[Geysers] Kitt's Winter Trip (12/27 - 1/1/10)

[Ralph Friz]

barger <bkbarger at bresnan.net> wrote:

>Greetings to all and a belated Happy New Year!
>     I was able to visit our winter wonderland over my Christmas break.  I drove to Mammoth on Dec. 26th and was very appreciative of the dry roads during my entire trip.  This year it took me 5 1/4 hours to get to Mammoth from Worland, Wy.  (Last year it took me 12 hours to drive the same route.)  I arrived at Mammoth early enough to go to the Upper Terraces and walk around the boardwalks.  The area definitely has a shortage of snow.  I enjoyed listening to the bubbling waters as they trickled over the terraces.  It had been a good day with blue skies, but now the sun was quickly setting.  It paused long enough to tint the sky with purples, pinks, and oranges before settling on a more somber blue-gray that deepened as night closed in on me.  Always the one to be prepared, I double checked what I had packed for my geyser basin trip and laid my clothing out in fireman fashion before heading off to bed.
>     I awoke bright and early, ready for my geyser basin adventure.  I was too excited for breakfast and settled on a granola bar and orange juice.  I left my suitcase with the other bags headed for Old Faithful, and kept my small backpack and collapsable ski poles with me.  The lobby of the hotel bustled with people young and old as they prepared for their day.  A long line of snow coaches rumbled up to take many of us to Old Faithful.  As we drove along, I searched for the elusive wildlife.  We finally spotted two wolves on Swan Lake (and we were told that there was another gray one that we didn't spot).  Les, our driver, was very informative and made the trip enjoyable even though we had limited animal sightings.  As we approached the Upper Geyser Basin, I thought I recognised Daisy's steamcloud.  At that moment, John Warnock radioed Daisy 1155ie.  My coach was full of people who had visited Yellowstone before.  Many of them were excited to hear that we had a chance to see a Grand eruption in the next couple of hours.  I headed over to the path from the Snow Lodge and made my way toward Castle after watching my first Old Faithful at 1235.  Part way up to Castle I found the elusive animals.  Bison!  Lots of them.  The herd was standing in the path, in the trees, and on the boardwalk at Castle.  After a twenty minute wait the herd finally headed between Castle Geyser and Crested Pool and continued across the river with part of the group heading into the open meadow and a smaller group heading past Scalloped Spring toward Oblong.  I was still shocked by how little snow was in the area.  The bike path was clear with occasionally an inch or two of packed snow.  The boardwalks had some packed snow and only a few areas were tricky due to heat melting the snow from below.  I visited with Bill and John Warnock as I took in the scenery.  They told me that they had been checking on Fan and Mortar, but that they couldn't find the marker.  I could still hear the big bull bison grunting and the cows snorting.  Riverside's steamcloud appeared on the horizon at 1321 (ie) and after two more Turbans, Grand erupted at 1343 (T2Q).  The first burst was very high and my camera never stood a chance to fit the eruption in its lens.  It was a sunny day with blue skies, moderate temperatures, and friends to share the awe of such an impressive eruption.  After Grand, I made my way to Oblong hoping to see an eruption.  Daisy erupted at 1439 ie and Castle was called over the radio at 1515 ie.  It was a major.  An eagle flew over Oblong as I continued my solitary wait.  John radioed, "Plume 1542, Aurum 1550 ie, and Lion 1605."  Grotto was at 1616 ns with no Grotto Fountain.  As darkness started to inch toward me, I abandoned Oblong but was rewarded with Penta in eruption at 1655.  My camera which was fully charged still told me that it needed new batteries due to the cold.  The area was starting to fill in with low clouds and all I could see down basin was a single big steam cloud from Grotto (or maybe Rocket?).  Lion was at 1710 ie and I enjoyed one more Old Faithful at 1710 as I looked wistfully at Geyser Hill.  My beloved Beehive had erupted that morning at 0840, so I hoped I would get to see it tomorrow.  I made my way to my room where I settled in.  I checked my backpack to remove some objects and added other items.  My clothes were arranged in fireman ready fashion with my snowpants gathered around each of my boots.  I settled down for a meal of tuna and crackers while I enjoyed a new book.  Tomorrow I planned to be out at first light!
