Latest / This Week in Yellowstone National Park / This Week in Yellowstone: January 29th to February 4th, 2026

Transcript

This Week in Yellowstone: January 29th to February 4th, 2026 · This Week in Yellowstone National Park

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From Yellowstone National Park where an active
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grizzly bear is the talk of the region, this
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is that Scott guy you know and love with a brand
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new episode of This Week in Yellowstone. What's
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up, everybody? This week in Yellowstone National
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Park from January 29th to February 4th, 2026,
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I bring you a bunch of park news. I'm going to
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talk about the wolf mating season. I'm going
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to try to convince you to take a scenic drive
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north of the park. And I'm going to share the
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fate of bison that leave the park near Gardiner.
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I'll also give you the complete weather forecast,
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the trail you should track, the snowpack update,
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wildlife report, and everything else you need
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to have an incredible time. this week in Yellowstone.
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My standard disclaimer, I'm going to miss a few
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details here and there so if there's more you'd
0:56
like to know reach out to me. I also mention
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park locations very casually so if you're unfamiliar
1:01
with what I'm saying a quick search online can
1:03
help or again reach out to me. Also this report
1:06
only covers the drivable areas of the park. This
1:11
podcast is a passion project. If you enjoy it,
1:14
I'd love a review or a quick email. If you want
1:16
to support my work, you can check out my hiking
1:18
and wildlife watching guidebooks or join me for
1:21
a guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's backcountry.
1:23
For more information on all of that, visit outdoor
1:26
-society .com or contact me directly. Seriously
1:30
though, book a trail tour with me. You'll love
1:32
it. This week's Yellowstone news. So the big
1:35
news that I let off with at the very start of
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this episode There's a grizzly bear roaming near
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Specimen Ridge. So this happens from time to
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time It's not super rare to have a bear out early
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and then just kind of go away bears Don't sleep
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through the winter like we're told, you know
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growing up They don't go to bed in the fall and
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wake up in the spring. They wake up whenever
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they feel like it sometimes they toss and turn
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in their dens sometimes they go out and wander
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this one went out and wandered it's not like
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super super common but it's also not that rare
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i've seen grizzly tracks or black bear tracks
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every month of the year earlier in january there's
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a black bear roaming around jackson hole so this
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is not like the most amazing thing to happen
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but it's still pretty cool you got to see a bear
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if you're in the park the other day the specimen
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ridge area that's so cool I'm envious of it I'm
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hoping that when I go to the park in a couple
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of days it's still gonna be out there it probably
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won't be but you never know right um that's kind
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of the joy of visiting right now is you just
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don't know what's gonna happen in the park now
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one of the reasons the bear is probably out is
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it is warmer the snowpack is not that great and
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it could have just woken up because it smelled
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some food no one really knows why it's out we're
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gonna be monitoring this by we yamming the park
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and then i'll hear about it but it's going to
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be monitored we're going to find out more but
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generally like you know sometimes bears leave
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the den early and then they go right back so
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uh probably isn't going to be out for good but
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you know it is what it is i also heard news about
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a um i'll talk about this in the wildlife thing
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never mind um Poaching reward upped to $31 ,000.
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So turning in the poacher who illegally killed
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a wolf outside a garden in Montana could net
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you $31 ,000. Last week Montana Fish and Wildlife
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and Parks initially offered about $1 ,000 or
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$1 ,500 reward. The Large Connivore Fund and
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Wolves of the Rockies joined forces and together
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have offered an additional $30 ,000 for a total
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of $31 ,000. you know the person who did this
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turn them in gonna get $31 ,000 as long as you
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didn't like aid and abet them right if you did
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that then turn yourself in because you know yeah
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you can feel however you want about hunting wolves
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but poaching is poaching there's been a big debate
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about wolf hunts locally and there have been
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some shocking people that have been very pro
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wolf hunting but are very against poaching and
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that's kind of like Good, because poaching is
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awful, and those types of hunters are the absolute
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worst. 2025 visitation statistics are out. Yellowstone
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National Park's visitation in 2025 narrowly edged
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past 2024, making it the second busiest year
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on record. according to preliminary data from
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the National Park Service. This all gets kind
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of like ran through some things and it could
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change a little bit, but right now an estimated
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4 .76 million people visited the park in 2025,
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just topping the 4 .74 million visitors in 2024.
