[Geysers] Oct. 30th geyser report (Katherine Barger)

[Katherine Barger]

     It was a successful trip!  My mission was to drive to Yellowstone immediately after the 3rd preschool class' party to pick up our three bikes.  The weather kept me guessing, but after receiving several reports that Big Sky had received approximately 15 inches and Bozeman was not good Thursday night, coupled with the fact that Craig Pass was open, I decided to gamble on coming thru the South Entrance which is only a 5 hour trip for me(in good weather).  The boys stayed home with their dad, so this was a solo trip.  The roads were good, although Towgotee Pass was snow packed and slick (but still good as far as winter driving goes) and there was a small amount of snow at the South Entrance.  The rest of the roads were dry.  I made it to Old Faithful area in 6 hours with my cautious driving.  I was unaware that earlier in the evening there had been a 16 minute hot period at Giant.  (I found that out the next morning.  I was also told that Fan and Mortar had erupted over night between Wed. and Thurs.)  
     Saturday, Oct. 30th, I made it out into the basin by 0800.  (I had checked the Log Book at the Visitor Center the previous night noting the 1527 Beehive, 1706ie Castle, 0927 Grand, 0951 & 1556ns Oblongs, and that Plume was active again with two eruptions noted at 1448 & 1634.  Sticking to my mission, the first thing I did was load the three bikes, while keeping an eye on Beehive (which was splashing).  Two other gazers, Kendal and Curtis, visited with me and then headed out to check on Giant.  We had a beautiful eruption of Old Faithful at 0836 and Kendal called Oblong in eruption at 0842 (just as I attached the last bike).  I had bungeed the bikes down and was locking them on the carrier as Kendal called a Giant Hot Period (which we found out later was already in progress) at 0853.  Mastiff spiked above Gaint's Cone at one point and was sounding very good, but in the end there was no eruption.  (We figure this hot period was about 8 or 9 minutes in duration and India was entirely covered.  It also had a nice restart according to Kendal.)  I had stopped trudging with all of my layers part way between Castle and Daisy.  I headed back to keep an eye on Beehive, but saw steam over the trees and thought it was already erupting.  I headed out on the boardwalk at Castle and called Beehive Indicator i.e. at 0915.  I decided to hike on the paved path as far as I could before Beehive erupted.  Beehive (0919), I sat down and viewed Beehive from the bench across from the Lower Store.  Beehive rose trim, and tall with the sound of its eruption echoing around the basin.  The gray, overcast sky didn't permit a nice picture, but it was still a joy to watch.  Grand hadn't reached overflow yet (according to the VC Interp., Beth), so the gazers left  the boardwalks briefly for breakfast, warm clothes,etc.  I was in the Government area when I heard the Visitor Center staff say that with the Electronic times for Grand, the next prediction was for 10:45 AM (it was 1015 at the time), so I quickly headed back to Grand.  I waited two minutes, called waves on Grand, then Grand.  It erupted at 1038.  A steamy, but still appreciated G2*Q with a duration of approximately 12 minutes.  Artemisia's steam cloud had been seen at 0930 i.e. and Grotto and Grotto Fountain were called i.e. at 1015.  I watched a brief Rocket Major at 1116.  Riverside started at 1119, and Grotto quit by 1125.  Daisy erupted at 1212 (the previous one was called i.e. at 0939).  A Plume was announced at 1217 as I waited for another Oblong.  At 1358, we had an 8 1/2 minute Giant hot period with Feather, Feather's Sat., S.W.Vents, & Rust which pulled me away from Oblong.  Most of India was covered.  Oblong was called at 1410 and I hurried to enjoy a thumpy, but not particularly high eruption.  I headed in for a hot lunch at the Geyser Grill, enjoying a Lion initial at 1439 as I slowly plodded along the slightly snowy paved path.  Old Faithful joined in at 1440 with another nice eruption.  The sky continued to be gray and over cast with the wind occasionally being very chilly.  Snow flurries came and went as the sky occasionally gave way to blue sky and sun only to close in again.  I enjoyed my hot lunch, but even though the snow flurries looked more frantic, the geyser basin called to me and out I went again.  Tara and I noted Grotto was i.e. at 1538 and headed for the area hoping for a Rocket Major.  Rocket 1603 with a duration of 8 minutes.  We were just passing Link when another Giant hot period was radioed at ~1619.50.  It was a 2 minute 20 second Feather.  By this time I was starting to notice the amount of walking I was doing in my snow boots (and I have two blisters under my big toes to show for it) and realized how much energy was being expended to stay warm and get from place to place.  Another Plume was radioed at 1619 followed by a Lion at 1621.  The next Riverside erupted at 1714 while Tara and I were watching Uncertain (which chose not to erupt).  I watched two Turbans and then Oblong chose to erupt at 1737ns (causing me great annoyance as I watched the eruption grow into a large pale blue ball the went to the top of the dead tree, which means it was a huge eruption, unlike the previous one).  Tara and I enjoyed a group of 15 Swans that flew over us twice making an eerie call.  Grand 1742!  It was a G1C that lasted approximately 10 minutes.  It may have only been a single burst, but we had great visibility (given the weather) and it had nice height and formation.  I headed down to hopefully get another hot period at Giant, while Tara went in to do homework, but the dark, wind, cold, and snow finally caused me to head in.  There had been a small hot period just before I arrived after the Grand eruption.  I was pretty sure that Grotto was going into a Marathon and we still hadn't had a good hot period.  Castle was in eruption as I passed at 1927 and went to steam by 1934.  By the time I got to my car, I had decided that the snow was getting heavier and it was time to depart from the park.  (I had planned on leaving Sunday.)  I loaded my vehicle, said my good-byes and headed out toward the West Entrance at 2030.  The South Entrance had closed around noon that day and Craig was closed by the evening.  Snow completely covered the road (but it wasn't slippery) and the snow pelted my front window.  Visibility was poor, but the road from Madison to West was much better.  I don't know how much snow Yellowstone finally received, but I was starting to second guess my decision to depart as I drove on damp roads through Bozeman.  The interstate was basically dry, although I passed one accident where a SUV had rolled and was laying on the highway with a large group of firefighters, and other emergency personnel on hand.  By the time I reached Bridger flurries were just starting again and I realized that the weather was still coming.  I decided to drive all the way home and arrived at 6 AM (5 AM since we had lost an hour).  I made hast crawling into my warm, cozy bed with the knowledge that I had made it home safely, with the bikes in tow, and had fit a whole day of geyser gazing in and still would get a day of sleep.  What a great weekend.  I'm hoping that next weekend the weather is better.  I get a three day weekend then, and then the Park is closed until December.       
*Note - Thank you Tara, Mike Keller, and the Visitor Center for keeping me posted on the weather and road conditions which helped me have a safe trip.
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