[Geysers] Week before opening

[Karen Low]

I've been down at Faithful since Monday, changing out mattresses at the Snowlodge, and I've gotten out in the basin a few times briefly.

Tuesday morning (4/12/2011), Little Squirt was active 715ie.  Little Brother is still doing intervals of less than a minute.  In the afternoon, Plume 1606.  Churn had high water when I got to the Sawmill Group, but the group was completely stalled out, with Spasmodic quiet, Tardy Quiet, and Sawmill with the water in it, but not erupting, and Grand was an empty crater.  Bulger did erupt at 1634, while I was waiting to see if Churn was going to do anything.  The front right section of Scalloped Spring's crater has had a collapse of the geyserite, presumably from bison.  To get out to the basin, first I was post holing about ankle deep to Castle, and then at Castle, because the snow is still so deep, but rotten, I had my feet on the edge of the boardwalk, with my arms out in front of me on the piled snow, and side stepped to where I could climb up by Crested Pool.

Wednesday (4/13/2011), I caught Aurum at about 1645.  I was driving, and didn't note the exact time.  The boss bought us pizza in West Yellowstone, so as we were heading north, there was a large steam cloud from Great Fountain at about 1715.  Again, I was driving and unable to note the exact time, but perhaps the information will help narrow down a window, although Firehole Lake Drive won't be open.

Thursday (4/14/2011).  They plowed the bike path!  Hooray!  However, the path from the bike rack in front of Lower Hams to the main path was not plowed as of midday.  The gravel cutoff path to YPSS is almost nearly melted out and dry, so should not be to difficult for a decent mountain bike.  The driver of the first of two semi trucks full of mattresses said he saw a grizzly right before the overpass on his way in.  He said it looked as big as a van.  My wildlife lately: bluebirds, a flock of robins, a bunch of sandpipers, and my first osprey of the season!  Oh, and bison.

Karen Low
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: </geyser-list/attachments/20110414/32570644/attachment.html>