We are just back from a winter wonderland out west and Matilde described it as the 'best holiday ever!' The trip to Yellowstone in winter with friends has been brewing for many months and a hot topic of conversation for us all "so can we talk about Yellowstone?" was a constant refrain in NW DC.
Few people visit Yellowstone in winter but a dear colleague has been talking about it for several years. And this year, I finally convinced Gregorio that it was worth sacrificing a few days of downhill skiing to experience the beauty of Yellowstone covered in snow. Having had no snow (amazingly) in DC this year and positively mild temperatures, the snowy cold landscapes were particularly special.
From the moment we landed in laid back Bozeman, Montana the magic began. Cowboy Michael took the ten of us on a scenic drive through the Gallatin Mountains through the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, into Wyoming and onto Mammoth Hot Springs. The land was covered in snow and a two hour airport transfer turned into a wildlife safari in which we spotted bald headed eagles, golden eagles, elk, mule deer, white-tail deer, coyotes eating a carcass and much more.
Mammoth Hot Springs had a certain dated charm to it and proved a very pleasant stay for two nights. We had an early morning start in order to join a 'wake up to wildlife' journey which took us at dawn, through a light snow blizzard into the Lamar Valley. We thought we were guaranteed a sighting of wolves; but here the animals are wild, this is not a zoo and they don't appear just when you want them. However, we did spot many other animals (some of things mentioned above plus endless herds of bison, big horn sheep and various birds and ducks) and the animal paparazzi were out in full force in our van! There was competition to capture the award-wining shot. I think we all excelled in quantity of shots taken, by the end of the tour the backseat girls were sighing "oh mummy, not another bison photo!"
The vast sense of space was awe-inspiring. More impressive was the fact that we had the park to ourselves, quite literally. In the afternoon, the skies cleared and the sun shone. We hired snowshoes and went for a beautiful hike above the travertine terraced springs. It was hard work and quite hilarious running through the deep snow. That evening some of us rewarded our efforts with a soak in the changing colored hot tub, while looking up at the stars above.
From Mammoth we headed south, deep into the park to Old Faithful. A picturesque morning took us through changing landscape on a specially equipped snow coach - from desolate barren plains, to rocky cliffs, onto vast flowing rivers to destroyed forests, and lush snow-covered alpine vistas to the magical mystery of the geo-thermal activity that lies beneath. It is true we had not realized just how extensive the thermal features are in Yellowstone, despite Isabella repeating that it is a vast extinct volcano. The contrast between the steam puffing into the sky and the clear cold air is extraordinary. The snow had melted in these areas and often we would see animals warming themselves up from the heat below.
The guide was fantastic pointing out all the animals and answering all our questions about the park and its history. Though we did nod off when he announced "and now for a bit of personal history!" This week Yellowstone celebrates 140 years as a National Park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." It is an amazing place that many Americans visit at least once. Though, as I have said, few in the winter months. If you are seeking magnificent winter landscapes, an opportunity to view animals in the wild up close and a need to experience the tranquility of natural beauty and the revitalization it will give you - this is the trip for you!
At Old Faithful the snow was much deeper, we were at about 7, 500 ft. The snow lodge was a more modern and very comfortable structure. Our friends had thought we were in the quaint and quirkly Old Faithful Inn - but that is only open in the summer, due to the lack of heating inside. Another trip, I think. Here at Old Faithful the kids were able to roam and feel completely at home - building snow caves, playing hide 'n' seek. We were about the only young families in the hotel (British School half term differs to US spring-break) and were quickly known as 'the English group!'
During the day there were quite a lot of visitors who come into Old Faithful (either on snow coaches or snow mobiles - which Gregorio was secretly eyeing up) but by mid-afternoon we had the place to ourselves. Old Faithful geyser was a 5 minute walk away, it erupts approximately every 90 minutes and we caught its showering mist high into the sky in several different lights. In the evening we set off in a bombardier - a small converted van/tank with skis built in the 1940s originally for transporting Canadian school children. Inside it was very noisy but warm and cosy - off we went on our nighttime adventure. Kitted out in thermals and full ski wear, we took our torches and followed our driver/guide Rachel - quite literally into the middle of nowhere. She then asked us to switch off our torches and listen. It was pitch black and all we could hear was what sounded like ragu bubbling on the stove top - when we turned them back on we saw bubbling mud pots. Further on we could hear a pressure cooker or or had polly put the kettle on? Our flickering lights revealed boiling pools of water and steaming fumaroles. There was no other sound, bar one of two of the kids wondering if the coyote would have followed us down the path?! Extremely cold but the sounds and sites were amazing. Back in the bombardier Rachel handed out a much appreciated thermos of hot chocolate for us all.
