Chapter Text
Chapter 9 – Wyoming
"Why is it called Yellowstone, Abba?" Beth asked as her Ima turned to head towards the family's lodging for the next three nights.
Tony swiveled in his seat to face the kids, "Good question; I don't know, but we can look it up on Google." He tapped his phone screen and browsed through the information he found via a search.
He read from the screen, "'How did Yellowstone get its name? It's named after the Yellowstone River, the major river running through it. The river gets its name from the Minnetaree Indians, who called it Mi tse a-da-zi, or Yellow Rock River, most likely due to the yellowish formations of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.' That answer your question?"
"Uh-huh," the five-year-old nodded to her Abba.
Ziva arrived at the check-in for their lodging, a complex of a hotel, cabins, and several houses that had been converted into guest quarters just outside one of the main entrances to the National Park.
"Is that somebody's house, Ima?' Riv could not believe the size of the buildings. "Are we gonna stay here?"
"Yes, yaldati, we are staying in the largest of the converted houses. It has four bedrooms and a loft, and all the amenities of home, including a kitchen, living room area, a large porch, and a fire pit."
"COOL!" All five kids were impressed. Ziva just looked at Tony; until the family was actually in the house, the parents did not plan to inform the children that the house had no television or internet services.
Twenty minutes later, the suitcases were all unloaded and the kids chose their sleeping areas. Tali decided she wanted one of the downstairs bedrooms. The twins chose the upstairs bedroom with the bunk beds. LJ decided that he wanted to be in the loft room, but only if Anthony was with him. The older DiNozzo son readily agreed as long as his younger brother promised not to hog the queen-sized bed.
"If you do try to hog the whole bed, I will move to the room across from Tali," Anthony informed LJ.
As the family settled in and explored their home away from home, Rivka was the first to notice the lack of a TV.
"Where's the TV, Abba? I don't see one in any of the bedrooms, or in the living room area?" she queried. "And my tablet shows no connections available…"
"My phone has no bars," Tali held up her device. "And really, no TV?"
Anthony and LJ joined the conversation by also noting the lack of televisions on the premises.
Ziva smiled to herself as she finished writing out a small shopping list for their stay. She would go out to get some supplies and take one of the kids along as a helper. She glanced over at her husband trying to appease the kids' complaints.
"It's only for a few days, and we'll be out exploring the park for most of the time we are here anyhow. We're mostly just eating and sleeping in the house," he tried to explain.
Riv put her hands on her hips and pouted, "But we need TV or our tablets for something to do when we are here. I need to play my farm game every day to keep my crops alive…"
Tony shrugged as Ziva tried not to laugh at his predicament, "I am sure you will survive for three nights and two days without internet and television. There are plenty of things to do…"
"Like what?" LJ wanted to know how his Abba proposed having entertainment for his family.
Tony looked to his wife for help as he tried to come up with some ideas, "You have some games on your devices that don't need internet. And you have some downloaded movies and videos to watch…"
"There are some family games on this shelf," Ziva noted as she joined the conversation from the area dividing the kitchen and living room. As she perused the options, she read out the titles, "Uno, Scrabble, double-fifteen dominoes with Mexican train, Qwirkle, Jenga, several decks of playing cards, and three five-hundred-piece jigsaw puzzles.
"And, as your father noted, we will be out exploring the park during the daylight hours for both days that we are here," she added. "Now, who would like to go with me to get some groceries? I only need one helper today."
The four younger kids all pointed to their older sister; Tali smirked at them. She didn't care one way or the other if she went, but since none of them wanted to go, she was cool with getting to spend time alone with Ima. The two headed out to get the items on Ziva's list, including that night's dinner.
While Ziva and Tali were out food shopping, Tony showed the four kids the maps of Yellowstone Park that he had collected from racks in the Lodge check-in lobby. He showed them the various geyser basins, the lake, the canyon area, and the hot springs areas on the maps and where they were currently in relation to those areas.
