Geysers and Canyons

May 21, 2019 Tuesday Day 3

Norris Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone version

This day, as the prior day, offered an array of geographic features that continue to amaze. However, there were some obstacles before getting there.

We ate breakfast in the condo. Piazza from the prior night (warned in the microwave it tasted just as good as the prior evening), tomatoes and oranges. We have a lot of stuff, so packing and loading the car was an extended operation.

There was snow on the car and it was cold as we left. We were able to leave 5 minutes earlier that we did the prior day. There was a very small line to get into the park, but the Ranger confirmed what I had seen on a sign that the park road from Tower Falls to Canyon was closed. Due to snow in the Dunraven Pass this road typically does not open until late May, this year not until May 24, so we missed the opening by a few days. I rerouted and took the west road intending then to take the road east from Norris to Canyon. We stopped at a roaring waterfall that is part of the Gardiner River that was surrounded by snow covered trees.

We also stopped at an overlook at Swan Lake. Not only were there swans, but in the horizon, there were four 10,000 ft peaks in the Gallatin Range and buffalo on the other side of the lake.

On the drive I fell in behind a very slow van from Alberta. He eventually pulled over and we were making good time. I was not too concerned about the signs warning of rough road ahead, because I had driven this road on the way into the park and the road had not slowed us down significantly. However, that was Sunday night. Today there were work crews and we ended up in a very long line that resulted in a one-hour delay. We again saw several Buffalo, a few elk and many deer during the drive.

We arrived at the Norris Geyser Basin about 11:30. We were lucky and quickly parked in the crowded lot, but there were signs informing us that the only bathrooms (“comfort stations”) were in the parking lot, and there was a long line for the two of them. That wait took about 15 minutes. Sometimes I wonder if the National Parks are becoming too popular, particularly Yellowstone, Yosemite and Smoky Mountain. In the summer months I imagine that the roads in these parks are jammed and parking is scarce. I also noticed, as I have observed in the past, that at least half the visitors to the parks appear to be foreigners. In the 90s there were lots of Europeans. Now there appear to be large numbers of Chinese nationals, often in groups. I noticed many tour buses with Chinese signage. They probably have worked hard and now appear to be enjoying some relaxation.

The Norris Basin is the park’s hottest, most dynamic geyser basin. It sits on top of a pool of hot magma and much of it appears to be a wasteland. It has four of the most common hydrothermal features. Hot springs appear to be the most common hydrothermal feature in the park. They varied from frothing, boiling, bubbling water of varying color to clear and calm pools which in some cases appear to have tremendous depth. They are created when surface water seeps underground and is heated by the magma. The water superheats, in some cases to 200 F, it rises to the surface and bubbles and boils. Since there are no geographic constrictions, there are no geysers in these features.

Geysers are essentially hot springs with narrow spaces in their underground “plumbing”. These constraints prevent the heated water from easily rising to the surface. When the pressure underground from the heat builds up the water explodes to the surface and is propelled into the air, sometimes as high as 300  ft. Most geysers erupt intermittently under no predictable schedule. A few, such as Old Faithful, which is in another basin, can be predicted.

Mud pots are acidic hot springs with a limited water supply. Acid from volcanic gases and micro-organisms eats the rocks and creates clay which form a mud pot that bubbles and burps. Fumaroles are basically steam vents. Not enough water to form a geyser, so they just vent steam, often looking like a puffing steam engine.

Throughout the basin there are bubbling and flowing waters. The ground is largely barren of typical plant life and it is imperative to stay on the boardwalks to avoid being burned by hot or acidic water. The boardwalks do not have guardrails. I wonder, if during the summer months when they are crowded if people fall off into the hot sand or water.

Throughout the basin it was interesting to see the rainbow of bright colors of the micro-organisms that can live in this environment of high temperatures and high acidity. The varying colors in the water and rocks are like a thermometer showing the varying temperatures that they can live at.

We began our tour through the Norris Geyser in the Back Basin. Lots of steam rising from pools. We quickly came upon the world’s tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser. The eruptions are very infrequent and unscheduled. We saw lots of steam shooting and hissing out.  Cistern Spring is linked to Steamboat and has a beautiful blue color. Echinus Geyser is a large acidic geyser that is as acidic as vinegar. The Porcelain Basin is a very barren and stark setting. It has pink, red, orange and yellow coloring in spots from mineral oxides that are deposited by the geysers and hot springs. Black Growler geyser is very black and very hot, 280 degrees, Ledge Geyser was spouting and hissing all over.

We were encouraged to visit the Norris Geyser Basin Museum which is housed in a log and stone building at the entrance to the basins. But it was “closed for the season.” What season?

After leaving the basin we headed east to the Canyon region in the center of the park. Yesterday we saw a large canyon, but we were now seeking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was about a 14-mile drive to the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and its Upper and Lower Falls. We first observed the 308 ft Lower Falls (the larger one) and the churning river from several observation decks on the rim.  We then headed for the 3/8 of a mile trail that descended 600 ft to the top of the Lower Falls. I was a bit surprised at the entrance to the trail to find that the only remaining guide books were printed in Chinese.

It was a steep, but easy descent. Across the river we could see hikers on the South Rim on Uncle Tom’s Trail. It was built by Tom as a money-making proposition, charging 50 cents to traverse it. However, as we descended the trail, we increasingly saw weary and, in some cases, almost dejected visitors trudging slowly, and in some cases seemingly agonizingly back up the trail. Many others were seated on the plentiful benches along the trail, gasping for breath. All however said that the experience was worth the effort. It was.

The trek back up was tiring. There are 10 switchbacks and we took a breather after 9. It began to snow on the way back up, lightly at first, but as occurred yesterday, the snowflakes became increasingly large so that we broke out the raincoats and umbrellas. It was wet and getting late, (we still had a 45-mile drive to our Lodge in the Upper Basin) so we skipped some of the more trumpeted observation points and drove out. As we drove near Canyon Village, I noticed an electric charging station.  We stopped and began charging but learned that the nearest restaurant was a mile away. Not wanting to walk that distance in a snowstorm, we disconnected and headed for the Lodge. The snow stopped as we descended and after a few missed turns we made it to the Lodge. The complex of buildings around Old Faithful are laid out in an orderly fashion, but the circular, one-way roadways initially presented a puzzle.

We checked in at the Front desk and immediately sought a place to eat. The cafeteria looked uninviting, so we drove over to the Snow Lodge. We put our name on a waiting list and armed with a vibrating call back we headed for our cabin. The cabin is what might be cheerfully called rustic, or cozy. It has a bathroom, not all the cabins do, but no internet. In some respects, it will be nice to be off the grid for a few days, no obsessive reading of the news. But it has a great location, walking distance to Old Faithful, so it commands a premium price.

After unpacking I drove my spouse back to the restaurant while I drove off to locate the electric charging station to which the desk clerk had given me directions. (He seemed startled when I had asked him if one existed. I assume that it is rarely requested. I have not seen another electric car in the park. For understandable reasons, virtually all the private vehicles in the park seem to be vans, SUVs or trucks.) I located the charging station next to the common bathroom. One can charge up while taking a shower. I walked back to the restaurant which took less time than driving there.

The meal at the restaurant was very good, but pricy. That has been my experience at most of the sit-down restaurants in the National Parks. Internet was promised in that building, and although it existed, it was too weak to be of any use. Went to bed early.