YELLOWSTONE NP, USA
44 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019windblownwhiteexpanses,andhugeherdsof
frozen-beardedbison.Therearesaidtobeupwards
of5,000bisoninthepark.That’snothingonthetens
ofmillionsthataboundedintheAmericanwest
beforeEuropeansarrived.Allthesame,in
Yellowstonetheyatleastroamfreeinsomething
approachinganaturalhabitat,withwolvestheir
nemesisthesedaysratherthanhumans.
“Bison?theyarebig,badassbeasts,”chuckled
Emil.Inourminibuswewereabletodrivewithin
afewmetresofthesehump-shoulderedgiantsthat
canweighupto1,000kg.Wegotcloseenoughto
enjoythealmostcomicalwaytheyshooktheir
massiveheadstoblusterasidethesnowand
exposeanybrowntussocktheycouldfind.
Bycontrast,wewatchedwhitetrumpeterswans
landinglikeglidersonariverwarmedbythermal
activitydeepunderground.MostofYellowstone’s
birdsmigratesouthforthewinterbutthese
beautiesstay,asdoflocksofblackravensandthe
occasionalbaldeaglethatwespiedatopsilver-
branchedaspentrees.
Theherdofskittishpronghornantelope,whose
white-furredrumpswewatcheddisappearasthey
ranacrosstheLamarRiver,wasasurprise.Despite
theirname,theyarenotantelopes–theyjust
resemblethem.IndigenoustonorthAmerica,
whereyoudon’tgetantelopes,theirnearest
relativesareactuallygiraffes.“Yup,azoological
quirk,”confirmedEmilasmyeyebrowsraised.
Wespottedonlyonemoose,ahorse-sizedmale
whichhadsheditshornsandwasmakingunhurried
tracksacrossthevalley;itpausedhereandthereto
browseonwillows,thenwadedintoastreamto
continuefeeding.Thegrey-coatedcoyoteswere
moreplentiful.Wewatchedone‘mousing’–
jumpingupandpouncingintothesnowinpursuit
ofrodents.Bighornsheepwerehardertofind,
camouflagedagainstthesurroundingcragswhere
theybalancedonimpossibleledges.Emilpicked
themoutonascopeaswestoodinthesteelycold
sunshinewarmingourhandsoncupsofhotsoup.
Andthen,ofcourse,therewastheJunctionButte
pack.Emilsensedwheretheymightbe,butwolf
sightingsrequirespersistence,patienceand
afairbitofluck.Soafrissonofexcitement
spreadthroughourgroupwhen,perchedonour
ridge,hesuddenlymotionedustosilence.
Whilewehunchedoverourscopes,Emil
explainedtheimportantrolewolvesplayinthe
park’secosystem.“HereintheLamarValley,the
wolvespreyedontheabundantelk,forcingthem
toleavethearea.Thismeantthattheplantsand
treesthattheelkfedonbegantoregenerateand
fortifytheriverbanks,whichbecamehabitatfor
otherwildlife...otters,beavers,weasels.So,
introducingatoppredatorhasnotdepletedthe
eco-systemassomeanti-wolferswarned.Exactly
theopposite,asamatteroffact.”Havingablast
Ifthesnowwasanindispensablepartofwhat
madethewildlifesoutterlycaptivating,sowinter
wastoproveanunbeatabletimetoseethe
concentrationofgeysersinthemiddleofthepark.
RoadstothispartofYellowstoneclosefrom
autumnuntilspring.Fordecades,skiswerethe
onlywaytogetaroundandevennowaccessis
limitedtosnowmobilesorgiantyellow
‘snowcoaches’withwheelsasbigasaBoeing
jumbojet’s.So,aftertwodaysonthepark’s
northernfringes,weclimbedintooneofthese
monsters.Thetwo-hourdrivetoOldFaithful
lodgetookusalldayaswestoppedtotakeinthe
surroundings.Rightatthesnowboundheartofthe
park,thelodgeisoneofonlytwoplacestostayin
Yellowstoneatthistimeofyear
“Wintertimeandthelivin’ain’teasy,”sang
year-roundYellowstoneresidentNicSinotte,our
driverandguidefortheday.“Butit’swhenyouget
totrulyhearthecallofthewild,yessiree.Even
peoplewhohavebeenheremanytimesfind
awintertripislikefindingawholenewpark,”she
continued,brimmingwithbrio.“Weareinan‘The snow was an
indispensable part of
what made the wildlife
so utterly captivating’
Littlebighorn
(clockwisefromtop)
Wolvespreyingonan
elk;asunriseatMammoth
HotSprings;bighorn
sheeparehardertoind
astheybalanceon
impossibleledges
Naturepl; AWL Images