[Geysers] Fan & Mortar August 10 @ 1253

[Polly Panos]

Hello All,
  I checked Fan & Mortar as regularly as I could on Monday, Aug. 9.  Every time that I watched it, Angle was playing and nothing important was going on.  At about 1600, and between thunderstorms, Will and Steve Moats (spg?) apparently came upon the end of an event cycle.  They reported that Bottom Vent was splashing, and soon afterward Fan's vents came on very high (eventually to 6 feet).  Will said that he was about to call a lock, but then the vents started to drop.  I had made my way part way down, but turned around when the vents dropped because another thunderstorm was coming in.

  I went out in the fog early on the 10th.  F & M had a couple of longish cycles, with Angle playing intermittently between most.  Then there was a cycle when River couldn't decide whether or not to turn on, and Angle kept playing.  After a couple of 20-30 minute normal cycles, I decided to run up to try to catch Grand.  I only got to see one Turban, before I got a call that Bottom Vent was spritzing and there was splashing in Main Vent!

>From the report of Gazers who were there, there was a River Vent Pause.  This must have happened 11:30-11:35 -ish.  I arrived at 11:45.
  11:45 Bottom Vent was just beginning a full eruption.  It's overflow was almost to the river when I got there, and made it to the river right away.  There had been several splashes in Main Vent before I got there, and it was splashing as I arrived.
  11:49 "white stuff" - good sized splash.
  11:50 Bottom Vent began brief pauses and started alternating with Lower Mortar.  During the cycle, the longest that I saw Bottom Vent on without pausing or slowing was 6 minutes.  The alternating in Mortar's vents continued until River came on later.  Main Vent splashing continued.
  11:55 During Lower Mortar's turn, it was to the height of the rocks.
        Very large Main Vent splash, then small splashes continued.
  12:06 Big splash in Main Vent
  12:09 "Gullywasher" Main Vent splash, then small splashing continued until a couple of minutes before River Vent turned on.
  12:33 River Vent finally (!) came on.  The apparent pause had lasted close to an hour.
  12:34 Gold Vent on
  12:39 Angle on
The water levels were good from the start.  Although they varied at times, they eventually built into a lock!  I didn't record the time, but I think the lock lasted at least 4 or 5 minutes.  There was steam in East Vent and Main Vent was quiet.
  12:53 East Vent started the eruption with it's first surge!  Main Vent quickly joined in.  Mortar's vents flooded next with a huge amount of water.  Upper Mortar began at 1254, and Lower Mortar followed shortly after.
  There was little wind, but what wind there was carried the spray towards the boardwalk.  Fan had a strong eruption, with the water trail well beyond the old road and part way to the bathroom!  It was difficult to see how high Mortar was through the spray.  By the end, we had a good-sized pool of water in front of Norris Pool and there were puddles everywhere.  The bridge stayed mostly dry.  Mid-day sun lit the eruption up nicely.

Special thanks to Jere Bush and Will and Steve Moats who helped to watch the "rocks".

Polly Panos