Lucky day in Yellowstone

2 wolves approaching elk carcass

A truly remarkable day.  We headed out in light snow to ski from the Canyon Visitor Center to Yellowstone Falls, an easy 3 mile ski trip in soft snow, deep, but with a skier track for us to follow.  The Falls are 308 feet high, with 62,000 gallons per second tumbling over them in the summer and about 5,000 gallons per minute in the winter.  It’s a beautiful sight with a large ice fall behind the roaring falls and Yellowstone Canyon deep below.

Yellowstone Canyon below Yellowstone Falls

Our second ski run was to the top of the Falls, which is pretty spectacular as well as you peer over the snow wall into the deep canyon below.  The Yellowstone River runs smoothly above until it hits the precipice that forms the Falls.  We looked for otters that inhabit the river above the Falls, but didn’t see any today, though we did find an otter playing under the snow banks farther up the river.  It was an elusive creature, but fun to watch briefly.

Yellowstone Falls in winter

Yellowstone Falls from above

We heard that there might be wolves around an elk carcass in the Hayden Valley, not too far from Yellowstone Canyon, so decided to check out those reports after we finished skiing.  And, we were well-rewarded.  There were 2 wolves feeding at the carcass, pretty far away, but still visible as they fought with ravens who also wanted to enjoy the carcass and then chased away 2 hungry coyotes.  The coyotes are no match for the wolves as they are much smaller and also a good meal for the wolf pack.  I was pretty excited to get any wolf shot with my camera, but I focused on a rock near the carcass and, happily, found that the wolves showed up in my photos.

Wolf and ravens in stand-off

It’s rare that you get to see an ermine in Yellowstone in the winter since they are small and white with just a black tip on their tails.  But, today, one ran right in front of our snow coach so we got a glimpse of this beautiful little creature, though he was way too fast for our cameras. 

Next came the otter and then 2 bald eagles, sitting high in the tops of dead trees.  They are very large birds who prey on smaller water birds in the winter and fish in the summer.  In the winter, the fish are loggy and slow-moving, so the eagles can’t see them very well as motion is what catches their eye.  But, ducks and geese are good alternatives and there are plenty of both.

Bald Eagle on Madison River

In the geyser basins, there are always plenty of bison, at least 100 today.  As we drove along the snowy road, we came upon one alarmingly thin bison bull.  We saw that his hind leg was broken, poor thing, so he couldn’t move very fast and obviously couldn’t get enough to eat.  The bison plant their legs and move the snow off the grass that is often 3 or 4 feet below the surface of the snow with powerful swings of their huge heads.  This poor bull couldn’t plant his feet because of his injured leg, so certainly wasn’t getting enough food.  His life span will be short.  Very sad to see and so much a part of the wild life in the Park.

Yellowstone's cross country skiing is exceptional

Old Faithful in full erupton

This morning we took off on one of Yellowstone's ski trails, waiting until the temperature hit +6 F. We skied right out the front door of the Snow Lodge, off through the geyser basin, first stopping to watch Old Faithful erupt as she does about every 90 minutes.

Old Faithful at beginning of its eruption

Given our novice status on cross country skis, we took the easy trail through the geysers, burbling hot pools and steaming streams of warm water.  The couple of short hills provided a challenge both up and down, reminding us that we have a long way to go to master the sport of cross country skiing.

trees covered in rime ice

The trees are completely covered with ice crystals, rime ice, in the morning; steam billows off the Firehole River, which maintains a temperature above freezing all winter (so, an essential water source for all the wildlife that stay in the park); the bison graze on the mosses and buried grasses (which they uncover with powerful thrusts of their noses in the snow); photographers wait for just the right moment to get the perfect picture along the walkways.

