The park was in full bloom and the tourists were not too thick, although there were plenty. Decided to tour the Terraces in Mammoth, my old home for a year back in the day. I had not taken the board walk tour since dragging the kids there a long time ago. I chuckled when I heard a mother ask, "it looks like we're on Mars, doesn't it?" and her son's dour response was "it looks like we're walking up lots of steps" (true). I regularly coerced my three kids into visiting the park. Although they would now agree those treks were a good thing, at the time, they often lacked a jubilant enthusiasm.It is quite something recalling the look of the Terraces back in 1978 compared to now. They look entirely different with all the constant fluctuation of the thermal activity. Living in Yellowstone Park was a blessing which I fully appreciated at the time, knowing it was a once in a life time experience and Yellowstone has been a favorite place ever since.
I decided to take the short walk to Tower Falls this time. I did not recall ever actually seeing it before, however I did have a vague recollection that the trail used to go to the base of the falls, confirmed by a closed trail sign with a note mentioning 1985. The trail now goes down to the river, but you cannot see the falls from the river trail.
Going home, in any sense, is always trippy, whether it is back to your childhood hometown, or to a place when your life had a totally different complexion. While not always disconcerting, I've found it comes with a sense of loss attached. Though most of the lost things were better left along the trail of your life, it still evokes a feeling of detachment to something you once had attachment to.
