[Geysers] Trip Report Closing week 2012 Mammoth area

[Stephen Eide]

Greetings all,

i did visit the Mammoth area on 11-1-12.  When you read this report please
keep in mind that the last time I was at Mammoth was a quick trip on
opening week so any changes I report could have happened any time this year
and perhaps they started last year.

The first part of the upper loop road is newly paved from the entrance to
about narrow gage terrace.  From this parking lot the walk out to Canary
Spring is interesting.  First Cupid Spring has some water, not much but
just enough to overflow for about ten feet down the face of the spring.
Trail Spring which was in the big flat to the left of the boardwalk as you
start walking to Canary is now dry again.  To your right above the
Boardwalk Grassy Spring still has strong output, but it all soaks into the
ground just after passing by or under the boardwalk.  Just a bit farther on
down towards Canary Spring the Boardwalk takes a big U turn because the
ground under the boardwalk has collapsed for about 30 feet.  And I do mean
just under the boardwalk and just as wide as the boardwalk.  The spring to
the right of the boardwalk as you approach Canary spring is still going
strong.  Canary Spring is dead, no water at all.  The pool below the vent
of Canary spring has some water apparently leakage from other springs but
not enough to have any overflow.  The major overflow is now coming from a
new spring just farther out on the terrace above Canary spring and just at
the edge of the drop off.  The water comes out and then drops down the
cliff face making several terraced pools.  They are just barely visible
from the boardwalk below Canary Spring.

Continuing around the upper loop I did not look at the spring at the end of
Narrow Gage Terrace.  Hew Highland Terrance has some new wet areas visible
from the road, more water than I remember in the last decade.  Orange
Spring is about the same.  As you leave Orange Spring to the left of the
road (also kinda across the road from Bath Lake) there is a nice little
spring, I seem to remember it last year but it appears to be growing
nicely.  On the other hand, Angel Terrace is almost without water.

Down below Palette Spring continues to grow with some nice "Pulpit"
formation.  About this time I had to leave as the snow was starting to
fall.  I guess it was a false alarm, by the time I was up above heaven's
gate the snow changed to rain.

Stephen Eide
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