Winter in Wonderland

Old Faithful Geyser

In December Matt and I took a marvelous journey to Yellowstone National Park.  Our Winter in Wonderland Megavacation.  It was awesome.  Glorious.  Fantastic.  We've enjoyed wintery day trips into the park, but we've never gotten to settle in for daaaaaaaaaaaaaaays like that.   This was an extra special trip celebrating the fact we paid off our mortgage last year and are now totally debt-free.  Woohoo!  Taking a snowcoach trip is something Matt has long wanted to do.  His parents took a snowcoach trip in Yellowstone in the 70s.

Day One:  We kicked the trip off with a night just outside the park in a cute little cabin along the Yellowstone River.  We walked through the charming little town of Gardiner to the Roosevelt Arch.  We saw mule deer, elk, and antelope.  We watched the sunset from the Arch before returning to our cabin where we played Carcassone, read our books, and relaxed.  The sunset was 360 degrees of awesome.  

Matt heading down to the river from our lodging.  

A view of the river from near the bottom of the stairs.

Matt at the Roosevelt Arch.  A teeny hint of the fabulous sunset to come is behind him.

That sunset was a beauty.

The Roosevelt Arch proved to be a lovely way to frame that beauty.

Day 2: We got up bright and early the next morning to catch a snowcoach from Mammoth to Old Faithful.  During the winter, the roads are closed to regular vehicles south of Mammoth.  After that, it is just snowcoaches and snowmobiles.  There were about ten people on the coach with us and the driver was also a tour guide.  The drive south was broken up with a few pitstops for sightseeing and bathroom breaks.  The day was sunny and blue so the drive was very sparkly.  Even the air was sparkling as we cruised along.  We saw a brown creeper, a coyote, a wolf, ravens, bison, magpies, and a bald eagle.  

The coolest pitstop was at Beryl Springs.  This spring is a lovely blue on a sunny day, but compared to some other geothermal features isn't terribly remarkable in my book.  In the cold, it was a different story though.  The water was hardly visible through the curtain of steam pouring off the spring.  The constant billow of steam settles on the nearby trees building layer upon layer of ice crystals on the branches.  When this happens they're called "ghost trees" and they were insanely cool.  The trees were nearly unrecognizable as trees.  They looked more like clouds gone solid.  Or white cotton candy.   ...or ghosts, I guess!!  The video leading off this post shows them from a variety of angles.   It was so cool.  

Upon arrival, we checked into our room in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.  We made a celebratory cocktail and unpacked.  Our window had a view over the ice skating rink toward the Old Faithful Visitor's Center.  Once we were settled into our home away from home, we set off on our first adventure into the geyser basin.  It was supposed to be just a short little taste, but we were so eager that it ended up being a three-hour walk.  

We happened upon Grotto Geyser during an eruption and found a seat to watch that splashy, steamy show.  It was just us, too, despite being in the middle of the most popular geyser basin in the park in the middle of the day.  That was a trip.  We walked out to Morning Glory Pool because it was sunny and that pool always looks best in the full sun.  We were not disappointed.  We enjoyed the play of the steam across the surface of that colorful pool.  It is one of our favorites.  The whole way we never saw another person.  On the return to the lodge, we saw Grand Geyser start to erupt over the nearby trees.  We sprinted (as well as possible on snow) over to the viewing area and enjoyed most of that eruption, too.  It was a big one!  Grand Geyser is one of the predictable geysers and, as such, has been pretty crowded when we've seen eruptions in the past.  There were ten people there for this eruption.  Again, what a trip!  

We returned to our room.  Matt prepped a charcuterie board for us while I got a Christmas Cats jigsaw puzzle started.  We listened to Christmas carols. We relaxed for a while in our room before setting out on another geyser adventure in the evening.  

We walked out to Castle Geyser with a couple of hot toddies.  We had to dodge a bison who had commandeered the trail to get there.  We sat on a log near the geyser and waited as the stars came out one by one.  We saw Orion's full shield and all seven of the Pleiades.   The splashing and hissing of Castle Geyser filled the night.  We couldn't see the water, but it was a prominent feature of the experience nonetheless.  We sat out there listening and gazing until we got chilly (and creeped out) and decided to head back to the lodge.  We got creeped out because the bushes started playing tricks on us in the growing darkness.  They looked a lot like the bison we'd had to dodge on our walk out.  The bison we'd have to bypass on our walk back, too, when it was A LOT harder to see...what with bison being the color of night and all that.  We really should have brought a headlamp, but underestimated just how dark it would be.  We relaxed in the room with our books and a cocktail before calling it a night.

