Got out as far as Castle where, at 05:00, I was able to see Vent in eruption. Turns out the eruption time got reported about then, and I was a half hour late.
A few hours later, Rift was reported in eruption. I saw it still in eruption when I went past at 09:00. What got me out and about was a report of a wolf feeding on a bison carcass. The carcass was located just upstream from the Oblong bridge on the west side, almost in the river. It was reported to be still fresh and bloody, and stripped down. One wolf was seen near it and it's leaving is the only reason anyone would know about it.
As usual, the NPS reacted by closing trails, then overreacting later by extending the closure to include Grand and the Sawmill Group.
At first, they put up barriers at Castle on the bike trail, at Grand just after the northernmost benches, at the "Daisy" trailhead and at Biscuit Basin trailhead toward Artemisia. (Note they never mentioned the fifth entrance to the basin…)
While that was going on, I saw eruptions of Tilt and Bulger's Hole from Castle. I was considering going back in when there came a radio call for the water in Beehive's Indicator. So I walked over that way in plenty of time to get well upwind of the eruption.
Coming back I saw that Rift was no longer erupting. Both Belgian Pool and Crystal Spring were way down. Belgian no longer filled the western lobe, while Crystal was several centimeters below the overflow rim. Slurp was noisy and steamy, while earlier in the week is was using being flooded out by Crystal.
The wait at Grand was wet as a couple of bands of showers passed through, but the rains stopped by the time we got to see the One Burst Grand eruption. Other than being over eleven minutes long, there wasn't much to distinguish it.
2024-May-29:13:30:23 T1Q 13:29:51 Turban -0m32s 13:30:23 B1 --- d=11m23s 13:33:22 Vent 2m59s 13:41:46 P1 11m23s 13:42:07 V&T Quit 11m44s ΣD=11m23s * * * * * 11:00:13 11:15:06 Int: 14m53s d=03m31s 11:36:00 Int: 20m54s d=03m34s 11:56:39 Int: 20m39s d=03m04s 12:15:54 Int: 19m15s d=03m30s 12:33:18 Int: 17m24s d=02m43s 12:52:44 Int: 19m26s d=03m09s 13:11:50 Int: 19m06s d=03m21s Turban: 18m01s
Later in the afternoon, the NPS moved the barrier from Grand to "Sawmill". I assumed that meant the junction and the loop was closed.
It was cool, cloudy and a bit windy, and I considered not going out for Grand. But then decided I should investigate what sort of view was available. Turns out the closure was at the junction of the loop by Rift, so it was possible to see Turban eruptions start, just not see Grand's pool or get accurate durations.
The Sawmill Group was in a Deep Drain, with water as low as I've seen it in various features like Belgian, Crystal and Oval. Bulger was almost constantly making noise with an occasional splash.
Waited for a few Turban eruptions, but was getting dark and rain was headed our way and decided to leave. (That location was also directly downwind from Grand.) Saw an eruption of Tilt, then decided that since it wasn't quite a windy there, might as well stick around for the next Turban start. So watched a 9-1/2 minute One Burst Grand eruption from there.
2024-May-29:21:16:49 T1C 21:16:33 Turban -0m16s 21:16:49 B1 --- d=09m36s 21:26:25 P1 9m36s Vent & Turban continue ΣD=09m36s * * * * * 20:03:50 20:21:41 Int: 17m51s d=03m17s 20:40:51 Int: 19m10s d=03m40s 20:58:24 Int: 17m33s Turban: 18m09s Seconds are approximate for durations and Grand.
On the walk back to the Lower Ham's parking lot, heard a frog to the left. It's been years since I've heard one. Back in the 1980s the swampy area to the right of the trail was quite noisy with frogs.