Firehole River near ski trail

But, we continued past the photographers and strollers to the more remote geysers that are visited by snowshoers and skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer.  Here it is quiet except for the periodic gurgles from the geysers and boiling pools.  The bison often stand like snowy statues for long periods of time, quite motionless, when they are not digging for food or ambling towards the river.

bull bison headed to river

We're supposed to stay at least 25 yards away from the bison as they do not particularly care for skiers, snowshoers or snowmobilers.  We have kept a wary eye on them when we're out, sometimes taking a substantial detour when they remain motionless in the trail.

thermal area from trail

Biscuit Basin is a colorful geyser area, a favorite stop for snowmobilers because it is right off the snowpacked road they travel from West Yellowstone and has a raised walkway around part of the basin.  We clambered along the walkway, skis flailing on the ice, to a beautiful trail that goes off through the trees and meadows, finally returning to the main trail about a mile from the lodge.

view of Biscuit Basin

A 3 1/2 hour ski outing on these trails took us about 5 miles through the woods, meadows, thermal areas and bison herds.  There weren't many snowmobilers today, so it was extraordinarily quiet except for the slithering sound of our skis on the trail.  If you decide to visit Yellowstone in the winter, this is a wonderful way to explore areas of the Park. Tomorrow, we'll take a snow coach to Yellowstone Canyon and ski out to Yellowstone Falls and back.

Daisy Trail ski tracks

Yellowstone's winter landscape in photos

bull elk in search of fodder

We spent the day on a photo safari with a professional guide/photographer who taught me more about my camera in 5 minutes than I had learned in 5 years of owning it.  So, below are photos from our photo safari through parts of Yellowstone's elegant winter landscape.  You'll see, I hope, why this is such a wonderful time of year to visit.

mother coyote with pups

geyser basin in evening

coyote crossing river

bison in geyser basin

remains of forest fire

bull bison

snowy trees in early morning light

mother coyote hunting

heron in bushes

trees reflected in Firehole River

bison in morning fog

Cross country skiing in gorgeous Yellowstone

the Firehole River below the Kepler Cascades

This morning, we waited until the temperature had moved from -10 F to +5 F and then ventured forth for what was for us a long ski trip to see the Lone Star Geyser, about 4 1/2 miles from the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful, where we're staying for our 6 days in Yellowstone.

sunlight hitting the Firehole River

Since we can maneuver our skis uphill, but not so well going down, we chose the snowpacked road to the Kepler Cascades because it is a relatively gentle climb, which meant a less menacing descent, to these pretty falls and on to the trail leading to the geyser.  The Firehole River, warm even in deep winter, fuels the Cascades, which flow rapidly over a substantial rockfall.  The banks of the river, though, are covered with several feet of snow and ice.  The sun doesn't hit the falls at this time of year, so my photos were dismal.

Just past the Kepler Cascades is a snowpacked (thank goodness) trail that continues to rise gently for another 2 miles or so, along the Firehole River, which is dark against the snow covering the trees and meadows.  Even though the trail is gentle and partly packed, we were tired after our 2 mile climb to the trailhead, but the lure of an isolated geyser kept us going.  Finally, we were able to get into the really fun rhythm of cross country skiing, where you step and glide, helped along by your long poles.

Don with Lone Star Geyser in background

Lone Star Geyser in full eruption

The Lone Star Geyser erupts about every 3 hours.  We were very lucky to reach the geyser just as it began erupting.  The first attempt was more like spitting hot water, but after about 15 minutes, we heard the gurgling of boiling water near the surface, which preceded 20 minutes of 20 foot spouts of water shooting up from the geyser.  Seeing this in the midst of a snow meadow is pretty exciting and just so beautiful.

bison in the distance as we limped into the Snow Lodge

Going back down to Old Faithful, a little over 4 miles, took us about 2 hours.  We had planned to be back for a late lunch, but decided to keep skiing to the geyser instead.  Fortunately some gorp and chocolate maintained our flagging energy.  We were pretty tired when we reached the Snow Lodge 5 hours after starting, but proud of ourselves for succeeding in our novice state.

Yellowstone National Park--spectacular in the winter

Long's Peak near Loveland, Colorado
at the beginning of our drive

The Tetons on our drive into Yellowstone

One of the wondrous winter destinations is Yellowstone National Park.  In the summer, this popular park is jammed with people and cars.  In the winter, though, it is soft, snowy and quiet (except for snow mobile tours that take up several hours in the middle of the day).  Wait until the late afternoon light touches the snow in the geyser basins and you will see a true winter wonderland.

bison grazing near Old Faithful

This winter, only the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful is open.  Usually, the hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs is also open, but right now, it has been closed for the next 2 years for badly-needed renovations.  So, we are at the only hotel in the entire park that hosts guests at this time of year, which is incredibly peaceful.

