From Yellowstone National Park where Hayden Valley,
Fishing Bridge, and the East entrance are opening,
this is that Scott guy you know and love with
a brand new episode of This Week in Yellowstone.
What's up everybody? This week in Yellowstone
National Park from April 30th to May 6th. It's
already May. I'm going to be telling you about
another road opening in the park, sharing about
the Bermuda Triangle, and also letting you know
why many think May is the best month to visit
the park. I'll also give you the complete weather
forecast, a cool trail to hike, the snowpack
update, the wildlife report, and everything else
you need to have an incredible time this week
in Yellowstone. Quick standard disclaimer here.
I may miss a few details here and there I try
and do this the best I can but obviously I'm
human and I make mistakes So if there's anything
you catch that's an error reach out to me happy
to correct things I also want you to know that
I mentioned park locations very casually So if
you're unfamiliar with a place that I'm talking
about a quick search can help Please know that
this report only covers the drivable areas of
the park and also that this podcast is the passion
project of mine. I'm not paid. I'm not sponsored.
I do it because I want you to love the park.
If you enjoy this podcast, I'd love a review
or a quick email. If you want to support my work
more, you can check out my hiking and wildlife
watching guidebooks, or you can join me for a
guided hiking tour in Yellowstone's backcountry.
For more information on all of that, visit outdoor
-society .com or contact me directly. My phone
number, 406 589 1873 send me texts probably not
gonna answer in chat But will respond to texts
when I get them this week's Yellowstone news
So the biggest news this week is that the east
entrance to Canyon so east entrance to fishing
bridge through Hayden and up to Canyon is gonna
open up I'm gonna talk about that more in a little
bit. There's also a cool news story about how
much water is actually expelled from Old Faithful
every time it erupts. I'm going to provide that
link in the show notes, because this is probably
going to be already a little bit longer of an
episode. And so if you want to check that out,
go ahead and do so. It'll also be in the text
version of this podcast that's available on my
website. So go ahead and check that out. We're
going to jump straight to the experience of the
week, which like I said is driving Canyon to
the east entrance or vice versa. So on May 1st,
a quieter but incredibly rewarding stretch of
Yellowstone National Park opens back up for the
season. This is the road between Canyon Village
and the east entrance and it gives you a little
bit of everything Yellowstone does well. There's
wildlife opportunities, thermal features, big
lake views, there's a beach, there's cool sweeping
views up from viewpoints. there's cascades it's
really a little of everything absolutely love
it and i'm excited for this section to open up
so the park service is announcing that the road
is going to open up on may 1st weather permitting
now if you remember last time roads were going
to open up the weather didn't quite work out
and it delayed it from an 8 a .m opening till
a noon opening the weather looks better this
week so i would assume that this is going to
open on time So one thing that a lot of people
are super excited about is the opening of Hayden
Valley. Now Hayden is one of the park's most
famous wildlife areas, but I want you to know
that early May is gonna feel a little slow at
first. There's animals there, but they're not
that easy to spot and it's not as active as it
is in the middle of the summer. Wildlife activity
will increase through the spring as animals emerge
from winter patterns and the remaining snow kind
of melts There should be maybe some newborn calves
out there. Maybe some bears maybe some wolves
But generally I would expect Hayden to be pretty
slow right now I could be very wrong, but historically
Hayden starts out very slow later in the year
I'm going to talk about like Hayden versus Lamar
and which one I feel is better and which one
has what So stay tuned for that later in the
year, probably in June. So after driving through
Hayden and stopping and scanning and looking
for wildlife, I highly recommend immediately
going to Mud Volcano. It's one of my favorite
little places. I have good bear luck there, and
every year there's something interesting that
happens. Mud Volcano is also where one of the
more... Interesting bison versus human experiences
happened again gonna talk about that next week
So stay tuned for that, but mud volcano is one
of my favorite thermal areas They all are my
favorite so it's easy to say that but there's
bubbling mud pots. There's Strong sulfur smells.
There's dragons mouth. There's all sorts of things
that are really cool to see It's not gonna be
as colorful as the other basins, but it's very
raw and very alive, and it's a short little jaunt.
