Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: November 27th to December 3rd, 2025

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: November 27th to December 3rd, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where the other
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day a snowstorm forced a short closure of the
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road between Mammoth and Gardner this is that
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Scott guy you know and love with a brand new
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episode of This Week in Yellowstone What's up
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everybody? This week in Yellowstone National
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Park from November 27th through December 3rd,
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2025. December? Really? We're already there?
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Alright. I'm going to talk to you about the increase
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of fees in our national parks coming in 2026.
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I'll talk about the plug out by Cook City. I'll
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try to help you stay warm on cold days and hopefully
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inspire you to go out on the coldest of mornings
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to walk the boardwalks at Mammoth. I'll also
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give you the complete weather forecast, snowpack
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update, wildlife report, and a fun hike for this
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week. I'm also going to give you everything else
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you need to have an incredible time this week
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in Yellowstone. Standard disclaimer, I may miss
1:04
a few details here and there, so if you need
1:08
more information, reach out to me with any questions
1:10
you have. I also mention park locations very
1:13
casually, so if you're unfamiliar, a quick search
1:15
can help. And also this report. only covers the
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drivable areas of the park. Finally, this is
1:22
a passion project, so if you enjoy it, I'd love
1:25
a review or a quick email. If you want to support
1:27
my work, check out my guidebooks on hiking and
1:29
wildlife watching, or you can join me for a guided
1:32
Yellowstone hiking tour. For more information
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on any of that, visit outdoor -society .com or
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contact me directly. Also, one quick thing is
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you have about one more week to order calendars
1:43
from me. If you are interested in that, reach
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out to me. I will happily send you the link.
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On to this week's Yellowstone News. Alright,
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so this week's Yellowstone News is more of a
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national news story for national parks and starting
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in 2026, the National Park Service is going to
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be rolling out a modernized pass system. This
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is the biggest shift in years and that is there
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is going to be a digital version of the America
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the Beautiful Pass. That's the pass you get into
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all the parks for. You're going to be able to
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buy it and store it electronically via recreation
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.gov. And that makes entry easier and faster.
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Now, quick note here, if you really want to support
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the park you're going to, consider buying the
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park pass at the park. Some parks like Yellowstone
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use those gate fees to stay open during government
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shutdowns, little things like that. So if you
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can always buy your pass at the gate. But if
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you need to plan ahead, now you can do so with
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an E -pass. And that is actually fantastic. Second
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part of news about this is the fee structure
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will also change and it's described as an American
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first model. U .S. residents are going to continue
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to pay $80 for the annual America the Beautiful
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Pass. That's the pass that you pay to get access
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to every national park in the country and every
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national park unit. That's $80 a year and that
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is what I always get. Highly recommend getting
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it. However, the change is that non -US residents
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are now going to face a new annual pass price
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of $250. The increase continues and for many
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of the most visited national parks, non -residents
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who don't purchase the annual pass are also going
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to have to pay a $100 per person surcharge on
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top of the standard entrance fee. So if you are
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coming to national parks from a different country
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in 2026 be prepared to pay more the America the
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beautiful pass way to go $250 if you're traveling
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the country and visiting multiple national parks
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do that if you're only visiting one national
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park you may be paying more per person and The
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parks that are gonna have that hundred dollar
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per person surcharge our Acadia National Park
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in Maine Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah Everglades
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Florida, Glacier in Montana, Grand Canyon in
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Arizona, Grand Teton in Wyoming, Rocky Mountain
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in Colorado, Sequoia in Kings Canyon in California,
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Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana,
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Idaho, Yosemite National Park in California,
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and Zion National Park in Utah. pricing also
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brings better access for motorcyclists. The passes
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will now cover two motorcycles instead of just
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one. Finally, the MPS is instituting resident
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-only fee -free days in 2026. I'll be talking
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about those as they're coming up this coming
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year. Those are uncertain national holidays and
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other designated dates. U .S. citizens and residents
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will enjoy free admission to fee charging parks.
