[Geysers] Great Fountain and a Request

[Lynn Stephens]

Chris Daubert reported a visitor comment that there used to be more terraces at Great Fountain and asked that the next time I take a trip out of the park, I not take the terraces with me.  I'm on my way out of the Park today for another family outing, and I won't take a single bit of sinter with me, unless it inadvertently happened to get attached to one of my shoes from the sitner pieces that people keep putting on the boardwalk and parking lot at Great Fountain.

 

Unfortunately, it appears that someone is hacking off pieces of the central crater.  On more than one occasion over the past week large, loose pieces of sinter have appeared and disappeared on the platform as well as many smaller pieces of sinter.  One day, using binoculars and a spotting scope, three of us agreed that the vertical scrape marks certainly did not appear to be natural.

 

A Request:  My road trip involves Erin's two children, Cassidy and Connor.  Once we return from the road trip, I will have them here until August 26.  While I have the children with me, please do not point me out to visitors as a person who knows something about geysers.  People get upset if I won't answer questions, even when I try to explain that my first responsibility is the safety of the two children.  People say, "This will only take a minute," then keep asking additional questions, even when I'm at Grand and have tried to remain anonymous.  (The other evening I walked out to Grand for only the third time this summer, with no backpack, no Crazy Creek Chair, my radio turned off and hidden in a bag, and my notebook and pen hidden in the bag.  The only possible thing that would have identified me as a gazer to the crowd was my floppy hat.  But someone still pointed me out to the crowd as the expert who could answer any question the people had about Grand.)  I'm sorry, but it only takes a moment's inattention to an active 4-1/2 year old for something unpleasant to happen.  After asking on Thursday that I not be identified as a volunteer during the next two weeks, on Friday a visitor picked me out because, when asked how the Visitor Center got a +/- 15 minute prediction, she had been told that a volunteer watched Great Fountain and had called it in.  Therefore, I will not be updating Great Fountain's prediction board and will not be using the NPS radio to call in a 15-minute prediction even if I am at Great Fountain with the two children.

 

I will return to volunteer duty on August 27.  In the meantime, I am on "Grandma duty" and a visitor like anyone else, even when I am here in the geyser basins for the next 12 days.  (I won't have my white "Geyser" pick-up with me, so remaining anonymous, particularly at Great Fountain, should be easier.)

 

Lynn Stephens

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