Further down as you get towards Fishing Bridge,
Lee Hardy Rapids is one of those quick stops
that is easy to skip. Most people do. But it's
right... along the Yellowstone River, and it
goes through a narrow section here. And in the
spring runoff, it's loud, it's fast, and there's
a lot of cool aquatic life and birds. Sometimes
there's bears there and they have to close it,
but I highly, highly, highly recommend going
for the harlequin ducks and other waterfowl that
use this open water. It's a cool little viewpoint,
it's not that long, and it's worth the stop.
Then as you get toward Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone
Lake, things start to open up again. This area
is a bit of a transition zone, both in scenery
and wildlife. Spring is a good time to keep your
eyes open for bears here, especially on the stretch
between Fishing Bridge and Sylvan Pass. That's
gonna be where you're gonna see some grizzly
bears, some black bears, and some of the more
famous grizzlies are out there, so I know I will
be heading there, and a lot of people I know
will be heading there as soon as it opens, and
specifically for grizzly bears. But before you
head out towards Sylvan Pass and toward the east
entrance I do want to recommend that you hang
out near the Lake Lodge and see if there's anybody
parked on the side of the road They're gonna
be parked on the side of the road because this
can be a good spot to see great gray owls These
birds prefer forest edges and meadows and spring
is a good time to look for them, especially early
or late in the day It's one of those sightings
that are very rare for me. So anytime I get to
see a great gray owl it is Phenomenal it makes
my day. It makes my week. It is awesome All right.
Once you're done looking there, then you can
start heading out and go to Sylvan Pass and the
east entrance Now if you're in this area and
you're looking to stretch your legs the storm
point trail is a great option It's a short hike
that I'm going to talk about later in the hiking
section Nearby Mary Bay is like a quiet lakeside
stop. Like that's the beach I was saying where
you can take in the scale of the lake which Yellowstone
National Park identifies as the largest high
elevation lake in North America, so there's a
fun little fact for you. One of the best views
of this entire drive that I think you would enjoy
is from the Lake Butte overlook. From up there,
you get a sweeping look at Yellowstone Lake and
the surrounding mountains, including the Tetons
in the distance on a clear day. It's a stop that
a lot of people just zoom by, but it's short.
It's easy to get to, and it really puts the size
of the landscape into perspective. Just expect
some wind and some ravens there. As you continue
east from here, the climb towards Sylvan Pass
brings another shift. At over 8 ,500 feet, this
is one of the higher road sections in the park,
and in early May it can still feel like winter,
even in a winter that we didn't quite have a
real winter. There may be some snow banks there,
and conditions can and will change quickly. This
is also a good place to watch for bighorn sheep
along the rocky slopes. I tend to see them more
down by the east entrance itself, especially
this time of the year, but with the lack of snow,
there's, you know, a good chance you're gonna
see them up higher. Finally, as you approach
the east entrance, the geology starts to change.
Volcanic features that define much of Yellowstone
begin to give way to the rugged terrain of the
mountains that are out there. This area is made
up of older volcanic rocks that have been heavily
eroded over time, creating a different look and
feel compared to the geyser basins and plateaus
deeper in the park. As you head out of the park
from the east entrance, which again recommend
doing maybe like 10 -15 miles just to do, you're
gonna get into some red rock, the river there
is really cool, there's gonna be wildlife, it's
just a nice shift of pace before you turn around
and drive back. And that's kind of what makes
this so special. because going from the east
entrance to Canyon or Canyon to the east entrance
is another slice of Yellowstone opening up and
you get to enjoy it. Yellowstone is coming back
to life in real time. Wildlife is slowly becoming
more active, the landscape is shifting, and every
few miles you drive feels a little different
than the last. It's quieter than most routes
this time of the year, very unpredictable as
to what you're gonna see. And it's often overlooked,
which is exactly why it's worth your time. The
reason why it's overlooked is unless you're coming
from Cody, driving out there can take a long
time. However, highly recommend going. That's
why it's my experience of the week is because
I will be doing this. I love it. I do it early
every year and I always see some really cool
things. So if you're in the park this week, check
it out. My tip of the week is may the best month
to visit the park. If you're trying to pick the
perfect time to visit Yellowstone National Park,
that's really just a matter of preference. There
is no perfect time. The perfect time is when
you're there because you're in the park. But
May makes a strong case to be that perfect time.
