Tips for Photographers Visiting Yellowstone in Winter Fred Haaser, OVCC May 18, 2016
Tips for Photographers Visiting Yellowstone in
Winter
Fred Haaser, OVCC May 18, 2016
Topics Background Yellowstone Park Facts Weather & Clothing Getting There Travel in the Park How Far You Will Get in the Park Hotels & Restaurants Photo Gear, Protection, & Tips Miscellaneous Info Some of Fred’s Photos Q&A Part of Fred’s GoPro Video (if time permits)
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Background • I was fortunate enough to participate in a West Chester Photo Club
trip to Yellowstone February, 2016, arranged by Ernie Martin.
• Having never participated in a winter photo shoot I had lots of questions on how to prepare and ‘survive’ winter conditions.
• Following presentation summarizes what I learned and can share to facilitate your visit.
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Photo Courtesy Ruth Blackwell (Rich Sears not Shown)
Yellowstone Park Facts
• Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the world, and today still holds many geographical and pioneering records.
• America's first national park established in 1872 and is located primarily in Wyoming. Yellowstone remains one of the country's most popular national parks with almost four million annual visitors (and severe crowding).
– As a result, recommended visiting times are between Labor Day and before end of
September (when it closes to auto traffic), and during the Spring/Winter when families have
children in school.
• YNP sits on top of an ‘active’ volcano and is home to more geysers and hot springs than any other place on earth. Approximately 50 percent of the world’s hydrothermal features are located there.
• The whole of the park is considered to be an active volcano with a caldera that is one of the largest in the world. The Yellowstone caldera, under Yellowstone Lake, is the biggest super volcano in North America. Yellowstone Lake ranks in the top few largest high-altitude lakes on this continent.
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Yellowstone Park Facts – the Numbers
• A designated World Heritage Site and designated Biosphere Reserve • 3,472 square miles or 8,987 square km (largest US National Park) • 2,221,766 acres or 898,317 hectares • 63 air miles north to south (102 km) • 54 air miles east to west 87 km) • 96 % in Wyoming • 3 % in Montana • 1 % in Idaho • Highest Point: 11,358 ft / 3,462 m (Eagle Peak) • Lowest Point: 5,282 ft / 1,610 m (Reese Creek) • Larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined • Approximately 5% of park is covered by water; 15% is grassland;
and 80% is forest
Yellowstone Park Facts
• The Park has almost 10,000 geothermal features in total with relatively 300 geysers and the park experiences approximately 2000 earthquakes each year. This is truly one of the most studied hot spots in the world. Yellowstone is part of the biggest intact (almost) ecosystem in a temperate zone in the northern hemisphere. It contains a petrified forest that is also one of the biggest on earth.
• Old Faithful Geyser is the most famous, located in Upper Geyser Basin. Castle Geyser, Lion Geyser and Beehive Geyser are in the same basin. The park contains the largest active geyser in the world—Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin. A study that was completed in 2011 found that at least 1283 geysers have erupted in Yellowstone. Of these, an average of 465 are active in a given year.
• First people came to Yellowstone Park nearly 11,000 years ago and over time, 21 American Indian tribe affiliations have been discovered. There are a significant number of archaeologically preserved areas in the park that support this.
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Yellowstone Park Facts
• Half the geothermal features and two-thirds of the world's geysers are concentrated in Yellowstone.
• Because of the size, Yellowstone National Park has a great amount of biodiversity. Most experts consider Yellowstone to be the best megafauna wildlife habitat in the lower 48 states housing the gray wolf, grizzly bear, lynx, pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, bighorn sheep, mule deer, wolverine, moose, elk, mountain goat, black bear and bison. Yellowstone has 18 fish species including the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, 6 reptile species, 4 amphibians, and 311 bird species.
• About 1,700 native vascular plant and tree species endure the Yellowstone climate, with 80% being lodgepole pine.
• After the park closes for winter if you drive into it you can be arrested.
• There are five NP gates to Yellowstone, town of West Yellowstone is located at the west gate.
• NPS Interagency Senior Pass starts at age 62 and cost only $10!
• NP Entrance one senior pass in a snowcoach or shuttle, admits signer and up to three additional persons (16 and older) for a total of four people!
