A Fresh Perspective on the National Parks
Looking out over Yellowstone’s barren, winter landscape from our snowmobiles, the only sound we could hear was the gentle whoosh of a bird of prey swooping overhead. Frozen lakes, snow-dusted pines and smoking geysers stretched out before us. It was hard to believe that we virtually had the whole place to ourselves.
“In the summer, cars line up bumper to bumper”, explained our guide, with a touch of irritation. “You queue for an age to even get in.” This made the fact that we’d just spent the past few hours zooming around the groomed trails, encountering only a couple of other groups, all the more incredible.
We’d started our snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park with adventure tour operator
with a bright and early pick up at 6am, in order to spend the whole day at the park. Our two guides, Wes and Tim, pointed out some notable features of the surrounding landscape during the one hour fifteen minute drive up to the trailhead. We were then treated to a lavish buffet breakfast to fill our bellies, before we got kitted out in snowsuits, boots and helmets.
Most of us had never ridden a snowmobile before. If you haven’t either, imagine a jet-ski crossed with a motorbike, and you’re sorta kinda close. Wes and Tim gave us the lowdown on how to drive the snowmobiles (think fast and hold on), and before long we were on the long winding road up to the Old Faithful geyser. Phil and I shared a snowmobile, so he started out driving while I chilled out in the backseat to soak in the scenery and take some pictures. There were around six other people on our tour, and we zoomed along in a tandem. Stopping every now and again to check out different parts of the park, like Lewis Canyon, Lewis Lake and Shoshone Point, we began to learn a little more about the past, present and future of the park. Did you know it was the site of the last recorded stagecoach robbery, and was the first established national park in the states?
Although our guides had warned us about how busy Yellowstone gets in the summer, it was hard to imagine a bustling tourist trap in this cold, pristine, quiet wilderness. We were the only ones around for miles as we stepped out onto the completely frozen Lewis Lake – and got buried up to our hips in deep powder. Snowmobiling is the only way to access the park during the winter months, and it offers a completely new perspective of this well-known American icon. Not only are you out in the cold, fresh air instead of in the car, but you see the park as it sleeps, and at its most intimate – as it’s lakes freeze over, as boiling geysers burn through the ice, as hardy animals like bison cluster together in herds, dusted with a fresh coat of snow. It feels special - a secret that's a privilege to know.
Around lunchtime, we arrived at Old Faithful Geyser just in time to see it erupt. It goes almost without fail every 90 minutes (hence the name) – in fact, our broadcast estimate of 11:24 was eerily accurate. As we waited like a theatre audience, anxious for the show to begin, the geyser began to bubble provocatively. Random jets of steam began to spill over the lips of the crater. And then suddenly, as if it knew it had company, Old Faithful erupted – plumes of boiling water and steam firing into the air.
Before we got back on the road, we helped ourselves to a hearty lunch complete with endless cookies and the most delicious lemonade I’ve ever tasted. We made our way back through the park through Black Sand Basin, a bubbling, frothing amusement park of geysers of all shapes and sizes. We walked among these ancient, natural formations, losing each other in the steam. When the mist clears, you can appreciate the true colour of the pools – a tantalising turquoise blue in the centre where they’re the hottest – and no living thing can live, therefore the water is purest – fading into ochre and yellow at the ages. Not too difficult to see why one was aptly named “sunset lake”.
On the way back, we were also lucky enough to come across a herd of grazing bison. We kept a safe distance but it was amazing to be close enough to see their huge, powerful heads, their strange triangle bodies and beady, searching eyes. On the way back, I took the reigns from Phil and had a couple of tries at driving the snowmobile. While the first went without a hitch, the high speeds on the home stretch soon caught up with me and I maybe almost ran us off the trail, culminating in a spectacular near-flip. Ok, maybe I’m not the world’s most natural snowmobilier – but I’d like to point out that 99% of my driving was on point!
Arriving back at the trailhead, we were exhausted and aching – but completely exhilarated. We’d got our first taste of snowmobiling through the wilderness, and we loved it. The pace was fast but our Scenic Safaris guides were fun and always on hand to help or point out nearby wildlife. Luckily enough for us, we had another go planned for the day ahead – this time through the nearby wilderness of Gros Ventre. Gros Ventre isn’t as iconic or well known as Yellowstone, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I asked our guide on our way home from Yellowstone.
“You’re so lucky – Gros Ventre is one of my favourite parts of Jackson,” he enthused. “The trip will be more laidback, and I bet you’ll see loads of wildlife”. That’s all I needed to hear.
The day began with another early start, and we were picked up at 8am from our hotel by our guide Chris. This trip was a lot smaller – there were only four of us in total. We got kitted out, and a short 45 minute drive took us out of the centre of Jackson and into a cold, snow-drenched wilderness. This time, I let Phil do all the hard work as I sat back and took in the constantly changing scenery.
The Gros Ventre route is more open, and as a result there’s more to see. What’s more, the topography is always changing, meaning you’re scaling peaks and mountain roads so precarious they make your palms sweaty - the next you’re hurtling across flat plains lined with lavender and sage bush. We didn’t have as much ground to cover, so the mood felt more relaxed and laidback. We took it at our own pace, stopping every now and again to get close to mountain sheep, bald eagles, herds of elk and actual moose in the bushes. In my opinion, the scenery we encountered was actually more impressive than Yellowstone, and way more underrated.
Halfway through the morning we took a break by the river, in a quiet clearing of alpine trees where the mountains reared up on either side, listening to the soft tinkling of Snake River. It was so peaceful that I didn’t want to leave.
For lunch, we pulled up at a quiet ranch, where Scenic Safaris rent an authentic log cabin for the winter season. A delicious menu of pre-ordered sandwiches, chips and cookies waited for us, as well as hot cocoa and cider which was heaven to our frozen fingers and lips! Warming our hands and feet by the roaring log fire definitely gave this experience a unique edge, and racing back through the wintery landscape, daring to take my hands of the backseat handlebars and throw them back behind me, I decided the underrated grace of the Gros Ventre wilderness was definitely my favourite. It felt so lovely to see such a special, undisturbed place and have it all to ourselves.
With just one day left in Jackson, we decided to explore the Tetons National Park. We’d originally planned to go snow shoeing, but timing meant we opted for a quick hike instead. We’d seen countless pictures of the Tetons, but there aren’t many words which can do credit to the real thing.
The natural wonders which surround Jackson Hole are truly incredible, and definitely one of the town’s biggest selling points. There’s just so much to see, and so many ways to explore the great outdoors.
Our time in Jackson was nearly over, but there was one thing left to see, and it was probably the thing I was most excited about. Stay tuned!