Shoshone Lake in the early morning

To get here, you can travel in snow cats or tracked vans or, if there isn’t a mountain of new snow, vans with deflated tires that grind their way easily along the groomed tracks.  We entered the Park from the south, Flagg Ranch, in one of these vans with large, deflated tires.  You can also get transportation into the Park from the north and west entrances.  When we were here several years ago, we used a snow cat, which is much more cramped and much nosier, but also can get through a lot of snow (there was 4 feet of new snow then).

snowy trees along our snowshoe route

Driving from Jackson to Flagg Ranch for the 7 a.m. van departure to Old Faithful, the temperature outside ranged from -15 to -24 F, so we were very cold by the time we clamored into the van with our small suitcases, day packs and snowshoes.  After several stops to photograph some of the prettier overlooks, we were all numb. 

The temperature at Old Faithful was -15 F, so we relaxed for a couple of hours before heading out on snowshoes in the brilliant sunshine, now nearly 20 degrees and lovely, to tour the geyser basins surrounding the Old Faithful Lodge.  You can do all kinds and difficulties of snowshoe hikes or cross country skiing right out of the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful.  We chose a 5 mile, slightly rolling route, enjoying the sunshine, gorgeous blue sky, trees laden with snow, bison rummaging for food under the considerable pile of snow and steam from the multitude of geysers.  

plumes of steam from the many geysers

bison relaxing in the snow

A rule for snowshoers and cross-country skiers is to avoid any close contact with the bison.  We did a couple of detours to go around these massive creatures, several remaining absolutely motionless for nearly an hour.  Maybe they were soaking up the sunshine since most of their cousins were digging up the snow to find grass or munching on the green mosses kept alive by the warm water sprinkled around the basin.

Cuba from east to west--February 9 to 20, 2017

dancers by the sea wall in Gibara

We're leading our second group trip to Cuba in February, 2017.  I've blogged about our previous 2 trips to Cuba before, so I'll just discuss some of our thoughts about and favorite experiences traveling in this beautiful island country.

monument to Che Guevara, Santiago

Most American tourists only visit Havana and, perhaps, the Vinales Valley to the west or Trinidad to the east on day trips.  If you can take the time, we think seeing the entire island is well worth the extra time and effort.

mural at Compas Dance Group, Havana

For one thing, amazingly enough on such a small island, the culture differs significantly from east to west.  The eastern part of the island is more Afro-Cuban, while Havana was strongly influenced by the centuries of Spanish and American colonial rule and the hordes of rich tourists who sought it out during its hedonistic heyday.

Moncada Barracks, Santiago, site of failed attack by Castro's rebels

Fidel Castro started his revolution in Santiago de Cuba, on the eastern end of the country, and chose to be buried there after his recent death.  Che Guevara is widely revered throughout Cuba, but especially in this city lying below the Sierra Maestra Mountains where the rebels sought refuge after their first disastrous attempt at overthrowing the Batista government.  Before this revolutionary period, Cuba's 4 million African slaves toiled relentlessly on the sugar plantations and left their legacy of music, rhythms, and dance that thrives today, while colonial overlords built lovely structures and an elegant society oblivious to the misery they had created around them.

colonial villa, Havana

Driving west, you pass through villages, decrepit colonial cities filled with beautiful architecture badly in need of renovation, cattle ranches, mountain coffee plantations and sugar cane fields.

painting of sugar plantation

The rusting remains of the sugar factories, reminders of the days when sugar was king, dot the landscape.
Christopher Columbus' first landing place in the Americas was on the northeastern side of the island. While we are not visiting his landing spot on this trip, it is worth a stop if you're touring this part of Cuba.  It was a pirate's paradise with its coves and bays where it was easy to hide and resupply a ship.

