[Geysers] Did anybody on this list experience when Mr. Clinton visited there?

[Mike Newcomb]

From: geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu
[mailto:geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu] On Behalf Of Greg W
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 9:23 PM
To: geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
Subject: [Geysers] Did anybody on this list experience when Mr. Clinton
visited there?

 


Did anybody on this list experience when Mr. Clinton visited there?

Just for perspective's sake?

 

Greg Walljasper

 

 

I remember in August 1995 President Clinton visited the Upper Geyser Basin.
Clinton celebrated his birthday on August 19th, a Saturday. I remember this
as we both share the same birth date. I think I had more fun though. I
remember one morning I was on Geyser Hill when it was closed by the secret
service. Because we were already on the Hill, we were allowed to stay. We
were waiting for a possible Aurum when the secret service made a tour of the
Hill. I believe Mr. Michael Finley, the Park Superintendant escorted them. I
think Hillary and Chelsea were going to visit the Hill but they didn't make
it as far as Aurum. Our view was limited from that location.

 

Bill Clinton was down with the masses at Old Faithful but all we could see
were hoards of people. Bill was somewhere in the center of the masses.

 

Some gazers that were there during that presidential visit that I recall
were Kyle Ross, Dave Leeking, Steve Warnock, cousin of the Emperor, John
Rinehart, Steve Robinson, Phil Landis, the Cross family, the Strassers,
Rocco Paperiello,  Tom and Ann, and others I'm not sure about. The days were
filled with noisy helicopters and high flying single engine planes. The
presidential party was going back and forth between Grand Teton and
Yellowstone over a period of several days. Other than Geyser Hill, I never
had a problem going anywhere I wanted to at that time.

 

On the 19th, our shared birthdays, I was waiting for Grand to erupt. At
about 1830, Grand gave me a great birthday present as it had a beautiful
4-burst eruption in the evening sun with rainbows. After the conclusion of
Grand, Steve Warnock walked up to me with a Hostess cupcake and a single
candle in it. He barked to everyone it was my birthday (he remembered from a
conversation we had the previous May) and tried to light the candle. It was
impossible with the light breeze blowing. Anyway, he and about 40 tourist
and other gazers sung happy birthday to me. Tom Hougham came up and shook my
hand and Kyle Ross told me that Grand gave me the best present of all and I
agreed. Too bad the President couldn't have seen this. He could have gotten
hooked. That was exactly 14 years from this writing.

 

Mike Newcomb

 

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