It's not perfect in that traditional sense, but
nothing in Yellowstone ever is. But that's exactly
why it stands out. This is the month where wildlife
is active, landscapes are changing by the day,
and the crowds haven't fully arrived yet. you
just have to be willing to accept a few trade
-offs. The biggest reason to visit May is the
wildlife. Spring is the most active time of the
year for animals. Bears are emerging from their
dens, bison calves, often called red dogs, are
being born, and elk, pronghorn, and wolves are
easier to spot in the open valleys because the
vegetation is still pretty low and they're just
easier to see and they're more active because
it's still pretty cold outside. Once summer hits,
Grasses are a little higher, temperatures are
a little warmer, things aren't as active. So
right now is a really good time. The timing that
wildlife uses in May is one reason why I love
it. Animals are moving more, they're feeding
more, they're spending time in open terrain,
which increases your chance of seeing something
without having to go that far. It's one of the
few times of the year when you can head out early
or late and realistically expect multiple wildlife
encounters in a single outing. That alone makes
May stand out compared to other months. May is
when I see so many bears. So, so, so many bears.
I'm going to talk about this all month, but this
is the time where I see lots of bears. There's
newborn bison being born. They're jumping around.
The wolves are a little active because they are
denning right now. And so one of the wolves is
super pregnant, right? And so all the other wolves
are bringing food back to the den. And if you
know where that den is, which I'll talk about
in the wildlife report, You can go and set up
a spotting scope miles away and just watch that
activity throughout the day. Temperature is also
colder, like I said, so that way everything is
a little more active. Then there's the crowds,
or more accurately, the lack of them. May sits
right before the surge of summer visitation.
I would say that the first two weeks, two and
a half weeks of May, are right before that surge
starts. The majority of Yellowstone's visitors
arrive between late May and the end of September,
which means May is noticeably quieter, that early
part of May. Parking is easier, traffic is lighter,
and you're far less likely to feel rushed at
major stops. You can actually take your time,
whether that means watching a herd of bison or
wolves for longer than planned, or lingering
at a geyser basin without feeling like you need
to move along. You will still encounter crowds
here and there. Popular places are going to be
popular. Bear jams are going to become bear jams,
right? There's going to be people at the activity,
but it's not going to be as crowded as it will
be in the summer. Another reason I love May is
that the landscape itself is part of that draw
and part of like this energy that is emerging.
May is this transition month in every sense.
Snow is still cleaning to higher elevations while
the valleys are turning green. Rivers and waterfalls
start to swell with snowmelt, and it makes them
more powerful and dramatic and much louder. There's
cooler air that makes the geothermal features
feel more vivid, with steam hanging low across
basins and drifting through the trees. It's also
just downright gorgeous, and it's quiet, and
there's birds calling, and it's just this energy
that's always shifting and always changing, and
it's just... impossible to explain. I know I'm
trying here and you can hear me kind of just
stammering because I love May. It is a great
time in the park and I think you'll like it.
That said, May comes with some very real downsides
and it's better to know them ahead of time. The
biggest one is access and amenities. Yellowstone
doesn't fully open all at once as you know. Roads
open in phases throughout April and May and full
access to the park doesn't happen until later
in the month, and that is even depending on the
weather. Even when roads are open, services can
lag behind. Lodges, restaurants, visitor centers,
and even bathrooms can be limited or just beginning
to open for the season, which can catch people
off guard if they're expecting a full summer
experience. This is also something for those
towns outside of the park. Gardner, West Yellowstone,
Cody, Cook City, Silvergate, all of those areas
are going to have fewer amenities earlier in
the month than they will later in the month.
So plan ahead, be prepared, and you'll be fine.
One thing that you also need to know about visiting
in May is that trail conditions, if you're a
hiker, are another factor why a lot of people
don't like May. Snowmelt turns many lower elevation
trails into mud, and the higher elevation hikes
still will have snow or ice on them. Boardwalks
in the thermal areas can be icy in the morning
and some trails may be closed for resource protection
or seasonal conditions or there's bears and wildlife
there. If hiking is your main goal, May can and
will be inconsistent depending on where you go
and what type of trails you're looking for. This
is where off the top of the show I gave you my
phone number. I'm doing it again. If you need
a trail, I will try to sell you a book because
I wrote a guidebook to the region and since I
don't get paid for this podcast, buying a book
helps me out. But if you need a hike and you're
visiting and you need to know it's perfect, reach
out to me 406 -589 -1873. Happy to recommend
a trail. I will recommend my book as well, but
I have to, right? It's a business. Okay. Finally,
know that weather is inconsistent. This April,
we have had multiple days of snow. It snowed
more in April than it did in January and February
combined. Actually, I will say December, January,
and February combined. We have more snow in Livingston,
where I live, than those three months combined
in April. May could be the exact same. It has
snowed in May. It's been 80 in May. It's rained
heavy. We've had flooding. You never know what
to expect with May. Always be prepared for anything.