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But be aware that those days will not be free
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for non -residents. How are they going to be
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enforcing that? That is a great question. I do
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not have the answer. We will see how all of this
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goes, but I just wanted to give you a heads up
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of what is happening in 2026 to our fees. Other
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than that, not a ton of news from Yellowstone
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right now. As I mentioned off the top, there's
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a snowstorm that rolled through and they had
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to plow the road, put some gravel and stuff on
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it, and then it was fine. Expect that again this
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week. I'll talk about that more in the road conditions
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and weather report. But, no real news, slow time
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of the year. So, let's get to the experience
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of the week. My experience this week is walking
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mammoth on a super cold morning. So walking the
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boardwalks at Mammoth Hot Springs in the early
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morning during winter offers a perspective on
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Yellowstone that you can't get at any other time.
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I know it's still technically fall, but this
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week the lows are expected to be in the single
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digits a few mornings. So when it's that cold...
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As the forecast is calling for, the combination
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of geothermal activity and sub -freezing temperatures
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creates consistent widespread hoarfrost and all
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sorts of ice features, transforming the entire
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area into this clean, crystalline landscape.
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Combine that with a fresh dusting of snow, which
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we may be getting, and the landscape is truly
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spectacular. If you're interested in seeing how
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cold shapes the park's features, this week will
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give you a great opportunity. The upper and lower
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terraces both develop heavy frost coatings overnight
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when temperatures drop well below freezing. Since
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it's going to be in the single digits, I'm expecting
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this will happen this time. Moisture from the
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springs, especially like the steam, rises and
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condenses on anything nearby, railings, dead
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branches, signposts, grasses, and even the boardwalk
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sign. By early morning, before the sun really
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strengthens, this condensation is frozen into
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thick layers of white crystals. On the upper
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terrace drive overlook, the trees and sagebrush
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often appears completely encased, so walking
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the boardwalks in that area offers a close -up
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view of the frost structure, which can range
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from needle -like formations to dense, spiky
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clusters depending on humidity and wind conditions.
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The cold also changes how the terraces look.
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Features like Canary Spring, Pallet Spring, and
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Minerva Terrace often generate enough steam to
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create localized frost zones that extend outward
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several yards. In early morning light, before
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temperatures rise even a few degrees, The frost
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remains intact and is sharply defined. You can
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see exactly where the warm, moist air interacts
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with sub -zero air pockets and where it's a little
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warmer or cooler just by how everything goes,
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and it's really cool. And it creates clear boundaries
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between the frosted and unfrosted surfaces. This
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makes the boardwalk routes useful for observing
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how the geothermal heat disperses across the
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landscape, too. You're going to see areas of
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ground that won't have any frost on them and
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then areas that are heavily frosted, so that
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tells you which one is warmer. This week early
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morning temperatures are going to sit in the
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single digits or lower and wind exposure on the
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upper tiers Will increase the chill so be ready
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for cold that frost covered boardwalk can also
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be slick Obviously ice is ice right especially
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near steaming vents these conditions make traction
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devices warm layers and face protection important
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if you're prepared for the weather though The
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experience is straightforward and allows you
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to focus on formations without any crowds because
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who really wants to go out in that cold of weather,
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right? Hopefully you do. If you're a photographer
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or anyone who just wants to see the physical
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effects of winter on geothermal terrain, these
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early hours are ideal. The hoarfrost is at its
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peak before sunlight and daytime temperatures
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begin melting it. and by mid -morning most of
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this is going to be gone, so you really have
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to time it well. Experience it early so you can
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know that you're going to see the terraces, railings,
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all of the surrounding vegetation in their most
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winter -defined state. One of my favorite walks
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when the horror frost is at its peak is to walk
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the Canary Springs way from the upper parking
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area. As I mentioned before, just expect things
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on the boardwalk to be a little slick. It shouldn't
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be too bad, but always be ready. I've seen multiple
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people fall there, even with the thinnest layer
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of ice. So use the handrails, be prepared for
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things. Park staff will be doing their best to
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keep it de -iced or clear, but if you're there
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first thing in the morning, they're not going
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to get there. So just be ready for that. Speaking
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of cold mornings, this is my tip of the week.
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Be prepared for cold. Obviously, I'm going to
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be talking about this a lot. So if you're headed
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into the park this week, you're lucky. You'll
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be here for the first real cold this season.
