I like to photograph wildlife, so over the years I have spent a lot of time in Yellowstone. It's a great place to see large mammals, including elk, moose, bison, deer, bears, and wolves, among many others.
Most of the park is above 6,000ft in elevation, and so it can rain or snow at any time of year. So I always have a tent and a couple of sleeping bags in the car, along with extra water and food, and what I carry out on the trail in my pack is a fair approximation of what I used to mountaineer with, minus the anchors and tools, and plus some bear spray.
But here are things I have heard other visitors say/ask while at the park:
- "Do they turn off the geysers at night to save energy?" (No.)
- "Do they put the animals in a barn at night?" (No.)
- "Arthur, go stand next to that bison." (Unwise.)
- "Can I pet that elk?" (It's your life.)
- From a guy wearing shorts, a tanktop, and combat boots: "Is this the minimum amount of gear I need to bivvy in the outback?"
- "Do moose bite?" (Probably, but that will be the least of your worries if you get too close to one.)
That is, little if any conception that they are in a place where the weather can change suddenly, situational monitoring and analysis is a constant, and you need to have some gear on hand that will save your life when it goes from sunny and 80 degrees to cold/wet/freezing. And also that the nearest ER is 90 miles north of the park.
A friend of mine, who year-rounds in Gardiner (north edge of the Park), thinks the problem is the name "Park". In Nance's view, "park" connotes something like Central Park to urbanites. She thinks it should be renamed "Yellowstone Reserve for Extremely Dangerous Hot Pools, Geysers, and Animals."
All that said, Yellowstone can be enjoyed safely, if you properly prepare and use your brains. But it is a testament to the park staff that the injury and fatality rate is as low as it is, given how the vast majority of visitors think and behave.
J.
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