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This Week in Yellowstone: January 23rd to January 29th, 2025 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From the land of towering mountains, the Yellowstone River, and the Roosevelt Arch.
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This is This Week in Yellowstone for the week of January 23rd to January 29th, 2025.
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This week in Yellowstone National Park, I take a look at the rumors of an imminent
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eruption, tell you about a new species that someone to introduce to Yellowstone, discuss
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the coyote mating season, and, as always, share the weather forecast, the road conditions,
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and wildlife spotting locations.
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This is a good one, so give it a listen.
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You already are.
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Alright, quickly my standard disclaimer, I may miss a few things and not cover some topics
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you'd like, but if there's anything you wish to know, please contact me.
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Seriously, and if I refer to locations in the park too casually, this is just something
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that I'm going to do.
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If you need to know where things are, you can contact me or just search for those names,
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just jot them down and look them up later.
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Also please note that this is a weekly report for the drivable regions of the park and doesn't
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cover any of the experiences you may have if you're taking a snowcoach or snowmobile
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tour that goes into the interior.
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So if you have questions about those adventures and regions, contact those tour operators.
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They should be able to give you a lot of information, and if they don't, then maybe try and find
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a better tour operator.
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This week's Yellowstone News, everybody's favorite section.
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This is a good one, I'm happy to talk about this.
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So once again, it's been a slow news week out in Yellowstone, which I think is a good
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thing.
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We don't really want a lot of newsworthy events taking place.
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This is the place of beauty and should be something positive.
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And most news stories that come out of national parks, I think we can agree, aren't really
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positive or inspiring.
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So since it's a slow week, I'm going to be briefly covering a few topics from the last
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few months and even like last year that I didn't get a chance to talk about anywhere else.
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So we're going to start with the ever-present news of Yellowstone's imminent eruption.
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This is constantly on all the clickbait articles.
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Yellowstone is going to erupt, or is Yellowstone going to erupt, or some stupid title of something
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to try and make you fearful or interested in an eruption.
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I get asked this also a lot on my tours, and I figured I'd address it here.
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So according to a quote in National Parks Traveler from Ninfa Barrington, a USGS geologist,
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there is no possibility of current day eruptions happening at Yellowstone.
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They go on to say that the magma pockets in the western portion of the caldera do not
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have the heat to sustain volcanic activity and that the amount of magma in the caldera
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is far below previous estimates, which were first said to be near levels before the last
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major eruption, so they're way less than that right now.
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Now, we recently saw an uptick of news about an imminent eruption because some people saw
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some information and decided to run with it.
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The information was that there are increases in pockets of magma near the northeast corner
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of the caldera.
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Bennington, who I referred to earlier, has said that the current magma concentration
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in the lobe is the lobe, very dominant.
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So each of those lobes is too small to be able to host a present day eruption.
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So if you're rooting for a Yellowstone eruption anytime soon, you won't be in luck at all.
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What's interesting is that that northeast corner of the caldera is out near the canyon
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and Mount Washburn region.
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So that's just an interesting thing.
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I do some tours out by Mount Washburn through Washburn Hot Springs, and that area has some
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really cool thermal features and really stinky ones.
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And so it's just interesting to know that those are being fed by a little bit more magma
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than in previous decades, centuries, whatever, but not enough for an eruption.
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Again, no imminent eruption.
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The second news story that I've been waiting and wanting to share for so long is truly wild.
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I initially heard about it while getting my haircut, and I assumed it was just misheard
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information.
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It's like, so the person that cuts my hair does not pedal gossip.
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They talk a lot of fun things and tell good stories to me and talk to a lot of different
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people.
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And so they heard this and I was like, well, that's interesting, but I don't really know
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if that's true.
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This is a real story.
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So hold on.
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So here's the headline from the Cowboy State Daily newspaper in Wyoming.
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Woolly mammoths in Yellowstone, a biotech company, says it has the technology.
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So in brief, because I could talk about this for hours on end, the article discusses Colossal
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Biosciences.
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A few years back, the company surprised many by committing to resurrecting the woolly mammoth
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by 2028.
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After years of research, Colossal believes it has the technology to bring back the extinct
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species by creating viable hybrid calves of mammoths and modern elephants.
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So here's a quote from Ben Lamb, the CEO and co-founder of the Colossal Daily, as told
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to Cowboy State Daily.
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We believe we are currently on track for a 2028 birthing.