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This week, as you'll hear about it in the weather
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forecast, temperatures are going to drop to the
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single digits overnight. In true winter cold,
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we sometimes go a week or so without getting
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above zero, so this is kind of true cold, but
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not quite. But this week is a great introduction
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and a great cold time for many of you. Just know
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it could and will be colder at times. So no matter
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how cold you are, know that it will be colder
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soon. However, just because this isn't the true
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cold and serious frigid weather that we're going
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to get in a month or two, it does make it any
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easier to handle if you aren't from the area
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or used to the cold. That is why this week I'm
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giving a few quick tips on how to stay warm.
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Be best prepared and hopefully not let the single
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digit lows in the early morning ruin your trip.
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However, only you can control your mood here.
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So these are all just suggestions. I could say
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obvious things in this like layer up, bring gloves
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and a warm hat, wear warm socks, buy some hand
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warmers and other common sense things. But because
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I'm going to be talking about the cold for the
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next few months and since those are common sense
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things, I figured I would give nine unique things.
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I'm saying things a lot, aren't I? I apologize
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for that. I wrote it a lot and I didn't notice
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it until I'm reading it. But I'm going to give
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you nine unique tips that I do to make the cold
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days even better. Number one thing that I like
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doing is bring a thermos of hot broth or a warm
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drink That can be hot chocolate. It can be coffee
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It can be what I enjoy doing is get one of those
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like bouillon cubes Drop that in a thermos with
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some hot water and then have that when you come
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back to the car hot water alone Doesn't keep
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you warm as effectively when hiking in the cold
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and it doesn't like And I don't hot water playing
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hot water just doesn't do it. Right. I think
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that's why tea is popular. Tea is another good
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idea. But the broth that salty or lightly flavored
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broth helps maintain energy and warmth over long
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outings. And it has a good flavor to it. And
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if you're hiking, especially like I do, having
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something where you can get some electrolytes,
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where you can get some salt without. You know,
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having to eat and you can just drink that and
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it's warm and will fill you up. Having that in
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your backpack in a good thermos that's not going
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to freeze or get cold. That's awesome. Also,
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you can just have that in your car and sip it
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throughout the day and still be warm. Number
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two, if you're out and about, use your backpack
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as a wind block. When you're out on a ridge or
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an open area and it's a little windy and cold,
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stand with your back toward the wind and your
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pack facing. where that wind is going to hit
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it. The insulation of this backpack works as
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a cold barrier, and it honestly will keep you
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much warmer than if you're trying not to. If
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you're hiking into the wind, flip that backpack
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and wear it on the front. I've done that sometimes
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just to keep yourself a little warmer if you
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don't quite have the right layers. If you have
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the right layers on, this isn't going to be an
12:50
issue. But if you find out like, oh, I really
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should have had something for the wind and I
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don't use that backpack. Number three, if you're
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outside, Keep snacks in interior pockets so they
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don't freeze. Protein bars, gummies, trail bars
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will become rock hard at Yellowstone's winter
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temperatures. Body warm snacks are easier to
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eat and help maintain steady energy. If you don't
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have to burn calories to melt it or warm it up,
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that's great. Hold it inside, put it in a pocket.
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It's better that it's like melted a little bit
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than frozen. As somebody who had a frozen gummy
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once and I popped out my mouth and bit down on
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it and shattered a tooth. Also, like keep it
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warm and then you're not going to potentially
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break a tooth while out hiking and wonder what
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you possibly did to deserve that much pain. Don't
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do that. Keep all your food warm by having it
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in your pockets. If it is in your backpack, wrap
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it a bunch. Try and do something to keep it very
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warm. If you're not hiking and you're just standing
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out watching wildlife, my number four tip is
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do micro movements. Small movements like ankle
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rolls, shoulder rotations, clenching and releasing
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your hands, just kind of shuffling back and forth
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will help your circulation. maintain without
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drawing attention or creating noise, like just
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small movements, because if somebody's doing
14:11
like jumping jacks and burpees and stuff to stay
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warm while watching wolves out in the distance,
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that's going to be annoying. But you can do some
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smaller movements to stay warm and keep that
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blood flowing. If you do want to stay warm and
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you're going to be like sitting outside, use
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a foam pad or something like that to sit on while
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you're hiking or sitting snow and ice and sitting
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on that is going to drain heat very fast. A small
14:36
closed cell phone pad weighs almost nothing and
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insulates dramatically better than sitting or
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kneeling on snow. Number six, have a face mask
14:45
or two. Frozen breath moisture drops on your
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face mask are gonna like warm up and melt and
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warm up and melt and it's gonna create moisture.
