[Geysers] Winter trip to Yellowstone Jan. 14 to 17 (Kitt)

[Katherine Barger]

     I heard Yellowstone's call and answered it on January 13th.  I left Worland with its yellow, dry grass and headed North.  Snow greeted me 45 minutes from home and traveled with me during most of my trip.  The interstate was a white knuckle drive occasionally, but I made it in one piece just before dark shrouded Mammoth.  On Jan. 14th, the sun came out during my trip down, although the wind was blowing the snow around during the last part of the trip.  Fountain's steam cloud was seen as we entered the Flats at 1148 i.e. (only to quit before I could get close enough to see water).  I arrived at ~1230.  I checked in, dumped my belongings, and headed for the Visitor Center.  
     Little Squirt was i.e. and Lion had been in eruption at 1257.  My first Old Faithful eruption was at 1302.  My mission was to see anything and everything erupt.  I headed down basin as Mike Lang called Oblong at 1318.  Plume waved hello at 1356 and I watched Riverside's steamcloud from Sawmill at 1357.  Daisy erupted at 1359 (I would find out later just how challenging it is to get to places like Daisy, Riverside, and Oblong.)  
     Mike L. and I headed for Beehive which hadn't been seen in 7 days.  I slowly plodded through the snow, sinking an extra 6 inches every so often.  (Gone were the days of summer, when you hurried between Grand and Beehive.)  We detoured to take a look at the "fence" at Aurum.  I stopped mid stride at Ear Spring to check the last Lion time.  "Turn around silly," my brain taunted me.  Lion - 1410  I continued on to Aurum to see the new addition.  For once, the frozen scary ice bowl was missing, due to the late arrival of snow this year.  I took photos of the fence, unfortunately Aurum would only erupt when I was far from it.  
     I watched a crisp, pillar of steam head skyward during Old Faithful's eruption at 1438.  Plume erupted again at 1503 and Aurum erupted at 1531 (much to my annoyance).  The bubblers around Beehive were very active and we waited hopefully until Plume erupted again at 1608.  A chilly breeze helped me decide that it was time to return to the Visitor Center.  After the bridge, the hike up the little hill behind Old Faithful turned out to be quite a challenge.  We sank knee deep into the snow numerous times.  I found out that it was 9 degrees outside and it had been very windy at Beehive.  I enjoyed the soft cushions at the V.C. and then headed back down to check on Fan and Mortar.  I was down near the Inn when I saw Daisy's steam cloud at 1635.  The path had been plowed recently so the walking was good, although my heavy snowmobile boots felt like lead, I appreciated how warm my feet were.  
     Grotto was in eruption when I passed, but no F & M yet!  The snow was almost to the top of the bridges' railing and the boardwalk was buried at F& M.  (Mike L. had made a nice path in the snow to the benches.  I made a mental note to bring my snowshoes out tomorrow.  But I was thankful to see all of the snow.  I decided that it was time to start heading in since the light was fading fast.  I paused at the Daisy trail when I noticed a lot of steam from Oblong.  (Oblong was near start at 1721 and ended at 1726.)  I was almost eerie and yet wonderful at the same time as I slowly plodded back toward the Visitor Center which was now closed.  By the time I was parallel to The Inn, most of the light was gone and the shadow on the left side of the road was very helpful in letting me know I was still on the path.  Old Faithful erupted at 1742 and I stopped to look around at the quiet basin with only the sound of the hot water disturbing the peace.  The wind from earlier in the day had disappeared also.  
     As I entered the Snow Lodge, I was amazed at the difference between the two worlds.  Families were happily playing board games, others were reading by the crackling fire, while others headed to dinner.  I shed several layers of clothing and settled in for 3 1/2 hours of Marathon reading.  (I had started reading this book several years ago in Yellowstone and decided that I would finish it this trip.)  Ah, my first day was a success.  Lights out at 2200.  Tomorrow is another day.
     January 15th arrived with clear skies and sun.  I believe that I was later told that the temperature was zero, but all I knew was there were geysers out there.  At 0845, a bundled snow person left the Snow Lodge to check F and M.  This time I had my snowshoes in a bag on my back.  I chose not to check Grand (knowing that it would take me a lot longer to walk that snowy route).  I was down near Daisy when I saw Lion's steam cloud at 0910.  No F & M yet.  I slowly worked my way toward Oblong hoping for a morning eruption.  
