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Archive 2022 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit

  
 
cambyses
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


Folks,

I am planning our first-ever visit to YS in June. This will be a family trip with our two kids (12 and 7). But still, to the degree possible, I want to maximize my chances mostly for wildlife photography. So below is the itinerary and the gear I have in mind, and I would appreciate any suggestions/recommendations any of you may have on either the itinerary or the gear:

Gear:
Sony A1
600/4GM
200-600
Tamron 35-150
1.4x and 2x TC
Leica Q

I know I won't have anything wider than 28mm. That obviously won't be an issue for wildlife. But would I really miss the wider angle for any landscape shots? Again, landscape won't be my focus but still hope to get some decent shots. I don't have anything wider for Sony, but, instead of my Leica Q, I suppose I can take one of my Nikon DSLR's with either 24-120 or even 14-24. But I am just not sure if the extra load/weight would be worth it! I love Leica Q for general family and landscape shots, and as long as 28mm would not be too limiting, I rather leave my Nikon setup behind, thoughts?


Itinerary:
3 nights in West Yellowstone and 3 nights in Gardiner, MT
Day 0: Fly to BZN, arrive early afternoon, drive south and check in WY
Day 1: Focus on Geysers and hot springs in the south west, including Old Faithful, Upper Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic, etc.
Day 2: Canyon area, Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley in the afternoon
Day 3: Check out from WY, and drive north to Gardiner. Focus on north west, i.e., Mammoth Host Spring, Willow park, Norris Geyser Basin, etc.
Day 4: Half-day morning rafting tour out of Gardiner on Yellowstone River, drive through Lamar Valley in the afternoon
Day 5: 8-hr private Wildlife Photography tour in Lamar Valley with Yellowstone Wild Tours
Day 6: Check out and head back to BZN

I suppose my best chances for wildlife photography would be the late afternoon on Day 2 in Hayden Valley, as well as our Lamar Valley tour on Day 5.

I would very much appreciate any suggestions any of you with Yellowstone experience may have on on any modifications I should consider for this itinerary.

I was thinking of somehow adding a one-day visit to Grand Teton area too, but it seems like it would be a minimum of 7 hr drive round-trip from WY, and I just cannot see how I can include that without pissing off the wife and the kids



Apr 22, 2022 at 04:37 PM
bflood
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


If you like the Leica Q for landscape now, you'll like it in Yellowstone. Not a worry. The rest of your gear will handle whatever wildlife situations you encounter.

Any water in Yellowstone except the really hot water is a place to look for swans.

Day 1 - on the first half of the road from West Yellowstone to Madison Junction, watch for eagles along the river. You might also see a few elk. On the second half of that road to Madison Junction, expect to see buffalo and elk, mainly on the south side of the road. There are trails around Old Faithful including up into the hills that offer some refreshingly different views of the geyser's eruptions. There's a trail that goes around the back side of Grand Prismatic that can lead you to a hilltop view of the spring, but that trail gets closed sometimes due to bear activity. Check with the Old Faithful Visitor Center about trail closures.

Day 2 - there's a rainbow in the spray of the lower falls every morning around 830-930, depending on the time of year. Ask at the Old Faithful Visitor Center for the time to expect to see it. If they don't happen to know, they can contact the Canyon Visitor Center to get the answer. It will be visible from both sides of the river.

Anytime - there's a group of people who aren't just interested in the wolves - they are devoted fans. They are out almost every day and commonly break up into groups to look for the packs, and they stay in contact with each other using walkie-talkies. If you see a group of people stopped somewhere, there's probably an animal that has everyone's attention. If you see someone among those stopped talking on a walkie-talkie, ask that person if they are tracking wolves, and if so, have any been seen. I have found them to be happy to share what they know, including whether one of the groups has found a pack somewhere.

You are right about trying to get to Jackson Hole. While I can say it would be 7 hours driving through two of the best looking parks in the country, if it's on the end of your Yellowstone plan, it would mean driving through a lot of park they've already seen. And 7 hours driving doesn't leave much time for Jackson Hole unless you can convince them to endure a particularly long day. It has been my experience (and the experience of many others) that trying to include too much in an itinerary really reduces the overall quality of a trip. My suggestion would be save Jackson Hole for another trip.

Have fun.




Apr 22, 2022 at 10:01 PM
cambyses
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


bflood wrote:
If you like the Leica Q for landscape now, you'll like it in Yellowstone. Not a worry. The rest of your gear will handle whatever wildlife situations you encounter.

Any water in Yellowstone except the really hot water is a place to look for swans.

