Yellowstone in the Winter

via dog sled and snowmobile

February 2006

Introduction

 Note: This was my third trip to Yellowstone, but my first in the winter. When I was in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons last summer I found out about the snowmobile trips. My nephew and I returned the following winter and loved it! 

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I have organized 176 pictures, maps, and images of some of the signs that were posted at the sites I saw here, and you can scan the thumbnails and click to enlarge only those pictures that interest you. I hope you enjoy many of them, and I hope you also enjoy some of my explanations. 

Winter is a magical time to visit Yellowstone. Much of the wildlife gathers around the steaming hot pools and geysers which generate little islands of warmth and clear ground. Geysers and steam rise in eerie mists, and the landscape is coated with snow. Nearby trees are transformed into "snow ghosts" by frozen thermal vapors. Bison become frosted, shaggy beasts, easily spotted as they take advantage of the more accessible vegetation on the thawed ground. Yellowstone Lake's surface freezes to an average thickness of 3 feet, creating a vast ice sheet that sings and moans as the huge plates of ice shift. Otters surface at the breaks in the ice, where the ice has thinned by hot springs rising from the lake bottom. Waterfalls become astounding pieces of frozen sculpture. Endangered trumpeter swans glide through geyser-fed streams under clear blue skies of clean, crisp mountain air.

The average snowfall in Yellowstone is nearly 50 inches, creating a beautiful setting for sightseers, and a wonderful source for outdoor recreation. Winter temperatures often hover near zero throughout the day but may reach highs in the 20s. Subzero over-night temperatures are common. Occasionally, warm "chinook" winds will push daytime temperatures into the 40s, causing significant melting of snowpack--especially at lower elevations. Yellowstone also typically experiences periods of bitterly cold weather. The lowest temperature recorded in Yellowstone was -66F near West Yellowstone on February 9, 1933. At any time of year, be prepared for sudden changes; unpredictability, more than anything else, characterizes Yellowstone's weather. From mid-December to around mid-March, the park is open to over snow vehicles (over snow vehicles are skis, snowshoes, snowcoaches and snowmobiles). The only roads that are open for cars is the Mammoth Hot Springs - Cook City Road. Most visitors enter Yellowstone in winter from the west or south entrances by snowcoach or snowmobile.

Warming huts are open at Canyon, Fishing Bridge, Indian Creek, Madison, Old Faithful and West Thumb. All except Old Faithful, are open 24 hours a day; the Old Faithful Warming Hut is open during daytime hours only. Canyon and Madison warming huts have light snacks and hot drinks during the day; vending machine snacks are available anytime except at Indian Creek and West Thumb.

Only two lodges are in operation--the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge provide accommodations from December through March. In the Old Faithful area, there are 40 miles of cross-country trails. The Lone Star Geyser Trail, an 8 mile trail in a remote setting that starts at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, and the Fern Cascades Trail, a 3 mile trail winding through rolling woodland on a short loop close to the Old Faithful area are very popular. In the Mammoth area, try the Upper Geyser Basin and Biscuit Basin Trail.

The number of large animals in the park is stable and secure, with the male bison at 2,000 pounds as the massive lord. Bison is the preferred word to describe these American mammals because the word buffalo is used for other members of the ungulate, or hooved, family in other regions, such as the water buffalo of Southeast Asia. Each spring park service biologists at Yellowstone release their official count of the large animals in a book known as Yellowstone Resources and Issues, the best information source on the park. The 2004 estimates are: 280-610 grizzly bears, 500-650 back bear, 174 wolves, 20-35 mountain lion, 2,000-2,300 mule dear, 4,000 bison, 165-225 bighorn sheep, 225-250 pronghorn antelope, and 15,000-20,000 elk.

The first map below is a general map of Yellowstone, and the 2nd one shows the roads available to snowmobiles and wheeled vehicles in the winter. 

in Jackson we stayed in the Wyoming Inn and these two pictures show the lobby of this inn 

pictures of my trip

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the Wyoming Inn was great and I highly recommend it 

After arriving at the Wyoming Inn I called the dog sled company to check in and the snowmobile company to make arrangements to pick up our clothing for the trip. Since they are across the street from the Visitor's Center we decided to go there first and then visit the elk retreat, so we set off to catch the village shuttle.

The shuttle didn't show up, but the express took us to the Square and we walked the rest of the way. We got fitted for our coveralls, boots, helmet, and mittens then left them there as we didn't want to carry them with us. Next we went across the street and caught the 3 o'clock sleigh ride to the elk retreat. You go part way in a bus then transfer to a wagon resting on sleigh runners. Our wagon was drawn by two Belgian horses--Fred & Barney. 