"I think we should plan to see the park in stages; like maybe the lake and the southern geyser basins one day, and the northern basins, canyon, and the hot springs the next day. There are a lot of things to see, and we probably won't have time to see it all. Some of the geysers will not erupt while we are here, and some we may see erupting if we time it correctly," Tony told them.
When he noticed the kids losing interest in the maps, he suggested that they choose a game for the five of them to play. LJ chose Qwirkle and the others agreed. The five were playing the game when Ziva and Tali arrived back to the house with the groceries.
Ziva prepared a quick meal with pasta, vegetables, cut-up chicken, and a white sauce. The whole family scarfed up all that she made. After another game of Qwirkle with all seven of them, they had ice cream for dessert.
The next morning, both parents fixed breakfast of pancakes and bacon. After the meal, they headed out to the park to explore the natural wonders of Yellowstone Park. As Tony suggested, the first day's focus was Yellowstone Lake, the southern geyser basins, and the visitor's centers associated with them.
After the lake visitor's center, and viewing the lake, they headed to the Old Faithful Visitor's Center and learned about the park's geysers and other thermal features. Each of them had a particular feature that he or she wanted to view in person based on what they learned at the center, plus all of them wanted to be sure to see Old Faithful. As they exited the center, Ziva noted that the crowds were starting to gather at the famous geyser and suggested that they head that way first. The family was not disappointed when the geyser shot its column of water into the air.
Old Faithful was named by the first official expedition to Yellowstone, the Washburn Expedition of 1870. The geyser erupts every 35 to 120 minutes for 1.5 to 5 minutes. Its maximum height ranges from 90 to 184 feet. It is not the biggest or the most regular geyser in Yellowstone but it is the biggest regular geyser. It has been erupting in nearly the same fashion throughout the recorded history of the park. Through the years, it has become one of the most studied geysers. One result of this close observation is that the Park Rangers are able to predict its eruptions fairly accurately. This makes Old Faithful geyser one of the easiest geysers in Yellowstone to see.
From Old Faithful, the family traversed the pathways to other geysers in the basin. First up was LJ's favorite, the Lion group of geysers. He was somewhat disappointed to learn that two of them were inactive. After reading the information sign, he sighed loudly.
"I guess we won't see this one do its thing," he bemoaned as Tony snapped a picture of the boy with the sign and geysers in the background. "My Lions are a bit of a dud."
Lion Geyser is the main feature of the Lion Geyser Complex which includes Little Cub Geyser and the currently inactive Big Cub and Lioness geysers. Its eruptions issue from the largest cone of the group. Eruptions reach heights of 50 feet, but in 1988 an eruption reached 98 feet. It was named for the roaring sound of steam releasing during an eruption. Eruptions can reach 90 feet (27 m) and last from 1 to 7 minutes.
Next up of the ones on the family's list was Rivka's choice; the Grand Geyser. They had just missed an eruption earlier that day, but could see the bubbling pool of water from which it spouted. She, too, was slightly disappointed about 'her' geyser not being active.
"Get my picture, Abba!" she posed as Tony and Ziva captured images with the digital cameras and their phones. The child posed dramatically, causing her parents to lock eyes in amusement at their middle child's antics.
Grand Geyser is consistently the tallest and most spectacular of the predicted geysers. This excitement doesn't come without a cost though. It has the largest prediction window of the predicted geysers. Even so, it is worth waiting to see. Grand erupts from a pool of water making it a fountain-type geyser as opposed to Old Faithful which is a cone-type geyser. Grand's interval is usually around 8-12 hours, its height about 150-180 feet and its duration is about 10-12 minutes. It will often stop after about 9 minutes and then restart after a minute or so. This second "burst" and any subsequent bursts are often among the tallest if not the tallest of the eruption.
