Yellowstone a haven for winter recreationists

By CAMDEN EASTERLING, Chronicle Staff Writer

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. - Frost-coated trees are reflected in a pool of water. Snowy fields steam in the midday sun. A buffalo stands just off the road. Elk paw at the frozen ground, searching for food.

Despite the majesty of the scene, there are few, if any tourists competing to snap a picture.

"It's a lot quieter in the winter," says Judy Dilling, 64, floor supervisor at the Yellowstone General Store. "It gives us a breather from the summer."

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 million people visit Yellowstone National Park each year, but only about 140,000 visit in winter, according to the park's Web site.

Winter visitors, along with people who work in Yellowstone, are the kind of people who don't mind braving temperatures that typically are around zero degrees to take advantage of the park's unique winter beauty.

Many visitors, though, imagine the cold as more brutal than it really is, says Livingston photographer Tom Murphy who leads tours in the park.

"A lot of them are surprised they didn't freeze to death," he says.

Hypothermia and frostbite are easy enough to avoid with proper precautions, but getting great pictures in Yellowstone is no simple task.

"I don't want to scare people away," Murphy, 55, says, "but the reality is it's a whole other layer, several layers, of difficulties physically."

People have to carry plenty of heavy camera equipment year round, but getting into the park in winter requires skiing or other means of getting off the beaten path, as well as sometimes staying overnight in the cold, he says.

Weather conditions also effect the park's thermal features such as Canary Hot Spring, Ranger Leigh Anne Dunworth says.

Quietly witnessing those changes as she cross-country skis around Mammoth's travertine terraces on her lunch break is "a wonderful perk," of a Yellowstone job, Dunworth, 46, says.

"This is our Disney World," Dilling says. "It's something that Disney can't create -- it's just a wonderland."

What to know before you go

* DRIVING: The only main road open to cars, trucks and RVs in the winter runs from the park's north entrance at Gardiner to the northeast entrance at Cooke City. The park sometimes requires snow tires and/or chains for traveling that 52 mile-long road.

Snowcoaches and snowmobiles are allowed to travel on some roads that are closed to wheeled vehicles, beginning Dec. 21 and continuing through sometime in March, depending on the weather.

For more information on road openings and closings, go to http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/orientation/travel/roadopen.htm

* EATING & LODGING: Although many services in the park and in gateway towns shut down during the winter months, some businesses remain open to cater to cold-season tourists.

The two hotels open during the winter are Old Faithful Snow Lodge, which opens Dec. 21, and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, which opens Dec. 23. Both hotels have gift shops.

The Mammoth Hot Springs campground is open during winter, but camping at any other location in the park requires a permit.

As for food, the full-service restaurants at the Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hotel stay open, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and some meals for take out. Both require reservations for dinner.

The Snow Lodge also serves fast food at its Geyser Grill and the General Store in Mammoth sells groceries and operates a lunch counter.

Some areas in the park also have vending machines.

Just outside the park, travelers can sleep, eat and shop in West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cooke City, too, although some businesses close during the winter, so selection is limited.

* RECREATION: Winter enthusiasts have plenty of options for recreation in the park, whether it's motorized travel, or human-powered sports, such as skiing and snowshoeing.

Recreationists can bring their own equipment or rent it.

Many businesses in gateway towns rent skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles. Several companies also offer guided tours tailored to interests such as wildlife viewing for those activities. Prices for equipment rental and tours vary with each company.

Inside the park, Xanterra, the park's main concessionaire, is the only business that rents equipment and provides guides.

Skiers and snowshoers can travel the park alone, but snowmobilers must be accompanied by a commercial guide.

Snowmobilers can bring their own machines, but must meet criteria established by the National Park Service. Contact the park for more information or go to http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/todo/winter/batlist_current.htm

Several businesses outside the park operate snowcoach tours, but Xanterra is the only company based inside the park.

Xanterra also offers skier drop-offs. Skiers can travel by snowcoach from Mammoth and Old Faithful to various trailheads to ski, then catch a return coach later in the day.  

For a full list of contact information for companies permitted to guide tours in the park, go to http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/services/wintbusn.htm

* GAS: There are no gas stations in the park that supply automobile fuel, so gas up in one of the gateway towns.

Snowmobile fuel is available at Mammoth Hot Springs. The Canyon service station also has fuel available, but only from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. The Old Faithful service station also has snowmobile fuel at pumps that take credit cards only.

* YELLOWSTONE ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE: The Yellowstone Association Institute offers field seminars and backcountry courses in the park throughout the year, and winter is no exception. Class offerings range from winter photography to microbes to wildlife and have varying levels of activity, such as hiking on snow-packed trails or skiing several miles at a time.

The non-profit organization gears some courses toward families while others require participants to be adults.

Go to yellowstoneassocation.org for course listings and registration, or call 307-344-2293.

* SAFETY: Park visitors should be prepared for cold weather when visiting Yellowstone during the winter.

Temperatures in Yellowstone typically are around zero degrees but usually drop below that at night. The park's record low was minus 66 degrees in February of 1933 near West Yellowstone. The park gets and average of 150 inches of snow each year.

Visitors should also be extremely cautious around the park's geothermal features. Snow and ice around thermal features are often thin, so visitors should stay on trails and not get too close to thermal features.

* INFORMATION: The Mammoth Hot Springs visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. The Old Faithful visitor center opens Dec. 21 and will be staffed daily from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. Park rangers also help staff the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce, which is open from 8 a.m. -5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Park rangers at visitor centers and at the chamber have maps and information on trail conditions.

The park's Web site has general information on the park, including lists of services, concessionaires and road closures. The site also has a section on winter in Yellowstone. Go to the home page, www.nps.gov/yell, then look for "winter information" on the left side.

Or call the park at 307-344-7381.

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