[Geysers] Geyser Report 5/26 (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS POST IS FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THIS LISTSERV AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY PURPOSE, INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN THE SPUT.

 

The only thing I have to add to Scott's report is Pink Cone at 1953.  Interval--22h16m (if the geyser activity report for the June Sput has not already been finalized, this piece of information can be included in the report.)

 

KC and Julie and I went over to Pink Cone after Great Fountain ended.  While waiting for Pink Cone we saw many eruptions of Bead and Box Spring, and one eruption each of Narcissus and Pink. I didn't get to see Labial, although they may have after I left.

 

While we were waiting, an older couple from New Hampshire pulled up.  She started asking questions.  Our best response was merely that we expected it to erupt sometime in the next few hours because we didn't have any intervals on Pink Cone yet this season.  They waited a little while, then drove away.  She had gotten almost as far as the first bridge, just about out of our sight, when suddenly she started backing up.  She thought she had seen a few drops of water splash up from the cone.  None of us had seen it, but we may have all missed up.  After 2 Bead intervals, we knew at least she was hooked.  We learned her name "Peggy" from the license plate.  During the next two or three Bead intervals we learned additional information about them.  Because the wind was chilly, they were sitting in the car during part of the wait.  When Pink Cone started, she was just as excited as we were, jumped out of the car with her camera and ordered her husband to take pictures also.  

 

Sam and Dee Holbrook were out for an evening drive and pulled up a few minutes after Pink Cone started.  The sun hadn't set far enough for the sunset to start, but the early evening lighting gave a wonderful, backlit eruption of Pink Cone.  I forced myself to leave instead of waiting for the sunset because at some point I HAVE to stop trying to geyser gaze from dawn until dark, while still trying to put in typing time in the office.  Julie said I was talking to myself like I was ordering myself to obey the command "You may not wait until Labial erupts, you may not wait for the sunset, you will not stop at the office on the way home to the trailer, you will go straight home NOW."

 

Monday night the pair of sandhill cranes was silhoutted against Hot Lake as we were leaving Pink Cone.  Yesterday morning they stood out against the steam as I swung through Firehole Lake Drive on my way to Mammoth.  I also saw a pair on Fountain Flat Drive yesterday morning, have seen a pair at Biscuit Basin, and was told there is a pair here in the Old Faithful area.  I saw a wolf on my trip to Mammoth, but still haven't seen any bears, and don't particularly want to.  The amount of water going over the waterfalls is tremendous.  Usually when I see Rustic Falls, there is barely a trickle coming over it.  This week the rock face is fully covered with 2 to 3 feet of water.  Gibbon Falls is also quite impressive. 

 

I was in the Visitor Center "delogging" from 5/26 when Jim Schreirer called "Beehive's Indicator 0533ie."  With the placement of the temporary VEC, I decided to go for the Hill, and made it.   When I got back to the VEC, the maintenance crew looked at me and said, "Didn't realize it was raining outside."  Well, it wasn't, except for Beehive.  There was no wind so the column was going straight up, but the drops coming down were hitting the boardwalk.  Vicki Whitledge and Alan Moose have to leave this morning, so the early morning Beehive eruption was a splendid send-off for them.  Now if only Morning or Splendid would reactivate...

 

Lynn Stephens

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