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This Week in Yellowstone: October 8th to October 14th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

0:00
From Yellowstone National Park, where owls and
0:02
bears are being spotted more often, this is that
0:05
Scott guy you know and love with a brand new
0:07
episode of This Week in Yellowstone. What's up
0:20
everybody, This Week in Yellowstone National
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Park. From October 8th to October 14th, 2026,
0:27
I'll let you know about some major road closures,
0:30
tell you why the cold weather in the forecast
0:32
is something to be excited about, and try to
0:34
explain why Yellowstone's ravens are so cool.
0:37
I'll also give you the complete weather forecast,
0:40
a really cool trail to hike, the snowpack update,
0:43
if there is one, spoiler alert, there's not,
0:46
the wildlife report, and everything else you
0:48
need to have an incredible time this week in
0:51
Yellowstone. My standard disclaimer, I may miss
0:54
a few details here and there, so, you know, I
0:57
try my best. If there's something that you're
0:59
like, oh, that doesn't sound right, reach out
1:00
to me, happy to do a correction. I also want
1:03
you to know that I mention park locations very
1:05
casually, so if you're unfamiliar with a place
1:07
that I'm talking about, you can search online
1:10
for that spot or you can reach out to me directly.
1:13
You can send me a text at 406 -589 -1873 or email
1:18
me at theoutdoorsocietyatgmail .com. Finally,
1:22
please know that this podcast is a passion project
1:25
of mine. If you enjoy it, I'd love a review or
1:28
a quick email or text telling me that you enjoy
1:30
it. Or if you want to support my work more, you
1:32
can check out my hiking and wildlife watching
1:34
guidebooks, or you can join me for a guided hiking
1:36
tour in Yellowstone's backcountry in 2027. For
1:40
those of you inquiring about hikes for the rest
1:42
of this year, I am booked out and shutting down
1:45
for the season pretty soon, but I have an open
1:48
schedule. for the most part, in 2027, and I would
1:52
really love to show you around. So reach out,
1:54
let me know when you're coming here, and I'll
1:55
try and make something happen. I'm going to be
1:57
redoing my website in the next few months. So
2:01
until then, you can look at it, but it's probably
2:03
easiest if you contact me directly and say, we'd
2:06
love a guided hike or information about the park,
2:08
and we can go from there. Anyway, let's jump
2:11
into this week's news. First news story that
2:14
I'm going to talk about this week is that September
2:17
visitation is up for most years in September
2:21
of this year Yellowstone hosted eight hundred
2:24
and sixty eight thousand four hundred and fifty
2:26
recreation visits, which is a three percent increase
2:30
versus September of 2025. It's also the second
2:34
highest September visitation in park history.
2:38
It is two percent lower than September of 2021,
2:41
which is the record, and that had 882 ,000. So
2:46
868 ,450 is what September saw in August of 2026,
2:52
was 856 ,467. And that, if you are good with
2:59
numbers, has September with 12 ,000 more visitors
3:03
than August which I don't like to always say
3:06
like I told you so to people because most of
3:09
you know me so I'm not telling you anything you
3:10
don't know but a lot of people will look at me
3:13
when I tell them that September is just as busy
3:16
if not busier than August and they will call
3:18
me a liar but the numbers speak for themselves
3:21
so I just wanted to bring that up for the year
3:25
We're still at 4 .3 million recreation visits,
3:30
and it doesn't look like we're gonna break 5
3:33
million. As October is going to get about 320
3:37
,000 probably this year, November usually sees
3:40
24 -25 ,000, and December is around 35 ,000.
3:45
So it's going to be under 5 million, but it's
3:47
still going to be a pretty busy year overall.
3:50
However, we could see a decrease in visitation
3:53
in the next week for the rest of the month if
3:55
the weather holds, but I'll talk about that during
3:57
the weather section. Speaking of some sort of
4:00
weather information before I talk about that
4:03
too much, Beartooth Highway is now closing on
4:06
the 11th of this month. It was supposed to be
4:08
the 13th, but we have an incoming snowstorm that's
4:11
going to dump snow in the region, so they are
4:13
closing the Beartooth Highway on the 11th of
4:16
October. For the season, the 10th is the last
4:20
day you can drive it full stop. Well, in 2026.
4:23
Now full stop. Along those same lines, it appears
4:27
as if Dunraven Pass which connects Tower to Canyon
4:31
is going to be closing on October 12th if not
4:34
earlier with this incoming storm. So that means
4:37
if you are driving from Canyon to Lamar or from
4:41
Fishing Bridge and Lake and all that or the east
4:43
entrance to Lamar, you are now going to have
4:46
to go through Norris and Mammoth to get to Tower
4:49
and then out to Lamar and Cook City. So that's
4:52
going to be a long detour after the 12th if not
4:56
earlier with this incoming snowstorm. That's
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all the news I have this week. I will talk about
5:00
the weather and road closures in the weather
5:02
and road closure segment in just a little bit.