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The busiest year remains 2021 when 4 .86 million
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people flocked to Yellowstone in the wake of
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the pandemic. Over the past decade, Yellowstone's
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visitation has climbed by roughly 16%. Continuing
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a long -term upward trend, if you look at park
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visitation, it's always going up. US population,
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also always going up. Talk about this a lot elsewhere.
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May talk about this more later, but that's later.
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Really what happened with this year is late season
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travel played a key role in pushing that 2025
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number up past 2024. November saw 29 ,900 visits
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and December recorded 34 ,500 visits. That's
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about 8 ,000 more visitors than November 2024,
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about 4 ,000 more than December 2024. So despite,
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or perhaps because of, our below average snowfall,
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that's kind of why more people came. With Yellowstone's
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interior roads closed to regular vehicle traffic
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in early December, the north entrance at Gardner
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remains the only open year -round entrance. It
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provides access through the park to the small
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Montana communities of Cook City and Silvergate
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and that's where the road dead ends in the winter
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at the plug. The route saw a noticeable increase
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in use with more than 27 ,200 visitors entering
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through the north entrance in December 2025.
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That's up from 21 ,600 visitors in December 2024.
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I may do a deep dive into these numbers later
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in February. I may not. We shall see. I love
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this stuff. If anybody wants to hear more about
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like park statistics from 2025, let me know.
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I will happily put together a very detailed podcast
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on this because it's my favorite thing to talk
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about. And it's usually not anyone else's favorite
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thing, so I probably won't hear from any of you.
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But yeah, so park visitations up. My experience
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of the week. the start of wolf mating season,
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and wolf watching in February. Like most animals
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in the park, wolves' reproductive cycle is closely
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tied to the Yellowstone's seasonal rhythms, making
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midwinter a rare window into the social core
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of one of North America's most iconic predators.
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Wolves in Yellowstone don't choose mates casually.
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Mate selection is shaped by pack structure, long
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-term social bonds, and biology. In most packs,
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only the dominant male and female breed, forming
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a breeding pair. These bonds often take years
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to develop, either with an established pack or
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after a wolf disperses. It's usually around two
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to three years old, and that's when they find
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an unrelated mate and find some territory, and
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that helps avoid inbreeding and kind of like
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spreads the genetics out around the park. Courtship
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typically runs from mid -January through February
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and includes traveling closely together, increased
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physical contact, scent marking, and vocalizing.
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Kind of the same as coyotes last week, right?
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Wolves are generally monogamous and may remain
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paired for multiple seasons, though Yellowstone
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research shows a lot of flexibility in this.
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In about 25 % of packs, more than one breeding
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pair may reproduce in a year when prey is abundant
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and the pack structure allows it. Howling and
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scent marking help signal reproductive status
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and maintain social order, while dispersing wolves,
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sometimes traveling hundreds of miles, spread
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genetic diversity across the Greater Yellowstone
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ecosystem. And this is where, you know, you're
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going to see these lone wolves out and about.
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And they are kind of like, well, we'll go see
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what we can do. And that's when some of the newer
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packs start. A few years ago, there's my favorite
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pack that existed, the Shrimp Lake pack. And
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it was just a couple of wolves that decided to
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get together and give it a shot. You know, didn't
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work out a little sad when they disappeared,
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but you know, it happens and it's wolves right?
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This is what's gonna happen and so the packs
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are gonna breed and then the wolves that are
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out on their own are gonna breed as well and
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we're gonna see what happens. So the breeding
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starts about now and gestation lasts about 61
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days, 63 days. Pups usually are born in mid -April.
