Hot Spot: Yellowstone Road Melts, Sites Closed

[Little Star]

The ever-changing thermal geology of Yellowstone National Park has created a hot spot that melted an asphalt road and closed access to popular geysers and other attractions at the height of tourist season, officials said Thursday.

As they examined possible fixes, park officials warned visitors not to hike into the affected area, where the danger of stepping through solid-looking soil into boiling-hot water was high.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2014/07/10/hot-spot-yellowstone-road-melts-closing-sites/bBfrjGyuzYDWg26fiEZF3I/story.html

I've never had a desire to go there. I'm too chicken shit.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I was just there a few years ago. Beautiful, and we had fun, but

most of the trip was spent driving through the park. It takes a while to see most of it, it's huge.

[Little Star]

3. I saw it on Aerial America &

that was close enough for me.

It is beautiful and amazing.

[KamaAina]

2. One sincerely hopes this is not a precursor to the supervolcano

[Little Star]

4. That's what I was thinking.

[FSogol]

6. Seriously. I don't have enough Pale Ale stocked up for the Apocalypse.

[gratuitous]

17. Or even a sharcano!

Man-eating sharks, bubbling up out of the land, their red-hot teeth tearing through everyone and everything in their path! Quick, someone get Tara Reid on the phone; her number's on the door to the third stall in the men's room.

[Skidmore]

5. Ok, anyone know where Woody Harrelson is?

[Coventina]

7. From what I understand, if that thing blows we're all toast.

[Little Star]

8. Thanks for that information....

not!

[Coventina]

10. Well, the worst would be the aftermath.

After the initial event, which could kill thousands or up to a million (depending on how much warning and evacuations could be done). The ash cloud would destroy agriculture in the US for at least a few years.
The entire planet would have problems for a decade.

Scientists don't predict a mass extinction event, but it could (depending how people chose to react) end civilization for awhile.

So, go ahead and go. It's a beautiful place, and staying away won't help if it does blow.

It's a reminder that life is fragile and should be cherished and appreciated for all its beauties, for it is subject to cancellation at any time.

[Little Star]

11. I have a wish to die in my sleep or

some other peaceful way. Although, it might not be too bad to die of the heart attack I'd have being there.

Didn't ya hear me say I'm a chicken shit? lol

[Coventina]

12. I also hope to die in my sleep. It seems the best way.

I certainly do not want to live through such a catastrophic event, such as a supervolcano's massive eruption.

My hopes of humanity coming together at such a time are very low.

Unfortunate, but true.

In the long run, though, the planet would be better off with far fewer of us. It would be a net win for most of the world's species.

[joeybee12]

16. Might as well be there and get it over and done with...

Then deal with the slow death of starvation from the aftermath.

[Coventina]

18. There is something to be said for that.

As I remember one of my teachers saying, back in the days of the Cold War:

"If a bomb drops on Phoenix, I want to catch it!"

[joeybee12]

19. Hah!

[B2G]

20. But global warming...solved. nt

[Warpy]

9. I tend to urp when exposed to a lot of sulphur compounds in the air

and that gets a little embarrassing. Mother Earth has halitosis.

I'll stick to the volcanoes here, the most recent eruption being about 12-15 thousand years ago. The supervolcano west of Los Alamos has been quiet for over a million years, may it stay that way permanently.

[Xolodno]

13. Been there twice...

...wouldn't mind going again. Shoot, I wouldn't mind living there.

[neverforget]

14. You should visit Yellowstone sometime. It's beautiful and it's safe.

If you go, head south a little ways to Grand Teton National Park which is absolutely breathtaking. An absolute must drive is the Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge, MT to Cooke City, Mt into the Northwest entrance to Yellowstone Park. It's a slow drive but well worth it.

http://beartoothhighway.com/

The Grand Tetons

[Little Star]

15. Grand Teton National Park is

on my bucket list, that and The Grand Canyon. Who knows if I'll ever make it. But I did get to Acadia National Park and The Great Smoky Mountains. Both were excellent.