Teton Pass and a Yellowstone evening

I watched the Yellowstone weather forecast for weeks before deciding to attempt a visit. The west entrance doesn’t even open until mid April. Then there is a very short window where most of the park is open but the crowds have yet to arrive. The weather often doesn’t cooperate with this schedule and snow remains a threat all the way to June.

After waking up in Idaho Falls, I took a detour to drive over Teton Pass for the first time and was rewarded with the most beautiful giant flakes of snow falling all around (and a highway that didn’t freeze). The weather remained gray as I arrived and began looking around Yellowstone. Then - just as I was about to give up and try again the next day - the sun came out from the clouds and everything was near perfect for photographs.