2007 Q & A
June 14, 2007
Have you heard the wolves howl or gotten close to them? If so, how did you feel at that moment? Julianna, Stoney Point Elementary School, Cumberland Co.
We thought we heard them howl once, but were not sure. Just like for other wildlife, there are rules for how close you can approach any animal, both for their safety and yours. Even though the wolves we have seen have been far away, some of us could almost feel their presence in a way that is hard to describe.
Is the smell from Yellowstone different from where you normally live? Diana, Graham Middle School, Alamance Co.
It depends on were you are in the park. In Mammoth, there is a faint smell from the travertine terraces. Amongst the trees near Roosevelt, the woodland smells remind us of North Carolina mountain forests. Near small thermal features such as Soda Butte, you can occasionally detect a slight sulfur smell. On our drive toward Yellowstone Lake, we encountered the strong smell of rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide).
What is it like to stand next to one of the boiling mud pots? Anna, Poe Montessori Elementary School, Wake Co.
The mud pots smell like rotten eggs and sound like a pot of soup boiling on your stove at home—plop, plop, plop. They are often surrounded by steam that swirls in the wind currents.
Mud Pot Bubble
(Photo taken by Mike Dunn during the 2007 Yellowstone in Winter Educator Trek)
|