Matt on the snowcoach with the sun rising in the distance.  I love how happy he looks.

The snowcoaches have some might big tires and mighty big windows.

Matt and a Ghost Tree at Beryl Springs.

Matt taking in the view from the Gibbon Falls overlook.

Gibbon Falls wasn't nearly as frozen as I expected such a cascade to be.

It was a glorious day to wander the upper geyser basin.

Yours truly taking in the view from Grotto Geyser.  It is worth noting that I've stripped down to short sleeves.  The sunshine and hiking in snowpants kept me niiiiiice and toasty!

Matt and Morning Glory Pool.

Grotto Geyser during an eruption with a bison in the background.  The bison were all over the boardwalks.  We kept having to change and/or delay our route to give 'em enough space.  Most people worry about bears and wolves.  I am additionally watchful about the bison.

Grand Geyser during an eruption.  They're all impressive, but Grand really dazzles me every time.  It's the tallest predictable eruption in the world though so I suppose that makes sense.  Not that we had a prediction in this instance.  That was just lucky timing.   Look at that BLUE sky!

Throughout the trip the snowflakes, ice, and frost were marvels to behold.  So much texture and sparkle!!  Sawmill Geyser erupts in the background of this photo showcasing the nifty snow.  Sawmill is one of the little geysers and it erupts erratically, yet it is one of my favorites.

Old Faithful Geyser during one of the many, many eruptions we observed during our visit.

Day 3:  Some people might sleep in on vacation, but not me and Matt.  We had coffee and then set off for a sunrise walk.  We watched Old Faithful erupt with a lovely pink background.  All in all, we'd watch Old Faithful erupt no less than 16 times during the trip.  That's how many tally marks got recorded in my journal.  Even a beautiful sunrise and Old Faithful combo wasn't the highlight of the morning's excursion though.  Hands down the crazy hoar frost/rime ice was the showstopper.  Every surface wore a coating of frost.  The trees, the grass, the bison, Matt's beard!  Everything!  The trees looked like they had white feathers.  It was unlike anything I've ever seen.  The day was cold, but so, so, so beautiful.  The world was quiet and tranquil beyond words.  I was in awe.  We saw four other people in the hours we wandered the boardwalks around Old Faithful that morning.  It felt like a winter wonderland of our very own.  I made a snow angel and cackled with delight.  We had gotten almost no snow at home and this was such a welcome difference.  

We eventually went back to the lodge to warm up and get some grub.  We spent the early afternoon in the beautiful lobby playing Carcassone, having a cocktail, and reading.  We checked out the gift shop and got advice from the folks in the ski shop.  In the late afternoon, we attempted to snowshoe out to Blacksand Basin, but the trail got rough going and wasn't very fun--and we were there to have fun, darn it!  So, we looped back around Daisy Geyser, past Grotto Geyser, and headed toward the boardwalks just in time to see the impressive height of Beehive Geyser erupting.  Oh, happy day!  Catching an eruption of Beehive is always a special treat, even if it is from a distance.  Beehive Geyser isn't predictable which makes seeing it go off all the more special.  

We made reservations at the front desk for the 8am shuttle drop to the Lone Star Geyser Trailhead and then spent some more time in the lobby.  Technically it was the side lobby.  It was full of comfy seating options and coffee tables.  The entire wall facing Old Faithful was made of windows.   It was where we set up every time we hung out in the common areas.  We could see the ice rink through the window and watched some Australian folks try skating for the first time.  It was fun for everyone--them and us.  The lobby, landings, and common areas of the lodge were all richly decorated for Christmas.  I had been bummed to leave our tree and trappings of Christmas at home...and I shouldn't have been!  The Old Faithful Snow Lodge had me covered there.  They even had my favorite classic Christmas carols piped into the lobby--Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and the like.  I was over the moon about all the holiday vibes.

We ate dinner in the Obsidian Dining Room which was very pleasant.  We chatted with the guy at the table next to us.  We had spoken briefly on the boardwalk that morning--he was one of the four people we saw--and we all shared the highlights of our day's adventures.  After dinner, Matt and I took an evening walk around the lodge.  We worked on the puzzle and read our books back in the room before calling it a night.  

A pink sunrise adds a splash of warm color to the wintery white and blue.

A frosty bison in the foreground with Old Faithful erupting in the background.

