"Live Life Like it's a Vacation": 9-10-18 Midway Geyser Basin and Old Faithful:

Did the morning Grandma/Layla time again. I've been looking forward to them. Didn't go to the pool while she napped, though. Figured I'd give my abrasions another day to heal first. Didn't need to discover any more viruses!
When Layla got up, we packed up and headed out---packing up includes snacks and drinks as well as a bunch of stuff for Layla. I usually sat in the back with her---until she got super crabby, then Angie or Josh took my place. So I had lots of time to play with her and find things to keep her entertained. I found she was usually good for 30 minutes or so with any one thing, then I'd switch it out for something else. One of her favorites was the lid to a Pringles can! She'd get that when she was tired of playing with the whole can. She also loved the M&Ms bag---with or without candy in it. She also really loves playing peek a boo. In fact, I'm pretty sure she was trying to do that with the Pringles lid. Wonder if she thought I couldn't see her!

Today we finally headed South. Almost immediately we came across this mother and calf bison-this little one looked like it couldn't have been very old.

First stop was on Firehole Road where we saw Firehole Falls. Pretty nice falls!

Next stop was at Fountain Paint Pots.

At the start of the 1/2 mile walk---These dead lodgepole pine trees are pioneers that did not survive. They established a toehold in thin new soil, they enriched it through natural recycling of minerals and organic material. In time the increasing humus would have nurtured a mature forest - if the trees hadn't drowned when nearby hot springs shifted. Silica also penetrated the trees and hardened their bases.

Looking at Celestine Pool and where the trail loops back around

It was another beautiful 80ish sunny day, but the winds had picked up.

Silex Spring---Silica, in the form of sinter, lines the bottom of Silex spring. It forms terraces along the runoff channels and gives the spring its name: Silex is Latin for silica.

Silex Spring

Fountain Paint Pot is one of many mudpots found in the park. In early summer the mudpots are thin and watery from abundant rain and snow. By late summer they are quite thick.

It was interesting watching and hearing the bubbles grow and pop.

Leather Pool is a warm (143 F) pool that supported leather-like brown bacteria.

Looks green to me, but the pattern does resemble leather.

More steps! Josh and Angie took care of getting the stroller down them and they did a much better job then I did yesterday!

Clepsydra Geyser erupts almost without pause.

Celestine Pool again on our way out.

Another area I don't remember going to in 2002---Midway Geyser Basin.

Firehole River---a bridge goes over the river to Midway Geyser Basin

one of the few dragonflies we came across

Looking West towards Turquoise Pool.

Excelsior Pool---The Excelsior Geyser pool discharges 4,000 to 4,500 gallons of 199 °F water per minute directly into the Firehole River. In the late 19th century, it was an active geyser that erupted frequently. Most eruptions were about 100 feet high, although some exceeded 300 feet in both height and width. It is believed that the powerful eruptions damaged its internal plumbing system, and it now boils as a productive hot spring most of the time.

Since it hasn't erupted since 2 days in 1985, it's name has been changed to Excelsior Geyser Crater instead of Excelsior Geyser.

Continuing past Excelsior Geyser Crater

looking towards Grand Prismatic Spring---Old Faithful may be more famous, but the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is the most photographed thermal feature in Yellowstone. That's because of its crazy-bright colors and enormous size.

Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone and the third largest spring in the world. The Grand Prismatic is bigger than a football field at 370 feet in diameter.

The Hayden Expedition in 1871 named this spring because of its beautiful coloration, and artist Thomas Moran made water-color sketches depicting its rainbow-like colors.

Don't know what made these foot prints, but I bet they had a hot foot---or 4.

Outside the scalloped rim a band of yellow fades into orange. Red then marks the outer border.

Grand Prismatic discharges an estimated 560 gallons per minute.

There is a trail that leads to an elevated lookout on the hill beyond the pool, but we didn't have the time or energy to hike it. Too bad there wasn't a better view of the deep blue pool from the boardwalk we were on.

More of the Grand Prismatic discharge area.

I borrowed this picture to show what the view would be like from the overlook that we didn't hike.

Back to where we were

another smaller pool along the boardwalk---Opal Pool

And another---Turquoise Pool. The 1878 Hayden Expedition named this pool for its milky, white bottom and gem-like, blue-colored water.

Looking across Turquoise pool towards The Grand Prismatic.

Turquoise Pool has no overflow channel, instead water drains underground into Excelsior Geyser.

The edge of Turquoise Pool

close up of where Excelsior drains towards Firehole River.

Layla with that look of "don't let them put me back in that car seat!"

From there we continued a few miles to Old Faithful Inn and resort area. Parked by one of the gift shops and walked from there. Didn't go in, but this is the Visitor's Center there.

We did go into Old Faithful Inn. I thought with Angie's architecture background, she'd get a kick out of it. It is rare in that it is one of the few log hotels still standing in the United States, and was the first of the great park lodges of the American west.

Last time I was in Yellowstone (in 2002), this is where we stayed the 2 nights we were in the park.

It's massive 500-ton, 85' stone fireplace.

The central feature of the Old House is a tall gabled log structure housing the lobby, dominated by a deep, steeply-pitching shingled roof. The Old House uses load-bearing log lower exterior walls with a log pole interior framework supporting seven stories, six of which are the roof structure.

We splurged and had a late lunch/early dinner here. Definitely not the greatest food (although my buffet was pretty good), but I figure you go here for the ambience.

Only bad thing about my buffet lunch was they started taking it down as soon as I ordered it! The waitress did bring us a complimentary brownie and ice cream to make up for that.

While we were there they were starting to prepare for dinner. Then you get real napkins.

Even the bathrooms here were impressive. Wonder how authentic they are to the original ones.

Some of the structure from the outside.

After eating, we had about 40 minutes until Old Faithful Geyser was suppose to erupt. So I wandered over there and got a front row seat. The kids went and did some shopping and we met back up after the eruption. From my seat, I had a good view of the Upper Geyser Basin. I was surprised that I didn't see any geysers going off while I sat there. I know there are over 100 geysers there and have pictures from 2002 of many going off at the same time. But we didn't walk any of it this time so maybe all the erupting ones were farther away.

(my photo from 2002 with a bunch of geysers in the Upper Basin)

Back to today---Zoomed in view of the area.

This little guy came for a visit while I waited.

Right on time Old Faithful erupted. The average height of its eruption is 145 feet and it usually lasts about 4 minutes.

With seating pretty much 3/4 way around Old Faithful, it gets pretty packed when eruption time rolls around---thus the reason for meeting back up with the kids after the eruption.

The time between eruptions has a bimodal distributions, with the mean interval being either 65 or 91 minutes, dependent on the length of the prior eruption. Within a margin of error of ±10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt either 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2 ¹⁄₂ minutes, or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2 ¹⁄₂ minutes.

A view of Old Faithful not often seen.

With the eruption at about 4:20 pm, it was time to head back to the resort after that. We actually made really good time----until we got to the same area on the West Entrance Road where the idiots like to stop in the middle of the road. The resident buffalo was showing off again. He was rolling around in the dirt, but quit right as we finally got up there.

The elk were a good distance away, but I had plenty of time to drag out my 150-600 mm lens.

This time there was even a buck there.

First time we've seen him.

Even caught a view of these guys. I assume they're adolescent trumpeter swans?

Finally made it out of the park!

Layla was happy to be climbing around on Grandma again!

And we got another beautiful sunset--- while I was out at the grocery store buying more snacks and picking up a restaurant carry out order for dinner.