Winter Yellowstone overnight touring

[wankel7]

I was looking to get out for at least 2 to 3 nights. I was going to start at W YS and use a snow coach to drop me somewhere between there and Old Faithful. Or possibly camping near Old Faithful and touring from there?

Any recommendations on where to go? I am on a splitboard....I would love to get some low angle turns in but seeing some of the geothermal features would be the priority.

Thanks!

[TurxSki]

Braap, braap...?

[wankel7]

It is in the shop ....

[BFD]

I have skied from the east entrance up north fork of shoshone river and came out the lamar valley. no thermal activity but Castor and Pollux would be great skis. Looks like the road from tower falls to canyon is non motorized. I would wonder about Heart Lake and skiing Mt Sheridan looks like a good winter tour. I do not know about access or park regulations.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

visit grand prismatic spring and take some LSD
if you dont mind flat touring and can keep your shit together .......

[Tye 1on]

I did a 31 mile day ski back when i was in shape, took the snow coach to the trailhead for the Spring Creek trail, then skied over the Divide on the Howard Eaton Trail, dropping in to DeLacy Creek to Shoshone Lake, then along the north shore to the geyser basin, then north past Three Rivers Junction up to Lone Star Geyser then down another piece of the Howard back to OF. It was awesome. Didn't have time to look for turns, but there were low angle hills everywhere.

[Harry]

I have done a 1-day loop: started at the Teepee Creek trailhead just outside the park, then about 3 miles in you crest over a ridge which is the park boundary. Then downhill into the Daily Creek drainage and back out to Hwy 191. Stuck out my thumb and immediately got picked up for the ride back to my car at Teepee Creek. You could easily plot out an overnight trip in the same area, lots of options.

[Tye 1on]

I have done a 1-day loop: started at the Teepee Creek trailhead just outside the park, then about 3 miles in you crest over a ridge which is the park boundary. Then downhill into the Daily Creek drainage and back out to Hwy 191. Stuck out my thumb and immediately got picked up for the ride back to my car at Teepee Creek. You could easily plot out an overnight trip in the same area, lots of options.

ya, there's several NW corner loops, none involving thermal features.

[Aenigma]

Unfortunately, the park's interior is profoundly flat, for the most part. Mt Sheridan and Heart Lake would be my choice for a place to get in some turns with some thermal features, but there is only one moderate-sized geyser basin in that area (Witch Creek), although I think it would be an excellent place to go spend some time in the winter, with spectacular views of the Absarokas, Tetons, and basically the entire park from the flanks of Sheridan.

Most of the rest of the thermal features are in really developed areas, and are the stomping grounds of bison-sized park visitors. It would definitely be cool to do some xc loops anywhere in the Firehole Basin, but I see little potential for multi-day trips in that area, especially if you want to get in >0 turns.

[Tye 1on]

Unfortunately, the park's interior is profoundly flat, for the most part. Mt Sheridan and Heart Lake would be my choice for a place to get in some turns with some thermal features, but there is only one moderate-sized geyser basin in that area (Witch Creek), although I think it would be an excellent place to go spend some time in the winter, with spectacular views of the Absarokas, Tetons, and basically the entire park from the flanks of Sheridan.

Most of the rest of the thermal features are in really developed areas, and are the stomping grounds of bison-sized park visitors. It would definitely be cool to do some xc loops anywhere in the Firehole Basin, but I see little potential for multi-day trips in that area, especially if you want to get in >0 turns.

Sheridan/Heart Lake are beautiful and have some good slopes, but while it's low probability, there are added avi risks because of the low-level thermal areas below the snowpack. Factory Hill has some history, i was on the search for Rick with my gf who was working a search dog, shitty outcome, link

[smallies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYXHdFUAqK4

[hoarhey]

Just a wild ass guess, but I saw some potential for good turns above mammoth hot springs, and then a few miles in (?) on the plateau it looked like there were some cool peaks west of the road

[#######]

http://www.yellowstoneskitours.com/

Might be able to find some info on their page or maybe email them... Beau Fredlund is a super nice guy.

[Aenigma]

Just a wild ass guess, but I saw some potential for good turns above mammoth hot springs, and then a few miles in (?) on the plateau it looked like there were some cool peaks west of the road

The immediate Mammoth area is a bit of a desert in the winter, but it's a great starting point for a multi-day tour into the southern part of the Gallatin range, which is a highly tolerable area to be in. The thermal features end pretty close to the road though, so expect turns and thermals to be mutually exclusive.

[Aenigma]

^The caveat being that it would be a long-ass snow coach ride, or a big tour over to Mammoth. It's possible to make it from highway 191 to Mammoth in a day, but xc gear is much more suitable for that type of tour.

[schwerty]

I did a 31 mile day ski back when i was in shape, took the snow coach to the trailhead for the Spring Creek trail, then skied over the Divide on the Howard Eaton Trail, dropping in to DeLacy Creek to Shoshone Lake, then along the north shore to the geyser basin, then north past Three Rivers Junction up to Lone Star Geyser then down another piece of the Howard back to OF. It was awesome. Didn't have time to look for turns, but there were low angle hills everywhere.

That sounds like a fun tour. It would take me 10 days tho.