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Yellowstone Park Facts • Firehole Canyon & Waterfall, is open to snowmobiles in the am and snow
coaches in the pm, and reverses direction on the canyon’s one-way road between summer and winter.
• Carcass sightings are reported with great interest since many animals feed off these over time (Ravens, Eagles, Coyotes, Wolves).
• Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls will ice up in winter with ice domes nearly half of their heights.
• There are rest stops in the park still open to all, Madison Junction and Old Faithful are two.
• Lots of people still crowd around Old Faithful during winter, most from snowmobiles.
• For YNP detailed information visit the web-site here:
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Yellowstone National Park Web-Site Index
Yellowstone Park Facts • At least 1 or 2 hotels ares open in the park during winter since you see a
treaded vehicle heading to it with a trailer filled with suitcases.
• Perhaps the best time to visit for winter is late April/early May since there is still snow but bears come out and pups can be out playing.
• The Old Faithful Inn (as well as the other lodges) opens early May and closes the end of September (it was under reconstruction during our visit).
• Hot Springs are not as attractive in winter as in summer, my opinion, you can’t get as close to them to get the beautiful colors.
• From West Yellowstone it is not likely you will go to Mammoth or Lamar Valley due to the distance and allowable speed (25 mph for coaches and 30 mph for snowmobiles)
• Your experience in the park is highly dependent on the capability of the snow coach guide, who can regale stories and drive to the best spots (Bryan at Buffalo was our best guide who is also a ranger during the summer); squeaky wheels can get the grease (the better guide).
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Weather & Clothing
• Winter in Yellowstone can be brutal. Winter in Yellowstone is accompanied by high temperatures usually between zero and 20 °F (−20 to −5 °C) and nighttime temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) for most of the winter.
• Secret is to bring special winter gear and dress in layers that can be removed based on conditions.
• Snow goggles can protect eyes, balaclavas can protect face and neck, heated gloves can protect hands, however, thick ones interfere with the camera operation; snow pants are a must for kneeling and hiking through snow (at times up to your waist).
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Weather & Clothing
• Layers are very important to prevent overheating, sweating, and then subsequently chills. – Bottom: long johns thermal pants, jeans, insulated snow pants
– Top: undershirt, thermal shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, winter coat
• Bring 1-liter water bottles as you breathe out a lot of moisture out in the cold dry air.
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• Balaclava (left) and glare-resistant snow goggles (right) can both be found at Amazon for ~$10 each.
Winter Gear You Will Find Helpful
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Clothing
Backpack & Hiking/Snow Boots
White or light colored clothing to attract fewer biting insects
Synthetic/wool cap that covers ears
Med weight synthetic long underwear top
Med weight synthetic long underwear bottom
Synthetic fleece jacket or syn/wool sweater
Pair of jeans or pants
Pair heavy syn/wool socks
Cold Weather Coat layer
Glare free goggles (keep cold off eyes/face if very cold)
Balaclava (to cover face and neck)
Snowpants
Heavy Duty or Battery Powered (Cabela) Gloves
Winter Gear Options
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Gyde Supply Men's S4 Heated Gloves ($165) Given your exposure outside of the snow coach is limited to 20 minutes at a time you can get by with less expensive gloves; a snowmobile would be a different story at 0 F
Cabela’s boots with 800 gm thinsulate insulation ($160)
Arctix Men’s Insulated Bib Overalls ($33)
Getting There
• There are no direct flights from our region to Yellowstone Park.
• You need to connect in a major city and then land in Bozeman (see graphic next page).
• From Bozeman you can reserve a bus ride to West Yellowstone (no reason to rent a car, you can’t drive it into the Park).
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Dayton
Bozeman
Chicago
Bozeman Airport (west of city)
West Yellowstone
Bus ride ~2 hrs (we used Karst Stage 406-556-3540) Big Sky Resorts
Travel in the Park in Winter
• It is illegal to drive your own vehicle in the park after September!
• There can be 2 or more feet of packed snow on the roads.
• Snow coaches come with either belted treads or large knobby tires; Parks are evaluating the use of tires in a ~3 year study to determine their impact to the environment (snow surface impact, noise, etc.)
