So, being the poor dirtbags that we are, and the backcountry adventurers that we pretend to be, a good backcountry ski tour was high on our list of things to do. Since we were up in Montana and Yellowstone National Park was only a short drive away, why not go ski in and camp there? Most of the roads in the park are closed for the winter, which really cuts down on the crowds that usually plague the place. I envisioned gliding though powder while passing gurgling mud pits and spouting geysers. The reality was markedly different.
When we drove in to the park, we both noted the obvious lack of snow on the ground. When we got to the ranger station, we found out it had rained a few days ago. That, combined with the warm temps, was quickly melting all the snow. Undeterred by those facts, we got our backcountry permit, decided on a route to ski and headed out on our little adventure. It turns out there really wasn’t much snow, and what was there was either crusty or icy. The ski conditions were not ideal. Don’t let me mislead you though, we still had a great time. The hike/ski in was about 8 miles, and it took us a good 5 or 6 hours to get to our campsite. The campsite wound up being right on the shore of the Yellowstone River and we had the whole place to ourselves. Except for the herds of Bison and Elk that we saw all over the place, who paid very little attention to the two strange animals with sticks on their feet. The warm temps that were stealing all the snow did help out that night though, when neither of us froze and actually managed to get a good night’s sleep. The hike/ski out the next day was uneventful, and we made it back to the van in time for a feast of PB&J, cheese, oranges and hot chocolate. Scrumptious! With our Yellowstone adventure over, it was time to head back to civilization and continue our quest for 50 days of skiing this trip, this time at Bridger Bowl, Montana.