Riding the Magic Carpet
Story and Photos by Bob Woodall
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| Racing across an open field on Lava Mountain near Togwotee Pass. |
Riding the mythical magic carpet has been merely a dream since ancient times. But when winter takes hold of Wyoming’s mountain ranges, a white magic carpet stretches out for hundreds of miles and beckons modern-day dreamers to come out and play. And there’s no better way to ride on this vast carpet but astride a snowmobile. So saddle up and head onto the great white open.
Northwest Wyoming straddles the stunning continental divide and is blessed with some of the best snowmobile landscapes available in the world, a veritable winter playground for snowmachine enthusiasts.
Snowmachines provide quick access to even the deepest reaches of the winter backcountry. Within a few minutes you can be far from the highway and immersed in the Rocky Mountains’ winter beauty. Traversing a meadow blanketed with several feet of snow, floating along at 60 mph with the powder flying over you shoulders, is like slicing through a birthday cake’s icing. It only gets better as you savor the cake itself.
Can I ride a snowmobile?
Snowmachines are pretty stable items. If you can drive an automobile and you have an opposable thumb and forefinger, you should be able to ride down a groomed trail to, say, Old Faithful Geyser. You squeeze the throttle with your right thumb and the brake with your left hand. It may take a few miles to get the feel of the trail but most riders can master the basics quickly. Riding off-trail, though, will require a bit more experience. Off-trail snowmobiling is a skill-intensive sport. And just as driving a car down the road doesn’t qualify one to race in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, steering a snowmobile along groomed roads is vastly different from finessing it through woodlands at breakneck speeds.
Guided or go it alone
If you have never snowmobiled before, by all means go guided. All tour companies offer guided-trip packages. They usually provide transportation from your lodging and they all supply the warm clothes needed for a comfortable experience. Continental breakfasts and hot lunches usually round out the package. The guides, of course, are trained in snowmobile and winter safety and have a handle on the area’s flora, fauna, and history.
Unguided rentals, though, are a great way to see the country at one’s own pace. But be sure to be prepared for severe winter conditions, and know where you are going. Wyoming winters can be painfully brutal for the unprepared. Just ask Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardiner. After getting separated from his snowmobile party, he got disoriented and then bogged down his machine. After spending a night out in below-zero temperatures he lost a toe to frostbite. So never head into the backcountry alone. The never-go-alone rule can be waved only for trips through Yellowstone National Park, where the groomed roadways are constantly traversed by snowcoaches and snowmobiles.
Where to go
There are several major snowmobile destinations in northwest Wyoming, each with its own special features. Some are snowmobile playgrounds while others are primarily for viewing the natural wonders.
Togwotee Pass, Granite Hot Springs, Green River Valley, and the Greys River Valley are the playgrounds, while Yellowstone and Gros Ventre areas are for observing wildlife and the natural world.
Yellowstone National Park
Tops on many travelers’ lists is Yellowstone National Park. Snowmobiling through the park is a great way to experience this wonderland. The steam from geysers and hot springs is accentuated by the cold, crisp air. Herds of bison and elk graze the geyser basins, where the earth’s heat keeps the snow melted away from the summer grasses. If you’ve never been to Yellowstone, then a visit should be on the top 10 list of “must do’s.”
But make no mistake, Yellowstone is not a snowmobile playground! The machine is merely personal transportation
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| Granite Hot Springs is a hot destination. |
through the scenic and natural wonders of the park. Travel is restricted to the groomed roadways. All off-road travel is prohibited and speed limit is enforced at 35 mph from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful and at 45 mph on all other park roads. Snowmobiles actually offer less access than do automobiles in the summer. Contrary to some misperceptions, snowmobiles and riders cannot wander wherever they want in the park. Several new regulations apply this winter (see page 67).