5:06
My experience of the week. Frost in the thermal
5:09
areas in the morning. If you've ever wandered
5:11
through Yellowstone's thermal areas, you already
5:14
know how they can feel like another planet. Pools
5:17
glow in possible shades of blue, green, orange
5:19
and yellow. Geysers rumble and erupt. Mud pots
5:22
bubble away and steam rises from cracks and vents
5:25
in the ground. But if you're going to be in Yellowstone
5:27
this week, there's something that I really want
5:30
you to know. The cold mornings that are coming
5:33
will actually make the thermal areas even better.
5:37
October is a completely different experience
5:38
from the summer. The mornings are cold, sometimes
5:42
well below freezing, especially at the higher
5:44
elevations, and snow is always a possibility.
5:47
But the chilly air is part of what makes the
5:48
thermal areas so spectacular. When cold air meets
5:51
the hot water and moisture coming out of the
5:53
ground, the basins fill with steam. and occasionally
5:56
there'll be thin layers of frost on everything.
6:00
Features that might barely catch your attention
6:02
on a warm afternoon in the summer are announcing
6:04
themselves with great billowing plumes of steam.
6:07
If you've visited in the summer, you know that
6:09
steam can sometimes not be the best thing. You
6:11
might assume that the clearest, warmest weather
6:13
gives you the best view of the thermal areas.
6:16
And in some ways in the summer, you're right.
6:18
If you're looking at Grand Prismatic or trying
6:20
to see the details of a particular feature, You
6:23
certainly don't want everything obscured by giant
6:25
clouds of vapor. But when you're walking through
6:28
the larger basins, or just driving through the
6:30
park, the steam can actually make everything
6:33
better. The reason is that it helps you see just
6:35
how much is going on. On a warm afternoon, you
6:38
can walk through a thermal basin and see the
6:40
big obvious features, the famous geysers, colorful
6:43
hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. And even
6:45
when you're driving, you're gonna see, you know,
6:47
all the cool things on a hot day. But when it's
6:50
cold outside, steam reveals all of those smaller
6:54
places that you don't even know exist, which
6:56
is really cool. Steam's going to be rising from
6:59
tiny cracks in the ground. Curls are going to
7:01
be coming up from fumaroles, drifting across
7:03
pools out in the distance. And suddenly, it makes
7:07
you notice features that you might have been
7:09
past a million times and not noticed. The steam
7:12
doesn't necessarily hide in the thermal basin,
7:14
it reveals it. That's one of the things I love
7:17
about seeing Yellowstone's geothermal areas in
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the cold weather. You start to understand that
7:21
the basin isn't just a collection of a few famous
7:23
attractions. It's actually a way to see the 10
7:27
,000 hydrothermal features that Yellowstone Park
7:29
holds. A patch of ground that looks completely
7:32
ordinary from a distance in the summer can suddenly
7:35
be sending up wisps of vapor from several different
7:37
vents when you're there on a cold morning. A
7:40
quiet corner of a basin comes alive simply because
7:43
the temperature has dropped. The light also makes
7:47
things really good. Early October mornings have
7:49
that low angle autumn light that catch the edges
7:51
of the steam and makes the whole basin look almost
7:54
surreal. You'll see sunlight filtering through
7:56
vapor plumes rising behind colorful pools and
7:59
steam drifting slowly across the boardwalk. Grand
8:02
prismatics and its overlook are obviously spectacular,
8:05
but if it's super steamy you probably don't want
8:07
to go there. You want to go to the other places.
8:10
If you are visiting this week, I'd make an effort
8:12
to get to a thermal area early in the morning
8:14
on a cold temperature day. You don't have to
8:17
be there right at sunrise, but the earlier you
8:20
go, the better your chances are of seeing the
8:23
basin at their most dramatic. And also, there's
8:26
that chance of that frost before the sun hits
8:28
it that's going to be on everything. And I'm
8:30
going to talk more in the winter about horror
8:32
frost, but right now, this is a good time to
8:35
see it early in the year. Pretty much every week
8:37
I talk about slowing down in the park and ways
8:41
to do it, and this is another one of those. You
8:43
don't have to race from one name feature to the
8:45
next. You can slowly walk through a boardwalk
8:48
basin or on a trail that goes by a basin and
8:51
you can have a different thermal experience than
8:54
you'll ever have in the summer. And I really
8:57
think that if you're looking for just the soul
8:59
of Yellowstone, this is another way to do it.
