Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — drive from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel back to Bozeman

Like a bat out of hell!

January 2014

Wow! The drive out from the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel back to Bozeman was scary. It was in complete contrast to the drive to the park.

The drive into Yellowstone was on an official Yellowstone Association transfer from Bozeman Airport to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, and it was great. We had a friendly, safe female driver who talked to us and explained our route. We had a ‘comfort break’ with a bit of bird watching. The driver offered to stop at the famous Yellowstone Roosevelt Arch for a photo opportunity.

The drive out was the opposite of the drive in. The drive was rushed, there were no stops or conversation, the driving was erratic, and I felt unsafe. For example, as we were going over the notorious Bozeman/Livingstone pass (famous for high winds, driving snow, and wind gusts that can flip over a truck and trailer), and the coach driver decided to overtake a large truck that was doing at least 60 mph (ca. 97 km/h). We were almost squashed against the central concrete barrier. It was not a good experience.

A four-day trip to Yellowstone came very close to ending in disaster.