The Refuge was created in 1912 as a result of public interest in the survival of the elk herd. It provides a winter home for an average of 5,500 elk, one of the largest wintering concentrations of elk. The refuge is the only one in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service devoted primarily to elk management. The refuge has nearly 25,000 acres of land consisting of native grasses and other elk forage. It is comprised of meadows and marshes along the valley floor and sagebrush and rock outcroppings along the foothills. A diversity of food and shelter provides for the rich mixture of wildlife species found at the National Elk Refuge. Elk are on the refuge for about six months (November to April) and are supplementally fed for 2-3 months, depending on the severity of the weather. When snow becomes too crusty or deep, pelletized alfalfa hay is fed to the elk. Winter mortality on the refuge is about 1.5%. Elk spend summers in Grand Teton National Park (50%), the Bridger-Teton National Forest (25%), or the southern part of Yellowstone NP (25%).

We were told there are about 5,500 elk wintering on the retreat this year. We were driven right up to them. They receive supplemental feed when there is a freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw cycle that prevents them from getting through the snow to the grass. There is an 8-foot fence along the road to help keep them in the retreat, but they do get out. So every few miles a ramp up to the fence on the road side help the elk get back into the retreat. They go up the ramp and them jump down over the fence. After visiting the exhibit, we spent some time in the Visitor's Center viewing the exhibits.

We thought we would catch the shuttle back, but we walked all the way back to the Square then we started looking for a restaurant, and walked toward the Inn as we looked for one. We walked almost all the way back and finally spotted a nice barbecue restaurant--Bubba's. The food was very good, and the service excellent. When we got back to the inn they had just put out warm chocolate chip cookies, and we each had two for dessert. I've already discovered that this inn feeds you. Thy have a nice continental+ breakfast, they have rolls and fruit out during the day with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and lemonade, then about 4 o'clock they put soup out followed by chocolate chip cookies--yum, yum.

A very pleasant day, and we are both looking forward to the dog sled ride tomorrow! J

Adult males weigh 550-800 pounds; adult females weigh 450-550 pounds. The breeding period known as "the rut", occurs from September through October. Calving occurs in late May and early June. Usually one calf is born; twins are very rare. Most elk on the refuge are 3-10 years old. 

Mature males have branched antlers; yearling males, called spikes, usually have unbranched antlers. Antlers are shed each year during March and April, while younger bulls shed their antlers later. New antler growth begins within a week after shedding and continues until late August when the antlers are full sized. During the peak period of growth in the summer, antlers may grow one inch per day.

yearling males, called spikes, usually have unbranched antlers

the mountain in the background is called "the sleeping Indian"

 the elk in front is called "Kong" by the locals because of the size of his antlers

Vertical Rise 1,571 feet                                  Groomed Terrain 300 Acres

This is the sleigh we rode pulled by Fred & Barney--two large Belgian horses.

a chandelier made of antler horns in the Visitor's Center

this coyote was on display was in the Visitor's Center

On our way back to the motel we walked by the Town Square and Jason had his picture taken underneath one of the entrances made of elk antlers. Boy Scouts collect the antlers each year and sell them. They use some of the money to buy winter food for the elk.

The Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Company picked us up in Jackson and drove us to their kennels at the Granite Hot Springs Trailhead, and we then went half way to Granite Hot Springs.

Frank Teasley co-founded the Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours (JHI) as a "pension plan" for his experienced racers and a "high school" for his younger, less experienced dogs in training for the Iditarod. Each dog in the kennel receives the care and training of his racing team. No other method of travel over snow can compare with dog sledding. The only sounds are the shushing of the runners, perhaps the panting of the dogs and the wind in your face. You may choose the length of your trip: full or half day trips are available.

Full day trips pick up in town at 8:00 a.m. and return at approximately 4:30 p.m. They include a hearty lunch, and hot soups and beverages. If you plan on going on a full day trip, you will travel twice the distance, and at the end of the line you will also get to swim in the warm Granite Hot Springs. You will also be served an entree of either delicious trout or steak.

Half day trips pick up in town at 8:00 a.m. and return at approximately 1:30 p.m. Half day trips include hot beverages and soups. Half day trip does not go all the way to the hot springs. The half day campsite is partway up the same trail to the springs but we physically cannot make it all the way to the springs and back in a half day's time.

Jason and I took the half day trip and decided that was enough as we were not interested in swimming and the trip was not easy. It was great learning the personalities of some of the dogs and talking with Mike, the guide who rode with me.

There were 6 in our 1/2 day group. Jason had a sled by himself, and I rode with Mike, one of the employees. Jay had a team of 6 dogs, and Mike and I had 8 dogs. The other teams had 8 or 10 dogs. I started out riding in the sled all wrapped up, and it was very warm and comfortable, Jay had a problem at first as his team couldn't keep up, and he was getting tired because he was pushing a lot and running a lot. At one point Jay said he needed a rest, and I took advantage of the stop to get out of the sled so I could stand on the runners with the guide. The guide took advantage of the stop to swap sleds with Jay. Jay now had a much better team and could outrun us. He had to brake to slow his team down as they wanted to pass us. As for Jay's original team, the guide found out that one of the lead dogs wasn't pulling and the other one was a little lazy--so in actuality it was really only a 4 or 5 dog team instead of a 6-dog team.

