Explore Yellowstone - Summer 2015

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SUMMER 2015

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YOUR GUIDE TO AMERICA’S FIRST NATIONAL PARK

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EXPLORE AMERICA’S FIRST NATIONAL PARK FROM BIG SKY’S FIRST GUEST RANCH.

Today’s itinerary: hike or bike out of your cabin, see the wonders of Yellowstone

National Park, dine on farm-to-table cuisine and enjoy live music in Big Sky’s

Town Center. Tomorrow: fly fish on blue ribbon trout streams.

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SUMMER 2015

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHEREric Ladd

EDITORIALMANAGING EDITORJoseph T. O’Connor

SENIOR EDITOR / DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR

Tyler Allen

ASSOCIATE EDITORMaria Wyllie

CREATIVECREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kelsey Dzintars

GRAPHIC DESIGNERTaylor-Ann Smith

VIDEO DIRECTORBrian Niles

PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHERWes Overvold

SALES AND OPERATIONSCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Megan Paulson

DIRECTOR OF SALESE.J. Daws

ACCOUNT MANAGERKatie Morrison

ACCOUNT COORDINATORMaria Wyllie

MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTORErsin Ozer

ACCOUNTANTAlexis Deaton

CONTRIBUTORSEthan Confer, Abbie Digel, Felicia Ennis, Jim Harris, John Layshock, Forrest McCarthy, Jim Peaco, Hunter Rothwell, Joe Shaw, Pat Straub, Walter Wiese

TO ADVERTISE: contact E.J. Daws at [email protected] or Ersin Ozer at [email protected].

OUTLAW PARTNERS P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716(406) 995-2055 • [email protected]

© 2015 Outlaw Partners Unauthorized reproduction prohibited

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Table of Contents

PARK NEWS - Yellowstone Geyser App.........................10 - Gardiner Gateway Project.......................11

DAY TRIPS - Yellowstone in a Day................................14 - Climbing Electric Peak...........................16 - Mt. Washburn: The best seat in the house......................19

WILDLIFE - Yellowstone Cougar Project....................21 - A guide to viewing Yellowstone Wildlife.................................24 - Yellowstone Wildlife Infographic...............27

KIDS - Activity page.............................................28

FISHING - A Place of Angling Wonders.....................30

ADVENTURE - Wilderness Paddling: The Thorofare..........................................34

SCIENCE - Colors of the geysers..............................38

PARK HISTORY - Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop.................40 - The Dudes of Yellowstone: Early tourism in the park........................43

DIRECTORY................................................45

ON THE COVER: Castle Geyser is in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. The cone geyser is shown erupting a vertical column of hot water that reaches a height of 90 feet. PHOTO BY ETHAN CONFER/ ETHANCONFER.COM

5% of ad sales generated by this publication were donated to Yellowstone Park Foundation.

The first day I visited Yellowstone National Park, I hit a traffic jam. Not the kind you see in Manhattan at, well, anytime of day. It was the kind you’ll only experience in America’s first national park. We couldn’t drive further because a 2,000-pound bison was standing on the double-yellow line and staring at us through the windshield.

It was a reminder that humanity relinquishes control to nature in this public land holding, measuring nearly 3,500 square miles. It’s something you rarely see. It’s the reason you visit the park.

Following this bison encounter we explored Slough Creek’s meandering flow approximately 25 miles east of the Cooke City entrance. We hiked in and cast flies to hungry summer brown trout and breathed in the cleanest air I’ve ever filled my lungs with.

En route to our West Yellowstone exit, we drove by massive Yellowstone Lake and stopped by to see the park’s crown jewel: Old Faithful. The intermittent charges of water and steam shoot as high as 185 feet in the air, and this time did not disappoint.

These are the experiences that Yellowstone National Park offers. It’s a wild and protected place that is as special as any I’ve seen. We hope you enjoy this guide and are mesmerized as you explore Yellowstone.

Joseph T. O’ConnorExplore Yellowstone Managing Editor

From the Editor:Experience Yellowstone

* This map is to act as a visual representation of Yellowstone National Park. Locations are approximate.

Fishing Bridge

Old Faithful

West T

humb

Yellowstone Lake

East Entrance

South Entrance

Fountain Paint PotsG

reat Fountain Geyser

Buffalo Lake Patrol Cabin

ABSAROKA RANGE

TE

TO

N

NA

TI

ON

AL

PA

RK

Approximate Caldera Boundary

Shoshone Lake

Continental

Divide

IDAHO

Firehole River

Established:

March 1, 1872

Acres:

2,219,789

2010 Visitation:

3,640,185

Avg. Elevation: 8,000 ft.

Highest Point:

Eagle Peak (11,358 ft.)

Avg. Summ

er Temp: 74º F

Avg. Winter Tem

p: 20º F

Eagle Peak

GAR

DIN

ER

TO

BI

G S

KY

WEST

YELLO

WSTO

NE

Madison

Junction

Norris

Canyon V

illage

Tower-Roosevelt

CO

OK

E C

ITY

MO

NT

AN

A

W Y O M I N G

Mam

moth H

ot Springs

Yellowstone

NA

TI

ON

AL

PA

RK

Northeast Entrance

North Entrance

West Entrance

Boiling River

Bunsen Peak

Grand C

anyon of Yellowstone

Mount W

ashburn

Electric Peak

Firehole Drive

Lamar Valley

Norris G

eyser Basin

ABSAROKA RANGE

GA

LL

AT

IN

N

AT

IO

NA

L F

OR

ES

T

Madison R

iver

Gibbon R

iverYellowstone R

iver

Gardiner River

Lamar River


YELLOWSTONE PARK FOUNDATION

If you’re planning a visit to the Old Faithful area, or you just can’t get enough of Yellowstone’s geysers, the free National Park Service “Yellowstone Geysers” app is a must.

Not only does it predict eruptions for Old Faithful, the park’s most famous geyser, the app helps predict when five other geysers – Grand, Castle, Great Fountain, Daisy, and Riverside – in the area may erupt.

There are also plenty of other functions you can enjoy when you’re not in Yellowstone. A link to a webcam is at your fingertips to view geyser eruptions in real time; fascinating facts give you the scientific lowdown on how geyser eruptions are

predicted; and a photo gallery reveals their spectacular beauty.

As an added bonus, the app gives you one-stop browsing of the park’s Twitter, YouTube and Flickr sites so you can stay on top of happenings in Yellowstone.

The NPS Yellowstone Geysers app was developed in partnership with Washington State University, University of Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park and West Virginia’s Harpers Ferry Center. It was made possible in part by a generous donation from Canon USA, Inc. to the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

The app is available in the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.

‘YELLOWSTONE GEYSER’ | App for your smartphone or tabletNEWS


YELLOWSTONE & GRAND TETON NP ENTRANCE FEES:Vehicles $30 per vehicle to visit each individual park or $50 for a two-park vehicle pass, for one to seven days.

Motorcycles$25 for each park or $40 for both parks, for one to seven days

Foot/bicycle $15 for each park or $20 for both parks, for one to seven days

Annual passes $60 for each individual park. An $80 Interagency Pass is valid for entry to all fee areas on federal lands.

Interagency Senior Pass$10 lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 and older.

Interagency Access Pass A free lifetime pass available to citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who are blind or permanently disabled.

Military Annual PassA free annual pass available for active duty military personnel, and their dependents, with proper identification.

Free Entrance DaysAug. 25 (National Park Service’s birthday); Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day); Nov. 11 (Veteran’s Day)

Walk into a business on Park Street in Gardiner, and you’re in Park County, Montana. Step out onto the sidewalk, and you’re in Yellowstone National Park.

Gardiner’s historic downtown literally straddles the park boundary. The iconic Roosevelt Arch, too, is split between national park service and county property.

That’s why a broad group of stakeholders from the region, including federal, state, local and nonprofit groups, are working together on the planning, design and construction of new infrastructure along the “Gardiner Gateway” to Yellowstone National Park.

