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In winter’s grip, Yellowstone becomes a different world
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What to Do When You Get There
Besides catching eruptions of world-famous Old Faithful—she spouts off roughly once every ninety minutes—cross-country skiing is the most popular option for daytime entertainment in and around the Old Faithful complex. Employees at the Bear Den Ski Shop in the Snow Lodge rent and repair gear, give directions, and sell things you may have forgotten, like ski wax, hand warmers, and extra boot laces.
For a quick and concise guide to trail options, check out the free pamphlet Old Faithful Area Ski Trails, published by the Park Service. The maps are rudimentary, we found, but the mileage estimates and difficulty ratings are accurate. The ski shop also sells the appropriate topographic maps, which can be helpful if you aren’t exactly lost, but don’t know exactly where you are, either. (If you’d like to pack along a more comprehensive resource, I recommend 50 Ski Tours in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone by Richard DuMais, containing in-depth route descriptions and black-and-white topo map reproductions.)
One of the finest ski trips in the park is the aforementioned Spring Creek Trail. You hop aboard a snowcoach for the ride to the Continental Divide trailhead, seven miles southeast of Old Faithful. After clipping into your skis, you alternately grunt and zoom along a singletrack trail meandering through lodgepole forest along chipper Spring Creek. The trail also includes several creek crossings and tight downhill turns. At eight miles long, it’s pretty much an all-day affair, especially if you add on a couple of miles to detour back and forth to Lone Star Geyser, as we did. Lone Star erupts only every three hours or so, but I was lucky enough to see it happen. It’s a spectacular show: high, loud, and immense; and, more than likely, you and your companions will have it all to yourselves.
Those without the skills or desire to tackle the remote, twisty Spring Creek Trail can be more than satisfied by cruising directly from the Snow Lodge to Lone Star Geyser. Even skate skiers can glide along the wide road leading there, which the park’s concessionaire, Xanterra, keeps well-groomed.
Alternatively, you can earn a new perspective on Old Faithful and its surroundings by climbing about 250 feet above the geyser on the Fern Cascades Loop Trail. Just three miles long, the outing is made somewhat challenging by the steep climb at the outset and a rollicking downhill run at the end (with a mandatory hot-chocolate stop midway to view the cascades, of course).
Ski concierges in the ski shop can counsel you on these and other trails most appropriate for your skill level, and also explain how to take advantage of a snowcoach ride to extend the range of potential outings.
If you’re traveling into the backcountry, be sure to bring along plenty of water, food, and layers of warm clothes to sustain you should something go wrong. An unexpected storm, a twisted ankle, or a broken binding can become an adventure tale or a tragedy, depending on your degree of preparedness. Also consider packing along a thermos full of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and be aware that the staff in the Obsidian Dining Room at the Snow Lodge will be happy to put together a boxed lunch for you.
Backcountry Comfort
Xanterra offers rides to Old Faithful in snowcoaches from both the west and south entrances of the park. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge opened in 1998, replacing an older lodge that had served winter visitors since 1971. One of only two park hotels open in winter (the other is at Mammoth Hot Springs), the Snow Lodge offers modern accommodations that are cozy and clean, despite a decor reminiscent of Pottery Barn Denver. You have a choice between a hotel room in the lodge or a cabin—which is both more rustic and more private—located a short tromp away along plowed paths. (You can tow your luggage to the cabin on a child’s plastic toboggan, and perhaps gain some appreciation for the life of a sled dog.) Between New Year’s Eve and President’s Day weekend the year we visited, the Snow Lodge on average was less than half full: ahh, more peace and quiet.
You owe it to yourself to learn the whys and hows behind the wows of Yellowstone’s geology and natural history while there. A twenty-minute geology talk is offered at the Old Faithful Visitor Center at 11:00 a.m. every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2:00 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday. Park rangers lead hour-long walks around Old Faithful Geyser at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Rangers also conduct evening slide shows and lectures at 7:30 p.m. each Wednesday through Saturday, highlighting aspects of Yellowstone’s natural, cultural, and scenic wonders. The activities continue through March 9.
Xanterra offers a number of packages combining activities and lodging, including a “Yellowstone on Skis” package that pairs lodging at either Old Faithful or Mammoth Hot Springs with guided ski trips. This winter, the Snow Lodge is open from December 17 through March 15. You can get details about accommodations, activities, and more by calling 866-GEYSERLAND or visiting www.travelyellowstone.com
