A Fan and Mortar Day

One of the most spectacular geysers in the world is Fan and Mortar in the Upper Geyser Basin, about 1 mile North of Old Faithful. This AM we were at day 5+ since the previous Eruption and the previous interval from that had been 4+ days, so we were hopeful. Sure enough, as we pulled into the parking lot people could be seen jumping on their bikes and heading quickly Downbasin. One of the Gazers shouted to us “Fan and Mortar are in a River Pause!”, so we jumped on our bikes and took off....it was about 35DegF. About ten minutes after we got there River Vent started followed shortly by High Vent. About ten minutes later Angle Vent started and we all waited for Gold Vent to start. At this point Lynn Stephens said “Now we just need Gold and the Thing can erupt”. Gold came on. In a few minutes High was playing to 10 feet and High, Angle and Gold were playing in sustained concert and we were in a Lock! This meant it had to erupt....and it did. At 35DegF and overcast it was very steamy so PICs were pretty unimpressive but I assure you the Eruption was not. It was, as always, spectacular. F&M plays from some 17 vents in concert and sends water across the boardwalk at least 90Ft from Main Vent, the source of the farthest arching play.

A Lock in 2002

with concerted play from

High, Gold and Angle Vents.

Following the Lock this morning.

Notice the water hitting

the ground in the

foreground.

It’s source is 90ft away

in the steam.

Upper and Lower Mortar

late in the eruption,

with a Rainbow.

From the other side

taken in 2004.

A bit of history.

This was a solo eruption

of Lower Mortar

back in 2000 when

it was doing that.

Lew