>     December 28th, I made it to the bike path at 0740.  The area becomes light enough to see at about 0714.  I radioed to let Bill and John know that Beehive had not yet erupted, but that it was splashing nicely.  I also asked if they could bring me a pen.  Bill and John were packing and would be taking a snow coach to West Yellowstone in the early afternoon.  As I argued with my pen that refused to write due to the cold, I noted Plume at 0748 and Old Faithful at 0808.  I realized through the geyser steam that Beehive Indicator was erupting at 0808 ns.  I called Bill and John to warn them of the impending eruption.  I was impressed to see that John made it from his Snow Lodge Cabin to Beehive before the eruption.  Beehive erupted at 0824 gray on gray with brief glimpses of water, but it sounded very impressive.  John tried to get a backlit photo (not happening) and ended up getting a new name of Crusty Geezer due to the layer of water that froze on his coat, hat, etc.  After Beehive's eruption, we both headed for Grand hoping to see another eruption.  I saw my first Turban at 0853 and Bill W. radioed a Plume at 0955 as he made his way to Grand.  Grand erupted at 1007 (T1C), but was harder to see due to the colder weather.  Bill, John, and I still enjoyed the experience and even posed for a photo while Grand was erupting.  John headed in to finish packing and Bill and I headed toward Giant.  I glanced at Oblong as we passed, but I told Bill that I wasn't going to spend a lot of time waiting for Oblong today.  Bill told Oblong I was sorry and as we neared Giant, Bill asked me if the bubblers were going at Daisy.  I said I couldn't tell, but I hadn't seen a steamcloud from Daisy that morning.  Daisy at 1034!  We smiled as we watched the eruption and as we looked back at Oblong, that area started to get very steamy.  I hurried past Bill as Oblong started its eruption at 1038.  With help from limited snow on the boardwalk, I was able to get to Oblong quickly and enjoyed lots of loud thumps.  I could occasionally make out spikes of water, but these were few and far between.  Still it helped even out yesterday's wait.  After the eruption I continued toward Fan and Mortar, noting that Riverside was in overflow at noon.  Main Vent started roaring at 1245 then commenced splashing at 1254.  Bill radioed, "Depression 1311 ns" and I saw Daisy's steam cloud at 1313 (ie).  Bill had tried twice to get off of Geyser Hill by way of the southern bridge, but due to the bison herd, Bill ended up hiking a scenic route via Castle to get to the Snow Lodge.  Meanwhile I continued to watch the event cycle at Fan and Mortar.  Riverside Geyser erupted at 1322.  There had been 3 River Vent pauses, but when Fan's Vents started they forgot they needed water.  By 1410 it was obvious that I would need a miracle for an eruption.  John and Bill were still waiting for their snow coach.  The coach was missing 4 guests who happened to be skiing up and down the hill between me and Artemisia.  Oblong was at 1458 ie and Artemisia was 1507 ie.  I walked up the southern path to Daisy (which only had an inch of snow on it) and watched Daisy erupt at 1554.  At 1700, Rocket had a major with a duration of 6 minutes.  I started to head in for the day.  I had noticed that visitors were coming out into the basin much earlier and heading in as late or later than I was this year.  In years past, I didn't usually see anyone out until about 9 AM and everyone headed in by 3 or 3:30 PM.  I had spent another day mostly standing and my body was ready to sit in a comfortable chair.  I made my way to the Geyser Grill for my usual Chili Cheese Fries and a pop.  After refueling and a rest, I made my way to my room to read some more before falling into a deep sleep.
