Winter Adventures Out West
MAGICAL
No other word is more fitting for Yellowstone in the winter. The hoarfrost on the trees and the steam hovering over the snow with bison lurking underneath surprise and delight all your senses. Add a dogsledding tour in Big Sky and the recipe for winter adventuring is complete. My friend, Liz, and I planned an epic week together and relished every moment. The following account skims the surface of our memory-making tour in February of 2023.
College dance buddies reunite to continue their trend of goofiness in the wild.
Jackson, WYO
Direct flights into Jackson are ideal if you can book one. Liz lost a day of travel due to engine woes but we made up for it with our exploration efforts in flexibility and laughter.
Unfortunately, the only moose Liz saw. The Driggs town moose hid the entire week.
Under the famous elk antler arch
Teton Pass
A horse drawn wagon ride thru the Elk Refuge is not to be missed!
Big Sky, MT
You’re only here for the puppy pics. Don’t worry, I will overindulge you!
The video below of our dogsled team will make your uplift your heart!
Full volume for maximum joy. ;-)
West Yellowstone
DAY ONE - Snowcoach tour to Old Faithful
Our tour guide’s lineage as an original homesteading family allowed us extra bits of history most tours miss. We also lucked out to get extra stops for gorgeous frozen waterfalls, watching a fox trot across a field and into the woods, and admirations of swans floating along the Madison. In addition, we met friends like Kevin unexpectedly at closer range than we wanted. Overall, the tour was worth every bit of the expense of a once in a lifetime experience and braving the 4 degree daytime temps.
DAY TWO - Visiting with the Locals
The residents of the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center welcome you to their playtime, mealtime, and nap time shenanigans. The grizzlies show off their breaking-into-bear-proof-cooler skills while the otters show off their flips and twists. The wolves stare through your soul before devouring their breakfast. All of it mesmerizes you. A second chance at life for them, affording us a peep into their world. Don’t fear the howls at night!
Never did I ever expect to live where Yellowstone is my backyard playground. The MOST coveted/admired National Park in the nation. It’s beyond my wildest dreams. My good fortune to call this park simply “my route home” boggles my mind. Unsure of how my past karma affords me these opportunities, I sure do cry with gratitude at the beauty of each sunrise, each snowy day, each rainbow, hike, wildlife sighting, and each time I get to share this space with a friend. Maybe someday I’ll share the multiple misfires of my first attempts to visit Yellowstone.
Liz may live far in distance but is always close at heart. We’re aiming for Iceland in 2026! So I didn’t scare her off with the cold of the wilds. When we have that itinerary, of course we will share it with you too. In the meantime, are you brave enough to explore the winter wonderland in frigid temps like she did? P.S.: I’m headed there twice this February. Don’t you want to join?!
