A Bench Story from a Reader

Geysers can be temperamental things. Sure, Old Faithful can be counted to erupt every 75 minutes or so, but when it was named, it was going off every hour almost to the minute. Its sisters are less predictable, and even though the visitor center posts windows of spouting opportunity, to observe your favorite geyser requires patience.
And a good bench surely helps. 
Perhaps my favorite of Yellowstone’s thermal features is Castle Geyser. It has a prominent cone, and its steam and water display can last up to twenty minutes. The catch is that Castle only erupts every fourteen hours or so, and even then, there is a plus or minus of forty-five minutes around that predicted time. And so it’s just the luck of the draw when you visit the Upper Geyser Basin. If Castle last went off at 3:00 am, you might expect to see it again at 5:00 pm. Or 4:15. Or 5:45. Or any time in-between. But if you happen to arrive in the vicinity near the predicted window, you might as well take up occupancy on one of the benches to the west of the geyser. And if you bring a book and a bottle of water, the wait isn’t too bad at all. 
The benches are simple. Planks and supports, no backrests. Functional in the rustic spirit of the national parks. If you’re looking for comfort, you’re probably back at the Inn having a cocktail on the rooftop patio, but you want an up-close and personal moment with a geyser, you’ve got to hike out and hope for the best. 
I have a special Castle memory. One afternoon we were waiting for it to pop up and say hello when across the way to the right, Beehive Geyser erupted. Beehive is not always active, and when it is, it goes off twice a day. There it was, however, steaming high into the air. Just as we started to cheer, Castle began to spray. Then to the far right, Old Faithful started its cycle. To top it off, to the left, Grand Geyser, one of the tallest in the world, shot toward the clouds.  
Four geysers. One bench. 
Two grateful and amazed watchers. 
E.S. and T.S. in Yellowstone