[Geysers] Yellowstone June 24

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS POST IS FOR THE READING USE OF THE SUBSCRIBERS TO THIS LISTSERV AND IS NOT TO BE

REPRODUCED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY PUBLICATION,

INCLUDING THE SPUT.

 

I ended the day on Tuesday, 6/23 watching the adult sandhill cranes with their chick feeding about 50 feet off the road near the Lower Gas Station.  Jim S. came over to join me.  The little "light orange fuzzy thing" is growing rapidly.


Wednesday, June 6/24 


While I was waiting for Till Geyser to erupt (0625 double I = 18h25m), I watched a herd of 12 cow and 5 elk calves.  They attracted my attention because two of the cows had apparently done something to irritate the other cows.  "Bad" cows were being chased by the other cows.  One calf was following one of the cows.  It seemed like its mommy was the "bad" cow because he kept following the same "bad" cow, rather than the various cows that kept trying to keep the "bad" cow away from the herd.

 

I noted the adult sandhill cranes were feeding at Whiskey Flat Marsh but didn't stop to watch them this morning.
 
I posted a prediction of between 8:10 and 8:40 on the Great Fountain board, and was able to contact the Visitor Center by NPS radio at 8:00 to give them the perdiction.  Great Fountain started at 0823 (of=85, p=3), 2 minutes before the midpoint of my prediction.  Some visitors arrived at 0905, saw Great Fountain in a pause and then saw the start of the fourth burst.  They commented, "Boy the rangers really missed that prediction."  Thankfully, another visitor informed them that they had missed the start of the eruption, that the start had been just when predicted, and pointed at me saying, "She's the one who made the prediction and she really nailed it."  Thank you for coming to my defense.
 
After Great Fountain I decided to watch the Fountain Complex for awhile.  Fountain erupted at 1154, and again at 1722.  Clepsydra did not pause after either eruption.  I was at the Complex from 1000-1800.  Spasm did not erupt during that time.  Super Frying Pan erupted at 1056, turning Jet, which had been erupting at about 7-10 minute intervals off.  Jet did not resume its eruptions until right at the end of Fountain's eruption.  When Jet resumed eruptions, it was erupting at 8-12 minute intervals.  Jet continued erupting until Super Frying Pan (1540) again turned it off.  Jet had not yet resumed eruptions when Super Frying Pan erupted again at 1725.  Jet had two minor (less than 10 second duration) eruptions immediately after Fountain ended.  I did not stay to determine what Jet did next.

 

While I was doing the Fountain-to-Fountain sit, I saw an eruption of Honeycomb.  Honey's Vent is having highly irregular intervals.  Some eruptions are weak, some are strong; there as some intervals less than 8 minutes, some more than 30 minutes.  I also saw several eruptions of Drain and a few eruptions of NTFL.  Firehose was active the entire time I was there although the eruption doesn't have much height to it.

 

While I was at the Fountain complex, I was sitting in my chair at the overlook.  A visitor came up and asked if I worked for the Park Service.  When I replied that I was a volunteer, they asked if I could do something about the two young men who were wandering around all over off the boardwalk.  I heard a little girl say, "They should go to jail."  Unfortunately, all I could do was get them back on the boardwalk, give them a stern educational warning, tell them that their descriptions had been provided to law enforcement and if it happened again they would receive a ticket.  I got back "Sorry" in international accent, so know they will probably do it again.
 

I gathered a few other visitor and tour guide comments that will someday get incorporated into some article in the Sput.


Since I was in the Lower Basin, I decided to get a second Great Fountain eruption.  Great Fountain erupted at 2133.  The sun had gone down below the horizon but there was enough light to backlight every droplet.  There was a breeze blowing the steam away toward the north.  The breeze was firm enough to remove the steam, but not so stiff that it caused the height of the water to diminish.  The first burst had a superburst, with the pool rising in a massive column.  The first jet went to 150', the second to about 160' and the next went to over 180'.  Every droplet of water was visible.  Because there weren't any clouds in the sky there wasn't a sunset behind the eruption, but there was a rim of orange around the horizon.  There was a thin sliver of a moon to the west about 40 degrees above the horizon.  It was a fantastically beautiful eruption.  Unfortunately, my camera was in the pickup and I didn't want to miss any of the eruption so I didn't go get it to take pictures.
 
Lynn Stephens

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