We'd only been inside the Old Faithful Visitor Center for a few moments when a ranger announced over the loud speaker, "Beehive's indicator has just started to erupt." Beehive Geyser was soon to follow!
Some people gathered at the windows of the Visitor Center, or at the bank of the Firehole River. But Ma and I wanted a closer look. We hustled over to the boardwalk on Geyser Hill.
Beehive's shape operates like the nozzle of a firehose. The superheated water comes roaring out, straight up in the air for 130 to 180 feet. We'd positioned ourselves well, or so we thought. Ranger Erin had warned us that the boardwalk right in front of the geyser was a "splash zone". Observers in that area were sure to get wet. So, we stood upwind a hundred yards or so and snickered at the fools who were standing so close.
The joke was on us. Beehive's spray had just reached full strength. It was an awesome sight. ...And then the wind shifted. We were hit full-on with a wall of cold, mineral-laden water. Ma happened to be sitting on a bench and had the presence of mind to turn her back and hunch her shoulders. I was standing in a crowd on an overlook on the boardwalk. I turned my back but soon realized that in order to escape, I had to face the geyser and walk straight through the deluge. I was lucky my coat was waterproof. But my shorts and shoes were not. Ma's jacket was just a light cotton knit, so she was soaked, too. What a sight we made! A clear sky, and we were thoroughly drenched!
Recalling Ranger Erin's advice, we cleaned off our glasses and camera lenses before the water could dry. The minerals in geyser spray can leave spots that you can't get off. The rest of our soggy clothing would just have to remain wet. Thus, we squished our way back to the Visitor Center to dry off and change clothes. We couldn't check into our cabin until later.
****
Freshly attired at the Visitor Center, I stopped by the ranger desk. I asked if bald eagle sightings were rare enough to be reported. The ranger said they weren't entirely rare but asked where we'd seen them anyway. I told her about the red-tailed hawk with them and began scrolling through the photos on my camera. The ranger gave me a quizzical look. "Are you sure it wasn't an eaglet?" she asked, pulling out a bird book. As it turns out, a juvenile bald eagle looks just like a red-tailed hawk! She mentioned it would be unusual for a red-tailed hawk to share the air with a bald eagle, but it would be completely logical for a pair to train their young together. They're "family" birds. And they mate for life.
The ranger thanked me for showing her my photos and reporting the new family of eagles flying near Midway Geyser Basin.
Some people gathered at the windows of the Visitor Center, or at the bank of the Firehole River. But Ma and I wanted a closer look. We hustled over to the boardwalk on Geyser Hill.
Beehive's shape operates like the nozzle of a firehose. The superheated water comes roaring out, straight up in the air for 130 to 180 feet. We'd positioned ourselves well, or so we thought. Ranger Erin had warned us that the boardwalk right in front of the geyser was a "splash zone". Observers in that area were sure to get wet. So, we stood upwind a hundred yards or so and snickered at the fools who were standing so close.The joke was on us. Beehive's spray had just reached full strength. It was an awesome sight. ...And then the wind shifted. We were hit full-on with a wall of cold, mineral-laden water. Ma happened to be sitting on a bench and had the presence of mind to turn her back and hunch her shoulders. I was standing in a crowd on an overlook on the boardwalk. I turned my back but soon realized that in order to escape, I had to face the geyser and walk straight through the deluge. I was lucky my coat was waterproof. But my shorts and shoes were not. Ma's jacket was just a light cotton knit, so she was soaked, too. What a sight we made! A clear sky, and we were thoroughly drenched!
Recalling Ranger Erin's advice, we cleaned off our glasses and camera lenses before the water could dry. The minerals in geyser spray can leave spots that you can't get off. The rest of our soggy clothing would just have to remain wet. Thus, we squished our way back to the Visitor Center to dry off and change clothes. We couldn't check into our cabin until later.
****
Freshly attired at the Visitor Center, I stopped by the ranger desk. I asked if bald eagle sightings were rare enough to be reported. The ranger said they weren't entirely rare but asked where we'd seen them anyway. I told her about the red-tailed hawk with them and began scrolling through the photos on my camera. The ranger gave me a quizzical look. "Are you sure it wasn't an eaglet?" she asked, pulling out a bird book. As it turns out, a juvenile bald eagle looks just like a red-tailed hawk! She mentioned it would be unusual for a red-tailed hawk to share the air with a bald eagle, but it would be completely logical for a pair to train their young together. They're "family" birds. And they mate for life.
The ranger thanked me for showing her my photos and reporting the new family of eagles flying near Midway Geyser Basin.