The DiNozzos walked along the pathway, crossing a small bridge over the Firehole River, which wound its way through the basin. Tali was reading about her favorite geyser as it began to show signs of erupting. A wait of about fifteen minutes proved fruitful when the Castle Geyser began its water phase with a large column of water rising about seventy feed in the air from the high cone of the geyser. The name came from the shape of the cone, which resembles castle walls. After about twenty minutes of water, the steam phase started with a loud sound. After about ten minutes, the family moved on.
Tali passed her phone to Anthony when the geyser was erupting, "Get a picture of me with the geyser in the background, please. That way I can show it to everyone back home."
Castle Geyser is a very old geyser. Estimates put the age of its 12-foot-high cone at 5,000 to 15,000 years. Castle is a cone-type geyser. Its interval is usually between 9 and 11 hours. Its maximum height is 60 to 90 feet. The 20-minute water phase of a major eruption is followed by a 40-minute steam phase. During the steam phase, the eruption mainly consists of forced steam with very little water. The first 10 to 15 minutes of the steam phase is relatively forceful and fairly loud and interesting to hear.
After the Castle Geyser, Tony led the family to the northern part of the upper basin, heading toward the geyser Beth wanted to view. The Daisy Geyser was about to erupt when they arrived in the area.
"My geyser is going to do its thing!" Beth jumped up and down with excitement as the family sat on the nearby benches to watch the show. "Somebody get a picture of me!"
Ziva tried not to laugh, "You have to stand still first!"
Daisy Geyser is usually the most predictable of the predicted geysers. This coupled with its relative frequency, makes Daisy one of the easiest geysers to see. The exception to this rule is when nearby Splendid Geyser is active. Fortunately, for those that like Daisy, Splendid is rarely active. Daisy is a cone-type geyser. Its interval is usually 90 to 110 minutes, its height 60 to75 feet and its duration 3 to 4 minutes. When Daisy Geyser is regular (in other words, when Splendid is not active) you can usually predict the eruptions very accurately.
"Okay, now we go see Ima's choice," Tony announced when Daisy Geyser's eruption wound down. "Back to the van, and then up the road to the Midway Basin."
Riv looked at the pathway as they started back towards Old Faithful, "I wish you had told me about all the walking we have to do here, Abba…" She followed her siblings as they trekked back towards the head of the Upper Basin walkway and trails.
"I kinda like this one because it has the same name as my dog, but I really want to see the big geyser," Anthony commented. "It said at the visitor's center that Steamboat is the world's tallest geyser."
Ziva smiled at her son, "We will see that one tomorrow in the Norris Basin along with the Museum and the Black Growler Steam Vent that Abba wants to see."
"Ima, I'm hungry! All this walking has made me want to eat," LJ decided he needed some food.
Tony glanced at his watch, it was almost lunch time. "Let's see what is available near Old Faithful for places to eat. Now that I think about it, I could use some food as well."
"Yeah, I'm hungry too," Riv added her thoughts as she plodded along with the others. "Walking makes me tired and hungry."
After checking the options, Ziva and Tony chose the Old Faithful Basin Store for both lunch and a bit of souvenir shopping. The menu included burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and kids' meal options, so each of them found something delicious to eat. LJ spied the ice cream menu and Anthony noted the root beer floats, so lunch also had the treats as well as the entrée.
A short drive to the next basin brought the family to the feature Ziva most wanted to see, the Grand Prismatic Spring. She had seen pictures of the spring at the visitor's center and online and wanted to see the colorful water in person.
Tony parked the van in the parking lot for the trails to the features of the Midway Basin. Rivka sighed loudly when he mentioned that they would be hiking to see the Grand Prismatic Spring, but followed the others so she wouldn't miss out on anything.
"It is a good thing she is so competitive with the others some days. It keeps her motivated to do the hiking and walking even if she does not like to," Ziva noted quietly to her husband as the family traipsed the paths. "This is an easy hike according to the guidebook and it is only seven-tenths of a mile around the loop."