>     December 29th, I hurried to gather my things so that I could get an earlier start.  As I stomped down the bike path, I glanced sadly at Beehive which was barely steaming.  It had erupted before dawn.  I made my way down toward Fan and Mortar.  Riverside started at 0830 as I was getting ready to pass it.  Still no F & M and I went up toward Grand.  Castle was in steam phase at 1022 (ie).  I found out that Grand erupted at 0313 E, so after watching a Turban at 1030 I headed back to check on F & M and used the closest facilities.  I hurried back up and saw Daisy at 1124.  Grand 1127 ns!  Grotto was at 1137 ns with Grotto Fountain ie.  I returned to check on F & M and saw Daisy's steam cloud at 1359 (ie).  Riverside erupted at 1425 and finally Main Vent started splashing at 1453.  There were no pauses, but I did have some nice white stuff, but when Fan's Vents came on at 1556 water was once again lacking.  I slowly trudged back up the paved path and Plume erupted at 1712.  The long days of standing were starting to wear on me.  Tiny snowflakes started to fall as I called it a night.
>     December 30th, I made it out to the bike path by 0700.  Once again I found Beehive standing without its cloak of steam.  Aurum burst forth at 0717 and showed me that the hill was still alive.  Snow was falling making visability a challenge.  I arrived at Grand at 0735 and found it empty with no Turban or Vent.  Later I found out that it erupted at 0632 E.  Oblong was refilling and Grotto was in eruption.  Riverside was in over flow at 0740 as viewed from Beauty/Chromatic Area.  Riverside erupted at 0902 with its group of 3 snow people looking on.  Daisy was in eruption at 0928.  I saw a possible splash in Main Vent at F & M but nothing much came of it.  Daisy erupted at 1155.  I was talking to Carolyn on the radio when she stated that there was a lot of steam in the Grand area.  I hurried to get a better view of the area, since I had been standing near Grotto.  Grand 1348 ie and it ended at 1358.  I went back to the rock pile and watched the eagle once again fly overhead.  Carolyn radioed Castle 1500 ie (but it minored).  I watched another Daisy steamcloud at 1507 (ie).  Riverside erupted at 1536.  I saw one more Daisy steamcloud at 1732 (ie) as I took one last look toward Fan & Mortar from Castle.  There had been no event cycles all day and since we had figured out that the marker had disappeared sometime between Christmas Day when Stephen the Interpretive Ranger was down there and the next day when Bill and John were there, I figured that I would find icicles in the morning at F & M.  It had only snowed that morning and the afternoon had been clear, although breezy at times.  Tonight I went straight to my room.  It was a tuna and crackers night with a couple of hours of good reading before giving in to sleep.  Tomorrow was New Years Eve Day!  
>     December 31st arrived with snow and total cloud cover.  I moved cautiously but quickly down the paved path which already had a light dusting of snow.  I headed straight to Fan & Mortar.  Castle was in eruption at 0732.  Turban was ie at 0744.  I made it to Fan and Mortar and confirmed that the marker was gone and there was a crusty layer hidden under the new dusting of snow.  The vents at Fan were active and I figured that it erupted either late the night of the 30th or very early on the 31st.  I made my way back to Grand, stopping at Chromatic to watch Daisy erupt at 0900.  I heard Turban erupting and after Daisy was done, I continued on to Grand.  I arrived in time to see a full pool and Grand erupted at 0914 (T1C).  West Triplet erupted at 0922.  I was finally headed to Geyser Hill when I saw a steam cloud at approximately 0940.  (It may have been Depression which I found slowly refilling later that morning.)  Old Faithful erupted at 1013 and Lion had a second roar.  Snowflakes pelted me as the wind moved them along.  At 1017 I watched Lion erupt.  Plume erupted at 1031.  I made my way down to check on Beehive and found the bubblers going and Beehive was occasionally splashing.  I found the lower benches at Beehive covered in about a foot of ice with snow sprinkled on top.  The boardwalk was buried under about a foot of solid blue ice with only one section of boardwalk visible behind one of the benches.  I slowly navigated the treatcherous area and found myself over near Beehive's sign with smooth ice.  So much for having Yak Trax (which were in my backpack, since they had been unnecessary on the rest of the boardwalks).  