Paint Pots

On the way back to Golden after Lake Louise, we wanted to stop at a multicache called Paint Pots. Having been to Yellowstone, we were kind of expecting boiling pots of mud. But these were cold paint pots.

It was raining and the boys were tired, so I went alone on the walk. It was very quiet - nobody else on the trail until I was almost back to the parking lot. I kept whistling and singing to keep the bears away. I used to think that was something they told the tourists, but I didn't get eaten by bears, so maybe it worked.

First up, a suspension bridge! I crossed this thing! Twice!


In the olden days, they mined the yellow and red ocher from here, sending it off to be made into paint. Hence, paint pots. They never picked up the last load of ocher.


Here are the springs, rich in iron oxide. As the iron oxide builds up on the sides of the pool, the hill gets higher. Eventually, the spring is choked off and the water finds another way to get out of the ground. It was raining pretty heavily by this time. I did not bring my raincoat this day, because the forecast was for sun. Ha! I just had my little blue hoodie, hoodie up.


Here's the rain in the valley. It was beautiful and quiet.


The bridge again. When I got back to this bridge, all of a sudden there were lots of people around. One group was just playing on the bridge and in the river. Another family asked me questions about the trail, it was still raining. I told them the cool parts and they decided not to go. Did I mention it was really raining?


I headed up the hill back to the car before they went. I stopped at the top to catch my breath and they passed me. I told them I was from sea level where there is more air.