geysers – Educators of Excellence Institutes

“From Bacteria to Bobcat”

January 15, 2023 - 3 Comments

We started today by coming together to watch Old Faithful erupt. It teased us for 45 minutes with small belches of water and steam before finally putting on a show. This was followed by a tour of the Upper Basin by Ranger Colin, whose passion for the world’s greatest concentration of geysers got us excited for our upcoming day of observing geothermal features. We had just missed Colin’s favorite, Beehive Geyser, due to Old Faithful’s antics holding us up.

At our next stop, we split up to choose our own adventure. Some went on a short but snowy hike to Black Sand Pool, laying down to feel the thumping from below. The others took to the boardwalks around Black Sand Basin, braving boardwalks covered in packed snow and slippery conditions, only to have to pause for two bison who decided to walk across the warm ground after wading through the cold river winding through the geysers and springs. Remember to stay AT LEAST 25 yards from a bison! They finally disappeared into the mist, and we continued our explorations.

people laying on the ground near a hot spring

Midway Geyser Basin started with the Excelsior Geyser Crater and Grand Prismatic Spring. The combination of snow, warm steam, and ice make the boardwalks here very slippery, but we persevered. We saw the thermophilic bacterial mats, the silica deposits in the flowing waters, and ephydrid flies! We witnessed larva and adult flies, all happily eating the bacterial mats. They stay active in winter because the waters coming from the springs keep their environment warm enough for them to live.

ephydrid fly

The next stop was Fountain Paint Pots. It was like a scene from another planet: smaller geysers erupting, steam rising from fumaroles, acidic mud bubbling, and colors from both mineral deposits and bacterial mats. Dustin gave us a lesson on Thermus aquaticus, one of the many bacteria making up the colorful mats where the warm waters from thermal features flow over the land.

Hitting the road again in the snowcoach, our driver John had to deal with bison in the roadway. He handled it like a professional, patiently waiting for the herd to decide to move out of the way. This was just out first encounter with road-bison today!

We stopped to see Firehole Falls, where the Firehole River splits the difference between two ancient lava flows, tumbling down exposed rhyolites. While exploring the stop and enjoying the view, we found a nice snowbank that made for a perfect slide.

Further down the Firehole Canyon we came upon a rare sight: a bobcat was feeding on a mule deer carcass on the other side of the river! The bobcat had been feeding on this carcass for days. No one knew how the deer died, but word had spread, and there were many snowcoaches pausing here to take photos. And the bobcat could not have cared less.

bobcat

Next, we had a brief stop at Gibbon Falls, enjoying once again the power of flowing water to reshape the land. From there we drove home, but on the way we had an opportunity to experience stillness and silence. Stopping in the middle of Swan Lake Flats, we all stepped out of the snowcoach, John turned off the lights and engine, and we enjoyed a few minutes just absorbing the night-time scene.

Yellowstone in Winter

“Sunrise, Sunset in the Geyser Basins”

January 20, 2020 - 3 Comments

Old Faithful erupts in the morning light

Our morning began with a breath-taking hike through the Upper Geyser Basin, home to the renowned Old Faithful. As the sunrise gilded the skies, our anticipation began to build, much like the pressure under the thermal features located within the park. Although the Upper Geyser Basin is a meager two square miles in area, it is home to the largest concentration of geysers in the world!

Gathering on the boardwalk, we waited for Old Faithful to mesmerize us. As plumes of steam bloomed and drifted in the light breeze, we began to feel and hear a deep rumbling beneath our boots. Patiently waiting allowed us to reflect on the nature of time and the order of wilderness. Old Faithful did not disappoint, as we watched the geyser perform a spectacular show.

Sparkling rime ice coats everything the steam touches and makes the entire landscape magical.

As we made our way in the snow coach to Grand Prismatic hot spring, a collared matriarch bison (#03) and her family group blocked the road. While we watched, four bison crossed the road and jumped a four foot fence! Initially, the tall fence separated a yearling bison that seemed hesitant and unwilling or unable to jump it. It ran frantically back and forth along the fence several times trying to get to the rest of its family before finally making a giant leap and clearing the fence. Unbeknownst to the young bison we cheered and applauded for it from within our snow coach.

Black Sand Pool provide another memorable experience. We were encouraged to “nap” on the obsidian sand beside the geothermal feature. As we laid down we began to feel mysterious thumps beneath us- not unlike what we imagine the footsteps of the giant from Jack in the Beanstalk to sound like. After several rumblings, we heard bubbles erupt from the surface of the pool. Living up to it’s nickname, Thumper, the Black Sand Pool provided us the opportunity to see, hear, and feel the power of the forces beneath us.

The group lays on the ground around Black Sand Pool

Thumper, also known as Black Sand Pool, reveals its hidden power beneath the surface.

When we arrived at the Lower Geyser Basin, we ran quickly to view the spectacular and very large Fountain Geyser. Its surface waters were churning and spewing forth showers of mineral-rich water. The tall and joyous eruption of Fountain seemed to encourage the neighboring Jet Geyser to begin to bubble, boil, and spray at the same time! Our eyes were not wide enough to see the magnificence that was occurring before us. Moving along the boardwalk we admired Red Spouter, the Leather Pool, Fountain Paint Pots, and the Celestine Pool. As the sun began to set in the distance, we bubbled with our own enthusiasm as we relayed how awesome these experiences had been.

Fountain geyser sends showers of water down on us.

The group watches Fountain geyser erupt.

Seeing Fountain geyser erupt was such an awe-inspiring surprise.