February 2016: Yellowstone in Winter

Bison on the Madison River

I had always heard how neat Yellowstone was in the winter time, but I had never been.  I had been in the spring, when there was still a lot of snow on the ground, but I had never been on a snowcoach tour.  For one reason or another, I had always thought, "Oh, it's too expensive,"  or, "I can't afford the time."  One excuse after another.  Funny thing was, I really wanted to do it but I didn't really think it was feasible.

One of my childhood best friends, Jeff ended up being a snowcoach driver.  I thought, "If I ever went on a snowcoach tour, I'd like Jeff to be the tourguide."  One day I finally looked into it for real.  One of the Hot Chick's friends and her husband both said they wanted to go on a snowcoach trip, so we just decided to do it.  Thing was, it isn't all that expensive.  The value of the trip was well worth the price we paid.  It ended up being $120.00 per person plus a nice tip for the driver.

The Hot Chick and I made a pact that we would not exchange gifts for Christmas that year, we would, instead put whatever money we would have spent on each other into our snowcoach fund.  We also told our children not to buy us things.  We already have enough things.  If they wanted to give us a gift for Christmas, they should donate to our snowcoach fund.  Just doing that got us most of the way there.  Then it wasn't a hardship coming up with the rest.

We headed up on a Friday night in the middle of February, after work, ate at the Three Bear Restaurant and stayed at the Stagecoach Inn.  The Stagecoach is one of the older hotels in West Yellowstone, and it has a colorful history as a speakeasy, a brothel, an underground casino etc...  It also has a really cool grand staircase made of knotty pine and surrounded by taxidermy animals.  The staircase goes up halfway, splits into two staircases each going opposite directions.  I had wanted to stay in that hotel for many years.

Sadly, I didn't get any photos of the interior of the Stagecoach (this time...  We did go again the following year and I got photos that time.  You'll have to wait for the next blog post to see that.)

After breakfast, we boarded the snowcoach with Jeff as our driver and headed into Yellowstone National Park.  At first I was a little disappointed because I had always envisioned going in in a tracked vehicle with skis on the front.  This was a large 12 passenger van that had giant balloon tires on it.  They call it an 'over the snow vehicle.'  Jeff told us that the balloon tires were way more quiet than the tracked vehicles and vans with this kind of wheel got fifteen or twenty miles per gallon of fuel as opposed to the tracked vehicles which got about three miles to the gallon.   Over the road wheeled vehicle it was.

There were two trips we could take into Yellowstone in the winter, Old Faithful or Canyon.  We chose Old Faithful for this year (2016) and said if it was as cool as we hoped it was, we'd do Canyon the next year.  The Park Service only allows a certain number of people a day into Yellowstone in the winter.  If you wish to go on a snowcoach tour, you have to book it a few weeks in advance, and you need to either have a park pass or pay for admittance at the gate.  I always buy an all parks pass each year for eighty dollars.  After three trips into Yellowstone or any other national park, the pass is paid for.  I don't mind because all of the pass fees go directly to the National Park Service.  It doesn't go into the general fund.

We headed off toward Old Faithful and began seeing animals just a few miles into the park.  We saw bison, swans, a wolf and a coyote.

Small herd near Madison Junction

Three trumpeter swans, two adults and one adolescent 

Two more swans

The grey dot, according to the spotting scope we looked through is a wolf.  This is why I need a 400 mm lens

Wolf's little brother, coyote

On the Old Faithful tour, the snowcoach stops at several of the geyser basins.  Our first stop was at Biscuit Basin.  There are several geysers and pools at Biscuit Basin.  We were able to see a couple of them erupt.  Unfortunately, I don't know the names of the ones we saw.

Bacterial mat at Biscuit Basin

Primordial sludge

Geyser whose name escapes me

Continuing eruption

Getting serious

Mini-me

On the boardwalk with water in many different forms.  Liquid, solid and gas

Our friends on the boardwalk

The Hot Chick and our tourguide (and longtime friend), Jeff

I like texture

Slimy stuff

Don't think this is edible

I think I photograph this every time I go there

More goo

So many varieties.  Jeff said that microbes from one of the pools in the park was the foundation for all DNA research.  Yellowstone is a very cool place

The ground is hot here, the snow (or sneg as my Russian friends would say) only collects in the grasses above the dirt

After Biscuit Basin, we headed over to Old Faithful.  First we checked the time of the eruption, then we decided we had enough time to go and eat at the diner in the lodge.  I don't remember what I had, but I think it was good.  Then we headed over to Old Faithful to see the eruption before heading back aboard our snowcoach.  We arrived mid-eruption and by the time I got into position and got the camera ready it was basically over.  We had to content ourselves with selfies and pictures of chipmunks.  I have seen Old Faithful erupt ten hundred million billion times, though so it was okay.  Next time I go in the winter I'll be more vigilant.

