Tuesday, 23 September

This morning’s temperature was 23 degrees, a little surprise since the day was supposed to be ten degrees warmer than yesterday. Altitude is over 7,300 feet though. The morning was foggy giving us an excuse to relax in the room before venturing out for the day, By nine, the fog had lightened so Dolora and I ventured out.

The National Park Service app has a self guided tour Upper Geyser Basin. First stop was Old Faithful which was predicted to erupt in a few minutes. After watching Old Faithful for the second time, we started up the trail. We passed countless geysers. Some erupted continuously, Others only once every few years. There were many hot springs and pools that displayed colors based on their temperature and microbes. I find the mud pots especially relaxing. I am not sure why but watching the mud boil is like watching water but in slow motion.

Dolora and I stopped for lunch across from Riverside Geyser but it was not predicted to erupt until three. But the predictions showed Daisy Geyser soon, which was nearby. We enjoyed the show and it was turning into a beautiful afternoon. On the way back we spotted a bison nearby. We had seen the bison on the way out but now it was much closer.

During our stop at the Old Faithful Inn yesterday we noticed that tours were offered. Dolora and I headed over for the two o’clock tour. As the tour started our guide rushed us outside because her coworker noted that Beehive Geyser was about to erupt. Since Beehive erupts on about a 17 hour schedule that was a special treat. We watched it from a distance. As we were watching Beehive, Old Faithful erupted (third time we watched if you are counting). The Inn is an incredible example of rustic architecture from 1903. Much of the building is original with some modifications and additions. The original construction included electric lights and indoor plumbing. However, the bathrooms and showers were common areas and none of the rooms had plumbing. Today, some 90 of the original rooms do not have bathrooms. A few have had a sink added. Even without private baths, these rooms are rented all season long. The inn nearly burned in the Yellowstone fires in 1988 luckily it survived.

Dolora and I picked up a hoagie and salad for dinner and ran them back to the room. Food options are still pretty poor. We have checked each of the three lodges and the general store… From there it was over to the visitor center where we checked out a short movie but guess what? As the movie ended I noticed that it was only five minutes to the next scheduled eruption of Old Faithful. This time we watched from a little distance. Our guide on the inn tour noted that about 3,500 people watch each eruption of Old Faithful. This is our last night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. We are off to Lake Lodge Cabins tomorrow. Maybe a little less crowded?

Tomorrow’s plan is to backtrack a few miles to Grand Prismatic Spring early before heading in the direction of Yellowstone Lake. We skipped the spring on Monday because traffic was backed up trying to get to the parking area. Seems like most folks do not go for an early start so we will see how it goes.