Yellowstone Yurt Camp - Feb. 19-23, 2023

Janice

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We just got back from an incredible trip! For years, we've talked about going to Yellowstone in the winter. We had been there in the summer for our honeymoon in 1989 and took our sons there for their first trip out West in 2005. But winter - we hadn't tried that yet! I researched options, and we decided on the yurt camp with Yellowstone Expeditions. Yes, it's costly, but it ended up being worth every penny; everything about this trip greatly exceeded our already great expectations! This report is super long and my photos aren't great quality, but I enjoyed creating the report and will enjoy reliving this trip for a long time.

We got off to a great start with smooth, on-time flights (given Southwest's previous issues, we were uncertain how things would go) and great scenery on the leg from Denver to Bozeman. I always try to get a window seat and was delighted to see some of the mountains below. Sunset was lovely.
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After spending the night in Bozeman, we drove through the beautiful Gallatin canyon to West Yellowstone and did a warm-up x-country ski at the groomed Rendezvous trails.

The next morning we met up with the staff and other participants at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center. I was nervous - how would it go? would we like it? We all got in the special snow coaches created by Arden, who started the yurt camp 40 years ago.
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Right away, I loved the guide who drove our coach; as we drove through the park, she pointed out lots of interesting things and happily answered my millions of questions. Over the course of the trip, I found that all of the guides (5 awesome women) were similarly fantastic; more about that in a bit.

The yurt camp is located in the canyon area. En route from West Yellowstone, we saw lots of bison along the road. Walking on the road (not paved but groomed so it's hard packed) is easier for them and uses less precious energy than tromping through deep snow. We also saw a few bison carcasses providing meals for other animals.
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We stopped at beautiful Gibbon Falls.
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Our next stop was Norris Geyser Basin, where we spent about an hour walking along the snow-covered boardwalks while the ground on either side was bare from thermal activity underneath. Fabulous!
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It was exciting to arrive at the yurt camp and see where home would be for the next 4 nights. The sleeping yurts ("yurtlets") are temporary, removed in late March each year. They're small but warm and comfy (propane heated) with lots of pegs and clothespins to hang our stuff.
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The dining yurt is bigger and connected to the cooking yurt where the staff prepares yummy food. The cook, Connie, was fabulous and accommodated lots of different food needs/preferences. Every meal was delicious! After breakfast each morning, they laid out items for us to pack our own lunches and trail snacks. I had brought a bunch of bars but didn't need them, as there were lots of great options provided for us to choose among.
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One of the things that makes this trip so fabulous is that the guides completely tailor the skiing to everyone's interests and abilities, and we had a huge range of abilities in our group. Out of 13 people, there was one couple from Florida who had never skied before, and there were two couples from Big Sky who were expert skiers, including one super nice guy who had been head of ski patrol for 15 years. Each day, they would lay out the ski options for the day and let us decide what we wanted to do. The beginners would go with one guide, and the rest of us would either split into two groups or start as a whole group and then split up later if that made sense. The skiing was also tailored to the weather; when the road in Hayden Valley was closed due to high wind, we did a route closer to camp mostly through the woods.

The guides provided exceptional service in so many ways. Ahead of time, I had incorrectly assumed they would mostly just lead the ski routes and break trail. They did so much more! From teaching ski techniques (how to get up when you land in 3-4 feet of deep powder - and tons more) and teaching about wildlife and geothermal features, to helping with equipment (we used their skis since ours are only classic for groomed tracks) and shoveling and checking propane tanks and so much more, they were always working with smiles on their faces. I can't say enough good things about this amazing staff.

