Geyser Grill, Black Sand and Biscuits

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Geyser Grill signLunch at The Geyser Grill

The Geyser Grill at Old Faithful  is a fast food restaurant. It’s pretty typical of the restaurants at attractions or Theme Parks. You stand in a line, order from a menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries or maybe a salad and get a souvenir mug for your soft drink. I didn’t know where or when I’d find another restaurant so I stood in line for almost an hour. It was just my luck that 3 tour buses pulled in right before I got to the grill! Still, once I placed my order it was up in minutes and it was fresh. With that many customers there wasn’t time for anything to sit under a heat lamp! Somehow I managed to find a table but I didn’t linger. Based on the cautions I received from the concierge at the resort I wanted to be on my way back before dark.

Ordering a meal at Geyser Grill

Black Sand basinBlack Sand Basin

With a full tank of gas and a full tummy I left Old Faithful to see what was ahead on the Loop Road.  About 1/2 mile from Old Faithful I saw a sign for Black Sand Basin.  I hadn’t seen anything about that in my guidebooks so I made a quick stop out of curiosity. I remember the black sand beaches in Hawaii so I wasn’t sure what to expect here. It certainly wasn’t a beach!

 

Spouter geyser

Colorful ruin offA geyser right next to the road was sputtering and bubbling. This is SPOUTER GEYSER and erupts almost continuously. No big plumes like Old Faithful but its constantly dancing and gurgling away. There are a variety of colorful hot pools and a board walk. I looked around but due to the time decided to skip the walk for now.

Steam covers teh boardwalk

 Biscuit Basin

Biscuit Basin Sign

BoardwalkUp next is Biscuit Basin. Named for the biscuit shaped formations around the edges of some of the thermal features. After an earthquake in 1959 most of the “biscuits ” were destroyed. My GaperGuide said they were starting to reform but I didn’t see any. There’s plenty of parking and a heavy wooden walkway so you can get up close  and personal with the thermal features. There’s plenty of mini geyser action here and clouds of steam.

 

 

Biscuit Basin Run Off

Natures Hot Tub

Put Old Faithful on Your Bucket List

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Old Faithful is a Bucket List Must

Anyone’s Bucket List should have a geyser or two. There’s nothing quite like watching all that heat and steam burst into the air. But why Old Faithful? It’s not the biggest geyser in Yellowstone nor the most spectacular but it’s still impressive at heights of 100- 140 ft. It’s also pretty predictable. The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn’t like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes. A lot depends on the force of the previous eruption. Finally, it’s easy to get to. No climbing up steep hills or clamoring over rocky trails. Enjoy a bit of time in a cozy museum or gift shop and sit on a nice bench to wait for the eruption. But the main reason to put Old Faithful on your bucket list is that its THE MOST FAMOUS  GEYSER IN THE WORLD!

Old Faithful Erupts

 

Getting Bigger90 Minute Countdown

Once I found a parking spot I headed into the Visitor Center. The expected next eruption was 90 minutes. Plenty of time to look around. I have to say that all of the Visitor Centers that I’ve seen this trip have been beautiful. They are large, spacious modern buildings with exhibits, gift shops and clean restrooms. (Always important). It was too early for lunch so eventually I found a seat to wait for the big moment. Since it was about noon the sun was almost overhead but I wanted the wind at my back. I didn’t want geyser spray soaking my camera or me. It can be caustic enough to ruin a lens.

It was a good one!Beautiful Blue Sky and steam

Old Faithful never really stops steaming so even when I first arrived it was puffing away. Old Faithful warming upI enjoyed watching it sputter and start then subside again. Once it began to approach the 90 minute mark you could see the change. The steam was heavier and water sputtered out. Finally it let loose. The plume climbed in stages higher and higher. I don’t know how long it went on but certainly longer than I expected. Eruptions can last 1.5 minutes to 5 minutes. If I had to guess I’d say this one was closer to the 5 minute mark. As the plume faded back down I joined the rest of the crowd as we made our way back to the Visitor Center.

Calming Down

Kepler Cascades and Old Faithful

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Kepler CascadesLet’s Start with Kepler Cascades

 Kepler Cascades is a waterfall on the Firehole River in southwestern Yellowstone National Park . The cascades are located approximately 2.5 miles south of Old Faithful. The cascades drop approximately 150 feet over multiple drops. The longest drop is 50 feet. The cascades were named by the park superintendent in 1881 for the 12-year-old son of Wyoming’s territorial governor John Wesley Hoyt. Hoyt and his son, Kepler, were visiting Yellowstone in 1881 when  Superintendent Norris named the cascades after the younger Hoyt.