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The mothers choose sheltered dens and hillsides
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under roots or beneath boulders. Litters average
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four to five pups and the entire pack helps raise
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them. with adults and older siblings guarding
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and regurgitating food. Historical observations
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suggest wolves have bred from January and early
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March since reintroduction in 1995. But breeding
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and raising pups is not without its challenges.
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Diseases played a significant role in Yellowstone's
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wolf dynamics over the past decades. Outbreaks
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of canine distemper virus in 1999, 2005, 2008,
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and 2025 dramatically reduced pup survival. Only
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about 23 % of pups survive major outbreak years,
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compared to 77 % in non -outbreak years. Distemper
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affects young animals especially hard, weakening
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litters, and reducing the number of wolves that
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reach adulthood. In 2025, it is believed that
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the Wapiti pack lost all but one pup due to this.
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In addition to distemper, Yellowstone wolves
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routinely carry other pathogens, including canine
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parovirus, various parasitic infections, things
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like that. Some wolves also suffer from mange,
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and that's a mite -borne disease that can cause
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hair loss and secondary infections. These conditions
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can staff the strength of both pups and adults,
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influencing survival, pack behavior, and long
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-term population trends. Mating season also overlaps
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with the end of hunting season outside the park,
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so luckily the wolf quota around the park has
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been met so that shouldn't be too much this year
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unless someone continues to poach wolves but
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studies show that hunting can disrupt pack structure
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and breeding success so if those wolves are leaving
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the park just to park boundary and then they
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get killed that might have been one of the main
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wolves that was in a breeding pair right and
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then they may not breed that year and that could
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make the end of the pack possibly so that's something
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that these wolves must navigate to continue that
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survival and it's not ideal but it's currently
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what the park is facing and what's going on so
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if you want to see wolves right now listen to
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the wildlife report but honestly the northern
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range is the best place to see wolves right now
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especially because you can drive your own car
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and you don't have to book a somewhat expensive
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tour so go there look for spotting scopes they've
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been putting on a good show I saw a lone wolf
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the other day I'll talk about that in the wildlife
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report though. My tip of the week, don't skip
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Old Yellowstone Trail South. I know, such a good
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title. If you're visiting Yellowstone this week
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with your own car, chances are you're going to
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enter the park's north entrance. The drive is
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familiar, off Interstate 90 at Livingston, south
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on Highway 89 through Paradise Valley, with the
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Yellowstone River alongside you, and then you're
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going to pass through Yankee Gym Canyon and begin
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your approach to Gardiner. Most visitors stay
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on Highway 89 straight into Gardner, but there's
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a quieter turnoff before Gardner, one that offers
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scenery, wildlife, and history well before the
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Roosevelt Arch comes into view. That road is
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Old Yellowstone Trail South. Between Yellowstone
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Hot Springs and Gardner, Old Yellowstone Trail
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South follows the lightly traveled corridor along
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the Yellowstone River that echoes early automobile
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travel, railroad history, ranching life, and
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long -standing wildlife migrations. This isn't
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the paved north entrance road inside the park,
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but a mostly dirt and gravel country road that
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once formed parts of the original Yellowstone
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Trail, one of America's first transcontinental
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auto routes. Before Highway 89 became the main
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gateway, this road carried tourists, supplies,
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and settlers to Yellowstone. The section of road
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I'm recommending begins near Yellowstone Hot
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Springs, roughly 7 -8 miles north of Gardiner.
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After crossing the bridge over the Yellowstone
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River, turn left and head toward Gardiner. Keep
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an eye out immediately, as this section of road
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is great for bighorn sheep and bald eagle sightings.
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You'll climb a bit to get away from the river,
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and then the valley opens wide, with river bottom
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pasture land stretching out before you. Sagebrush
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flats blend into cottonwood groves, and the mountains
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rise dramatically. On clear days, Electric Peak
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commands attention to the southwest, its dark
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volcanic mass is standing apart from the surrounding
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ridges. Sepulcher Peak rises steeply too, and
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adds a familiar landmark to early soldiers, explorers,
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and travelers approaching Yellowstone from the
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north. Nearby, almost directly to the right after
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you climb away from the river, Devil's Slide
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comes into view. It's a striking limestone formation
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that's tilted sharply upward, long used as a
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visual marker by indigenous travelers, railroad
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surveyors, and motorists alike. For several miles,
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the road parallels the river just out of view,
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passing through excellent wildlife habitat. Elk
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are common here, especially during seasonal migrations.
