Recent Trip to Yellowstone - some traveler advice

[jlh]

Jumping on here to say thanks for the info, especially re Lamar Valley road construction. Arriving in Cooke City on 9/30 for a week of photography, wolf spotting and general goofing off. That time of year is always pretty iffy for restaurants or local grocery supplies, so I bring along most of what I need. Haven't been to area for a while, a little worried to see effects of floods and pandemic on Cooke City and Silver Gate.
Oh . . . here's another vote for the Log Cabin Cafe

 

[DavidT]

Jumping on here to say thanks for the info, especially re Lamar Valley road construction. Arriving in Cooke City on 9/30 for a week of photography, wolf spotting and general goofing off. That time of year is always pretty iffy for restaurants or local grocery supplies, so I bring along most of what I need. Haven't been to area for a while, a little worried to see effects of floods and pandemic on Cooke City and Silver Gate.
Oh . . . here's another vote for the Log Cabin Cafe

I’ll be up there from 9/21-10/3. Maybe we will run into each other. Look for a white Ford Tremor with TX tags.

 

[jlh]

Jumping on here to say thanks for the info, especially re Lamar Valley road construction. Arriving in Cooke City on 9/30 for a week of photography, wolf spotting and general goofing off. That time of year is always pretty iffy for restaurants or local grocery supplies, so I bring along most of what I need. Haven't been to area for a while, a little worried to see effects of floods and pandemic on Cooke City and Silver Gate.
Oh . . . here's another vote for the Log Cabin Cafe

 

[Steve]

Wow, we're all going to be there (Oct 1-14 for me). Black Outback Wilderness with a roof top carrier.

 

[DavidT]

Wow, we're all going to be there (Oct 1-14 for me). Black Outback Wilderness with a roof top carrier.

Would be fantastic to run into you. I’ll be headed down to the Tetons on the 2nd. Would be worth a drive back up there to meet you!

 

[MartyD]

If you are staying in Gardiner the new (old) road into the park is an experience.

 

[DavidT]

If you are staying in Gardiner the new (old) road into the park is an experience.

I’ll be staying in Gardiner for 5 nights. What’s the experience?

 

[MartyD]

The road is great, it’s only 3 miles but it’s a steep very winding road. You appreciate why they moved the road down along the river but they will probably never reopen that road. I can’t imagine driving the road in winter.

 

[jlh]

Geyser blue Subaru Wilderness with Illinois plates -- Steve and I seem to have similar great taste in vehicles

 

[DavidT]

Wow, we're all going to be there (Oct 1-14 for me). Black Outback Wilderness with a roof top carrier.

No more land cruiser?

 

[Steve]

No more land cruiser?

It was having issues - not drivetrain, but things like HVAC, Radar Cruise, Locks, etc. I like the outback, but with the new LC series announced, I might be back to one. Although, I have to admit, I'm really enjoying the outback. Super-comfortable seats (better than my LC 200), better window height for shooting from the car (a big one), about 10 more MPG (nice), and it still have more ground clearance then a grand Cherokee or stock pickup (9.5 inches). Wheel travel / size isn't in the same league as a truck or LC, but so far it's doing the job. 16K miles on it since April.

 

[Whiskeyman]

It was having issues - not drivetrain, but things like HVAC, Radar Cruise, Locks, etc. I like the outback, but with the new LC series announced, I might be back to one. Although, I have to admit, I'm really enjoying the outback. Super-comfortable seats (better than my LC 200), better window height for shooting from the car (a big one), about 10 more MPG (nice), and it still have more ground clearance then a grand Cherokee or stock pickup (9.5 inches). Wheel travel / size isn't in the same league as a truck or LC, but so far it's doing the job. 16K miles on it since April.

The new LCs are spec'd with a 4-cylinder engine... Load one down and I see a problem getting up some roads in the hills and mountains.

I'm also driving an Outback, a white 2019 3.6 Limited. Perfect for snowy conditions! But I won't be in Yellowstone this year. I do believe it's time to plan a trip to visit though. I lived in Colorado Springs for three years and never made it. The sacrifices we make when buying a fixer-upper and having a young family.

 

[DavidT]

It was having issues - not drivetrain, but things like HVAC, Radar Cruise, Locks, etc. I like the outback, but with the new LC series announced, I might be back to one. Although, I have to admit, I'm really enjoying the outback. Super-comfortable seats (better than my LC 200), better window height for shooting from the car (a big one), about 10 more MPG (nice), and it still have more ground clearance then a grand Cherokee or stock pickup (9.5 inches). Wheel travel / size isn't in the same league as a truck or LC, but so far it's doing the job. 16K miles on it since April.

What are you pulling an RV with?

 

[DavidT]

The new LCs are spec'd with a 4-cylinder engine... Load one down and I see a problem getting up some roads in the hills and mountains.

I'm also driving an Outback, a white 2019 3.6 Limited. Perfect for snowy conditions! But I won't be in Yellowstone this year. I do believe it's time to plan a trip to visit though. I lived in Colorado Springs for three years and never made it. The sacrifices we make when buying a fixer-upper and having a young family.

Yeah that is a bummer. The Lexus version will have the big V6 like the Tundra and Sequioa.

 

[Steve]

The new LCs are spec'd with a 4-cylinder engine... Load one down and I see a problem getting up some roads in the hills and mountains.

I'm also driving an Outback, a white 2019 3.6 Limited. Perfect for snowy conditions! But I won't be in Yellowstone this year. I do believe it's time to plan a trip to visit though. I lived in Colorado Springs for three years and never made it. The sacrifices we make when buying a fixer-upper and having a young family.

Yeah that is a bummer. The Lexus version will have the big V6 like the Tundra and Sequioa.

