Yellowstone Today A National Park Service publication for Yellowstone visitors Winter 1995-96 * Information * Regulations and safety * Park map Caution, winter visitors Yellowstone has many hidden and unmarked hazards. Freezing, thawing, and extreme temperatures can create dangerous conditions. Take proper precautions; use common sense and extreme caution near canyons, water­ falls, thermal areas, viewpoints, and wildlife. Watch your children. Your hand and your voice may be too far away once your child leaves your side. As well, road conditions on the stretch of road open to automobiles—from Gardiner, Montana, to Cooke City, Montana—can be icy, snowpacked, and hazardous. Snowtires or chains are always recommended and may be required to drive this road in the winter. Please drive, walk, snowmobile, and ski safely to protect your park and yourself. Emergency—dial 911 Park info—(307) 344-7381 TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf only)—(307) 344-2386 NPS ffe photo Non-Profit Organization - The winter use dilemma U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 104 Many of the staff who live in Yellowstone Scientific studies are beginning to reveal extensively with our neighbors, our Livingston, MT 59047 during the winter consider this our favorite to us the extent of our impacts upon concessioners, and a variety of user season. The wildlife is more visible, the wildlife in winter. Budgetary realities are groups. scenery is even more spectacular than in telling us that we no longer have staff or summer, and the thousands of thermal resources adequate to care for the We all-want the chance to enjoy features are at their most dramatic, growing winter crowds. Individuals and Yellowstone at its best, and we all want wreathed in delicate ice formations and organizations are expressing concerns Yellowstone to last in good shape, not billowing steam. that the experience is slipping in quality. only for our next visit but also for future We in Yellowstone are actively seeking visitors. We hope you will be able to We hope your visit is safe and memo­ ways to address these problems. assist us in achieving those goals. • rable, and that Yellowstone lives up to your expectations. But while you are here, In conjunction with Grand Teton National If you would like to comment about your j^Uowstone we would like you to think over a vexing Park, and the six national forests sur­ winter experience in the national parks or dilemma we all face. The focus of our rounding the parks (Gallatin, Targhee, forests, please do so either at any of the Association concerns revolves around the extraordi­ Bridger-Teton, Beaverhead, Custer, and warming huts or visitor centers in the Yellowstone Today, which is distributed nary wonders we all enjoy and their need Shoshone), Yellowstone has launched parks, or when you return home by to visitors at park entrances, is published for special consideration in the winter. an initiative to determine how best to writing to: Winter Use, P.O. Box 168, by the staff of Yellowstone National Park. manage winter use in the long run. Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. As a member of the Yellowstone Associa­ For all its beauty, winter is a time of tion, you have contributed to the produc­ extreme hardship for many of Yellow­ Among other things, we have conducted For information on other winter use tion costs of this publication, which is a stone's wild residents. Winter is the winter use surveys, to learn more about concerns, see page 9. major source of information for the millions foremost control on many animal your experiences here. We are continuing of park visitors each year. The Yellow­ population sizes, and those populations our research on recreational impacts on stone Association operates book sales have evolved to survive in an extreme the park, and we are communicating facilities in visitor centers and museums; environment. YA staff provide information and assis­ tance to park visitors. Ultimately, much But human use of the park has skyrock­ of YA's revenue is returned to the park's eted in the past 20 years, and though we _ Snowmobilers _ Spring plowing educational, interpretive and research humans try very hard to use the land programs. As a YA member, you are a lightly, we have many effects that we only part of the team striving to preserve now are beginning to understand. As well, need license —> schedule —— Yellowstone Tor the Benefit and Enjoy­ we have effects on each other; the more All snowmobile operators in Yellow­ Throughout the park, groomed roads will ment of Future Generations." people there are, the less each person stone National Park must possess a close to oversnow vehicle (snowmobile can be assured of the quality experience valid motor vehicle operator's license. and snowcoach) traffic for spring plowing H Index