Back to the park

Today we went to Yellowstone again. We saw many of the same sites as last week, but with a geological focus this time. I really enjoy getting the technical details behind the beautiful things to see here; they help me appreciate the differences between the fumeroles and mud pots and geysers and hot springs—otherwise they all start looking the same after a while!

We saw the most famous geyser, Old Faithful, today. They may have to rename it “Old Infidel”, because its eruptions are getting farther apart and smaller. The plumbing is highly susceptible to earthquakes and to clogging up, not unlike a large toilet (or bidet). It’s been erupting faithfully since the 1890’s, but it’s predicted to stop spouting within 40-100 years. Either they’ll have to move the Old Faithful inn, or perfect 3d holography to impress the tourists on a regular basis.

We didn’t get back until 830, then we had dinner, and back to the camp by 1030. Ollie spent the day and the night in the garage of one of my classmates, so I don’t have to worry about him getting overheated or eaten.