At the lunch stop he shortened the harness rope on the dog that wasn't pulling--Cutthroat--and swapped two of our dogs with two dogs on Jason's team to give us a little more power and to remove a troublemaker--Shawn--from Jason's team. Shawn was chewing the lead rope and jumping the traces but he was a hard worker. Mike knew he could control him, and shortening the harness rope did the trick on Cutthroat as he now leaned into the harness and pulled. So coming back the teams finally were a little better matched, although Jay's team still wanted to be first and that wasn't their role now that Mike wasn't driving them. It was a lot of fun, and learning about the personalities of some of the dogs made it interesting. Turtle was a small dog with a big heart. Columbine was a former racer who ran straight, worked hard, and wasted no energy. Sunnyside & Socks were a great lead team.

When we got back to the kennels the dogs got soup and some chicken skin and we had coffee or hot chocolate.

It was a GREAT experience. J

Each dog has his own little shelter & is fed a high protein diet. The company currently has 189 dogs, and they are a variety of sizes and types--they are NOT all huskies or malamutes. 

I started bundled up in the sled as we were going downhill and Mike thought it would be best.

Jason with his original team of 6 dogs.

We stopped for lunch and all the sleds are parked with a claw anchor firmly embedded in the ground.

We are getting ready to leave after lunch and the dogs are very excited.

Mike swapped two of the dogs on our sled with two of the dogs on Jason's sled--so he got Turtle, a small dog with a BIG heart and her partner, and we got BIG strong trouble-maker Shawn and his hard-working former racing partner Columbine.

Mike with Columbine

Jason & I at the end of the ride--Shawn is the brown dog next to the sled; he straightened out & worked hard with no chewing for Mike.

The most preferred mode of travel by visitors in Yellowstone is by snowmobile. The snowmobile offers more mobility to the most popular attractions and an excellent way to sightsee at your own pace. Moderate speed limits are strictly enforced, a driver's license is required for rental, and snowmobiling is confined to roads only. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel or Old Faithful Snow Lodge have snowmobile and gear rentals, along with the gateway communities of Gardiner, West Yellowstone, and Flagg Ranch. Under a temporary plan scheduled to last through 2006-07, up to 720 snowmobiles a day will be allowed into Yellowstone (400 through the West Entrance, 220 through the South Entrance, 40 through the East Entrance, 30 through the North Entrance, and 30 at Old Faithful), and all riders must be accompanied by commercial guides. Meanwhile, the National Park Service is undergoing a third major study of the issue in the hope of creating a new, more permanent plan. New four-stroke machines that are much less polluting than their two-stroke predecessors are now the only snowmobiles allowed into the park.

Snowcoach tours are an alternate way to see Yellowstone National Park and are becoming quite popular. The original snowcoach, made by the Bombardier, was created in the north of Canada to travel on snow-covered roads. Today, modern vehicles are used, with converted vans on snow tracks. They offer an enclosed and heated option, chauffeured by a naturalist guide. In the quiet of a snowcoach, your guide will have an opportunity to entertain you with stories that bring the history of Yellowstone alive. Find out about the predator-prey relationships operating within the ecosystem and learn about how geologic forces operating deep within the earth are responsible for Yellowstone's 10,000 thermal features. Scenic tours to Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone operate every day. Skier drop-offs and guided ski tours may also be arranged. Snowcoach Tours (one-way or roundtrip) are scheduled from:

 South Gate to Old Faithful

 Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful

 West Yellowstone to Old Faithful

 Mammoth Hot Springs to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (day trip)

 Old Faithful to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (day trip)

These shuttles run from mid December through the beginning of March.

Snowcoach tours are the fastest growing winter activity in Yellowstone, and I'll look at what one company has to say about it--Snowcoach Yellowstone. This company is located in West Yellowstone and claims to be the leader in providing upper-end luxury and other unique coaches to ensure the best possible vacation. Their diversified fleet ranges from the leather trimmed Excursion Limited to their luxurious 33 passenger Krystal® Snow Yacht. They state that all of this advance technology, paired with their professional interpretive guides, make it possible for them to create a Yellowstone memory to last a life time and state that Yellowstone's unique winter environment should not be missed.