aMHHB for which Yellowstone is so famous. In addition, persons possessing a as follows: learner's permit may operate a snowmo­ Winter use management 1, 9 In 1990, after much deliberation and bile in the park only when supervised March 4 Mammoth to Norris Safety 2 extensive public involvement, we within line of sight (but no further than March 11 All other park roads close Planning your visit 3 produced a Winter Use Plan, aimed at 100 yards) by a licensed person 21 to oversnow traffic. Information and activities 4 ensuring the protection of park resources years of age or older. Snowmobiling 5 and the quality of the visitors' experience. Roads close at 8:00am on the days listed. Tips for passing wildlife 5 This plan's best estimates of winter use For more information on the park's Gross-country skiing 6 levels have already been exceeded; in snowmobile regulations, please see 1992-93, visitation levels in Yellowstone Resource issues 7,8 page 5 or ask a park ranger. Weather 10 and Grand Teton National Parks passed Printed on recycled paper with soy ink the levels predicted for the year 2000. Park concessioners 10,11 Park map 12 2 - YELLOWSTONE TODAY, Winter 1995-96 WARNING! Some things all visitors must know... hazards in Yellowstone National Park Emergency—dial 911 Park information—(307) 344-7381 ) Temperatures Snowmobilers Daytime temperatures are usually in Prepare for extremely cold conditions. the 10° to 30°F range (-12° to -1°C) Sudden changes in weather are typical, while nighttime temperatures often dip and conditions can differ drastically to between -12° and -40°F (-29° to -40°C). from one location to another. How cold can it get here? The lowest temperature ever recorded in Yellow­ Cold plus wind can be a deadly combina­ stone was -66°F in 1933. tion. For example, if you are travelling 40 miles per hour on a snowmobile and Yellowstone's weather often seems to the thermometer reads 10°F, the wind chill defy predictability; conditions at any given factor is 37° below zero, cold enough to time may vary drastically from those freeze exposed flesh within one minute! forecast or from long term averages. Wind chill compounds severe tempera­ Dress warmly and stop often at warming tures. Be prepared for storms that can huts to reheat. For regulations and quickly drop temperatures. Before starting information on planning a safe trip, a snowmobile trip or ski tour, check on see page 5. local conditions and get a weather forecast. Skiers & Walkers Trails may be icy, making footing Drivers dangerous. Heed trail closures; ' The only roads plowed for the entire even open trails may be hazardous. winter season—and not open to Proceed with caution at all times. oversnow vehicles—are the 56 mile Please watch your children very stretch between the North Entrance closely on all trails and overlooks. and Cooke City, Montana, via Mam­ moth Hot Springs and Tower Junction, You face harsh conditions plus the (^ Scalding water can ruin your trip ^ and a 1-1/2 mile stretch from Mammoth effects of vigorous physical exertion. Stay on boardwalks and designated Pets are prohibited in thermal areas. Hot Springs to the parking area at the Be prepared for equipment problems, trails. Scalding water underlies most of injury, rapidly changing weather, Upper Terraces. These roads are the thin, breakable crusts; pools are near Swimming or bathing in thermal pools and other unplanned events that may maintained only during daylight hours or above boiling temperatures. or streams whose waters flow entirely occur whether your outing lasts and may close during severe storms. from a thermal spring or pool is prohibited. Expect snow packed roads, icy spots, several days or only a few hours! Yellowstone's thermal features, rare Thermal waters may contain organisms and frost heaves. High winds cause For more information on gear selection among the earth's wonders, are known to cause infections and/or amoebic blowing and drifting snow. Snow tires and ski trip safety, see page 6. extremely fragile. Boardwalks and meningitis which can be quickly fatal. or tire chains may be required and trails protect you and preserve delicate Swim at your own risk; for more informa­ are usually recommended. The large fires in Yellowstone during the formations. tion, ask at any ranger station or visitor summer of 1988 burned near or across center. Park roads are designed for slower-than- many trails. These fires burned the tree interstate speeds—45 mph maximum, trunks and root systems, creating hazard­ lower where posted. Do not stop on the ous standing snags which can fall with road and block traffic when viewing little warning. Be alert for this possibility. Avoid these situations There is no guarantee of your safety. wildlife or scenery. PLEASE USE Law enforcement rangers strictly enforce -sidehilling or off-road snowmobiling PULLOUTS.