Summer Vacation - Part 5 of 6
Looking across the Excelsior Geyser Crater through the mist.
The morning of Day 7 was shrouded in fog and mist. From our room at the Old Faithful Inn, we could make out the edge of the geyser basin, but Old Faithful itself was hidden. The Midway Geyser Basin was the main objective for our last morning of riding in Hollywood with the guides. When we arrived at the parking area, the geothermal features were completely obscured, their steam adding to the dense, low hanging clouds of mist. Cindy and Jay led us out on the wet and slick boardwalks, but the anticipated visuals were unavailable to us. The second half of the morning was also a bust, a planned hike out to the Prismatic Spring Overlook. Jay indicated the view wouldn’t be any better, so Plan B was put into action.
The multicolor bacteria mat was all that was visible of usually dramatic Prismatic Spring.
We continue up the west side of the south loop to a waterfall and canyon we hadn’t seen, and maybe a glimpse of the elusive animal everybody had wanted to see all week- a bear. We found the Gibbon Falls just as the clouds unmasked the terrain, but still no bears. Cindy and Jay seemed resigned to the fact that the last outing wasn’t going to live up to their standards, but like the pros they are, we got full descriptions and discussion of the little things we saw on the way back to Old Faithful Inn.
The fog lifting to reveal the Gibbon Falls.
Back at the Inn, the tour was finished. We said our good byes and bid farewell to Hollywood. The vehicle was headed back to the barn for cleaning and maintenance. Cindy and Jay answered last minute questions and pointed us towards features that might be worth an afternoon of self-directed exploration. It was a good time, and we’d definitely do it again, but now we were back out on our own.
Hollywood, Jay and Cindy posing for a parting photo at the Old Faithful Inn.
The Captain and I headed for the Lodge cafeteria and watched Old Faithful spout while we enjoyed lunch. With water bottles topped up, we then wandered up to Solitaire Geyser, located on a distant overlook above the Upper Geyser Basin. The tourist crowds thinned to a smattering of people as soon as we began climbing the hillside. The geyser was cute, throwing off a gush of gas bubbles every few minutes, but the distance from the crowds around Old Faithful was the best part. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering down the length of the Upper Geyser Basin, catching the steam show when ever we could. We were fortunate enough to catch Riverside and Grotto show off their best stuff before making our way back up to the Inn to get cleaned up for dinner.
The view from the observation point above the Upper Geyser Basin.
Solitary Geyser overlooking the Upper Geyser Basin.
Solitary Geyser giving us a show.
There are so many critters to see in Yellowstone.
Grotto Geyser sitting quietly.
Grotto and Grotto Fountain began blowing as we rested in the shade of a tree waiting for the predicted time for Riverside to jet.
Riverside finally got into the action with a vigorous discharge.