Granite Hot Springs
While Yellowstone abounds with hot springs, the opportunity to take a plunge in one of them is not an option. Not only are most too hot, but swimming in them is illegal. So if you crave a dip in a 110-degree pool in the great outdoors, then head to Granite Hot Springs. The natural hot spring-fed pool, set amidst the imposing Gros Ventre mountains, is just part of a day trip up Granite Creek. Unlike in Yellowstone park, snowmobilers can go off trail and romp in the powder fields that the area offers. This would be a good break-in for those who want to kick it up a notch on the snowmobile learning curve.
Togwotee Pass
But if you want to really boot it up a notch, head to the Togwotee Pass area, where thousands of square miles of terrain await exploring. This is true powder-busting, cornice-bashing, zoom-across-a-wide-open-field-of-powder country. But there’s more to world-class snowmobiling than wide-open terrain. Amid the Gros Ventre, Absaroka, Wyoming, and Wind River mountain ranges, the scenery is second to none. The visibility on clear days can reach upwards of 150 miles. The Breccia Cliffs and the Pinnacle Buttes tower over this playground and the Tetons loom majestically in the distance.
Snaking its way through the Togwotee Pass area is the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trial (CDST). This 350-mile, groomed trail connects Lander, Wyoming, to Pinedale, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, and West Yellowstone. This sparkling chain strung among the mountains is decorated with many jewels along its length. A vast network of groomed side trails connect a patchwork of open meadows.
Union Pass/Green River Valley
Southeast of Togwotee Pass is the sprawling Union Pass and the Upper Green River Valley region. The CDST accesses this area from both the Pinedale and Dubois sides of the Wind River Range. The Pinedale/Green River side of the mountains has a trail system of over 135 miles, while the Dubois side has over 150 miles of trails through some of the most scenic country in the West. Breathtking tracts of open country, with mountains in view everywhere and snow depths reaching 10 feet, just beg to be explored.
Gros Ventre River
Wildlife viewing is high on many visitors’ to-do list. And a trip up the Gros Ventre Valley offers riders just that—and then some. Starting just above the Gros Ventre Slide, the trail closely follows the summer road. Since this is critical winter game habitat, travel is mostly restricted to the roadway. Willow bottom lands are prime moose habitat and Bighorn sheep inhabit the cliffs to the north of the trail. Twenty miles up the Gros Ventre is an elk feeding ground. In the past few years these wintering elk have attracted the attention of recently re-introduced wolves, so wolf sightings have become a distinct possibility.
Beyond the elk feeding grounds the terrain opens up and affords some off-trail riding. But please respect the wildlife closure areas. Causing the unnecessary death of an animal is not what vacations are about.
Greys River Valley
South of Jackson, near the mouth of the Snake River Canyon, lies the Greys River Valley, one of the locals’ favorite spots. This playground serves up everything a snowmobiler could want: towering mountains, great trail riding, and unlimited backcountry, the ultimate riding and powder hunting grounds.
Overnight and Multi-day Trips
If this menu of options sounds like too much to digest in one day, consider a multi-day excursion. String together several of these destinations with overnight stays in remote, snow-bound lodges. Start at one end of the trail and emerge at the other, never having to backtrack. Consider a three-night excursion through Yellowstone, staying at a different lodge each night.
So whatever you may be seeking in a snowmobile experience, the palette of opportunity is broad. Don’t be afraid of the machine: just jump on and ride the magic carpet of the great white open.
For more information on snowmobiling and other activities in Yellowstone, visit its web site: www.nps.gov/yell or call 307-344-7381.
The Jackson Hole Skier is a free visitors’ guide published annually and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Jackson Hole SKier, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.
Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.
Publishers: Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. (FPI)
Editors: Mike Calabrese, Wade McKoy, Bob Woodall
Art Direction & Ad Design: Janet Melvin
Advertising Sales:
JACKSON: Ike Faust, 307-690-5908, 307-733-6995 email: mail.focus@wyom.net
DUBOIS & PINEDALE: Janet Melvin 307-733-6995
CODY: Guy & Barb Hull 307-527-7808