9:03
Obviously dress accordingly October and Yellowstone
9:06
this coming week. It's not gonna be that warm
9:08
and I'm telling you go out in the cold It's gonna
9:10
probably snow on Sunday be really cold on Monday
9:13
as well So be ready for that layer up because
9:16
then it's gonna get warm in the afternoon maybe
9:18
or warmer Also this time of the year the snow
9:22
that's gonna be falling will be wet snow So don't
9:25
expect the powder that we get in the winter if
9:27
you visit in the winter It's gonna be wet snow
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gonna talk about that maybe a little bit later,
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but If you're coming this week, go to the thermal
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areas on the coldest mornings you can and really
9:37
enjoy it. I think you can find some true solitude
9:42
and bliss and really get to know and appreciate
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the geothermal activity of Yellowstone in a much
9:48
different way than you would in the middle of
9:51
summer. Even around Mammoth, places like that,
9:53
you're going to see it differently. So enjoy.
9:56
I hope you do. And if you do get out, let me
9:59
know because I would love to hear about your
10:00
experience. My tip of the week. So I have two
10:04
tips this week. The first is this is the last
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chance for the Beartooth Highway So if you are
10:08
here on Thursday or Friday drive the Beartooth
10:11
Highway, you're not gonna get a chance in 2026
10:14
So this is your last opportunity to do that The
10:17
fall colors are absolutely popping if you're
10:20
listening to this Thursday morning and you're
10:22
like, I don't know Go do it or do it Friday.
10:24
Do not hesitate on this I know some people that
10:27
went up. There's mountain goats all over the
10:29
place. There's a couple of moose hanging out.
10:31
There's some grizzly bears. It is still absolutely
10:34
beautiful and it's be one of the last people
10:36
to see it with all the fall colors before the
10:39
snow falls. You are going to thank yourself for
10:42
making the time and having the energy to go up
10:45
there. This is legitimately the last window there
10:49
is for it and it is truly spectacular. Please,
10:52
please, please, please do it if you can. The
10:55
other tip of the week that I have is how to manage
10:58
an early wet snow when you're visiting Yellowstone
11:01
National Park. If you visit in the winter, then
11:04
you know most of the time Yellowstone snow is
11:07
very much pure powder, absolutely easy to clear
11:10
off your car, pretty easy to drive in when in
11:13
places you can drive, and generally not that
11:16
big of a problem. However, the shoulder season
11:19
snows, which are, you know, October, November,
11:23
and then March, April, May. Those are just really
11:27
heavy wet snows, and they make everything a lot
11:30
more difficult. People who live here their whole
11:33
lives know that we can drive in the winter, no
11:37
problem, but once these October snows fall, we
11:40
all go very slow. We know that this is when the
11:44
roads are the worst, the conditions are very
11:46
cold, snow gear just doesn't work as well because
11:50
it's so wet, and so generally This is a hard
11:53
time to plan for. If you're coming this week,
11:56
you need to be ready for cold, wet, snowy temperatures.
12:01
The easiest way to do this is hopefully you have
12:05
a car that you can drive in the snow and also
12:08
know that if the roads are too bad, the park
12:10
is going to close any road that they deem bad.
12:13
The plows are not necessarily up and running.
12:16
They might be ready. but I wouldn't bank on it
12:19
and I wouldn't bank on them opening everything
12:21
a few hours after they close it. Things might
12:23
be closed for a day. So if you are somewhere
12:27
and you need to get back, you could have a very
12:30
long drive clear around everything to get there
12:34
or you just might not be able to. I'm not trying
12:36
to say that to scare anybody, but just know that
12:39
you should always be paying attention to the
12:41
weather. You should be listening to the rangers
12:44
you should be reading the signs there's also
12:46
1610 am is the radio station you can tune to
12:50
just to get updates about road closures this
12:54
is something that's very important to know because
12:56
as the snow develops the park will be closing
12:59
a lot of higher roads that means the road out
13:01
to the east entrance that means sylvan pass you
13:05
know then you could also have craig pass which
13:08
is that road between west thumb and old faithful
13:11
that might close They might even close the road
13:14
that connects Canyon to Norris if there's that
13:17
much snow. That road goes up in elevation quite
13:20
a bit and can receive quite a bit of snow. There
13:23
are areas that you need to be aware of. If they
13:26
start closing everything, again, I don't know
13:29
what to tell you. The park will do a very good
13:31
job. They usually will make sure to round people
13:34
up and have everybody follow a ranger vehicle
13:36
and they'll kind of have ranger vehicle in the
13:38
front and the back to make sure everybody is
13:40
leaving and is okay. However, if you're not paying
13:43
attention and you're out doing something Then
13:46
you may not know which is why you should always
13:48
be checking the weather beforehand Always be
13:51
doing those text alerts that I'm gonna read later
13:53
everything like that also clothing wise The lows
13:58
are gonna be in the 20s if not in the teens this
14:00
weekend. The highs might not break 30 This isn't
14:04
going to be a week of this weather, it's going
14:06
