[Geysers] Yellowstone Winter Use Plan (Stephens)

[Paul Strasser]

I'm torn on this.  Would the service station stay open at Old Faithful?  

 

What about breakdowns?  If you're at FPP in the evening and your car won't
start, what do you do?  It's one thing when it is 60 degrees, or even 40,
but what if it's -5 and falling?  Would the NPS have a final sweep of the
roads at 6PM and not allow driving after that?  I do think this is an issue,
because an accident on an unpatrolled road could be extremely dangerous no
matter how many blankets you carry along.

 

Also, would more facilities have to be open?  Probably not - I would assume
that the Xanterra facilities open in the few weeks before the Nov close
handle the crowds OK.  

 

Access to places like Norris or Canyon would be a challenge.  Over-snow
vehicles couldn't make a loop.  Would visitors pick them up at Madison, and
return there?  Just wondering.

 

I am a strong proponent of easier access to OF in the winter, and the stuff
about the park needing a period of "rest" is anthropromorphizing.  (I have
some sympathy for the staff needing rest!)  But I would like to hear how the
issue of safety in terms of vehicles would be handled.  If these could be
factored in, I would like the idea of plowing.  

 

How would this affect West Yellowstone?  Some businesses would suffer, but
I'd guess for the most part it would help them.  

 

So what are the drawbacks?

 

Paul Strasser

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: </geyser-list/attachments/20100221/1d65bd4a/attachment.html>