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We recently were able to create an elephant, IPSCs, which are stem cells that is a global
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first breakthrough and a significant step toward our woolly mammoth project.
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Colossal was also in the editing in the elephant cell phase of the project and is leveraging
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the knowledge gained from the computational analysis over now 60 mammoth genomes.
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So yeah, butchered that a little bit, but basically the science is science-y according
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to them.
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Which brings to the question and why I'm talking about this in Yellowstone.
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So where were the mammoths roam?
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Many are looking toward Yellowstone.
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There's a ton of research why I doubt this will happen.
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Obviously there weren't really mammoths roaming through Yellowstone, it wasn't quite the ecosystem
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at the time when mammoths were roaming, but supposedly it's better now for them than it
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was, but Yellowstone probably isn't the ideal space if it were to occur and all of this
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is very eye rolling to me.
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I mean, I have so much to say about this, but instead I'm just going to end this here
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and tell you that if you're interested in the story, just search for Mammoth reintroduction
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Yellowstone on your favorite search engine and you're going to see both serious news
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sites and not serious news sites covering this.
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There are people that legitimately want to see mammoths roaming around to the point that
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some wolf researchers were talking about this, as a fear of what would happen.
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So this isn't just some fun weird thing, it's actually something that people are talking
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about, so I figured I'd talk about it too.
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Alright, that's enough of that.
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So the experience of the week.
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Wolf and Coyote mating season is here, and this week I'll talk about the Coyote mating
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season as you're far more likely to see them in their courtship routines than a wolf.
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Next week I'll talk about wolf mating season.
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So the mating season typically unfolds between the months of January and March, and has a
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lot of vocalization occurring from Coyotes all across the landscape.
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So female Coyotes go through estrus once a year, and that cycle spans approximately
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10 days, so 10 days a year, and any attempts by a male to breed with any of the unready
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female are met with rejection and threats until the right time arrives.
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So growling, barking, yipping, and even whimpering is how the female communicates her disinterest,
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making it abundantly clear to the male Coyote that she wants to be left alone.
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And during mating season, male Coyotes produce sperm exclusively aligning with that limited
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window, so they can only mate a certain time of year as well.
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It's important to note that while Coyotes are generally monogamous, some males may experience
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frustration if a female isn't quite ready for mating, in response these males may go
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on the prowl seeking a receptive mate elsewhere.
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However, the alpha male will eventually return to his original mate once she reaches optimal
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readiness, maintaining the monogamous dynamics within the Coyote pack, and once both parties
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are ready to mate, the Coyote pair is engaged in the physical dance of mating.
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This act seals their bond and starts at the beginning of the partnership that they will
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have to take care of offspring.
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So where can you see Coyotes in Yellowstone during mating season?
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Coyotes can and are often found in every corner of the park.
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During their mating season, there's only one section of the row that's open for personal
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vehicles in the park, and that's between Gardner and Silvergate Cook City.
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I talk about this a lot in my wildlife watching guidebook, but realistically if you stop at
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Blacktail Ponds, around Hellroaring, Tower Roosevelt, Little America, Lamar Valley, Sotaboot
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Creek, and Pebble Creek, you'll probably be able to see a Coyote at one time throughout
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the day.
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As always, don't approach wildlife, stay at the appropriate distance from all animals,
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and never stop directly in the road.
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Once mating season is over, the gestation period for Coyotes is roughly 60 days, during
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which females seek out secluded dens to burrow their pups, and then the timing of the mating
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season ensures that the arrival of the new lines are right there around spring, which
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is when more food source will be available.
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The time when they're born also happens to be the time when some of those ewentic ground
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squirrels emerge from hibernation, which are a huge source of food.
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And while the mating season brings vibrant CD Yellowstone, please maintain a respectful
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distance from all wildlife, including these Coyotes.
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You don't want to have a Coyote get too habitualized to humans, and then be responsible if it
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ends up dying.
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Keep your distance, watch them mate, or don't.
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That's up to you.
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So the tip of the week.
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For regulars of the park, this is well known knowledge, but for those visiting for the
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first time, this information is quite important.
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It's in relation to wildlife watching.
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One of the bigger complaints I hear while giving tours this time of the year is that
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people aren't seeing the amount of wildlife they were hoping for.
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I can admit that it can be quite frustrating to head to the park and hopes to see lots
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of wildlife and instead see very little.
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This happens to me all the time too.
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And while it is true that some days are like that and there's nothing you can do, quite
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often I find that for some people it's not that there's a lack of animals that's a problem,
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it's the lack of understanding on how to spot them.