Columbus' landing site

There aren't many tourists here.  While Europeans frequent the resorts in this area, definitely not up to the standards we require for our groups, there aren't many tourists in the coves and fishing villages and historic sites.  One village we wish we had time to visit on our tours is Gibara, for its gorgeous location on the water and its pretty city center with musicians and dancers performing most of the day.

Moorish palacio, Cienfuegos

We love the only French colonial city in Cuba, Cienfuegos, set on a wide bay, with many nicely renovated buildings, a large and beautiful main plaza, and its Moorish palacio right on the tip of a peninsula separating two bays.  It's a perfect short tour and lunch stop between Camaguey and Trinidad.

loggia of colonial building, Trinidad

Trinidad, probably my favorite city in Cuba, is yet another 500 year old colonial city.  Many people get around with horses and buggies, the streets are still cobblestones, the plazas in the tourist areas are full of flowers and musicians, and there are actually some shops selling local crafts.  On Saturday, the Casa de Cultura offers all kinds of classes for kids.  On our last trip, we all sat and watched young dancers and singers and children in their art classes.

Escambray Mountains near Trinidad

The Escambray Mountains above Trinidad are well worth a day's visit, and an extra day in Trinidad. There are coffee plantations, cattle ranches, beautiful hikes through the forest and a couple of hotels where I wouldn't stay (hence the extra night in Trinidad).
While we've visited the Bay of Pigs (Playa Giron) twice, we haven't seen any other tourists there.  We think the small museum with its photos of the desperate swamp people who lived in utter misery and made charcoal for the townspeople, and of the Bay of Pigs invasion and brief aftermath is a very interesting visit.  Fidel Castro was proud of bringing relief to these societal outcasts, with schools and health clinics that vastly improved their lives.  It's a valuable lesson to see Cuba's version of history which differs so much from our own.

photo of Che leading guerillas
Playa Giron Museum

On our first two trips to Cuba, we stayed in government hotels (all the hotels are government hotels). There are a couple, the Iberostar in Trinidad and the Parque Central and Saratoga in Havana, that are beautiful.  Most others are basic and below. Because of the heavy demand for hotel rooms, the Cuban government refuses to confirm the hotels of your choice until close to your departure time. Since the backup hotels are mostly way below the quality we find acceptable, we're using the tiny private tourist sector on our February trip.

tobacco drying barn, Vinales Valley

The government has allowed families to rent up to 7 rooms in their homes to tourists and to start up to 2 private, family-owned and run restaurants (paladares).  Cubans can own cars and vans and use them to transport tourists.  We are using this private sector option for our February trip.  Some of our casas will be very basic, but so are most of the hotels.  Our villa in Havana looks really beautiful. Only those Cubans who get money from relatives overseas can afford to buy and renovate homes and vehicles, so they are the lucky ones who can take advantage of this tiny opening to private enterprise. They can make far more money than the average salary of $15 t $20 per month and, according to one paladar owner, pay only 20% of their income in taxes (another person told us it's closer to 45%).

Jose Fuster neighborhood
Havana

If you've read my blogs from our 2 earlier trips, you know not to fly anywhere in Cuba unless you have absolutely no other options.  Decades of the embargo have wrought havoc on Cuba's airline and flight infrastructure. Avoid it.

Compas dance drummer

I won't spend time on Havana and the Vinales Valley because so much has been written about both. Needless to say, Havana is a wonderful city with so many gorgeous buildings in need of immediate repair, such a fascinating history and so much energy and cultural activity.  The Vinales Valley in the midst of limestone mountains, "mogotes", is beautiful and the heart of tobacco production, a wonderful day's visit.
We enjoyed the Cuban people tremendously.  Their resilience and kindness in the face of extreme poverty is remarkable.  They express their culture in all its originality and liveliness in every plaza, street corner and public or private space.  They have many sad stories to tell and even more examples of resourcefulness and creativity in the midst of adversity.  They are funny and smart.  The advantage of all the restrictions on American travel to Cuba is the "people to people" requirement that ensures you will spend time talking to Cubans about their work and lives.  These are the experiences you will most treasure.

child in plaza

I will publish blogs of our upcoming trip upon our return in late February.  Can't really publish a blog from Cuba because of the very limited internet access there.