     Mike Keller headed down to Fan and Mortar after telling me that Grand hadn't erupted yet.  I decided to head that direction, but stopped when I  noticed Artemisia's steam cloud (1032 i.e.) as I approached Beauty Pool.  I headed back to Oblong.  Mike K. called out events at F & M around 1050.  I "hurried" back to Giant's platform from Oblong when I noticed the South West Vents erupting.  Feather erupted for about 2 minutes, but there was very little runoff from Mastiff.  River on (1106), water levels good at 10 min. mark according to Mike K. so I hurried to F & M only to have them disappear at the 18 minute mark.  Mike K., Mike L., and I headed for Grand after watching Oblong for a while.  We were part way up the hill to Beauty when we realized that Oblong was going to erupt.  But I made it back in time to listen to the tom tom heart beat (Oblong 1139).  Mike K. called, "Castle 1143 i.e.."  Daisy erupted at 1144.  We headed for Grand.  We saw Grotto, but were unsure whether Grotto Fountain was also erupting at 1237.  Several others joined us and Grand erupted at 1250 (T2*Q).  This year I could see the water, although it was tricky getting photos.  (During a Grand eruption several years prior, Bill video taped me with a gray steam cloud erupting behind me.  We could hear the water, but we never saw it.)  West Triplet started at 1256.
     Mike L. headed in and called Plume at 1320.  Mike K. also went in.  I sat down on the bench under the tree at Grand and put my snowshoes on.  (Most of the benches were buried in snow.)  I headed back toward Riverside and a possible Rocket Major, enjoying the stability that my snowshoes allowed.  I worked on making a path to Riverside so that people without snowshoes or skies could possibly get closer for an eruption.  (The paved path is plowed but not the turn out for Riverside.)  Snow depth ranged from dry ground in warm places to waist deep in others.  I paused in my endeavors to enjoy the Rocket Major at 1403.  Riverside erupted at 1426 (only 4 minutes before Mike L.'s estimated eruption time based on a time from the day before).  I saw Daisy's steam cloud at 1428ns.  I realized that Grotto had quite.  I made my way to Oblong with my hood pulled down over my head and my fleece covering the lower half of my face.  The breeze was actually chilly once in a while.  Those who know me, realize that I often stand unless there are benches, but for once I actually wished for a bench.  I found the edge of the boardwalk a foot below the path, but couldn't figure out how to sit with my snowshoes on.  I finally forced myself to give up on Oblong and made it half way up the hill to once again realize that the rush of water meant Oblong was starting to erupt.  (Oblong 1709)  I could hear the thumping up near Beauty for the entire 6 minutes.  Daisy also chose to erupt at 1710, but it was buried in a cloud of steam.  
     I slowly snowshoed back to Castle by way of Grand, enjoying the quiet solitude as the night slowly enveloped the basin.  I shed my snowshoes at Castle so that I could make the rest of my trip less encumbered.  Once again I entered the other world at 1800.  Now I know that I missed Fan and Mortar by only 2+ hours, but the moon wasn't much help that night, so I probably wouldn't have seen much.
     January 16th I awoke before dawn to find snow falling.  I went back to sleep hoping the storm would be temporary, but it would last for the morning and return later in the day.  I ate a delicious French Toast breakfast trying to delay my impulse to bundle up and head for the geysers, but as my meal disappeared the sky lightened and I could no longer resist the urge.  I left the Snow Lodge at 0820 and headed down basin.  (Plume 0842, Daisy 0859 i.e., Old Faithful 0859 i.e.)  I headed for Grand, noticing that the skies were hinting that they might clear later.  I saw Turban at 0908, then Riverside at 0917(probably a start time).  After two more Turbans, Grand erupted at 1015 (T1C).  I had it all to myself and would have liked it more, if the sky hadn't been so gray.  West Triplet joined in at 1017.  