Anyway, after getting to camp the first afternoon, we skied to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone North Rim lookout. It was quite snowy so visibility was poor. I enjoyed the chance to ski but was disappointed, as I had really looked forward to seeing the falls. Little did I know we would get to other viewpoints on other days and have wonderful views of both fabulous waterfalls.
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Yellowstone River visible at the canyon bottom
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Skiing back to camp
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On Day 2, most of us set out for the Dunraven-Mt. Washburn area. It was fun skiing down the big hill amidst the DEEP snow. After that, we split into two groups; my husband and I were with one guide and another couple of similar ability. We went through lots of beautiful woods! It was challenging getting up one big hill, but with help and patience we did it. We had the option of going back to camp by coach, but we felt like skiing back and enjoyed that.
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On Day 3, we opted to ski to Cascade Meadow and Lake. Two guides were with 7 of us, and the snow was so deep they took turns breaking trail. I tried doing it a tiny bit, and a tiny bit was enough! At one point, I stuck my pole in as far as I could and the snow was at least 4 feet deep. It snowed on and off that day and we felt like we were in a snow globe. It was beautiful.
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In case you're wondering...
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The guides had previously found this elk skull and antlers and brought it closer to the trail so they could show us.
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Bear scratches from sometime earlier
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The bison were in the snow globe with us!
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On Day 4, it was COLD and WINDY but I loved the beautiful sunshine. We started the day with a South Rim viewpoint of the Upper Falls. So fascinating to see the ice and gushing water all together!
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Then we had a fabulous time skiing to Forest Hot Spring.
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As we were approaching the hot spring area, a bison was along the trail, so we all backed up. The guides figured out a different way to go and got all of us there safe and sound. We took off our skis and walked around this awesome area where you can't walk during the summer since there are no boardwalks. But during the winter, you can walk where the snow is since that means there's nothing hot underneath.
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Lots of animal tracks in the snow
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I love watching and listening to mud pots.
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I forget what they called this. It was so cool!
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Stunning trees!
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Lodgepole pine - grows in a spiral
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Bear claw marks
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After leaving the hot spring, some of us chose to go to the Lower Falls viewpoint along the south rim. It was fabulous and COLD! (I'm wearing a LOT of layers.)
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Then we drove into Hayden Valley (the road had opened) to see wildlife. We saw 2 delightful otters playing in the water but I didn't get a decent photo. Here's a coyote, taken from inside the coach.
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Day 5 was our last day, and I was so sad we would be leaving. 4 of the people were staying extra; there are options for 3 different length trips. After saying our farewells to those staying longer, we skied to the Brink of the Upper Falls, which was spectacular, and the blue skies and golden sunshine added to my joy!

Standing on the Chittenden Bridge looking upstream
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Approaching the Upper Falls
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I have an awesome video of this but couldn't load it.
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Hard to leave this beautiful area
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Then we went to Artist's Point (via coach and then on foot) which was thrilling to me, since we had a gorgeous photo of our little boys at that spot from 2005.
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We drove back to Hayden Valley, enjoyed more wlidlife viewing, and explored the Mud Volcano area.
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Bison near the trail
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Looked like hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream!
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Dragon's Mouth
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Mud Volcano
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More bison!
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Prior avalanche
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We headed back, and on our way out of the park (west entrance) our final ski was along Virginia Cascades. That was beautiful and fun!
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I was so sad to leave! We thoroughly enjoyed all that fabulous scenery and wildlife, as well as the terrific guides and participants. Everyone was so supportive, interesting, and fun! A lot of camaraderie had developed in such a short time, and we were so glad to have experienced the park this way. What a magical trip!!!
 

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Just beautiful! That yurtlet looks nice and cozy inside compared to all the cold shots you took on your adventure.

All your images are wonderful. There are a few that stand out for me tough. First, Gibbon Falls is beautiful. Sorry, but I have to ask, did your guide mention finding a can of bear spray on the opposite side of the falls? I lost my can back in 2007 coming down those rocky cliffs in your picture. Anyone who posts a picture of the falls, I feel as though I need to ask. :)

Second, the shot from the Chittenden Bridge looking upstream is gorgeous. And while all of the shots of the bison are special to me, I really like the one with the bison in the snow globe with you. That one is definitely a keeper.