On Valentine's day we decided to all try cross country skiing - we can all ski downhill, how hard can it be?Well the answer is - on the flat, first thing in the morning, with beautiful scenery around - not too difficult at all. We did a 5 mile round trip ski surrounded by geysers spurting high into the air and pools of water boiling away. The air was crisp and the sky clear blue. The name of our destination "Morning Glory" was very fitting. After lunch the children decided they would take it easy in the hotel. The four adults were buoyed up by our success in the morning and a couple of glasses of wine - so we thought we'd kick it up a notch. Gregorio led the way, downhill, through the trees....weeeeeeeee, crash. Matt's fall was even more comical - it was a classic cartoon shot - head first , skis in the air. I don't think Penny and I have ever laughed so much. Next up - me! And let me tell you getting back up on cross country skis in deep snow is not easy. I tried to hoist myself up using a pine tree close by. No good, I took the skis off, hoping to start again, but then found myself in thigh deep snow. In the end my prince charming came to the rescue and somehow we were all standing again. Hilarious.
We had a very jolly last night in Yellowstone and then headed up to Big Sky, Montana the next day for four days of downhill skiing. We had a lovely cabin for all ten of us that we could ski-in and ski-out. So having stocked up at the Hungry Moose Deli on the way up the mountain we settled in. As many of you know, Gregorio is a chef extraordinaire on holiday and his menu was extremely well received. It does tend to feature a wide variety of delicious carbohydrates but thankfully when you are skiing for about six hours a day you can indulge without feeling guilty! We were able to relax by the log fire, under the gaze of a former caribou, or chill out with mulled wine in the hot tub and then tuck into some delicious hearty fare. The skiing was fantastic, there was nobody on the slopes - the adults were exhausted at the end of day one given how long the pistes were and the fact that there was no waiting in line at the lifts. We had a mixture of sun and snow - overall a couple of great days skiing. Isabella and Matilde were in ski school mastering parallel turns. It won't be long before they will surpass their mother on the slopes!
Our return back to DC turned into another adventure. A technical hitch to our plane meant we sat at Bozeman airport for six hours - perhaps we should have taken the earlier flight with our friends but we hadn't wanted to get up at 4:30 am. While waiting at Bozeman, we got talking to a Frenchman near us, an amateur photographer who was a little fed up at the delay given his rather exciting week-end. He had been with a group of hiker/photographers at 8,500ft a couple of days earlier filming wildlife - they had even seen a rare snow leopard. However, then the snow had started coming down thick and fast (we got stuck in the same snow storm, trying to find our way back to the house that afternoon - it was pretty heavy!) The photographers were stranded up there between 2 pm on Saturday and 9 am on Sunday morning. They had stayed awake all night trying to keep a fire going and watched helicopter after helicopter circle overhead but unable to land because of the weather or the risk of avalanche. Despite the waist deep snow and lack of food or shelter, the man seemed very pleased to have some great photos that he showed us during our wait. An amazing story.
When we did eventually make it to Minneapolis we had missed all our connections to DC. We took the hotel vouchers and ended our holiday at a Day's Inn motel, overlooking some highway. The girls were impressed they gave us an emergency overnight kit - t-shirt and toothbrush and toothpaste. The girls and I actually had a change of clothes for the next day. Gregorio, who had been the recipient of my coffee when I had tripped that morning, was not so lucky! It was dark and snowing when we arrived at our luxurious suite for the night; not knowing Minneapolis, I led the family to the only place I had heard about - the largest shopping mall in America. We wandered around in the warmth and dry of the mall and then found something to eat. We made it back to DC 24 hours later than planned, but what a great holiday.
Let me know if you are interested in seeing any of the photos. There are rather a few that I am wading my way through :)
Spring seems to be in the air back in DC, so we have packed up our ski gear for another year. Isabella's next MRI will be in early April. We will have some news sometime around Easter - depending on whether she manages to complete the full brain and spine scan (nearly two hours) without sedation. We have a slot booked with sedation as a back-up later in the week.
Hope all is well with you all.
Lots of love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella and Matilde. xxx
