Skywatch Friday: Lower Geyser Basin
I've been hesitant to get out on any of the trails in Yellowstone yet so I decided to play it safe and do a walkabout at the Lower Geyser Basin where Old Faithful is located.
I pulled into the Old Faithful Inn parking lot about five minutes before Old Faithful erupted. It was a huge eruption so I'm glad I waited around. Most people sit on the benches and wait for Old Faithful to erupt then load back into their cars to drive to the next stop.
There are miles of trails, boardwalks and paths behind Old Faithful to explore. There are lots of other geysers like Castle, the geyser above. No, it didn't erupt while I walked by, but the cone is very cool and the water was boiling and spouting up for me.
There are lots of beautiful geyser pools all over the place.
I don't know if they have names, but their coloring is spectacular.
The Firehole River runs through this geyser basin. It gets its name from the many geysers that drain into it. The water is warm and it doesn't freeze in the winter.
My favorite geyser on this walkabout is the Grand Geyser. It's hard to catch an eruption, but if you do you are treated to a real show. By far bigger and grander than Old Faithful, it's just not as predictable. I waited for a few minutes then continued on.
Here's Grotto Geyser. Again, hard to catch an eruption, but the cone is really cool.
All the runoff makes for some beautiful coloring thanks to all the bacteria.
Another shot of the Firehole.
Boiling pools everywhere.
This was my goal--The Morning Glory Pool. Very beautifully colored and it looks like it goes down forever. It's a miniature Grand Prismatic Pool, but the best part is that there aren't any people out here because you have to walk a mile to see it. I hope to paint it this summer.
This big guy was on the other side of the river getting a drink.
On my way back I made a detour by the Riverside Geyser just in time to see it erupt. No good pictures though because everyone in the front row got there before me and I couldn't find a good spot. This geyser is also difficult to catch an eruption. I think it only blows once a day.
After about 4.25 miles I made my way back to my starting point. I always park in the Old Faithful Inn's parking lot. There's always spots available and it's a lot closer to the geysers than the big parking lot they like to direct you into. (Yellowstone tip of the week).
It was a fun morning and I got some exercise before I begin six days of work in a row. If you were hoping to visit Yellowstone early before the summer crowd arrives, I have bad news. The park is already crowded. The parking lots are overflowing and people are everywhere.
Here's another indication of how crowded the park is. Pigs!
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