Yellowstone in Winter
By David McKenzie
13 May 2009
Yellowstone National Park is famous for its rugged natural beauty, geothermal features, and abundant wildlife. Three to four million visitors flock to the park each year, primarily in the three months of summer. For a different experience, why not try a winter trip? Yellowstone in winter has far fewer people (dozens per day instead of thousands), less traffic, and is much quieter than in mid-summer.
In the long, long winter, the forests and rivers give way to a crystalline beauty of snow and ice. With fewer cars on the roads, the wildlife are less shy about staying close to the developed areas, making them more visible to visitors. On any given day, you may see deer, elk, bison, swans, coyotes, wolves, and bighorn sheep. Less common are bobcats, eagles, and moose. Endless opportunities present themselves for photographs of animals, mountainscapes, and frozen waterfalls.
During one visit to the Lamar Valley, we enjoyed watching a pack of wolves harass a small herd of bison for more than an hour, repeatedly charging and retreating. Just as the snow rolled in, we managed to capture a shot of one wolf and one bison is a face-to-face standoff.
One road across the northeast corner of the park stays open year-round. For excursions deeper into the park, visitors can hire a snowcoach--essentially a 10-passenger van fitted with tracks instead of wheels--or ride a snowmobile. Once in the park, you can explore numerous trails via snowshoe or cross-country ski. Guides are required for snowmobile tours; but imagine snowshoeing around Old Faithful, accompanied by no one but a fox or an eagle overhead. The steam from the geysers and hot springs condenses in rime frost on trees, and forms thick layers of ice on the boardwalks. Hot springs bubble and spurt, surrounded by ice and snow and pools of water stained vivid colors by heat-loving bacteria.
Winter comes early to Yellowstone, and stays for a very long time. The first snows typically swirl in the air of September, and the last may not pass until May. With such an extensive winter, it's no surprise that survival is a considerable challenge for the wildlife, and foraging for food is a constant activity. At the end of one visit, we found a small bison herd crossing the road. We chuckled at the sight initially, because the animals were passing directly in front of the "Leaving Yellowstone" sign, leaving no doubt about their intentions. Unfortunately, there's a dark side to this in addition to the irony. In tough winters, Yellowstone's bison will wander out of the park in search of food. The problem is, there's a fear that the bison can spread brucellosis to cattle, although such cross-contamination hasn't been clearly demonstrated. To prevent any chance of cross-contamination, hundreds of bison are killed after leaving the park. The bison we spotted clearly hadn't been given the message to stay put.
Consideration of the hardship of winter survival helps to guide your search for wildlife photography opportunities, as the habits of the animals have evolved in accordance with their environments. In the northern part of the park, for example, bison may tend to wander over greater distances, owing to the reduced amount of snow. In the southern part of the park, the higher elevation yields more snow, and bison will cluster around the geothermal areas: warmer ground means less snow, and easier forage. Not only does this help a photographer to locate the animals, the situation can help you to plan your shot. If you're looking for a photogenic arrangement of bison in the fog of an erupting geyser, head south. But for a lone bison in the middle of a vast landscape, perhaps the north country is a safer bet.
So forget the crowds, dress warmly, and bring your tripod. For an unforgettable experience, Yellowstone in the wintertime offers new perspectives, and a pure natural beauty that's hard to match.
3 responses
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Rey mos said (13 May 2009):
This is an inspiring story. It also reminds me of the BBC(UK) documentary shown on TV few months ago about this nature park during the four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. The change of season in the park has a big influence to the creatures living and visiting this place. The main message of the documentary is: survival of the fitiest of a predator and a prey. I cant imagine that a cayote can catch a fish during winter!
By the way, this is one of the future destinations in the US. All the best. Rey -
Laurie Taylor said (14 May 2009):
very nice in the descriptive - but some parts were too much tourist attraction info. show me the beauty - leave out the blah blah. the photos are a wonderful alongside with the article. added a - you are here - touch : )
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Nancy Richard gave props (17 May 2009):
Wonderful story and photos!!! I, too visited Yellowstone in winter, though I entered through the south entrance. Beauty knows no particular.season.
