Hot creek
All this area around Mammoth has a lot of geothermal activity, it was once a vulcano that erupted around 760 thousand years ago. After the eruption, the empty caldera formed a huge depression that still has a lot of activity until today.
The water that melts from the snow in the mountains penetrates the cracks in the rocks and go very deep like a few kilometers or miles deep. The water reaches the magma bed underneath and then resurfaces, very hot, in many spots around the area of the caldera.
The creek has a lot of cold water flowing from the mountains and mixes up with the hot water that is resurfacing from the depths. You can see the water bubbling in many spots and a lot of steam. You can also smell sulfur near the creek. Some spots are so hot that it can burn the skin.
The views are stunning and I think that the pictures don't make justice. I hope you enjoy it!
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Your description of the hot‑cold water interaction is vivid—did you notice any micro‑organisms thriving in the sulfur‑rich spots? The contrast between the steam and the crystal‑clear mountain melt is truly captivating 🌋❄️📸