars, on postcards, and throughout numerous national parks. When she’s not in the field, she teaches photo classes. Polich has three photo books to her credit; wildnaturetrails.com.