Yellowstone National Park
February 7 - 13, 2023
In February of 2023, our travels took us to Yellowstone National Park. This winter wonderland was as beautiful as we remembered it.
After a night in Jackson, Wyoming, a snow coach transported us to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Snow was falling as the coach made its way to the lodge. That was the only falling snow we saw on the trip.
The next day, the skies were blue and the temperature -41 degrees. At 7:45 am, we loaded into a snow coach for our Winter Photo Safari tour. Our guide, Lisa Culpepper, was fantastic! She is knowledgeable of the park and takes you to great spots. She is a professional photographer and gladly shares tips on getting good pictures in the bright snow. We have gone on her tour several times and always find her enthusiastic and entertaining. She also has a summer guide service. If you are headed to Yellowstone, you might want to check with her about a tour. You won't be disappointed. For more information, visit her website at CULPEPPER PHOTOGRAPHY ~ Nature Images by Lisa Culpepper.
Here are a few of the pictures taken along the Firehole and Madison River corridors. There is virtually a picture to be taken everywhere you look.
Lisa scanned the horizon, looking for wolves that had been spotted the day before. When she located them, she set up a scope so everyone could see. With my camera fully zoomed, I was able to catch a shaky image of them on the hillside.
It was a wonderful day in a beautiful place, and our ride was almost luxurious.
The next day, we were out early again - this time on the Grand Canyon Day Tour. As we left the lodge, bison were grazing in nearby thermals. The temperature was -12 degrees, and the bison were still covered with frost. The scenery was just as pretty as that seen the day before.
We stopped at Norris Geyser Basin for a 3/4 mile walk. Jennifer, our guide for the day, led us down the snow-covered trail to Steamboat Geyser. Its last major eruption was on September 18, 2022. Water and steam were spitting and spewing, causing large clouds of vapor. We could only imagine what a major eruption would be like. The trees around Steamboat were covered in hoar frost caused by the vapor from the geyser. It was a beautiful place.
Our next stop was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Usually this spot is crowded but that day the four of us on the tour were the only ones at the view point. It was nice to enjoy the view in a quiet peaceful setting. Further down the Yellowstone River, we saw something on the river bank. With our camera zooms we found it was a coyote taking a noontime nap.
We drove through Hayden Valley marveling at the vast fields of undisturbed snow. A sulphury smell filled the air as we made our last stop of the day at Mud Volcano. It was strange to find such an eerie place in the midst of the surrounding beauty of Hyden Valley.
On Saturday, we explored around Old Faithful. After watching the geyser erupt, we walked around the area just enjoying the sights.
On Sunday, it was time to leave Yellowstone. We enjoyed the scenery as our shuttle took us back to Jackson.
Monday morning we were off to the Jackson Hole Airport for our flight home. The snow and misty fog combined to make the landscape beautiful. We bid farewell to Wyoming as our plane took off, leaving the majestic Grand Tetons behind. We made a connection in Dallas and were home by 9:00 pm.
It was a great trip, but we were glad to be home.