We were done touring for the day. We headed toward Old Faithful where we would spend the night.
Bypassing Midway Geyser Basin (until tomorrow), I caught sight of some birds in the sky. I pointed them out to Ma. It took only moments for her to conclude they were bald eagles! I practically had an accident in my excitement to pull over.
Bypassing Midway Geyser Basin (until tomorrow), I caught sight of some birds in the sky. I pointed them out to Ma. It took only moments for her to conclude they were bald eagles! I practically had an accident in my excitement to pull over.
There were three birds, all flying together. Two had white heads and were clearly bald eagles. One had a brown- and white-speckled body. I surmised it to be a red-tailed hawk. (I've had experience with those around my yard.) It wasn't until later that I learned we had the unique privilege of watching a mom and dad teaching their eaglet how to fly.
I took dozens of photos. This was probably the best one to show the white head and tail of the adult bald eagle. I'm so pleased I was able to capture them mid-flight.
We arrived in the early evening at Old Faithful. The enormous crowd gathered around the Old Faithful Geyser mound meant that it was nearly time for it to erupt.Old Faithful has become less "faithful" over the years, but it is no less predictable. Decades ago, it erupted for exactly 2.5 minutes, every 66.5 minutes. Now its eruptions are bimodal. The duration of the previous eruption is used to predict the next eruption. If the eruption was short (about two and a half minutes), the interval will be about 60 minutes. If the eruption was long (about four minutes), the interval will be about 90 minutes.
Why is it so faithful? First, it isn't connected to any other features in the park. So, its "plumbing" remains isolated and undisturbed. Second, the constriction point (believed to be a 4.125" wide opening, 22 feet below the surface) has remained unchanged. It hasn't eroded to become larger. It hasn't narrowed with mineral deposits. Third, the water source is not affected by precipitation. So, wet or dry weather does not affect eruptions. The only thing that has changed over time is its heating chamber deep underground. This area is subject to frequent seismic activity. Over the years, the heat and water sources have shifted and become less consistent. So, sometimes the chamber fills and reaches the critical temperature/pressure quickly (60 minute interval) and sometimes it takes a little longer (90 minute interval).
The crowd's long wait was rewarded with an eruption, as always. And the rangers dutifully recorded its duration so they could predict the next interval.Time for laundry, dinner, shower, and bed. It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day in Yellowstone.
