Black Sands Spring

On our way home we took a dirt road out of West Yellowstone heading back towards Island Park alongside the airstrip.  We discovered Black Sands Spring, another great place to take visitors with a picnic lunch, some ATVs, and lawn chairs.

Black Sands Springs

A large dirt parking area and fire pit greet you as you drive into the area.  Several large rocks rim the parking area, just right for children to climb on.  There are no toilet facilities, so don't forget to bring some t.p. along with some flip flops to wade into the water with.

The Frontier Trail

Today we went into West Yellowstone to ride.  We found the Frontier Trail and followed it all the way around the outside of the city.  It covers about 4 miles of trails through the trees and is very flat.  This would be a very good trail for the grandchildren when they are a bit older, like 8-10 years and older.

The Tree of Life

Brian and I came up Thursday night for the weekend. The weather has been lovely at home and it looked like a promising forecast, so we brought the bicycles back up for some exercise.

This afternoon we rode down to the boat launch, over the bridge, around to the springs and the Johnny Sack cabin and back.  Standing in the spring we spied these two wonderful moose, wearing their winter coats.

The Johnny Sack cabin was closed and deserted.

There is a tree at Big Springs that I have looked at and thought about.  I have named it 'The Tree of Life' because the spring seems to boil out right at its roots.  Since there was no one around, I climbed down to the base of the tree to get a closer look and some pictures.

The Tree of Life

The spring does in fact come out of the ground right by the roots of this large tree.  It reminds me of the 'Tree of Life' we read about in the scriptures, though I'm sure not as glorious.  This spring runs 365 days a year at a constant 52 degrees F.  The green moss and watercress are always growing there.  It is a constant in this sometimes harsh environment, giving life to all who wander by or seek it out.  In the scriptures, the Tree of Life represents the love of God, a constant in our harsh environment, giving us life and love each time we seek it out.