Photo From Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion: Boardwalk condition post-explosion. NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Yellowstone constantly vents steam like an overbearing boss blowing off stress. However, this doesn’t mean we should fear it. In fact, millions of visitors gather every year to watch Yellowstone’s iconic geyser, Old Faithful, erupt approximately every 92 minutes. My family and I waited patiently, cameras ready, for the spectacle to begin some 15 years ago. Old Faithful did not disappoint.
Old Faithful Photo Progression
Old Faithful Crowd
True, visitors at Biscuit Basin got more than they bargained for when an unexpected explosion sent them running for their lives. Fortunately, no one was hurt. They certainly have a harrowing vacation story to share for years to come.
So, what exactly happened? The United States Geological Survey, a science-based federal agency, succinctly explains the event in the video below. The agency constantly monitors activity at Yellowstone and other environmentally sensitive and potentially volatile areas across the country.
My desire to visit Yellowstone all those years ago was driven by a half-joking urge to see it before it “blew to smithereens”—probably the result of watching too many Hollywood doomsday movies. Don’t let one isolated incident deter you from visiting Yellowstone. It’s a majestic place, full of biodiversity and wonder.
(Mellow Wanderer-Grand Canyon, AZ) To truly embed yourself in the American West, stay at the Bright Angel Lodge for a unique experience on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel is a Registered National Historic Landmark. Originally built in the late 1800s and expanded in the 1930s by renowned architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, Bright Angel Lodge is constructed of logs and indigenous stone. Colter was a pioneer in an era overwhelmingly dominated by men. She designed and built many of the Grand Canyon landmarks in the historic district at a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote.
ColterFireplaceBright Angel Lodge
Rustic and charming, Bright Angel Lodge served as a template for all other early architecture in the national parks. In the main lodge, the Bright Angel History Room has a timeline of significant events, as well as artifacts dating back more than a hundred years. Colter even designed the lodge’s fireplace, which was built to mirror a section of the canyon’s geology: Kaibab Limestone, Vishnu Schist stone, and other rock layers dating back more than a billion years. Bright Angel History Room has quite a story to tell and is well worth the time to browse the various displays and artifacts.
CABIN SOUTH RIM VIEW
When Mellow Wanderer planned a South Rim stay a year before our visit, Bright Angel Lodge was our choice. The cabins are right on the rim. We reserved one with a partial rim view. To our surprise, we got more than we expected.
BRIGHT ANGEL ONE BEDROOM CABIN
The main cabin window looks-out directly to the rim. Plus, a second door led us to a small patio and sitting area, which was just a few steps to the rim trail (See the video below). The location was ideal and within walking distance to everything: lodge restaurants, overlooks, Grand Canyon Railroad Depot, Bright Angel Trail and the bus terminals where tourists take free shuttles to the numerous points of interest.
TRAIL ENTRANCEDEER
During one early morning stroll close to the cabin, we came upon several deer feeding on plants and berries on the canyon ledge. Cabin rooms are spacious and airy, and that’s good because there’s no air conditioning. Summer is quite toasty here, but during our June two-night stay, we were quite comfortable. Even with the cozy rustic feel, there are modern conveniences such as an electronic safe, small refrigerator, bathroom hair dryer and cable TV. Bedding was adequate and needs upgrading, as does the mattress, which lacked support and left us with a few backaches.
The Bright Angel front desk staff was friendly, knowledgable and helped us navigate this massive park. Several dining options are available. Bright Angel Restaurant serves up moderately priced meals. The Arizona Room is more expensive, has views of the canyon, and southwestern cuisine dominates the menu. There’s also Bright Angel Fountain for quick walk-up meals, snacks, and ice cream.
Overall, Bright Angel Lodge is a good home base to launch your Grand Canyon South Rim adventure.
They report for duty in uniform — khaki shirt, name tag over the left breast shirt pocket, and a cap with an embroidered emblem that looks like lightning bolts. A patch on the left sleeve identifies who they are: National Park Service Volunteer. They’re surrounded by electronic relics— most still working— that take up space and make a lot of noise.
