| Start the Day |
On Sunday morning, we'll have breakfast about 7 AM and then check out our
snowmobiles and clothing between 8:00 AM and 9AM. Departure from West Yellowstone is at
9:15 AM. That
means that you must have your snowmobile, be packed, suited up, and at the rally point by
8:45. After a short briefing, we're on our way. Please don't be late because
this is a VERY long day's travel, and we need to reach Flagg Ranch by
nightfall. |
| Travel |
 We'll
enter the West Gate where we'll be checked for Park Passes (provided by the hotel). We'll
travel east alongside the Madison River for 14 miles. Here you'll see your first Buffalo
and maybe an Elk or two. You'll think it's beautiful, but it's only the beginning of what will
become spectacular.When we reach Madison Junction, we'll turn south and head for Old
Faithful 16 miles away. We'll be making lots of stops to see the sights along the way. A
few stops on the way to Old Faithful are the Firehole River, Fountain Paint Pots, Biscuit
Basin, and any other interesting spot we see. |
| Lunch |
We'll have lunch at Old Faithful and watch the geyser blast hot steam into
the sky. If we're lucky, it will be a clear day and the contrast between the white steam
and the dark blue sky will make a great picture. |
| Travel |
Leaving Old Faithful, we'll travel 17 miles to the West Thumb Geyser
Basin. Along the way we'll stop at Shoshone Lake to admire the clean smooth lake surface.
At West Thumb, we head 22 miles south to Flagg Ranch. This stretch is exciting because we
travel along a large pine forest and open plains as we travel toward the South Gate.
During our 1995 trip, the weather here was a little nasty on the ride down to Flagg. The visibility was
poor, but breath taking none the less. In 1999, we had high winds that
dropped the wind chill factor and made a few people cold. |
| End the Day |
The day ends when we reach Flagg Ranch about 4PM. We traveled 69
miles and made a couple dozen stops along the way. The first order of business is to get
gas for your snowmobile and check in.
After a quick shower, we're off to the restaurant for
dinner and some relaxation. This is the longest leg of the cross country
trip. |
| Dinner |
We'll meet for dinner at 7PM. |
| Optional Activity |
If you still have energy, plan on traveling further south into the Grand
Teton National Park. We tried this in 1995 and again in 1999, and saw some
great views of the mountains. |
We'll
enter the West Gate where we'll be checked for Park Passes (provided by the hotel). We'll
travel east alongside the Madison River for 14 miles. Here you'll see your first Buffalo
and maybe an Elk or two. You'll think it's beautiful, but it's only the beginning of what will
become spectacular.