[Geysers] Geyser Report Wednesday, June 24, 2015

[Barbara Lasseter]

Geyser Report Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Low 30's going in yesterday, high 30's today, warming rapidly both
days.  To the UGB after 1 pass thru Firehole Lake Drive.  I noted that
Firehole Picnic Area and Chief Joseph pullouts have been repaved.
Fountain paintpot Nature Trail parking lot was cordoned off this AM
but open and overfull as I passed early afternoon.  At OF, the parking
lot paving is in process below the Inn.

The backup of traffic at the West gate when I came home late yesterday
AM extended  W beyond the blinking light and N on Canyon as far as I
could see from Madison Ave. (couldn't see how far W on Yellowstone it
went).  Fortunately, traffic at the light at Canyon and Madison held
their place despite a green light and kept the intersection open.   A
couple of hours later today when I exited the park, the traffic at the
W gate was fairly light.    I hear 10A to 2P can be very crowded at
the West Gate--be warned.  I try to get thru before 0600, and suspect
I would have made other plans had I faced anything like the backup I
saw yesterday.

Back to my morning:  It appeared Beehive had erupted overnight and
Grand and Castle were some hours away.  I returned to Firehole Lake Dr
and caught a Gemini series starting at 0952, then walked back to Great
Fountain for the eruption there at 1127 p=0.

There was a line of cars pulled over along the Madison meadow on my
way to West--enough that I thought maybe a bear or wolf?  All I could
see, however, was 1 distant elk across a deep bend in the river and
barely in sight.  It was grazing peacefully, so bear/wolf seemed
unlikely.

I see quite a few single bison, and a visitor reported a small herd
off Fountain Flat Drive recently, but the majority may at last have
migrated to the Hayden Valley.

One very active and excited young boy at Great Fountain called out
"Mom, Mom, look!  It looks like an atom bomb!"  It may not have been
the biggest eruption that Great Fountain can produce, but for that
family it was spectacular, and I enjoyed it more because of their
enthusiasm.


Barbara Lasseter