Most of you who know me well, know that Jake and I just returned from Big Sky, Montana. We were given the opportunity by my sister's boyfriend, Chas. His family friend has a beautiful home and we were invited to join them over the Valentine's Day weekend for a vacation that consisted of skiing, snowmobiling and taking in the beauty of the west.
I have never been out west, other than Las Vegas, which I don't really consider to be the out west I think of. We arrived in Bozeman, MT on Wednesday and made our way to the house, which was nestled about a hour away between Bozeman and West Yellowstone. Not too much snow on the ground in the lowlands, but once we reached the house we were in for a real treat. I have never seen so much snow in my life!!
We skied three of the five days in Big Sky and experienced the changing weather that they are famous for. The temps never really edged out of the 20's but we woke every morning to single digits and fresh powder. There were cloudy, overcast days were it dusted snow throughout the day and then there were days that the locals called "bluebird" days where the sky was such a deep blue and clear that you felt as if you were just feet from outer space. On the one "bluebird" day, we took the gondola to the top of Lone Peak, which soars just over 11,000 feet above sea level to take in the views.
It was so surreal that I couldn't even get scared of how high up we really were. Looking out over the 360 degree panoramic view was like looking at a map out of National Geographic. I can now appreciate why it is featured in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die.
One day out of the five, we snow-mobiled an entire day through Yellowstone. We visited Old Faithful, numerous geysers, wildlife and SNOW!! We traveled over 70 miles on the snow mobiles and learned so much about Yellowstone. We were actually in two states that day, Wyoming, where over 90% of Yellowstone is located--as compared to Montana, where less than 3% of the park is situated. It was approximately 15-20 degrees during the day but as we crossed the actual crust of the ancient volcano, which was a tundra-feeling area, the temps lowered and the winds increased, definitely bringing a serious chill!!
Around every bend there was an abundance of wildlife...we saw elk, a bald eagle, a couple of swan and tons of buffalo! At several points during the trip the buffalo were on the road with us and towards the end of the trip they wouldn't move from the road and we had to wait for them to pass. Our guide told us that since it was spring, the babies were a little feisty so be careful when we finally were able to pass because 1000 lbs of baby buffalo could create an issue if they landed in our laps!!
Jake and I both were a little underwhelmed with the notion of riding around Yellowstone to begin with, as we both thought it would basically be mountains and snow. However, we both agreed that it was amazing and almost like a different planet given the activity of the geysers and the 3000 reported earthquakes per year!! We didn't experience one, or weren't aware of it if we did, but to think that kind of seismic activity takes place all the time is incredible and hard to even fathom.
The photo above actually shows the crater left by a large earthquake that occurred in the late 1800's and was followed by another in the 1950's...these pools of 200+ degree water and mesmerizing colors are abundant in Yellowstone.
The waterfall is a part of the RimFire basin...the water in this river is warmed by the addition of water from the geysers. Further down the river, where the water is calm, it still does not freeze because of the warmed water and the amount of cyanide from the geysers, which actually contributes to the local herd of elk loosing their teeth prematurely. Needless to say, you wouldn't drink the water out here regardless of how beautiful it looks!
It was an amazing trip and great opportunity to visit a part of our country that I probably would not have otherwise. I am definitely a warm-weather kind of gal but can also deeply appreciate the beauty and diversity of all of God's amazing creation!
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