[Geysers] Bear closures and Fountain Paint Pots--Roads, etc. 1994

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS POST IS FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THE LISTSERV AND IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED IN THE SPUT.

 

Gordon wrote:
 

> I was taken by surprise by Lynn's comment about Morning in 1994:

 Was it the practice in years past to post this as a bear closure from mid-March to mid-April during the "administrative travel only" time period, and then open it the same day the road opened? 


I don't know how common the practice was, but Rick Hutchinson was the one who told me that the boardwalk at Fountain Paint Pots was closed by bear management.  

 

Other things were also different in 1994.  For example, the road from Mammoth to Norris opened in late March.  I spent the weekend of March 31-April 1, visiting Norris Geyser Basin during the day because Rick said he was unable to get permission for me to spend time at Fountain Paint Pots.  (Mike Keller did receive permission through a different NPS sponsor.)  When Rick called to tell me about Morning's activity, he also said he had visited Norris and seen some of the best activity from Steamboat that he had ever seen.  So I made a trip to Norris.  Unfortunately, as is my customary experience with Steamboat, Steamboat was doing nothing.  Instead I was fortunate enough to witness a major eruption of Dark Cavern with a very loud steam phase.   

 

> In regard to 1994 specifically, the FPP boardwalk was open the weekend of 16-17 April. (Morning was finished by then.) 
> 

 

Yes, the weekend of 16-17 April was the weekend the road to Old Faithful opened.  2009 is the first season I remember/know of that the boardwalks at Fountain Paint Pots and Midway have been closed due to bear management.

 

Because Morning had concluded its activity in early April, I spent April 16, 17, 18, the weekend the road to Old Faithful opened, at Norris, watching additional steam phase eruptions of Dark Cavern, hoping for an eruption of Ledge (which I finally got to see on June 20).  Perhaps I should have been at Midway since visitors reported an eruption of Opal Pool on April 16.


Lynn Stephens

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