[Geysers] Quick Geyser Report 11/4 (Cross)

[Tara Cross]

This report will add a few notes to what Lynn has already posted for today.

As Lynn reported, I saw the Close to Cone Indicator sputtering steadily to 
about 4 inches when I arrived at Beehive at 1409.  Close to Cone was not 
erupting when we left Beehive around 1215, so it started sometime in the two 
hours prior to my arrival.  During the 20 minutes that I was waiting at 
Beehive, I noted that the sputtering from Close to Cone would increase with 
larger splashes from Beehive.  When the regular Indicator started (1432), 
Close to Cone gained in strength to about a foot high.  When Beehive started 
(1440), it was hidden by steam.  At 1442, I was able to see that Close to 
Cone was in full eruption to about 4-5 feet (above the rim of Beehive's 
Cone).  It lasted for about 90 seconds, ending at the same time as the 
regular Indicator about a minute before Beehive ended.

I spent some time watching "Improbable/PLH" while waiting for Beehive.  The 
physical change in this feature is impressive.  The geyser now occupies a 
crater roughly 6 feet long by 4 feet wide.  The crater is usually full of 
milky-blue water.  As noted earlier, there is obvious wash around the crater 
and a runoff channel going all the way to the River.  There are TWO vents 
within the pool--a possible explanation for why the eruption Kitt saw seemed 
so wide.  The vent closest to the boardwalk is usually active, though I did 
see it quiet several times over the course of my time there.  When it was 
active, the pool was overflowing lightly.  It appeared to be having rather 
frequent minors (every 5 minutes or so), though I did not take notes 
today--I will try to get intervals and durations tomorrow.  The majority of 
the activity from the minors came from the vent closer to the boardwalk, but 
the other vent would chime in with a few bursts from time to time.

>Dave reported Grotto Fountain at 14:23 (I think I got the time right) and 
>Grotto at 14:42.
The numbers should be flipped for Grotto Fountain: it erupted at 1432.

Dave Monteith took a brief look at F&M and said that the marker was in place 
and it was in "garbage mode."  He also reported that he missed a hot period 
at Giant while he was at Grotto, so it is already having hot periods again.

As Lynn reported, the snow moved in after Beehive, and we watched Aurum in a 
driving snow storm.  As we were making our way back to our car, we heard a 
sound that I thought was a flock of geese.  When we stopped to listen again, 
however, Kitt said it sounded like the swans we heard last year.  As we were 
walking near Blue Star spring, Kitt thought she saw a flock of swans taking 
off from the meadow area below Castle.

We headed back to West after making it back to our car.  There were plenty 
of elk in the meadows and bison on and near the roads.

--Tara Cross
fanandmortar at hotmail.com