to be one or two days at most of that cold, and
14:09
then it's going to warm up above freezing, but
14:11
know that it's going to be very cold. Have layers,
14:14
but know that unless your layers are waterproof,
14:17
not just water resistant, but waterproof, they
14:20
will get soaked in this rain or wet snow that
14:23
will be falling. I want you to know this so you
14:26
can be prepared. I usually have a change of clothes
14:29
this time of year. If not two, I'll have extra
14:31
socks, I'll have extra shoes, I'll have extra
14:34
everything. Because if you get soaked down to
14:37
your thinnest layer against your skin, you're
14:41
going to be very cold, even if you get back in
14:42
the car. So have a towel in your car, bring an
14:45
extra change of clothes, layer well, and have
14:48
waterproof material. And I know this may sound
14:52
a little like fear -bongering because the last
14:53
couple weeks I've said, oh it might snow and
14:55
it hasn't snowed. This forecast looks more serious,
14:58
especially since they are closing the Beartooth
15:00
Highway early. I would take this storm warning
15:02
seriously and know that you may have to, especially
15:06
Sunday is looking like the worst day, you may
15:09
have to do things Saturday morning and then kind
15:12
of taper off the rest of the weekend. If you're
15:14
here through Monday, Monday should get progressively
15:17
better, but that's... Saturday afternoon through
15:20
Sunday then into Monday is going to be messy
15:23
and I want you to be prepared Some of you have
15:26
already reached out to me and asked. Hey, I'm
15:28
gonna be in the park this weekend. What should
15:29
I do? I appreciate that I got back to I think
15:32
all of you and I've told you very similar things
15:35
to what I said here I would also, you know, go
15:37
to the thermal basins on these cold days if you
15:40
can but just know Snow might be sticking to the
15:44
road, it's going to be wet and slushy, it may
15:46
not be ideal, and they may not be able to plow
15:49
everything quick enough. So expect much slower
15:52
travel times, road closures over the higher elevations,
15:55
and just know that this is what happens in October.
15:59
This is a typical October storm. It's actually
16:02
about a week late from the last few years, so
16:04
you've gotten lucky so far I guess, or not lucky
16:07
because I love these snow storms. And one thing
16:11
to know about these snowstorms is as soon as
16:13
it clears up, you get to be one of the first
16:16
people in the park after a snowfall. You get
16:18
to go hike and see the animal tracks and the
16:20
fresh snow. You get to drive around and look
16:22
at the fields and see where the animals have
16:24
gone. You might get to see bison with snow all
16:26
over them. You get to see all of these things
16:28
that are normally reserved for winter. early
16:31
in October so enjoy that it's honestly absolutely
16:34
gorgeous the fall colors with some leaves falling
16:37
on top of freshly fallen snow makes for some
16:39
amazing pictures as well or just if you don't
16:41
want to take pictures you can just look at some
16:44
aspen leaves that have fallen on the snow next
16:48
to a flowing river that might be steaming from
16:50
the thermal runoff and know that this is a truly
16:53
unique moment in Yellowstone just be prepared
16:56
be warm have a change of clothes and know that
16:58
roads may close My random Yellowstone fact of
17:02
the week, the Ravens of Yellowstone. The more
17:06
you watch Ravens in Yellowstone National Park,
17:08
the harder it is to think of them as simply big
17:10
black birds. They're everywhere in the park,
17:13
soaring over Lamar Valley, sitting beside a road,
17:15
picking through a carcass, riding the wind above
17:18
a wolf pack, or watching visitors with the unmistakable
17:21
look of a bird that's trying to figure out what
17:23
you might have in your backpack. Yellowstone
17:25
is home to the common raven, and it's one of
17:27
the smartest birds in the world. And the more
17:30
scientists learn about them, the more impressive
17:32
these birds become. Ravens are part of the corvid
17:36
family, which covers crows, magpies, jays, and
17:39
nutcrackers. Common ravens are considerably larger
17:42
than American crows, with a wingspan that can
17:44
exceed four feet. I've read that in multiple
17:47
places. That is absolutely bonkers. I think that
17:50
might be an exaggeration, but still they're huge.
17:54
They have that familiar glossy black plumage,
17:56
a heavy bill, long fingers that they're into
17:59
their wingtips, not real fingers, but you know
18:01
what I mean, and a distinctive wedge -shaped
18:03
trail. Their intelligence, however, is what really
18:06
sets them apart. Ravens are capable of figuring
18:09
out cause and effect, solving unfamiliar problems,
18:12
remembering food sources, working together, and
18:15
learning from what happens around them. One of
18:18
the easiest ways to see the intelligence of the
18:20
Ravens in Yellowstone is to watch what happens
18:22
when they're around people. Ravens have learned
18:25
that humans can occasionally be associated with
18:27
food, and some Yellowstone Ravens have figured
18:29
out how to unzip or unsnap packs. They've learned
18:32
how to go through sun roofs and pull out bags
18:34
of chips. Now that doesn't mean that they're
18:37
plotting to rob every visitor who walks by, but
18:39
does demonstrate how quickly they learn to manipulate
18:42
unfamiliar objects when there might be a reward
18:46
involved. One thing I do want to mention is the
18:49
National Park Service specifically warns visitors
18:51
not to feed them because a raven that learns
18:54
to associate people with food can become a problem
18:56
for both the bird and the people it encounters.