 Us with Jeff

Alan and Anita, me and the Hot Chick

Cousin kevin

Uncle Ernie

We got back on the road and had to share it with a small herd of bison.  They think they own the place.  After that, we went to Midway Geyser Basin.  Midway is the home of Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the true rockstars of Yellowstone National Park.  A few summers ago, a tourist was climbing a hill overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring.  It was a social trail, not an officially recognized trail.  When he got to the top, he didn't think the view was grand enough, so he climbed a dead tree.  Naturally, the tree collapsed with his weight and as he came down with it, a branch impaled his temple and he died.  Naturally, the Park Service closed the social trails under penalty of a fine.  Last summer, as I was driving by, I noticed that the main trail (Fairy Falls Trail) was closed.  Then I noticed that there was some construction on top of the hill where the man fell.  I looked into it and discovered that the Park Service basically said, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  That makes me very happy, because the only way to truly witness the majesty of Grand Prismatic Spring is from above.

Bison in the road

This one stared us down for a long time

Midway Geyser Basin

See where the hot water meets the cold?  We used to skinny dip there late at night in the 1970's.  I no longer skinny dip.  I no longer qualify

These are thermal kames.  Locally known as the Marilyn Monroe Mountains

Under the steam is Grand Prismatic Spring.  As you can tell, it's hard to see in the winter.  I hope the overlook is open in wintertime.

Here's a pool or geyser whose name I don't know

More of Midway Geyser Basin's beauty

The steam cools when it hits the trees and turns to a liquid and then a solid.  Part of the unique beauty of Yellowstone

From Midway Geyser Basin we headed over to Fountain Paint Pots.  I love the paint pots, and they are especially cool in winter.  It was pretty cold, however so we didn't stay long.

Fountain Paint Pots

More

Red Spouter

And another one

Jeff and our trusty steed

We headed back, as we had to be out of the park by 4:30.  I would have liked to stay even longer, but rules being what they are...  We stopped at Firehole Falls to see what it looked like in winter, then we headed for home.  On our way out of the park, we encountered a young bull elk that was unwilling to share the road with snowmobiles and snowcoaches.  The snowmobile drivers would try to get past him and he would charge them, which meant the driver had to vacate the snowmobile.  Then the elk would back off and he'd get back on.  The elk would charge again.  Over and over and over.  No one could pass.  Finally, the elk ran off into the river and we could pass.

Anne Elk, Miss Anne Elk

Firehole Falls

We often have our photo taken at this spot.  First time in the winter, though

Hanging out with a coyote

None shall pass

Ran off into the river

We really enjoyed Yellowstone in the winter.  So much so that when we drove home, our friends said, "So, next year when we go to Canyon..."

***Spoiler Alert***
We went to Canyon the next year, or last winter.  That trip will be featured in the next blog post.  The Hot Chick and I and our friends believe this will become an annual trip for the next several years.  I certainly hope so.  I loved it and loved having my dear friend as a tourguide.  The company is called, Buffalo Bus.  Be sure to give a generous tip to your driver.

Dinner at the Three Bear Restaurant:   $40.00
Night in the Stagecoach Inn:  $60.00
Snowcoach tour with Jeff:  $240.00
Lunch at Old Faithful:  $20.00
Memories:  Priceless

2014--April: First Yellowstone Trip of the Season

Spectacular eruption of Old Faithful

I have been in Yellowstone hundreds of times in my lifetime, but most of those trips have been in June, July and August.  Particularly in July and August.  Recent years I've taken the family up in September quite a bit, but rarely have we visited in the spring, and never in the winter.  I hope to change that next year by the way.  One of my best friends is a snowcoach guide and my bucket list says he needs to guide us in the wintertime. 

For the last few years, we have been looking at things other than the hot water in Yellowstone.  The times we've been able to go have been peak tourist time and the thermal features are always crowded then.  We've been hitting waterfalls and hikes into the backcountry.  Not so deep that we have to camp to get to our destination, but hikes of six or eight miles don't phase us.