"Whoa!" Anthony and Tali were leading the DiNozzos on the walkway and stopped in their tracks at the colorful spring in front of them. The reds and bright oranges were nearest to the 'shoreline' of the spring with the yellows, greens, and blues further out into the water. Steam rose from the surface of the spring.
Ziva had the camera ready to snap as many images as she could. "I am impressed," she acknowledged to the others. "This is larger than I thought it would be, and very colorful. I can imagine that seeing the spring from above is quite breath-taking."
Tony agreed, "We could go back to the Fairy Falls trail and hike to the overlook, if you want."
"Noooooo…" Riv had enough hiking for the day. "Buy a postcard or a picture at the store."
Ziva chuckled at her middle daughter's drama, "I think we should pass on that trail since we planned to do the Fountain Paint Pots Trail in the Lower Geyser Basin as the last one today. That trail has some stairs and steeper grades."
The older twin nudged her sisters, "No more walking… just shoot me now."
Beth grinned at her twin, "I think the hiking is fun especially when we get to see neat things like this spring that we cannot see any other place."
"I agree," Tali nodded. "And I would rather walk on the boardwalk trails than city streets any day. I think everything we've seen today is very interesting. And you did like the geysers that we did see erupt. They put on quite a show."
Midway Geyser Basin is home to two of the largest thermal features in Yellowstone. Grand Prismatic Spring, at over 300 feet across is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone. The various colors of the cyano-bacteria around the pool are quite pretty. Excelsior Geyser was the largest geyser in the world in the 1880s. Now it is just a very large crater that emits a copious amount of water. After nearly 100 years of inactivity, it had some minor eruptions in 1984.
The final stop for the day was for the Fountain Paint Pots Trail in the Lower Geyser Basin. All of the park's thermal features are visible along the trail. The hot springs and geysers have lots of water whereas the mudpots and fumaroles have limited water. The entire pathway loop in the area is boardwalk for visitor safety. There are two areas with steps or steep grades, but the majority of the trail is easy hiking.
Clepsydra Geyser, located in the Lower Geyser Basin, is named after a Greek water clock. During the 1800's it's intervals were almost exactly 3 minutes. After the 1959 earthquake it entered what is known as a wild phase, erupting almost continuously.
Fountain Geyser is a classic fountain type geyser, erupting from a pool of water and characterized by its splashing action. It is a fountain-type geyser that erupts jets ranging in height up to 80 feet or more, with most eruptions containing at least a few bursts that reach 40 to 50 feet. Durations of eruptions are typically about 30 minutes. This geyser is not easily predictable but has an average interval of around 11 hours. The DiNozzos happened to catch the Great Fountain Geyser erupting; they stayed to view the entire thirty minutes of the eruption.
The hot springs on the trail are aptly named. They are colorful like the Grand Prismatic Spring, but much smaller in size. The colors on some are not as vivid.
A weary DiNozzo family entered the house where they were staying with the kids complaining that they were hungry again. Tony and Ziva made spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread for dinner. After dinner, they worked a jigsaw puzzle together that showed the Grand Prismatic Spring. When the three younger kids got bored with the puzzle, they played Jenga and Qwirkle while the others completed the puzzle.
The following morning, Ziva made breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, and fresh tomatoes. At the dining table, they planned day two of the visit to Yellowstone Park.
The first stop was the Norris Geyser Basin. Anthony was excited to finally get to see 'his' geyser, the world's tallest. Again, they lucked out and came to the geyser at the beginning of an eruption. The show was spectacular with the water shooting to the height of a multi-story building. The whole eruption lasted about fifteen minutes, but was well worth the time.
"I can now tell people that I have seen the world's tallest active geyser in action!" Anthony shouted out as he posed for pictures with his siblings. "The sign says the last one was a month ago."