Phase 1 of the Gardiner Gateway Project kicked off on April 17, and the project’s total cost is more than $20 million, most of which is covered by the Federal Land Access Program.

New amenities like walkways, restrooms and a welcome center will

address visitor safety and services, and improved traffic circulation. The updates are designed to enhance the visitor experience, while promoting Montana tourism and local economic development.

It all started because the north entrance station to the park wasn’t functioning efficiently enough, said the project’s park spokesman Joe Regula. In the past few years as park visitor numbers skyrocketed, the station has caused traffic jams with vehicles backed up several miles – under the arch, down Park Street, past the bridge on Main Street and down to U.S. Highway 89.

In June of 2012, a group of leaders involved with the project held a ceremony at Arch Park, the original entrance to Yellowstone. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding as a call to action in anticipation of the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service. Together, the Greater Gardiner

Community Council and the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce made plans to leverage the project to benefit civic and business interests.

According to the Gardiner Chamber’s board president Daniel Bierschwale, the chamber is also looking to use the project as a platform to tell the town’s story through a historic walking tour that would tell the community’s ranching, railroad, mining and tourism history.

“It’s the original gateway to Yellowstone National Park,” Bierschwale said, noting the goal is to make Gardiner the premiere entrance to the park.

While the boundary is physical, Regula said, the functionality of how the area operates is very universal and requires all the players to talk and work together to make improvements.

Gardiner Gateway Project to coincide with NPS centennialNEWS


TYRANNICAL

Tyrannosaurus rex, or “tyrant lizard king,” roamed the earth 65 million years ago. Now T. rex will roam the earth again in our Siebel Dinosaur Complex, making MOR one of only a few museums in the world to display an actual fossilized T. rex skeleton. The exhibit presents a spectacular specimen called Montana’s T. rex that stands 12-feet high and nearly 40-feet long. Skulls from our collections will also be on exhibit, displaying the growth of T. rex – from juvenile to the largest T. rex skull ever discovered. MOR’s The Tyrant Kings reveals the science and research of Tyrannosaurus rex in a very, very big way. Don’t miss it!

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FROM BOZEMAN OR BIG SKY | BY ABBIE DIGEL

Don’t have time to spend a week exploring Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park? It’s easy to take a day and see all of the hot spots, get off the beaten track, and make it back in time for dinner. This itinerary involves long hours in the car, but a visit to the park is well worth it, and there’s always something to see.

YELLOWSTONE IN A DAY

Itinerary:LivingstonGardinerBoiling RiverMammoth Hot SpringsCanyon AreaOld Faithful AreaWest Yellowstone

Choose travel days wisely:Travel on a weekday – there will be fewer crowds. If a weekend jaunt is in the plan, sometimes the eclec-tic crowds are sights to enjoy in and of themselves.

What to pack:Bathing SuitWaterproof shoesSturdy walking shoesSnacksBinocularsCamera

Plan ahead:Book hotel rooms and campsites months in advance. They sell out fast, especially in West Yellow-stone, and especially in the sum-mer. Don’t forget to check out the guest ranches along Highway 191 and in Big Sky.

DAY TRIPS

2

3 4

1. Stock up in Gardiner 2. Mammoth Hot Springs NPS PHOTO3. Tapas at Café Madriz 4. Keep an eye out for wildlife throughout your day NPS PHOTO

1

OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO

OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO


MORNINGFrom Bozeman, drive east on I-90 toward Livingston. Want to encounter a griz the safe way? Stop briefly at the Montana Grizzly Bear Encounter, a bear rescue cen-ter. On the Jackson Creek exit, just a few miles from Bozeman off of I-90, you can’t miss the huge sign. Stay a while and watch the bears play, then chat with one of the caretakers; it’s a great way to learn the animals’ habits and take in their size. Stop in Livingston for an early lunch at Mark’s In and Out at the corner of 8th and Park streets. They serve cheap, old-fashioned burg-ers, fries and shakes that will hold you over until dinner. There are two large supermarkets (Town and Country, Albertson’s) if you need to stock up on snacks.

MAMMOTH AREAOnward to Yellowstone. Take a right on 89 South, which hugs the Yellowstone River, toward Gar-diner. In Gardiner, refuel at one of the many coffee shops at the edge of the entrance to the park. Also, stop by the chamber of commerce for information and literature about the park.

Time to hit the road. Pay the entrance fee ($30, good for seven days), and just past the entrance find the parking lot for the Boiling River, an off-the-map and favorite destination for locals. Take time to soak in this unique spot, and then get back on the road and drive 5 miles south to Mammoth Hot Springs. There is plenty to do and see here. Head into the Albright Visitor Center and Museum, which has undergone renovation and will have its grand reopening celebration on June 14. Spend some time talking to a ranger and visiting the exhibits, then check out the

park’s most dynamic hydrothermal areas, with features that change constantly.

Still have time to spare? Hit the trail. The easy-to-moderate hike to Bunsen Peak is 4.2 miles, and the top provides panoramic views of other park destinations and the Gallatin Range. Find the trailhead at the entrance of the Old Bunsen Peak Road, five miles south of Mammoth toward Norris.

CANYON VILLAGEThis is a must-see, but make it a quick trip in order to take in Yel-lowstone’s most iconic geyser, Old Faithful. The fastest way to see the canyon is to drive approximately five minutes from Canyon Village to North Rim Drive and walk along the paved paths to Red Rock Point, Lookout Point or Grand View. From here you can catch a glimpse of the expanse of the canyon, see the waterfall and look northeast down the Yellowstone River.

OLD FAITHFUL AREAIt’s best to check at Canyon Vil-lage Visitor Education Center for Old Faithful eruption times (approximately every 90 minutes). From the Canyon Village center, it’s about 45 minutes to Old Faith-ful by car. Arrive early and score a good seat. Check out the new Old Faithful Visitor Education Cen-ter—the interactive exhibits are great for the kids, and a nice break from the car. Plan accordingly, and you’ll be able to make stops along the way to see the world’s highest concentration of active geysers.

FOUNTAIN PAINT POTSAfter Old Faithful stop at the Fountain Paint Pots, a favorite feature among Yellowstone guides. It’s best to park and walk the boardwalk to view these geother-mal features, but there is also an option to drive along the Firehole Lake Drive, a one-way side road that yields great views. The paint pot is located among other features, including the Great Fountain Geyser, another erupting geyser that reaches up to 200 feet.

WEST YELLOWSTONEExit the park through the west entrance and enter West Yellow-stone. The local shop owners here are friendly and informative. Stop for reasonably priced Spanish tapas at a favorite spot, Cafe Madriz, located at the north end of town, then stash the car and walk to the Playmill to catch community theater at its best. The small stage and interactive performances are a relaxing and fun way to end the evening.

BOZEMAN

BIG SKY

LIVINGSTON

GARDINER

BOILING RIVER

MAMMOTHHOT SPRINGS

WESTYELLOWSTONE

CANYONVILLAGE

OLD FAITHFUL

FOUNTAIN PAINT POTS


DAY TRIPS

Looking to summit this summer? Electric Peak is one of my favorites. It’s a great all-day run/hike, and there’s also a mountain bike/ hike option.

This massive mountain rises nearly 5,800 vertical feet above the Yellowstone River. It has two summits and two trailheads; reason to summit twice. The easternmost summit is the highest at 10,969 feet.

According to Thomas Turiano’s book, “Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone,” Electric was likely first climbed by Native American bighorn sheep hunters, and the first known ascent was made in an electrical storm on July 26, 1872 from Mammoth, by Hayden geological surveyors Henry Gannett, Albert C. Peale and Alexander E. Brown.

YELLOWSTONE SUMMITELECTRIC PEAKBY FELICIA ENNIS


HOW TO GET TO THERE: Option A: The hike/run option begins in the park, 5 miles south of Mammoth at the Glen Creek trailhead.

