Last year at the school's Mardi Gras fundraiser I purchased a snowcoach trip through Yellowstone, completely unintentionally. Trying to bid it up a bit and just getting bored of the auction in general, I ended up with a private tour for six. The winter season "ended" too quickly last year (at least, they stop giving tours early in March), so we didn't make it out until this year. I wanted to make sure my parents came along for the ride - I thought they might enjoy it.
I certainly learned a lot from our guide who has worked in W. Yellowstone for 20+ years. She was one of those menopausal women who thinks everyone else around her is as perennially hot as she is, so she had the coach heat turned to 60 with the window open. I don't think it cracked 20 that day. Even Lucy was cold.
Given that I'm out in the snow in a non-threatening fashion just about every weekend in the winter, seeing wildlife in the snow isn't some sort of life-shattering experience. Of course, seeing bison less than the "safe" 25 yards away dancing around like crazed beasts had a bit more potential to be life-shattering than coming upon moose that sit in the same spot under the trees for weeks at a time.
But we survived, and came away with lots of facts stuffed in our heads. They probably have pretty much fallen out of mine right now, like too many post-its on my refrigerator door. Here's my favorite fact: There are two kinds of pine cones on the lodgepole pine, and the one only opens and releases it's seeds during a forest fire. Those are the seeds that replant the grove.
I have about 50 bison pictures, as does everyone when they leave Yellowstone. I picked the ones Lucy took, which are of 2 bison fighting next to our car and a super-cute yearling bison.
In all the times I'd been there during the summer, I had never been into Firehole Canyon. There are some awesome waterfalls down there, along with a swimming hole that's apparently quite the spot in the summer.
Here are some more of the typical shots - Old Faithful and the Paint Pots. I think things were a bit different in the winter, with more steam and general activity visible.
I was pretty glad to be heading out at the end of the day. The snowcoach isn't the smoothest ride on the planet and my stomach was a teeny bit queasy. It was the perfect day for it, though, with lots of sun and relative "warmth" (teens in Yellowstone is balmy for those parts). I am certainly glad I didn't let the certificate expire!
2 comments:
Breathtaking Beauty- and your kids will have the best memories....
The firehole canyon is a great place to swim in the summer! Also there is a spot by the Gardener entrance where you can swim in the river right where the hot water from Mammoth flows in. People have built up little hot pools up and down the river bank. It is so fun. The river can be pretty swift though if you get to far out into it.
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