We make the dark, hour+ drive from Big Sky to West Yellowstone, have a big breakfast, then head into town to meet our bus.

Here it is!
That should have no problem with all the snow in the park.

We head into Yellowstone, whose gates are un-manned due to the government shutdown.
(There is park security and some necessary staff, but the majority of rangers and maintenance crews are off.)

Very quickly, we're treated to some cool wildlife, like these graceful trumpter swans.

Here's a bald eagle that I can only capture by holding my cell phone up to binoculars.

Also less than an hour into the park, we have to stop as a nursery herd of bison saunter past us.

Somewhere between 50-100 cows and calfs, lining both sides of the river.

Twenty minutes later, we spot a wolf, then another. Eventually, we spot six wolves.
The theory is this pack just had a spat with another - or perhaps this pack broke apart due to infighting.

Anyway, they've been restless recently, but this is unusual. They're walking and running fairly near us (maybe 200 yards away), cross a pedestrian bridge,

then cross the road, one in front and five behind us.
It felt a little unnerving, but beautiful and majestic.

The increase in thermal features along the road indicates that we're getting closer to Old Faithful.

There it is!

We watch the snow land on our gloves as we wait for the big show.

Sometimes we forget that Ella is a little girl.
She has fun in the snow!

The plan was to walk through this geysir basin, but another herd of bison beat us to it.

So we view the area from a safe distance.

Firehole Falls.

Even where there isn't wildlife or geysirs, the view is awesome.

Meanwhile, Ella...

We have a great time!

Bye bus!

Since we have a few minutes before it closes, we go check out the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.
They keep animals that have been displaced for one reason or another.

The wolf is striking!

Big day!