Winter in Yellowstone National Park -
A test of character for man and material

I love winter, but in Germany there are few chances to experience it. That is why I set out on two photo trips to the wintery Yellowstone National Park some time ago. Even at this time Yellowstone is a paradise for nature photographers. There are many motives to discover: bisons in snow, hot springs, geysers and a fascinating winter landscape.

Yellowstone National Park is mainly located at more than 2300 meters altitude. In February you will have temperatures as low as -40°C. But especially in fine weather an unforgettable winter experience is guaranteed.

Snowmobiles are the only means of transportation required for the great distances in the park. As an additional stress factor besides the cold, a lot of nasty jostling due to the rough terrain has to be expected. To tell you straight away: I could rely on my EOS 1 and my Canon lens at all times.

 The photographic work often started in the morning with a biting frost of -40°C. In the beginning we were not happy to drive off with the snowmobile under such weather conditions. The danger of being smitten with frostbite seemed too great. But it is hardly possible to restrain animal photographers from sun and a blue sky. After a short discussion we finally started off. Early in the morning you can drive well on the prepared and frozen tracks. And then- the first motive: stop, switch off the engine, take off the helmet and gloves, mount the photo equipment and the tripod, put on the gloves again and- we could “already“ start. After this, the whole procedure the other way round, twenty to thirty times a day depending on the number of motives.

In a short time there was a thin ice film on the back side of the camera caused by our own breath, but you don´t have to worry about this, because the EOS 1 has a special sealing.

Spectacle- wearers are additionally confronted with dimmed glasses, which render work more difficult. Special polishing cloths slightly improve this situation. Some time later I photographed in a thermal area of Yellowstone and witnessed how the cold photo equipment, surrounded by warm steam, was immediately covered with an ice film.

The power supply didn´t turn out to be a problem with Canon- NC accumulators or Energizer Lithium batteries. But you shouldn´t use other power sources on such a tour. During daylong trips on the snowmobile the whole gear was subjected to an extreme cold,-jolt- and humidity test. The photo equipment and the lens case were often tethered to a sledge- trailer and while driving on a rough track, they constantly banged on the wooden base plate of the sledge. Therefore driving on these stinking and noisy vehicles sometimes made me think of a rodeo. Anyhow- the equipment resisted perfectly. Tripod heads and tripod are very difficult to handle at temperatures below -10°C. There is one exception: the tripods and fluid heads of Sachtler. They are unimpressed by cold winter weather. After an exhausting photo day you should give your equipment enough time for adaptation to indoor temperatures. A subsequent maintenance and inspection of the gear prepares for the next day.

Clothing
On such an enterprise everything depends on adequate clothes. Mistakes can be disastrous in these inhospitable natural conditions. You can´t buy anything round the next corner. Dressing in layers proves to be good in winter, that means, that you wear several clothes one upon the other. The first layer should be thermo underwear(e.g. Patagonia), tightly fitting to your body. Then there should be a fleece sweatshirt and finally a down-jacket. You also have the option to wear a pullover over the fleece and then a wind-resistant and waterproof Goretex- jacket. For your legs I recommend a three- layered combination of thermo underwear, fleece and Goretex- trousers.

The selection of warm shoes isn´t easy to make. Cold feet are horrible and quickly lead to illness caused by cold. I have always been satisfied with the boots of the Canadian company “Sorrel“. Winter boots should be one size too large in order to have enough room for additional thermo soles and thick socks.(Please note, that I describe warm clothes for a long and motionless stay in the cold) Animal photographers sometimes stand still on a place for a long time and after many hours on ice and snow there will be the moment of truth.

Those who suffer from sweating feet should prefer socks made of synthetic fibre. The modern high-tech socks transport the moisture to the outside and your feet stay dry and warm- a principle of the utmost importance for the whole question of clothing! And there is something else: if you are prepared for a motionless outdoor stay in the biting frost, you really shouldn´t have to walk too much, because in this case you would be drenched in your own sweat. Deep- snow walking is very strenuous.

The best protection for your hands is a combination of light fleece gloves and Goretex- mittens, which reach over your wrist (e.g. Mamut). In the mittens eventually damp fleece gloves dry up again owing to your body temperature.

A thick woollen cap or a fleece hood complete the winter gear. Important: 60 per cent of your body heat is emitted by the head! But adequately clothed you can really enjoy an extremely frosty winter trip.

Food
The calorie demand in the cold is much higher than under normal circumstances. It is a problem to prevent food from freezing. Unfortunately after a short time our food, tucked in the snowmobile, was deep- frozen.

What remained were deep- frozen chocolate bars and nuts. By the way- you need something to warm up from time to time! Therefore a good thermos is necessary, e.g. the 1,7 litre thermos of Thermos/US. At -25°C boiling water remains hot after 12 hours. So you can make a soup or a hot drink just as you like- something really excellent in a well- earned pause.