Steamboat Geyser is the world's tallest active geyser. Its major eruptions shoot water more than 300 feet. In Yellowstone National Park's recorded history, only two other geysers have exceeded Steamboat in size: Excelsior Geyser in Midway Geyser Basin and Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin. Steamboat's minor and major eruptions are entirely unpredictable. Steamboat's major eruptions generally last from 3 to 40 minutes and are followed by powerful jets of steam. During these eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet into the air. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule, with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from three days to fifty years.
After the Steamboat Geyser, they checked out the Black Growler Steam Vent that Tony had on his list to view. None of them was all that impressed after seeing the tall columns of water prior. The kids did laugh at the funny sounds from the vent as it loosed the steam.
The Norris Geyser Basin Museum is a large log and stone structure with an open foyer. It is the gateway to the Norris Geyser Basin and was built in 1930. The two rooms have exhibits explaining geothermal activities and life in the thermal areas.
At the Mammoth Hot Springs further north, Ziva decided to do the Upper Terraces drive of the springs area. Rivka was very happy they weren't hiking instead. The unique features of the eroded limestone were definitely different from the other sections of the park. The only overlook area with available parking was at the Angel Terrace.
From there, the next stop was at the Albright Visitor's Center, which was originally a barracks for Fort Yellowstone. They toured the Visitor's Center and then some of the fort before grabbing a bite to eat at the Mammoth General Store and heading to the waterfalls on the Grand Loop around the park east of the Mammoth Hot Springs.
The first falls were Undine Falls along Lava Creek. The pullout parking area had a short walk to an overlook of the falls. The falls has three tiers over a sixty-foot drop. A few pictures were taken and everyone loaded back in the van to continue the loop drive. The next stop was a short walk to see the Yellowstone Petrified Tree, a fossilized giant redwood tree. Two more quick stops at the Calcite Springs Overlook and the Yellowstone River Overlook gave the family views of the Yellowstone River and Canyon.
In Canyon Village, the family stopped for another snack before seeing the sights of the Yellowstone River and the main part of the Canyon. Inspiration Point and Grand View offered spectacular views of the canyon and many photo opportunities.
When Tony parked at the trailhead for the Brink of the Upper Falls, Rivka pouted. She thought they would get to avoid all hiking that day. Even when Tali pointed out that it was only about a third of a mile, the child balked.
"I don't wanna walk. I get grouchy and tired. But… I guess I'll go if I have to," she complained to anyone who would listen.
"I think it's fun to hike to see these things. It makes it better to then see the awesome sight," LJ tried to explain that he thought the short hikes were worth the reward of seeing the natural beauty of the park.
The trail led right to the top of the falls, and the overlook allowed visitors to see the cascade from the top as well as the river beyond the falls from above. Even Rivka had to admit it was worth the short hike to see the falls.
Anthony kidded his younger sister, "You should be glad Ima and Abba chose the upper falls instead of the lower falls. I saw at the Visitor's Center that the hike to the Brink of the Lower Falls is a much more challenging hike."
Riv stuck her tongue out at her older brother. "Whatever… I don't see you volunteering for that hike either!"
Beth joined the conversation between her siblings, "I don't think Abba would be too happy on that hike anyhow. He'd be complaining like…" She stopped short when she got the 'Ima glare.'
"How about we go back to Canyon Village and look for some souvenirs?" Tony suggested. "Just remember that whatever you choose to buy has to fit in your backpack or suitcase to get it home."
The kids ran back to the van, ready to choose mementos of Yellowstone Park.
The following morning, the family checked out of the house and headed east across the state of Wyoming on Interstate 90. The drive consumed most of the day, with a stop in Buffalo, Wyoming for lunch. The kids posed in front of the giant buffalo statue welcoming visitors to the town.
On the east side of the state, Tony exited to the hotel for the night. After check-in, the family found a place to eat dinner. The kids were excited to be staying where they had access to wi-fi and television once again.
"Tomorrow we make our first stop at Devil's Tower and then head into South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, and Wind Cave. Get some sleep everyone," Ziva admonished before lights' out.