This early in the season, however the park is only open so far.  The road from West Yellowstone to Madison Junction, the road from Gardiner, Montana to Old Faithful and the road from Norris Junction to Canyon are the only ones open right now.  Still too much snow for the rest of the park to be open. 

We could have driven to Canyon or Mammoth, but this time of year we wouldn't have seen much on the way or at either location.  Old Faithful seemed to be the best bet.  For the last few years, I've wanted to visit the geyser basins between Madison Junction and Old Faithful in the early spring to see if they are more impressive or more spectacular when there is more ground water than they are later in the year.  I can tell you that YES THEY ARE!  They did not disappoint.  The one I was most interested in seeing though was Fountain Paint Pots.  I wanted to see the mudpots when they are more active.  Later in the year, most of the mud is dried up and is a hard clay.  I have always wondered if they were better in the spring or winter because of the abundance of water during those times.  Turns out my theory was correct.

Haydn had rehearsal all day and Garrett was at a campout until three o'clock on Saturday, and Rhys didn't want to come along and be the only kid, so Chimene and I made a date of it.  Just the two of us.  We had a nice time in Yellowstone.  The park opened last Friday, but the weather was too bad and Chimene didn't get off work until two o'clock, so that day was out.  We went on Saturday instead and the weather was great.  It was sunny and breezy at times but not terrible and even though there was a lot of snow on the ground it really was jacket weather.

I went back and reread several blog posts from last year and a phrase kept popping out.  I had written several times, "This is why I need a zoom lens for the camera."  Santa Claus must have read my blog, or maybe Mrs. Claus did because I got two new lenses for the camera.  A zoom lens and a portrait lens that will lend itself to wildflower photography.  Thank you Mrs. Claus!

Obligatory shot of the first bison of the year

Canada geese.  contrary to popular belief, they are not Canadian geese and they do not say "Eh."

First Stop:  Fountain Paint Pots

I love all the mudpots in Yellowstone.  Always have.  I can watch them for a long time.  They mesmerize me.  They were especially active on this trip because of the excess ground water.  Our friend, Jeff Carter also said that since the earthquake a few months ago a lot of the thermal features were more active.  Whatever the reason, it works for me.  They are one of my favorite thermal features in the park.

When we got there, there was still about fifteen inches of snow on the first part of the boardwalk.  As we ventured further into the geyser basin, though the ground temperature was hot enough that the snow had either already melted or had failed to collect.  Whatever the case, it was fun to walk through the snow with the other intrepid adventurers.

All of the thermal features we saw in the park seemed to be more active and more powerful in the spring.  It was spectacular.  I think I want to come in the spring more often.  I loved it.  Enough talk, here are the pictures.

Me walking on fifteen inches of snow to get to the paint pots

Travertine being formed.  Is it just me or is this larger than it was last year?

Silex Spring

Sinter and bacterial mats on the edge of Silex Spring

More of the same

Fountain Paint Pots in the spring.  Much more active than later in the season

Mud bubble

Gives an idea of the amount of mud bubbles

More mud bubbles

But wait, there's more mud bubbles

...bursting

This is why I like Yellowstone, one of many reasons

Fountain Paint Pots from the other side.  In the summer, most of this will be dry and hardened

First wildflower of the year for me.  Don't know what it is but I'll identify it sometime

Leather Pool

Red Spouter formed after the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake.  It's usually just a hissing vent later in the season

Spring is definitely the right time to see Red Spouter

Love this feature

Volcanic tableland

Twig, Fountain and Clepsydra Geysers all working together

The Hot Chick in front of the snow.  Quite a bit still there

Second Stop:  Midway Geyser Basin

I used to love Midway Geyser Basin when I was a teenager.  There was this really great spot where the water from Excelsior Geyser runs off into the Firehole River.  Back in the 1970's it was legal to swim there so we would go in just after dark and go skinny dipping there.  Unfortunately, a few rude people tend to ruin things for the rest of us.  The rangers closed it down in the late seventies because they got tired of having to clean up underwear and beer bottles every morning.  It was good while it lasted.  If you got too hot, you just had to kick off into the river.  When you got too cool you moved closer to the geyser runoff.  It was idyllic.  Selfish rude people.

