Geyser (3)

Geyser is just a short distance from Gullfoss. It is a proper name, Geyser with a capital G. It is also the platonic progenitor of the English noun, geyser. Now growing up near Yellowstone, I was disappointed with Geyser. Let's face it ... it's not Old Faithful. Still, you can stand within 30 feet of an active geyser, watch it erupt every 5-7 minutes, and get soaking wet if you stand down wind. Not a bad outcome if your goal is adventure.

Geyser defined: a deep pit reaching to really hot earth-core below. Now fill the pit with water. Water deep in the pit heats to boiling. Rising steam pushes water above to great heights above the ground.

These photos were taken in August 2007 mostly with a Nikon D200.

Geyser - Bubble of hot rising water.
Geyser - Bubble being perforated by super hot steam.
Geyser - The resulting eruption.
4x4 - I think I mentioned previously that we rented a small Suzuki 4-wheel-drive. It was a mistake not to rent something bigger. But with gasoline at $8 (US) per gallon, I was sadly motivated by fuel economy. Below is a vehicle we saw at Geyser that would have been perfect for our needs. Note the high air intake for fording rivers, the long wheel-base for the washboard roads, and the huge tires for driving on riverbeds with official road numbers.