[Geysers] Geyser Happenings

[Maureen Edgerton]

Geyser Happenings

As some of you might know from GT, Friday, Oct. 19th, Fan and Mortar erupted at 1543.  Thankfully, Polly had gone down to check on things, and she will be writing more about the eruption when she returns home from her time in Yellowstone.  I was very happy for Polly, and Kitt, who both got to see the eruption, though Kitt missed the start.

Fountain has been elusive to me, yet Kitt and Polly found it Friday (they had a really good geyser day!) at 1257.  That lead me to think it would erupt around then or before then today, yet with the crazy wind conditions, it held off until 1454.  And only a 33 minute eruption.  Morning's Thief seems very erratic, and today I did not see a MT before Fountain start once back in the lower basin (I was at upper basin for Grand so I could have missed some eruptions...)

The biggest news of my day though, is that Great Fountain has entered wild phase again.  I am beginning to think this is a late October habit, as it entered wild phase about this time in both 2009 and 2010.  Last year, we were locked out because of snow on October 20 so we do not know what happened.  I understand that this data exists, so one day Ralph Taylor may be able to lend insight to if wild phase happened in 2011 as well.  

This morning I arrived at GF at 0945.  Great Fountain was doing some 40-50 foot bursts, so I figured I had missed the beginning and was watching a later series.  Yet I went back an hour later, only to see the same kind of energy happening.  Then I focused on Fountain, until I later heard Kitt and Polly on the radios, and learned they had been at GF around 1100 and had stayed for a couple of series too.  

I went back around 1245 and it was still happening.   I decided I wanted to see Grand so I left the area (hoping Fountain was, in fact, wind delayed) and went to upper basin.  Upon return at 1425, it was still erupting, and then after Fountain, at 1552, it was still doing some big bursts, 30 feet or more.  So that was 6 hours of eruption.   I also saw on GT that "Siegmund" (I think this is Gordon Bower's name on GT) noted that he was confirming wild phase by posting a 1631 i.e. time for GF.  I will be back tomorrow to see what is happening.  Hopefully it will not snow enough to close the road so we can see when it comes out of wild phase.  I will miss the normal eruptions, yet this was an interesting day with Great Fountain.  Sure wish the VC logger was still there so we could know when the wild phase began.  

Grand has been my "go to" geyser, since Fountain was lost to me this week, and Grand has been easy to see.   I think I have waited for one turban for my last 4 Grands now.  Yesterday was a very short Grand,  only 7 minutes, 30 seconds.  We thought sure we were going to get a second burst, yet it did not happen.  Today was also a one burst, yet it was over 10 minutes.  3 of the 4 that I have seen lately have been Grand starts.  Very fast rise in pool, then waves, then Grand, and if it is steamy at all, it is hard to see one phase moving to the next.  It is a riot to hear people complain about "waiting so long" to see Grand.  Very humorous.  

I was lucky enough to catch Penta the other day,  and Castle and Beehive yesterday as well.  

The weather has been better than expected, it spit rain a bit at Grand, and we had a big storm that passed through before Fountain erupted today, yet overall the wind has been the biggest factor, thankfully no snow so far.  It is supposed to keep getting colder though.

So here's to the final two weeks.  Hard to believe that the park will be closed to me soon.  

Take care all.  Maureen Edgerton




Sent from my iPad