Option B: The bike/hike begins at the Beattie Gulch trailhead, 4.5 miles northwest on Old Yellowstone High-way. Look for Beattie Gulch trailhead on the left side of road. Ride your bike up the road for 2,600 vertical feet to the peak’s north ridge. This doesn’t require a fancy bike, although a few gears will be welcome.

THE NUMBERS: Both options are about 10 miles from the trailhead to the summit. Gain 3,689 feet of elevation from the Beattie Gulch trailhead, and 5,767 feet from Glen Creek parking. This is a big day. Get an early start

and bring lots of food and water, good footwear for 20 trail miles, appropriate clothing and bear spray.

THE GOODS: Either way you go, keep your eyes peeled for large ungulates and small wildflowers. On a clear day from Electric’s summit, you’ll see mountain ranges including the Madisons, the Beartooths, the Absarokas, the Crazies, the Bridgers and the Tetons.

See “Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone” for complete details.

Montana native Felicia Ennis lives in Livingston. Through her travel company, Bella Treks, she designs customized travel plans to Antarctica, Alaska, the Arctic, Argentina, Chile, the Galapagos, Morocco, Peru and around Montana.

PHOTO BY JIM PEACO/NPS PHOTO


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BY HUNTER ROTHWELL

Reports from the famed Wash-burn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870 include the first recorded expe-rience of traveling to Mt. Washburn. Named in honor of expedition leader Henry D. Washburn, the peak is one of the most rewarding day hikes in Yellowstone. Thanks to the foresight of those who established the park, Lt. Gustavus Doane’s description of the hike from 145 years ago could have been written this year.

With more than 3 million annual visitors, Yellowstone is very busy during the summer, yet few explore the first national park beyond the main thoroughfares. A majority of the park, which is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined, is left to solitude and is truly an undis-

turbed ecosystem of natural wonder. With a little initiative and a taste for adventure, visitors can summit the 10,223-foot Mt. Washburn, which is perhaps Yellowstone’s crown jewel for sightseeing.

The Washburn Range is one of only two mountain ranges that are com-pletely within the boundaries of the park (the Red Mountains being the other). Although not the park’s high-est peak, Mt. Washburn is special for its location: barely north of the absolute center of Yellowstone. From its summit, the 360 degree, birds-eye view shows the entirety of Yellow-stone National Park, from horizon to horizon.

From the Dunraven Pass Trailhead, Washburn is a relatively moderate 3-mile hike with a subtle 1400-foot

elevation gain. One of the park’s three active fire lookout towers is located on the summit. There is a small visitor center and restrooms on the first floor, an observation deck on the second, and ranger’s residence on the top floor. The spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is directly below, to the southeast. If it’s a clear day, you can view the Tetons 50 miles south.

Hikers can expect gentle switchbacks and wildflowers in the summer. There is always a chance of spotting an elk, bighorn sheep and even a grizzly. This is an extremely acces-sible destination for hikers of all experience levels. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the whole park in one glance. Mt. Washburn is the best seat in the house.

MT. WASHBURN

DAY TRIPS

THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSENPS PHOTO


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YELLOWSTONE PARK FOUNDATION

When you hear the phrase “Yellowstone predator,” what animal first comes to mind? A wolf? A bear? You may not think of the elusive cougar, which is rarely seen by visitors, but a new study is uncovering some of its secrets. Cougars, along with wolves, were killed throughout the U.S. as part of predator-removal campaigns in the early 1900s. Wolves were completely eradicated from Yellowstone National Park, and although cougars were likely eliminated from the park, the species survived in the West. The large cat’s secretive nature and preference for rocky terrain – where they are difficult to track – worked in their favor. Sometime in the 1980s, the survivors re-established themselves in the northern portion of Yellowstone and nearby areas of Montana.

In 1995, human intervention restored wolves to their native habitat in Yellowstone. Since then, the Greater Yellowstone has been a nearly complete ecosystem, with all of its historic predator populations intact.

So what does that mean for the park and surrounding area, with wolves, cougars, bears, and several smaller

carnivores potentially competing for territory and prey? How might this predator diversity affect the entire food chain?

These are some of the questions the Yellowstone Cougar Project is hoping to answer. Following an eight-year gap in research on cougars in Yellowstone, the project was initiated in January 2014 to study cougar ecology and population dynamics on Yellowstone’s Northern Range. The planned five-year study is funded by Yellowstone Park Foundation, National Park Service, and National Science Foundation.

ON THE TRAIL OF THE COUGAR There are many ways to monitor and study wildlife. For the first phase of the project, researchers chose nonin-vasive DNA sampling as the primary method, which involves collecting and analyzing hair, scat and urine samples.

The DNA samples provide researchers with a window into the lives of cougars. They can determine species and sex, and identify individual animals. From these data, they can estimate abundance, population growth rates,

YELLOWSTONE COUGAR PROJECT

WILDLIFE

A cougar peers from a tree during research capture and radio collaring operations in Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY DANIEL STAHLER


distribution, home range size, individual habitat prefer-ences, and even some forms of social interactions.

From January through March of 2014, the scientists walked 10 primary survey routes on a weekly basis and six secondary routes at various times throughout the season. When cougar tracks were detected, researchers followed them until they discovered hair, scat, or urine. Hair was primarily collected from bed sites or caught on natural hair snags like thorns or branches.

Also noted along each route were signs of bears and wolves, as well as deer and elk. When a kill site was discovered, researchers collected evidence to determine which predator was the likely culprit. In addition, cameras mounted at 27 locations over an 800-mile survey route captured more data, with 144 videos and 234 photos showing cougars either traveling past the cameras, bedding, or scent marking.

Initial findings from the 2014 field season indicate that northern Yellowstone still serves as important habitat to a seemingly robust population of cougars and their offspring.

Data from the 2015 field season had not been released as of Explore Yellowstone press time on May 21. However,

according to YNP wildlife biologist Daniel Stahler who heads the study, this winter produced poor tracking conditions due to a lack of snow, which made sample collection challenging.

Stahler expects a full report will be released after genetic results from the study are returned in late June. In the coming years, biologists will use this information to estimate population parameters for cougars. Addition-ally, a small number of GPS collars will be deployed to study more detailed aspects of cougar predation, habitat use and energetics. While elk make up the primary food source for Yellowstone cougars, they also feed on other species such as mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and even smaller prey such as porcupines, marmots and grouse. As a top predator in Yellowstone along with wolves, cougars are believed to play an important role in ecosystem processes.

DID

YO

U K

NO

W? Mountain lion, puma, catamount, and

panther are four other names for cougars.

Unlike lions and tigers, cougars are unable to roar, but they do communicate using a diverse array of vocalizations including growls, screams and chirps.

WILDLIFE


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June is an exciting and dynamic month in Yellowstone National Park, and this season is no exception. Wildlife viewers with a keen eye can witness numerous sightings including bear, wolf, raptors, bighorn sheep, otter, antelope and bison, among others.

Bears were active in early spring this year. The light snowpack and subsequent warm weather has made good food readily available, and there have been multiple bear sightings throughout the park.

While avid animal viewers – especially wolf watchers – are usually up in the morning before first light, wildlife activity really gets going around 3 p.m. and

viewing opportunities last until it’s too dark to see.

Wildlife are producing offspring regularly. Raptors, including peregrine falcon and osprey, are hatching eggs. Newly born bison – called “red dogs” due to their red appearance before they turn brown in August – are everywhere. On past June trips I’ve guided, we’ve seen pronghorn antelope twins that were only hours old.

My rule for sighting animals is to keep your eyes open: You can see

anything at anytime, and in any part of Yellowstone. All you need is time and luck.

Many eager locals and professionals are out there, and I highly recommend talking to them. Most are friendly and excited to share information with you, and they’re easy to find. Just look for expensive spotting equipment and cameras, local license plates, and vehicle stickers depicting wolves or bears.