Day 1 - on the first half of the road from West Yellowstone to Madison Junction, watch for eagles along the river. You might also see a few elk. On the second half of that road to Madison Junction, expect to see buffalo and elk, mainly on the south side of the road. There are trails around
...Show more

Wow, this is great info Bob. Thank you so much… Will be sure to take a note of all this…🙏🙏

BTW, is there a suggested order we should follow in visiting Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and Upper Geyser Basin, etc. in that area? I ask because I remember reading somewhere that some of these for example have smaller parking that can fill up faster and so we should go there first. But I cannot seem to find that info anymore.

Except for Day 4 and 5 when we will have hard deadlines with the tours and must wake up and leave very early, I doubt I can convince the wife and kids to wake up before sunrise on other days! And it is not like I can go myself without them and then go back to pick them up later! So in all likelihood, except for Days 4 and 5, I don’t see us getting to anywhere in the park earlier than 9-10am! That is why I hope to somehow optimize which area to visit first and which one next!



Apr 22, 2022 at 11:45 PM
gmwyatt
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


I lived in Bozeman years ago as an MSU grad student from southern California, so here are some thoughts...

If you have time after the flight and the kids are interested in paleontology, go to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. Then hit the Pickle Barrel for sandwiches before you head south towards Gallatin Canyon. Watch for animals along the Gallatin River.

I'd carry polarizing filters for the Leica and the 35-150, and use those as the primary lenses in the geyser basins and terraces at Mammoth.

You may want to consider the Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner as another possible place to visit, and I'd leave the Tetons for another trip. Also check out the Yellowstone webcams to get a feel for the crowds and weather before leaving Orange County.

Have a good trip.

Glen



Apr 23, 2022 at 02:12 AM
cambyses
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit



gmwyatt wrote:
I lived in Bozeman years ago as an MSU grad student from southern California, so here are some thoughts...

If you have time after the flight and the kids are interested in paleontology, go to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. Then hit the Pickle Barrel for sandwiches before you head south towards Gallatin Canyon. Watch for animals along the Gallatin River.

I'd carry polarizing filters for the Leica and the 35-150, and use those as the primary lenses in the geyser basins and terraces at Mammoth.

You may want to consider the Tom Miner Basin north of Gardiner as
...Show more

Great ideas. Thanks a lot Glen…

The only concern I would have for stopping by at the museum after our arrival is if it would be OK to leave all our luggage in our rental SUV while visiting the museum? Of course, I won’t leave the camera gear in the car but I wonder how likely it might be in that area for someone to try to break into the car just because they may see some suitcases in the back?

In fact, I have the same concern for our Day 3 when we would have checked out from our WY lodge and would be heading north and, on our way, would want to visit Mammoth Hot Springs, etc. Would it be safe to have our luggage in the back of our SUV parked in the parking lot? Again, we won’t leave any valuables in the car and it would just be luggage full of clothes and such, but just the mere thought of someone attempting to break into our rental car, and the hassle it could cause is concerning me a bit.

Is this really a valid concern in that area? Or am I just biased based on what I have seen in CA or Hawaii for that matter?

For this reason alone, I was thinking of renting a sedan instead of an SUV so it would at least have proper/closed trunk. But I thought that an SUV would be more comfortable for the long drives we expect to have and also much better particularly for my younger son for viewing the outside.



Apr 23, 2022 at 02:51 AM
kcook11
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


Note 90% of the people during the year that visit YP go there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Traffic will likely be a problem. Hard to find something by yourself and have no one find it.


Apr 23, 2022 at 07:55 AM
cambyses
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit



kcook11 wrote:
Note 90% of the people during the year that visit YP go there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Traffic will likely be a problem. Hard to find something by yourself and have no one find it.


I know. But unfortunately, like all people with school aged kids, we are fairly limited in our travel time options.



Apr 23, 2022 at 09:19 AM
bflood
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


Given your time of day limitations (understandable - it's everyone's vacation, not just yours), I think the sequence at Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and the Upper Basin won't be important. I prefer the morning light at Grand Prismatic, but that's just my personal preference - others may prefer a different time of day, and there's no bad time for the family to see it. It's always amazing.

Being around Old Faithful at midday has a side benefit - lunch. There's quite a bit of parking in the complex, and a number of restaurants. There are the traditional full service restaurants, and a snack bar that served very good food the last time I was there.

The advice about the crowding concerns a real issue. Our national parks are suffering from their popularity, and none more so than Yellowstone. Expect traffic slowdowns and some real traffic jams caused by people stopping because an interesting animal got near a road. Crowds or no crowds, your kids will likely talk about the Yellowstone vacation for the rest of their lives. The traffic may be annoying, but it's worth the effort.