Sit back and relax in the winter wonders of Yellowstone while enjoying the narrated tour. The spacious snowcoach takes you into Yellowstone's pristine winter environment at a comfortable pace. The luxury snowcoaches are quite possibly the roomiest, most comfortable snowcoaches in Yellowstone! Take a look at the fleet they offer:

 Van Terra® luxury coaches

 33 passenger Krystal® luxury coach (Snow Yacht)

 28 passenger Krystal® luxury coach (Snow Yacht)

 12 passenger Ford XLT Club Wagon®

 6-8 passenger Excursion Limited

The one day-tour to Old Faithful is currently $89 and the one-day Canyon tour is currently $99.

one of the snowcoaches 

We drove from Jackson about 58 miles to the Flagg Ranch on private land near the Yellowstone Park entrance and picked up the snowmobiles. Julie said I would be warmer & more comfortable on a separate snowmobile and asked if the advantages of driving my own snowmobile had been discussed with me. She said we would both enjoy it more and said there was one in West Yellowstone I can have for the remaining 3 days if I want it. I noticed it was windier in the 2nd seat, and it also seemed to be bumpier. So I swapped with Jason and drove for a while to see how I liked it and then told Julie I would like to have the separate snowmobile for the rest of the trip.

We left on the snowmobiles about 10:30. Our first stop was a quick one to take pictures of the Yellowstone entrance sign and the Snake River. At the next stop we walked about 50 yards to see the Lewis Waterfall. A scout for the Lewis and Clark expedition came through Yellowstone after the expedition; and he named the falls, river, and canyon after Lewis. The next stop was the Kepler Cascades named after a 14-year boy who was traveling with the group. Then we stopped for pictures of the Continental Divide sign. Our next stop was the main one for the day. We stopped at the Old Faithful area to eat lunch and, of course, see Old Faithful erupt. It was erupting when we got there so we went to the rest room, ate, stopped at the visitor's center and then walked out to the viewing area and waited for the eruption.

After leaving the Old Faithful area we followed the Firehole River for a long time. We saw a lot of buffalo attracted by the warmth of the thermal area and also saw several elk including one starving elk standing in the middle of the river to eat the moss growing in the water. We also saw the hot falls which is part of the Grand Prismatic Springs.

We also went up Firehole Canyon on a one-way road and saw Firehole Falls. We ended the day with a sighting of Trumpeter Swans, and drove into West Yellowstone about 5 pm after driving approximately 70 miles. 

Jason & I at the south entrance to the park

The Snake then swings down in an arc across southern Idaho, following the Snake River Plain. In doing so it passes through the cities of Idaho Falls and Twin Falls, forming the Shoshone Falls and continues to Boise and the Idaho/Oregon border. It then flows north through Hells Canyon, and past the cities of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington. It then turns into Washington and finally joins the Columbia River.

The Lewis River is a tributary of the Snake River. The entire course of the river is located within the boundaries of Yellowstone NP. The River begins at the southern end of Shoshone Lake and flows southerly about 4.5 miles to Lewis Lake. This short stretch of the river known as the Lewis River Channel is the only portion of the river where boating is permitted. The river re-emerges at the southern end of Lewis Lake and flows in a general southerly direction roughly paralleling the south entrance road toward the south entrance of the park for the last 14 miles of its course. The Lewis River takes a 29-foot drop at Lewis Falls, the most famous of many waterfalls and rapids on this short but scenic river. The Lewis joins the Snake River near the south entrance.

Kepler Cascades, a series of waterfalls totaling about 100 feet, was named for Kepler Hoyt, the 12-year-old son of Governor Hoyt of Wyoming Territory. In 1881, the lad accompanied his father through the Absaroka Range into the park, gaining the admiration of Superintendent Norris for his pluck and endurance.

Continental Divide

elevation 8,391

general view

 General view of the Old Faithful area before Old Faithful erupted. You can see that steam is escaping from several vents in the area.

left blank on purpose

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is fairly tall (130 feet average) and fairly regular (interval=about 88 minutes) so that a lot of people get the chance to see this tall geyser erupt. (The park's taller geysers are less regular and the more regular geysers are less tall.) Old Faithful is remarkable mainly for the fact that it has maintained good regularity and predictability for at least 133 years whereas most geysers are inherently irregular and unpredictable.

Browsing animals cluster in the geyser basins to eat grass stimulated by heat to grow. Food in the geyser basins is also easily seen when all other food is hidden by a blanket of snow.

A coyote and some buffalo that our guide Julie spotted from the road.

Buffalo near the Firehole River.

This large hot springs flowing into the Firehole River near the Grand Prismatic Spring is attracting buffalo that want the warmth and the vegetation growing near it.

This starving cow elk is standing in the river trying to eat the mosses that are growing in the river.

A one-way scenic loop road follows the Firehole River and passes Firehole Falls (40 feet high) before rejoining the main road at the Cascades of the Firehole.

Two trumpeter swans. 

I drove my own snowmobile today successfully. And the weather was fantastic--sunshine all day long and relatively speaking warm. Thus I was dressed too warm.