The turbo 4 actually looks pretty good. The old V8 was 381HP / 401 FT pound of torque. The 4 cylinder in the lighter vehicle is 326 HP and 465 FT Pound of torque. So, it's not the same HP (a ballpark kind of close though) and has more torque. I think it'll be decent - although I plan a test drive for sure. I was skeptical of 4 cycle turbos until I got the Outback - that turbo 4 is a lot of fun and plenty quick (faster than my V8 LC).

 

[Steve]

What are you pulling an RV with?

I caved and have a GMC AT4 Pickup

I prefer an SUV, but this AT4 is really nice. Bigger than I like for photography, but it works. We're going to outfit the back for photography. Although for a late season YNP trip, I'll stick to hotels - I don't want to worry about thing freezing as I travel

 

[DavidT]

I caved and have a GMC AT4 Pickup

I prefer an SUV, but this AT4 is really nice. Bigger than I like for photography, but it works. We're going to outfit the back for photography. Although for a late season YNP trip, I'll stick to hotels - I don't want to worry about thing freezing as I travel

I bought an F150 Tremor in November and have been very happy. Next step is a camper like yours. Basically I’m trying to be like Steve lol

 

[Hobbzz]

I head to Yellowstone in two weeks, so this is very helpful. I’m staying in Silver Gate, just a few miles west of Cooke City, and planning on spending most of my time in the Lamar. Are you saying that the main road through the Lamar (212) is down to only one lane? If so, that could be a major disaster! Thanks again.

That’s great info! I’m headed up there on Sept 20th-Oct 4th.

Jumping on here to say thanks for the info, especially re Lamar Valley road construction. Arriving in Cooke City on 9/30 for a week of photography, wolf spotting and general goofing off. That time of year is always pretty iffy for restaurants or local grocery supplies, so I bring along most of what I need. Haven't been to area for a while, a little worried to see effects of floods and pandemic on Cooke City and Silver Gate.
Oh . . . here's another vote for the Log Cabin Cafe

Wow, we're all going to be there (Oct 1-14 for me). Black Outback Wilderness with a roof top carrier.

Great info OP! Count me in too. I'm also hopefully headed there at the end of this month. Probably head to the Tetons first though, and split our time 50/50 between the two parks. Shooting for the 24th through the 10th right now. Silver Rav4 hybrid with Wisconsin tags

 

[Davet188]

Great info OP! Count me in too. I'm also hopefully headed there at the end of this month. Probably head to the Tetons first though, and split our time 50/50 between the two parks. Shooting for the 24th through the 10th right now. Silver Rav4 hybrid with Wisconsin tags

Staying in Silver Gate 20-24th, they Jackson 25-28, then some combination of Gardiner or Canyon Village from the 29-oct 3. I'll post my rental SUV when I get it on Sunday.

 

[DavidT]

I just packed up the gear going with me for 13 days! I can’t wait now praying a government shut down doesn’t shut down the park.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Steve]

I just packed up the gear going with me for 13 days! I can’t wait now praying a government shut down doesn’t shut down the park.
View attachment 69898

Have fun!

We had some stuff come up and, with a potential shutdown looming, we canceled our plans for now. I'm going to wait and see what happens - this time of year I can rebook in a hurry

 

[Hobbzz]

Looking at what happened in 2018 it appears that a shutdown might not have much of an effect depending on where you're staying. Bathroom breaks would probably have to be planned strategically lol.

Obviously what they shut down this time could change, but it looks like last time they shut down everything in the park, but it was still open for tourists. Not sure what they consider "commercial services".

Operations at Yellowstone during the government shutdown (12-22-2018) - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Steve]

Looking at what happened in 2018 it appears that a shutdown might not have much of an effect depending on where you're staying. Bathroom breaks would probably have to be planned strategically lol.

Obviously what they shut down this time could change, but it looks like last time they shut down everything in the park, but it was still open for tourists. Not sure what they consider "commercial services".

Operations at Yellowstone during the government shutdown (12-22-2018) - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

It's tricky for sure. With my wife along, bathroom facilities are sort of important.

It's also tricky with the snow, if there is any. Not sure if or where they will be plowing. Probably safe rom Gardiner to Cook City, but who really knows? There are also construction areas and they might shut those areas of the road completely down since there's no one to man the single lane traffic (or monitor any temporary lights they put in). For us, it's tough because we drive from OH to YNP (about 3 days) and it's a big commitment to get shut out or not be able to get what we want.

A lot of variables in play. Still, I can leave at the drop of a hat once things are good to go

 

[Hobbzz]

It's tricky for sure. With my wife along, bathroom facilities are sort of important.

It's also tricky with the snow, if there is any. Not sure if or where they will be plowing. Probably safe rom Gardiner to Cook City, but who really knows? There are also construction areas and they might shut those areas of the road completely down since there's no one to man the single lane traffic (or monitor any temporary lights they put in). For us, it's tough because we drive from OH to YNP (about 3 days) and it's a big commitment to get shut out or not be able to get what we want.

A lot of variables in play. Still, I can leave at the drop of a hat once things are good to go

Yeah that's a good point. My wife would also be going, and we'd be coming from Wisconsin, so about a 24 hour drive one way.

Snow is still forecasted for the end of this week, but I haven't looked at next week yet. We had planned on car camping for most of it and spending some of the nights at dispersed sights anyway. Not sure if the gas stations would be some of the "commercial services" they refer to. We'd really have to wait and see exactly what they close down though. Still hoping for the best for now.

 

[Nimi]

Yeah that is a bummer. The Lexus version will have the big V6 like the Tundra and Sequioa.

The LX600 has the 400hp twin-turbo 6. Essentially the LC300. Love my 200 and 78.