If I had known you were going to be in Hayden Valley, I'd have paid you good money to ski into the headwaters of Alum Creek to retrieve my titanium spoon that I left standing up in a crack in log this past summer. I'm sure the anger it feels for me leaving it behind has probably generated enough heat to melt all of the snow surrounding it, making it easy to find in the winter time. :D

Okay, back to serious questions: What did they feed you for meals? How cold did it get while you where there? How long were the day ski trips? A full day? A half day? Just a couple of hours? And would you do the trip again?

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm sure I'll be back to gaze at the images in the future.
 
Glad that you had an excellent trip, and shared it with us! The skiing looks great, and it brings back fond memories of a foggy morning at Norris in September 2011.
 
Absolutely incredible. I've been telling myself I need to ride a snow coach in for a few nights in the park ever since we moved up to the area, and this may have been the final push I needed to get on it. Looks like you had a blast, and your photos were literally jaw-dropping. Thank you for sharing this!
 
Awesome! I loved the photos of the wildlife, especially the bald eagle. And the one near forest hot spring looks like your somewhere in Antarctica.
I'm a below average skier but this TR has me thinking.:thinking:
 
Just beautiful! That yurtlet looks nice and cozy inside compared to all the cold shots you took on your adventure.

All your images are wonderful. There are a few that stand out for me tough. First, Gibbon Falls is beautiful. Sorry, but I have to ask, did your guide mention finding a can of bear spray on the opposite side of the falls? I lost my can back in 2007 coming down those rocky cliffs in your picture. Anyone who posts a picture of the falls, I feel as though I need to ask. :)

Second, the shot from the Chittenden Bridge looking upstream is gorgeous. And while all of the shots of the bison are special to me, I really like the one with the bison in the snow globe with you. That one is definitely a keeper.

If I had known you were going to be in Hayden Valley, I'd have paid you good money to ski into the headwaters of Alum Creek to retrieve my titanium spoon that I left standing up in a crack in log this past summer. I'm sure the anger it feels for me leaving it behind has probably generated enough heat to melt all of the snow surrounding it, making it easy to find in the winter time. :D

Okay, back to serious questions: What did they feed you for meals? How cold did it get while you where there? How long were the day ski trips? A full day? A half day? Just a couple of hours? And would you do the trip again?

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'm sure I'll be back to gaze at the images in the future.
Wish I could say I found your 15 year old can of bear spray and last summer's spoon! Thanks for your comments about the photos. :)

For your questions:
1) Meals really were great - as with everything else, they accommodated different preferences/needs. Always vegetarian options and multiple options at each meal. For example:
Breakfast: eggs or frittata, pancakes or biscuits, hash browns or shredded potato something-or-other, fresh fruit, oatmeal with nuts/dried fruit/granola - etc.
Lunch: breads, lunch meats/cheese, lettuce/tom/sprouts/avocado/pickles/etc., PB&J, apples, cookies, chip bags, trail mix bags, candy bars, granola bars, etc. - pack your own so take as much as you want
Dinner: always an interesting salad, fruit, and dessert; appetizers were served but we didn't go early for those; one night was Middle Eastern themed w kabobs (meat & veg) & couscous; one night was Mexican themed with some delicious dish I wasn't familiar with; one night was ribs & mac/cheese for veg & other stuff to accompany that I can't remember; etc. Final night was hand cranked ice cream with fixings. :) Plenty of alcohol, too, although I'm not sure how much they provided and how much came from people who brought their own and shared (I wasn't in the mood so didn't pay much attention).

2) Temps varied a lot, from high in the mid-20s a couple days to I don't know how cold a couple days - negative #s at night with even lower wind chills, so they had us come to breakfast half an hour later that day (or two?) to get a little bit later start. The yurts are close enough that we didn't have to walk far to the dining or bathroom yurts, and when it was really cold I went fast and was only outside for a minute. When we skied during the day, we put on and took off layers as needed and did fine (using toe & hand warmers).