The first thing we did this morning was visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to see live wolves and bear in captivity. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is a unique not-for-profit Bear and Wolf Preserve that is located in the gateway community of West Yellowstone, Montana, just a block away from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

The animals are rescued and sent to the center rather than being destroyed. They currently have 7 bears (they are all grizzlies but some are intercostals, some are kodiaks, and some are silver tipped) and 4 wolves. They rotate the bears letting 2 or 3 go out in a large natural yet fenced enclosure for about an hour at a time. They hide food at various locations for the bears to find. When they want the bears to come in, they ring a bell and the bears quit whatever they are doing and return to their separate quarters because they know a meal will be waiting for them there. The 4 wolves live together in a large enclosure and there is an alpha male and female and an beta male and female. All of the animals have been neutered. After we watched two sets of the bears and the wolves we went inside to see the exhibits. It was all VERY interesting.

In 2002, Spirit was the first Montana Grizzly bear to be placed in captivity at the Center. As a six-year-old, mother of two, Spirit was known by Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists as "Easy" and was comfortable residing in a golf community in Whitefish, Montana. She obtained some human food and was passing on this behavior to both her cubs. Spirit was relocated six times but continued to return to the golf community even after intensive aversive conditioning. After one of her cubs was killed by a car, officials decided to remove the other cub placing it in captivity at the Denver Zoo, and removing Spirit from the wild forever. Soon after arriving at the Center, this bear received the name Spirit honoring Native American's and their belief in the Great Spirit Bear. Spirit has adapted very well to life in captivity and has interacted with many bears at the Center but seems to enjoy the company of Revel and Stoke the best.

Revel (left) and Stoke (right) are twin brothers from British Columbia, Canada who were placed in captivity as young cubs after their mother was shot and killed by a rancher in defense of life and property in 1995. Bear cubs cannot survive in the wild without their mother and a captive home was the only alternative to being destroyed. Both weighing approximately 550 pounds, these bears are easily distinguished from one another by Revel's very blonde face versus Stokes' dark brown, almost black coat color. Revel can interact in the habitat with Stoke, Kobuk, Nakina and Spirit while his brother boasts popularity with every bear at the Center except 101. Revel seems to enjoy a good romp in the habitat and will run from side to side in order to get other bears to chase him. Stoke appears to be happy when wrestling with other bears. Revel and Stoke were named after Revelstoke, the area of their birthplace.

Nakina (left) and Kobuk (right) - this brother and sister were actually from a litter of triplets when their mother and brother were shot and killed by residents of a community near the Delta Junction of Alaska. They came to live at the GWDC in 1998. Kobuk displays confidence when interacting with larger male bears at the Center, Revel and Stoke, and can spend hours wrestling with either one. Nakina seems content playing with Revel and Stoke too, but will also entertain herself searching out hides, fish and bones. Being from the interior part of Alaska, Kobuk and Nakina will be about the same size as bears of Yellowstone with weights between 450 and 600 pounds. Kobuk and Nakina were named by a West Yellowstone and Delta Junction elementary student who picked these names after the rivers near the bears' birthplace.

Stoke is wrestling with Nakina

Now Kobuk has joined them.  

Kobuk & Stoke

Project Status

What's the Story

What Do Gray Wolves Eat?

Hayden is the Alpha Male of the Gallatin Pack. He has dark coloration throughout his gray coat with very distinct black markings on his face, a stocky body and large head. Even though Hayden is not the biggest male in the pack, he shows the confidence to lead and is never challenged for his higher position by the other male, Granite. In the winter Hayden climbs to the top of the waterfall and lies among the rocks to survey his territory. In the summer he spends time fishing in the pond catching fish to eat or offer as a token to the females in the pack. Hayden has a wonderful deep howl and usually will be the last to call out during a group howl. Hayden, along with the other wolves, helps us to better appreciate and ultimately respect the wolf.

The Alpha Female of the Centers' Gallatin Pack is Lakuna. The first position Lakuna held in the pack was as the Omega, or lowest ranking wolf in the pack. It was amazing to watch Lakuna advance her position until reaching Alpha status in the fall of 2002. Since that time, no other female has challenged for her high ranking position. Being Alpha means she and the Alpha male are in charge of the pack, being leaders of the other wolves. Lakuna will show dominance with body posturing giving visitors the opportunity to observe natural wolf behavior not easily witnessed in the wild. Look for Lakuna perched high up in the rocks of the waterfall as she watches over her territory and other pack members.

Naya is the very small female wolf in the Gallatin Pack. She has a light gray coat with prominent black markings on her back and very dark eyes. Naya is the Beta female of the pack which means she is the second highest ranking female. In this position she assists the Alpha female with dominance and the assertion of pack order with the other females. Naya does have competition for her position with another female, Alyeska, who at times, tries to overtake her Beta status. However, Naya refuses to give up her higher position and defends her title confidently. Many visitors to the Center have witnessed these two wolves interacting giving them a wonderful education in true pack behavior. 

