Yellowstone in Winter
In January, 1995 we flew out to Jackson Hole, WY to spend a week in Yellowstone National Park in mid-winter. This was a wonderful trip as the park is magical in the winter with very few visitors and easy access to the iconic Yellowstone wildlife. As we expected and hoped, there was a lot of snow on the ground and it continued to come down in the days that we were there. In those days the only way into the central region of the park, near Old Faithful, was to reserve a seat on the snowcoach, which was a cross between a small bus and a snowmobile. At that time private snowmobiles were not allowed in the park, which unfortunately is no longer true. We boarded the bus at the southern end of the park and rode to the Old Faithful Lodge where we had booked a room. The main activity during the day was to cross-country ski around the basin as well as along nice trails in the woods.
The scenery is spectacular in the winter with heavy snow and few visitors.
Cross-country skiing
At that time the only way to get around was to cross country ski or snowshoe. There were relatively few visitors, compared to the summer crowd, so one had the ski trails almost to yourself.
Thermal activity
One of the attractions of Yellowstone at any time of the year is the thermal activity, geysers and hot springs, which become more spectacular in the winter as there is more steam generated. The geyser area near Old Faithful is the hub of the winter activity.
Wildlife
A spectacular aspect of Yellowstone in the winter are the elk that come down from the high country to join the bison and gather in the lower elevations near the thermal areas. It’s also a lesson in survival to watch them pushing down into the deep snow to look for grass to eat in the bone-chilling cold.
National Elk Refuge
We returned to Jackson Hole by way of the snowcoach and rental car to catch our flight home. However, a big snowstorm hit which closed down the airport so we had to stay in a motel in Jackson Hole for a few extra days to wait out the storm. This was fine as there is lots to do in the town, highlighted by the National Elk Refuge which is just a few miles outside. To see the vast herds of elk we had to take a horse-drawn buggy from the parking lot. The day we went there were periods of near white-out conditions from the blowing snow.
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