[Geysers] FAN & MORTAR 4/19/2010 ca. 1240

[Bill Warnock]

Just got on to the internet and was surprised there was no report of today's eruption of F&M.  I got into the Upper Basin just before 0900 and saw Artemesia at 0857 i.e.  Went to Grand with Dee.  The overflow before the 0938 Turban was pathetic, and Grand's pool drained as deeply as I've ever seen it thereafter.  So I decided to mosey on down to Giant and F&M.  The boardwalks are now practically snowfree, unlike the last several Aprils.  F&M was River off when I arrived at 1010.  Then River started, and almost immediately High and Gold and Angle. Very weak splashing.  Very light steam from Main.  No eruption from Bottom, and Mortar quiet.  I watched for about 15 minutes with nothing encouraging. Saw Riverside 1024 n.s., then Grotto Fountain and Grotto 1026 i.e., saw large cloud behind which turned out to be Grand.  Dee was there and said Grand was G2Q at 1015; West Triplet 1026. She was headed toward Oblong, so I decided to go to the Hill and watch for a while before lunch:

Depression 1121
Plume 1148  1248
Aurum 1202

Went to lunch and was in OF Inn Parking lot when radio announced "Fan and Mortar!" at around 1240.; I  believe it was Steve Gryc.  Maureen had just driven in to parking lot, and hopped on her bike.  She confirmed the F&M HAD gone, though you could not see any steam cloud from the OF Inn past Grotto.  Apparently a heavy wind blew it along the ground.  Oh well, another experience to keep one humble.

Other times today:  Oblong 1343 and Fountain 1128.

Over the past week Daisy has averaged about 2'20" and Plume around 1'.

Other reports from Logbook at OFVC:

4/17

Aurum 0955  1640
Beehive  Ind. 1106  1111
Oblong 1107 i.e.
Fountain 1151  1812
Depression 1655 i.e.
Grotto Ftn. 1435
West Triplet 1830 ns
Grand 0108  1129  2043E

4/18
Castle 0738E min.  1553 maj.
Grand 0606E  1435 T2C
Riverside  09024 ns
Grotto 1223
Depression  0803i.e.  1049
Oblong  0916  1438
Fountain  1217  1800ns
Artemesia  1152 i.e.

Glad to report boardwalks at both Midway and Lower are open.  Biscuit basin area is closed for boardwalk reconstruction.

Chromatic is overflowing and Beauty not.  The meadow area between Economic and "Tom's Tennis Shoe Geyser" and Topsoil is DRY...nothing like the flooded conditions in Aprils of the last four years.   We need some good rain/snow, preferrably at night.

When I get more first hand info on F&M today, I'll post if no one else does.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: </geyser-list/attachments/20100419/c7f4814d/attachment.html>