The Deep Snows of Yellowstone Are Back

It has been many years since the snows of Yellowstone have been so deep. The snow in West Yellowstone is piled 15-20 feet high in every conceivable place to provide parking and clean streets. Heavy snow cornices hang from buildings like frosting dripping over the edge of a cake. Trees are burdened with heavy snows that cling to their branches. Animals are abundant as they forage for food and wallow belly deep in the snow.

Snowmobiles and snowcoaches traverse the streets of West Yellowstone on their way to see the wonders of Yellowstone or the unexcelled snowmobile country outside of West Yellowstone. The Gallatin, Targhee and Beaverhead National Forests provide days of riding that West Yellowstone have become famous for.

Update on Yellowstone Winter Use Plan and EIS:

A Record of Decision (ROD) on the Yellowstone/Teton Winter Use Plan has been released. The ROD calls for changes in winter use in the parks beginning with the 2008-2009 winter season. It implements most elements of the preferred alternative in the Final Environmental Impact Statement released in late September.

“I’m confident we have a long-term plan to protect these special places and provide a high quality visitor experience wile ensuring the safety of visitors and park employees,” said Mike Snyder, Director of the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service.

This decision is responsive to public comments and in full compliance with the 2006 National Park Service Management Policies. It addresses sound impacts, ensures air quality standards are met, and minimizes wildlife encounters,” Snyder added. “Working with the community, we’ve also found a way to manage Sylvan Pass access while addressing visitor and employee safety concerns.”

This decision provides for operations to continue this winter under essentially the same rules that were in effect the past three winters, with changes in operations beginning next year, with the 2008-2009 winter seasons.

The decision will allow fewer snowmobiles in Yellowstone in the future. Five hundred forty (540) Park wide Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles and eighty-three (83) snowcoaches will be allowed per day in Yellowstone, starting with the winter of 2008-2009.

For West Yellowstone this means:

There will be 300 snowmobiles allowed through the West Gate
Authorized guides are required (SeeYellowstone is authorized)
Group size will not be larger than 10 snowmobiles
Yellowstone Park closes at 9 P.M.
Snowmobiles must be Best Available Technology

The Record of Decision and the Winter Use Plans Final Environmental Impact Statement can be found at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site.