This morning of steam and ice was really crazycoolfun.  Skiing to Lone Star Geyser might have been the high point, but the frost and steam from this third day run a close second.

Fabulously feathery frost decorates the boughs of a tree in the upper geyser basin.  Seriously.  The frost was incredible.  So freaking cool.

I was swooning over the frost and ice at every turn.  Shoutout to my MIL for the hand-me-down snowpants.  Like I said earlier, I was never cold!  Usually the opposite!

The frigid temps accentuated the geothermal features making them even more stunning than usual.

Frosty trees and a warm stream along the boardwalks in the upper geyser basin.

Before we went into the lodge I demanded we take a photo.  Mostly I wanted to capture Matt's frosty white beard, but my hair got a little frosty, too.

Sawmill Geyser.  Again.  In the afternoon this time.  

Beehive Geyser (left) during an eruption.  Despite the distance, I was still impressed with the height of that jet of water attains--upwards of 200 feet high.  That's actually why it was still cool even though we were so far off.  It is so tall!

Day 4: We drank some coffee and had a little bite to eat before heading down to the front desk to meet our shuttle driver.  This time the snowcoach was still the kind that had tank treads rather than humongous wheels.  We stopped at the Keppler Cascades on the way to the trailhead drop point.  I wrote a post about skiing the Lone Star Geyser Trail and my magical winter snowglobe morning there.  I minimized the focus on my ankle injury in that post.  It did not diminish the magic of that morning and I wanted that to be clear.  In relaying the rest of the trip, I find myself having to dwell on my ankle injury just a little bit more in this recap. 

We got back to the room and I was in shock, quite literally.  I couldn't stop shaking.  I was weeping and in dreadful pain.  After I declined his offer to find me some proper medical attention, Matt got me some ice and some tea and took great care of me while I pulled myself back together.  The pain was pretty intense so that set the agenda for the rest of the day.  We read our books and worked on the puzzle.  It is quite possible that chillaxing would have been on the agenda even if I hadn't injured myself.  We were both quite tuckered from the ski adventure.  That will take it out of a person!  I had to ice and elevate a lot over the next few days, but I refused to stop altogether.  This was part denial and part stubbornness.  I let Matt wait on me in the room, but I still wanted to enjoy vacation mode.  So, I just did everything really, really slowly and carefully.  I used my ski pole as a cane. 

We had an early dinner in the Geyser Grill--the more casual/fast food-like dining option at the lodge.  After dinner we sat in the beautiful lobby some more, playing games and reading, while enjoying a beer from from the bar.   

We walked over to the Old Faithful viewing benches around 7pm so we could experience a night-time eruption.   The moon was only a quarter full, but it seemed so bright since the night was so dark.  The moonlight washed over the geyser as it erupted, reflecting on the towering spray.  It was lovely!  The earth rumbled with the power of the pressure and steam.  We could feel the rumbling through our feet and in our chests.  That's never happened to us before.  Of course, we'd never sat on the benches with only two other people before either.  The quiet and stillness were a presence in the landscape just as much as the snow and steam.  

After the eruption, we returned to the room for more relaxation (and ankle icing).  We were well into our second puzzle of the trip at this point--a Wysocki Christmas puzzle.  Matt went down to the front desk to cancel our reservations for the snowshoe hike with a ranger the following day.  My ankle wasn't up for it.  The woman who helped him take care of it was so positive.  In a setting where people want to go from one adventure or excursion to another, she said, "Sometimes it is nice to have an excuse to just relax and take it easy."  That was such a good way to look at it.  I tried really hard to make that my attitude since, I gotta admit, I was bumming about how my injury was going to impact the final couple of days of our trip.

This is me living my best winter postcard snowglobe life.

Playing Carcassone in the lobby by one of their merry and bright Christmas trees.

Day 5 :  After a cup of coffee and some time with the ice bag on my ankle, we went for a very mellow stroll around the boardwalks to start the day.  We found a section along the Firehole River, just opposite Beehive Geyser, that seemed unfamiliar to us.  It was right smack in the middle of things.  We hung out there for more than an hour....which I know because we saw Old Faithful erupt twice from that stretch of boardwalk.   Since we were downwind from Old Faithful we could feel the water raining down on us from the sky.  I caught some in my mouth, drinking the geyser.  It was a good location for wildlife watching, too.  There were American Dippers in the river, Clark's Nutcrackers in the trees, and bison scattered about everywhere.  The sunshine felt so good.  The world was bright with sunshine and snow. 

