Yellowstone’s Old Faithful
November 13th, 2020
Old Faithful has captivated audiences for decades. When we arrived to view it last month, several hundred people were sitting in its half-circle amphitheater (socially distanced, for the most part) awaiting its eruption, which happens reliably about 20 times per day — hence the name Old Faithful.
Lucky for us, our timing was fortuitous — we only waited about 10 minutes before it let loose its tall column of steam and water. Against the cloudy sky, it was quite a sight.
With phones and cameras in hand, everyone captured their shots from afar of this world-renowned geyser. You can’t get too close — steam reaches up to 350° F/176° C and each eruption shoots thousands of gallons of boiling water into the air. The water is heated by earth’s magma and volcanic rock below the surface, which creates pressure, which creates the high-powered release through the constricted opening at the earth’s surface.
Old Faithful was “discovered” by the Washburn Yellowstone Expedition of 1870 (but I will add that Native Americans of the region would have likely known of its existence long before then). The Washburn party’s findings are included in a diary, now posted online, which includes this photo:
Here’s a short video from our recent visit. You can also view Old Faithful on the park’s webcam, although snow is passing through Wyoming tonight and it looks pretty cold right now.
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Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks… that’s a wrap! What unforgettable wildlife, hot springs, geysers and natural beauty.
Sometime within the next two weeks, I’ll have pictorial posts of Bryce Canyon (a highlight of our recent road trip) and the Grand Canyon (additional photos from my hike to bottom and back up). Tomorrow and Sunday, we’ll explore two slot canyons of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Monday, should we take a break and fly the magic carpet somewhere exotic? Maybe Bali? Or Morocco?
Meet you at the slot canyon tomorrow. Eat light… it’s a tight squeeze!
Kelly
Post of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together. This series features travel photos from my archives, shared with you while staying close to home.
I have seen geysers in Iceland and New Zealand, but they only last for a split second, it is difficult to photograph the water jet before it turns into droplets. Here it lasts longer, but the video is needed to realize it.
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I had the same challenge with some of Yellowstone’s smaller geysers — too fast to capture. Old Faithful gave a pretty long show by comparison, although I remember it being longer when I saw it as a child. (But then again, everything seems different as a child.) I forgot to mention that a few decades ago, Old Faithful erupted for 46 hours, so there is sometimes variation in its length.
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46 hours, yes this is convenient for the photos, the child was not so much wrong on this point 🙂
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Such a beautiful sight, the spray of white mix of steam & water against the ominous looking dark clouds! I had read about the Yellowstone national park but never seen the Old Faithful in its full glory. The video really makes one appreciate the beauty of it in its full grandeur 🙂
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Thanks so much Nomadosauras! Happy to know the video was helpful, as others have also mentioned. Agreed — the cloudy sky added a moody element to the experience!
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Spectacular Kelly
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Thank you! 🙂
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I’ve been so enjoying all the posts about your recent trip. Old Faithful reminds me of the geyser in NZ – Pohutu Geyser. Both spectacular. I’d love to go to Yellowstone, for the geothermal fields, and especially for the wildlife.
Alison
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Thank you so much Alison! I’ve been hoping people haven’t tired of reading about the same area for so many posts. Your comment is much appreciated! In my research I’ve read a bit about the geysers in NZ. I’ve been there twice but had no idea there were geysers. Makes sense though, with so much seismic activity. Just checked out Pohutu — so close to the city! Thanks again and hope you’re enjoying the weekend. xo
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Amazing sight of the Old Faithful at work! The video greatly helped to visualise!
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Happy to hear that! It would be hard to describe only in words.
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That she blows!
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Fire in the hole! 🙂
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Amazing, Kelly! A place I hope to visit soon!
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One of the few times I might welcome that dark sky … as you note, it was a great backdrop for the white plume!
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Because we stayed in the Inn next to Old Faithful, we were able to watch the “show” several times, and we never tired of it. How magnificent is this place in the world — a place that so many people have heard about or seen. Pretty cool, right?
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