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So the easiest way to see wildlife in Yellowstone this time of year is to drive back and forth
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between mammoth and cook city a few times.
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Do it once in the morning, once at lunchtime, and once in the evening.
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If there's something to be seen, you're going to stand a good chance of seeing it.
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The other time-tested method for seeing wildlife is also very simple.
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It's stop anytime you see people looking through spotting scopes or binoculars.
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Sure, oftentimes they'll be scanning and hopes to see something, but sometimes they're
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actually looking at an animal.
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If you see a tour group stopped looking through spotting scopes, stop and ask what they're
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looking at.
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Like, just hop out of your car, park appropriately, walk up and when there is time, just ask.
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If they don't tell you, this is what I have written down, if they don't tell you, they
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are jerks.
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Seriously.
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Gatekeeping wildlife sightings is a dumb thing to do in Yellowstone National Park,
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and if a tour group does this to you, let me know which one it was.
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I will happily talk to them.
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I should say that when you are approaching a tour group, be patient.
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Don't just run up there and start asking questions.
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Kind of hang back, and then if the guide appears to be free, then just ask a question.
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More than likely, they're going to be very happy to help you.
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Also, don't assume that you can look through their spotting scopes if they offer.
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Great.
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But don't ask.
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They have paid clients and that's what they're paying for.
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So they don't have to allow you to look through their scopes, their binoculars, but they should
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be more than willing to point out where the animal is, especially if you have your own
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set of binoculars or a spotting scope.
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So the weather for this week.
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Let's start with the weather forecast for Lamar Valley.
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High temperatures from Thursday through the weekend will be in the teens and low 20s with
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lows below zero.
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Lunging all the way down to negative 16 on Saturday, by the start of next week, highs
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are going to get around 30 degrees with lows in the single digits.
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There is a chance of snow on Friday with current total saying an inch or a little more.
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For Cook City, the forecast looks very similar.
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With Saturday looking like they're going to be high of 13 and a low of negative 10, it
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should also snow an inch or two in Cook City.
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It will, like Lamar, start warming up once the next week starts.
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Warming up out there means highs in the 20s and 30s.
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So in Gardner, expect highs in the upper teens and 20s through the weekend with lows around
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zero on Friday and Sunday.
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Saturday currently says a low of negative nine, so that'll be fun.
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Monday could see the high starting to creep above freezing with a low of 10.
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The next few days after Monday are supposed to be a couple degrees warmer, potentially
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by next week's report we could see highs in the upper 30s and 40s.
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So the forecast I'm using is as of Wednesday, January 22nd.
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It may be colder than the temperature I listed.
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It may also be warmer.
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I do my best.
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Snowpack update.
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The snowpack has dropped a little since last week.
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That's to be expected.
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It didn't snow.
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So the northwestern side of the park is currently 100% of normal, while the western side is
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around 85%.
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The interior, northern and eastern side of the park is hovering around 75% of normal.
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With a lot of snow, without a lot of snow in the forecast, so no snow in the forecast
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aside from that like inch or two, I expect these numbers to stay the same.
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Maybe even drop a little bit.
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And with snow comes road conditions.
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So the roads this week will be standard winter driving.
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Most of the park roads are going to have some snow on them or in the process of melting
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out here and there.
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But if they're melting out during the day, they're going to freeze at night.
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So that means there might be some patches of ice.
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Especially in the morning hours.
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They're not going to be like the most ideal roads, but the park's going to continue to
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plow them as best they can and take care of any spots that are needed.
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I would say that if you're headed out toward the northeast entrance, that's where you're
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going to find more less than ideal roadways with more snow and potentially more ice.
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And please use the pullouts if you're the slow car and causing a backup and never ever
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stop on the road, even if there's an animal you want to take a picture of close to the
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road.
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Also, I'm a broken record with this, but please drive slow and safe.
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I've once again seen numerous cars off the road every single day I drive in the park.
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If you want up to date information, you can get that via text by texting the number 82190
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to the number 888777 or you can call area code 3073442117 for road conditions.
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Alright, camping information.
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Don't know how many people are going to be camping.
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My guess is very few.
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But there's only one campground open right now and that's Mammoth.
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And there's no real amenities there, so unless you're experiencing winter camping in the
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Rocky Mountains and have all the gear needed and a thirst for adventure, don't camp this
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week.
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It's not going to be fun.
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Wildlife watching is probably what a lot of you want to hear and it's been a decent
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last week.
