[Geysers] Dilapidated Geyser Activity Reported May 25-28, 2013

[Pat Snyder]

During our 2013 Memorial Day week vacation in Yellowstone, Clark Murray and I observed activity in Dilapidated Geyser. Dilapidated Geyser is located in the Pipeline Meadows Group, across the Firehole River from the Old Faithful Lodge cabin area, and can be observed from the road by cabin # 233. From the road view, Dilapidated Geyser is to the left, about half way up the hill.
 
On May 25, 2013, at 2118, Clark and I observed Dilapidated in eruption. The water height was about five feet tall, and pulsing, similarly to Pink Cone or Penta geysers.  We were very excited because Dilapidated is such a rare performer! Tara Cross and Greg Gushwa also saw the last few minutes of this eruption.
 
Then, on May 27, 2013, I returned from watching for Morning Geyser to find three visitors sitting in camp chairs along the road. I asked the visitors if they had seen any geysers erupt and one visitor said, “Yes, there’s something erupting over there,” and he pointed in the direction of Dilapidated.
 
I interviewed the visitor further, and found out his son had been in the valley near the Firehole River when Dilapidated began erupting to approximately “eight feet,” the visitor said. The visitor said the eruption time was around 1700. Then the visitor said he saw it erupt again at close to 1800.
 
I called Clark, and also saw Steve Eide, and excitedly told them what the visitors had seen. We decided to wait and see what Dilapidated was doing. Between the three of us, we observed four more eruptions, all ranging from six feet to eight feet tall, at 1924, 1953, 2022 and 2051 on May 27. Most durations were at least four minutes, with a short steam phase at the end.
 
Dilapidated’s activity continued on May 28, 2013, with observed eruptions at 0722, 0813, 1216 and 1631; and again on May 29, 2013, with observed eruptions at 0814, 1550 and 1648.
 
The Dilapidated series ended sometime overnight on May 29-30, 2013; no additional eruptions were seen through the morning of June 1, 2013.
 
Clark speculated that Dilapidated Geyser may have had a major eruption before we saw the first activity on May 25, and these smaller eruptions were a series of follow-up events, but we don’t know that for sure.

Please find two photos of the eruption at 1648 on May 28, taken with a 200mm lens from the road.
Thanks!
Pat Snyder & Clark Murray


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