The large black wolf in the pack is Granite. He is not a different species of wolf because of his color; he is a gray wolf with black coloring. Granite has an insatiable appetite and will stuff two or three bones into his mouth at one time to insure a satisfying meal. He is very playful and will chase ravens, other wolves and even his own tail if the mood suits him. He is often seen being dominated by the Alpha Male, Hayden, reinforcing who the boss of the pack is. This dominance can be intense at times, reminding visitors that even in captivity, these wolves are wild, giving them a true glimpse into the fascinating behavior of wolves.

a coyote

Continuation of Day 2--The trip from West Yellowstone to Mammoth is an easy 49 miles; so we enjoyed the scenic drive through the West Entrance, back along the Madison River to Madison Junction then along the Gibbon River & down into Mammoth Springs & Gardiner, MT.

First, we backtracked and visited the paint pots. Again we saw buffalo around the thermal areas and one poor emaciated cow was standing over a fumerole for warmth but was shaking from either exhaustion, hunger or both. She was very near a bridge we were going to cross, but Julie thought we might stress the poor animal so we turned around. Next we stopped at the warming hut at Madison Junction and ate a box lunch. After lunch we stopped at the beautiful Gibbons Waterfall--named after the supporting generals Custer failed to wait for at Little Big Horn who who found the massacre.

Our next big stop was Norris Geyser Basin where we took the one mile loop through the Back Basin. We got very hot with the aerobic activity in the snowmobile outfits plus the trail was very narrow--if you stepped off the packed narrow trail your foot would sink about two feet in the soft snow. I started having back spasms at one of my trigger points and was in a lot of pain until we got to a point where I could lay down on a hard surface and stretch out the spasming muscle.

The rest of the way we encountered several buffalo jams--buffalo blocked the road and were not moving. Julie had us follow her very closely as she slowly approached the buffalo and worked her way around them. We also saw elk near the road and got good pictures of male elks with large antlers. As we approached Mammoth we stopped for a picture of Sheepeaters Cliff and a view looking toward the canyon. Mammoth sits at a low elevation and, therefore, doesn't have as much snow which is good for the animals as they can find food. We even crossed several places on the highway that had no snow. When we got near Mammoth the road was closed and the owner of the Best Western met us and drove us to Gardner as we would be staying at the Best Western. There isn't enough snow to drive snowmobiles here.

There is a bald eage on the long dead tree trunk in the center nearest the river as shown in the closeup in the second picture.

the first of MANY, MANY buffalo we would encounter on the road

Fountain Paint Pot

more pictures of the  Fountain Paint Pot  

This poor cow was so weak and cold that she was shaking as she stood over one of the fumeroles.  

Gibbon Falls

The 84 foot tall Gibbon Falls is located halfway between Madison Junction and the Norris Geyser Basin. The falls mark the place where the Gibbon River falls of the Northern escarpment lie on the Yellowstone caldera boundary.

Beryl Spring [pronounced BURL not BARREL] is one of a number of hot springs where the water is super-heated, that is, at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water at this altitude. Under proper lighting the spring is a bluish green color, hence the name "Beryl"

Emerald Spring

This 27-foot-deep pool is lined with yellow sulfur deposits and the yellow color from the sulfur combines with the reflected blue light making the hot spring appear a magnificent emerald green. 

Cistern Spring

Cistern Spring's brown, orange, and green colors represent species of visible algae and bacteria, each requiring a different temperature environment. As water gradually cools--by flowing away from its source--it creates lower temperature environments ideal for these colorful species of algae and bacteria.

views of the Norris Geyser Basin

we took a one-mile hike in the Back Basin

beautiful snow-covered trees in the basin

a large buffalo that walked past as we sat quietly in our snowmobiles

we sometimes encountered large groups of buffalo--we stopped and let them pass us if they were moving or we slowly moved past them staying VERY close to each other so they couldn't get between us if they were just standing there

Roaring Mountain

Sheepeater Cliff, a basaltic cliff named for the mountain-dwelling Shoshonean Indians - the Sheepeaters - who were the park's only Indian inhabitants when white men arrived.

Elk near the road close to the Golden Gate Bridge

views looking toward Mammoth Canyon

elk that we saw on the way to Gardiner--the driver stopped the van and we got out to take some pictures

mountain sheep that we saw on the way to Gardiner

view out our window at the Best Western in Gardiner

When Yellowstone was established in 1872 as the world's first national park, it was nearly inaccessible. By 1903, the Northern Pacific Railroad line had been extended to Gardiner, MT, and the north entrance became a bustling tourist destination. From the Gardiner depot visitors boarded stagecoaches and began their tour. Captain Hiram M. Chittenden of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and director of road construction in Yellowstone, decided that the park's primary entrance deserved a formal gateway. This large arch built of local columnar basalt rises 50-feet high in stark contrast to the surrounding area and is inscribed with the words: "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People." President Theodore Roosevelt, while vacationing here in the spring of 1903, agreed to lay the cornerstone.

