By Brian Livingston
The wonders never cease at Yellowstone National Park where Boy Scout Troop 9 from Highland Baptist Church spent the past several days.
Thursday was the last day the scouts would be able to explore the park and they made the best of it by taking in even more of the natural wonders the park has to offer. It would be tough to top Wednesday's extreme excitement from the rafting trip.
Steve Corey and Mike Purvis, scoutmasters for the troop, led the boys to the extreme northern edge of the park, the Mammoth Hot Springs area. While there they were allowed to proceed to one of Yellowstone's hidden secrets — "The Boiling River." Corey said the river is located near the 45th parallel, which marks the halfway point between the North Pole and the Equator.
"That was quite appropriate," said Corey. "In this river one can experience the very cold water of the river while at the same time enjoying a very hot thermal spring. It was yet another unique experience during a trip filled with unique experiences."
The Boiling River has just recently been opened to the public. Purvis said there are no signs showing the way to the secluded area and up until recently only park rangers knew of its exact location.
While there the troop swam in water that in one spot was 40 degrees and the other was 100 degrees. At times you could put a foot in both at the same time. Ian Perry, one of the scouts, said the trick was finding the right place in the water where hot and cold water meshed perfectly.
"Hot, cold, very hot, very cold, it all depended on where you were in the water," he said.
"The experience was almost surreal," said Puvis. "What an unusual natural phenomenon."
Kyle Boyken, another one of the scouts, agreed.
"The Boiling River was way better than any hot tub," Boyken said.
Eventually the troop had to dry off and continue with the day's activities. An unexpected turn in the road, however, yielded the best bear encounter of the whole trip.
While on the road to the "Mud Volcano," where large craters spew sulphur-ladened mud into the air, a young black bear was cited just off the road gorging itself on berries. The troop scampered out of the bus and immediately snapped dozens of pictures as the bear watched them without much amusement.
"We also had another close buffalo encounter," said Corey. "Then we saw two dear, the buck had a massive rack covered velvet."
But alas all good things must come to an end. The troop headed back to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they were to catch the flight out Friday and return home. It is almost a certainty there will be many smiles etched across the faces of the scouts as they reflect back on the past week.