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And the more moisture you have on your face,
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the colder your face is going to be. So if you
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can have a couple of balaclavas or something
15:03
like that with you to swap out, that's going
15:06
to make things a lot easier and keep your face
15:09
warmer for longer periods of time. Number seven
15:12
is very important, and that is keep your phone
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and external batteries warm in an inside pocket.
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Cold batteries drain very fast So keeping electronics
15:22
near your core also ensures you can call for
15:25
help use maps take pictures Everything you want
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to do in the park without fighting with a dead
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device Batteries will drain extremely fast out
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in the open Know this and know that there's not
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much you can do about it when I am hiking I take
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the batteries out of my camera. I put them in
15:44
a very close inside Pocket and a thermal layer.
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I do that. That's where my phone is too So that
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way my body heat is keeping everything warm.
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I have had a battery fully charged and I left
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it my camera took my camera out of my bag on
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a cold morning and Battery is dead. Then I put
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it in my pocket for a while and then I got a
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couple, you know little bars of Battery life
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so I could take some pictures, but your battery
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is going to drain. Make sure you keep those warm
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number eight Utilize visitor center warming areas
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strategically mammoth offer spots for indoor
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breaks even out in Cook City There's a couple
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warm spots to go to and that's where you want
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to stop and warm up Dry some gear a little bit,
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you know and reset between hikes or wildlife
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viewing sessions You need to remember to go back
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and get warm. You're going to be battling the
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cold Until you're not right. So don't battle
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it as long as you can and when you need to warm
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up Finally, keep a blanket or a synthetic park
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in your car for post hike recovery. You lose
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heat fast after stopping activity, so throwing
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a warm layer on immediately prevents post hike
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chills, especially during the drive between wherever
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you're going. I also like to bring a pair of
17:01
shoes and socks to change into after an outside
17:04
activity. I do that year round, but in the winter
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it's a nice thing to do. Have another thermal
17:09
layer like that's wrapped in a blanket in your
17:12
car and then grab that and put it on. Just do
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everything you can to warm up and you should
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be fine. Those are some of my just random tips
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that I wanted to share So I hope they help my
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random Yellowstone fact of the week the plug
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If you hear people around Cook City talking about
17:29
the plug they mean a stretch of highway on US
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212 and That is kind of near the Beartooth Highway
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that runs from Cook City to Pilot Creek, Wyoming.
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It's about eight to nine miles and it's deliberately
17:42
left unplowed during the winter. Because Montana,
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Wyoming don't plow the section once snow sets
17:48
in, Cook City effectively becomes a snow -sealed
17:51
enclave. The closure turns the road into a groomed
17:54
corridor for snowmobilers and backcountry skiers,
17:57
but not cars. And the only way to reach Cook
18:00
City in the winter, by vehicle, is via Yellowstone.
18:05
So, how did the plug come to be? The story of
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the plug is intertwined with the larger history
18:12
of the Beartooth Highway. Construction of the
18:14
highway began in the early 1930s under the National
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Park Approaches Act, which aimed to improve road
18:20
access to national park lands. By 1936, after
18:23
years of tough mountain construction, the road
18:27
was completed, officially opening on June 14,
18:31
1936, linking Red Lodge, Cook City, and the northeast
18:34
entrance to Yellowstone. From the very beginning,
18:37
snow was just problem. Beartooth Pass reaches
18:40
nearly 11 ,000 feet in elevation, and winters
18:43
there can be brutal and unpredictable. Over time,
18:47
agencies like the Montana Department of Transportation
18:49
and National Park Service settled into a pattern.
18:52
They would plow large portions of the highway
18:54
in the spring, typically reopening by Memorial
18:57
Day, but leave the critical eight to nine mile
19:00
stretch, now known as the plug, unplowed for
19:04
the winter. Now, I'm mentioning the Beartooth
19:06
Highway, And the Beartooth Highway is technically
19:09
not part of the plug, but also part of the plug.
19:11
It just depends on your definition. I don't consider
19:14
the Beartooth Highway to be part of the plug.