18:59
There have been guides in the past that will
19:01
feed the ravens at lunch at the lunch spots and
19:03
now the ravens still go back because they know
19:06
that there's people that are feeding them there.
19:08
Please don't feed any birds, any wildlife whatsoever,
19:10
even chipmunks, nothing in the park. Now ravens
19:14
are very curious. Young ravens in particular
19:18
investigate new objects almost compulsively.
19:22
Researchers have described this tendency as neophilia,
19:25
which is an attraction to things they haven't
19:27
seen before. They may pick up objects, drop them,
19:31
carry them around, or play with them. That playfulness
19:34
isn't necessarily wasted. For a young raven,
19:38
investigating the world is a way to learn what's
19:40
useful, what's edible, and what might be dangerous,
19:43
or what might be worth remembering. Ravens also
19:46
perform aerial maneuvers that enroll and dive,
19:49
and they drop objects and catch them again in
19:51
mid -air. They're absolutely fun to watch. Ravens
19:55
are scavengers and opportunists, and Yellowstone
19:57
gives them an extraordinary food landscape to
20:00
work with. They eat an astonishing variety of
20:02
things, but one of their most important relationships
20:05
is with wolves. A raven cannot easily tear open
20:08
a thick hole of a large animal that's dead on
20:11
its own. So when wolves make a kill, the ravens
20:14
benefit from the work of the predators. Ravens
20:16
may gather around a wolf kill, and for years
20:19
it was commonly assumed that the birds simply
20:20
followed wolves around and waited for their next
20:22
meal. New research from Yellowstone has made
20:24
the story considerably more interesting. In a
20:27
study published in Science Magazine in March
20:30
of 2026, researchers tracked 69 ravens and 20
20:33
wolves across Yellowstone for two and a half
20:36
years. They found that prolonged following of
20:39
wolves was extremely rare. Instead, the ravens
20:42
appeared to remember the parts of the landscape
20:44
where wolves frequently made kills and returned
20:48
to those areas time after time to check for food.
20:51
Some ravens traveled more than 150 kilometers
20:54
to reach a kill, and they were nearly twice as
20:57
likely to visit areas where wolf kills had historically
21:00
been more common. In other words, rather than
21:03
simply waiting for a wolf to lead them to some
21:05
sort of a dinner, The Ravens appear to develop
21:08
something much more sophisticated, a mental map
21:11
of where dinner is likely to happen. Ravens are
21:14
also very social, and they have a lot of different
21:17
calls. They don't just make that one generic
21:19
ca. They have different calls associated with
21:22
different situations, including territorial behavior,
21:25
alarm, begging, and communication between individuals.
21:30
Every so often, you're going to see a Raven that
21:32
looks a little different. That's because there's
21:35
going to be something sticking up from its back
21:37
that looks like a tiny antenna. Or maybe you're
21:39
going to look at its legs and see colored bands
21:41
around them. Those aren't unusual features. Those
21:45
are not drones as somebody I talked to the other
21:48
day said that he's been telling visitors to the
21:50
park is that any bird with an antenna is a drone
21:52
and isn't real and it's watching your behavior,
21:55
which honestly, funniest thing you can tell people
21:57
because he said that he was talking to somebody
21:59
and they really freaked out after feeding a raven.
22:01
So, you know, there's something else you can
22:03
tell. anyone if you see them. Dealing with a
22:07
raven may be too close or harassing them. But
22:10
the little antennae are part of a tracking device,
22:12
and Yellowstone researchers have fitted some
22:13
ravens with small GPS transmitters that are attached
22:17
to the bird with a lightweight harness. One description
22:20
of the Yellowstone raven research project noted
22:22
that the backpack size units had three short
22:25
antennas extending from the back. These devices
22:29
allow researchers to follow where individual
22:31
ravens go, how far they travel, what habitats
22:34
they use, and how their movements relate to wolves,
22:37
carcasses, people, and other food sources. Technology
22:40
has given scientists a completely different view
22:42
of raven life. Instead of watching a bird fly
22:45
across the sky and wondering where it's going,
22:47
researchers could follow its movement throughout
22:49
the day. Earlier Yellowstone work revealed that
22:51
Ravens can be surprisingly mobile, leaving their
22:54
roost in the morning, traveling super far for
22:57
food, and returning the same spot later that
22:59
day. More recently, like I said, those GPS research
23:03
devices have changed how we view Wolves and Ravens
23:08
acting together. The colored markings on the
23:11
Raven's feet serve a different purpose. They
23:13
allow researchers and observers to identify individual
23:16
birds without having to recapture them. A particular
23:19
combination and position of colored leg bands
23:22
can act almost like a name tag. Once a raven
23:27
has been banded, researchers can record where
23:29
and when that individual is seen and connect
23:31
those observations with the bird's tracking data.
