Checking the boards at the Visitor Center, we discovered we had just enough time to check into our cabin, eat dinner, and then hustle over to Castle Geyser to watch it erupt.
Castle Geyser erupted a little earlier than anticipated. We were walking up the trail and saw its initial burst over the treetops. It's a good thing eruptions last for 20 minutes. We still got a good show out of it.
Even after the peak of its eruption was done, it still splashed water out occasionally, and the steam made for some excellent rainbows.
Now was a good time to complete the Geyser Hill walk we had begun this morning with the ranger. I also wanted to see the famous Morning Glory Pool, but it was a 2.8 mile round trip hike into the woods. Ma was game, so we set off to see some more fantastic pools and geysers.
This cluster of geysers is called the "Grand Group".
Vent Geyser (far left), Turban Geyser (center), and Grand Geyser (right) all share a water supply. They erupt in a series. Turban erupts most frequently. A typical sequence will have Turban erupting several times, followed by Grand, followed by Vent. So, in this photo, we probably just missed Grand because Vent is erupting.
Grand is the tallest predictable geyser. A full Grand eruption can reach 180 feet and last for 9 to 12 minutes. It happens once every 7 to 15 hours.
Beauty Pool
Chromatic Pool
Beauty and Chromatic Pools are like beautiful twin sisters. They're connected deep underground. Like most of the hot springs in Yellowstone (and for that matter, around the world), these pools are slightly alkaline. That means the color is a product of the microorganisms that thrive at its specific temperature.
The size of its sinter cone... The height of its eruption... The sheer volume of water expelled... There's nothing that's not gigantic about Giant Geyser. When Giant erupts, it can shake the ground. Unfortunately, it's unpredictable. Giant can lay dormant for years between eruptions.
It's estimated that Giant is over 10,000 years old. The cone is 12 feet high and blown in half. When it erupts, a column of water as much as 250 feet high and 6 feet in diameter ejects one million gallons of water in the course of an hour. I'm sure it's an awe-inspiring sight to behold.
Giant shares its platform with Bijou, Catfish, and Mastiff Geysers. They're all interconnected and can "steal" and "lend" energy between one another.
This amorphous shape is Grotto Geyser. Scientists theorize that the geyser emerged in a stand of trees, and the remains became covered with a thick coating of sinter. Thus the cone developed into this unusual form.
Here's a closer view of Grotto. I think that's a "stump" in the middle, and a fallen limb on the left forms the nifty arch.
When Grotto erupts, it can reach up to 40 feet, and can last as long as 24 hours. But even when it isn't erupting you can hear a constant gurgling sound.
Riverside Geyser is among the most dependable geysers in the park. It erupts every 5.5 to 7.5 hours for about 22 minutes. And it has done so for as long as records have been kept.
Unlike most cone geysers, this one doesn't erupt straight up. Instead, it directs its stream at a 70 degree angle out into the Firehole River. Sadly, we weren't lucky enough to see it erupt.
At last we have reached our destination: the Morning Glory Pool.
The colorful pool became a favorite among early tourists. Stagecoach routes went right past it. But over the years, it lost its beautiful blue center. Vandals had thrown things into the pool, constricting the vent and reducing the flow of hot water. Drawn by the lower temperature, brown and orange algae began overtaking the pool.
In 1950, the park rangers decided to act. They opted to drain the pool to clean it. The water in the pool had always acted like a cork, keeping the water beneath from reaching the boiling point. Once the water had been siphoned out, the pool erupted, spewing its collected trash and treasures into the air. The rangers collected and cataloged it all: pennies, bath towels, socks, handkerchiefs, the list goes on; 112 different items were retrieved in all. They counted $94.37 in U.S. coins.
The Morning Glory Pool is now cleaned annually.
Castle Geyser erupted a little earlier than anticipated. We were walking up the trail and saw its initial burst over the treetops. It's a good thing eruptions last for 20 minutes. We still got a good show out of it.
Even after the peak of its eruption was done, it still splashed water out occasionally, and the steam made for some excellent rainbows.Now was a good time to complete the Geyser Hill walk we had begun this morning with the ranger. I also wanted to see the famous Morning Glory Pool, but it was a 2.8 mile round trip hike into the woods. Ma was game, so we set off to see some more fantastic pools and geysers.
This cluster of geysers is called the "Grand Group".Vent Geyser (far left), Turban Geyser (center), and Grand Geyser (right) all share a water supply. They erupt in a series. Turban erupts most frequently. A typical sequence will have Turban erupting several times, followed by Grand, followed by Vent. So, in this photo, we probably just missed Grand because Vent is erupting.
Grand is the tallest predictable geyser. A full Grand eruption can reach 180 feet and last for 9 to 12 minutes. It happens once every 7 to 15 hours.
Beauty Pool
Chromatic PoolBeauty and Chromatic Pools are like beautiful twin sisters. They're connected deep underground. Like most of the hot springs in Yellowstone (and for that matter, around the world), these pools are slightly alkaline. That means the color is a product of the microorganisms that thrive at its specific temperature.
The size of its sinter cone... The height of its eruption... The sheer volume of water expelled... There's nothing that's not gigantic about Giant Geyser. When Giant erupts, it can shake the ground. Unfortunately, it's unpredictable. Giant can lay dormant for years between eruptions.It's estimated that Giant is over 10,000 years old. The cone is 12 feet high and blown in half. When it erupts, a column of water as much as 250 feet high and 6 feet in diameter ejects one million gallons of water in the course of an hour. I'm sure it's an awe-inspiring sight to behold.
Giant shares its platform with Bijou, Catfish, and Mastiff Geysers. They're all interconnected and can "steal" and "lend" energy between one another.
This amorphous shape is Grotto Geyser. Scientists theorize that the geyser emerged in a stand of trees, and the remains became covered with a thick coating of sinter. Thus the cone developed into this unusual form.
Here's a closer view of Grotto. I think that's a "stump" in the middle, and a fallen limb on the left forms the nifty arch.When Grotto erupts, it can reach up to 40 feet, and can last as long as 24 hours. But even when it isn't erupting you can hear a constant gurgling sound.
Riverside Geyser is among the most dependable geysers in the park. It erupts every 5.5 to 7.5 hours for about 22 minutes. And it has done so for as long as records have been kept.Unlike most cone geysers, this one doesn't erupt straight up. Instead, it directs its stream at a 70 degree angle out into the Firehole River. Sadly, we weren't lucky enough to see it erupt.
At last we have reached our destination: the Morning Glory Pool.The colorful pool became a favorite among early tourists. Stagecoach routes went right past it. But over the years, it lost its beautiful blue center. Vandals had thrown things into the pool, constricting the vent and reducing the flow of hot water. Drawn by the lower temperature, brown and orange algae began overtaking the pool.
In 1950, the park rangers decided to act. They opted to drain the pool to clean it. The water in the pool had always acted like a cork, keeping the water beneath from reaching the boiling point. Once the water had been siphoned out, the pool erupted, spewing its collected trash and treasures into the air. The rangers collected and cataloged it all: pennies, bath towels, socks, handkerchiefs, the list goes on; 112 different items were retrieved in all. They counted $94.37 in U.S. coins.
The Morning Glory Pool is now cleaned annually.
