I know I tend to make these titles cryptic but the title of this post refers to the huge steam plume behind the elk. This steam plume is coming from an erupting Fountain Geyser for which a number of landmarks in this area share the name including Fountain Flats, Fountain Paint Pots, etc. By this time in September I’d hope to have photographed quite a few elk as it’s their breeding season but so far this is the elk I’ve managed to photograph. I’m not sure if it’s been the heat, the heavy traffic, or some other factor but the elk haven’t been active during the daylight hours much. Speaking of heavy traffic, September used to be considered a “shoulder month” to the busy summer seasons. And I’ve been asked frequently lately about visiting in September since kids are back in school. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a “shoulder season” to the busy summer months for probably ten years now. September proves to be just as busy as July and August and it’s not uncommon for the West entrance to back up into town. I’m not writing that to deter people from coming to visit only to have the proper expectations.