23:35
Pictures can be especially useful because a raven's
23:37
leg bands can sometimes be read from a distance.
23:41
If you are looking at a raven and notice a couple
23:43
of colored bands around its legs, you're probably
23:46
looking at a bird with a history that the park
23:48
knows about which is pretty cool so next time
23:50
you see them enjoy that especially because that
23:53
raven could be revolutionizing how we view ravens
23:57
in the park and not everybody's gonna be super
23:59
gung -ho about ravens i know this but if you
24:02
are nerdy like me about birds then you will probably
24:06
find this fascinating there is a book i do want
24:09
to recommend And I'm going to be recommending
24:11
more books as we get deeper into the winter so
24:13
you can get some more information about Wildlife
24:15
of the Park, the park's history, things like
24:17
that. So I guess the first one I'm going to recommend
24:19
right now is called Mind of the Raven. It's available
24:23
anywhere you get your books. It's a fascinating
24:25
book about probably the best researcher of ravens
24:31
ever. It was written in 1994, I'm seeing, so
24:35
it's a little dated. But nope, 1999. I don't
24:38
know what the 1994. I just looked it up on Goodreads,
24:41
but I'm also seeing 1999. So maybe there's a
24:46
different version, but definitely pick up Mind
24:47
of a Raven. That was an unnecessary aside. Now
24:50
you know how I record this podcast, but pick
24:52
up that book. Read it. It's very dense. It's
24:56
a lot of information. I read it over the course
24:58
of a couple years, just a paragraph every year,
25:01
every now and then. Just like if I'm traveling
25:03
and I had a couple free minutes, read a page
25:05
or two, just to absorb some new raven information.
25:09
Love it. Pick it up. Read it. Hopefully you enjoy
25:11
it too. Alright, enough bird talk. Let's talk
25:16
about the weather. So the weather for the coming
25:18
week. As always, this is the best forecast for
25:21
the week at the time of recording. We're recording
25:23
this at almost 6pm on Wednesday, October 7th,
25:27
so we'll see what happens. Forecasts can always
25:30
change numerous times the next few days, but
25:32
this should be within the ballpark of what you'll
25:34
experience. Hopefully it does snow, so it won't
25:38
be the third straight week that there's snow
25:39
in the forecast and it doesn't happen. But let's
25:42
start with Lamar Valley. On Thursday, a high
25:45
of 71 and 36. Friday 70 and 44 Saturday 55 and
25:51
34 96 percent chance of almost 3 quarters of
25:56
an inch of rain on Sunday a high of 41 a low
26:00
of 28 96 percent chance of 2 inches of snow on
26:04
Monday 43 and 25 69 percent chance about a half
26:09
inch of snow Tuesday 49 and 28 24 percent chance
26:13
of rain and Wednesday 46 and 25 with a 57 % chance
26:18
of maybe an inch of snow. Gardiner, Montana.
26:22
On Thursday, 74 and 38. Friday, 72 and 45. Saturday,
26:29
57 and 31 with an 88 % chance of a half inch
26:32
of rain. Sunday, 39 and 26 with a 90 % chance
26:37
of two inches of snow. On Monday, 43 and 25,
26:41
a 62 % chance of a half inch of snow. On Tuesday,
26:46
50 and 28, a 24 % chance of some rain. Wednesday,
26:50
47 and 25 with a 61 % chance of a half inch of
26:54
snow. West Yellowstone, Montana. Thursday, 70
26:57
and 30. Friday, 69 and 40. Saturday, 54 and 33,
27:05
90 % chance of a half inch of rain. Sunday, 40
27:08
and 24, 88 % chance of two inches of snow. Monday,
27:13
43 and 23. 67 % chance of a half inch of snow
27:17
Tuesday 48 and 23 41 % chance of a quarter inch
27:22
of snow and Wednesday 44 and 20 54 % chance of
27:26
three quarters of an inch of snow Cody Wyoming
27:30
on Thursday 79 and 55 on Friday 81 and 55 on
27:36
Saturday 65 and 34 with an 83 % chance of about
27:41
a quarter inch of rain in the afternoon Sunday
27:44
36 and 29, 72 % chance of two inches of snow.
27:49
Monday, 35 and 31, 56 % chance of a half inch
27:52
of snow. Tuesday, 53 and 39, 21 % chance of rain.
27:57
And Wednesday, 54 and 36, and a 42 % chance of
28:00
rain. And finally, Cook City, Montana. Thursday,
28:05
67 and 40. Friday, 65 and 44. Saturday, 51 and
28:10
32, 98 % chance of 3 quarters of an inch of rain.