     After the eruption I headed down to F & M.  I had put my snowshoes on before I left the Lodge area, so the going was much easier today.  At 1127, Bottom Vent was i.e. and erupted for most of the next hour.  Daisy's steam cloud appeared over the hill at 1138.  After more than an hour at F & M I decided it wasn't going to erupt.  (The eruption the night before-that I didn't know about-must have gone over the river.  There was still snow on the patch to the left of Main, but that could have been put down by the morning's snow.  The snow was still very deep on the boardwalk, but it was more crunchy which I just presumed meant that it had melted some the day before.
     I headed back toward Castle, debating whether to try The Hill again.  Mike L. and I visited at Castle as we waited for its eruption.  We noticed Plume at 1355.  Mike left his bench to get an angle where he could see Beehive, since he had noticed more steam in that area.  Just then Beehive started splashing bigger, and bigger!  Beehive at 1404.  No indicator.  I would have loved to have been closer, but still enjoyed the sight (especially since I knew how long since anyone had last seen it).  That was my first No Indicator Beehive.  We watched another Plume at 1455, then headed for Riverside (still watching for Castle which must have minored during the night).  Riverside erupted at 1520.  Mike headed in calling another Plume at 1601.  I had decided to snowshoe up to Artemisia (even though it had already erupted).  I slowly climbed the hill pausing to watch a small herd of elk eating exposed grass.  The area around Artemisia looked different in its wintry wardrobe with snow piled everywhere.  The only dry ground was at the far end where the steam leaves the rock wall in the summer.  I kept clear of the edge, not knowing how much the snow might drape over the edge of the rock wall.
     During my return, I stopped to admire Grotto which was still in a marathon.  I decided to head to Daisy and make a path up that trail also.  I was rewarded with an eruption of Daisy at 1711.  I watched Lion's steam cloud at 1715 and headed for home.  I was half way back to Castle when an odd sound caught me off guard.  Oh, it's just Sawmill.  NO!  Grand 1733 ?i.e..  The spikes weren't real tall so I think I missed the first minute or two.  I watched the 1C with a duration of at least 9 minutes from the path.  Plume said good night at 1802 as I passed The Inn.  Tonight was my last night at the Snow Lodge.  I packed that night so that I would have more time for the geysers on my last day.  The snow coach would take us away at 2 PM.
     January 17th I hurried toward Grand but it was impatient and I saw it at 0854 i.e. ns (it ended at 0905).  I was on foot without the assistance of my trusty snowshoes, so after watching Grand and Plume at 0900, I headed for Riverside.  It must have just started overflow before I got there, because that is the longest time I have ever waited for Riverside.  I had tested out my snowshoe tracks to see if people in boots could get in and I did pretty good.  Riverside finally erupted at 1052.  I realized that Grotto Fountain was in eruption at 1104.  Grotto joined in at 1114.  A group of snowshoers arrived in time to watch Grotto start.  I warned them about the bison that was bedded against the boardwalk at the curve just past Grotto.  I was headed down the path to check on Oblong when I noticed a large steam cloud and took off running.  Oblong 1122 i.e.!  Then I noticed that Giant was also having a hot period at 1123 i.e..  (It ended at 1127.)  Daisy decided to join in at 1125.  It was a nice way to end my trip of geyser gazing, so I headed for the Snow Lodge.  Aurum erupted at 1215, Plume at 1216, and I went out to watch one last Old Faithful at 1220.  
     I grabbed a bite at the Geyser Grill and boarded my snow coach at 1400.  Artemisia was in eruption as we went past it at 1418.  As we topped the hill before dropping into the Lower Geyser Basin, I realized that Fountain was in eruption at 1437.  But alas, my driver stopped to let some people watch White Dome which was also erupting at 1438 and I missed Fountain by about 2 minutes according to a group of snow mobilers that had just been wowed by its show.  Clepsydra, Twig, and Jet were all active.  The mud pots were a lovely mix of pink and white.  We saw swans, bison, and elk, with a bull elk coming up right beside us as we descended into Mammoth.  
     It was a wonderful trip and I returned home that night, tired, but revitalized at the same time.  (I arrived at 12:30 AM on the 18th.)  Sorry this report is so late, but I found that when you re-enter the real world, work seems to take over.  Here's hoping to seeing most of you this summer and some of you this spring.            
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