Yellowstone, day 7, 8, 9 (Sept. 2, 3, 4)
(I'd best finish this off while I can!)
Mom and I actually managed to get up early on Friday. Dad always gets up early, and goes out while it's still dark. We usually don't join him, but this morning, we decided to do so, and went to join him on the Hill when it was just starting to get light. That's when we found out that Fan and Mortar had erupted overnight. *sigh* Shut out again.
But it turned out that it was a very good thing we went out that morning, as Beehive Indicator started erupting! After a 20-minute wait, off went Beehive, with only myself, my parents, and a couple other people to see it. (1, movie) While I was shooting the movie, I rather abruptly ended it, as we suddenly realized that Old Faithful was erupting, too. Two Beehive/Old Faithful duals in a row! Woohoo! (1, 2, 3) After that came another Depression eruption, but another weak one. Finally, we headed back to the cabin for breakfast.
In the late morning, we went back to the Upper Geyser Basin and Fountain Paint Pots area for another Fountain Geyser eruption. It was still very windy, as evidenced by this picture of Clepsydra Geyser--you don't often get to see its colors, as its eruption water and steam usually cover it--but it was sunny and clear, leading to a wonderful eruption to watch and snap. (Except that I'd gotten a spot on my camera lens, and didn't know about it! Waah!) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Another windy shot of Clepsydra)
We went back to the cabin for lunch, then headed out to Grand. And here's where our luck with Grand ran out. We waited 4 1/4 hours for it! And it was only a 1-burst eruption! (1, 2) Nothing like wiping out your whole afternoon/early evening on one geyser. *sigh* After dinner, Mom and I soothed ourselves with a stroll on the hill and a listen to Doublet Pool, which periodically thumps like a bass speaker.
Saturday, we finished packing up. We weren't sure what to do, until we heard that Grand was predicted to erupt in the morning. So we went up there, and waited...and waited...and waited...and it was nearly 11:00, and we really had to get going. And we ended up leaving it 20 minutes too early. *sigh* Definitely not the best way to end the vacation, but that's geyser-gazing for you--you take the bad with the good.
We made it to Glendive, MT, for the night--but couldn't stay in the motel we wanted to, as it was completely full! (And, for that nice, ironic touch, it's called the Yellowstone River Inn. One more dig at us!) Luckily, we managed to find a room in a motel across the street. After a late dinner, it was time for bed.
Sunday was the drive home. We managed to pick up a couple more roadside markers for my collection, though there's one that it doesn't look like I'll ever get, as the rest area it was at has been flooded out and closed for the past 2 years. Oops. We got home about 6:00, unpacked the car, and home I went.
Mom and I actually managed to get up early on Friday. Dad always gets up early, and goes out while it's still dark. We usually don't join him, but this morning, we decided to do so, and went to join him on the Hill when it was just starting to get light. That's when we found out that Fan and Mortar had erupted overnight. *sigh* Shut out again.
But it turned out that it was a very good thing we went out that morning, as Beehive Indicator started erupting! After a 20-minute wait, off went Beehive, with only myself, my parents, and a couple other people to see it. (1, movie) While I was shooting the movie, I rather abruptly ended it, as we suddenly realized that Old Faithful was erupting, too. Two Beehive/Old Faithful duals in a row! Woohoo! (1, 2, 3) After that came another Depression eruption, but another weak one. Finally, we headed back to the cabin for breakfast.
In the late morning, we went back to the Upper Geyser Basin and Fountain Paint Pots area for another Fountain Geyser eruption. It was still very windy, as evidenced by this picture of Clepsydra Geyser--you don't often get to see its colors, as its eruption water and steam usually cover it--but it was sunny and clear, leading to a wonderful eruption to watch and snap. (Except that I'd gotten a spot on my camera lens, and didn't know about it! Waah!) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Another windy shot of Clepsydra)
We went back to the cabin for lunch, then headed out to Grand. And here's where our luck with Grand ran out. We waited 4 1/4 hours for it! And it was only a 1-burst eruption! (1, 2) Nothing like wiping out your whole afternoon/early evening on one geyser. *sigh* After dinner, Mom and I soothed ourselves with a stroll on the hill and a listen to Doublet Pool, which periodically thumps like a bass speaker.
Saturday, we finished packing up. We weren't sure what to do, until we heard that Grand was predicted to erupt in the morning. So we went up there, and waited...and waited...and waited...and it was nearly 11:00, and we really had to get going. And we ended up leaving it 20 minutes too early. *sigh* Definitely not the best way to end the vacation, but that's geyser-gazing for you--you take the bad with the good.
We made it to Glendive, MT, for the night--but couldn't stay in the motel we wanted to, as it was completely full! (And, for that nice, ironic touch, it's called the Yellowstone River Inn. One more dig at us!) Luckily, we managed to find a room in a motel across the street. After a late dinner, it was time for bed.
Sunday was the drive home. We managed to pick up a couple more roadside markers for my collection, though there's one that it doesn't look like I'll ever get, as the rest area it was at has been flooded out and closed for the past 2 years. Oops. We got home about 6:00, unpacked the car, and home I went.