After a good night's rest and breakfast, we headed back into the park to continue our exploration. While we were in the van several pronghorn antelope crossed the road in front of us. However, the day started poorly due to a misunderstanding between the guide and us. As we were being driven from The Best Western back to our snowmobiles we drove past some of the hot springs terraces and Julie mentioned walking to the top of the terraces and then back down again. Then we got on the snowmobiles and took off. When we finally stopped and I got a chance to ask her about the terraces because it seemed to me we were driving away from them, she said she thought no one wanted to see them since nothing was said when she mentioned it. This greatly upset me because she is always mentioning what we are going to do and we later do it with no yea or nay from us. Also the day before when there was an option about continuing on a loop which would involve an extra 6/10s of a mile she carefully explained the option and asked us what we wanted to do and we all opted for continuing the loop. This time she made the decision--with no input from us, the clients--that since the terraces aren't as great as they were several years ago that they aren't worth seeing. I saw them this summer and wanted to see them again in the winter and wanted Jason to get a chance to see them; however, he said he was afraid he might have had trouble with his feet anyway since he doesn't have his braces.

We did stop to see some large glacial erratics, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Obsidian Cliff for short history lessons. Then we drove through Hayden Valley where we saw more buffalo. First we met one large bull, two cows, and two calves on the highway and we parked on the side as they walked by. Later we met 4 bulls and again parked but left the engines running and they walked by in single file. Next up was the biggie--the upper and lower falls (308 feet) of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its famous yellow walls.

As an anticlimax we later stopped to see Dragon's Mouth, the Mud Volcano, and two beavers then traveled along the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake & Fishing Bridge. We ate a late lunch packed by the restaurant at 2 pm in the warming hut there. As we were in the warming hut it started to snow, and when we came out we were almost in a white-out situation. Later we came to an avalanche area and had to leave 100 yards between each snowmobile and keep the speed below 20 mph. Julie also mentioned there was frequently a sheer drop off on the right and we could drive in the middle of the road if we wanted to.

We spent the night at Pahaska Tepee. The site for Pahaska Tepee was marked out with an ax by Buffalo Bill in 1901. The spot is about 50 miles west of Cody near the east entrance to Yellowstone NP in the Absaroka Mountains at 6,672 Feet. Pahaska probably comes from "pahinhonska," Buffalo Bill's Lakota name, which means long hair of the head. Tepee is Lakota for lodge. The name is literally Long Hair's lodge. The lodge was opened for business in 1904.

While Pahaska was built as Buffalo Bill's fall hunting lodge where he could entertain his world circle of friends, it was mainly intended to be a summer hotel that produced a profit. Pahaska is a T-shaped, 2-story log building with a large wrap-around porch on 3 sides. The main floor has 7 bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and a large lounge with a massive free-standing native stone fireplace, which accommodates 5-foot logs. The 2nd floor houses Buffalo Bill's private suite, extending over the porch, as well as 6 other bedrooms and 2 baths. During some of the best known hunts at Pahaska, such as the 1913 visit by the Prince of Monaco, Buffalo Bill did not hunt, but rather played the host.

Pahaska Tepee was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 which identifies the site as a place worthy of preservation and as contributing to the cultural foundations of America. In 1998, Preserve Wyoming recognized Pahaska as one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in Wyoming. Today, other buildings on the site are a full-service resort in summer and a ski and snowmobile center in winter.

Pronghorn Antelope

We saw these pronghorn antelopes when returning to our snowmobiles from Gardiner.

Glaciers carried these massive stones from high, far off mountains. When the ice melted, these large rounded granite boulders, called glacial erratics, were left behind often at places where granite is not normally found. They are often perched precariously on exposed rock faces after glacial retreat. 

Obsidian Cliff

That the obsidian from Yellowstone was widely traded has been established by analyses that place the source of the obsidian found in the Hopewell Mounds (east of the Mississippi River) as the Yellowstone lava beds. Before the "discovery" by Columbus and the arrival of the Spanish, which disrupted trade routes, Yellowstone obsidian was traded as far as Mexico and Guatamala.

Golden Gate Bridge

To reach Yellowstone Plateau from Mammoth Hot Springs, the Corps of Engineers in 1885 built this wooden trestle along the sheer wall of the "Golden Gate" (named for the light-colored volcanic rock). The alternative was the direct route through Snow Pass which was so steep that if the tailboard of a wagon fell out the whole load was promptly dumped in the road. The route through Golden Gate saved a half-day's travel up the plateau.

The current Golden Gate Bridge. Since 1900 two different concrete trestles have replaced the rickety wooden structure.

This was a very happy buffalo as he had found a good bunch of grass and was having a good meal.

These bulls were walking down the highway in single file, and we just sat on our snowmobiles with the engines running waiting for them to pass.

Canadian Geese

left blank on purpose

Why here?

3) The Yellowstone River flowed through the zig-zag cracks and eroded its river channel. Once the river reached the softer, hydrothermally-altered rock, erosion increased and created the Upper Falls.