19:17
Beartooth Highway is up, right? But the plug
19:20
is the eight to nine mile stretch from Cook City
19:23
to where the Beartooth Highway starts and where
19:26
Chief Joseph Memorial Highway also kind of terminates
19:30
in Wyoming. We have that section, you know, if
19:33
you've ever driven from Cody up north through
19:36
Chief Joseph to get to, you know, the Beartooth
19:39
area and Cook City, there's that stretch where
19:42
there's a junction that meets and then you drive
19:44
to Cook City. That is the plug. That is that
19:48
closed area. So by leaving it unplowed, the road
19:52
has naturally been transformed into valuable
19:55
winter recreation trail. It gives snowmobilers
19:58
and backcountry skiers a direct linked to the
20:01
Beartooth area, right? If that's closed, then
20:04
you just hop on a snowmobile, and you cruise
20:06
up to the Beartooth Highway, and then you have
20:08
that whole area basically to yourself. Over the
20:12
decades, that tradition has been solidified.
20:14
It's been kind of the, you know, identity of
20:17
the region. There's a local group called Protect
20:20
Our Plug, or POP, right? That argues that keeping
20:24
the road unplowed preserves Cook City's winter
20:26
heritage and supports a snowmobile and ski -based
20:29
economy. There's also people that want to plow
20:31
it so then more people can drive to the park.
20:34
However, it doesn't look like that's going to
20:36
be happening anytime soon. Could be wrong, but
20:39
you know, just from what I've heard. So today
20:41
the plug is more than just a stretch of road.
20:44
It's a symbol of Cook City's winter identity.
20:46
For many snowbielers and ski tours and businesses,
20:49
that unplowed highway is a direct gateway to
20:52
some of the most pristine backcountry terrain
20:54
in the Beartooth Mountains. For others, especially
20:57
local residents, It can be a source of frustration
21:00
because leaving it unplowed isolates the town.
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And by local residents, it's usually the newer
21:05
local residents. And I'm not saying that to besmirch
21:08
anybody new that's moved into Cook City, but
21:10
typically the older guard there is like, no,
21:13
that's what Cook City is, right? We're isolated.
21:15
That's what we do in the winter. I was once at
21:17
a restaurant and heard people complaining that
21:20
they once saw a bus that went to Cook City. And
21:22
that was that was what ruined the town. So. There
21:26
is an old guard there that definitely wants to
21:28
keep it isolated in recent years park access
21:32
Recommendation committee park RC has pushed to
21:37
plow the plug citing safety access to services
21:40
and potential for winter tourism growth But pop
21:42
fights to maintain the status quo And insists
21:46
that you know the snowmobile and ski Tourism
21:49
is the main industry in the winter. And if you've
21:51
been to Cook City, I tend to agree with that.
21:54
Right now, the plug is, as I'm reading this open,
21:57
it will probably be closed this week if the snow
22:00
is as bad as they say. You can check the Exxon
22:04
in Cook City website and they have the plug status.
22:07
I love that website. Shout out to the Exxon webcam
22:11
page. It's great. You get a live view of Cook
22:14
City. It's it's so cool. But yeah, the plug is
22:18
just an area that Is where in my opinion the
22:21
road stops you get to cook city road stops in
22:24
the winter and it's really cool So if you ever
22:26
wondered what the plug is now you kind of know
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again very brief summary I just like to share
22:32
random things that pop in my head sometimes the
22:35
weather for the coming week As always the weather
22:39
forecast is only so good. I'm doing the best
22:41
I can so this is accurate as of Wednesday, November
22:47
26 a little afternoon so Thursday for Lamar Valley
22:52
Thursday is going to be 39 and 22 with a 23 %
22:56
chance of rain or snow Friday is 36 is a high
22:59
zero is a low 76 % chance of one inch or snow
23:03
or more Saturday high at 23 low of zero 7 % chance
23:09
of precipitation Sunday 24 and 6 9 percent chance
23:14
precipitation Monday 28 and 18 56 percent chance
23:18
of about an inch of snow Tuesday 32 18 60 percent
23:24
chance of three inches of snow or more and Wednesday
23:27
31 and 9 with a 25 percent chance of some snow
23:31
the weather in Gardner this week kind of similar
23:35
Thursday high of 42 low of 26 Friday high of
23:39
38 low of 6 and 80 % chance of 1 inch of snow
23:43
Saturday 26 and 4 6 % chance of precipitation
23:48
Sunday 27 and 9 8 % chance of precipitation Monday
23:53
31 and 21 47 % chance of about 1 inch of precipitation
23:59
Tuesday 34 and 22 60 % chance of some snow maybe
24:04
2 inches or more and Wednesday 34 and 13 40 %
24:09
chance of snow And finally, the weather for Cook
24:13
City. On Thursday, high of 35, low of 20, 35
24:18
% chance of some snow. Friday, high of 32, low
24:22
of 0, 85 % chance of 2 inches of snow or more.
