Posts Tagged ‘Grand Geyser’
Everyone has their own list of favorite geysers, and I definitely have mine. But if you’re on your first visit to Yellowstone, here’s what I tell people who ask me for advice on which geysers they should try to see erupt.
First of all, know where to find information on the geysers. First is the Visitor’s Center – look on the screens behind the information desk for the latest predictions. You can also access Geyser Times .org from your phone – there you will find eruption times for many geysers as well as how long since the last known eruptions of a few popular geysers.
An Evening Eruption of Old Faithful Geyser
1. Old Faithful Geyser
If you’ve not seen it before, this is on your list. But know that it erupts about every hour and a half – which means you have 8 or 9 chances a day to catch it during daylight hours. The best indicator for Old Faithful is simply the number of people waiting on the benches. You can wait there or take a walk over to Geyser Hill (reached by walking toward the river from the benches surrounding Old Faithful – keep going until you come to the bridge – go across and up the hill and you’re there).
Beehive Geyser with Double Rainbow in the Fall
2. Beehive Geyser
Beehive Geyser is one of the major geysers on Geyser Hill. Right now it’s erupting about every 12-15 hours or so – give or take an hour. That means it usually erupts once during the daylight. If you can find out when it last erupted then you’ll be able to give yourself a forecast window of about 4 or 5 hours starting 11 hours after the last eruption – unless it decides to take longer than average – which it does often enough to keep it off the predictable geysers list at the. Usually (but not always), Beehive’s Indicator – a small vent near Beehive’s cone – will erupt first for anywhere from a few minutes to 20 minutes before Beehive itself erupts. Occasionally the Indicator erupts somewhere mid-cycle, so if it quits without an eruption of Beehive, then it’s likely a mid-cycle eruption. If you see people gathering, go gather with them. It’s worth it. And, you can also still watch Old Faithful from this area of Geyser Hill.
Vent Geyser, Turban Geyser & Grand Geyser
3. Grand Geyser
Right now it seems Grand usually erupts twice during the daylight hours. This one is a bit farther down the geyser basin from Old Faithful Village, but it’s the tallest predicted geyser in the world and most people find it more impressive than Old Faithful. However, it takes more patience to wait for an eruption here. The forecasted 4 hour window (the prediction is in the middle of that window) is listed at the Visitor’s Center. The time is also usually posted in the summer on the sign for Grand Geyser which sits about in the middle of the benches surrounding it. If you have to choose between Old Faithful and Grand – choose Grand. It really is worth the wait.
A First Burst of Plume Geyser
4. Plume Geyser
It has been erupting fairly regularly lately – erupting more often than Old Faithful at about every hour (give or take some minutes). It’s also on Geyser Hill, not far from Beehive. There’s really no warning with this one – there’s just suddenly the sound of water rushing to the surface when the eruption starts which catches many off guard for this delightful surprise. It will pause – then have a second, third, fourth, and perhaps fifth burst or more. The first burst is the most powerful. Each following burst is less in height. Plume is not predicted, but the last known eruption can be found on Geyser Times .org.
Castle Geyser in Eruption
5. Castle Geyser
This is another predicted geyser, but it’s a bit trickier for them to come up with a forecasted window for it. You see, it has major and minor eruptions. If it only had major eruptions, the rangers would have an easier time as it’s fairly reliable to figure out the next window of opportunity. But when it has a minor eruption – a short eruption that doesn’t end with a lot of steam (a steam phase) – it throws things off and makes it impossible to know when it will decide to do something next. At that point all that can be done is to wait for the next major eruption – one that lasts more than 10-15 minutes and has a long steam phase (of an hour or more). Again, check at the Visitor’s Center or Geyser Times .org for the latest information.
If Castle Geyser seems unlikely, you also might try an alternate:
Daisy Geyser in Eruption
5b. Daisy Geyser
Daisy has been fairly reliable over the past few years – about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours or so between eruptions. This is another one of the predicted geysers you can find at the Visitors Center or Geyser Times .org. Daisy is a bit further down the paved trail (which is the old road) past Castle Geyser. It’s a favorite of many people – especially the finish which sounds exactly like a steam locomotive chugging away.
It is possible to see all of these and more in a morning or afternoon if your luck is with you. But for your best chance, plan a full day for the upper geyser basin. There’s so much to see beyond just these geysers. But if your time is limited, at least see Old Faithful and take a walk around Geyser Hill before heading on your way.
More favorite picks to come.
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A second burst from Grand
From reports, it seems yesterday Grand Geyser had a rather unusual eruption that lasted longer than normal and included six bursts.
Grand Geyser erupts regularly enough to allow a prediction that sits in the center of a four hour forecasted window of opportunity. That means it’s likely to erupt within those four hours, or maybe a little bit outside of it. The prediction is in the center of the window – which you can find at the Visitor Education Center. The arch of benches on the boardwalk surrounding the area let you know that yes, it is worth the wait. It’s very much worth the wait. Many of us would agree that a Grand eruption surpasses that of Old Faithful.
To the left of Grand Geyser’s crater, are two other geysers, Turban and Vent. Turban erupts about every twenty minutes and Grand often (but not always – they are geysers, afterall) will erupt at the beginning of a Turban eruption. What people look for is a full pool, increased steam and ideally a few waves from Grand (really hard to learn how to see) when Turban is about ready to erupt or has just started. The easiest thing to watch for is an increase in the steam in the pool of water to the right of Turban.
Eventually, you’ll see the water splash up from the center of Grand’s pool:
The beginning of a Grand Eruption
Vent, Turban and Grand Geyser in Eruption
Then it shoots up and continues for about 8 minutes. Vent and Turban usually erupt in unison with Grand, though are often shrouded in steam. At that point, if it doesn’t calm down to where you think the eruption is over, then it may just continue like this for a few more minutes.
But if it does calm down and the pool remains full, wait. Really. Because that’s when the second burst, which often at least seems taller than what you witnessed before rockets to full height almost immediately. And if it calms down again – and the pool remains full – wait. You might get a third burst.
Yesterday, it seems they got SIX bursts. While rare now, before the big 1959 earthquake, multiple bursts was the norm – though each burst didn’t continue for many minutes as they do now. In 1892 F.K. Warren reported in his book, California Illustrated: Including a Trip Through Yellowstone Park, “the grand whose intermittent play, twelve times repeated, was indeed Grand…”
In Reau Campbell’s 1909 Guide Book, it listed Grand as “Plays every eighteen to twenty days, 250 feet, but only 20 minutes to a half hour.” That description makes me chuckle – only 20-30 minutes of this amazing display. And if it only played every 18 to 20 days, you’d need to hang around for a month to see it.
Right now it plays 1 to 2 times during daylight hours each day. It still reaches great heights, and it the tallest predicted (forecasted) geyser – and it is Grand. If you have a choice to wait for Old Faithful (which erupts 9 or 10 times during daylight hours) or Grand, wait for Grand. You won’t be disappointed.
And how do you know it’s over? The crater empties and Vent and Turban often continue on.
Vent and Turban Geysers continuing after Grand's Eruption
To reach Grand Geyser, walk down the old road (the paved path) until you get to Castle Geyser (you can’t miss it). Turn right and take the boardwalk over the bridge and up the hill. Turn Left at Sawmill geyser and a little ways beyond, you’ll see the benches. The time for the next forecasted window is on a sign about in the middle of the benches.
Janet
http://youtu.be/5AEIEBWUFYE