28:15
Sunday, 38 and 28, 95 % chance of 4 inches of
28:19
snow. Monday, 40 and 27, 68 % chance of a half
28:24
inch of snow. Tuesday, 46 and 29, 24 % chance
28:29
of rain. Wednesday, 44 and 24, 58 % chance of
28:33
1 inch of snow. And that is the weather! Now,
28:38
with these weather and snowfall totals, I want
28:41
to point out that the weather forecast out here
28:44
for snowfall totals is rarely right. If they
28:49
say four inches of snow, it means it may snow
28:51
an inch, or it may snow seven, eight, nine inches.
28:55
So just know that just because it says four inches
28:58
and there's already four inches of snow out there
29:00
does not mean that's all it's going to snow.
29:02
I would take the storm seriously, like I said,
29:05
if it doesn't snow. doesn't snow, but the way
29:09
that I have been reading about road closures
29:11
and everything, it's going to be something that
29:13
everyone is taking seriously, and I think you
29:16
should too. Speaking of road closures, there's
29:19
currently no main park roads that are closed
29:22
right now. Like I said earlier, Dunraven Pass
29:24
is supposedly closing on the 12th. I'm thinking
29:27
that's going to happen, especially with the snowstorm,
29:30
so I would not expect it to be open probably
29:33
after After Saturday afternoon That that's what
29:38
I would guess just based on how the weather is
29:41
if it's gonna snow the way they say it's going
29:43
to There's still some construction spots here
29:46
and there. I don't think that's gonna be too
29:47
much of a deal with the weather But I do want
29:51
to remind everybody that for up -to -date road
29:53
information call three zero seven 344 -2117 for
29:59
recorded information from the park. You can also
30:01
sign up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on
30:03
your cell phone by texting the number 82190 to
30:08
the number 888777. That's what I do, that's what
30:11
most people do out here. You can also go on the
30:14
National Park website on the road conditions
30:16
page and get up -to -date information there on
30:20
the main roads. This is going to be a very fluid
30:22
situation, no pun intended, so... We will see
30:26
what closes, but I'm guessing quite a few things
30:29
are going to close this weekend, so be ready
30:31
for that. Camping information. Bridge Bay is
30:35
closed, Canyon is closed, Idian Creek is closed,
30:38
Grant is closed, Tower is closed, Lewis Lake
30:41
closes on the 11th, and Slough Creek closes on
30:43
the 12th. The Wildlife Watching update. So good
30:47
news here, Wildlife Watching has started to pick
30:50
up in the last few days. I went into the park
30:52
on the weekend, and didn't see a ton. I mean,
30:56
I saw all of the main animals, but I was going
30:59
really for bears and for owls. I got shot out
31:01
on both, but then I heard that I just didn't
31:04
go far enough later that same evening. There
31:06
were great gray owls hanging around the fishing
31:08
bridge to the lake area, like Lake Hotel area,
31:12
so keep that in mind. There's also grizzlies
31:14
out toward the east entrance as you go up past
31:17
the lake and up to Lake Butte Overlook. So keep
31:21
an eye out there. Obviously if the pass is closed
31:23
they're going to close that road at certain point
31:25
too. So good luck out that way. Lamar Valley
31:29
has been really good for all sorts of things.
31:34
Last week there were quite a few grizzlies out
31:36
there. There are also some good wolf sightings
31:38
in that area. Supposedly wolves haven't been
31:41
seen too much the last day or so, but they're
31:44
going to pop back up and I'd go to the northern
31:45
range. Probably wouldn't spend too much time
31:48
in Hayden right now, personally. I went down
31:50
there, just didn't see a ton. Yeah, even the
31:53
bison were out in the distance and scattered
31:55
about, so you could get lucky out that way. There
31:58
has been a grizzly that's been hanging out by
32:00
Mud Volcano, so that's been pretty cool, but
32:02
I didn't see it out there either. And then, you
32:06
know, it's just gonna be luck around Grizzly
32:08
Lake and places like that, north of Norris. You
32:11
may see some bears as well. I've had good luck
32:13
after snow. seen bears in those meadows by the
32:17
Grizzly Lake trailhead north of Norris. I would
32:20
also, you know, if you get a chance before they
32:23
close Dunraven Pass drive up over that way you
32:25
might see some things. And then there's a big
32:28
herd of elk north of Gardiner along Old Yellowstone
32:31
Road. There's still some elk in Mammoth itself
32:34
and there's just a lot of pronghorn scurrying
32:37
around. The snow is definitely going to be forcing
32:39
everybody to do something different. It's gonna
32:41
force some more animals down lower. Oh, uh, if
32:45
you go down, not down, if you go over to Floating
32:48
Island Lake, the last week or so there have been
32:51
a lot of, a couple moose hanging out there, so
32:53
check that out. And then, like I said, I did
32:55
have some friends that drove over the Beartooth
32:58
Highway. I've had multiple groups of people I
33:00
know that have had some really good animal sightings
33:02