Here are some specific animals to look for, and where you’re likely to see them:

Spot falcons in nests high on the basalt cliffs and bighorn sheep in the canyon at Tower Falls, while osprey nest on the north canyon overlook; keep an eye out for harlequin ducks on rocks in the Lehardy Rapids between Yellowstone Lake and Hayden Valley, and moose and bear on the

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE: A guide to viewing

WILDLIFE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN LAYSHOCK

A gray wolf crosses up some tourists in Yellowstone.

Looking at me looking at you. A frolicking pair of otters in the park.


YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE: A guide to viewing Blacktail Plateau and Petrified Tree area. Otter and spawning trout are right under your nose at Trout Lake. Also find otter – as well as wolves – along the Gibbon River from Madison Junction to Norris Junction.

In the Lamar and Hayden valleys you’re likely to see grizzly bear, elk, antelope and maybe a badger. The northern bison herd has produced hundreds of red dogs this year. Moose and mountain goats can be found from Pebble Creek to Barronette Mountain in the northeast section of the park.

While wildlife viewers are lucky to see wolves, it does happen regularly. In more than 100 days of guiding each year, I see wolves on average a dozen different times. With the right information on current activities, it’s possible to see a wolf one in four days, but be prepared for long hours: To see wolves, most viewers arrive in the park before first light, and remain there after dark. There are many wolf watchers in Yellowstone who are friendly and willing to share beta.

Remember to follow the rules and etiquette of our national park. Respect the animals’ space and the visitor experience. Don’t feed or whistle at the wildlife; don’t park in the road; don’t throw objects into thermal features; and stay on the boardwalks!

John Layshock is a professional tour/photography guide with seven years of experience with Yellowstone Alpen Guides in West Yellowstone. Book trips or ask him questions by calling (406) 646-9591 or visiting yellowstoneguides.com. YAG runs daily public and private tours of Yellowstone National Park year round.

Bison graze in front of Mammoth Hot Springs.

197 BIGHORN SHEEP

104 WOLVES

150 GRIZZLY BEARS

<200 MOOSE

4,900 BISON

10,000-20,000 ELK

THREATENED SPECIES: GRIZZLY BEAR, LYNXENDANGERED SPECIES: GRAY WOLF

IF YOU SPOT AN ANIMAL:

STAY AT LEAST 100 YARDS AWAY FROM BEARS AND WOLVES

STAY AT LEAST 25 YARDS AWAY FROM ALL OTHER ANIMALS - INCLUDING BISON, ELK, BIGHORN SHEEP, DEER, MOOSE, WOLVES AND COYOTES

NORTH ENTRANCE

LAMAR VALLEY

NORTHEASTENTRANCE

HAYDEN VALLEY

EAST ENTRANCE

NORRISCANYON VILLAGE

MADISON

OLD FAITHFUL

WEST THUMBGRANT VILLAGE

WEST ENTRANCE

SOUTH ENTRANCE

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK HAS THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF WILDLIFE

IN THE LOWER 48 STATES.

MOST LIKELY PLACES TO FIND MAMMALS IN THE PARK

THREATENED SPECIES: ENDANGERED SPECIES:

IF YOU SPOT AN ANIMAL:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK HAS THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF WILDLIFE

BISON CAN SPRINT

3X FASTER THAN A HUMAN CAN RUN

1995-1997: 41 WILD WOLVES WERE REINTRODUCED IN YELLOWSTONE

GRIZZLY BEARS CAN RUN UP TO

45 MPH

(COUN

TED I

NSIDE

THE P

ARK I

N 201

4)

BISON CAUSE MORE HUMAN INJURIES THAN BEARS IN THE PARK EACH YEAR

Sources: yellowstonepark.com/MoreToKnow/WildlifeGuide.aspx, yellowstonenationalpark.com/wildlife.htm, nps.gov/yell

WILDLIFE


KIDS

Grizzly Bear Bison Wolf

Elk Moose Bighorn Sheep

• Males weigh 200–700lbs females weigh 200–400lbs

• Can run up to 45 mph

• Males (bulls) weigh up to 2,000lbs and females (cows weigh up to 1,000lbs

• Can live 12-15 years

• Males weigh 100–130lbs, females weigh 80–110lbs

• Elk is their favorite winter meal

• Males (bulls) weigh about 700lbs and females (cows) weigh about 500lbs • 10,000–20,000 elk live in the park

• Usually travel alone or in small groups • Fewer than 200 live in the park

• Ram skulls have two layers of bone above the brain that function as a shock absorber • The horn size of bighorn sheep rams can influence dominance and rank

What animals have you seen today?


KIDS

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FISHING

If you throw a dart, blindfolded, at a map of Yellow-stone National Park and draw a circle in a 10-mile radius from wherever it landed, you’ll find a number of places to wet a line. Extend that radius 10 more miles and there is arguably a lifetime of fishable waters.

The Firehole, Slough Creek, Grand Canyon of the Yel-lowstone, and plenty of smaller creeks and lakes are the target of anglers venturing into the park to fish.

For those of us who live in or near Yellowstone, we’re able to fish these waters regularly, and fish them when they’re at their best. For visiting anglers, the abundance of water and easy access may boggle the mind.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a little nudge in the right di-rection, so here’s some help. Even longtime Yellowstone Park anglers might learn something.

Right place at the right time. Summer fishing in Yellowstone is all about knowing where and when to be. The Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison rivers are the best options from late May through June, and again in September and October. After July 1, the waters in the Yellowstone River drainage – the Lamar, Slough Creek, Soda Butte, and the Yellowstone itself – have longer periods of high water due to snowmelt, which means they fish better later in summer.

Like to hike. If you’re willing to invest a little sweat equity and hoof it, your fishing action will be rewarded. My rookie year of guiding was spent in Yellowstone and whenever I had clients willing to hike, the day was full of smiles and good-sized trout. Two favorite treks of mine: second meadow of Slough Creek and the Seven Mile Hole in the Grand Canyon. Bring plenty of water, bear spray, a spool of 4X tippet and lots of big-ass dry flies.

Lakes are always good. Most fly fishers prefer mov-ing water, but Yellowstone is dotted with many quality lakes. The most obvious is Yellowstone Lake, and thanks to the efforts of many, the population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout is increasing from a downturn after predatory, invasive lake trout were illegally introduced. Shoreline fishing can be good on Yellowstone Lake, but the best lake options require a hike. Grebe Lake near Canyon Village is an easy day trip. The trail is flat and fishing is often on the surface. It’s also one of the best places in the area to catch a grayling on a fly. Trout Lake near the northeast entrance is full of fat cutthroat trout that cruise the shorelines; armed with a good cast and small flies, you might entice a few.

Backcountry Black Canyon trout. If strapping on an overnight pack, sleeping under the stars, and cooking your meals by camp stove sound appealing, consider fishing the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. Beginning near Tower Junction, this rugged section of

A place of ANGLING WONDERS

The Yellowstone cutthroat trout is the only trout native to Yellow-stone National Park and is a subspecies unique to the Yellowstone River drainage. Catching one in the park is a treat.

BY PATRICK STRAUB


the Yellowstone River is best accessed beginning in mid-July. A trail provides access to the river and several backcountry campsites offer a good base for fishing-centric overnights. My favorite trip is to hike into the canyon at the Blacktail Deer Creek Trailhead, spend two nights, then hike out to the town of Gardiner. Sturdy hiking shoes and strong ankles are key as the bankside boulders make ideal perches on which to fish, but are also slippery.

Part of the food chain. The ad-venture of fishing in Yellowstone is always heightened the moment you step off the road. Sure there

are geysers and changing weather and river conditions, but it’s the wild, free-roaming animals that heighten awareness, including grizzly bears, bison and moose. Yet this is an enjoyable wonder of fishing in the park: Was that noise in the bushes a curious bear or just the wind? Carry bear spray and inquire locally about bear activity. And stay well clear of bison and moose.