Know that you may have a warm, sunny afternoon
followed by a snowstorm overnight. You may have
thunderstorms throughout the day, and then it
will clear up at night and you might see the
northern lights. You have no idea what to expect,
so pack and plan for everything. So with all
of this, is May the best month to visit Yellowstone?
Depends on what you're looking for, but if wildlife,
extra space at all, the cool places you can visit,
and a more dynamic, energetic version of the
park are high on your list, it's hard to beat.
You're likely to see more animals right now,
deal with fewer crowds, and experience Yellowstone
in a way that feels a little more raw and a lot
less polished than peak summer. It's not the
easiest time to visit, and it's not the most
predictable. But for a lot of people, that's
exactly what makes it the best. My random Yellowstone
fact of the week. the Bermuda Triangle. Like
most places that are seasonally awesome in the
park, you're not going to find this on any official
map. If you ask people about the Bermuda Triangle,
some will know what you're talking about, others
will think that you're just asking about the
Bermuda Triangle and wondering, you know... if
you're worried about your compass not working
or looking for lost ships. But the Bermuda Triangle
is uniquely Yellowstone and a really cool place.
It loosely covers the area between Lamar Valley,
Tower Junction, and the slopes around Spetsman
Ridge. If you're visiting in early to late May,
this is one of the best places in the park to
spend time looking for bears. The reason has
a lot to do with what bears are eating this time
of year. By May, most grizzly bears have emerged
from their den. Adult males typically come out
first, followed by females, and then females
with cubs. After months without food, they need
to rebuild energy, but early spring in Yellowstone
isn't exactly overflowing with options. Instead
of big dramatic feeding events, much of what
bears are doing is slower and more methodical.
They're grazing. A huge part of a bear spring
diet is actually plant -based, and as the snow
melts, the first green shoots begin to appear,
like grasses, sedges, and forbs, bears spend
long stretches of time with their heads down,
slowly moving across hillsides and valleys, just
feeding on this early vegetation. You'll see
them digging with their long claws, and those
claws really can rip open whatever they want
to. Usually it's logs in the ground, and those
long claws are in search of roots like biscuit
root and yampa, which are rich in nutrients and
become available as the soil thaws. Now you will
see bears on carcasses. this is something that
happens bears will be that especially the grizzly
boars are going to be going after the newborn
bison they're going to be going to where the
wolves have killed something and trying to take
over that carcass bears are going to be also
on carcasses but don't expect them to be eating
just meat they eat a lot of vegetation and this
area that I'm talking about the Bermuda Triangle
is super productive The northern range tends
to green up earlier than the higher elevations,
creating a patchwork of feeding areas that draws
bears out into the open. The mix of rolling hills,
exposed slopes, and wide valleys make it easier
to both find food and see bears while they're
doing it. Unlike summer when vegetation grows
tall and dense, May keeps things relatively open,
which is why sightings can feel more frequent.
As the month goes on, things build. Early May
will still feel a little quiet. Right now, you'll
hear in the wildlife report, bear sightings are
up in Lamar Valley, but they're largely far away.
By mid to late May, bears are more active across
the landscape and females with cubs become more
visible as they move farther from their den sites,
which are more remote. So at the same time, food
options continue to expand with more plant growth
and other seasonal opportunities emerging. So
bear sightings continually pick up. Not every
bear you see in the bear -mute triangle is going
to be a grizzly. Chances are you may see more
black bears, especially when the road from Tower
Junction to Tower Falls opens up. I have seen
seven black bears in that two and a half mile
stretch. I've also seen at one time five grizzly
bears in that area. You never know. Now, I will
talk about how to tell the difference between
grizzly bears and black bears briefly. Happy
to tell you more. There's a lot of good resources
online as well. So grizzly bears are generally
larger, with a distinct shoulder hump. They have
a slightly concave face and long claws built
for digging. Their color ranges from blonde to
dark brown. Black bears, despite their name,
can also be brown. They can look just like grizzlies,
but they lack the shoulder hump, have a straighter
facial profile, and shorter claws that are better
suited for climbing trees. Even in a place nicknamed
Bermuda Triangle, though, nothing is guaranteed.
