35 WINTER 2020 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 01 SNOWGOER . COM 36
THE SETUP
There are plenty of influential folks who ’ d love to put the kibosh to snowmobiles inside Yellowstone , claiming they ’ re disruptive to the wildlife — too loud and too smoky .
As enthusiasts , and fans of logical thinking , we ’ ve always found it curious that 30,000 people per day in the summer are allowed , while just more than 20,000 snowmobiles per winter gets certain folks up in arms .
These days most snowmobiling visitors must go through the park as part of a metered , guided ride from one of several local establishments — mostly based in the adventurous town of West Yellowstone . There are a limited number of un-guided tours available , but a visitor must go through an extended application process .
Getting in takes the price of admission and , depending on recent weather , a bit of luck to get into a group . I saddled up with Yellowstone Vacations , and hit the road toward the West Entrance as part of a group of approximately 15 snowmobile riders . Our youthful guide was Tim Knaus , who moonlights as a horse-riding backcountry law enforcement ranger during the summer .