[Geysers] Geyser Report Wednesday, May 20, 2015

[Barbara Lasseter]

Geyser Report Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Yesterday AM was cold, overcast, and breezy.  Grand sounded promising
at 0700 after a 9 minute Rift, but dragged itself out until a single
burst at 0853  (D5/T1c).  Waves on Grand don't seem to mean what they
used to!  Thoroughly chilled, I headed for the pullout below Fountain
to observe from there in the warmth of the car.  Eventually, a small
group of bison wandered to the road.  As they began a slow crossing
between my vantage point and Thud, I could foresee being pinned in the
pullout by the backup of in-bound cars, so I skedaddled.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015:
Old Faithful 0721
Lion: 0700 initial, 0704ie wc
Little Cub ie @ 0658
West Triplet: 0553 (end@ 0638) per Jim Scheirer (JS), 0901ns
Rift: 0638 d=9min
Daisy: 0903ie
Sawmill 0857ns
White: 0749ie

>From Geyser Times:
Artemisia @ 1311

Today, Wednesday 5/20:
Beehive 2301ns (Rocco Paperiello)
Old Faithful: 0745, 0920 approx
Castle was post minor when I arrived.  Major @ 0753ns
Grand: 0650 (JS)
West Triplet: 0639 (JS)
Rift: 0542 (JS)
Oblong: 0542ie (GT)
Riverside: 0542ie (GT)
Fountain was ie as I approached at 0704 and ended at 0714.  After
Castle, I headed that way to observe the progress on the construction
of the "new" boardwalk past Clepsydra and hope for another Fountain.
Fountain @ 1131 d=31
Great Fountain : ie steam cloud at 1128
Super Frying Pan: 1033

The boardwalk advanced rapidly while I was at Fountain.  The crew was
undeterred by either the Fountain eruption or the large SFP.  Visitors
from far away were off the boardwalk left and right.  There was
sunshine and little wind, so the location was a pleasant wait.
Visitors can go only as far as the overlook, passing the paintpots,
then returning the same route, so it was very busy.  Work crews have
blocked the N end of the parking lot E of the bus parking spaces.  I
had to back up until I could cut across bus spaces to find parking in
the southbound spaces.  Going in, the closest space was below the
bathrooms, and coming out even the bus spaces were filled with cars.

I hear horror stories about how dry it is.  "Driest I've seen in my 60
years here".  "Haven't seen it so dry in 47 years".  There are no
vibrant jewel tone greens that I expect to see in meadows at this time
of year.  The lodgepole needles have a yellow cast--more so than new
needles would account for, it seems to me.

I've seen no glacier lilies in their usual places.  Monday I took the
bike in and returned right away.  I saw only 2 bison calves, lots of
bison, a number of elk, Canada geese, ravens (1 in the eagle nest).
Yesterday I hit the bison nursery--20 or more cows with 16-18 calves.
The ravens have a nest in the tree across the drive from the lower
store lot again this year.  Raven(s) in the eagle nest Tues & Wed AM,
gone by the time I exit mid-day.  2 coyotes, 1 snowshoe hare fatality
between Biscuit and Black Sand.

Firehole Canyon and Riverside drive are open and in good shape.  There
was a grader parked in Whiskey Flats as I passed today.  It has the
only really green grassy area, with just a bit of open water.  The
fisherman's trail from the end of the Daisy Trail toward Biscuit is
closed, but Artemisia trail is open.

Admission rates go up later this month, and Teton access fees are no
longer combined except for additional money.  The blinker light in
West Yellowstone is being converted to a stop light, with road work in
the adjacent roads about complete.

I acquired 4 more folding foam "geyser" seats over the winter to loan
to gazers for the duration of their visit if they need one or more.
Look me up.

Barbara Lasseter