Apr 23, 2022 at 12:56 PM
gmwyatt
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


Regarding sedan vs SUV, take the normal precautions for personal items that you'd take in Orange County. At least when you're driving down there, you generally don't run into bear jams. If you go to MOR, call them beforehand to see if they have a bag check.

One thing I'll mention--up here in the Northwest, we do a lot of driving at 50+ mph on 2-lane roads with no center divider. It freaks out some drivers that are used to freeway driving. So pay attention to the road conditions.



Apr 23, 2022 at 01:26 PM
cambyses
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit




bflood wrote:
Given your time of day limitations (understandable - it's everyone's vacation, not just yours), I think the sequence at Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and the Upper Basin won't be important. I prefer the morning light at Grand Prismatic, but that's just my personal preference - others may prefer a different time of day, and there's no bad time for the family to see it. It's always amazing.

Being around Old Faithful at midday has a side benefit - lunch. There's quite a bit of parking in the complex, and a number of restaurants. There are the traditional full service restaurants, and
...Show more

Thanks! All makes sense… In regards to the crowd, I am just hoping that June would be a tiny bit less crowded than July/Aug!

BTW, what is your take on leaving an SUV with luggage inside in parking lots? I looked for SUV cargo covers but cannot seem to find anything that would be universal and also fit in our luggage. I am surprised no one sells some generic but properly cut stretchable fabric with hooks that could be used with multiple SUVs. For the reasons I mentioned above, I certainly prefer to stay with SUV and hate to switch to a Sedan. I guess I can also just try to leave all the suitcases open so any prying eyes would see nothing but clothes.

Basically I am just curious how safe are the YP parking lots for such risks? In many tourist parking lots in the different islands in Hawaii, they now have signs specifically warning about this issue. Luckily we have never had issues there but I have personally seen cars with broken windows in those parking lots. One would think that YP is far enough from any major city and almost everyone there is either a tourist or park employee. So the risks should be much lower but I don’t know and would love to hear what you guys think…



Apr 23, 2022 at 01:27 PM
cambyses
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit



gmwyatt wrote:
Regarding sedan vs SUV, take the normal precautions for personal items that you'd take in Orange County. At least when you're driving down there, you generally don't run into bear jams. If you go to MOR, call them beforehand to see if they have a bag check.

One thing I'll mention--up here in the Northwest, we do a lot of driving at 50+ mph on 2-lane roads with no center divider. It freaks out some drivers that are used to freeway driving. So pay attention to the road conditions.


Thanks! I just saw this after I posted my last message! Well, in OC, I would never need to leave our SUV with luggage inside anywhere . But there in YP, particularly on our Day 3, we unfortunately have no other option (well, except driving all the way to Gardiner first, unloading our luggage in our hotel there, and then driving back down again!)

And thanks for the heads up on driving! I should be OK. I am originally from Iran and moved here almost a quarter century ago when I was already about 25 years old and had been driving in Tehran and on the roads there for 8 years. And trust me, anyone who has driven in Tehran can drive anywhere 😂 (although in my last visit there a few years ago, it took me a few days to re-adjust my driving set points again 😂 )



Apr 23, 2022 at 01:37 PM
shibutg
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


Looks like you got plenty of suggestions, may be bit too much to digest. Being a visitor twice a year (At GTNP and YNP) for the last 4 years I will be happy to help if you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

Shibu



Apr 23, 2022 at 10:16 PM
Craig Gillette
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


I can't speak to problems with break ins but not sure I'd worry too much about it in Yellowstone. It's a heavily traveled vacation area. There's a good chance every vehicle has luggage, camera gear, etc. You might try checking with the rental agency if their vehicles come with covers. I don't recall on our last couple of trips with suvs in other places if they did or didn't. Otherwise, maybe cover with a blanket, etc., to hide or obscure things like camera bags.

Check with the Old Faithful Visitor Center, perhaps the others have details too but they had estimated times for various geysers when we visited and that might be something to time different locations around for optimal viewing at the different areas.



Apr 24, 2022 at 02:06 AM
dalite
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


cambyses wrote:
__________
I believe the maximum speed limit inside YNP is 45 mpg. That doesn't mean that some people don't drive faster (if there is little or no traffic) but I can guarantee the Park Rangers will be very nervous with crowd and traffic control and be uptight.



May 02, 2022 at 01:19 AM
ahamp
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Advice on Spring Yellowstone Visit


We just got back. Looking forward to hearing your experiences. We experienced many different weather-related challenges ...... within each hour we were there! Lots of wildlife. Not very close in most cases, but a few closer encounters. The smaller mammals and birds I was hoping for were not showing - I assume still waiting for spring.


May 24, 2022 at 08:42 PM





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