In an event that lives up to the maxim “better safe than sorry,” yesterday a restroom in Mammoth Hot Springs was closed due to hazardous materials. Well, not really. Several visitors at a restroom known as “Big John” experienced respiratory problems after encountering a thick, pungent yellow paste. The restroom was closed at 9:30 a.m. for investigation and a Bozeman haz-mat crew was summoned, but according to park rangers the substance was not dangerous.
While it’s always good to report these things in the event of a real danger, sometimes it’s just paranoia. At the same time, a powdery white substance was reported in a shop at Old Faithful, leading some people to conclude Yellowstone was suffering from a haz-mat attack. The substance in question? Just some baby powder. –Sean Reichard