More Things to do at the Yellowstone Ski Festival

Fri, Nov  9, 2007 - By Jamie Greene

Well, we've covered special events and highlights of the Yellowstone Ski Festival, and reviewed the local restaurants . But there are still more things to do:

Cross country skiing: Of course, most of you will be here to ski so we ought to touch on that. The Rendezvous Ski Trails are at the south end of Geyser Street and can be reached by a short walk from any hotel in town. Look for the distinctive archway that marks the entrance to the trail system. In a good snow year, you can expect to find up to 25 kilometers of groomed trails.

We don’t need too much snow to start grooming here – Doug Edgerton can begin work once 4 to 6 inches of snow have accumulated. This would be a good time to point out that West Yellowstone has a back-up trail system that we use in years when winter gets a late start. We call this area “the plateau” and some of you may have skied there on the first day of the 2004 Yellowstone Ski Festival. The plateau is 7 miles south of town, 1000’ higher in elevation and includes about 20 kilometers of trail – and we are already skiing there on ungroomed snow.

So, you are done skiing for the day and you’ve had your dinner. What to do? Well for starters, there are the evening wax clinics and seminars that place in conjunction with (and, in some cases, separately from) the Indoor Ski Show. All of those seminars are free and, with the exception of a few Fall Camp Clinic sessions, open to the public. But you say you’ve had your fill of wax tips, training information and talk about racing? Here are some other options:

Bear’s Den Cinema: Our little movie theatre does a great job of bringing in the latest and greatest films. They are usually open during the Ski Festival and the movie starts each night at 7:30 PM.

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center: There is a lot to be learned at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. There is no finer place to see two of Yellowstone’s most incredible animals. There is a lot to be learned here – don’t miss it. For more info visit: www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.org .

Yellowstone IMAX: The IMAX is currently showing “Yellowstone”, “Bears”, Hurricane on the Bayou” and “Wolves”. This lineup may change a little before the Ski Festival starts but, regardless, if you’ve never seen an IMAX film, you should try to work an evening here into your plans. For more info visit: www.yellowstoneimax.com .

The Book Peddler: The Book Peddler, located on Canyon Street, not only serves up a killer latte; it is also a great place to shop for books about Yellowstone National Park and Western History.

Morning Glory Coffee and Tea: Morning Glory Coffee and Tea, located on Dunraven Avenue, is West Yellowstone’s brand new coffee roaster. Their spacious shop is perfect for relaxing and catching up on your reading while you sample the terrific, locally roasted coffee. For more info visit: www.morningglorycoffee.net .

I think that’s enough information for now. The main I’d like you to remember about the Yellowstone Ski Festival is that, in addition to getting on the snow for some early season skiing, it’s about having fun, relaxing and reuniting with friends during the holidays. West Yellowstone is looking forward to your arrival and we will do our best to ensure that you have a great visit. Think snow!

If you have any questions or if you would like more information about the Yellowstone Ski Festival, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com or email i[email protected]