Fishing is a great venue for creating memories. One of my most vivid occurred more than 20 years ago when I was fishing the Yellowstone River near Tower Falls. Fat cutthroat were hanging

themselves on my size 6 Yellow Stimulator. I rounded a bend and across the big water of the Yellow-stone, a grizzly was feeding on a fresh carcass. It was me, my flies, the trout, and one damned big bear. I made one last cast, caught a trout, turned around and called it a day.

Pat Straub is the author of six books, including “The Frugal Fly Fisher,” “Montana On The Fly,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fish-ing.” Along with his wife, he owns Gallatin River Guides in Big Sky and co-owns a guide service on the Missouri River.

The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River is big country: big water, big

boulders, and big adventure. PHOTOS BY WALTER WIESE,

PARKS’ FLY SHOP


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ADVENTURE

WILDERNESS PADDLING:THE THOROFARE BY FORREST MCCARTHY | PHOTOS BY JIM HARRIS

It’s an apt name. For American Indians and early trap-pers, the broad valley known today as the Thorofare provided easy passage through the otherwise inac-cessible southern Absaroka Range. They followed the trails of bison, elk and bighorn sheep that for millennia have migrated through this lush mountain paradise.

Located amid 2.1 million contiguous acres of roadless wilderness, the creek that flows along the valley’s bottom is arguably the most remote waterway in the Lower 48. There’s no easy way in or out. The short-est trail from its bank to a road is 25 miles long and crosses the Continental Divide. By the time it joins the Yellowstone, Thorofare Creek is the size of a small river.

Camped at its headwaters with a rag-tag crew of four trusted companions, I watch the sun descend behind the triple 11,000-foot summits of the Trident. Volca-nic breccias sculpted into steep ridges and canyons by Pleistocene ice are backlit by the orange sphere. We relax on a gravel bar, warding off the evening chill and heating water for the night’s meal over a crack-ling driftwood fire.

Earlier in the day we’d trekked 11 miles up Fall Creek and down into Bruin Creek, crossing the Absaroka Crest by way of a 11,297-foot trail-less pass. Last summer, to reach Fall Creek, we paddled the South Fork of the Shoshone River for 20 miles through the Washakie Wilderness. The day before, we hiked 15 miles over Shoshone Pass from the Du Noir near Dubois, Wyo.


“TO COUNTLESS PEOPLE THE WILDERNESS PROVIDES THE ULTIMATE DELIGHT BECAUSE IT COMBINES THE THRILLS OF JEOPARDY AND BEAUTY...” -BOB MARSHALL

Left: At Bliss Creek Meadows, Moe Witschard paddles the headwaters of the South Fork of the Shoshone River.

Below: After crossing the 11,000-foot crest of the Absaroka Mountains, Andrew McLean and Forrest McCarthy descend into the Thorofare Valley.

After three strenuous days, we looked forward to a lei-surely float down Thorofare Creek. The wild landscape guides our thoughts and conversation, reminding me of words written nearly a century ago.

“To countless people the wilderness provides the ul-timate delight because it combines the thrills of jeop-ardy and beauty,” wrote Bob Marshall, founder of the Wilderness Society. “It is the last stand for that glorious adventure into the physically unknown.” In the morning we packed our few pounds of camping gear and provisions into lightweight, one-man inflatable packrafts and began the 17-mile paddle through the Teton Wilderness to the southeast border of Yellow-stone National Park.

We exited the river there, because floating on park rivers is prohibited by a 1950s-era law designed to protect against overfishing. A federal offense, it’s punishable by hefty fines, confiscated gear and possible jail time.

Paddling in Wilderness areas is legal, however, and many of the architects of the 1964 Wilderness Act, including Sigurd Olson and Olaus Murie, were, in fact, paddlers.

“When you go into country by pack train the streams are only for crossing, or to camp beside. To know a stream you travel on it, struggle with it, live with it hour by hour and day by day,” wrote Murie, after canoeing the Yellowstone River in the late 1930s with his two sons.


ADVENTURE

Michael Fiebig enjoys thrilling whitewater on the South Fork of the Buffalo Fork River.

During the day we spent on Thorofare Creek, the views changed constantly. Early on, we navigated a long, braided section. The current was swift, and we piloted our packrafts into the largest channels. Through thick stands of lodge-pole pine, the rocky summits of the Thorofare Buttes came in and out of view.

Then, above Petrified Ridge, the glaciated peaks of Mount Overlook and Ishawooa Cone appeared. On the riverbank a bald eagle feasted on a cutthroat trout. I passed close enough to see her individual feathers.

Near the confluence with Butte Creek, the channels merged and the creek bent west. We drifted through a shallow gorge of ancient lava, vertical walls of the brittle igneous rock guiding the current.

The valley opened again as we met Pass Creek. In a meadow of lupine, yarrow and grass, a herd of elk grazed. Below Open Creek, a bull moose, its rack covered in dark velvet, watched as we passed.

As we approached the park boundary that afternoon, the 9,761-foot Hawks Rest seemed to grow in stature. Notable as the farthest peak from a road in the contiguous U.S., it also marked the convergence of the Thorofare and Yellow-stone valleys and the end of our time on Thorofare Creek.

We exited our rafts at a gravel bar, and dried our gear in the sun, resting and taking our last look up Thorofare Valley.

From here, we rolled up our boats and trekked 20 miles across Two-Ocean Pass and the Continental Divide to the Buffalo Fork River, then the following day paddled 15 swift miles through a series of whitewater canyons into Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Like many paddlers, I often seek the challenge and thrill of roadside whitewater. But I find that spending days in the wilderness, harmonizing my internal rhythms with the natural, hypnotic pace of free flowing water allows a much fuller understanding of a river’s riches.

In the words of Bob Marshall:

“Swift or smooth, broad as the Hudson or narrow enough to scrape your gunwales, every river is a world of its own, unique in pattern and personality. Each mile on a river will take you further from home than a hundred miles on a road.”

Forrest McCarthy, a wilderness advocate and explorer, is a longtime student of both Bob Marshall and Olaus Murie. All of their published writings sit next to his desk.


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MSU NEWS SERVICE

BOZEMAN – Researchers with Montana State University’s College of Engineering used optical tech-nology to create a simple mathemat-ical model explaining how tem-perature and chemical composition in Yellowstone’s thermal springs combine to create their amazing colors.

The model can be used to visually recreate how the springs appeared years ago, before decades of con-tamination from make-a-wish coins and other man-made detritus.

The paper, which details the new model and showcases images of the spring, was published in December 2014 in the journal “Applied Optics” and authored by Joe Shaw, an MSU professor and director of the university’s Optical Technology Center, along with doctoral student Paul Nugent and visiting German colleague Michael Vollmer.

“This is a paper that showcases MSU’s strength in optical sci-ence with the locally interesting application of better understand-ing Yellowstone’s hot springs,” Shaw said. “MSU’s optical science and engineering researchers have

pushed the envelope of how we can measure our world with laser and thermal imaging technology.”

While the basic physical phenom-ena that render the bright colors of Yellowstone’s geothermal features have long been scientifically understood – they arise because of a complicated interplay of under-water vents and lawns of bacteria – no mathematical model existed that showed empirically how the physical and chemical variables of a pool relate to their optical factors and coalesce. Using a relatively simple one-dimensional model for light

MSU researchers explain the optics of Yellowstone thermal springs

A photo of Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park from August 2012 shows the bright colors brought out by the pool’s microbial mats. PHOTO BY JOE SHAW

SCIENCE


propagation, the group reproduced the brilliant colors and optical characteristics of the park’s hot springs by accounting for each pool’s spectral reflection due to microbial mats; their optical absorption and scattering of water; and the incident solar and diffuse skylight conditions present when measurements were taken. “We didn’t start this project as experts on thermal pools,” Shaw said. “We started this project as experts on optical phenomena and imaging, so we had a lot to learn.” In summer 2012, Vollmer, on sabbatical from the Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, travelled with Shaw and Nugent to the park. Using handheld spectrometers, digital SLR cameras for visible images and infrared thermal imaging cameras for non-contact measurement of the water temperatures, the group took measurements at a number of pools in Yellow-stone, including Morning Glory Pool, Sapphire Pool and Grand Prismatic Spring.

