Yellowstone Geyser Day

Wednesday was our geyser day at Yellowstone.  We spent the entire day in the Old Faithful Geyser Basin and during that day we saw Old Faithful erupt three times, but, the highlight was, we managed to see major eruptions of seven other geysers.

Old Faithful is the easy one to see.  It is close to the Visitor Center and the times are very predictable (and posted both at the Center and in the Old Faithful Inn lobby).  When we arrived it was due in twenty minutes, so we lingered there for the first big show.

It is Old Faithful.

Afterwards we walked big big circle loop all around the geyser basin and took about a hundred photos.  It was a gorgeous day with beautiful clouds to compliment the steam of the geysers.

Surprise eruption of Beehive Geyser.

Our next goal was Riverside, a geyser that projects out over the river and lands sparkling in the river itself.  On the way there we suddenly saw a big surprise eruption: it was Beehive Geyser beginning a full ten minute tall, spurting eruption. If that were not enough, suddenly Aurum Geyser began to erupt, with the two of them finishing simultaneously.

Riverside Geyser.

After Riverside and a short walk to Morning Glory Pool, we headed up to wait for Grand Geyser, one I had never seen in eruption.  While we were walking there, Daisy Geyser went off.  This was unexpected as Daisy had erupted early the same day and was not predicted.

Morning Glory Pool.

We waited about twenty minutes for Grand Geyser, being told by Park Rangers and volunteers that it would be worth all the wait.  It certainly was!  We were told that this Geyser goes up to two hundred fifty feet while Old Faithful barely hits one hundred.  In addition, it is a massive eruption coming out of three openings and lasting about twenty minutes.  Any sort of wait is worth it if you have a chance to experience Grand Geyser.

Back to camp for fire and rest before another anticipated day.