While I absolutely love winter, it is hard to beat the beauty and transition of late fall. This time of the year triggers so many memories for me. The wonder of the Halloween season, which has been so important to my family throughout our lives. October hikes and trips to celebrate my wife Stephanie’s birthday. Approaching holidays. An increasing urge for hot apple pie and warm beef stews.
In nature, leaves and trees in full spectrum turning to monochrome whites and blacks. Lingering warm afternoons turning increasingly cold, especially in the mornings. Sunlight in lessening abundance -- crashing in on you later and earlier every day. Turning river birch, larch, and aspens, framed by light snow high on the peaks. Wildlife seeking food to survive the coming snow and cold.
For me, this just screams “Yellowstone.” It is one of my favorite destinations, and I try to get there as often as I can. But I haven’t been there since last year, and that is far too long to be away. So in late-October Stephanie and I headed east to the Rockies full of anticipation of the always beautiful Yellowstone area -- Gardiner, Montana, the oldest entrance to Yellowstone National Park and the only entrance open all year; Paradise Valley and the Tom Minor Basin just north of the Park; Grand Teton to the South; and the must drive down the road to Moose, Wyoming.
As always, Yellowstone did not disappoint. The light in Lamar and Hayden valleys was magnificent, color was everywhere, and crisp cold mornings turned to sunny, pleasant afternoons. Coyote, fox, and elk hunting and browsing in the yellow, red, and umber grasses, buffalo backlit by brilliant colors, grey owls in the haunting, early morning mist of the forest, a mother grizzly and two cubs filling up on late season caraway roots just before the sun set and photos became impossible.
We were on vacation, and so we threw away our calendar. This is great for unhurried and leisurely time in the Park, but it also resulted in us getting up before first light and heading to the Beartooth Highway on the last day before its winter closing. Standing in the cold and dark, ordering a hot coffee from the only vendor open at that hour, I learned we were off by a day, and that the pass was closing even as we spoke. Bummer! But we love that drive and headed over anyway and cruised through Silver Gate and along the Chief Joseph Highway. More country seen and another beautiful day. This is a great area to see moose, but unfortunately they were all hiding on this day.
On our final days in the park, the transition to winter became real. Forecasts of the first snow, up to fifteen inches in the high elevations, raised the question if we should leave a day early or tough it out? Predictions were for less snow in the immediate area, although we would need to cross over a few passes on our way to Jackson Hole and then onto Boise to stay with friends. But our truck was primed for winter with four-wheel drive, snow tires, and chains and shovel in the rocket box, and we were really in no hurry to leave.
On our last morning, we peeked out the window of the little cabin in Gardiner -- no snow on the truck, nor on the rooftops. Far off, we saw a light dusting on the mountains around Mammoth in the Park, but at first glance nothing was too daunting. We learned that Dunraven Pass (8,917 feet) was closed, as well as Sylvan Pass (8,524 feet) and (temporarily) the northeast entrance to the park, but our plan was to head south out the southern entrance. That meant that we just needed to cross Kingman Pass to Swan Lake Flats (7,293 feet). No problem!
At Norris Geyser Basin, we learned that the road over Craig pass (8,262 feet and the way to Old Faithful) had closed that morning. “Exit stage left (east)” to drive pass Ice Lake (a hint?) to Canyon and the Yellowstone River and south along the western shoulder of Yellowstone Lake. A bit longer of a drive, but lower elevation. Fifteen minutes later, black ice caused multiple accidents and that road closed as well. The only way out was to go to West Yellowstone and see if we could get over Targhee Pass. At 7,089 feet, a bit lower than the mountain roads in Yellowstone, but the heavy snows had headed that way and we would miss our drive through the Tetons. We were stuck in Yellowstone, and it didn’t look good. What to do?
We headed to West Yellowstone. A few minutes before we left the park, our internet came back and we learned that Craig pass had just reopened. A U-turn, a trip back up the Madison River, a morning lost (timewise) and we were back on our original agenda. It must be said, if you are to be stuck anywhere, being in Yellowstone is a good choice! Yes, we lost some hours, but we were in the mountains watching sheep, bear, and elk the entire time. Best of all, we extended our time in the park by a full morning, and now we were headed to Grand Teton National Park and a great dinner (originally lunch) in Jackson Hole.
On November 1st, the park closed its West, South and East entrances, and most of its roads for the winter (the road from Gardiner to Cooke City and Silver Gate remains open with possible weather -dependent closures). The Park is now in full winter mode, four to five months for heavy snows and few people to allow the Park to rejuvenate, for wildlife to focus on survival and deep hibernation, for nature to reclaim the park for a too brief period.
You can still visit Yellowstone in winter. But it is different and not focused on tourism. It is cold, snowy, and even more remote than ever. Like all of its seasons, Yellowstone in winter is wild and immensely beautiful. Winter in Yellowstone strips away almost all that humans have built and advertised, it is nature at its finest – and most raw. It is not for everyone, but for those who are prepared, and like ice, wind, and heavy snow, it is like few other places in the world.
Endnotes:
On October 22nd, Grizzly #399, perhaps the best-known bear in history, and a great ambassador for wildlife/human relations, was killed after being accidentally struck by a car. I was never lucky enough to see this bear, although I have photos of one of her grown-up cubs and would have instantly recognized her by location and reputation. I was driving through the Pelican Creek section of Grand Teton NP, her usual area, just days before this accident (bears have a big territory and 399 was killed south of Jackson Hole). We were driving slowly and scanning for her on our trip. I mentioned to my wife that this was a good place to drive slowly and be alert – both in hopes of seeing this bear, and because “you wouldn’t want to be the person who injures this local celebrity.” She was so tolerant of people, such a loving mother, and I am so sorry that she is gone!
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