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Snowmobile on Wyoming’s Snowy Plateaus
RIDING THE MAGIC CARPET
By Bob Woodall
 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 and Wyoming native Rulon Gardiner.
After becoming 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
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 a traveler’s list
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 through the scenic and natural wonders of the park.
Travel is restricted to the groomed roadways. All off-road travel
is prohibited and the speed limit is enforced at 35 mph from West
Yellowstone to Old Faithful and at 45 mph on all other park roads.
Snowmobiles offer no more access than do automobiles in the summer.
Contrary to some misperceptions, snowmobiles and riders cannot
wander wherever they want in the park.
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, snowmobiles 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).
The 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 connects 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 are 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 & 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.
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