{"id":9484,"date":"2014-02-25T12:04:36","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T19:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yellowstonegate.com\/?p=9484"},"modified":"2014-02-25T12:12:54","modified_gmt":"2014-02-25T19:12:54","slug":"ski-trip-across-yellowstone-reveals-unique-sounds-of-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yellowstonegate.com\/?p=9484","title":{"rendered":"Ski trip across Yellowstone reveals unique sounds of winter"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Derek<\/a>
Derek Collins takes in the view while skiing across Yellowstone National Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are sounds in Yellowstone National Park that can only be heard in the winter, away from the snow machines and out of the snowcoaches. They are the squeak of cold snow underfoot and the whispered rhythm of skis pushing and gliding. They are the gurgle of thermal features and the splash of water descending from the air and returning to geyser pools, sounds too meek to hear above the din of throngs of people in summer. And, if your heart stops pulsing with that intensity you hear as well as feel, there is the quiet, a lack of noise so distinct it is a sound itself, said Derek Collins.<\/p>\n

Collins and fellow Jackson resident Forrest McCarthy set out February 8 to skate ski from West Yellowstone, Mont., to Flagg Ranch near Jackson. For McCarthy, the trip, long on his tick-list, was a celebration of the park finally settling on a winter-use plan. For Collins, it was simply a winter adventure.<\/p>\n

McCarthy spent his three years with the Winter Wildlands Alliance (he is still an ambassador with the organization) working on efforts to create a winter use plan. Work on the plan<\/a> took 15 years and cost the park service more than $10 million as it struggled to balance multiple interests among snowmobiling, skiing and snowcoach tours, and environmental impacts to the park.<\/p>\n

The plan is a great compromise allowing a variety of users to enjoy the park in winter, while considering clean air and the soundscape, McCarthy said.<\/p>\n

McCarthy\u2019s time in Yellowstone is often limited to the backcountry. Even in winter he avoided the roads due to the noise of snowmobiles. It had been years since he shared the park road with machines. He\u2019s always loved big ski traverses and had wanted to ski across the park. When the park finally settled on a winter use plan, checking it off the list seemed a perfect way to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n

\"Yellowstone<\/a><\/p>\n

Derek Collins and Forrest McCarthy pose for a picture while skate skiing across Yellowstone National Park. (Photo courtesy Forrest McCarthy)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Winter transforms the landscape to muted colors of grays and whites, thermal features swarmed by visitors in July are deserted. While a trip on Yellowstone\u2019s road isn\u2019t a total wilderness experience, McCarthy was surprised at the advancements in snowmachines, making them much quieter than years before.<\/p>\n

Rather than marking the completion of Yellowstone\u2019s winter use plan, Collins\u2019 motivation was simply about the experience. \u201cSnow and skiing is always a good combination,\u201d he said. He\u2019d skied in Yellowstone before, but never the route they planned. Winter in the park is special no matter a person\u2019s mode of transportation, but skiing magnifies the isolation and the beauty. \u201cYou really slow down,\u201d he said. \u201cSkiing changes the whole game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bison are startlingly close. The abandoned feel of the park and the falling snow provides a heightened sense of adventure. And while it is cool to see a coyote run across a field while you are on a snowmachine or in a snowcoach, on skis, you realize you aren\u2019t just watching, you are part of the same landscape, Collins said.<\/p>\n

The trip, which took about 32 hours including a 16-hour reprieve at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, spanned about 75 miles.<\/p>\n

They crossed the continental divide three times, and climbed hills that felt as steep as Teton Pass, Collins said. They traveled light, their packs weighed about seven pounds. They carried a credit card, tooth brush and basic gear, food, water and a few layers, for the day.<\/p>\n

The trip coincided with a massive winter storm, which meant that despite following the park\u2019s groomed road, the two had to almost break trail for their skis on stretches.<\/p>\n

\"Derek<\/a><\/p>\n

Derek Collins takes a break while skate skiing across Yelllowstone National Park. (Photo courtesy Forrest McCarthy)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s a trip Collins hopes more people try \u2014 just remember; it\u2019s more than a flat ski. It\u2019s long and hilly with changing snow conditions. The best time to ski is before dawn when the track is fast and the road deserted.<\/p>\n

Collins says the trip might be too daunting \u2014 physically and mentally \u2014 for some. If that\u2019s the case, there are other ways to visit Yellowstone in winter; by snowcoach or machine, which can take you to Old Faithful where Collins and McCarthy met people from all over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever your preferred mode (of transportation), it\u2019s one of those things that, for most people, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,\u201d Collins said. \u201cIt really is a special place. It\u2019s pretty magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter how you go, just don\u2019t forget to stop and listen.<\/p>\n

Republished with permission from \u201cPeaks to Plains<\/a>\u201d a blog focusing on Wyoming\u2019s outdoors and communities.\u00a0Kelsey Dayton\u00a0is a freelance writer based in Lander.<\/em>\u00a0She has been a journalist in Wyoming for seven years, reporting for the Jackson Hole News & Guide, Casper Star-Tribune and the Gillette News-Record. Contact Kelsey at\u00a0kelsey.dayton@gmail.com.<\/a>\u00a0Follower her on Twitter: @Kelsey_Dayton.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are sounds in Yellowstone National Park that can only be heard in the winter, away from the snow machines and out of the snowcoaches. They are the squeak of cold snow underfoot and the whispered rhythm of skis pushing and gliding. They are the gurgle of thermal features and the splash of water descending from the air and returning to geyser pools, sounds too meek to hear above the din of throngs of people in summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":9487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[312],"tags":[367,185],"yoast_head":"\nSki trip across Yellowstone reveals unique sounds of winter - Yellowstone Gate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yellowstonegate.com\/?p=9484\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ski trip across Yellowstone reveals unique sounds of winter - Yellowstone Gate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are sounds in Yellowstone National Park that can only be heard in the winter, away from the snow machines and out of the snowcoaches. 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