Montana Yellowstone Tips?

vikequeen

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 4, 2015
Hi everyone -- I am getting ready to leave on this trip in a few weeks. I've searched the forum for a few tips, but I haven't found a lot about this trip. Does anyone have any packing tips? Things you wish you had that you didn't pack, or things you really didn't need? Would love to hear any tips.
 
Hi - We were on the last trip of the season last year - the very last week of August. I think the only thing we were a little unprepared for was how cold it could get - there was snow at the top of Big Sky - first time we've ever made snowballs in August. So if it's late August that you're going, I'd say just pack an extra layer. We also had some very chilly, wet weather during our glamping days and I really wished I had brought something warmer to sleep in. Beyond the weather, it was an amazing trip. Do everything that's offered - I was surprised that I really enjoyed the fly fishing lesson. I wish I had gone on the mountain bike trek, but the guides said it was pretty strenuous. My husband went and said I could have easily done it. When you're at the ranch, be sure to get up early to watch the horses come back after grazing free overnight in the high pastures - it's truly worth an early rise! Have a wonderful trip!!
 
We just got back from Yellowstone on our own. Agree it can get cold. Bring layers. I even used my light weight down jacket for a 7:00am wildlife tour. It also seemed to frequently rain, sometimes hard, for a very short period of time, so a rain coat is also good. Sturdy shoes. Even if you don't hike, many of the easy trails are not paved - lots of little rocks and bits of stuff to get down into sandals.
 
Heed the warnings about the distance you are required to stay away from wild animals

https://billingsgazette.com/news/st...BU9x7s5p45GbU#tracking-source=home-the-latest
Remember that the weather can change in an instant. What your friend/another poster/relative/ect had in the 4th week in July is not necessarily the weather that you will have. You can skip the snow pants but do bring a hat and at least some light weight gloves especially for in the mornings and the evenings.

Sunscreen very important while you are further away from the equator you are higher in elevation and are more likely to get a sunburn. Being in or on the water seem to increase this due to the relection of the sun off the water.

While it is disappointing if things change on your trip and you can not have things like a fire please remember that the counties you are in have issued burn restrictions for a reason due to the local drought levels. We have gotten a sinficant higher amount of snow fall for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 season along with unusually high rain fall for both 2018 and so far for 2019 resulting in an increase in vegitation levels. If we have low snow fall levels for 2019-20 winter and no not receive the rainfall in spring of 2020 and then have tempatures in the mid 80s starting the 2nd week of June with climbing into the upper 90s and even low 3 digits by early July we are going to be living in a tinder box up around these parts. We can not control the lightening storms but we can control the use of open fires even in fire pits. When it is dry a simple lightening strike fire can spread over miles in a matter of minutes and threaten the lively hood of several families along with the economy not only of one small town but of the region. If a farmer outside of Cody Wy does not have a crop not only is money not going to be spent going out to dinner a few times a month in Cody but the server there who would have made more in tips from extra customers is not going to drive to Billings and purchase a few new outfits (no sales tax in MT so they do make the trip up especially on the weekends in order to shop). Believe me it is much harder on us to deal with stage 3 restrictions trying to get crops in, lawns mowed, hedges trimmed ect when we can only operate gas or propane powered equipment from 7 pm to 7 am provided the tempatures have dropped to a certain level. Oh and it gets dark about 9 am and doesn't start getting light until around 5 or 5:30 so that means the hard working farmers are out there working under the light of their equipment headlights which is a limited lighted area that they can see in order to make a living.

Wind we have a lot around here so be ready. Plan on putting long hair in a pony and braiding it if you don't know how to do a french braid trust me you will be thanking me for this tip when your not detangling your hair from the wind or having it in your mouth. Do not count on being able to use an umbrella when it rains because the wind might be so high your umbrella is turning inside out. Always have plan B such as a hooded rain poncho and a decent cord you don't care if it gets wet to tye around your waist to keep it from blowing up.
 



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