[Geysers] Yellowstone July 14

[Lynn Stephens]

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            All times are for July 14 unless stated otherwise.
            I forgot to mention yesterday that there is new signage in the Old Faithful Lodge parking lot.  They’ve added a “one way—do not enter” set of signs such that you enter the lot on the lodge (north) side of the parking lot and exit on the south side of the lot.  I wasn’t paying attention yesterday morning at 5:15 a.m., so went in the wrong direction.  Thankfully, at that time of the morning there was no one coming out so I didn’t have a head-on collision.  Jim S. says the signage has been there for awhile.
           As I was biking to the north end of the basin this morning there was an osprey chasing a raven.  
Usually it’s the other way around—the accompanying bird is generally chasing the osprey.  I suspect the raven had made the osprey drop its breakfast and the very unhappy osprey was making its anger known to the raven.  We did see an osprey with a fish 7/13 during the F&M morning event cycle.
           Beehive (0749) started the day with a fairly short (11 minute lead time) Indicator.  Some people, myself included, barely made it to Beehive before it erupted.  I was in the trailer this evening when I heard the Indicator called at 2134 and Beehive at 2145, another short (11 minute) lead time and another short interval for Beehive (13h56m).
           Great Fountain apparently did some short interval eruptions, both per the electronic downloads (1051E on 7/13) and the time of this morning's (10:58, p = 10) eruption.  Despite the fact that the eruption didn't have sun on it, Jim S. said it was one of the best eruptions he had seen.  The eruption started with a super-burst, soaking people at the east end of theboardwalk and vehicles in the south end of the parking lot.  The first burst was great.  The second burst was wimpy.
            The wind continued to blow hard this morning.  Maureen E. asked where the mosquitoes were.  Kitt replied that the wind "had grounded the Wyoming air force."  Jere B. left to get warm clothes.  We (Maureen, Kitt, Clark Murray, and myself) thought Jim S. also left.
            The third burst had three blue bubbles and plenty of height.  When we saw Jim returning, we asked if the blue bubbles had drawn him back.  Not quite.  He had never left, but had been spending the time cleaning Great Fountain's water off his van.
             The fourth burst also had three blue bubbles and plenty of height.  Each time Jim started to walk down the boardwalk to leave, another blue bubble would occur.
            The fifth burst again had three blue bubbles and plenty of height.  The driver of one vehicle near White Dome apparently saw one of the large bursts in a mirror and came speeding backwards to try to get pictures.
             Great Fountain had a sixth burst and a seventh burst, but had apparently exhausted most of the energy so no more blue bubbles.  Due to the long duration, I posted a prediction with a mid-point of 3 a.m.  When I drove past this (7/15) morning about 5:30 a.m., Great Fountain's pool was noisily gurgling so I think the prediction wasn't far off.
             More flowers are in bloom--yellow salsify or goatsbeard, which will provide the large puffballs when it goes to seed.  As I was walking up to Artemisia (which was called at 07:15) to watch Atomizer, I noticed blue stickweed blooming in one of the little "creeks", green hellebore, white phlox and white ladies tresses, purple daisy/asters, and one lone orange-red flower that looked like a daisy/aster.
             Atomizer had a 1 minute minor at 14:48, followed by the major at 16:06, a double interval of 28h35m.
             Kitt had a Till major at 09:14ie.  I had a Till major this evening at 18:54.  It appears that Till's intervals are lengthening out.
             Having posted on 7/13 that Grand was having short intervals, it returned to longer intervals 7/14.  This morning's eruption was at 06:21, this afternoon's at 16:34.
             Ralph Taylor and Dick Powell reported Pink Cone at 09:02 on 7/13.  Jim S. reported Pink Cone at 09:02ie 7/14, end 09:10.  I went out this (7/15) morning for a Pink Cone start at 06:47, for a double interval averaging 22h52m.
             Jim S. reported Fountain 7/14 at 9:19ie, end 9:40.  Maureen E. reported Fountain 15:07ns, end 15:39.
             Plume intervals were running in the high 60 to low 70 minute range.
 
              This will be my last report for awhile.  I'm taking a vacation from Yellowstone for a few days to go to the Black Hills to spend some a few days with my son and his family.
 
Lynn Stephens
            
 
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