24:26
Saturday, high of 20, a low of negative 1, and
24:30
a 9 % chance of some snow. Sunday, high of 22,
24:34
low of 6, 7 % chance of snow. Monday, high of
24:38
26, low of 17. 53 % chance of one inch of snow
24:42
and more. And Tuesday, 29 and 17, with a 60 %
24:47
chance of three inches of snow or more. And Wednesday,
24:50
28 and 10, 25 % chance of snow. With all the
24:55
snow in the forecast, you're probably wondering
24:57
how the snowpack is. So as of November 25th,
25:00
the snowpack is around 50 % of normal for this
25:03
time of year. Last year on this date, we were
25:06
around 70 % of our normal level. However, snow
25:09
fell today, and it's going to continue to fall
25:11
throughout the weekend, so that's going to boost
25:13
the numbers by next week, probably. We will see.
25:17
We desperately need snow, and so every day I
25:19
see snow in the forecast is a very good day.
25:23
Also with all the snow in the forecast, let's
25:25
talk about road conditions. So, as always this
25:29
time of the year, the only road open is the road
25:31
between Gardner, Montana and Cook City, and this
25:34
road can close at any time due to inclement weather.
25:38
I expect a few short -term closures this coming
25:42
week. I wouldn't expect anything long, but with
25:46
it being so cold and then there's a couple days
25:48
that it's gonna warm up and then re -ice over,
25:51
there's gonna be a couple of tricky mornings.
25:53
And I know I recommended going out in the morning,
25:55
so if you do, expect some ice, expect some snow,
25:59
especially in areas that just don't receive a
26:01
lot of sunlight throughout the day, but will
26:03
warm up a bit. All of that being said, the best
26:07
thing to do right now is to sign up for text
26:10
alerts on your cell phone by texting the number
26:13
82190 to the number 888777. I get the text alerts,
26:21
that's how I knew it was going on in Mammoth
26:22
with the last snowstorm. If you don't want to
26:26
give out that information for texting, you can
26:28
call 307 -344 -2117 for recorded information,
26:33
but it's not as updated. as quickly. It is updated
26:36
quickly, but the text alert comes immediately
26:39
when there's something. Camping information.
26:43
There's only one campground open in the park
26:44
right now, and that's Mammoth, so if you want
26:47
to camp in some snow, do it. It's open year -round.
26:51
The wildlife report. So with the snow coming
26:54
in and the temperature changing, wildlife watching
26:57
should pick up in the valleys when visibility
27:00
is good. When visibility is not good and the
27:03
snow is dumping, you're not going to see much
27:05
unless it's close to the road. However, if it
27:07
is snowing, I love seeing the bison in the morning
27:09
after the snow when they're like waking up and
27:12
snow is still draped on them. That's a really
27:14
cool experience. Early in the morning, you're
27:16
also going to have frost on the animals, especially
27:18
the bison. And then when they breathe, it's going
27:20
to freeze to their faces and they're going to
27:22
have icicles on their beards. So that's cold
27:25
mornings. I talked about the weather. Definitely.
27:27
If the roads are safe to travel on, go find some
27:30
wildlife to just to see that. Wolf wise wolves
27:35
have been pretty active in the hell roaring to
27:37
Lamar area Generally if you go over there, you're
27:42
gonna have decent luck any time of the year right
27:45
now That's where it's been at least in the last
27:47
week that could change But I've heard of people
27:51
having really good luck the last few days standing
27:54
out by the petrified tree parking lot, not the
27:58
actual parking lot of the petrified tree, but
28:00
the one that overlooks that huge area just to
28:03
the north. Also, Lamar Valley has been decent.
