Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It erupted quite regularly for some years to 75 or 100 feet (23-30 m), but is now irregular. This
geyser has built a cone inside its alcove, the largest of any Norris geyser.
Dark Cavern Geyser usually erupts quite regularly once or twice an hour up to 20 feet (6
m) and sometimes higher and very forcefully. It seems to be connected both to Valentine and
Ledge Geysers.
Ledge Geyser erupts from five vents, from which water jets out in the shape of the fingers
and thumb of a hand. For its muddy eruptions, it was often called Mud Geyser in early years.
Geyser expert T. Scott Bryan writes that water from the “thumb” projects at a steep angle and
to a height of 125 feet (38 m), while producing an unmatched booming and roaring. But, like
Steamboat Geyser in Back Basin, Ledge is totally unpredictable. It erupted once each in 2006
and 2007, and twice in 2008.
Between Ledge and Basin Geysers is now-calm Jetsam Pool; it has been known to erupt,
but not for many years. The noisiest steam vent farther away from the boardwalk is Guardian
Geyser.
One recent summer, Basin Geyser, the small, steaming pool located shortly before the trail
junction, had yellow monkeyflowers growing in its alcove. Another year, the temperature of
its water was posted as 202°F (94°C), a temperature that's above boiling at this altitude and
much too hot for flowers.
Continuing northwest
Out across the barren flats are at least eight geysers or perpetual spouters and many hot pools.
The one with the most significant activity in the late twentieth century was Fireball Geyser,
located 100 feet (30 m) or more from the walkway. Fireball's main jet angles to the right, while
a lesser column shoots straight up. It erupts about every two hours.
Three geysers are near the walkway and on the right as you walk northwest. Little Whirli-
gig Geyser sometimes sends up small, rapid bursts of water but is nearly dormant. Constant
Geyser is farther from the walkway, making a triangle with the Whirligigs. Constant is not a
perpetual spouter but does sometimes erupt for a few seconds several times an hour, some-
times to 30 feet (9 m). Whirligig Geyser (sometimes called Big Whirligig) is the third of this
related threesome. The water of the bigger Whirligig swirls about in its crater during erup-
tions and a crack on the crater's far side emits a loud chugging sound. But Whirligig has re-
cently been dormant.
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