Ten Things I Learned In Yellowstone National Park

This Memorial Day weekend, Sarah and I ventured to the Great White North, also known as Yellowstone. In typical fashion, our epic journey would have even made Homer proud. We left after work on Thursday, speeding up to Sheridan, Wyoming. We were extremely lucky to barrow some floor space at our dear friend Hannah’s adorable HQ. After resting up, washing off the road grime, and enjoying some fabulous Hannah brew; the road we hit once more. This is about the time our luck began to wear thin. When we arrived to Yellowstone’s East gate, we were informed the gate was closed due to less than welcoming weather. As we walked back to the car from the ranger station, I realized we still had Hannah’s one and only apartment key; yikes! With no cell coverage, it was time to panic and speed back to Cody. We barely got the key in the mail before the shipping store closed. We then decided to give East gate one more shot, making the 50 mile trek once more. Success, we made into our nation’s first national park! Within minutes of entering the park we saw bison, male and female moose, and big horn sheep. Much to my amazement, we even saw an avalanche cannon! With a little finesse with our coordination, we met up with our camping buddies Mark and Megan. We pitched our tents, and settled in for the freezing night ahead of us. We awoke to nearly a foot of snow, and bone chilling temperatures. Though Mark and Megan headed South a little early, Sarah and I had an absolute blast seeing wildlife, shivering, hiking, shivering, and exploring the fascinating thermal landscape of the park. I learned ten things during our time in Yellowstone National Park, they are as follows. 1. Be flexible. Sometimes it snows three feet in an hour and you can’t get into, or out of the park. Sometimes a bison decides to go for a jog in the middle of traffic, no biggie. The ability to change plans on the fly is crucial. 2. Take warning signs seriously. I know I joked about riding a bison into attacking grizzly bears, that would have been so sweet, but the signs are no joke. These are wild animals. Likewise, the geysers are extremely hot and are pretty much just giant fountains of poison. Being stupid and careless will get you killed, and they will make fun of the headline on Letterman. So don’t be stupid. 3. Grow a beard. This is really, really important. If you do get mauled and gored by animals, or step into a geyser, at least you’ll look outdoorsy during it. 4. Be patient. There is a reason the speed limit is painfully slow throughout most of the park. It is because people drive like morons when they see something cool (myself included). Nearly 100 park animals die every year due to accidents. Besides, there is so much beauty to see, going slow helps put it into perspective. It’s kind of symbolic, it took a long to create this amazing place, and it should take a long time to enjoy it. 5. Wear layers. You never know what the weather will do next. Maybe it’ll be hot and sunny, maybe it won’t. Maybe you’ll get soaked, maybe you won’t. If you wear layers, you’re guaranteed to stay more comfortable, no matter if that means warmer, cooler, dryer, or whatever. 6. Learn. Take time to learn about the animals in the park. Understand how and why Old Faithful erupts. Discover new facts about trees you didn’t even know existed; like the only way lodge pole pines release seeds is if they are burned in a forest fire. Also, who knew the continental divide isn’t a straight imaginary line across the mountains? 7. Don’t take things for granted. It is mind boggling to think that this park is 140 years old. I can’t imagine roaming this place for weeks on horseback, packing every needed supply for your expedition. It is so easy to just throw some snacks and a sleeping bag in your car and have a great time. 8. Bring reading material. You will not have cell service, the radio stations won’t be clear, and you’re all the better for it. We live with so many distractions, it is well worth the park admission to be forced to talk about simple things, genuinely connect, and have the honest opportunity to read. 9. Be conscious of your impact. I’m a huge rock hound, and general collector of all things, period. It was so hard not to sneak some rocks home. However, I thought about it and the park sees over 2 million visitors a year, and its 140 years old. If every single visitor took one rock, there wouldn’t be much park left! Now that isn’t entirely true, but the principle is applicable. This mindset should stay with you after you leave the pristine park. Think about how you can have a positive impact on your local environment, because no matter where you go, it is beautiful in some way. 10. Lastly, be American. I don’t mean this in the literal sense. I hope people of every background and nationality can enjoy this special place in the marrow of America. That is after all, what the gate says, “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” What I mean is, be brave, be tough, go beyond your comfort zone, earn it, and show some grit. It takes effort to do this place right. If the weather is nasty, keep going. If you’re scared of bears eating your face off, be brave. It took quite a lot to settle this great country. Sometimes it just feels good tap into that American spirit, and be adventurous. Yellowstone is the kind of place that you get out, what you put into it. If you just snap some photos of Old Faithful from your air conditioned bus, that’s the type of benign experience you’re going to remember. If you camp, hike, and live in the elements, then that’s what you’re going feel; alive. After all, you can see pictures of grizzlies, bison, elk, wolves, coyotes, and moose in any National Geographic, which is fine. But how many times in your life can you wake up, pop out of your tent, go from a morning jaunt down to the stream, and wave good morning to them?