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Pronghorn roam the sage -rich flats, birdlife
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is abundant, and in the winter bison sometimes
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appear on the move as they're working their way
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north of the park. About halfway along, the road
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quietly enters Yellowstone National Park. There's
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no gate here, just an old sign and a creek crossing.
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Soon after, you'll pass the closed road to Stevens
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Creek Bison Facility, a modern chapter in Yellowstone's
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bison story that now supports relocating disease
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-free bison to tribal lands and conservation
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herds. Talk about that in just a minute. As the
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road approaches Gardiner, it opens up into the
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Gardiner Basin. On a hillside above town sits
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the Gardiner Cemetery, well worth a stop. It
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was established in the early 1900s, late 1800s,
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and it holds the grave of road workers, soldiers,
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settlers, and families who lived at Yellowstone's
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rugged northern gateway. The view from here stretches
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across the river and valley toward electric and
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sepulture peaks, and it also looks down at Gardner.
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So it's really nice because it ties human history
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directly to the landscape. Gardner developed
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these Yellowstone's original year -round entrance
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shaped by tourism in the railroad which reached
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the town in 1903. Old Yellowstone trail south
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delivers you to the edge of this with sweeping
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views back across the route you've traveled.
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It's not a shortcut but if you want your Yellowstone
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experience to begin before the park gate this
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is a road worth taking. there's also a couple
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little hikes here there's really good views there's
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a couple display signs stop and check it out
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i love this road i take it either coming into
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the park or leaving the park every single time
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also please know that this is outside of the
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park a local road drive slowly wave be polite
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don't litter don't stop in the road pull off
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to the side and just treat everybody with respect
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my random yellowstone fact of the week The possible
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fate of bison heading past Gardner. Every winter
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Yellowstone's bison do what they've always done,
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which is move. As snow deepens and foraging becomes
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harder, some herds drift north toward the lower
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elevations around Gardner, Montana. When they
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cross the park boundary, their lives change quickly,
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and they enter one of the most tightly managed
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wildlife systems in the country. You've probably
15:52
seen the iconic images of bison passing beneath
15:54
the Roosevelt Arch in Gardner. While many people
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love the idea of bison freely roaming beyond
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the park, the reality is often darker. For some
16:03
animals, leaving Yellowstone leads to death.
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For others, it opens a path to relocation and
16:09
restoration elsewhere. This system is complicated
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and deeply contested. Outside the park, bison
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are managed under the Interagency Bison Management
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Plan, a partnership among the National Park Service,
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the State of Montana, federal agencies, and tribal
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nations. The goal is to maintain a wild, free
16:27
-roaming bison population while addressing concerns
16:30
about brucellosis, a disease that can affect
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livestock. What happens to individual bison depends
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on where they go and how many animals are on
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the move. One key component to this is the indigenous
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hunt. Several tribal nations have treaty and
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management rights to harvest Yellowstone bison
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once they leave the park. These hunts are not
16:51
symbolic. They provide food, hides, and a powerful
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cultural connection that stretches back thousands
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of years. For many tribal members, harvesting
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bison represents food sovereignty and cultural
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restoration after near extinction. Some bison
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are instead captured at Stevens Creek facility
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near Gardiner. These animals are held, tested
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for brucellosis, and sometimes placed into a
17:15
multi -year quarantine program. Those that pass
17:18
are relocated through the Bison Conservation
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Transfer Program. Since 2019, hundreds of Yellowstone
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bison have been transferred to tribal lands including
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the Fort Peck Reservation and then on to tribal
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nations across the country. Not all the bison
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survive. In heavy migration years, summer cold
17:37
is part of population management. Historically,
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removals range from hundreds to more than 3 ,000
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animals, especially in the early 2000s. Management
17:46
has shifted towards greater tolerance, but controversy
17:49
remains. In recent years, management was shifting
17:53
toward greater tolerance. But since the 2024
17:55
election or so, the pendulum has swung the other
17:58
way. The positive is that there's more tribal
18:01
involvement and fewer large -scale slaughters.