In the heydey of the telegraph, mighty RCA (Radio Corporation of America) owned KPH. Before moving to Point Reyes, KPH first operated from San Francisco’s Palace Hotel in 1905. A year later the Great San Francisco Earthquake struck and forced the station to relocate. It was regarded as the “wireless giant of the Pacific.” The station received incoming telegraph messages from its transmitter in nearby Bolinas, California, including the infamous message of December 7, 1941— the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor. At the time, Morse code was the only way ships could send distress signals. It was the standard ship to shore communication for 100 years, eventually replaced by advances in electronic communications technology near the end of the 20th century.
The last Morse code ship messages to and from KPH ended on June 30, 1997. The National Park Service then stepped in and took over the KPH property. The building was shuttered for two years before Richard Dillman, president of the Maritime Radio Historical Society—a small volunteer group of self-described “radio squirrels”— convinced the National Park Service to let them bring KPH back to life. The non-profit group pays for the operation through small grants, donations, fundraisers, and money out of their own pockets. Dillman says he and others in the group find creative ways to fix and maintain some of the electronic relics. After all, spare parts are hard to find. A storage room inside KPH is a trip back in time as shelves are stacked with vintage radio receivers. Before the coronavirus pandemic, visitors to Point Reyes National Seashore could visit the KPH building every Saturday for tours, and observe volunteer radio operators communicate via telegraph over open maritime channels to the few ships around the world still equipped to send and receive telegrams. Now the KPH radio building is closed and will remain that way until California moves to phase 3 COVID-19 reopening. The state is currently in phase 1. Still, the closure has not deterred the KPH volunteers, according to Roy Henrichs, who heads operations and maintenance for the Maritime Radio Historical Society. “We are working to resume transmitting Morse broadcasts on maritime frequencies from an alternate transmit site in Valley Springs, CA, ” explained Henrichs via email. “That is experimental development work, but initial testing began last Saturday (September 5, 2020). That should keep us on the air through the end of the COVID event, as well as any future event that takes us off the air at Point Reyes.”
A dedicated bunch of radio squirrels doing whatever it takes to stay on-the-air and preserve history.
You can appreciate what it took to help ships navigate the rocky, fog-shrouded, and windswept northern Pacific coast when you journey far out to the isolated Point Reyes Lighthouse. It is a hike to get there. From the parking area at Point Reyes National Seashore, you first ascend a steep paved walking path and then descend a long winding stairway of more than 300 steps – the equivalent of a 30-story building. The trip back will tax your legs and raise your heart rate. Consider this before you go: The walk down to the lighthouse takes between 5-10 minutes; the return trip up is approximately 20-30 minutes or longer depending on your fitness level. At the top of the stairway, the lighthouse appears as a mere speck on the horizon. This no man’s land surrounded by water had no mercy on the human spirit. Lighthouse keepers spent lonely days perched on a cliff at the western tip of Point Reyes that juts 10 miles out into the sea. No other lighthouse in America experienced more fog and wind than Point Reyes. It still stands as a beacon in the Pacific nearly 150 years after it became operational in 1870. Until the lighthouse was retired by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1975, keepers occupied and maintained the house, the machinery, and the powerful Fresnel lens that alerted mariners.
FRESNEL LENS/NPS PHOTO
The lighthouse surely prevented casualties at sea, but not all. Over 50 shipwrecks still occurred, killing countless crews and passengers. Since the lighthouse has historical maritime significance, an ambitious full restoration project kicked-off in early August 2018. It took 13 months to complete and cost $5 million. Restoring the huge Fresnel lens was the centerpiece of the project. This required specialized work from a lampist who disassembled, repaired, and reassembled the lens’ 1,032 original crystal pieces made in Paris. The lighthouse’s observation deck is open to the public and is a great place to watch for marine life, especially gray whale migrations during winter and spring. If you love history, nature, and don’t mind an aerobic workout along the way, plan at least a half-day excursion out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Click the video below to learn more about the life of a lighthouse keeper, a behind-the-scenes look of their workplace, and the challenges they faced.
If You Go…
NPS PHOTO
Bring your own food and water.
Wear comfortable walking/jogging shoes.
Wear layered clothing for fast-changing weather conditions, including fog and rain.
Cell phone service is limited and sometimes non-existent.