Before heading up to our room, Matt tried skating at the rink just outside the snow lodge.  The rink, skates, and helmets are provided free for lodge guests.  Skating was the one thing I wanted to do that my ankle injury prevented.  I should have done it on the very first day!  Alas!  Hindsight!!!   Matt had one dramatic fall--like a baseball player sliding headfirst into home plate--that cracked up some children skating with him.  Matt quickly got the hang of it though.

Back in the room, we enjoyed a hearty charcuterie brunch and mimosas.  I iced my ankle yet again and we worked on the puzzle.  We spent the afternoon reading and playing Carcassone in the beautiful lobby.   Matt tried out another regional beer.  I had a hot toddy made with local cinnamon moonshine.  Matt consoled me with another order of fries from the Geyser Grill because I had enjoyed them so much.  We went back to the room where Matt started the task of packing up while I iced my ankle before dinner.  We had a reservation in the dining room again and it was even better than the first time.  The food was better and we had a lovely table by the fireplace.  Coincidentally, we were seated next to the guy from Georgia (from Day 3) again and we all recapped our adventures, especially our respective excursions to Lone Star the day before.  

 After dinner, Matt and I took a short walk around the lodge.  The stars were lovely.  It was hard to believe it was our last night.  The trip felt short and long at the same time.  We came across a fabulous snowman all decorated with pine cones and forest debris instead of carrots and coal.  Matt did some night skating.  He knew I was bummed to miss out on the skating and was determined to help me enjoy it vicariously.  What a swell guy!  There were lights embedded in the ice and the pine trees around the edge of the rink were decorated with lights.  There was a giant firepit blazing to one side.  It was a terribly charming scene.  

We did some more packing and relaxing in the room to cap off the day.  I finished the Christmas novel I'd been reading.  Everything about the stay in the park--skiing, snow, ice, puzzles, books, music--really got me fired up with Christmas cheer.  It was the dose of winter I needed. 

Old Faithful Geyser.

Blue Star Spring was one of the geothermal features along the section of the boardwalk that we couldn't really remember.  It was pretty cool to find a spot in the middle of the upper geyser basin that still felt new to us.

East Chinaman Spring and its (unpictured) neighbor, Chinese Spring, are both always boiling.  The vigorous bubbling was a swell part of the soundscape as well as the view.

Old Faithful Geyser.  This was one of the eruptions where I was able to catch some of the condensed and falling steam on my tongue like rain.

Winter whimsy!

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

Matt doing some nighttime ice skating.

Day 6:  We packed up the last few things and then caught the snowcoach back north to Mammoth bright and early.  Our driver/tour guide laid out her agenda of sightseeing pit stops and bathroom breaks and we set off into a foggy, misty morning.  These plans were immediately thwarted because the boardwalks at Fountain Paintpots were sheets of ice.  We skated out to the first hot spring and took a group vote on turning back--which we promptly did.  But!  This would turn out to be a fabulous bit of Yellowstone destiny!  

We were supposed to spend 30 minutes or so at Fountain Paintpots.  Because that didn't happen, our timing coincided with a pack of wolves.  We got back on the snowcoach and just a few minutes down the road someone in our group spotted a wolf in the meadow by the road.  And then we saw another and another and another...!  So, naturally, we stop the snowcoach.  It was ten wolves (two grey, eight black) from the Wapati Lake pack.  They were close enough that we had to stay inside the snowcoach, but we opened the door and the windows provided an ample view for everyone.  We watched the pack for about 30 minutes.  They moved with such ease over the snow.  Their golden eyes were intense and watchful, especially when viewed through the binoculars.  The pack split up with a few headed up into the trees while most headed down to the road.  One of the silver wolves rolled in the snow like a puppy dog!  The wolves in the trees started to howl and it seemed to draw the rest of the pack in that direction.  The howling was spooky and wonderful.  It was remarkable--sights and sounds--and was a total cherry on top of our Yellowstone vacation.

The ride north wasn't quite as scenic in my opinion.  The day was more foggy and gray and less blue and sparkly.   Even just four days later there was less snow, too.  This became clear the further north we traveled.  The ghost trees at Beryl Springs were non-existent.  They just looked like regular trees.  The snowcoach was driving on the exposed highway near the end of our return trip.  The wildlife viewing was still lovely though.  We saw a pair of Trumpeter Swans.  We stopped at a scenic pullout and were rewarded with a coyote hunting across the river.  The coyote was springing and pouncing for rodents in the snow and grass.  It was pretty hilarious to watch--though I know it was life or death for both the rodents and the coyote.