18:04
But the system is still controversial. Right
18:06
now, the state of Montana is currently suing
18:09
the National Park Service over its bison plan.
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At the heart of the state's lawsuit is the demand
18:14
to reduce Yellowstone's bison population to 3
18:17
,000 animals. Currently about 5 ,400 bison are
18:21
roaming the park. This demand comes despite the
18:25
new plan setting forth a population range that
18:28
is well within the 10 -year average that has
18:31
allowed Yellowstone managers to successfully
18:33
maintain separation between bison and cattle.
18:36
resulting in zero brucellosis transmissions,
18:40
and very few conflicts with landowners north
18:42
and west of the park. Most of the people complaining
18:45
about the bison leaving the park don't live around
18:48
the park. This is a very important thing that
18:51
as somebody who lives just north of the park,
18:53
I don't hear a lot of people complaining about
18:55
it locally, but you talk to people who live in
18:58
Montana away from the park and this is a big
19:01
deal. So who knows what this lawsuit's gonna
19:03
do? It's not great, but whatever happens to bison
19:07
near Gardner is always going to be a blend of
19:09
conservation success, cultural revival, and hard
19:12
trade -offs, messy, imperfect, deeply human mistakes.
19:17
It's never going to be perfect, but it's always
19:19
going to be a work in progress. So when you see
19:21
these bison leaving the park, give them a second
19:24
glance, because that might be the last time that
19:26
they are, you know, enjoyed. Or they may get
19:30
to... be quarantined for a few years and shipped
19:33
to somewhere new and they start a whole new herd
19:35
we have no idea the weather for the coming week
19:39
so not a lot of snow in the forecast not a lot
19:43
of cold in the forecast despite it being February
19:46
so Thursday high of 33 low of 18 for Lamar Valley
19:52
Mar Valley continues Friday of 36 and 26 42 percent
19:57
chance of a half inch of snow Saturday, high
20:00
of 40, low of 18, 24 % chance of precipitation.
20:04
Sunday, 42 and 20, 7 % chance of precipitation.
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Monday, 37 and 14, 24 % chance of precipitation.
20:13
Tuesday, 35 and 12, 16 % chance of precipitation.
20:17
Wednesday, 37 and 13, 6 % chance of precipitation.
20:22
So not ideal. That snowpack that's in the park
20:26
is going to be melting. quite a bit. And so Gartner
20:30
Montana's weather. Thursday high of 36, low of
20:33
19. Friday high of 39, low of 27. Saturday high
20:38
of 43, low of 20. Sunday high of 44, low of 23.
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Monday high of 40, low of 16 with a 31 percent
20:46
chance of some snow. That looks like it's going
20:49
to be less than a quarter of an inch. Tuesday
20:51
high of 38, low of 16. And Wednesday high of
20:55
40, low of 17. Now that brings us to Cook City.
21:00
On Thursday in Cook City, high at 28, low of
21:03
18, 24 % chance of some snow. Friday, 31 and
21:07
25, 55 % chance about 3 quarters of an inch of
21:11
snow. Saturday, 36 and 20 with a 24 % chance
21:16
of snow. Sunday, 39 and 22. Monday, 33 and 15
21:21
with a 33 % chance about a quarter inch of snow.
21:24
Tuesday, 31 and 14. Wednesday, 35 and 16. So
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that of course brings me to the snowpack update.
21:32
As of January 28th, the snowpack is around 100
21:35
% of normal for this time of year in the mountains.
21:38
Low valleys, not so much, but in the mountains
21:40
we're doing just fine. Last year on this date
21:43
we were averaging around 75 % of our normal level.
