Going to Yellowstone
 

Has anyone siged on with the Yellowstone National Park Institute for the hiking package? If so, what can we expect? We are a couple in our early 50's who are moderately active. We are from the seashore area of Delaware. Will the altitude issue be a problem? Also, we are flying into Bozeman, Montana, a day early. Can anyone suggest whether it is best to stay in Gardiner or Livingston that first night? Any suggestions for a motel?

Bozeman and Livingston are close together.
Gardiner is at the northern gate that leads to Mammoth Hot Springs.

The altitude will be noticeable but not debilitating if you are fairly active.
It will take a few days to adjust.

I don't mean to throw a wrench into the gears, but where are you staying? I hope you have a place lined up.
There is virtually nothing available during late June, July, and August.

Thanks for the info.We're flying into Bozeman,and staying there one night.Is it easy to get a bus or shuttle from there into the north entrance of the park?Is there a lot of traffic in July?

According to a web site I looked at, there is a Greyhound bus from Bozeman to West Yellowstone. I saw nothing about transportation to Gardiner or Mammoth via public transportation. (I never used it myself.)

If you take the concessioner provided package tour of 12 people, 4 nights lodging is provided. I do not know where the tour originates, but my guess is it is in Mammoth.

Otherwise, if you are relying on a bus to get you around to the various attractions in Yellowstone, there are day tours, but they leave only from West Yellowstone. I don't recall any hop on - hop off shuttle bus service in the park.

Is Yellowstone crowded in July? Let's put it this way, I think every room in the park has been taken and the commercial motels in the town of West Yellowstone are close to full.
Tour buses crammed with visitors roll in by the dozens.

Your best bet for transportation is to have a car, and if you had thoughts of staying overnight in the park on your own, and don't have reservations now, you will need some luck to benefit from a cancellation.

Thanks Bob. We were advised to come in a day or two early to become acclimated to the altitude. We thought we could get a room in Gardiner until we read your message. We've decided to stay on our own the day before we actually enter Yellowstone and I guess it will be in Bozeman. After searching the Internet, some hotels in Bozeman offer shuttle service to the Park. Since we will be with the Park Group we are trying to avoid renting a car. We will be entering from the North gate. Your note about the hotels filling up OUTSIDE the Park has got us moving. Thanks for the advice!

Staying at Bozeman will not do you that much good in terms of altitude adjustment becausse it is several thousand feet lower than the high points in Yellowtone. Bozeman is 4800 feet above sea level whereas the geyser basin where you find Old Faithful is about 7500 feet.

A relatively active person will not begin to feel the difference going up hill until he or she reaches about 5,000 feet. In my younger days, I noticed it at 5,500,but even 6,000 was not a major problem. By 8,000 feet I was gasping going uphill

How you respond of course varies with many factors related to strength and conditioning.

If you lay over in Bozeman, I think one night would be enough. There is not much in Bozeman except the Museum of the Rockies which is part of Montana State U. I found the museum interesting, but it does not take long to go through it.

Bozeman is far enough away from Yellowstone that you should be able to find reservations there. I just made one for July 11 and there was ample availability. West Yellowstone is right on the park boundary, therefore it tends to get more Yellowstone visitors than either Livingston or Bozeman.

I think you will just have to step up your walking rate before you go. I have had a similar problem the years I wanted to climb some of the fourteers in Colorado. I ran for miles, some each day to get in shape. When I got there, even after 10 days, I had problems getting my breath around 12,000 feet and higher when carrying a pack uphill.

If you are not carrying anything more than a daypack, I don't think you will be badly bothered by the altitude.
The chief things to remember are these two arch enemies: dehydration and sun burn. The air is thin, there is no shade in the geyser basins, and the sun can burn you to a crisp. The air is also dry so you lose body fluids rapidly. So two remedies: plenty of water and a sun block. I personally use a sun screen with an SPF 45 rating. And I wear a big hat to shade what I can of my face and neck.
And don't forget that the backs of the hands and legs can burn badly, too.

If you want to stay over in Bozeman, why not rent a car and drive to Red Lodge and continue on to the top of the Beartooth Pass. It is one of the most spectacular mountain drives in the 48 contiguous states. I plan on going over it again this summer for my 3rd look.

Other than shortness of breath, what other altitude problems can be expected?

Home is about 500 feet above sea level.

Will be going through Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Ouray area, etc.

We usually do all the "easy" and a few "moderate" hikes in the national parks.

I'm overweight & "out of shape" but healthy, and usually find I have a much faster walking speed than others on the trails.

Is there anything to do or take which will help the effects of altitude? I understand drinking lots of water is a "must".

Any other tips?

Hi Bob, again thank you for the advice. The highest point in Delaware is around 442 feet so anything above that will be a change for us. We're right near the ocean. We got our packet from Yellowstone yesterday and that was exciting. With the exception of Las Vegas we've never traveled in the west, so we are really looking forward to this. You mentioned sunscreen. Our packet said not to wear deordorant because of wildlife (bears). What brand of suncreen do you use? Mine has coconut aroma in it, so I doubt if that would be smart to use there.

We are now considering renting a car. The drive you mentioned sounds interesting and we may look into that.

Well thanks very much its been nice chatting with you and you've given us lots of good information. Happy travels!

It is hard to answer the sunscreen question. I use the house brand from KMart or Coppertone, usually the SPF 48. (And I use a deoderant. Most bears in Yellowstone are well away from the geyser basins and the falls.)
I am not sure that a sunscreen with an SPF 48 rating is that much better than a 30, but at least the numbers are bigger. My dermatologist says I need one with a factor larger than 15.

On the response to altitude, it is a function of individual oxygen absorption. Even when I am good sea level condition, I feel the altitude dramatically if I fly to Denver and head straight to 9,000 feet. I get headaches and feel rotten. Yellowstone is not so much of a problem if I spend the first night outside of the park at a lower altitude. Bozeman or West Yellowstone would help some,but both locations are less than 5,000 feet.

If you have been pushing yourself to walk uphill some, you sould have the muscles in shape and that helps quite a bit. I have found that the only way to adjust to the altitude is to be there and do normal activities. The healthier you are, the quicker you adjust.

If you spend one night in Bozeman and the next night near the north entrance, the adjustment should not be difficult.

If you get out of breath, the only thng you can do is stop.

The only motel I have used in Bozeman is the Marriott Fairfield Inn. It was fine.