Bears cover a lot of ground and their movements
change daily depending on food, weather, and
human activity. You might scan for an hour and
see nothing, or you might just be driving and
you might see just bears walking across the road
throughout the day. This happens all the time.
That unpredictability is part of the experience
of Yellowstone, so if you're visiting in May,
your best chances are to drive this road if you
want to see bears. I will say that early morning
and late evening when bears are most active is
the best time, but again this time of the year,
depending on the temperature, they're out all
the time. If you can't get up in the morning
or you only have a little bit of time in the
day, I have seen bears every hour of the day
that I'm in the park. So go to the Bermuda Triangle
again. It is basically from around the Tower
Roosevelt area. Just know that. I will continue
to talk about this region. Every single week,
especially through May and early June as this
will be a good place to start seeing bears I
do want to say if bears are near the road Do
not stop in the road unless the bear is directly
in front of your car Do not get out of your car
to take pictures if the bear is right next to
the road. You must maintain 100 yards from bears
at all times If there is a ranger there and allows
you to pull off at an approved pullout and you
can get out of your car, they will let you. You
will see them there. They'll be wearing vests.
They are impossible to miss. Listen to them.
A lot of them are just volunteers. So when you
are at a bear event, Listen to the people in
charge stay far away. Don't stop your car in
the road and whatever you do Don't get out of
your car and run toward bears. I know it sounds
simple and I know some of you're like I would
never do that. I have had friends and family
who are Who have told me I would never do that
and then there's a bear and they immediately
get out of the car and walk Toward it because
there's other people there This is something
that happens in Yellowstone. We're going to talk
about it more in the future episodes. But right
now, if you want to see bears, go to the Bear
Muted Triangle and follow all park rules and
regulations. The weather for the coming week.
As always, this is the best forecast for the
week at the time of the recording. And it's going
to be better through the weekend. And then after
this weekend, I can't really guarantee it. It's
just a good model to kind of say, OK, this is
what I should expect. So we're going to start
with Lamar Valley. Thursday in Lamar Valley,
high of 48, low of 23, shouldn't be much rain
if any at all and should be a little cloudy.
On Friday, high of 57, low of 28, almost all
sun. Saturday, 59 and 30, almost all sun. Sunday,
59 and 30, 18 % chance of rain. Monday, 60 and
32, 14 % chance of rain. Tuesday, 54 and 28,
14 % chance of rain. And Wednesday, 54 and 31,
with a 9 % chance of rain. And that brings us
to Gardner, Montana. In Gardner on Thursday,
high of 51, low of 26, 4 % chance of precipitation.
Friday 61 and 33 percent chance Saturday 62 and
34 1 percent chance Sunday 62 and 34 17 percent
chance Monday 64 and 35 with a 19 percent chance
of rain looks like the afternoon evening Tuesday
56 and 30 Wednesday 57 and 33 out in West Yellowstone
On Thursday, high of 49, low of 22, 6 % chance
of rain. Friday, 57 and 27, 5 % chance. Saturday,
59 and 32, 2 % chance. Sunday, 60 and 31, 8 %
chance. Monday, 61 and 31, with a 23 % chance.
Again, afternoon, evening. Tuesday, 54 and 28,
with a 13 % chance. And Wednesday, 54 and 30,
with a 7 % chance. Cody Wyoming welcome to the
weather forecast Cody in Cody on Thursday 56
and 33 on Friday 66 and 39 on Saturday 71 and
42 on Sunday 67 and 42 chance of some rain in
the afternoon evening 22 % chance on Monday 68
and 44 at Tuesday 57 and 36 with a 12 % chance
of rain overnight and Wednesday 60 and 38 Then
finally Cook City, Montana on Thursday high of
43 low of 20 4 % chance of precipitation Friday
52 and 29 4 % chance Saturday, 54 and 30, 5 %
chance. Sunday, 54 and 30, 23 % chance, mostly
during the daytime hours. Monday, 55 and 32,
16 % chance. Tuesday, 48 and 26, with a 36 %
chance of some snow. And then Wednesday, high
of 50, low of 30, 11 % chance of precipitation.
And that brings us to the snowpack update. So
the snowpack right now, still really good on
the eastern side of the park. It's 91 % of normal.