21:47
So we're better shape right now than we were
21:49
last year. However, with the limited snow in
21:52
the forecast, I don't expect our numbers to stay
21:55
anywhere near normal. We're gonna drop and drop
21:58
pretty fast because this is normally the colder
22:01
snowier time of the year. So by next week our
22:04
numbers could be in the 70 % of normal average,
22:07
could be higher, just who knows what the melt
22:10
is going to be. Luckily that cold looks like
22:13
it's gonna be staying up high. So as long as
22:16
we don't get any warmth anywhere in the mountains,
22:19
Our mountain snowpack should be okay. We're gonna
22:22
have no snow down low. So that leads me to the
22:26
road conditions. I don't expect anything to be
22:29
too bad on the roads. There's only one road you
22:31
can drive right now. That's between Gardner and
22:33
Cook City. Know that the road can close at any
22:36
time due to inclement weather. Don't see that
22:38
happening this week unless that forecast that
22:40
I just got turns out to be wrong. Could be wrong.
22:43
You know, forecasts change. Best way to know
22:46
about the roads. is you can either call 307 -344
22:51
-2117 for recorded information, or you can sign
22:54
up to receive Yellowstone Road Alerts on your
22:56
mobile phone by texting 82190 to the number 888
23:01
-777. Camping information. As always, this time
23:06
of the year, there's only one campground open
23:08
right now. That's at Mammoth. Wouldn't be a bad
23:10
week to camp, so go and camp if you want to,
23:13
or don't. You know, there's hotels that are available.
23:17
The wildlife watching update. So right now, wildlife
23:21
watching is pretty good. I mean, people saw a
23:23
bear this last week, right? That's pretty cool.
23:26
Doubt that bear is gonna be out there, but I
23:27
still think you're gonna have a good week watching
23:30
wildlife. As of earlier this week, wolves were
23:33
hanging out around Slough Creek quite a bit,
23:36
putting on a decent display. If you really wanna,
23:40
if they're out there and you really want a good
23:41
look, walk down the road a bit. Don't just stand
23:44
up on the hill like... Go down the closed road
23:47
and that's gonna maybe give you a better view.
23:50
I did hear from a friend yesterday that they're
23:52
visible decently from the parking area at Slough
23:56
Creek But they walked down and had a pretty good
23:59
encounter a couple hundred yards away They were
24:02
across the creek and got to watch them all just
24:04
kind of move around So that's cool. Big Horn
24:07
sheep are hanging out around the confluence.
24:09
So that's been nice Big Horn sheep are also gonna
24:12
be Around that Yellowstone picnic area off and
24:15
on and if you really want to see them drive the
24:17
trail that the road that I recommended that old
24:20
Yellowstone Trail South Road They will be out
24:23
there as well. I saw plenty last week The moose
24:28
are still hanging out around Round Prairie and
24:30
Soda Butte Creek. They are starting to drop their
24:33
paddles though So I think there's only one with
24:36
paddles still so hurry out there if you want
24:38
to see that Haven't heard anything about otters
24:41
So that's always unfortunate. I did see a couple
24:45
of golden eagles when I was there flying by Slough
24:48
Creek. I also saw a bunch of bald eagles. There
24:52
were a bunch of elk. There are some deer that
24:55
were walking around by the Phantom Lake area.
24:59
Then Generally, it's just kind of hit and miss.
25:03
Bison are all over the place. They're on the
25:05
move. They're on the road. There's snarling traffic.
25:08
There is bison patties or whatever you want to
25:11
call them smacked on the road. One thing that
25:14
did happen was there was a breach birth of a
25:19
bison near Soda Butte Cone the other day. So
25:22
that was interesting. That's starting to happen
25:25
now. So you know it's you don't you just don't
25:28
know coyotes are still in the move it's still
25:29
their mating season wolves like i said mating
25:32
season as well um yeah it's it's just gonna be
25:36
a hit and miss time if you see cars stop to stop
25:39
with the low snowpack still in the valleys just
25:42
makes it a little harder to see everything i
25:44
have been seeing and hearing some sandhill cranes
25:49
so that's been interesting earliest sandhill
25:51
crane sightings of the last decade for me out
25:53
here So keep an eye out for those in the park.
