Sept 11 Old Faithful

Day 10 Sept 11. Canyon Village – Old Faithful

Up early to be first to the dining room and we still had to wait ¾ hour to get our meal. First stop the day was the Artists Paintpots. I really liked them. As the mud bubbled, you could make out all these faces in the surface.

Each visit entails a walk. Had to laugh at Joe (a 86 year old whom we met at the lodge) he says “I did a lot of walking – out of the car, back to the car, into the car”. We are all breathless. I started to worry because I thought I was having a heart attack until we spoke to other people and it is the altitude!!! We are up over 8000 feet and many are suffering the same.

Beautiful drive down the Gibbon River. Falls were spectacular.  Firehole

River and Canyon were also spectacular and every now and then as we drove you would see a vent where the gasses and steam vented from below the surface.

Near the Gibbon River, we saw cars stopped so of course we stopped, and they told us that there were wolves there so Marg and I hopped out of the car and just as we did a wolf raced across the road in front of us. Could not believe our eyes. So quick that I did not get a photo. We then sat in the car and watched the other two move through the grass towards the distant trees.

We started really early but each time you stop, there is something new to see. Enroute we called into Lower Geyser Basin – again different and spectacular before arriving at Old Yellow just as it blew. All the flags were at half mast. I asked why and then realized it was the anniversary of 7/11. Had some lunch then walked back to see if Old Faithful was true to his name. Had a front row seat and true enough off it went.  Then just after that vent Beehive went off and it was bigger than Old Faithful. On the road again – this time we stopped off at Biscuit Basin. It was magical – the colours were just like an artist’s canvas – The Sapphire Pool was the most beautiful blue and then there was a yellow pool as a contrast. The jewel geyser blew while we were there and it was spectacular. We then visited the  Midway Geyser Basin where the Grand Prismatic Hot Springs are located. There was a really good wooden walkway to follow (as there were in the other spots). It was really hard to see it as it was really belching steam and vapours – the sulphur smell is a bit hard to take.

Arrived back about 7.30 and had a 11/2 hour wait for dinner. The place is crowded.