Using these data, along with previously available in-formation about the physical dimensions of the pools, they created a simple model whose renderings of the pools were strikingly similar to actual photographs. In the case of Morning Glory Pool, they were able to simulate what the pool looked like between the 1880s and 1940s, when its temperatures were significantly higher. During this time, its waters appeared a uni-form, deep blue.

An accumulation of coins, trash and rocks over the intervening decades has partially obscured the under-water vent, lowering the pool’s overall temperature and shifting its appearance to a terrace of orange-yel-low-green. This change from blue was demonstrated to result from the change in composition of the microbial mats, as a result of the lower water temperature.

Runoff channel of Grand Prismatic Spring. NPS PHOTO


BY MARIA WYLLIE

On Jan. 5, 1887, 13 men embarked from Mammoth on an expedition through Yellowstone National Park. Five days in, their leader, Arctic explorer Frederick Schwat-ka, fell ill traveling along the Gibbon River from Norris to the Firehole Hotel and could go no further.

While most of the group waited to see if Schwatka would recover, the expedition’s photographer, Frank J. Haynes, pressed on with a guide and two hearty out-doorsmen hired to handle equipment.

The men used Canadian web snowshoes and 10-foot long, four-inch wide Norwegian skis in the deep snow, towing toboggans laden with heavy photographic equip-ment and chemicals to develop photos in the field.

Knowing his images would constitute the first com-plete mid-winter portfolio of Yellowstone, Haynes was determined to photograph the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins and Yellowstone Falls.

After reaching Canyon Hotel on Jan. 20, where Haynes captured photos of the Grand Canyon of the Yellow-stone and the Lower Falls on fragile, photographic plates, he was hungry for more. Haynes decided to lead his party northeast along the edge of the Grand Canyon so he could photograph new, winter sites.

They left Canyon on Jan. 23 and began climbing 10,243-foot Mt. Washburn. After only a few hours, a blinding snowstorm obscured all landmarks, trapping them for 72 hours. With little food and no extra clothing, they almost died.

Finding a stand of small fir trees, they used their skis to dig a snow pit for shelter and built a fire. When

the weather cleared, they skied roughly 12 miles to Yancey’s Pleasant Valley Hotel just north of the Tow-er-Roosevelt junction, and rested before making the trek back to Mammoth.

The group returned with 42 photographs documenting their 29-day, 200-mile journey.

This collection of images from the harrowing winter journey of 1887 is only part of the Haynes legacy.

Haynes first visited Yellowstone in 1881 while working as a photographer for the Northern Pacific Railroad. Falling in love with the park, he returned every summer thereafter to photo-graph its wonders. In 1884, he secured the first commercial concessions in the park, and for the next 84 years, his family operated 13 photo shops in the park under the name Haynes, Inc. In 1900, they began selling “penny postals,” cards depicting iconic Yellowstone scenes that cost only a penny.

“The Haynes Family in Yellowstone National Park: 1881-1968” by Susan and Jack Davis explains that the postcards had a broad impact, introducing Yellowstone’s natural wonders and beauty to America – and the rest of the world – during a time when few had visited the park.

THE HAYNES LEGACY LIVES ON OLD FAITHFUL HAYNES PHOTO SHOP HELPS PARK VISITORS GIVE BACK

Frank J. Haynes during the 1887 expedition through Yellowstone National Park NPS PHOTO

Old Faithful Geyser, 1913. The Haynes family published more than 55 million YNP postcards from 1900 to 1966. These post-cards were hand-colored and helped shape the perception of YNP around the world. NPS PHOTO

PARK HISTORY


It was Frank Haynes’ son Jack who was responsible for the postcards’ popularity. He developed the idea of the “Haynes 100 Series,” a collection of postcards arranged by number that followed the “grand loop tour” around the park.

After assuming ownership of Haynes, Inc. in 1916, Jack managed the business until his death in 1962. He earned the nickname “Mr. Yellowstone” for his longtime commitment to the park – from business to conservation and education.

“He took a strong interest in preserving its natural won-ders and quality of its character,” wrote the Davises.

The National Park Service, through a partnership with the Yellowstone Park Foundation, restored one of the Haynes’ operations, the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop, in the summer of 2013. Originally built by Jack in 1927, the historic structure is now LEED-certified.

Its mission is twofold: honoring the Haynes family and helping fundraise for the park.

A modern, interactive exhibit offers an interpretive his-tory, telling the Haynes’ story and the role photography played in establishing the park and promoting tourism there.

Another informs visitors about YPF, the park’s official fundraising partner since 1995. In this exhibit, whim-sical 19th century aesthetics juxtapose 21st century technology to explain YPF’s strategic initiatives heard through vintage phone receivers and seen on modern video screens.

By mixing technology with a vintage look and feel, the space invites tourists to step back in time and imagine Yellowstone in the early 1900s. The welcome desk is a Haynes original, and reproductions of Frank Haynes’ photography equipment are displayed alongside antique souvenirs, such as the “Haynes Guides,” which were the first Yellowstone guidebooks to use photographs.

A digital darkroom allows guests to upload their Yel-lowstone photos in real time, email them or temporarily become part of the exhibit by displaying their photos on the electronic entry wall.

Whether visitors have their picture taken in the Haynes photo op, which uses a vintage postcard image for the background, or watch Old Faithful erupt through vin-tage cameras, they will play a role in both preserving and continuing the park’s photographic history – one that was nearly buried on the steeps of Mt. Washburn 128 years ago.

Find more about the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop at ypf.org. The shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., June through September.

The National Park Service preserved the historic Old Faithful Photo Shop and in 2011 moved it from its original location at the Old Faithful Auto Camp to a spot near the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center. YPF paid to restore the interior through a $4 million fundraising campaign. PHOTOS COURTESY OF YPF

More information on the Haynes family:“At the Greatest Personal Peril to the Photogra-pher,” by William Lang, Montana: The Magazine of Western History, 1983 winter edition.

“The Haynes Family in Yellowstone National Park: 1881-1968”, by Susan and Jack Davis, 2013.


JUNE 25 • MIDNIGHT RIVER CHOIRJULY 2 • SONS OF BILLJULY 4 • THE TINY BANDJULY 9 • INCENDIOJULY 16 • THE SUFFERSJULY 23 • THE WHISKEY GENTRYAUGUST 2 • SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKSAUGUST 6 • CORB LUNDAUGUST 7-9 • BIG SKY CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVALAUGUST 13 • ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOODAUGUST 20 • THE BROTHERS COMATOSEAUGUST 27 • EUFORQUESTRA

FREE ADMISSION • ALL AGES WELCOMEPARK OPENS AT 6PM, MUSIC STARTS AT 7PMSome events have different start times, please check website for details

Food and beverage (including alcohol) vendors will be present at the park. No glass containers and no pets are allowed into the park for the concerts.


BY HUNTER ROTHWELL

In 1915, a Model T Ford was the first automobile to pass through the gates of Yellowstone National Park. Prior to automobiles being legally allowed to tour the park, the tourist experience was something quite unique. As the first cars were entering Yellowstone, one old-timer wrote: “The old Yellowstone – the Yellowstone of the pioneer and the explorer – is a thing of the past.”

Recreational tourism in Yellowstone began in summer 1872, the same year it became the world’s first national park, when a group of 50 ventured to Mammoth Hot Springs where the only accommodations were a log shack and a ramshackle bathhouse. Many of the earliest tourists came primarily to bathe in the hot springs and for the waters’ supposed restorative powers. The only other human presence during those days were small bands of American Indians and regiments of the U.S. military who were often accompanied by scientists, photographers, painters, and an occasional newspaper reporter. A total of 300 people visited the park in 1872.