25:56
This was all north of the park with the San Ho
25:57
Cranes, but I also saw 14 bald eagles driving
26:02
through Paradise Valley north of the park in
26:04
one day. You just don't know what you're going
26:06
to see. So get out, take some binoculars, stop
26:09
and scan because you never know. Last week I
26:11
did see a wolf right near Bluebird Hill, kind
26:15
of by that sharp turn before you get to the Blacktail
26:19
Plateau ski area. There was a wolf hanging out
26:22
there eating a bison carcass. Don't know where
26:24
that's at right now, but you know, was not expecting
26:27
that and got to see it a couple hundred yards
26:28
away, like 800 yards away. So go out, check everything
26:33
out. It should be a good week for wildlife watching
26:36
because it's going to be warm and things are
26:37
going to be active. So. speaking of wildlife
26:41
watching everything like that if you like what
26:44
you've heard on this podcast and want to support
26:45
what I do check out my wildlife watching guidebook
26:48
or my hiking guidebook to the region you can
26:50
get a copy of those both paperback or ebook format
26:54
please consider buying it through my website
26:56
that's outdoor -society .com I don't really make
26:59
anything if you buy it off Amazon and that way
27:01
I also see who orders it and I can like you know
27:04
thank you personally so if you are interested
27:06
in that do that Trail alerts and updates. There's
27:09
no official trail alerts this week. You know,
27:12
there's a bear out, or it could be, so always
27:15
carry bear spray, have it ready, and know how
27:19
to use it. Don't put it in the bottom of your
27:20
bag and just assume you're gonna, you know, have
27:22
time to grab it. Have it on a holster. Very accessible.
27:26
Always. Aside from that, the snow in the park
27:29
is quite poor, especially the further west you
27:32
get. It makes recommending specific areas for
27:35
snowshoeing. not so fun. You can do Blacktail
27:39
Plateau Road. You can also do the trail up to,
27:44
you know, Tower Fall and all that in Calcite
27:47
Springs. That should have enough snow to snowshoe.
27:50
Or if you get out toward Cook City, you can snowshoe.
27:53
But other than that, like, you're just gonna
27:55
post hole in some shin deep snow, don't even
27:57
bother bringing snowshoes for some of it. But
28:00
always have snowshoes. Be ready for winter weather.
28:04
I'm just a little bummed because I would like
28:05
a good winter where I could do more skiing and
28:07
snowshoeing, and currently we're not there. So
28:10
always be more than prepared, have everything
28:12
you need with you, and you'll have a good time.
28:15
That leads me to the Trek of the Week, which
28:17
is Beaver Ponds. Continuing with my theme of
28:20
trails I don't normally recommend this time of
28:22
year, I'm recommending Beaver Ponds. This trail
28:26
is going to have you spotting elk, bison, pronghorn,
28:28
and maybe even coyotes and foxes. It could even
28:31
reward you with some birds, but probably not
28:33
beavers. What makes this a good hike for the
28:36
coming week is that it has great mountain views,
28:39
sweeping panoramas, cool forest sections, and
28:41
frozen ponds. You will need decently aggressive
28:45
traction devices and trekking poles at a minimum.
28:48
Snow shoes can be brought, but they'll only be
28:50
desired in a couple of places where you could
28:52
honestly just make do without them. It's not
28:55
gonna be the most enjoyable, but you'll be fine
28:57
without them, probably, if you're experienced
28:59
in winter hiking. Also, while I typically suggest
29:03
walking this trail clockwise, this week I'm suggesting
29:06
doing it counterclockwise, climbing the hill
29:08
behind the Mammoth Hotel, and ending by Liberty
29:11
Cab. The reason for this is the one section near
29:13
the pond that could have some deeper snow is
29:16
a little harder if you're going up it than if
29:18
you're going down it, and if you go clockwise
29:21
then you're going to be going up it, but if you
29:23
go counterclockwise you'll be going down the
29:25
deeper snow. So starting from the back of the
29:28
lodge, the trail immediately begins climbing
29:30
into the sage rush hills above the Gardner River.
