The Bison are Bellowing
You peer out the van window as crisp cloudbursts with low-hanging mist cool off the hot, mid-summer air. It smells refreshing and revitalizing. Magenta fireweed, ivory cow parsnip, and yellow arrowleaf balsamroot dash past your vision, coloring the surrounding evergreen forest. Suddenly, the viewscape opens widely. There—in the open expanse of Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley—a lone, large-humped bison deliberately crosses the landscape in an uninterrupted descent upon a massive herd
On Top of the World: Adventure to Eagle Peak
Nestled among the tall peaks of the Absarokas on the remote southeastern boundary of Yellowstone, Eagle Peak is far from the park’s busy roadways and bustling tourist attractions, just barely visible – if you know exactly where to look – from a scant few locations in the park’s popular front-country. Out of sight and out of mind to most visitors, Eagle’s mystique for backcountry enthusiasts is only enhanced by the notorious “Keyhole,” a narrow passage through a crumbling cliff band high on the mountain that truly is the key to reaching the highest point in Yellowstone.
Let’s Get Packing! How to Layer for a Successful Yellowstone Summer Adventure
Two of the primary questions we get from our first-time Yellowstone guests are: “What will the weather be like?” and “How should I dress?” We get it. Committing to a day afield in an unfamiliar environment can be daunting, especially in a place like Yellowstone where the weather can keep even the most seasoned visitors guessing. Yellowstone’s Northern Range is considered high-mountain desert, where temperatures throughout the course of a day can vary widely.
Musings on Spring Transitions in Yellowstone: How Our National Parks Shape Us
As March transitions into April here at Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance we can’t help but pause and reflect on the monumental efforts that provided us with this world-class experiment in preservation. We also can’t help considering how, ultimately, this wild environment has molded each and every one of us–guides, mentors, guests, and residents—into the human beings we are today.
Baby Animals! Springtime Wildlife on Yellowstone’s Northern Range
It’s that time of year again in Yellowstone! The time of year snow starts melting, grasses start greening, and the anticipation of baby animals fills the air. Bears, bison, and other wildlife start appearing with their offspring as early as April here at Yellowstone’s North Entrance. Shortly after, in May and June, we see wolf and coyote pups emerge from dens. Elk calves rise on wobbly legs to examine their new surroundings, and bighorn sheep lambs leap