Yellowstone in the winter?

Old Nov 22nd, 2014, 08:18 AM
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Yellowstone in the winter?

I would love to do this and am thinking maybe in Jan/Feb of 2016. I was looking at the Xanterra site at the Trail of the Wolf that has a combo of snow coach and snowmobile. Has anyone done one of these trips? Would love your thoughts and advise. Thanks!
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Old Nov 22nd, 2014, 11:45 AM
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I did a snow coach ride in from West yellowstone to OF Snowlodge. We stayed for a few days and cross country skied every day. We loved it. It is very, very, very cold! We stayed warm enough skiing--lots of layers to take off/put back on. It was gorgeous seeing the geyser basin in the snow and skiing past giant bison and herds of elk. I don't like snowmobiling--you can only go on the roads in the park and the noise and pollution are not good for the animals. You can snowmobile lots of places around West Yellowstone if you wanted to do that.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2014, 03:30 PM
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Stanton, would snowshoes be a decent alternative to x-country skis?

lindsy, I am doing a trip to Yellowstone this winter, so can provide some info when I return. My focus is wildlife viewing.
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Old Nov 23rd, 2014, 05:38 PM
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Thx for the info Stanton!

Leely - can't wait to hear about your trip!!! Be sure to report in when you get back.
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Old Nov 24th, 2014, 03:10 PM
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Leely-oh yes, you could snowshoe. On the groomed trails, there usually was a ski track on the side or either side, with space in the middle for people to walk or snow shoe. And if the snow is really deep, you are better off snowshoeing anyway I think.(I am not an expert cross country skier)Either way--much better for wild life viewing. The added bonus of going in the winter is that the food was much better--they are cooking for fewer people (either that or the activity and the cold made everything taste great!)
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Old Nov 24th, 2014, 07:14 PM
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Thanks. We have two nights at OF Snow Lodge. Hope to snow shoe or perhaps cross country ski from there. Otherwise we will be staying in Gardiner, doing the Northern area looking for wolves.
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Old Nov 25th, 2014, 02:07 PM
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Leely:

Gardner is warmer because it is lower in altitude. But if you are in the Lamar Valley looking for wolves--that can be very cold. Hand and foot warmers are your friend
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Old Jan 5th, 2015, 06:18 PM
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Hi Lindsyb,

I am back from my Yellowstone in winter adventure. It was insanely cold a couple of days, including our wolf-watching day in the Lamar Valley. -39 F at 9am, yikes. However, this was a stunningly beautiful and rewarding trip. We did lots of snow shoeing, wildlife watching, and general exploring. We had two nights at OF Snow Lodge and could have used another. Three nights Gardiner (broken up, the first night was just arrival in the evening)--would have preferred one or two at Mammoth Hot Springs and two in Gardiner. We also stayed at Gallatin River Lodge outside of Bozeman just for r-and-r: excellent.

Let me know if you have any questions. It is cold but magnificent!
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Old Feb 28th, 2015, 03:55 PM
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Leely - so glad you had a magnificent trip! -39 Wow

I am still trying to sell the hubby on it as he would rather go warm especially after the winter we have had this year in New England.

Thanks so much for reporting back!
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Old Feb 28th, 2015, 04:53 PM
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We did a late January trip in 2013, with a 2-night stay in OF Snow Lodge and upwards of a week at West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone was a timeshare, and I would not do that again in the winter unless you are snowmobile enthusiasts.

We fall into the same camp as StantonHyde regarding snowmobiles. At OF Snow Lodge, we also could have used an extra night. However, we've also been looking at some of the packages, and would like to do those on a future trip.

As far as cold - honestly, it was not so bad. We live in the Central Florida area. The cold here, with the humidity, just goes through you. One time I flew from Orlando to Denver, it was mid-30s here and -20 in Denver. It felt warmer in Denver. Here it was a humid cold - don't laugh, big difference.

In Yellowstone, you will want Yak-Trax and poles. We didn't have the poles and wished we did (stepping off the path is potentially a hazardous thing). But the best thing is that you will have the park almost to yourself. One morning we set out to watch Old Faithful and go on a hike - our only company was a sleeping coyote and later on a few bison.

Can't beat that.
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Old Mar 1st, 2015, 05:58 AM
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Did anyone see the first story on CBS Sunday Morning? The Winterkeeper for the last 40 years has been Steve Fuller.
I was amazed to hear that he is older than I am and still taking snow off of nearly 100 buildings during the winter.
I have no idea if we are related.
I also loved his winter photography from Yellowstone. Some of it was published in National Geographic.
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