Morning Geyser-Lower Geyser Basin.

"MORNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!" I pounded on the railing of the observation platform with my fists in excitement as a jet of golden superheated water knifed through the steam. Morning Geyser had finally erupted for me at 0647 on July 16, 2013.

After the post I wrote on the 25th of May, which can be read here, Morning Geyser continued its active phase through the month of June and into July, where it seemed to slow down slightly. However, Morning continued to erupt through August. And then in September it took part of an event known as a "Trifecta" in which Morning, Morning's Thief Geyser immediately next to it, and Fountain Geyser all erupt simultaneously. This event happened four times over the summer. However, as awesome as this event is to behold (Morning and Morning's Thief can erupt for an hour,  Fountain can erupt for 3 hours) it was begun to be seen as a bad omen, because each successive time there was a Trifecta, the next interval to Morning got longer. Many people blame the last Trifecta which occured on September 3 (which I was lucky enough to witness) for Morning's lapse back into dormancy.

Geyser "Trifecta" on September 3, 2013, Morning is illuminated by the huge spotlight, Morning's Thief can be seen just right of Morning, and Fountain is just off frame to the left. Photo courtesy of Pat S.

For some unfathomable reason for the first third of my summer in Yellowstone, I didn't make that much effort to try to see Morning, a mistake that cost me many potential eruptions I could've seen. I tried to convince myself that I was waiting for the right opportunity (I wanted fountain to have a 40+ minute duration eruption). Well, that unmistakable opportunity happened on the evening of July 15th, when Fountain had a 40 minute duration eruption. Unfortunately, that meant that in order to be there in time for the morning window (7-9 hours after Fountain) I had to be at the Lower Geyser Basin Fountain Paint Pot area by no later than 6.

Through a somewhat crazy train of events, I managed to arrive at the Fountain Paint Pots around 6 ish. 47 minutes later, I was rewarded as Morning erupted just as the golden sunlight streamed over the hills to the east. It was burst after burst, some were thin jets that shot straight up. Other times the entire pool domed up in a Blue Bubble that exploded with a *KA-WHUMP*. It was the geyser experience of a lifetime, the sheer power mixed with beauty that I witnessed is unparalleled than anything I have ever seen, and what I would give to experience it again.

Morning blue bubble during the July 16, 2013 eruption, Photo by Micah K

Alas, it could be up to over a decade before Morning decides to play again if this turns out to truly be a return to dormancy. But I consider myself lucky that I was at least able to see it twice in this active phase, and one thing's for sure, if it ever starts up again, I'll be going up to the Lower Basin every chance that there is for Morning.