I think a visit to see Old Faithful is on just about everybody's bucket list, and for good reason. How many active, predictable geysers are there in the world, and how many of them are accessible to everyone without having to make a grueling hike? But to be honest, Alisha and I were going to pass on a visit, instead wanting to focus on other hot springs and geysers that would hopefully draw less crowds. That, and the fact that we'd already visited and seen Old Faithful with our family years back on our annual childhood family vacations resulted in not even having Old Faithful on the tentative itinerary for our Yellowstone visit this year. So when we woke up early and decided to see the geyser on a whim we hadn't checked the eruption times or anything other than marking its location on our park map, which meant we showed up half an hour late for the early morning eruption, or nearly an hour early for the next one. We decided to hang around and wait for it, pacing the almost empty boardwalk while trying to both stay warm and find the perfect photo opportunity. In the end I settled down on a bench that would put the sun directly across from me, meaning I would be shooting into the light when it came time for the eruption. When the crowds gathered and the tell-tale hiss of steam and rumble of water announced the geyser was gearing up to explode I started clicking away, and promptly quit when the eruption actually happened. There was something about being there, in that time and place, seeing what amounts to a quintessential Yellowstone experience in person, that caused me to stop and stare with my mouth opened in awe at the raw power of heat and water. I'm absolutely sure I even had tears in my eyes as I watched. It was only after a few seconds that I restarted snapping photos, but I will always remember the reverence I felt at being there. And to think, Alisha and I were going to skip this.
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