Another new day and our destination is all about the Yellowstone River and the amazing terrain it has carved through this area.  We skirt the shore of Yellowstone Lake.  The Absaroka Mountains jut up on the horizon and whisps of steam rise from thermal features along the shore.  There are vents and hot springs below the surface as well yet the lake ices over.  Amazing!  Winter water temp is around 45F.  Brrrr.

We are all excited to see a bald eagle out on the lake ice.  Scopes come out as John agrees to make an unscheduled stop to check it out.  We hit a bit of bad luck as the coach sinks into the soft snow at the edge of the road.  We are stuck.  John shovels.  Still stuck.  Other snow coaches come to our aide with a pull strap.  Still stuck and the road is now blocked so the group of people hanging out has grown to 40+.  A snowmobile slows to a stop alongside our coach.  The guy hops off his machine and with no hesitation climbs into the coaches.  He flips some switch and each makes some grindy noises.  He is out and directing drivers and acting top man in charge.  Turns out, he is top guy for this problem.  He is the lead snowcoach mechanic who was just out for a spin on his off day and happened to come across us.  Short story, we are out.  The total adventure lasted about 1 hour and we are on our way.  It is all just part of the adventure.

Oh, the eagle flew away even before the scopes got set up and returned only for a brief flyby.  Kent got pictures so we have evidence to justify requesting the ill-fated stop and everybody got a good look at the snack out on the ice.  Eagle and ravens had been sharing the remnants of either a goose or a swan.

Next up, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and falls.  It is spectacular.

We had a quiet, delicious dinner; prime rib and Red Bird chicken breast.  Because we are here, we wander out to check on Old Faithful.  We catch an eruption, cool as always.  She settles back to the serene plume of steam and we get a bonus, a wolf chorus; long and loud and it is close.  It is awesome.

It is our first whole day in the Park and John is here to gather us bright and early.  We are heading out to explore the North Range and Lamar valley. Visitation at the park is low this time of year leaving us with opportunity to stop and dawdle and watch animals just living their lives.   Terrain is amazing and the day exceeds all expectations for wild life viewing.  There are bison everywhere.  Herds of cows and calves along with bulls roaming solitary or in small groups are scattered throughout the valley.  All are working hard to find their daily 30# of grass beneath the snow cover. Two big horn sheep go about their business munching on grass on a hill just off the road.  Moose seem to fill the willow stands along the river.  Young males spar while cows quietly munch on willow twigs.   Elk hang out along the route.  Thanks John, for the spectacular morning.

A quick lunch then on to part two for today.

It is snow coach time.  John pulls up in this huge, bright yellow, big wheeled coach.  So cool.  This will be our transportation for the next few days as we head for Old Faithful and the rest of the over-snow vehicle sections of the park.  We load up and head out.  The ride is bouncy but comfortable and the views marvelous.

A pair of coyotes cross the road and seem on a mission heading our same direction of travel. We stop at Nymph Lake just a bit down the road and wait for them to reappear.  Sure enough, first one than the other emerge from the tree line, cross the road, and move toward the lake.  They are methodically scouting the lakeshore appearing to test access to geese and ducks.  There is still too much open water.  They have no success and disappear into the far hillsides.

Everyone is set for exploration and we hit thermal features at the boardwalks of Norris Geyser Basin.  Here too snow creates unique accents against the steam and colored bio mats.  We dawdle at Steamboat Geyser, the tallest in the world, on the off chance today will be the day.  It is not the time, but it is exciting to anticipate and imagine what it might be like.  Time to head for Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

We check in to our new digs and unwind from the day.  Dinner is bison burgers that are delicious.  We catch a late-night eruption of Old Faithful then call It a night.

We are now in the capable hands of Rolf, our bus driver for the ride to Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in Yellowstone. He is fun and informative and great at pointing out wildlife along the route. We see mule deer and elk on hillsides. There is a paddock of bison – surplus over the parks 5000 animal carrying capacity. They are in brucellosis quarantine then will be off to new homes in other Parks and First Nations Reservations.
At Gardner we stop for a photo op under the Roosevelt Arch and at the Park entry sign then its just a few miles to the hotel. Check in was a little unorganized but all is well. Constantly changing Covid driven staffing shortages are hitting them hard. Right now the most evident impact being that dining (the only dining this end of the park) is carry out only with the seating in our rooms or other public spaces found around the hotel. We shall see how that works out!
We check out the local thermal feature, the travertine terraces. It definitely looks different this time of year as steam swirls from snow circled pools. Colors are not quite as vivid but all still amazing to see.
Dinner turns out to be a bit of a disappointment. Even with an extra trip across the parking lot to the restaurant we never quite got the order right. Presentation was terrible with entrée and sides just sort of dumped into a big carryout box. Getting past the looks, my trout was delicious. Kent was not as fortunate. His pork loin dry, tough and cold. On the plus side, his chocolate caldera dessert, unceremoniously plopped in a paper cup, was great!
The real trip begins as we meet the 4 other couples who are to be in our touring group. They are actually all long-time friends and on this trip together. First blush we feel a bit of a 5th wheel but the group has a good vibe. It might well all work out – we shall see.
We meet our guide/teacher/Park ambassador, John. He will be sharing the Park with us for the next 4 days. What a great guy. Friendly, knowledgeable, flexible, and devoted to Yellowstone and all it represents. We are going to have fun.

Today is our outbound travel day for a winter week in Yellowstone National Park.  The short story, we arrived pretty much as expected at the Best Western in Bozeman Montana.  In reality, we didn’t get off to the best start.  We oversleep (something we pretty much never do) arising at 6:15 when our intended departure was 6AM.  It is pouring rain.  Phone alarms sound as we drive through an actual tornado warning.  We opt to garage park to avoid shuttle bus delays.  Self check-in kiosks are not functioning for checked bag travelers and the SWA check-in line snakes far down the terminal hallway – fortunately it moves quickly.  Security is a mess with criss-crossing lines and disorganized agents.  We get settled at the gate only to hear a gate change announcement triggering a relocation and an open-ended delay, “your captain has been diverted”.  2 hours later we are in the air.  A long layover at our stopover saves our connections and we land right on time.  No scuffles onboard but a lengthy reprimand at our stopover in Grand Rapids for one fellow traveler who had been giving the flight attendants grief about wearing a mask.  All is well that ends well and we settle in at the Best Western in Bozeman to prepare to head into the park tomorrow.