• Snow coaches and snowmobiles are the two forms of travel in the park with snow on the ground
• Nobby tires are much quieter than treads, but can bounce a lot on uneven snow as the day wears on.
• Each night the Park has a very large tractor with a heavy sled pulled to smooth out the snow on the roads, else the snow coach rides would get too rough/bouncy.
• Need two seats per photographer, one for you and one for your equipment (very important).
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Travel in the Park in Winter
• Every year, beginning in early November through mid-April, park roads are closed to the interior of the park to prepare for the winter season which begins mid-December and ends mid-March. This means the only way to visit Old Faithful and other interior attractions in the winter is by snowmobile or guided snow coach that follow the park roadways.
• The road from the North Entrance to the Northeast Entrance is the only road open to private-wheeled vehicles during our winter season.
• Buffalo Bus Touring Co. is one such tour guide/snow coach available (starting at $114 per person per day). Snowmobiles are also available for day rental. http://www.yellowstonevacations.com/tours/winter-tours/
• Buffalo Bus Touring can provide box lunches at $10.50 each are a great way to handle food in the park.
• Need to have good outside (dry) airflow in the coaches to keep windows and cameras from fogging up, so dress appropriately.
• Snow coaches have to give way to snowmobiles due to the speed allowance difference (25 mph for coaches, 30 mph for snowmobiles).
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Travel in the Park in Winter – permitted providers
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we used Buffalo
Travel in the Park in Winter – vehicles allowed
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New Snow Coach with Large Knobby Tires Converted Vans with Tracks
New Snow Coach with Tracks Historic Snow Coach With Tracks
Quiet
Snowmobiles
How Far You Will Get in the Park
• Farthest you can travel in the park during a day is dependent on the speed of your vehicle, time spent photographing, time for bio breaks & lunch, and time needed for the return trip to your starting point.
• Next few pages provide examples of how far we travelled on each of 4 days – you can’t go everywhere from the West Gate.
• Transportation Max Speeds: – Snow Coach: 25 mph
– Snowmobile: 30 mph
• Max distance in for us was about 45 miles.
• We entered through the West Gate owing to the greatest POI within a reasonable driving range.
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Saturday 2/6/15
Sunday 2/7/15
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Area
Monday 2/8/15
Tuesday 2/9/15
Travel in the Park in Winter
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Park Gate Entrance Determines Which Sites You Can Reach in Winter
Yellowstone Top 10 Sites
Hotels and Restaurants • Nearly all of the in-park lodges are open from early May through September 30,
most are closed in winter – exceptions are Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful Inn (being renovated during our visit).
• West Yellowstone: Gray Wolf Inn & Suites is just blocks from the NP west entrance. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is located just across the street. Also a good hotel for having a large breakfast area near the front doors to congregate before heading out each day.
• http://www.visityellowstonepark.com/gray-wolf-inn-and-suites.aspx?utm_source=googlemaps&utm_medium=local&utm_campaign=graywolf
• Restaurants we used in West Yellowstone were: The Three Bears, The Branch (in Holiday Inn), Madison Crossing, and Bullwinkles. We walked to each.
• When open you can reserve lodging for Yellowstone and many other National Parks through the US Park Lodging web-site www.usparklodging.com
• Access to West Yellowstone is via Bozeman airport, about 2 hours away; reserve a bus pickup at the airport.
• There may be pros and cons for entering the park from different entrances, but West Yellowstone was a good point due to reasonable ride from airport, hotels, snow coach availability, restaurants, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, etc.
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Bus Ride In from Bozeman Airport
West Yellowstone Hotels
Restaurants
The Branch 315 Yellowstone Ave
The Three Bears 205 Yellowstone Ave
Madison Crossing Lounge 121 Madison Ave
Bullwinkles 115 N Canyon St
Old train cars inside building
2 feet of packed snow on streets
Photo Gear, Protection, & Tips • Consider using a good tripod even though you have to transport it to
Yellowstone, for animals/birds moving in the distance I found using a gimbal mount to be very helpful for staying focused on animals waiting for specific behaviors (red fox jumping, animal pose, etc.)