out there, but you only have a couple days, so
33:05
time's limited out that way. Otherwise, if you
33:07
need any information about wildlife watching,
33:10
I have a very useful wildlife watching guidebook
33:12
that's available in both paperback and ebook
33:14
format. Ebooks I tend to ship out within 24 hours
33:17
of receiving the order. I do it all by hand,
33:20
so I get to it as soon as I see it, and then
33:23
paperbacks get mailed out from my distributor
33:25
as fast as possible as well. But if you want
33:28
all of my wildlife watching information and knowledge
33:32
that I've gained from decades upon decades in
33:34
the park and around the park, pick that up. If
33:37
you're more interested in hiking, I have a great
33:39
hiking guidebook. all around the region that
33:41
i was joking again with somebody that i wrote
33:43
out of spite because someone said that there
33:45
are no good hikes out here and so i wrote an
33:47
entire book that said no i think you're wrong
33:49
and the book kind of proves that but it's also
33:52
my favorite hikes the ones that really capture
33:53
the spirit and soul of the region so pick up
33:57
those ebooks are just ten dollars online it's
33:59
a great way to show your support of what i'm
34:02
doing and to let me know that you're listening
34:04
and to get the information that's in my head
34:06
that i have a hard time spitting out Trail alerts
34:09
and updates the backcountry conditions page is
34:11
updated. I have a link to that in the show notes
34:13
That's your best way to figure out how the trails
34:15
are as we get a little further into this month
34:17
and in the next month It's not going to be too
34:19
useful But right now still decently useful if
34:23
you do go hiking carry bear spray Have it readily
34:25
accessible and not in a backpack and know how
34:28
to use it my truck of the week So my truck of
34:31
the week this week was going to be Clear Lake,
34:34
Point Sublime, and the South Rim Trail in the
34:36
canyon area. With the snow, with the rain, I
34:39
don't think that's a good decision. I wanted
34:42
you to know what I was hoping to recommend you
34:44
could hike right now, but that's really not going
34:47
to be it. I love the canyon area and the rain
34:50
though. If it is raining and snowing, do not
34:53
skip it if you can get out there. Seeing the
34:55
falls with some light snow falling, especially
34:57
before they close the brink of the lower falls
35:00
or Red Rock Point. Those are some great areas.
35:04
And so I would hike there in the canyon area.
35:07
If you're in Mammoth, maybe walk through the
35:09
hoodoos. It's a good trail. Park up across the
35:12
way from the Bunsen Peak trailhead and hike that
35:16
way a little bit. You'll have some forest. Give
35:19
you a cover and then you'll walk through the
35:21
cool rock features. This will be a good one just
35:23
on a rainy day Obviously all the boardwalks will
35:27
be just fine They might be a little slick with
35:29
the snow, but that's probably the move this week
35:32
is not doing anything too crazy Especially if
35:35
you're hiking this weekend if you're going out
35:38
that Tuesday Monday or Tuesday if it's not too
35:41
snowy then I would probably do something like
35:46
the Lamar River Trail Slough Creek to the first
35:51
meadow going up and over. Those are things that
35:54
will have a lot of animal activity and if it
35:56
does snow and you're out there after the snow
35:58
has stopped you're going to see some cool prints
36:01
of animals out there. Usually after the first
36:03
snowfall I go to the closed Slough Creek campground
36:06
and I see grizzly prints all around the campground
36:09
in the snow and that's really cool. So that's
36:11
probably my recommendation. I'm having a hard
36:13
time this week because the weather is just really
36:16
not ideal, and I don't know what roads are going
36:18
to be open or closed. I will say, if you do shoot
36:22
me a text this weekend, 406 -589 -1873, I can
36:26
tell you a good hike based on how it is exactly
36:29
at that moment. But I wouldn't go up climbing
36:32
mountains. I probably wouldn't do anything that
36:34
drops steep undirt. I wouldn't do anything super
36:37
exposed if it's going to be slick or muddy. I
36:39
would do the classics and have a good time doing
36:42
the classics in just unique weather. So, good
36:46
luck, happy hiking, and that is it for this week's
36:50
episode. Next week, I'm going to return with
36:53
all the information you need to have a good week
36:55
in the park. That includes the wildlife, weather,
36:57
and trail updates. Until then, book a tour in
37:00
2027 with me. Pick up a guidebook of mine. Thank
37:04
you so much for listening. You're all the best.
37:06
Please recommend this to anybody that loves Yellowstone
37:09
or that you think will love this podcast. And
37:11
happy trails. This week in Yellowstone is brought
37:26
to you by the Outdoor Society. That's my company.
37:29
It's just me. I do this. It's a labor of love.
37:31
If you like it, tell your friends, rate and review
37:33
it. Shoot me a message. Otherwise, keep listening,
37:37
and I hope to see you in Yellowstone. Copyright
37:40
2026, baby.