It is hard to predict exactly when and where you will see a grizzly or a wolf in Yellowstone. Traditionally Lamar Valley is a likely place to see wolves and the north side of the lake can be a good place to see a grizzly in the spring, but there are no guarantees. But there is one event in Yellowstone we know exactly where it will happen. It’s the when that can be hard to get right. What I am referring to is “ice out” which is when the ice breaks up on Yellowstone Lake and begins to move down the Yellowstone River.
If it is has been a relatively warm winter with a small amount of snow ice out can happen well before Memorial Day, but if there is a lot of snow and a cold spring it may not happen until well into June. We have “caught” ice out 3 of the last 4 years even though we live 65 miles from where the Yellowstone River comes out of Yellowstone Lake. We have learned a few things. It is much more likely to happen on a day when the wind blows hard out of the south. We have also discovered that if ice starts building up on the north shore of the lake it is time to head to Fishing Bridge fast.
Sometimes it takes a little while for it to get going. This last year the ice began leaving the lake one afternoon as the wind out of the south increased. But when the wind died down that evening the ice stopped moving and didn’t start again until the wind started blowing the next day.
There are several things I really look forward to during ice out. Just watching the ice move is a lot of fun, but listening to the individual pieces hit each other and watching as the crystals role up on to the solid ice is a real treat. There is one part that is kind of scary. Sometimes big pieces hit the bridge supports and make me worry the whole bridge is going to collapse. But that hasn’t happened yet and that bridge has been there many, many years.
So next spring start looking for a wind out of the south and some ice building up on the north shore of the lake and maybe you will get lucky enough to see ice out. Plan on hanging around Fishing Bridge for a couple of hours. The movement of the ice varies. Sometimes it looks like it is barely moving and sometimes it moves really quickly. Hope you catch it!!
Ice out! I remember everyone talking about this the first year I was here and know nothing about the event. So, last year I was ready but, as you mentioned, it kept stopping and refreezing so ice out was a much longer event. That is what I love about Yellowstone, there is always something to watch for.