Winter, as most of us understand it, is not the same thing that people or animals experience in Yellowstone. For most of us, winter is an inconvenience, for life (human and animal) in Yellowstone it can be deadly and often is.

If you were in Yellowstone today (Friday, January 27, 2006), conditions would not really be that bad, winds are calm, the temperature a relatively balmy -6 Centigrade with moderate snow fall expected.  

Still, if you were visiting Yellowstone this weekend, you would only find one road in the entire park open to auto traffic (Gardiner to Cooke City) across the northern top of Yellowstone. All other roads are closed except for snow mobiles and snow coaches and they only go on certain main routes. Access to the interior of the park and secondary roads is basically impossible. In the center of the park an occasional cross-country skier or scientist may see a lot of animals, incredible beautiful scenes, but they will definitely not see any other people. Even in late April, which we see as spring, on the high plains in Yellowstone, it might drop to a minus 15 degrees. Many of the interior park roads will remain closed until mid-May.

What might be (and certainly has been) shocking to visitors, is that in mid-July on the higher plateaus in Yellowstone you could find yourself in a snow storm.

On the high plateaus, on a really bad day, the temperature can plunge to a minus 70 degrees F. The snow pack you are walking on, or skiing over, could be over 180 inches deep. You would actually find yourself looking down on some trees.

In this environment, it is easy to conclude that the extreme cold (artic weather) huge blankets of snow covering plant life (food sources for the herbivores) and water (most critical for all life forms) can be frozen over, turns Yellowstone into a time for dying for most species.   

Yet, amazingly these creatures have developed coping skills to enable the strong, alert and the smart to survive. It would take an exceptional human, well equip and supplied, to endure this type of environment, yet most animals do make it to spring. How?

Over the next several weeks, I would like to share some of the “smart design” evident in nature that allows life to go on when conditions suggest life should end. Each week look for a small piece which will highlight some of the animal species we are getting to know.

Consider our friend the wolf, think of some of the animals on the survey directory, recall information you came across in the past, add some common sense experiences, and see if you can guess and predict some of the coping strategies that will be in play. I guarantee, you will hear things that most people have never considered: most amazing facts.