Join the fray
She’s a crowd pleaser, that old geyser we call Faithful. She rings the bell every 90 minutes, so to speak, and it was our turn to see her in action.
We had a leisurely breakfast at the cabin. This was Sunday and we purposely planned to very little. No crazy marathon sessions driving around the park and no animals to track down. We were saving that for Monday.
So, with a picnic basket packed, we piled into the car and headed for the tourist mecca of shooting water.
We remembered to catch a glimpse of our favorite eagle’s nest along the way. No dice. The twig bedding was still empty of feathered friends.
Heading south in the park, we were aware of many vehicles … and that meant animal gawkers ahead.
Animal jam in Yellowstone: An elk has slowed traffic to a crawl.
This phenomena rangers call “Animal Jams” are legendary at Yellowstone. Marla warned me, “If you see cars parked along the roadside, prepare to stop. There will be animals.”
And so it was. We discovered, quickly, that people will stop for anything that claims a fur coat. Our first sighting was a female elk, called a cow. She ate peacefully at the side of the road, with another animal not far behind her.
The people swarmed. Cameras clicked. The animals chewed their cud and flicked ears at us.
No big deal, I heard one say. More strange creatures in the neighborhood again.
Ranger Amy O’Neill would later tell me that the animals in Yellowstone will follow the path of least resistance, like we do. Roads cleared by man for man work just fine for four-legged creatures, too.
And so goes the common attraction of man and beast over pavement. I see you!
I see you, too!!
Warning, warning: hot water ahead!
One of several constantly spewing geysers in action at the Lower Basin.
Our drive to Old Faithful was mellow. More steam bellowed out of hot geyser basins. We saw a heavy plume atop a flat hill and decided to go in for a peek.
This was THE basin. The basin where man and beast took the plunge and didn’t live to tell about it. Instead, everyone else did.
As we ventured across a raised boardwalk, I could hear parents everywhere admonishing their kids with the scary tale of David Kirby, 24, who tried to rescue his dog from Celestine Pool in the Lower Geyser Basin.
“… this guy went in after his dog … “
“… they didn’t make it … “
“… I heard a kid did a cannonball into a hot spring … and died …”
And so the stories went. I confirmed the dude and his dog story. I have yet to find confirmation of the boy and his legendary cannonball of death.
The geyser basin spat and slung hot water and steam into the sky. I walked alone, going the opposite direction from the crowd. I could see buffalo dung around several of the pools. I later would hear how a buffalo fell through the thin mantle of dirt around a hot pool. They temporarily closed the site because it stunk of beef stew … for weeks.
This was a place of many tourists. I chafed a bit at the crowd but played along. It was a brief stop and the pictures were worthy.
Yee, of much faith
More crowds would greet us at Old Faithful’s stomping grounds. We got caught in the general traffic, but soon made our way to the ranger station where the kids could pick up their Junior Ranger Science kit. We were determined to investigate the old geyser.
A sign at the ranger station estimated when the next eruption would take place. We had about 45 minutes to go, so I went inside to reserve a spot on a ranger-guided hike on Tuesday.
Since it was approaching lunchtime, we found seats on the benches in front of Old Faithful. We were quickly joined by tourists of many nationalities. The babble of foreign languages and a lot of English, too, filled the air. The mood of expectancy was high. Taking it all in, I munched happily on a sandwich and snacked on carrots and blueberries with Marla and the kids.
A ranger in the distance explained the history of Yellowstone’s volcanic basin. Marla and the kids wandered over to listen and I kept watch on the geyser. Dormant, in between eruptions, the old gal is quite pleasant. I can see why people think the springs might be worth a dip. All that lovely steam and bubbly water. On a cold day, it might be tempting.
To boil potatoes!
We didn’t wait long and before we knew it, Old Faithful blew her top and quickly retreated underground. The whole thing lasted about a minute.
I wondered if Old Faithful should be referred to as “he.”
Hmmm ….
Old Faithful: on your mark, get set, ready, FIRE IN THE HOLE!!
We weren’t quite ready to leave the Old Faithful grounds, so we wandered over to the original lodge where tourists streamed in and out of the large front doors.
It was vacation, after all, so we decided it was high time we had some ice cream and took in the scene at this grand old hotel.
Marla told me that many of rooms here were rustic and simple with shared bathrooms on the hall. You have to reserve a spot months ahead of time. Its proximity to Old Faithful and many park shops make it attractive to a lot of visitors (but not so much for me).
The lobby was impressive, with hand-hewn logs notched from floor to ceiling, some 100 feet above our heads. A tower rose above it all, but I didn’t dare attempt the hike up. My overactive imagination showed me Sandy, playing jungle gym on all that wood, then falling to the floor, right in front of visitors checking in.
Um, no thanks.
After a leisure stroll back to the car, we headed back to our cozy cabin. We saw more critters on the way home and stopped to snap the sunset along the river.
It doesn’t get much better than this.
I borrow Sandy for a picturesque snapshot in the waning sun.