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So as we get deeper into winter, animals continue beyond the move toward the lower lands and
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areas where grass can still be found.
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That means the bison, elk and the remaining pronghorn have been making their way closer
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to Mammoth.
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That's going to be an area you can see more of those wildlife sightings, especially if
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you drive the old Yellowstone Road north out of Gardner.
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The story of last week was the wolves which moved from Slough Creek to Hell Roring and
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they even hung out right by Tower Junction for a day.
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Some professional photographers got some great pictures of the wolves crossing the road and
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generally being just 100 yards away looking right at the people.
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As of Tuesday the 21st, spotters were able to see wolves down out in the Hell Roring
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area.
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So if you go to Upper Hell Roring Overlook and look down, there should be some cars out
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there.
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How long they're going to be there is anyone's guess.
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They supposedly have a kill, but if they've been eating for the last few days then there's
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not much left.
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So coyotes have also been all over the place.
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Keep your eyes open for them.
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We also saw a fox near Cook City and pygmy owls have been spotted through the Northern
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Range as have bald eagles and golden eagles.
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Elsewhere in the park there was another cool sighting that happened last week where mountain
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lions were spotted way up in the mountains visible through spotting scopes above round
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prairie near Pebble Creek.
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The moose have also been hanging around Pebble Creek, but they're either in the trees or
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out in the distance as of late.
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Ike news and updates.
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There's not a lot to report on the trails of the park this week.
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I think I said this last week, but being winter, you need snowshoes and cross country
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skis to pretty much do anything outside.
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If you are walking the board walks at Mammoth, use traction devices, it's still pretty slick
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up there.
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And then the truck of the week.
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I teased it in the first episode of the year, but this week I really am recommending the
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Pebble Creek Canyon.
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This is short jaunt, easy to do, flat and located near the Pebble Creek campground.
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You can park near the pit toilet at Pebble Creek and then walk the path to the right
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of the closed gate.
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While you shouldn't need snowshoes or even traction devices, I would still have traction
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devices in a pack.
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You're going to be walking directly on a frozen creek with some snow on it.
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This is a heads up for future use if you're listening to this way after the date.
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If the weather is warm, like over 40 degrees in January or February, I'd be very careful
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with the thickness of the ice here.
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I have punched through an ice and it's not fun, so I don't recommend doing it on a warm
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day.
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The track is simple to do as it gains no elevation as I said, and it follows the creek upstream
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for about a half mile.
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For that half mile you're going to go beneath huge cliffs next to frozen cascades and through
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a narrow canyon that few people see.
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At the turn round point, which is not really an official turn round point, but you can't
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go much further up, you're going to reach a really cool cave along the frozen creek.
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If the ice is strong enough, meaning you can see tracks from other people that have gone
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across the ice, definitely head into that small cave and enjoy the cool experience.
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The whole track is about a mile total and it's perfect for a lunch jaunt or a quick
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leg stretch.
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It will be cold, there's not a lot of sun that gets in that canyon, which is why it
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freezes over and why you're able to walk it on ice.
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Finally, the last two things are about booking a tour and picking up a guidebook.
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Since I'm recording this, I'm just quickly going to plug that I offer trail tours in
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Yellowstone all year round.
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They are private hiking and snowshoe tours that go to all of these places that I truly
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love focusing on wildlife, scenic vistas, calm, serene moments, and even moon rise tours
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when the full moon is rising at a decent hour.
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So if you're interested in that, feel free to reach out to me directly or check out my
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current guided hiking options at outdoor-society.com.
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If you'd rather hike on your own or wildlife watch on your own, you can pick up one of
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my guidebooks.
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I have two guidebooks.
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One is wildlife watching and the other is hiking in the region.
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Both are available at my store that you can find at outdoor-society.com.
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All right, that is the end of this week's episode.
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It is, again, a fun winter time to visit if you are visiting and just need any tips or
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advice.
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Please let me know.
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Happy to help out.
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And if you see anything cool, want something covered, have any questions, again, reach
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out to me.
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I'd definitely more than willing to go into some weird tangents or deeper areas of the
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park if people are interested.
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So until next week, have fun, and I hope to see you out in Yellowstone.
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Bye!
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This week in Yellowstone is brought to you by the Outdoor Society because that's my
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company and that's where this is hosted.
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There are no sponsors.
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There's no ad breaks.
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This is a labor of love.
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So thank you all for listening.
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Be right 2025, baby!