Yellowstone in Fall

wes242 said:
I think it will do fine on Full Frames it was the crop sensor there was an issue with. Again I haven't looked into that in like 7 years.
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I've used the 1.4x on my 100-400 and 5DII...it won't autofocus....not even the center point.
 
I got my trip booked today, to bad I had to cut out 3 days due to the fact I have to plan my vaction days out for the whole year in January and I over did it by almost 2 days. So I will be in the Tetons Sept 29th to OCT 1st and head to West Yellowstone on the 1st and head home the 4th to work 1 stupid day then go back out on Vacation for the weekend to Moab or somewhere.
 
Sadly, I don't have any other trips planned until this Yellowstone gig so it's time to start narrowing down what I'm actually going to do. Our hotel is in West Yellowstone and we have 3 full days plus a day to drive home. Any suggestions on specific places to go or hikes to do?
 
nick said:
Sadly, I don't have any other trips planned until this Yellowstone gig so it's time to start narrowing down what I'm actually going to do. Our hotel is in West Yellowstone and we have 3 full days plus a day to drive home. Any suggestions on specific places to go or hikes to do?
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I would totally take advantage of doing the touristy stuff since you'll be there when the crowds have thinned out. All of the geyser basins are worth taking a look at, although my personal favorites were Norris/Back Basin, Midway, and Black Sand Basin. Make sure to take the Fairy Falls trail to the point where you can hike up and get a nice view of Grand Prismatic Spring. Totally worth it! Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone was amazing! Don't miss it. Each viewpoint is pretty different, so I'd recommend going to all of them. Lamar Valley is the best place for wildlife, and your best chance of seeing a wolf in Yellowstone will be there. I've never done the hike to Mount Washburn, but I've read it's the best hike in the park, so unless the smoke and haze is bad in that area, I would do that. Most of all remember that Yellowstone is HUGE, driving around it is time consuming, and you won't see it all in 3 days anyway, so figure out where your priorities are and don't drive anywhere if it isn't a priority. Have fun!
 
nick said:
Sadly, I don't have any other trips planned until this Yellowstone gig so it's time to start narrowing down what I'm actually going to do. Our hotel is in West Yellowstone and we have 3 full days plus a day to drive home. Any suggestions on specific places to go or hikes to do?
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How long of a hike are wanting to do?
 
I don't really have a preference for how long of a hike we do. 1-10 miles seems fine. I just want to maximize my time, so I don't want to do a long hike unless it's a lot of bang for the buck.
 
So, bang for your buck trails would be to waterfalls or overlooks like Washburn, Canyon. Etc.. If you have seen the touristy hot pots and geyser stuff and don't care about it I would maximize by doing short scenic trails and overlooks and looking for wildlife. I would suggest Mt. Washburn it's about a 6 mile hike RT, semi strenuous and you can see the whole park like Lisa suggested unless it's smoky. Not sure if the lookout will be open this time of year. During the summer this trail has a load of people. The weather could hamper any attempt to accend the Mtn. Mystic Falls, Fairy Falls, Uncle Tom's Trail to view the Lower Yellowstone Falls. Grand Prismatic might not be that visible if it's cold because of the steam. Undine Falls, Tower Falls. I would for sure hit up Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley for wildlife also around Mt. Washburn/Dunraven Pass. You could hike the DeLacy Creek trail it's 7 miles RT and takes you to Shoshone Lake. Mud Volcanoe can be kinda cool but smelly. Roosevelt Arch by Mammoth for the history freak. You could hike to the old bath house that is over by Fairy Falls another historical site. There's alot to see it's really a question of what you are more interested in.
 
I apologize in advance for all the autocorrections I won't catch.

You might luck out and catch the tail end of the Elk rut. Before we moved to Utah, we would check it out every September. Its always thrilling to hear a Big bull bugle 30 yards from you. There is usually 1 or 2 harems that will hang out in the grass fields across from the museum and hotel in Mammoth. You can watch them from your car or a safe distance like the museum porch. If you are lucky you will see other bulls come in and get chased out. You won't be alone, there will be plenty of Tourons that will come out from the hotel and try and get super close to the bulls
for pictures. You will get to watch the rangers and the collective group of people call these idiots out. It makes for an all around entertaining experience. If the elk aren't doing much, the Mammoth Terrace hotsprings are worth walking along the boardwalks and checking out. If you have a good sky the upper terrace is a great place for sunset photography. My favorite thing to do in a yellowstone is to soak in the hotsprings of the boiling river. It is about 1/2 mile walk along the Gardner River untill you get to the boiling
River. Plenty of relaxing pools to soak in. Chances are you might see elk on the trail or from across the river while soaking in hotsprings. We did this in January and the frost covered on everything is something I won't soon forget. It really is a beautiful spot. It is half way between Mammoth and Gardiner.

As mentioned, Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley and Dunraven pass are prime spots for searching bears. If you see a bunch of cars on the side of the road, don't hesitate to pull over and see what the action is. Yellowstone can be a zoo, but shouldn't be too bad in Oct.

In May, we drive through Lamar Valley and there was a group of people in orange vests that said "Wolf Project" they seemingly spend all day tracking a certain pack. They will have spotting scopes Hset up for you to look through and are good resources for information. They want you to see and enjoy the Wolves as much as they do.

I agree that you should visit Lower Falls, it really is a beautiful and powerful sight.

All the waterfall hikes and Mt Washburn are great hiking suggestions, just be sure to have bear spray. They should be in hyperphalaga, so you could run into them.

Most importantly, expect it to cold or possibly snow! This would not
Be uncommon this time of year. Don't forget the jackets!
 
We're thinking of heading up a day early and maybe spending a night in the Jackson/Grand Teton area before heading up to West Yellowstone. Any recommendations on general areas to shoot for on that end of the park? Like where to stay and what not to miss? Currently looking at leaving SLC on Thursday morning and perhaps booking a room at the Snake River Lodge in Teton Village that night. Good idea?
 
Okay, done. Booked a room in Teton Village that first night, then three nights in West Yellowstone. Where is that iconic sunrise barn that everyone shoots in front of the Tetons?
 
I agree with what everyone is saying. Couple things I'll add. At Canyon, I like the South/East side of the river/gorge better for it's views than the North/West. That is also the side Uncle Tom's trail is on. Definitely hit that and Artist Point (both have been mentioned by others).

The Norris/Madison basin's are very cool! Especially in the morning when you have cooler temps like in the fall. It makes for some cool steam clouds from the geysers. You should be able to see that easily as you'll be heading in from W. Yellowstone each morning.

The Firehole river drive is well worth it! Also, on the road between Norris/Canyon is a one-way road called Virginia Cascades Rd that is very cool. The one-way rd goes to the east, so plan to drive it when you're heading to Canyon.

FYI - We ate at the restaurant in the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful and it was very good! Pricey, but I'd go back! A 7oz Ribeye steak dinner with desert cost me just under $40.

Also, the leaves were awesome along Jackson Lake when I came back Sunday. It was the prettiest I'd ever seen it. Unfortunately the smoke killed any photos. Hopefully the smoke will be gone when you're there and the leaves still great. Some days the skies were clear for us and some days smokey.
 
Looks like winter is arriving in Yellowstone the day before I get there. Hoping this means less people and more unusual photo opportunities?

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You can get some pretty cool fog photos when it's cold in the mornings. Here's an example with a point & shoot. Not the greatest but with some tweaking it might look great.

Yellowstone 06\' 177.jpg
 
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