<div>Hello one last time,</div> <div> </div> <div>Here is my (late) trip report for Norris on October 7, 2011. I was camping at Madison and there was a big snowstorm on Oct 6 so when I got up in the morning the road to Old Faithful was closed at the Madison junction. Unknown to me, the west entrance was also closed so I was maybe the only non-employee on the road which was in great shape. The previous night they plowed those roads dry. Anyway, I had Norris all to myself for the whole short trip. </div> <div> </div> <div>Steamvalve spring looked to be lukewarm and over a foot below overflow. Harding Geyser only gave off weak steam also. The new feature that caused the boardwalk to be moved above Ledge Geyser was quiet but there is a new hole a foot or two to the west and uphill that was steaming and you could hear some bubbling in it. Congress Pool was down several feet with little activity. Most of the area from Blue Geyser to the bottom of the slope below the walkway was covered with opalescent water. Lots of water. But the only activity in this area were a few steam vents. I did see a geyser I don't know the name of erupting from a ledge that sits just below the crest of the hill to the East of the Porcelain Basin. It erupted twice a few minutes apart to a height of 15-20 feet. It was new to me. I only waited a few minutes in the Arsenic-Constant-Whirligig area so I didn't see anything erupt. I know Pinwheel has not erupted for a long time but usually when I look at it the vent is still hot and clear of bacteria mat, however this time when I visited the vent for Pinwheel was cooler and had a mat in it. Ledge was steaming and the big steamer to the east of Ledge (Dark Cavern? Valentine? I must admit I am not sure) was roaring away. </div> <div> </div> <div>Forgotten Fumarole was quiet. The feature out on the flat between Minute Geyser and Monarch appears to be growing a bigger or maybe taller cone. OK, just a few inches, but I do think it is getting taller. Fearless Geyser was quiet and not bubbling. Palpitator Spring was empty, no water in it at all. Monarch was quiet with no signs of any recent activity. Rubble Geyser showed no sign of recent activity either. Corporal looked like it was at least occasionally overflowing but I didn't watch it long. Dog's Leg was quiet. Veteran was only doing some 3-4 foot splashing and the near basin was empty. </div> <div> </div> <div>Vixen was gurgling but had no wet ground around it so I guessed it was not erupting and I did not stay long (but I am not sure it was not erupting). Pearl was occasional "bumping" but only twice did I see a very weak splash out of it. It is overflowing. The perpetual spouters across the boardwalk from Pearl (?Creamsicle Springs?) were active perpetually to 1-2 feet. Porkchop was opalescent and quiet with regular overflow. Nothing was seen from little spring on the North side of Porkchop. There appears to be a new vent or reactived vent to the west of Pearl and South of Vixen about 30-40 feet east of the boardwalk. It has a rim of ejected sand/sinter that is the same creamsicle color as the springs south of Pearl. Some splashing a few inches to a foot above the ground was seen but I could not tell how far down in the hole the water level was. It appeared to be a perpetual splasher when I watched it.</div> <div> </div> <div>In the area from Orbicular geyser south to the new elevated boardwalk I saw every vent out there erupt in the five minutes or so I watched except Orbicular. Son of Green Dragon is now weaker, with most of the perpetual bursting to only 2-4 feet however it still will have occasional bursts in the 6-12 foot range. This spring it was all in the 6-12 foot range. Yellow Funnel was a boiling active mudpot. Blue Mud spring was the only active thing in the muddy sneaker group that I saw and it was not that strong. I did get a great view back into Green Dragon Spring,due to a favorable wind and I think less steam. </div> <div> </div> <div>Nothing of note was happening from Green Dragon to Echinus. Echinus is still in constant overflow with terraces getting bigger in the run off channel. Of some note, only the vent to the north on the side below the raised platforms was bubbling in Echinus. The South vent closest to the runoff channels was quiet. I have no idea if this is good or bad, but I do seem to remember that when Echinus erupts it is the north vent it erupts from. Echinus is all brick red. The sizzling patch to the north of Echinus is also brick red. </div> <div> </div> <div>Cistern Spring appeared unchanged to me. There is a new Boardwalk from Cistern Spring winding up the hill to the lower platform by Steamboat and then on up the hill to the West of Steamboat to meet the trail from Steamboat to Emerald Spring at about the half-way point. It appears it is all handicap accessible and avoids the Steamboat stairs. The planks for the walkway all appeared to be down but most of the handrail was not up yet. No idea what the ETA for opening is. </div> <div> </div> <div>Steamboat had mostly south function splashing and I did not stay around long. I think there is a new steam vent below the lower platform, at least I did not remember it from my spring and summer visits. Then again, I could have missed it, it isn't impressive. Emerald Spring was clear and looked like usual. </div> <div> </div> <div>Also, the bathrooms in the parking lot (the heated ones with running water) at Norris were open and working. They had Non-Potable water but everything else worked. I don't remember them being open in the last decade, maybe I just missed when they opened up because I usually do not even try to use them. </div> <div> </div> <div>Here's hoping for good weather for closing week,</div> <div> </div> <div>Stephen Eide</div>