• Animals are most frequent along the rivers. They are much easier to find on snow than in summer since their motion stands out more with the contrast.
• Shooting with long lenses is a must for YS with distant vistas. Even at 600 mm using my Tamron I had to heavily crop in for some of the valley shots to get red foxes.
• However, a 200 mm is great for Bison near or along the roads, which is commonplace.
• Capturing coyotes & Bison off the road you need at least 400 mm.
• CHECK your histograms for exposure with all that snow, you may need to add 1 to 2 f-stops to keep from getting gray photos, HOWEVER, once you move to the next photo stop check your settings again since you may need to remove that extra exposure to prevent blasting out the exposure.
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Photo Gear, Protection, & Tips • Don't be afraid to tell the coach driver to stop or backup if you see something
to photograph, your photo group should be agreeing with that general policy.
• Use a large plastic bag (available from Bed, Bath & Beyond) to protect your camera body and lenses from condensation & fogging up when entering back into a warm location from outside.
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Photo Gear, Protection, & Tips
• Each year a number of park visitors are injured by wildlife when approaching too closely. Approaching on foot within 100 yards (91 m) of bears or within 25 yards (23 m) of other wildlife is prohibited. Please use roadside pullouts when viewing wildlife. Use binoculars or telephoto lenses for safe viewing and to avoid disturbing them. By being sensitive to its needs, you will see more of an animal’s natural behavior and activity. If you cause an animal to move, you are too close!
• BISON may appear tame and slow but they are unpredictable and dangerous. They weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) and sprint at 30 miles per hour (48 kph), three time faster than you can run! Every year visitors are gored and some have been killed.
• COYOTES quickly learn bad habits like roadside begging. This may lead to aggressive behavior toward humans. Never approach or feed a begging coyote.
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Photo Gear Checklist (my minimum list)
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Camera Gear
Camera Backpack or Messenger Bag & rain cover
Full Sensor Camera Body
Cropped Sensor Camera Body
17-35 mm Wide Angle
24-70 mm Telephoto
70-200 mm Telephoto
Camera Body battery chargers
Tripods and/or monopod
Camera & Glasses cleaning pads & cloths
Rocket blower
Spare body batteries
Lots of memory cards
Flash Unit
Camera Rain and Snow covers
Large Plastic Bags to Prevent Condensation on Lenses & Body
150-600 mm Telephoto
Lens filters
Lens cleaning brush
Extra batteries for Flash
Fisheye lens
Should consider renting a good 400-600 mm lens for this trip if you don’t own one
Miscellaneous Information • A good trip coordinator who pays great attention to details can make for an
easy trip vs. one with issues.
• Having the trip coordinator plan for and handle tour guide tips (15% of coach fee) greatly simplifies this task for the group by collecting in advance.
• Make reservations, but continue to double check that they are still arranged throughout the trip to prevent disappointments.
• Closest hospital to West Yellowstone is at the Big Sky Resort, one hour away (there is only a simple clinic in WY).
• Not to be missed if you stay in West Yellowstone is the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a not-for-profit wildlife park. You can see wolves and grizzlies year round from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. They also have a few raptors and a museum. – Some platforms let you capture images without glass or fencing between you and the
animals.
– Bears are fed in the morning, wolves are fed late afternoon.
• Altitude ranged from 6000 to 8300 feet - you will ‘lose your breath’ even doing simple things like walking in deep snow.
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Some of Fred’s Photos
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Grizzly Bear (Discovery Center, West Yellowstone)
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Wolf Face (Discovery Center, West Yellowstone)
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Snowy Bison near Madison Junction Howling Wolf (Discovery Center) 41
Two Bison Butt Heads
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Raven Love
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Eagles at River Carcass
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Red Fox Jump Diving for Prey (~0.2 miles distant, need good long lens)
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Yellowstone River 46
Young Bull Elk Feeding on Madison River 47
Firehole Falls, Firehole Canyon Drive
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Coyote Feeds on River Carcass 49
Mud Pot Boils
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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Lower Falls (ice dome buildup)
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Q&A
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https://vimeo.com/162889418
Yellowstone National Park Video (46 min)