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Observations for 2020 May 24


No new snow overnight, and since it didn't clear, the temperature stayed just below freezing. So the snow on the walkway out to Grand was mushy and sloppy from all the footsteps from yesterday, most of them being ours.

For the first time it appeared that the water level in Belgian was at the rim, instead of being just below it (or even lower). West Triplet was in intermittent overflow. No delays, but we did end up waiting an hour for a double interval of just under 12-1/2 hours, which isn't at all bad.

The eruption of Grand ended at 8m36s, and didn't even try for a second burst, so that made for the eighth consecutive One Burst Grand of the trip. As we left, West Triplet started to actually burst, but weakly. Then as we passed Bulger, Churn started. I managed to get the rest of the eruption on video. It was a nice solid, typical Churn that resulted in the pool dropping about 5cm or so. It took about fifteen minutes to get back to overflow, and we finally left after twentyfive when the occasion boils didn't result in anything looking like an eruption.

Since was early and nice, for once, decided to visit the Lower Geyser Basin. The Firehole Lake Drive was two grooves of pavement in the snow much of the way. Great Fountain wasn't anywhere near overflow, and Fountain didn't look interested either.

At Fountain Paint Pots there were two sets of footprints leading out and back. A Fumarole was completely drown by a large pool, and just bubbling, and not vigorously. Red Spouter was impressively throwing brown soupy mud all over the place. The Paint Pots themselves were so wet that there were bluish pools over some of the area where the mudpots would normally be active.

There were people at the next eruption of Grand, along with some of the Naturalist staff.The wait started out nice, then the snow showers began. They ended well before another One Burst Eruption.

Afterwards another walk around Geyser Hill showed that Beehive was a bit noiser than yesterday, and that there was some slopping, but it just didn't look interested in erupting. Infant Pool being well above the rim was about the only other interesting thing noticed.