Midway is home to the largest thermal spring in the world, Grand Prismatic Spring.  It's a beautiful blue pool that is enormous.  Unfortunately, because the air temperature was so cool and the water was so hot we couldn't see much of the water at Midway.  Too much steam.  Later in the season, when the air temperature is much warmer, we'll be able to see it better.  The problem with that, however is that we'll have to share the experience with a couple thousand tourists at that time.

I still love Midway Geyser Basin.

Where I used to skinny-dip

Still a great deal of snow on the mountains

I believe this is called Turquoise Pool

The Hot Chick at Turquoise Pool

Travertine terraces being formed.  In a thousand years this will look like Mammoth Hot Springs in it's heyday

Bacterial mat in the discharge waters of Grand Prismatic Spring

Strange looking discharge channel

Don't know how or why, but I do know this is cool

I waited for just the right moment when the steam cleared to get this shot.  The edge of the crater of Excelsior Geyser.  It looks ethereal like this.  The photo doesn't do the real experience justice

The edge of the crater of Excelsior Geyser, once the largest geyser in the world.  in the 1880's, however, it erupted so violently that it ruined it's plumbing and has been mostly dormant ever since.  The Hot Chick digs the min-waterfalls running over the side here

 Bacterial mats in the runoff of Excelsior Geyser

Third Stop:  Black Sand Basin

Black Sand Basin is so named because of the fine particles of decaying obsidian, which incidentally makes black sand.  Who knew?

This is one of the smaller geyser basins in the park and is visited less than the others.  By the time you get this far, you've probably already seen Fountain Paint Pots, Midway and Biscuit Basin.  This is the last stop before Old Faithful.  Black Sand Basin is pretty but not as spectacular as some of the others.  We hardly ever stop, but I wanted to this day.  Glad we did.

Biscuit Basin was closed by the way.  There was a winter killed elk that was providing a living for a grizzly bear and the rangers closed that geyser basin to give it some privacy.  Personally, I don't like being watched while I eat.  Can't blame the bear for that.  We'll get to Biscuit Basin later in the summer.  It's also not one of the more spectacular thermal areas, but it does have the trailhead to Mystic Falls, one of our favorite waterfalls in the park.

Say hello to my little friend

Attempted murder

Small geyser near the river

I like the sinter around this geyser

Runoff into the Firehole River

Bacterial mat at Black Sand Basin

Second wildflower of the season.  This is a Yellow Monkeyflower

Cute little bubbly thing

Last Stop:  Old Faithful

Since we came this far we decided to go all the way to Old Faithful.  I've never seen it erupt this early in the year before.  Glad we did.  Later in the summer, where there's not as much water, the eruptions are still cool, but sometimes can be anticlimactic.  This time, however, there were not many people there (compared to the summer months) and when Old Faithful erupted, it was powerful and I could feel and hear rumbling like I never have before.  I really think winter and spring are overlooked times of year for Yellowstone.  Not for me, not anymore.

Me in front of a ten or so foot snowdrift

Snow up to the eaves

Old Faithful Inn, where we have reservations to stay for our anniversary

Lots of snow there

Old Faithful

It teases

And it begins

A particularly powerful eruption

It gets bigger

and bigger

and it goes for a long time

Classic eruption

Bonus Materials

On the way home, as we crossed Fountain Flats, there was a bit of a traffic slowdown.  I've seen upwards of ten hundred million billion bison and elk in my life and even though I like them, I'm not impressed enough when I see them to stop and gawk.  If they were fighting or doing something besides eating it would be different.  At this part of the park you expect to see bison and elk.  I noticed the license plates on the cars though and they were mostly Idaho and Montana.  I thought, hmm something must be up.  Idahoans and Montanans don't usually stop for bison and elk. 

I looked across the meadow and shouted, "It's a wolf!" to Chimene and about gave her whiplash when I pulled the car over to the side of the road.  The wolf was a long way away, but it was close enough to get some 'decent' shots of it.  At least you can tell what it is.  You don't expect to see a wolf at Fountain Flats.  You expect to see them in the Lamar Valley or the Hayden Plateau, but not here, so it was a real bonus.

Wolf and ravens

Wolf

We saw a few other animals on the way home, a few bison and an elk, and there were sandhill cranes and three swans on Swan Lake.

Bison on the roadway.  They think they own the place

Bison

Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese at Swan Lake

Trumpeter Swans on Swan Lake

I never tire of Yellowstone.  This was a beautiful day.  I hadn't been in the park since September.  That was way too long.  Great day, and I got to spend it with my best friend.