3) I don't know our ski mileage each day, and there were always options. You could go back earlier or ski more. On the Cascade Meadow/Lake day, after lunch in a spot in the woods they asked if we wanted to keep going further out or head back; everyone wanted to keep going further but since there were 2 guides and the trail back was already broken they could have had one guide go back while the other guide and strong, willing participants would have taken turns breaking trail. After Forest Hot Springs, some people went back to the snow coach and hung out in the warmth while others of us went to the falls overlook. It was like that all the time (plus there were much shorter skis for the beginner couple, and then they would spend extra time driving around in the snow coach to see more wildlife). Maybe we skied 6-7 miles per day and were away from camp from 9:30 to 3:00 or 4:00ish each day, with part of that time sometimes being in the coach? I just don't know, but there were always options for more or less.

4) Interesting that you ask about doing the trip again. We almost never repeat trips (we're getting old and our list is long), but we might do it again. One couple was doing this for their 3rd year in a row (they started pre-vax in 2021 which amazed me!) and another couple was doing it for their 3rd time (but not in a row); they were part of the group of expert skiers who stayed a whole week.

You didn't ask, but there was a mix of couples and people who came solo (2 spouses chose not to come) and it seemed to work well for all of us.
 
Absolutely incredible. I've been telling myself I need to ride a snow coach in for a few nights in the park ever since we moved up to the area, and this may have been the final push I needed to get on it. Looks like you had a blast, and your photos were literally jaw-dropping. Thank you for sharing this!
I just saw that you're from Belgrade, which I now know is very close to Bozeman. We thought the mountains in that area were stunning - we drove back via Ennis and loved the huge valley we drove through. How wonderful for you to live in such a beautiful area!
 
Awesome! I loved the photos of the wildlife, especially the bald eagle. And the one near forest hot spring looks like your somewhere in Antarctica.
I'm a below average skier but this TR has me thinking.:thinking:
Funny you mention Antarctica - we were all exclaiming the same thing, and I kept picturing Shackleton and his expedition! And regarding your ski ability, we were definitely on the weaker end of things, and it really didn't matter one bit. :)
 
Absolutely incredible. I've been telling myself I need to ride a snow coach in for a few nights in the park ever since we moved up to the area, and this may have been the final push I needed to get on it. Looks like you had a blast, and your photos were literally jaw-dropping. Thank you for sharing this!
Come down.... Can ski in from Island Park to Old faithful.....maybe go out Cave Falls a few days trip ..... Ill pick you up. Wont cook anything tho youd be on your own.
 
Just curious...how far in advance did you book?
I just checked and saw that we sent our deposit in August 2022. I had been in touch with Erica on and off for awhile before then, starting in January, when we had thought our sons might join us and we would need multiple yurts. But then their plans were uncertain and we held off for awhile. I don't have a sense of how far in advance they book up, especially as she had penciled us in and I don't know if there was a waiting list.
 
Come down.... Can ski in from Island Park to Old faithful.....maybe go out Cave Falls a few days trip ..... Ill pick you up. Wont cook anything tho youd be on your own.
I've actually wondered about doing that. Where do people start for that? Bechler?
 
You can start just east of me... Across by smokejumper to old faithful area then down past Shoshone to bechler out cave falls to grassy lake
 
Wow, this really looks incredible. We hike there in the summer a good bit, and always talk about planning a winter trip, but never want to tackle the logistics of booking everything.
 
That was incredible. I did a snow coach trip one year, to Norris, where we hiked around, and then back out to Mammoth. That was pretty neat, but you got the immersion. I loved the picture of just layers of hills covered with snow, and a tree, in the Hayden. I'm thinking you were there when the cold was such that it hurt just looking out the window. Thank you for posting this. Lots of good ideas are floating about in my head now. :) And, visions of summer in Yellowstone.
 
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