On the western side of the park, it's about 70
to 71 % of normal. So, not terrible, but... not
great at least the that eastern side is doing
pretty well last year at this time the entire
park was about 96 percent of normal if you want
to put that in perspective so we're obviously
much lower this year but the entire west is much
lower road conditions so i forgot in the news
section to announce something i meant to so at
least it's road related so it fits here um the
plug is open from Cook City to Cody through the
Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Beartooth Highway
not open but you can now drive from Cody to Cook
City and that is really cool because if you are
in the park and you're looking for a long day
highly recommend driving through Lamar Valley
to Cook City out through Chief Joseph down to
Cody and then back in through that east entrance.
It's a solid and scenic drive and it's absolutely
great. The plug is open and it should remain
open as long as the weather is good. Park roads
I've said what's open you can drive from West
Yellowstone down to Old Faithful and Starting
on the first you can drive all the way out to
Cody through the east entrance You cannot drive
from Old Faithful along the lake through West
Thumb You have to go up from Old Faithful to
Canyon down through Hayden and then out the east
entrance Lamar Valley to Cook City open year
-round There will be some construction here and
there. Expect some delays on the Gardiner River
Bridge outside of Mammoth, and then there's just
other little projects going on, but nothing should
be that big of a delay. If you want up -to -date
road information, you can call 307 -344 -2117
for recorded information, or you can do what
we all do, is sign up to receive Yellowstone
Road Alerts on your mobile phone by texting 82190
to the number 888 -777. Right now there is only
one campground open in the park and that's mammoth
campground, which is open year -round. That's
the camping information We will be announcing
new campgrounds opening soon, but not yet The
wildlife watching update. So right now if you
want to see bears the best place to see them
Northern Range head to Lamar Valley from Lamar
basically then back to Roosevelt Junction I know
there have been Lots of bears sighted. There's
also been some bears out by blacktail ponds There's
been wolves out by blacktail ponds and the best
wolf sightings right now are happening in Slough
Creek as of the time of recording The best wolf
watching is by Slough Creek Now I hesitate to
say this but because my listenership is not giant
and because this is pretty well -known I'm gonna
tell you something. There's a wolf den out of
Slough Creek that is being used People will be
out there. They'll be set up. They will be watching
wolves off in the distance. It's a great experience.
If you've never seen wolves go to and fro, it's
great. This area will be very popular until the
wolves leave after they've been born and go outside
and play and all of these other things. Slough
Creek from now for a long time, well into late
June, gonna be extremely, extremely busy and
very popular with wildlife watchers. Baby bison
are popping off more and more every day You're
gonna start seeing them more most of them are
out that northern range I have been getting reports
of some down near the geyser basins and with
Hayden opening up We're gonna see what's down
there When Hayden opens up as I said earlier,
but I'm gonna reiterate this You might see some
really cool things in Hayden or you might see
nothing There is a very high likelihood that
you will see Grizzlies in the next week or two
out that east entrance road this is a very popular
spot some of the most well -known bears in the
park are out that area so it's a long drive but
it's worth it to get out there other than that
Elk are pretty active. That famous elk, number
24, he has got a 24 tag in one of his ears. He
already has. He's growing his rack and it's all
velvety and awesome right now. He's been hanging
around mammoth. There's been other elk hanging
around out there. Pronghorn are on the move.
Osprey are everywhere. Eagles are everywhere.
Bluebirds. Sandhill cranes. You're going to have
a great time wildlife watching this week, especially
because of how the weather is. It's going to
be glorious. But since it's going to be warmer,
I am saying to go earlier or later in the day.
Midday may not be as active as you would like.
However, if the only time you can go is midday,
great, go. You'll still see some awesome stuff.
Other than that, I am going to be in the park
multiple times this coming week. and I'll have
a lot more in next week's Wildlife Report. If
you do kind of want to know where to see animals
just generally based on my entire lifetime of
visiting the park, you can pick up my Wildlife
Watching Guidebook. It's available in both ebook
and paperback formats. Go to outdoor -society
.com or reach out to me 406 -589 -1873 and I'll
send you a text so you can pick up that book.
