Yellowstone Winter
Yellowstone is mountain country and gets quite a bit of snow. We were up on the north end of the park. The interior is inaccessable without over-snow vehicals. | Mammoth Hot Springs is still active in winter with steamy mineral water. The character has changed over the previous visits due the the shifting locations of the springs. This photo shows the woods gradually submerging beneath rock. |
Wildlife is much easier to spot in winter and great herds of elk and buffalo congregate in valleys. | We rented a cozy cabin at the northeast entrance. This area is very remote in winter due to a mountain pass closure. One must drive 50 miles through the park to visit this snowbound corner. |
Skiing was excellent with many trails to choose from. | A herd of bighorn sheep was hanging out on a cliff above the highway. |
The Lamar Valley is prime Yellowstone with lots of animals including recently reintroduced wolf packs. From a distance, we saw some K9s prowling the herds | Snow makes it tough for the animals to find a meal but they work hard. |
We skied up to the rim of a deep section of the Yellowstone River canyon. | We saw the remains of a couple wolf kills including this one taken over by birds after the wolves had their fill. |