28:07
Lots of bison. Pronghorn have left for the most
28:10
part. There have been a lot of elk out between
28:13
Hell Roaring and the junction at Roosevelt. So
28:17
check that out. That's been a good indicator
28:18
of the wolf activity. Bighorn sheep are still
28:22
pretty active north of the park. Their rut has
28:25
not really wound down. So if you're looking for
28:27
some good bighorn sheep action, I suggest going
28:30
there. This is kind of the favorite time that
28:32
Thanksgiving week. I haven't mentioned Thanksgiving
28:34
at all this episode until now. So buried in the
28:37
wildlife report. This is kind of a good week
28:40
to go. Park will be a little busier on Friday.
28:43
So know that Friday and Saturday especially.
28:46
But with the weather not being great, maybe it
28:48
won't be. Moose are still few and far between.
28:53
I wish I could tell you like, oh, moose have
28:55
been pretty active. I've heard of good reports
28:57
of foxes out by Cook City again. And yeah, that's
29:01
that's about where we're at. Haven't heard of
29:03
any bear sightings. That doesn't mean they're
29:05
not active right now. It just means that it's
29:07
a little harder to see them. Cold weather is
29:09
going to make them a lot more lethargic and go
29:11
to their dens and and hopefully stay there for
29:14
a bit unless it warms back up. So other than
29:17
that, yeah. I wish I had better things, but we
29:20
are still for the fourth straight week, I think,
29:24
in this weird flux of where is everything going
29:26
to settle? Is snow going to finally settle in
29:28
the mountains? And can things be active in more
29:30
dependable areas? However, with only one road
29:34
open, it's pretty easy to drive back and forth
29:37
and see things if you stop a good pullout, see
29:39
where people are looking, and generally ask around
29:42
when you stop and use pit toilets with people
29:44
around them. So, good luck, and if you need any
29:48
advice or tips updated, reach out to me, happy
29:50
to help you. Speaking of happy to help, I uh...
29:54
Want to say that I do have guidebooks for both
29:58
hiking and wildlife watching to Yellowstone National
30:00
Parks available on my website Outdoor -society
30:03
.com if you want to know everything I know and
30:07
not have to ask me questions Those are great
30:10
resources. It's not everything I know, but it's
30:12
a lot I worked pretty hard on those years ago,
30:15
and I'm very happy to send them out when with
30:18
people and I've heard good things about them.
30:21
Ebooks, if you order it through my website, just
30:23
$10 a copy. Paperbacks are a little more, but
30:26
if you order it through me, you are supporting
30:28
me and supporting this podcast and not supporting
30:31
Amazon. So please do that. Trail alerts and updates.
30:37
There's no official trail alerts this week. Bears
30:40
are still out, so always carry your bear spray
30:42
and have it readily accessible. Know how to use
30:45
it. But if there are bears out and you're hiking
30:50
and it's cold and there's been snow and stuff
30:52
You're gonna see bear prints in the snow and
30:53
that's honestly one of my favorite things. It's
30:55
super rad Especially out like Slough Creek if
30:58
you go out to Slough Creek campground There's
31:00
been some active bears out there every winter
31:02
and you're gonna see some like pretty cool bear
31:05
tracks in fallen snow So highly recommend that
31:09
and that leads me to the Trek of the week With
31:13
low temperatures plunging into the single digits
31:15
this week I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend
31:18
a hike for you to see an iced -over lake. That
31:20
is why this week I'm recommending Trout Lake
31:23
I'm also recommending it because it's gonna be
31:25
super cold and I'm assuming that most people
31:28
listening Don't really want to go on a long hike
31:31
this week If you are looking for a longer hike
31:35
this week reach out to me. I got some great options
31:37
So I've talked about Trout Lake before But Trout
31:41
Lake is a perfectly rewarding, awesome winter
31:45
hike in the northern range. It offers a quiet
31:47
and serene landscape that grows in beauty the
31:49
colder the temperatures get. Reached by a short,
31:53
steady uphill climb from the pullout along the
31:55
northeast entrance road by Pebble Creek, the
31:57
lake sits in a small basin that feels surprisingly
32:00
remote once snow has settled in. In winter and
32:03
late fall, the lake is usually frozen and covered
32:05
with snow. Sometimes it's just frozen and there's
32:08
no snow on it and that's awesome. And in the
32:11
winter, it turns the basin into a calm, open
32:13
space framed by conifers, ridges, huge mountains
32:17
that are snow covered and wonderful. So for winter
32:21
hikers, the appeal goes beyond the lake itself.
