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Posted by Granite Head (128.135.212.27) on 14:21:23 11/03/2009
In Reply to: SPRING TRIP posted by Salena
is a great time to visit the parks (both Yellowstone and the Tetons) It's big-time baby animal season, you'll likely see bison calves, pronghorn fawns, bighorn sheep lambs, elk calves, moose calves, and best of all, bear cubs.
But also be prepared for any and all kinds of weather. It's certainly possible that what comes down as rain at lower elevations comes down as snow, or "slurpy" at higher elevations. Cooler at night and higher up, warmer during the days, especially sunny ones, and at the lower elevations and in the geyser basins. Best plan for layers so you can bulk up or pare down as conditions require.
My strongest suggestion is to invest in Janet Chapple's book, Yellowstone Treasures. It's an excellent stop-by-stop guide to everything you come across along the roads, with additional chapters on geology, the Tetons, etc. (Buy it directly through her site or through Amazon) You can get hiking tips and trail maps - and I DO recommend that you get out and walk as much as you can - from the rangers at the visitor's centers at the main stops around the park.
See all the main sites: the Canyon, Old Faithful and the surrounding geyser basins, the Lake, Mammoth Hot Springs, and allow some time to observe wildlife. Best areas for that are Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley, and there are often black bears around the Tower Junction/Roosevelt Lodge-to-Tower Falls area. Watch for wildlife early and late in the day (although wildlife can happen wherever and whenever!) and when you see people with their spotting scopes set up along the roadside pull-outs, don't hesitate to ask "can I look?" Most people are thrilled to help you see what they are seeing! Take your own binoculars too.
The pic is from the Tetons, early June 2006. These are grizzlies.
Sorry, I don't camp, let's hope someone who does chimes in to help with that one.
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