Thanks Steve!

This blog post tells a story about cancelled plans, winter in Yellowstone, and a great guy named Steve. What more can you ask for?

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Featured photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MKL6Bn3YX7ezp1P59

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December 28th, 2024 - Winter in Wyoming Day 2

My braids bounced as I hopped up and down in front of the hotel mirror. Reluctantly, my bulky Carhartt overalls slid up my legs. I draped my camera over the ensemble and examined myself in the mirror. My insulated overalls resembled the trunks of two young trees. Under the bibs, my heated jacket covered at least two sweaters. A red headband kept my ears nice and toasty. The entire outfit was thick, ridiculously layered, and blissfully warm.

“I look like a penguin,” I giggled. I turned to Tyler, who stood there in jeans and a jacket. Unlike me, my warm-blooded husband had decided to forgo his thick bibs until he actually needed them. 

“Aren’t you going to get cold?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “It’s not like we’re going snowmobiling.”

I nodded in acquiescence. My gaze slid past him to the window, where blue pre-dawn light was just beginning to illuminate the giant snowpiles and icicles decorating West Yellowstone. 

I nodded towards the wintry scene. “I still can’t believe there’s not enough snow to snowmobile into Yellowstone yet. There’s plenty here, that’s for sure.” 

It had been a disappointing discovery when we had arrived at West Yellowstone yesterday afternoon. Despite the ample snow in the small town, there wasn’t enough snow cover within the park to permit snowmobile tours. If you think about it, it makes sense. A national park scattered with steaming thermal features and unfreezeable rivers would, naturally, take a long time to accumulate a lot of snow. Often, the ground around landmarks such as Old Faithful remains snow-free all year. Unfortunately, this hadn’t been a consideration for us when we had booked a Yellowstone snowmobile tour months earlier. We assumed that Yellowstone, like the rest of Wyoming, would be knee-deep in snow by the end of December. It turns out we were wrong. 

Thankfully, Back Country Adventures is a wonderful company to work with! When the Park Service announced that snowmobile tours were still on hold, Back Country worked with Tyler to rearrange our plans. Instead of snowmobiling into the park, we would be treated to a snow coach tour instead, at no additional cost. We had initially been disheartened, thinking that a snowcoach would mean limited scenery, crowded seats, and a less exciting day. We were wrong about that too! What a day we had!

Our snow coach arrived promptly at our hotel at 8:15 AM. We stepped over snowdrifts (I waddled through them) to meet the big vehicle in the parking lot. The love child of a passenger van, U-Haul, and a monster truck, it was one of the strangest vehicles I’d ever seen. Giant tires stood stoutly on the snow, looking impervious to even the thickest drifts. A bus door opened to welcome us into the well-heated interior. Several rows of cozy, two-person seats filled the inside. Big windows accompanied each seat, providing great views for every passenger. As I plopped down in our seat (my knees don’t bend well in bibs), I found myself feeling pretty dang content. This snow coach tour might be pretty alright after all!

Our tour guide was named Steve. A West Yellowstone native, he quickly proved himself to be very informative. He was fun to chat with too! He was originally from Michigan, where he worked a “boring” job at a Ford plant. As the years passed, life became lackluster for Steve. Steve, brimming with creative vigor, decided that lackluster wasn’t for him. Surprising friends and family alike, he picked up everything and moved to West Yellowstone. In the summer, he worked long hours bartending for Yellowstone tourists. In the winter, Steve led snow coach and snowmobile tours into the park. And Steve was happy. You could tell just from talking to him. His demeanor was easy. His energy was content. Steve loved what he did.

It is a blessing to spend time with someone who loves their lot in life! Not only is their joy infectious, but they also express more generosity than the average person. Steve, for example, went out of his way to make our tour as remarkable as possible. His goal was to find us some Yellowstone wildlife. Wolves, of course, were on everyone’s bucket list. When it became apparent that all the wildlife (except the cold-impervious bison) were hiding, Steve pivoted. The bulk of our tour became about seeking out the prettiest Yellowstone landscapes. And gosh, Steve found them! 

On the banks of the Madison River, we penguin-walked through snow drifts to admire the glassy water and snow-covered hills beyond. At Gibbon Falls, white-frothed torrents splashed into the grey ribbon of the Gibbon River. The river snaked through a valley of pines so frosted with snow that they resembled a milky watercolor painting. The pines climbed the valley walls to greet us on the roadside. Each long needle held a delicate ridge of snowflakes balanced on its thin surface. Some pine branches received a more generous portion, bearing a glob of snowy icing like a Christmas sugar cookie. Tyler and I were enchanted. It had been years since we had seen a “proper” winter in Ohio. Until that moment, we hadn’t realized how much we had missed the baptism of a landscape with purifying, white snow. We missed the holy silence of a snow-muffled world. We missed the crisp, rosy-cheek feeling of a brisk morning. We missed winter, it turned out. Nestled in our warm coach amongst the magic of a snowy pine forest, we rediscovered the joy of earth’s coldest season. 

There are few places more magical in winter than at Old Faithful. The towering log cabin Inn, so vibrantly busy in the summertime, slumbers peacefully under the snow. Its steep peaks and window dormers stand resolutely against their white burdens, unafraid of the harsh Wyoming winter. The Old Faithful Inn has withstood every winter since 1904. In fact, most of its construction occurred during the winter of 1903, innoculating the old building against the wind and chill. Old Faithful herself is a powerful opponent for winter. Her watery veins run deep beneath the soil, warming it enough for bison to find grass unhindered by snow. The Firehole River snakes along the feet of Old Faithful, steaming in its defiant efforts against the freeze. When her time arrives, Old Faithful bursts into the air with massive plumes of white vapor. It is as if she is sending a smoke signal declaring that she remains despite the cold. She is warm and full of life. She is a sign that, unlike Narnia, winter must end and warm will triumph once again. 

As a special treat, Steve navigated us to Fountain Paint Pots, home to some of Yellowstone’s prettiest winter scenery. The Fountain Paint Pots, a collection of boiling mud pots, cheerfully burst gloopy bubbles of mud as steam curled around our boardwalk. Silex Spring carved a turquoise eye in the earth. The brilliant blue pool contrasted spectacularly with the white snow on its edges. Trumpeter swans even glided elegantly in the river nearby. It was remarkably, perfectly winter.

Though our tour took most of the day, it seemed to last only a few moments. We so enjoyed our time with Steve that we completely forgot about our ill-fated snowmobile tour. In the end, we were blessed to have done the snow coach instead. We experienced Yellowstone in an entirely unique, wonderful way. And, really, we have Steve to thank for it.

Thanks Steve!