Heading across Wyoming towards Yellowstone National Park we started to get a bit apprehensive about the weather. A huge storm front was heading across continental USA with reports of likely unseasonal snow dumps and wild wind warnings. We already knew it was an unusually inclement fall with our original planned entry point into Yellowstone (the famous Beartooth Highway) closed for the winter almost a month earlier than normal.
Crossing through the mountainous Bighorn National Forest the snow lay on the ground at unusually low altitudes. By the time we hit the highest point on highway 16 it was a near white out with deep snow beside the road. Thankfully this was only a short stretch but we wondered about how the roads in Yellowstone might look.
The last stretch of the drive to Cody, the eastern gateway town to Yellowstone was quite a contrast. No snow at the lower altitude but a vast bleak windy expanse of semi arid brush which had a different kind of wild and lonely beauty to the mountains.
After a night in Cody we woke to light snowfall and bleak conditions. The eastern entrance to the park was closed which meant we faced a long drive to the north into Montana to enter the park from the North side. Although it was a long drive it was still quite scenic and we saw lots of snow on the side of the road with deep cover in the hills and ranges which kept things interesting (except for the driver since the roads were a bit wet and icy). Thankfully the cloud had largely lifted.
Leaving the interstate highway, the road into the park from Livingston to Gardiner was as scenic as could be. The weather continued to improve but it was still bitterly cold with the sun having little impact on the snow.
Eventually we arrived at the gates to Yellowstone, in glorious weather conditions to hear that the key roads were all open but with ominous weather forecased to come overnight.
Crossing through the mountainous Bighorn National Forest the snow lay on the ground at unusually low altitudes. By the time we hit the highest point on highway 16 it was a near white out with deep snow beside the road. Thankfully this was only a short stretch but we wondered about how the roads in Yellowstone might look.
The last stretch of the drive to Cody, the eastern gateway town to Yellowstone was quite a contrast. No snow at the lower altitude but a vast bleak windy expanse of semi arid brush which had a different kind of wild and lonely beauty to the mountains.
After a night in Cody we woke to light snowfall and bleak conditions. The eastern entrance to the park was closed which meant we faced a long drive to the north into Montana to enter the park from the North side. Although it was a long drive it was still quite scenic and we saw lots of snow on the side of the road with deep cover in the hills and ranges which kept things interesting (except for the driver since the roads were a bit wet and icy). Thankfully the cloud had largely lifted.
Leaving the interstate highway, the road into the park from Livingston to Gardiner was as scenic as could be. The weather continued to improve but it was still bitterly cold with the sun having little impact on the snow.
Eventually we arrived at the gates to Yellowstone, in glorious weather conditions to hear that the key roads were all open but with ominous weather forecased to come overnight.
Comments
Post a Comment