Geyser Watch

On May 30, 2010, I visited West Thumb Geyser Basin with my collection of comparison photos taken over the last five years. I’ve tried notes and working on memory, but I’m a photographer, so photos work. This type of documentation could work for any place you visit repeatedly. Documenting changes over the years is a delight.

For the past few weeks I’ve sifted through photo files in my collection and pulled ones to print as photo references. I remember a few more, so there are some hiding in some folder somewhere. Getting them together simply got me itching to get into the Park and see what had changed over the winter at West Thumb Geyser Basin.

I drove through numerous snow showers and pulled in with another not far off. Bundling up and adding the final decoration of camera and lenses, I headed toward the building with the Yellowstone Association Store that sits at the edge of the parking lot (and has a toasty warm wood stove inside). One guy looking like he lost his way to the beach he intended to find (that left turn in Albuquerque, I guess) stood there in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops with a puzzled look on his face as he studied – not looked at or noticed, but s.t.u.d.i.e.d. the sign posted:

Cold Weather Warning Sign at West Thumb

As I passed by, bundled in four layers (turtleneck, fleece vest, sweatshirt and coat) and wearing boots (with wool socks, of course), he stared – unabashedly. Maybe he was just in shock from seeing snow when it was almost June. I didn’t see him on the boardwalks – at least not dressed as he was, so maybe it finally sunk in for him – spring in Yellowstone or in the mountains has a much different meaning than spring in other areas of the country. Showers = snow showers, or maybe sleet or freezing rain. It’s normal. Summer just sort of arrives one day…pretending to have been there all along and hoping nobody noticed her late arrival to the party. And, of course, due to the sudden and welcome warmth, we always forgive the tardiness. Summer’s not here yet, but I imagine she’s just delayed for another week (or two).

I pulled up the hood of my coat and tucked in my camera to get ready for the brief snow shower that hit when I reached Paint Pots. I smiled, though, as I saw things had indeed changed here. While the main pool remained milky white, a few mud cones were forming this year close to the center (overlook areas). The photos in my last post shows the changes – the one now orange boiled continuously – never shooting up water, but stayed at a steady, rolling boil.

Near it, though, a new feature seems to have broken out. Another boiling pool also appeared closer to the lower overlook. Both boil water up at least a few inches if not a full foot on occasion. Two boys with their parents excitedly noticed these and the colors. I had to agree with them, this was “so cool!”

Overview photo of Thumb Paint Pots Area

Part of the Thumb Paint Pots Area that Shows Dramatic Change From Fall 2009

Next was Surging Spring – The water level had risen enough to now overflow and the color had changed from a brilliant opaque green to a clear blue. Heavy boiling from the center did seem to increase intermittently. And that pool there to the left in the photo, near the boardwalk. Was THAT there last fall? None of the photos I have with me here show the answer to that conclusively.

Surging Spring

The water level in Collapsing Pool is back down again, but still clear and blue.

Collapsing Pool

A few steps down the boardwalk later, I had to hold my camera up above my head and aim it at the vent in Percolating Spring to verify we could still even see any water (the photo didn’t come out well, so I’m including the photo below that did). Still a bit there but a far cry from how it looked a few years ago. Change is the only constant here.

Percolating Spring

Approaching Blue Funnel I realized I’d finally have a different photo of it. The water is opaque this spring.

Blue Funnel Spring

Turning to look the other way, I noticed the pool across the boardwalk from Blue Funnel has started to slough off sections of the microbial mat that lined it for years. Related to the change in Blue Funnel? Possibly – or possibly not. Just something to continue to watch. Just because thermal features are neighbors doesn’t automatically mean they interact with each other, but then again they might.

The Hot Spring Across the Boardwalk From Blue Funnel Spring

Twin Geyser – Last fall the water level sat high enough to let the water from both vents join. Only the ‘left’ vent boiled. This spring, however, the water level is quite low in both vents – and both are now boiling quite vigorously. Does it indicate anything more might occur? Probably not. But I wouldn’t mind being wrong in saying that!

Twin Geyser

Abyss was next to show a change and bring a smile to my face – large areas where the microbes lining the sides have sloughed off. In 2005, my photos showed it an amazing deep teal blue color with a touch of satin elegance to it. Then it cooled off enough for microbes to thrive, turning it an amazing deep green. Only time will tell if Abyss is tired of wearing that shade of deep green.

Abyss Pool

There were other changes as well, but these were some of the most interesting ones to me. I hope you’ve enjoyed joining me on my stroll around West Thumb.

I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to post trip reports like this, but I know I have journaling and photos all prepped now for this scrapbook page as well as an entry in my ongoing photo nature journal record of Yellowstone. Grab a photo – one from a trip or from childhood or one you took today and jot down a few words about the story behind that click. Take others into that world. Give yourself the gift of heading back to visit a place in time when someone clicked the camera.