I am so (or make that, ‘snow’) lucky! This week I’m snowmobiling in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, about 80 miles northwest of Montreal. I’m accompanied by Rich & Sue, as always, but we’re also joined by our regular snowmobiling partners, Jeff & Kathleen from Connecticut.
Unsurprisingly, this has got me thinking about previous snowmobiling trips we’ve all made together. In doing so, I realised I’ve never told you about the time I snowmobiled in Yellowstone National Park, and decided this week’s Which Way Challenge was the perfect opportunity to correct that.
To protect Yellowstone’s natural beauty, the US National Park Service have regulated the types of snowmobile allowed into the park for quite a while now. To reduce the amount of traffic, they also require all snowmobilers to be accompanied by a registered guide. So early one morning, we found ourselves following our guides out of the town of West Yellowstone, on a tour organised by Two Top Snowmobiles. We entered Yellowstone National Park almost immediately, and shortly thereafter crossed from Montana into Wyoming.
Our first stop was overlooking the Madison River Valley, before the sun had even crested the mountains in the distance. Despite the early hour, conditions couldn’t have been more perfect.
Sue, Kathleen and Jeff on the trail beside one of their hogs at our first stop
Early morning view of the Madison Valley
Our ultimate destination was Old Faithful, but our guides stopped regularly, allowing us to turn off our engines, remove our helmets (or at least raise our visors), and enjoy the spectacular peace and beauty of the landscape, not to mention the wildlife. (Of course, being a Ses, I didn’t have a helmet to remove, but that’s beside the point.)
What’s Sue spotted?
… Oh, our first wildlife of the day
And soon after came our first buffalo sighting
Very exciting!
More deer beside the Madison River
At Madison Junction, we witnessed a whole herd of buffalo!
And shortly thereafter saw our first volcanic steams of the day
At the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail, we had a Which Way within a Which Way! There we saw steaming volcanic pools, hissing fumaroles, bubbling mud pits, and our first geyser of the day.
The boardwalk at Fountain Paint Pot Trail
A steaming pool
Flies cluster on a rock surrounded by scalding water
The Fountain Paint Pot mudpots
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble…
Sizzling fumaroles
Thar She Blows!
The Clepsydra Geyser perhaps… to be honest I’ve forgotten which features of the Lower Geyser Basin are captured in the photos above: but if anyone can help me out, I’d be grateful!
Naturally, Old Faithful was the highlight of the day, and was everything I’d hoped for. After waiting patently for around 20 minutes, a fountain of water, roughly 140 feet tall, erupted into the air. I was pretty impressed, I can tell you!
Me and Rich waiting (semi) patiently for Old Faithful to erupt
– notice the sign in the background…
Clearly this coyote is a bit of a rule-breaker!
Time for the main event!!!
With a bit of time in hand, instead of heading directly back to West Yellowstone, our guides lead us another six or so miles deeper into the park, to the Continental Divide crossing at Craig Pass.
The whole gang at Craig Pass
Then it was back on our machines for a fun return ride West Yellowstone, with a couple more stops to break up the Journey.
Kepler Cascades
Time for a snack!
Firehole Falls
This post was inspired by this week’s Cee’s Which Way Challenge.
If snowmobiling through Yellowstone’s winter wonderland is for you, why not sign up and follow my continuing Journeys here at Jaspa’s Journal (on WordPress or Bloglovin’), or through my website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr?
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Wonderful post and photos!
Thanks very much!
Such gorgeous scenery, but looks ohh so cold. Thanks for playing along again this week. 🙂
It was cold, Cee. But not as cold as here in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, where it’s currently -6F!
Yellowstone is so beautiful and so fascinating too with the animals and all of the hydrothermal features. The video clips really helped to show the sounds you experienced there. Wonderful post 🙂
I’d love to go back in the summer and explore the parts of the park I didn’t get to see.
I can imagine that would be wonderful too 🙂
I don’t think I have ever seen photos of Yellowstone in the winter. Amazing wildlife captures too!
It’s well worth a visit at that this time of year, Sue.
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