<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 8/14/2006 6:09:21 PM Mountain Standard Time, s@weststartv.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>The location of "Elk Geyser" is approximately 500 meters to the <BR>east-northeast of the east end of "The Gap" in Ragged Hills.  The last <BR>time I saw it there was a large pool (Approx. 10m in diameter) and there <BR>were two vents toward the west end that were bubbling.  There is a <BR>fairly large tree at the south end of the pool that lays into the pool <BR>somewhat.<BR>There were two very active features between "Elk Geyser" and "The Gap".  <BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>First, I must ask if that distance and direction of "500 meters to the east-northeast" is correct. If so, then the geyser I saw is in a very different location -- or I've alsways been mistaken about just where "The Gap" is. Can you describe the location of The Gap with respect to Cinder Pool, and/or where Tantalus Creek exits the area, and/or etc.?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I, too, got Jerry's photos. Indeed, they show features near Cinder Pool and, therefore, rather far from the place I'm talking about. I dropped down from near Forgotten Fumarole, crossed the stream at Firecracker Spring, and then walked northwest and west near the base of the Ragged Hills.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Unfortunately, I find that the photocopies of the Norris thermal map that I have here do not extend far enough west to include the area I visited, and I also seem to not have a copy of the USGS Professional Paper 1456 about Norris -- the full map and the report seem to be in California. Therefore, I have to do some guessing here. Should somebody be able to provide a scan of a map, I might do better.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Cinder Pool is within map grid C3 (approx. C3-600E-150S). Tantalus Creek flows southwest from there into grid C2, then west. I think it departs the area through C1. (Again, I am guessing, trying to visualize the map and area in my mind's eye.) If I am correct in this, then the geysers I saw would probably be within grid area D2 or, very likely, D1. The big geyser is one of the westernmost of all the springs in that little valley.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This place is immediately at the base of the Ragged Hill where the trees were killed and are blown down. It is drained by a stream that flows toward the northeast. All, or nearly all, of the springs are on the south side of the stream, and trying to walk among the springs would be rather stupid -- it is a very active, very hot place.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Unfortunately, since my visit was only to check the basics of Norris, and since I have plenty of photos of the place, I did not have my camera with me. Also, I have no idea when I could possibly get back -- I will if I can, but what with van tours (like today) and other things, it's likely to be a while (if at all).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Scott Bryan</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>