A Last Look at West Yellowstone

The last day of NaBloPoMo calls for a last look at West Yellowstone, as the Yellowstone Ski Festival comes to a close.

Rather than returning to the Rendezvous Ski Trails (as I did in in this post), I ended my time in West Yellowstone with scenes from along the trail that leads into Yellowstone National Park.

Walking toward the entrance gate of Yellowstone National Park with skis and poles in hand, a sun dog greeted my friend and me, its rainbow shimmer suspended above the trees. Looking back toward town, the clear sky afforded a classic view of the mountains looming in the distance.

We skiied to the Wyoming-Montana border, and then veered left.

The trees opened up to the Madison River valley, with snowy mountaintops rising beyond it. The amazing view was a Thanksgiving gift.

We stood at the overlook for a period of time, taking in each frosted treetop, each branch covered in delicate ice crystals that were iridescent in the morning sunlight.

We returned the way we came, with classic skis following the single track back to the gates of the Park.

“Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span on this earth. They touch the heavens, and sail serenely at an altitude beyond even the imaginings of a mere mortal.” ~ Elizabeth Aston

Ciao! ~ Kat

9 responses to “A Last Look at West Yellowstone”

Sartenada says:

12/12/2013 at 1:42 AM

Sigh, how beautiful. Your winter photos are so great.

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- Kat at travelgardeneat says:
  
  12/16/2013 at 9:37 PM
  
  Thank you, Sartenada — the landscape was one beautiful view after another.
  
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tiny lessons blog says:

12/06/2013 at 10:16 AM

Thanks for sharing your gorgeous winter photos!!

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ChgoJohn says:

12/03/2013 at 9:48 AM

Thanks for taking us along, Kat. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Yellowstone and these posts served as a nice reminder of a very special place.

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- Kat at travelgardeneat says:
  
  12/03/2013 at 6:11 PM
  
  I hope to get back yet again — both summer and winter seasons! It is, indeed, a very special place.
  
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Ingrid says:

12/01/2013 at 5:34 PM

Thanks for sharing the trip. I’ve enjoyed all the beautiful photos…..I could almost feel the crisp, cold air, and the quiet peacefulness that only nature provides.

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Kathy says:

12/01/2013 at 2:03 PM

I’ve never been to Yellowstone, so it’s been intriguing to look at these very beautiful photos, Kat.

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Cheryl Howland says:

12/01/2013 at 9:18 AM

Awesome quote as awesome as the wonderous plain rising into mountains… America the Beautiful in person! Thank you for sharing.

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- Kat at travelgardeneat says:
  
  12/01/2013 at 11:53 AM
  
  Cheryl, thanks for following along this week — oh, to have the time to enjoy the outdoors like this every day!
  
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