Yellowstone Snow Machines

WernerG

We recently spent a winter week in Yellowstone National Park. Getting around on the unplowed roads in Yellowstone involves the use of various types of snow machines;


Modern 4WD truck chassis with wheels replaced by treads. Comfortable, slow, and prone to getting stuck in soft snow.


One of the original Bombardier snow coaches still in use in the Old Faithful/Snow Lodge area. It is the only transport into the park from the south. Noisy (wear ear plugs), uncomfortable, fast, goes in soft snow, and is part of the Yellowstone in Winter tradition, but under fire from environmental groups because they are polluting and noisy.


If you travel from Mammoth Hot Springs to the Old Faithful area, there is no room for luggage in the above coaches so your luggage goes in this snow tractor/trailer, originally built for the Italian Army. Both the tractor and trailer treads are driven and the unit steers by articulating the tractor and trailer. The tractor cannot steer by itself.


Similar to the military tractor/trailer above, this unit has two trailers and the owner, a private contractor renovating a hotel in Yellowstone that is isolated in winter, has replaced the military cab with the cab from a pickup truck. Both trailers are powered.


A tricked-out antique Bombardier run by a tour company in West Yellowstone, Montana.

superduckz

Thanks for all of those! The "moto" geek in me is awestruck at the ingenuity!

WernerG

Thanks for commenting. I was familiar with the older Bombardiers from a prior winter trip 6 years ago but I was surprised at how fragile the newer units are (first pic). The treads break down a lot. Of course they put on nearly 100 miles per day touring and traveling between hotels. I was also surprised at how careful the drivers are with the 4 tread units, if they get too close to the soft, ungroomed shoulders of the roads they will sink and that's the end of the tour. Didn't happen to us, thankfully.

black mamba

Good shots, Werner. And very informative.

I spent two weeks in Yellowstone this past Summer ( stayed at the Canyon Lodge ) and will go back for another two weeks this coming Summer. Down the road, I want to make a Winter trip there.

BTW....I can't imagine taking a trip from the Mammoth Springs area all the way to the Old Faithful area in one of those things.

Tom

Zerodog

Very cool! Those old ones look like a blast to drive.

Earache

WernerG wrote: »

...... I was surprised at how fragile the newer units are (first pic). The treads break down a lot.

*FORD* Kinda' like Nikon......

Interesting/informative document shots.

ian408

Very cool!

WernerG

black mamba wrote: »

Good shots, Werner. And very informative.

I spent two weeks in Yellowstone this past Summer ( stayed at the Canyon Lodge ) and will go back for another two weeks this coming Summer. Down the road, I want to make a Winter trip there.

BTW....I can't imagine taking a trip from the Mammoth Springs area all the way to the Old Faithful area in one of those things.

Tom

Thank you for commenting, Tom. All the trips in Snow Coaches include tour stops, even those that are primarily for transportation, and they stop in different places going each way and different than those that are intended for out and return tours. We did a tour to Canyon and the Falls, and to Norris. The trip to Old Faithful and back the next day included stops along way. They are expensive though. Even the trip in to Old Faithful from the South Entrance at Flagg Ranch stops at several sites along the way.

Yellowstone in Winter is a completely different atmosphere than the summer, less crowded, the animals are close by and calmer and easier to see with snow backgrounds. It is a much more intimate experience. The boardwalk trails do get a bit crowded when a herd of bison is using them to go the other way. They have the right of way!