I paused to call the Daugherty's in Tennessee before making my way back to Lion and up to Aurum.  Aurum had a very small ice bowl which was easily navigated with the assistance of the fence.  I went up to Giantess knowing that it had erupted on Dec. 24th, but still silently hoping that it would surprise me.  Lion erupted again at 1119, Plume at 1132, and Old Faithful at 1159 ie.  Brrr!  The wind was driving the snow unmercifully and I was running out of good reasons to stay on the hill.  I watched one more Lion at 1222 ie and headed in by way of the Visitor Center.  I down loaded times from my log book and then decided to have a hot lunch at the Geyser Grill.  I knew the Visitor Center had had a Daisy report and they were predicting the next eruption for 2:50 PM.  Unfortunately the building was warm, the food was hot, and my book was good.  I took too long getting back out into the snowy basin and as I trudged down the bike path I realized that Beehive was no longer splashing and the bubblers weren't bubbling.  Oh No!  Beehive had erupted while I was inside.  I made my way down to Giant and decided that I could watch for Daisy, Riverside, and Oblong while enjoying a bench with a backrest.  Several people asked me about Riverside and I told them that the Visitor Center was predicting 5:15 PM +/- half hour.  I did state that hopefully this was based on a reported eruption and not a double or triple.  After watching the snow fall for a while longer the eagle flew by and I returned to Oblong.  At 1651 Oblong erupted.  No water was visible, but the thumps were great.  Darkness was already sneaking into the basin as the snow continued to fall.  I walked over to Grotto hoping for a Grotto Fountain, but it kept getting darker.  We had no full moon.  The area was quiet and I finally gave up waiting for Riverside at 1740.  I knew there were 3 or 4 men waiting for Riverside and I hoped that they would be careful returning to the Snow Lodge.  I slowly moved up the bike path which was not bare anymore.  Several inches of snow covered the trail and I could just make out the ski trail to my right.  Every so often I would stop, turn around, and listen for Riverside.  I never did hear it.  Just the gentle pitter pat of falling snow on my down coat.  I heard Old Faithful start at 1754 as I headed for my room.  I had been down to Riverside twice today and I was worn out.  There would be no late night geyser gazing for me.  Hopefully someone would get the first Old Faithful.  I called my family as I happily let my boots fall to the floor.  I wished them a Happy New Year and asked them about the weather report.  It had been nice in Worland (people were even washing their vehicles), so my husband was surprised to hear that it had snowed all day and was still snowing in Yellowstone.
>     Happy New Year!  I was already packed for my trip out and had a half day to enjoy the geyser basin.  Little Squirt was ie at 0812, Plume at 0834, Daisy at 0841 ie, and Old Faithful erupted at 0910.  It was a long.  Aurum erupted at 0922 as I headed toward Grand.  Plume was at 0936.  There was a Turban at 1016 which was very weak.  Riverside was early in over flow at 1105.  I headed back toward Grand.  Turban was ie at 1120 and Daisy erupted at 1130.  Grotto and Grotto Fountain were ie at 1203.  West Triplet was ie at 1224 and I needed to head to the Snow Lodge to catch the snow coach.  Plume erupted at 1243.  I saw Riverside's steam cloud from Castle at 1308 ie (ns).  I noticed a lot of steam around Beehive and some nice splashes, but told myself that even if the Indicator started now I didn't have the time to stay and watch.  I had to be at the Snow Lodge by 1:30 PM.  As I approached the overlook, I realized that maybe the Indicator was already erupting, then I saw Beehive start to climb.  Yes!  Beehive at 1315!  It was a wonderful finish to an excellent trip.  I watched the full eruption and then hustled over to the Lodge.  I made it with two minutes to spare.  We left the basin at 2 PM.  I enjoyed the walk around the Paint Pots and Jet actually erupted while we were there.  Fountain wasn't ready, but we did see a little more wildlife as we headed for Mammoth.  I did a quick change at Mammoth and was driving home by 6 PM.  
>     Happy New Year to all and may you have good health, happiness, and prosperity in 2010.  See you on the boardwalks this summer.  Kitt Barger
>       
>
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