Artist Description: 

Earth, air, fire, and water – rarely do all these planetary elements come together in a single place the way they do on the Yellowstone Caldera. The area surrounding the Firehole Lake is one particular spot where you can witness the fusing of these earthly elements. Everyone is drawn to Old Faithful, and for good reason.

But just a few miles away is one of the few ‘side roads’ in the Yellowstone Park. As I was about halfway along the 3-mile one way loop, called Firehole Lake Drive, I happened upon a giant cloud of steam. As luck would have it, I had arrived just moments before the Great Fountain Geyser was to erupt. Unlike Old Faithful, where an eruption occurs 17 times a day, the Great Fountain only erupts every 14-16 hours.

I took a seat on the edge of the road and for the next 15 minutes I watched as all the earthly elements occupied the same space at once. First was the steam, thick and almost choking. Then suddenly, water burst from the earth and shot nearly 100 feet into the air, over and over again. You could feel the energy from deep in the ground. The display was only a minor indicator of just how powerful the natural forces created by these earthly elements are. I can’t think of better example of when I was in the right place at the right time. I left the Firehole area in awe and humbled.