29:33
Going counterclockwise means you tackle the elevation
29:35
gain first with switchbacks that open up expansive
29:38
views toward Electric Peak and Sepulcher Mountain.
29:42
I said switchbacks, it's not a switch, it's a
29:44
switchback. That's no plural there. Once you
29:48
start having those views of Electric Peaks, the
29:50
Vulture Mountain, and the Yellowstone River Corridor,
29:52
it's a drier section and it's open, and it's
29:54
a good place to spot wildlife like elk, pronghorn,
29:57
bison, and coyotes. You can also scan the skies
29:59
for hawks and eagles, and don't forget to scan
30:03
Mount Everts as you may see elk, bison, deer,
30:06
and even bighorn sheep over there. So definitely
30:09
like on this open section when you're going counterclockwise,
30:13
scan everywhere. As you crest into the higher
30:15
ground, the trail levels out and transitions
30:18
from open hillsides into mixed forest. The middle
30:21
stretch feels more remote and in some snow it
30:23
can feel a little sketchy. So if you feel overwhelmed
30:26
here, just turn back and go back through the
30:28
stage section and go back to Mammoth. It's still
30:30
a fine hike and it's fun. If you want to keep
30:33
going, know the trail gradually descends toward
30:36
the heart of the loop where the landscape changes
30:38
dramatically. Once you're kind of in that rolling
30:42
section and in the trees, you're going to start
30:44
dropping toward the beaver pond complex itself.
30:47
There's multiple ponds, channels, and marsh areas
30:49
that line the trail from here. It's shaped by
30:52
decades of beaver activity. Expect to see the
30:54
pond fully frozen over and snow covered, possibly
30:57
with animal tracks all over it. This section
31:00
can be muddy or icy depending on the season,
31:02
but it's also the most peaceful and wildlife
31:04
-rich part of the hike. Before you loop around
31:07
the pond, make sure you take a break and just
31:10
enjoy the flank of Sepultura Peak in the distance.
31:13
I often make this my lunch spot, especially on
31:15
a sunny day. After enjoying the view of the frozen
31:18
pond, the trail follows Clamatus Gulch back toward
31:22
Mammoth, tracing a small creek through the forest
31:24
and meadow before reconnecting with the Mammoth
31:26
Terraces. The full loop is about five miles with
31:29
roughly 350 feet of elevation gain, making it
31:32
a moderate hike that packs a lot of variety and
31:34
a relatively short distance. Now again, it should
31:38
be mostly snow free. There's going to be pockets
31:40
of snow, especially in the woods, but you know
31:43
bring everything you need with you be prepared
31:45
to use snowshoes and you probably won't need
31:47
it but if you didn't bring them then you're gonna
31:49
need them and you're gonna regret it so always
31:51
be super prepared carry what you think you will
31:54
need and if you don't need it you're just carrying
31:56
more gear but you're prepared um i love the beaver
31:59
ponds and right now this is just the quality
32:01
hike that first sage section is so good there's
32:05
so much wildlife there right now i saw some eagles
32:08
soaring the other day it's just nice um I hope
32:11
you do it and I hope you have a good time. So
32:15
next week in the next episode I'm going to return
32:17
with all the information you need to have a good
32:18
week in the park including wildlife, weather,
32:21
and trail updates. I do want to say that next
32:23
week's episode might be pretty short. I'm dealing
32:27
with a dog that needs to get Surgery on both
32:30
of his elbows and that happens on Tuesday and
32:32
I usually record on Wednesday So depending how
32:35
all of that goes this might be a very short episode
32:37
coming up this coming week Or it just might be
32:40
a normal one, but I just want to give you a heads
32:41
up Until next week. Thank you so much for listening.
32:45
Thanks for the support of emails the people buying
32:48
books. You are the best If you want a guidebook
32:52
of mine pick one up from my website or book a
32:54
tour with me, but until next week Happy Trails,
32:58
and I hope you visit Yellowstone soon. Copyright
33:26
2026, baby.