32:25
The ascent, brief but steep, provides a good
32:28
warm up in cold weather and gives you a sense
32:29
of the terrain immediately. Depending on conditions,
32:33
traction devices or snowshoes may be necessary,
32:36
as the slope can become packed and slick after
32:38
repeated freeze -thaw cycles. Once on top of
32:42
the ridge and at the lake, the trail levels out,
32:45
giving you an easy walk around the lake's edge.
32:49
Wildlife activity remains one reason to visit
32:51
Trout Lake, even in the colder months. The area
32:55
often sees tracks from foxes, coyotes, and other
32:58
wildlife in the snow. Bison and elk occasionally
33:01
wander near the tree line or through the open
33:03
slopes below the lake, and also sometimes they're
33:06
just hanging out right by the lake. So I like
33:09
to get here early in the morning because if you're
33:13
there before there's too many people tracks,
33:15
you're going to see all of the overnight movement
33:17
of wildlife through the snow. And since it's
33:20
so close to Lamar Valley, it means that you may
33:24
see some really cool wildlife. Now because cold
33:27
weather hiking is not loved as much as warm weather
33:29
hiking, Trout Lake is frequently overlooked as
33:32
a winter adventure on the coldest of days. Many
33:35
visitors also pass it without noticing the small
33:37
trail sign while traveling between the northeast
33:40
entrance and Lamar Valley. Those who do see it
33:43
often want to skip it as the short distance leads
33:46
many to dismiss this as not worth the stop. In
33:50
frigid weather, the trail's simplicity becomes
33:53
its strength. It's accessible, quick and offers
33:56
a surprising level of solitude compared to some
33:58
of the more popular roadside viewpoints. If you
34:01
plan to visit avoid stopping at the lake overlook
34:04
and immediately turning back. It's very tempting
34:08
to walk up that hill and say okay there's the
34:10
lake and leave. However keep walking. The best
34:13
winter experience comes from walking the perimeter
34:16
of the lake. Snow depth may vary around the lake
34:19
but most of the shoreline routes remain manageable
34:21
with proper gear. A clockwise loop tends to provide
34:25
the most consistent footing early in the day,
34:28
though either direction works. I tend to go clockwise
34:31
as there is a small boot path on the southwest
34:33
corner of the lake that leads toward a low ridge
34:36
that opens up to partial view back into Soda
34:39
Butte Creek and the broader view toward Lamar
34:42
Valley. This spot is essentially great for scanning
34:46
for distant wildlife or just having a cool spot
34:49
to yourself, right? On a cold day, Hiking Trout
34:52
Lake is very straightforward, it's scenic, it's
34:54
quiet, and it's a chance to see frequently missed
34:58
areas of Yellowstone under the snow. For hikers
35:01
willing to make the short climb and take a slow
35:03
loop around the lake, it offers a concentrated
35:06
dose of what winter in the northern range does
35:08
best. Cold, clarity, and the consistent presence
35:11
of wildlife moving through the frozen landscape.
35:14
The distance of this hike is about a mile and
35:17
a half if you walk the whole lake, and you get
35:19
around 400 feet in elevation. So short, steep,
35:23
and sweet. That's why I love Trout Lake, especially
35:26
when it's frozen. Alright, next week. In next
35:30
week's episode, I'll return with all the information
35:32
you need to have a good week in the park, including
35:34
the wildlife, weather, and trail updates. Thank
35:37
you all for listening. I hope you're having a
35:39
great week. Can't believe that next time I talk
35:42
to you it's already going to be December, but
35:44
until then, happy trails! This week in Yellowstone
35:58
is brought to you by the Outdoor Society because
36:01
that's my company and that's where this is hosted
36:03
There are no sponsors. This is a labor of love.
36:06
So thank you all for listening copyright 2025,
36:10
baby