[Geysers] September 24

[Lynn Stephens]

I may not get to the visitor center, logbook, and computer in the morning, so will send today's report based on items in my logbook.

 

Great Fountain 0759, oflw = 77, p = 0 superb burst; Maureen reported Great Fountain overflow this afternoon with a prediction of 1830 - 1900.  I elected to stay in the Upper Basin for Beehive instead.

 

Plume 0922, 1033, 1132, 1440, 1642, 1750

 

Daisy 0925, 1521ie  (The Visitor Center kept asking for Daisy information throughout the day, but all the gazers whose names I remember with radios--Bill Warnock, Barbara Lasseter, Sarah Warnock and her boyfriend Chris, and myself--were elsewhere.)

 

Grand 1017 T2Q, 1825 2B

Plate 1037ie, 1626ie

Oblong 1049ie

Lion  1132

Riverside 1146, 1733 (with a fantastic rainbow)

Grotto 1223ns (no Grotto Fountain) still ie 1745

West Triplet 1352ie

Victory 1122 end 1201; 1530ie end between 1557 and 1600 (Since F&M haven't eruptted as of 1900 this evening (9/24), we may do better on Victory tomorrow.

Castle 0314E minor, 1629 major

Atomizer 1342vr minor, 1524 minor d ~ 60 sec, 1643 major

Fountain 1634 d=35 m per Maureen, who also reported rainbows

Beehive's Indicator 1816ie (probably near start since it wasn't erupting when I turned my back to walk over to the dumpster and was erupting when I turned around)

Beehive 1826  no rainbows, and yes, once again it was not possible to see both Grand and Beehive

 

Fan & Mortar had a strong event cycle that started (as far as we know) with Main Vent splashing at 1219 (we were up at Victory and don't know what happened before the Main Vent splashing.  Main Vent continued splashing through 1254.  In the meantime, River Vent came on as 11230 and off at 1241 for a River Vent pause.  Bottom Vent erupted from 1232 to 1235, and then again from 1250 through 1309.  When River Vent came on at 1309, Gold joined at 1310 and Angle at 1314 (it had been off since at least 1218).  The water levels held decently through the 10 minute mark, then improved and were looking very good at the 12, and 13 minute marks.  Frying Pan turned on about 1323, or the 13 minute mark and water levels started declining.  Upper Mortar started surging at 1326, then 1327, then 1328, then 1329, then 1330, again 1331.  With each surge Fan's vents would lift, raising our hopes with them.  The surge at 1322 not only filled the cone, but went a couple feet above the top of the cone.  Surges at 1333, 1334, and 1335 each declined in intensity and no longer had the ability to bring the water levels in Fan's vents up.  One more exciting event cycle down the tubes with no resulting eruption of Fan & Mortar.

 

Wildlife--This morning I noted another Black Sand/Biscuit Basin snowshoe bunny had joined the count of roadkill.  That's a lot of bunnies so far this year.

    After Beehive a coyote was roaming the meadow between Castle and Geyser Hill.  The coyote's coat was almost the same color as the golden grasses.

 

Wildfires--There is a plume of smoke drifting from east to west.  When I asked on the FRS radio if anyone had any information about it, the reply I got was that it was probably a 4 acre fire over around Bridge Bay.  It is sending up one impressive plume of dark gray smoke with only a little white at the top.  The plume should provide for a vivid sunset tonight, at least in that section of the sky.

 

Visitor comments--

 

    Artemisia--Ususally I hear people say how it looks so inviting that they would like to take a swim in it.  Today a man said, "It's a deep blue hole all the way to hell."

 

    Snippet of a conversation from people walking past me "I bet the guy who jumped the fountains at Caesar's Palace could jump Old Faithful.  Wouldn't that be quite a show!"

    Hmmm--That's a show I never want to see.  Hearing him say that just made me cringe.

 

    Woman to me in reference to me and my big pack on my bike this morning--"That's the way to see the Park.  I'm impressed."  

    Hmmm--Surely she didn't think I was touring the park with a ratty old bike and huge pack on my back.

 

    Too often we hear the negative comments about gazers and don't report the positive ones because we're afraid it might seem too much like patting ourselves on the back.  But I do hear a lot of "Thank you's" from visitors, as do many of the other gazers.  This morning at Great Fountain, a couple asked that I pass along a thank you to all the volunteers who provide geyser information so visitors can benefit from our experience and our predictions.

 

Lynn Stephens

 

 

    

 

 

 
 		 	   		  
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