[Geysers] Scooters in the basin

[Karl and Lori Hoppe]

I know it is getting to be the end of a long season of geyser gazing, and that most (if not all) of you spend as much time corralling visitors that are breaking the rules (throwing rocks, stepping off the walkway, etc.) as you do watching geysers.  I know how frustrating it can be.  This is why I want to simply pass along a narration of a fellow co-worker's recent stay in the Upper Geyser Basin.

I had helped my coworker and her family plan out their vacation and told them to spend at least 2 days in the Upper Basin.  I emailed her my own 8-page summary of what to look for in the geyser basin, and what to listen for on the FRS radios.  I had talked about the bike path, and she didn't want to pack along bikes, but wondered if scooters were allowed.  I remarked that they were fine on the paved trail, but could not be ridden on boardwalks due to the risks involved.

So they finally arrive at Old Faithful, checked into the Inn, went to the Visitor Center as I suggested and learned that Grand had not yet erupted.  On the way to Grand on their scooters (on the paved trail), they were stopped and told that scooters were could not be ridden on the boardwalks.

Yes, they know that.  

Then they were stopped again (on the paved trail) and told that scooters could not be ridden on the boardwalks.

So they they got to Castle (Grand had just started erupting), they folded their scooters up and walked toward Grand.  At Sawmill they were stopped and told that scooters could not be ridden on the boardwalk.  Yes, they knew that.  That is why they were carrying them.

The next day they were riding down the paved trail and were again stopped several times by people and told that scooters were not allowed to be ridden on the boardwalks.  They were literally told by 8 different people that it was not legal to ride them on the boardwalks, most of the time while they were riding them on the paved trail, but also once or twice, I believe, while they were slung over their shoulders on the boardwalks.  One person on a bike near the Daisy sign stopped them and told them this. Now, after being stopped time and again for a day and a half the husband apparently (and regrettably) said "it's not legal to ride your bike on the boardwalk, either".  As they proceeded to Morning Glory Pool, the person then radioed down to Fan and Mortar and instructed the people there to "watch out for the family on scooters - they are very rude."  And the return call "Oh yes, I met them yesterday."  The family listened to the whole conversation
 on the radios that I told them to take with them.  At that point I might be rude, too - after abiding by the rules for 2 days but being treated like I wasn't...

As far as the scooters go the family did nothing illegal (unless it's illegal to fold them up and sling them over your back as you walk on the boardwalk).  They enjoyed the geysers but were amazed at the passion that the people in the Park (presumably gazers) had at telling them the rules that they weren't breaking.

Maybe there were some bad experiences recently with scooters.  Maybe scooters have a bad rep because of some of these previous experiences.  Maybe some of that is due to the fact that signage doesn't really address anything besides motorized vehicles and bicycles.  I had told my friends to ask gazers about the features they were watching so they could better appreciate and understand them, but unfortunately every time they spoke with one they were being told about the illegal use of scooters that they were using legally.  I had also told them to use my name when introducing themselves, but after being stopped several times, they were aware that they had become "the scooter family" and didn't want me to be associated with them.

I only know the story I'm being told on this end, and maybe there were other reasons that they weren't aware of that caused them to be stopped.  While I know that illegal activity needs to be dealt with, these people had a bad experience doing nothing illegal (that they knew of), and I just wanted the community to understand how they felt - and, to a certain extent, my own disappointment that their stay wasn't as enjoyable as I'd hoped.

Thank you for reading this far and I apologize for the long-winded account.

Karl Hoppe