Carnett: Sure, Yellowstone might blow, but don’t let that stop you

Whew. That was close!

Last week my wife, Hedy, and I made our first visit to spectacular Yellowstone National Park. It was wonderful, but we left in the nick of time.

Have you heard? Yellowstone — the whole middle of our country, for that matter — could blow at any moment. Huge volcano. Supervolcano, in fact.

I’m not intimidated. I’ve lived next to the San Andreas for decades. But it’s wise to be wary.

Scientists tell us that Yellowstone could go tomorrow — or in a million years. That’s a pretty large window. Even I’d feel confident with a prediction like that.

The scenario for Yellowstone’s “impending” undoing is a popular topic at the park’s Canyon Visitor Education Center. Park officials have decided to turn a public relations snafu into a marketing campaign: Catch us before we explode!

The center features exhibits explaining Yellowstone’s geologic history, with emphasis on the lake of magma that roils beneath the park’s cherry-pie-crust surface.

Yellowstone has experienced at least three gigantic volcanic eruptions over the last 20,000 centuries. The first occurred 2 million years ago, the second 1.3 million years ago and the third 640,000 years ago.

One Yellowstone eruption scenario purveyor has postulated a 2021 uncorking. Those in the know consider him a crank. He predicts that most of the U.S. and large chunks of Canada and Mexico will be incinerated. Two-thirds of this nation will be left uninhabitable.

Another claims that the U.S. actually has contingency plans with Brazil and Australia to relocate millions of citizens after the eruption. (I’ve got dibs on Ipanema Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.)

Recent scientific studies indicate that two massive magma reservoirs — one shallow and the other deep — exist beneath Yellowstone. Like their San Andreas-following brethren, Yellowstone scientists seem to be saying it’s not a matter of if, but when. Yet, “when” could be millennia away.

Knowing what I know, Hedy and I went to Yellowstone last week anyway — and had a lovely time.

We stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, next to the most famous geyser in the world. Because of Yellowstone’s volcanism, half the world’s geothermal features are located there.

We entered the park through its northern entrance at Gardiner, Mont., and exited at the southern entrance in Wyoming. Upon leaving, we immediately entered another spectacular natural wonder, Grand Teton National Park.

Yellowstone is located in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, and also sits on slivers of Montana and Idaho. It’s the oldest national park in the world, dating from 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant signed its Act of Dedication.

The park occupies 2.2 million acres atop the supervolcano and is nearly three times the size of Yosemite. It runs 63 miles north to south and 54 miles west to east, and sits on a plateau with an average elevation of 8,000 feet.

The breathtaking topography includes lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America.

Approximately 80% of Yellowstone’s forests are made up of lodge pole pines. About a third of the park’s forests burned during the terrible wild fires of 1988. In fact, one prominent network news anchor reportedly held a burnt ember in his hands and declared: “This is all that’s left of Yellowstone.” Hardly.

Many denuded poles can still be seen standing on Yellowstone’s mountain slopes and in its valleys. Others strewn about the landscape are slowly decaying. But millions of young trees are in evidence everywhere. They’re regenerating naturally.

We saw considerable wildlife during our stay. We were told that the park today is home to more than 5,000 bison. We also saw mule deer, bighorn sheep, a bull elk, a bull moose, a grizzly bear mother and her two cubs, a fox, many pronghorn sheep and several bald eagles. And, oh yeah, a bunny.

So with the risk of a major event hanging over Yellowstone’s head for the next million years or so, should a person think twice about visiting?

Not at all.

Besides, if the supervolcano blows during your stay, you’ll never know what hit you anyway.

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.