[Geysers] geyser report Friday, May 25, 2012

[Barbara Lasseter]

Lots of snow, and today it didn't quit when I came home at mid-day.
Temps stayed in the 30's   There is 4" on the ground here and looks to
continue for the next 2 days.  Monday, Memorial Day, may be
respectable weather, and all should return to "normal" next week.
Yellowstone is warning visitors of the risk of more road
closures--call before you commit to a route.  We probably need 2 weeks
or more of this to alleviate the precipitation deficit, however, so
for the sake of the upcoming fire season, I can tolerate a few more
Grand blizzards.  Craig pass was open both when I arrived and departed
today, but perhaps not now.  Beartooth and Dunraven were scheduled to
open tomorrow, but that seems unlikely.  The weather covers a
multistate area.

Grand: 0407 electronic, 1118 T1Q in heavy snow
Rift: 0517 ie
Plume: 0723, 0822, 0919
Little Cub ie: 0737, 0821, 0911
Dome had periodic episodes of heavy steam (and I assume water) every
20min or so for 3-5 minutes.  Visibility today was a challenge, but
seemed to be in series.
Castle: 0147elctronic
Oblong: 0636ie, 1021ie
Riverside: 0827
Grotto was ie at 1039

The 0723 Plume had a pause between bursts 3 & 4, a stuttering 5th,
then a weak 6th.  This is the only deviation from 5 bursts I've seen.

I saw my first bison "stampede" yesterday.  20-30 bison came running
from the Mary Mountain trail area, across the meadow and the road,
then across fountain flat, disappearing in the trees.  It went
quickly, and I was busy watching them and for the anticipated grizzly
that started the whole thing, but no luck there.

A snowshoe hare appeared this AM by the Fountain Paint Pot parking
lot.  He would have done well to have retained his white coat a bit
longer!

Barbara Lasseter