Before the railroad reached Livingston in 1882, and later Gardiner just north of the park, visitation remained light due to the remoteness of the Western states, the difficulty in accessing Yellowstone’s attractions, and the primitive accommodations. Tourists were either wealthy, well-outfitted aristocrats who toured the park in grand style (known as “dudes” by the locals), or fron-tier people accustomed to roughing it in the wild.

Once the railroads were built, Union Pacific became the marketing department for Yellowstone, aggressively soliciting easterners and Europeans to buy passage to the region. One of the most popular campaigns of the late 19th century was promoting the park as “Wonderland.”

However, rail travel was still expensive and only the wealthy “dudes” could afford the cost of the excursion. The “Grand Tour” consisted of a five-day park tour. Upon arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs, visitors would spend a day exploring the springs, “which some lurid hotel keeper had christened Cleopatra’s Pitcher or Mark Anthony’s Whiskey Jug, or something as equally poeti-cal,” recounted one female visitor in her diary.

THE “DUDES” IN YELLOWSTONE:EARLY TOURISM IN THE PARK

Stagecoach near the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River, by Frank J Haynes, circa 1887YNP ARCHIVE

PARK HISTORY

continued on pg. 44


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The next four days, visitors toured the Greater Yellowstone in 11-passenger stagecoaches. The experience was bumpy, bouncy and dusty. They were entertained by the unsophisticated yet colorful stage drivers who cursed at their horses and narrated tremendous fictions as to how the attractions of Yellowstone came to be. When a Yellowstone wagon reached a steep grade, the passengers were unloaded and had to walk up the most difficult areas.

The scenery was exquisite, and these affluent leaders of the Industrial Revolution relished in the rough conditions. Bandits held up stagecoaches on five separate occasions on one grand tour. During one of these robberies, an impressive bandit fleeced 174 passengers riding in 17 stagecoaches – one of the most impressive robberies of the age.

Despite the loss of valuables, the well-heeled dudes were captivated by their outlaws – they were allegedly entertaining fellows and never seriously injured anyone.

“We think we got off cheap,” one dude later re-marked, “and would not sell our experience, if we could, for what it cost us.” It was all just a part of “doing Yellowstone.”

Between 1872 and 1914, Yellowstone recorded 395,608 visitors, and 20,250 in the year 1914. Once the automobile was introduced in 1915, visitation doubled. And while dudes continued flocking to the park, Yellowstone was now truly available to all the people, not just the wealthy. Since 2007, the park has eclipsed 3 million annual visitors each year to date.

One of the most popular campaigns of the late 19th century promoted the park as “Wonderland.”


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BUSINESS DIRECTORY* Denotes Yellowstone Park Foundation Gateway Business For The Park sponsorGateway businesses are showing their commitment to Yellowstone National Park via a partnership with the YPF called Gateway Businesses For The Park. These businesses give back to the park by becoming bronze, silver, gold or platinum members, and provide financial support for projects funded under YPF Initiatives.

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WHERE TO BUY GROCERIES

COUNTRY MARKET OF BIG SKY66 Market Place, in the Heart of Meadow Village Center, Big Sky, MT (406) [email protected] grocery and deli serving Big Sky for more than 40 years. Locally owned and operated.

HUNGRY MOOSE MARKET & DELI*Located in Town Center and Mountain Mall, Big Sky, MT (406) 995-3045 & (406) 995-3075 hungrymoose.comMade-from-scratch deli and bakery plus great selections of groceries, produce, beer and wine.

WHITEWATER ADRENALINE FIX

MONTANA WHITEWATER RAFTING & ZIPLINE CO.63960 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway, MT (406) 763-4465montanawhitewater.comFly across the river, ride the rapids and hook a trout. Experience the magic of the Gallatin Canyon!

WHERE TO EAT AND CAP OFF A DAYOF EXPLORING

OLIVE B’S BIG SKY BISTRO151 Center Lane #2, Big Sky, MT(406) 995-3355olivebsbigsky.comServing lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Olive B’s offers continental cuisine, a full bar and noteworthy wine list.

GATHER SOME SOUVENIRS

BIG SKY TOWN CENTER*33 Lone Peak Drive, Big Sky, MT (406) 586-9629bigskytowncenter.comThe Town Center is filled with restaurants, galleries, gro-cery stores, a movie theater and shopping.

CONSIGNMENT CABIN OF BIG SKY48025 Gallatin Road, Bighorn Center, Big Sky, MT(406) 993-9333Featuring outdoor recreation equipment, clothing, and accessories. Located at the corner of Highway 191 and Lone Mountain Trail in Big Sky.

EAST SLOPE OUTDOORS*32B Town Center Ave., Big Sky, MT (406) 995-4369eastslopeoutdoors.comFull-line outdoor retail shop featuring hiking experiences, guided fly fishing, and rental gear.

FERCHO GALLERY & ELLIOTT DESIGN88 Ousel Falls Road, Big Sky, MT(406) 551-3995ferchoelliott.comModern impressionism painting meets Western contem-porary design. Fine art, rugs and interior design.

REAL ESTATE

L&K REAL ESTATE, DEVELOPMENT & CONSULTING*11 Lone Peak Drive #201, Big Sky, MT (406) 995-2404lkrealestate.comL&K has a personal, team-based approach, specializing in lifestyle properties in southwest Montana.

MONTANA LIVING ~ BIG SKY REAL ESTATE*11 Lone Peak Drive #102, Big Sky, MT (406) 995-6333bigskyrealestate.comProud to be the leading boutique real estate and consult-ing firm in Big Sky.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTANA WHITEWATER RAFTING AND ZIPLINE

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCK’S T4 LODGE


BOZEMAN, MONTANAWHERE TO EAT HEALTHY

BIANKINI’S SANDWICH & SALAD MARKET2051 Oak St. Ste. 1, Bozeman, MT(406) 587-2405 biankinis.netFresh, house-made, and healthy sandwiches, salads and soups. Pick up a sack lunch for your adventure in the park.

WHERE TO OUTFIT YOUR ADVENTURES

SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE2214 Tschache Lane, Bozeman, MT(406) 586-0100sportsmanswarehouse.comService-oriented, outdoor recreation outfitter for adults and kids. Featuring apparel, footwear, equipment, maps and accessories.

LOCAL LIBATIONS TO BRING ON THE TRIP

WILDRYE DISTILLING101 E. Oak St., Bozeman, MTwildryedistilling.comWildrye specializes in producing unique spirits prepared almost entirely from Montana-grown ingredients. Come taste our latest creation in our tasting room or sample at Old Faithful Lodge inside the park.

STAY & PLAY

GALLATIN RIVER LODGE9105 Thorpe Road, Bozeman, MT(406) 388-0148grlodge.comBozeman's luxury lodge with fine dining, beautiful suites, private fishing access, and true Montana hospitality.

THE LARK122 W. Main Street, Bozeman, MT1 (866) 464-1000larkbozeman.comA new, 38-room downtown Bozeman hotel, with a uniquely Montana feel.

SERVICES

ALPHAGRAPHICS*201 E. Mendenhall St., Bozeman, MT(406) 587-4508agbozeman.comAlphagraphics Bozeman offers high-quality specialized printing and custom-designed marketing solutions for our customers.

BOZEMAN YELLOWSTONE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT*850 Gallatin Field Road, Belgrade, MT (406) 388-8321bozemanairport.comBozeman Yellowstone International Airport serves as the year-round gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

PHASMID ADVENTURE RENTALS*32 Dollar Drive, Belgrade MT(406) 922-0179phasmidrentals.comCar rentals and outdoor gear rentals for Montana and Yellowstone adventures.

YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY MONTANA TOURISM REGION*P.O. Box 3048, Bozeman, MT(800) 736-5276visityellowstonecountry.comYellowstone Country Montana – mountains, adventure outposts, hot springs, rivers, deep powder, art galleries, good food and endless trails!

GARDINER, MONTANAWHITEWATER ADRENALINE FIX

MONTANA WHITEWATER RAFTING & ZIPLINE CO.603 Scott St., Gardiner, MT (406) 848-7398montanawhitewater.comSpectacular vistas, wild rapids and long ziplines. Montana Whitewater has something fun for everyone!


WHERE TO STAY, EAT, AND FISH IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE PARK

YELLOWSTONE VALLEY LODGE & GRILL3840 US Highway 89 S., Livingston, MT(406) 333-4787yellowstonevalleylodge.comA small, upscale resort located on the Yellowstone River with a farm-to-table restaurant.

CODY, WYOMINGFAMILY ACTIVITIES

BIG SKY RIDES208 Yellowstone Ave., Cody, WY (406) 861-3509bigskyrides.netIf you don't see a buffalo or moose in the park, you can have your picture taken on one at Big Sky Rides, where you can dress up in chaps, jackets and hats for unique and personal souvenir pictures featuring you in an Old West setting. The photos are processed immediately and make perfect portraits to show your friends back home, to remember your Yellowstone vacations, and also make great Christmas cards. Big Sky Rides has moved to a new location from West Yellowstone, Mont. to Cody, Wyo. Stop by and see the selection of props and animals, and have your family photos taken at Big Sky Rides. Bring this magazine in and get $1.00 off.

BEST LOCAL FISHING OUTFITTER

NORTH FORK ANGLERS1107 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY(307) 527-7274northforkanglers.comAssisting anglers in Cody and the Greater Yellowstone area since 1984. Guide service and fully stocked fly shop.

LIVINGSTON, MONTANA

BEST EVENT

JACKSON HOLE RODEO447 Snow King Ave., Jackson, WY(307) 733-7927jhrodeo.comJoin us for two hours of high-energy rodeo excitement. Buy tickets online and save!

FOR THE SOMMELIER

WESTSIDE WINE & SPIRITS4015 W. Lake Creek Drive, Jackson, WY(307) 733-5038westsidewinejh.comBringing the wagon train to Jackson Hole? Come in for a tasty beverage!

WHERE TO EAT

LOTUS CAFE145 N. Glenwood, Jackson, WY(307) 734-0882tetonlotuscafe.comAll-organic and something for everyone from meats to vegan and gluten-free options. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

THAI ME UP RESTAURANT & BREWERY75 E. Pearl, Jackson, WY(307) 733-0005thaijh.comThai Me Up offers Thai cuisine and bar fare that pair perfectly with the in-house brewery’s award-winning tap list.

JACKSON, WYOMING


RED LODGE, MONTANABEST MOTORCYCLE SHOP

BONE DADDY’S CUSTOM CYCLE210 N. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT (406) 446-2022bonedaddyscustomcycle.comBone Daddy's is a full-service motorcycle shop at the base of the Beartooth Pass.

WHERE TO OUTFIT YOUR ADVENTURES

GRIZZLY PEAK OUTDOORS24 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT (406) 445-0751redlodgemountain.com/gpoGrizzly Peak Outdoors specializes in the gear that gets you outside for a day of adventure.

STAY & PLAY

THE POLLARD HOTEL2 N. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT(406) 446-0001thepollard.comBeautifully renovated historic hotel located in the heart of downtown Red Lodge.

LEARN

YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY*615 Second St. E., Red Lodge, MT(406) 446-1133yellowstonewildlife.orgEducating the public about the protection and conservation of Yellowstone wildlife and their habitats.

WHERE TO EAT AND CAP OFF A DAY OF EXPLORING

BOGART’S RESTAURANT11 S. Broadway Ave., Red Lodge MT (406) 446-1784redlodgerestaurants.com/bogartsUnique atmosphere, seriously good Mexican food, and legendary margaritas. Live life with a grain of salt!

BRIDGE CREEK BACKCOUNTRY KITCHEN & WINE BAR116 S. Broadway Ave., Red Lodge, MT(406) 446-9900eatfooddrinkwine.comCasual lunches, legendary dinners, award-winning wines, Montana craft brews, classic cocktails, open daily.

CARBON COUNTY STEAKHOUSE121 S. Broadway Ave., Red Lodge, MT(406) 446-4025redlodgerestaurants.com/carbon-county-steakhouseHand cut steaks, enticing appetizers, decadent desserts, and an award-winning wine list. Enjoy the sights on our beautiful patio during warmer months.

NATALI’S FRONT BAR117 S. Broadway Ave., Red Lodge, MT redlodgerestaurants.com/natalis-front-barSlinging drinks since the 1930’s with Montana-made spirits, signature cocktails and a full dinner menu. Sum-mer offers live music on the patio.

RED LODGE PIZZA CO.115 S. Broadway Ave., Red Lodge, MT (406) 446-3333redlodgerestaurants.com/red-lodge-pizza-coPizza you can write home about! A one-of-a-kind dining experience featuring an extensive menu and full bar.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOGART’S RESTAURANT


RENT ATVS FOR A DAY OF EXPLORING

YELLOWSTONE ADVENTURES INC.131 Dunraven Street, West Yellowstone, MT(800) 231-5991yellowstoneadventures.comWe offer seasonal ATV and snowmobiles rentals for your exploring pleasure. Come experience our backyard.

GRAB LUNCH TO-GO

ERNIE’S406 Highway 20, West Yellowstone, MT(406) 646-9467erniesbakery.comGrab a box lunch on your way to your Yellowstone National Park adventure or dine-in for breakfast and lunch.

WHERE TO EAT AND CAP OFF A DAY OF EXPLORING

MADISON CROSSING LOUNGE121 Madison Ave., West Yellowstone, MT (406) 646-7621madisoncrossinglounge.comJoin us in the most comfortable atmosphere in West Yellowstone for quality cuisine, wine, and cocktails.

BOOK YOUR TOUR

YELLOWSTONE ALPEN GUIDES*555 Yellowstone Ave., West Yellowstone, MT(406) 646-9591yellowstoneguides.comYellowstone Alpen Guides offers tours of Yellowstone National Park. We have summer van tours and winter snow-coach tours. We can also take you hiking or skiing in Yellowstone.

BEST PIZZA AND LIVE MUSIC VENUE

WILD WEST PIZZERIA & SALOON14 Madison Ave., West Yellowstone, MT(406) 646-4400wildwestpizza.comIf you’re looking for the best pizza you’ve ever tasted, come on in to Wild West Pizzeria. Founded in 1999 by Aaron Hecht – with the philosophy of making the best pizza in West Yellowstone – we have

held true to our promise, and our customers have voted Wild West Pizzeria the No. 1 pizza place in town year after year. In fact, the majority of our customers have said it’s the best pizza they have ever tasted and are happy to find that the experience and the product remain consistent. We believe in making a fresh product using only the best ingredients. Our dough is made with Wheat Montana flour and our sauce is a family recipe. We use only Wisconsin mozzarella and provolone cheese, which we grate off the block every day. Wild West believes great food takes time and we are not a fast food establishment.

STAY & PLAY

STAGE COACH INN209 Madison Ave., West Yellowstone, MT(406) 646-7381yellowstoneinn.comStage Coach Inn is a treasured landmark hotel and at the same time, completely modern and up to date. It’s an ideal four-season base camp for Yellowstone explorers of every age.

WEST YELLOWSTONE

PHOTO COURTESY OF YELLOWSTONE ADVENTURES INC.


Lodging • Activities • tours • PAckAges

West YelloWstone, Montana800.221.1151


Featuring Montana ArtistsModern Impressionism meets Western Contemporary Design

88 Ousel Falls Road | Big Sky, MT | FerchoElliott.com

Explore Yellowstone - Summer 2015

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Transcript of Explore Yellowstone - Summer 2015