The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: January sixteenth, skiing around Old Faithful.

Yesterday, we called on Yellowstone, the world's first national park. Over four million people visited last year, 95 percent from April through October. When crowds are swarming, Yellowstone's can be a hard to find a place to park, let alone the peace and natural beauty for which it's famous. But, if you appreciate the joys of gliding in solitary splendor across a spectacular, steaming, snow-deep valley, Yellowstone in winter is for you.

The park encourages visitors to come when the snow is deep. Though most roads are not plowed, a fleet of funky but functional snow coaches provide regular shuttle service to the park's major points of interest. It's a bumpy but beautiful 40-mile journey from the park's southern gate, near Jackson, Wyoming, to Geyser Country. Cozy rooms are available at the recently refurbished Old Faithful Snow Lodge, a well-run establishment staffed largely by young people with a passion for great cross- country skiing.

The ski trails in the valley lace among the world's largest concentration of thermal features, roaring geysers and opalescent steaming pools. Winter's cold only enhances the thermal effects. Other well-marked trails of varying length and difficulty lead to back country wonders, past grazing elk and bison, across frozen lakes, through mountain forests, over the Continental Divide. Here's the best part: you can have those scenic glories to yourself. Yellowstone in winter: balm for the soul and as good as cross-country skiing gets.

FMI For information about Yellowstone winter accommodations and transportation, call: TW Recreational Services at 307-344-7311 or www.nps.gov/yell.

Back to January 2003 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.