There was a mix-up with the luggage.  It had been tagged wrong at Old Faithful and so Mammoth had put it in storage until we arrived and could help them figure out what was supposed to go where.  That was quickly resolved though and all is well that ends well.  We loaded up the car but decided to get lunch at the Mammoth dining room before we set off on the final leg of our megavacation.  It was so sunny and warm that they actually had a few windows cracked in the dining room.  In December!  The fact the snow vanished the closer we got to home only made our wintery days at Old Faithful feel all the more precious.  

We drove north to Chico Hot Springs and checked into our adorable little room.  Matt and I have visited the hot springs as day users but had never stayed overnight there before.  We settled into our room in the "old" hotel part.  It was very charming and old indeed!  The furniture is all antiques.  The door key is an actual key.  There was a sink in the room, but the toilet and shower were down the hall.  The pool was just down the hall, too!  We immediately hit the pool.  We hadn't been for a soak at Chico in years.  It was refreshing!  Our tired muscles heaved a contented sigh.  The warmth and weightlessness felt good on my ankle, too.  

We went back to the room after our soak, tossed our wet suits in the sink, and headed off to explore the hotel.  It is full of cool nooks and crannies with pretty antique writing desks, stained glass lamps, etc.  Of course, I investigated the take-a-book-leave-a-book library but didn't find anything I needed.  It is a charming ol' place.  Our meander ended at the bar where--to our delight--they had a shuffleboard table.  It was a beauty, too.  20+ feet long, nice and level, with an excellent slide to it.  We each won a game and enjoyed a couple of beers.  The main dining room at Chico doesn't really have much to offer vegan guests so we ordered off the bar menu instead, where they at least have a veggie burger and fries.  After grub and games, we headed back to the pool again.  The night air was cold and the water was warm.  Our hearts were happy.  

Later we sat by the crackling fire in the lobby admiring the Christmas tree, having a cocktail, and reflecting on the outstanding success of our megavacation as it drew to a close.  We headed back to the room to read before bed.  After two soaks, I slept like a log.  

It took until the last day, but I did get to sit in front of the main lobby fireplace for a bit before the snowcoach was ready to roll.  I'd had a few "objectives" for my stay at the lodge.  That was one of the last ones to check off.

Silex Spring was as far as we dared on the icy boardwalk.  With my injury, I was particularly thankful when everyone in our snowcoach agreed it was too slick to proceed.  Silex Springs is one of the pools that led me to become a Yellowstone nut.  We stopped there briefly as we made our way to Colorado to see Furthur in concert.  That visit was the beginning of our love story with that landscape.

The Wapati Lake pack on the prowl.

We got held up by one pretty large bison traffic jam on the return trip.

The bison are no fools.  They know the road is a nice, easy path.

This photo is included for comparison's sake in two ways.  First, it shows how we lost the snow as we returned northward.  There was no snow at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.  The staff at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge may have lamented the low volume of snow, but they at least had snow!  Mammoth did not.  Second, the photo depicts the old "bombardier" style snowcoach with treads in the back and skis in the front.  It was quite a difference compared to the snowcoaches we road in.

The lobby at Chico also had a wonderful Christmas tree so, of course, I parked myself next to it a few times.  They had strands of pearls for garland.  It was lovely.  Now I want some.  :)

I thought it was cute how the Chico signage had been given a holiday facelift.  The 'c' is usually a broken wagon wheel.

Day 7:  We started the morning with coffee and reading in the lobby near their pretty Christmas tree.  We followed that up with another relaxing and tranquil soak.  The pool was quiet so early in the day.  We enjoyed the morning sunlight that played on the hillside above the pool.  We returned to the room for one last charcuterie spread.  We packed our bags and then chillaxed reading and icing my foot until checkout time.  There was no snow on the drive home.  None.  We had left it all behind in the park.  There was a very happy Gingerkitty to greet us at the front door though, so that was adequate compensation.

The larger pool at Chico Hot Springs.  It is still refilling since the photo was taken in the early morning.  Because they're not treated with chemicals the pools are drained and filled daily.

I rallied for Christmas but spent the majority of the next week lying around icing my ankle while Ginger used me as a piece of furniture.

Our Winter in Wonderland Megavacation was an extraordinarily good time.  Just marvelous.  Amazing.  Beautiful.  Thrilling.  It was practically perfect and exceeded our expectations in just about every way possible.  I hope we can do it again someday.