Footage of the Haunted Hotel

Just thought you might like to see the attic and basement of the Historic Yellow Hotel at Lake Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park.

It sort of inspired me, the haunted aspect of this location. Lots of crazy things have happened so far, like a black cat living below the crawl space and the bones from a "fawn" being found in the concrete. There is a random painting in an otherwise stripped basement, stair cases enclosed and going no where.

Floors and stair cases are wavy, some which can never be straightened.

Black "Tyvek" Teepee Instructions

I created this 'tyvek' wrap teepee in half an hour. Full instructions are on this youtube video. You can use these basic instructions for making a similar structure. I will test it for water proofness later this week.

By utilizing the snow pack, I created a shelter I can stand up in and lay down in.

Sunrise from the Cat

Ice cycles hanging off a cabin in West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow bank along the street.

 

 

I'm really enjoying the winter here at Yellowstone Lake, cooking for the Man Camp. I had three days off this week and decided to spend some time riding in and out of the park, helping my new friend Rory with the long drive.  Basically as the shot gun passenger, I enjoy the scenery, help watch the skis, keep him from any boredom with conversation.

 

Believe me, I'm not talking way too much, but it has been nearly two months since I've been "out".

 

West Yellowstone is perhaps a few degrees colder  than Lake, but not always.

 

 

Surviving Flu Season at Lake

Its been interesting watching the flu -cold season hit us up here in Man Camp at Yellowstone Lake.

Everyone is drinking more orange juice, eating less, trying to get more sleep. I think sleep is the most important for recovery. It allows the body to repair and kick out those nasty germs.

Here in the kitchen we are sanitizing every handle and door knob after every meal. The salt and pepper shakers, the backs of chairs the microwave, the remote control, all of those things are wiped down with a bleach solution after every meal.

So far so good. I had a short bought with a cold, but quickly recovered. Now, I can get back to long ski adventures on my days off. I have a cool "fort" near the lake I'd like to overnight in. It is made of logs leaned against the bank.

We have a coyote on location, the fox has basically disappeared into his stealth routine. At first we thought the park service had relocated him. Not so, but he is more skittish since the coyote showed up. No food is going out to any of these critters.

Timothy Fox

 
Our fox is named Timothy. He likes to follow us around location. I guess after being rescued from the spindle, he feels safe enough to trust us close up.

We have about 3 feet of snow on the ground now, less where it drifts in. Three of us stayed on location over the Christmas holidays.

We played in the snow, skied, plunged through snow drifts, shoveled out igloos, made a baby sledding hill.


Its been quite an adventure, looking forward to the new year.

Lake Yellowstone Freeze up in Progress

I never knew you could actually hear a lake thawing and freezing. I took several clips and combined them for a twenty four hour look at the process. Skiing is by far the best mode of travel now.

Yellowstone Lake in Winter

There are so many photo opps here at Lake. I take the camera out on my days off, skiing the trails and roads I hiked in summer. Sometimes its a branch holding the snow to the sunlight that catches my attention.

Sometimes its the tracks heading uphill, seemingly appearing out of now where, ending no where. Of course, that's not the case. Wind funnels through a pass, blowing snow, obscuring details and tracks within minutes. I carry a survival pack every time I go out. White outs are not unheard of.

Peering out on a still liquid lake, I love the solitude of a solo ski adventure. The superintendent has asked me to let him know when I go, and what direction, just in case. I admitted many times I don't know where I'm heading til I get there. He said, then just a general direction, and he knows I know the area better than just your average cook. I summer here as well.

Man Camp Reefers

I took a short video of the reefers up in the Man Camp. We shovel the custom boardwalk the guys made for us the second cay on the job. I was and still am so impressed by the guys working here. Everyone is so nice and professional. And, they appreciate our cooking!

 

Today we had chili dogs, french fries, pasta salad, and chocolate peanut butter bars. We make our chili from scratch, the pasta salad home made, as well as the dessert.

 

Hoping for a great season. We will keep you posted on Christmas party, and the New Years Eve "I have survived the Mayan Calendar" Party.

Man Camp Sking Report

Days off I go skiing. Its hard work. So far I can do about 8 miles in 3 hours. I take a day pack with ultralight rainsuit (vapor barrier), one large black garbage bag, and fire starter lint and matches, knife and cigerette lighter.

The back country is deep wet snow right now. If I stay put to film, the wax less skis get iced and pick up a lot of weight. I've been going on the snow packed road. Fun!

I'm the only one on location with skis. People ask me where I got them. I say Play It Again Sports. Knowledgeable people up there in Bozeman.

 

Fishing Bridge Junction is a good landmark. You can head to Cody from there, get cell service down the road, head back to Lake along a trail.

 

The deck and stairs built to access the green garbage trailer is a work of art. A few pine martins are getting in and out of the receptacle.We climb the stairs, open a wooden hatch and throw the garbage in really fast.

Today I saw fresh griz prints on my way to Canyon. He came down the hill, crossed the road, headed to the Hayden Valley. It must have happened last night, the claw prints had a small dusting of snow. The prints are enormous!

Bison Share the Road

While driving from West Yellowstone to Gardiner Montana on the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park, I found myself facing a small herd of Bison.

 

There were calves, males and females. They looked pretty healthy. I slipped the stick into neutral, kept my foot on the brake and shot some footage right outside my Geo's window.

 

Bison can be seen just about anywhere, at any time. They're migrating now. The roads just happened to be clear in this section, although parts had ice and snow pack. Easy does it, I always say.