Did Someone Say ‘Firehole’?

And then there is this ….

Firehole Lake Drive Temporarily Closed http://t.co/cElf07hDqV (dh) pic.twitter.com/VHiIoPHido

— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) July 10, 2014

Ed Mazza explains what we are seeing:

The park says extreme heat from thermal areas is causing hot oil to bubble to the surface of Firehole Lake Drive, a scenic 3.3-mile loop that runs past Great Fountain Geyser, White Dome Geyser and Firehole Lake ….

…. “It basically turned the asphalt into soup,” park spokesman Dan Hottle told USA Today. “It turned the gravel road into oatmeal.”

That same thermal heat melting the road is what gives the park its famous geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles. But for the moment, some of these natural wonders will be off-limits as officials ask both motorists and hikers to avoid the area.

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When Nature Strikes … No, Really

Absolutely fantastic: Via CNN and by way of KXTV comes video footage from one Bruce Hyland that must be seen to be believed.

Up close and personal, indeed. It should probably be noted that it should probably go without saying that actually seeking out such footage would be unwise.

Oh, right. Anyway, that said, it really is pretty cool.

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Image credits: Bruce Hyland (top, middle), CNN (bottom).