Trail Alerts and Updates There are currently
no real restrictions on trails. Higher up you
go there's going to be some snow. If you're doing
something like Bunsen Peak expect quite a bit
of snow and not necessarily a fun time unless
you prepared for it. If you do have creek crossings
or river crossings it's gonna be bad. Don't do
it. Stay away from those trails. Otherwise, it's
it's good hiking You might have spots of mud
here and there but I think lower elevation trails
are very good right now I'm looking at the backcountry
conditions page right now and I'm not seeing
a lot of alerts. So everything is like snow hazards
or Forting river hazards, so should be good to
go that leads me to my trail of the week now
I'm taking a risk here because I'm recommending
a trail that I am assuming is going to be opening
when the road out the east entrance opens it
may not be because of bear activity but I'm like
99 % sure it's going to be open so that's why
I'm recommending it and that trail is the storm
point trail so if you're heading out on the storm
point trail in the first week of May it's gonna
feel a bit like stepping into Yellowstone's Wild
right as it's waking up. Nothing is fully on
yet, but everything is starting to move, and
that includes landscape and the wildlife. The
hike itself is short and easy. It's about 2 .3
miles round -trip, starting near Indian Pond
just east of Fishing Bridge. Right away you're
walking through an open meadow, and this is where
things get interesting in May. This stretch of
grassland and wet ground is prime habitat for
bison, and it's very common to see them here,
sometimes right on or near the trail. In fact,
this area is specifically noted as good habitat
for bison and other wildlife, moving between
forests and the lake, and it's also a place where
every so often someone gets charged by a bison.
That means you need to be paying attention. Bison
may look slow, but they're unpredictable and
are responsible for more injuries in Yellowstone
than any other animal. They can run 30 to 35
miles an hour and supposedly have a 6 foot vertical.
One quick tip is to look at their tail. If their
tail is down, they're probably calm. If their
tail is straight out, they're on edge. If their
tail is up, it's going to defecate or charge.
Always watch their tail and always stay at least
25 yards away and have an exit strategy if there
is one nearby. I'm going to be talking more about
bison and bison -human interactions more in next
week's episode. Also in this first section, know
that probably will be muddy so your feet are
going to get probably wet. As you move away from
here the trail is going to dip into the trees
and eventually works its way to the shoreline
of Yellowstone Lake. Early May out here is awesome.
The lake is still cold and gray and sometimes
there's ice lingering along the edges and the
wind can sometimes just come whipping off that
water very hard. That's where the name Storm
Point really makes sense. Wildlife is a big part
of what makes this hike stand out, and it's not
just the obvious stuff. You're gonna see waterfowl
and maybe ducks riding the waves or working the
shoreline, and if you look carefully around the
rocky point, there's a really good chance of
spotting yellow -bellied marmots. The mix of
meadow, forest, and lake creates a surprising
amount of diversity for such a short walk. Now
one thing that really defines this trail in the
spring is bears. The area is well known for grizzly
activity, especially in late spring and early
summer, and the trail is sometimes closed because
of it. Even when the trail is open, even if there's
no sign saying recent bear activity on the trail,
expect to see a bear here. You probably won't,
but they are here. Last year I did this a couple
of times, and there are fresh bear tracks every
single time I did it. National Park Service makes
it very clear that both grizzly and black bears
use this entire region. It's right next to a
bear management area, and hikers are advised
to carry bear spray, make noise, and traveling
groups when possible. Early May is right in this
window where bears are out of their dens and
moving through the lower elevations like this.
They're often using the same meadows and forest
edges you're walking through. So just stay safe,
make noise, look for bear signs, and if you see
something that makes you feel uncomfortable,
turn around and go back. What makes Storm Point
unique is that you're not deep in the backcountry.
You're also not separated from wildlife. You're
just right in it. Bison graze in the meadow,
birds are along the lake, and the very real possibility
that bears pass through the same trail earlier
that day is right there. That's why flexibility
matters. It's not uncommon again for this trail
to be temporarily closed in the spring due to
bear activity, and it's always worth checking
conditions before heading out. If it is open
though, it's one of the best short hikes in this
area of the park for seeing how much life is
packed into a relatively small area. In early
May, Storm Point feels like Yellowstone in transition.
The ground is waking up, the lake is still holding
on to that last gasp of winter, and wildlife
is starting to move in meaningful ways. It's
not a flashy hike, but it doesn't need to be.
It's a quiet little jaunt, it's unpredictable,
and it's very much alive, and it's exactly what
makes it worth doing. this week All right next
week in the next episode I'm gonna return with
all the information you need to have a good week
in the park including that wildlife weather and
trail update until then Book a tour with me pick
up a guidebook of mine and happy trails Abrupt
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