June 16, 2007
 We met at 6:30 a.m. for a pre-breakfast walk through the Upper Geyer Basin. We were fortunate to witness several geysers erupting, Castle, Daisy, Sawmill, and Riverside to name the most spectacular. Riverside gave us a fantastic 20 minute show, sending plumes of water and steam so high they covered the sun, making for an incredible sight.
We enjoyed Morning Glory Pool, a famous hot spring with clear aquamarine water fading to gold along the pool edges. Then we drove a few miles down the road to Middle Geyser Basin. Here we walked out along Grand Prismatic Spring, a huge, colorful hot spring, best known from dramatic aerial images. But the view from up close is also spectacular. (Visit NASA's Earth Observatory web site to see a satellite image of Grand Prismatic Spring.)
 After marveling at several more thermal features, including the plopping sounds of Fountain Paint Pots, we traveled to an area along the Madison River to enjoy a picnic. Although the Trumpeter Swans we sought were not there, we did get a surprise lunch guest. A Bald Eagle snagged a trout out of the river and then flew away to enjoy its lunch.
As we wound down our last day, some of the groups presented their expert topics (we were all assigned a topic at an orientation session in May to research). Our final treat was a drive along Old Gardiner Road (a one way dirt road with spectacular scenery running from Mammoth to Gardiner). What an ending to a great experience.
Q & A for June 16
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