The Upper Falls

The Chittenden Memorial Bridge was built in 1962 on the site of the graceful Melan arch bridge which was erected in 1903 by Captain Hiram Chittenden in order to provide access to the east rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

308 foot Lower Falls & the Yellowstone River

Lower Falls is often described as being more than twice the size of Niagara, although this only refers to its height and not the volume of water flowing over it. The volume of water flowing over the falls can vary from 63,500 gal/sec at peak runoff to 5,000 gal/sec in the fall. Here in the winter the flow is low because some of the flow is frozen.

The Yellowstone River has carved a canyon 800 to 1,300 ft. deep, 1,500 to 4,000 ft. wide & 20 miles long. Rhyolite, which forms the canyon walls, underwent alteration when thermal water worked its way up. This weakened the rhyolite & made it susceptible to erosion. During the past 150,000 years, the river has been at work eroding the soft, altered rock. Harder, more resistant, unaltered rhyolite forms the brink of the falls.

Dragon's Mouth Spring

An unknown visitor named this feature around 1912 due to the water that frequently surged from the cave like the lashing of a dragon's tongue. The rumbling sounds are caused by steam and other gasses exploding through the water causing it to crash against the walls of the hidden caverns.

Mud Volcano

In 1870, explorers stood in awe as Mud Volcano spewed mud into the treetops, shaking ground with each eruption. Two years alter it was a pool of bubbling, muddy water, Mud Volcano had blown itself apart!

The thermal features at Mud Volcano are primarily mud pots and fumaroles because the area is situated on a parched water system with little water available. Fumaroles or "steam vents" occur when the ground water boils away faster than it can be recharged. Also, the vapors are rich in sulfuric acid that leaches the rock, breaking it down into clay. Because no water washes away leached rock, it remains as sticky clay to form a mud pot. Hydrogen sulfide gas is present deep in the earth at Mud Volcano. As this gas combines with water and the sulfur is metabolized by cyanobacteria, a solution of sulfuric acid is formed that dissolves the surface soils to create pools and cones of clay and mud. Along with hydrogen sulfide, steam, carbon dioxide, and other gases explode through the layers of mud.

Cow Buffalo Skull & Neck Vertebra

beavers in Otter Creek

Jason and I stayed in the front part of this little chalet and Stewart and Lanice stayed in the back part and as you can see our 4 snowmobiles are parked in front.

Jason on his snowmobile

one of two foxes that visited the Pahaska Tepee restaurant while we were eating dinner

the original Pahaska Tepee (owned by "Buffalo Bill" Cody)--Julie and the owner who took us on a tour are talking on the porch

This characteriture was created in a shooting contest.

a Cuban flag

an English flag personally given to Buffalo Bill by the Queen

central living area

the dining room

We reversed our path back through the east entrance and to the main road that loops around the park. Thus we recrossed Sylvan Pass and went through the avalanche zone again, but the visibility was better today and it was easy to see the road. Then we traveled along the northern shores of Yellowstone Lake and stopped at Lake Overlook for a great view of the 2nd largest lake in the world at this altitude. The largest is Lake Titicaca in Peru. For the first time on the trip my fingers were cold--very cold. The hand warmers on the snowmobile didn't seem to be functioning. I got two of the "Hotties" out and put them in my gloves. Jason checked and the right handwarmer on the snowmobile was actually turned off and the one on the left must have been VERY slow warming up because they both finally started working. However I continued to use the "Hotties" the rest of the day. Before Fishing Bridge we saw one coyote cross the road in front of us. Then we saw a coyote eating from a carcass. As we crossed the bridge we looked back and saw 3 moose eating from evergreen trees along the river banks. They had to be very hungry to be eating evergreens.

We then finally started covering some new territory and headed for West Thumb. We stopped and ate a sack lunch in the warming hut there, and according to the itinerary we were suppose to have an interpretive walk at West Thumb, but Julie didn't even mention it. We did stop and see a very pretty Moose Falls, and the short walk back to the falls was very interesting as we walked through a tunnel of snow that sometimes was over our heads. Later as we were driving there was a fantastic view--the straight road with tall snow-covered trees on both sides leading to distant mountains with the sun shining on them. We couldn't stop for pictures because there was nowhere to pull over.

All too soon we reached the park exit and 2 miles later Flagg Ranch where we will picked up the van and left the snowmobiles. The company leaves all the 4 cycles at the ranch as they use them only in the park. Julie then drove us the 58 miles back to Jackson.

views of Lake Yellowstone from the overlook

coyotes feasting on a kill

the guide spotted these 3 moose eating the prickly leaves off of fur trees (which shows they are VERY hungry) as we crossed the Fishing Bridge and we stopped for pictures

Yellowstone River at the Fishing Bridge

Lewis Canyon & Lewis River

Gallatin Range

me at Moose Falls

Stewart & Lanice standing in the entrance path to the falls to demonstrate the high snow banks along the path

Crawfish Creek

for pictures of other vacations return to the Vacation Photos page