Quake Lake

Did you know that in 1957 there was an earthquake in Yellowstone? We discovered that at the visitor center. The earthquake (7.5 on the Richter scale ) was actually centered just north west of the park. It caused a mountain to collapse into a pass and block the flow of the Madison River which also flows through Yellowstone. This blockage formed a lake before the army was able to dig a trench to re-establish an outlet for the river. Twenty some people died in local campgrounds because of the rocks falling and the water. We learned that even though a flow of water was established again, the lake that was created still exists. The flow is still somewhat restricted but they believe that eventually it will drain when the movement of the water deepens the spillway and allows the water to drain faster. We took a 17 mile drive out of West Yellowstone to see the lake.

Here is part of the mountain that collapsed.

We found this guy (a Bald Eagle) looking for a meal in one of the dead trees.

Damage to the roads by the quake prohibited rescue of the campers so medics were helicoptered in to provide assistance. Some of the old roads are still around. We drove down this one only to end up at the edge of the lake.

Sydney and Holly enjoyed playing in the water and having a picnic lunch before returning to the campground.