The Firehole River flows over a series of small ledges before making it’s 50 ft drop. There’s a paved parking area and a well Observation Platform at Kepler Cascadesmaintained wooden observation platform. Its a great place for viewing the falls and taking pictures. I was there in the off season so there was plenty of room. No telling what it’s like in the summer season.

Falls at Kepler Cascades

Upper Geyser Basin

Upper geyser Basin

Leaving the Kepler Cascades behind steam starts to become visible in the distance. I’m about 2.5 miles away from the upper geyser basin, home to Old Faithful Geyser. When you reach the Upper Geyser basin there’s a lot more than just Old Faithful.  The Upper Geyser Basin, approximately two square miles in area, contains the largest concentration and nearly one-quarter of all of the geysers in the world! You enter a world of steam and clouds. While I was topping off the gas tank I spotted a lone Bison wandering toward the steaming plateau. Tourists closely followed behind the bison with camera’s clicking.  I was surprised the rangers didn’t round them up and shoo them away from the animal.

Bison

I could see Old Faithful in the distance building up a head of steam. If I didn’t make it to the viewing area in the next few minutes I’d have a 90 minute wait for the next eruption.  

Old Faithful warming up

Sure enough, in just the few minutes it took me to go up the road to the Old Faithful Parking Lot, the geyser went off!

Visitor Center

The Continental Divide

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Craig's Pass Continental DivideCrossing the Continental Divide

Do you remember what the Continental Divide is from High School geography? On one side of the divide, water flows to the Gulf of Mexico. On the other it flows to the Pacific Ocean. When I saw the Continual Divide sign I thought of an old John Belushi movie by the same name. Ha, that’s not even relevant! Anyway because of the way the road and the mountains intertwine you actually cross the Continental Divide two or three times between the South Entrance and Old Faithful.

 

Each time there is a sign with the elevation. As you can see, there’s snow at these higher locations. This stop is between West Isa LakeThumb and Old Faithful called Craig’s Pass.  Lake Isa is  another spot on the Continental Divide. 

It’s marked by a sign because it drains on both sides of the divide. Although I passed it several times, it didn’t look like much from the road so I just tucked it in my mind as an interesting fact. 

Grant Village

Grant Village Visitor Center;
Ed Austin/Herb Jones;
1987

I should mention Grant Village. It was closed for everything except gas so I didn’t even slow down but it’s located on Yellowstone Lake. Named for President Ulysses S. Grant it is mainly lodging inside the park. Grant Village is made up of 6 two-story chalets, each containing 50 rooms. This complex is close to many of Yellowstone’s famous attractions. Old Faithful is just a little over 20 miles away, and Grant Village is also closer to Grand Teton National Park than any of Yellowstone’s other in-park lodges. It’s also just before the road splits. The left goes toward Old Faithful while the right goes to West Thumb. I was on my way to Old Faithful. After all, that’s a bucket list stop for sure!

Marker for Kepler CascadesKepler Cascades

As I left Craig’s pass (the dividing line of the Continental Divide) behind, I came upon a large turnoff for Kepler Cascades. This was definitely worth a stop but I wouldn’t know what a great stop until I explored a little. 

The South Entrance

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South Entrance Yellowstone

At the South Entrance  my Senior pass again allowed me entrance to the park. Moose Falls was just a short distance after the entrance. There’s a pull out so you can park and an easy trail to the top of the falls.  I grabbed the camera and wandered over to take a look. I had been told that the trail went to the bottom of the falls but I didn’t see it. Photos from the top would have to do for now. There was a nice water flow. I wonder what it’s like in the spring when you have the creek swollen with the snow melt.

Moose Falls near South Entrance

 

Crawfish CreekCrawfish Creek

The bridge over Crayfish Creek was visible from the top of the falls. Bridge over Crayfish Creek

Crawfish Creek must be affected by the geo thermal activity in the area because it’s temperature is unusually warm for a Wyoming mountain Stream. It’s these warm temperatures that make the waters a suitable habitat for the crawfish that give the Creek it’s name. The creek begins in the southern portion of the Yellowstone Volcanic area and feeds into the Lewis River.

The Lewis River and Canyon

Leaving Moose Falls I entered a portion of the park where the road was lined by tall straight pine. These are called lodge pole pines and are very common in this section of the park. My Gaperguide was explaining about the role the lodge pole pines play in the natural spread of fire and new growth throughout the park. Interesting but not really scenic. I was apparently driving along the Lewis River named for Meriweather Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame.  Gaperguide told me to watch for beavers and lodges but the tree growth was too dense to spot anything. Finally as I rounded a curve the vista opened up and I got my first look at Lewis Canyon.

Lewis Canyon Yellowstone