My wife and I just returned from a late winter trip
to Yellowstone National Park, and as an ardent greenie and retired
employee of the Department of Interior, I must admit the new rules
for snowmobile use are a good compromise for us all. I have to give
Gale Norton thumbs up on this one. These snowmobile riders are not
rednecks from Wyoming, Idaho or Montana. They are fellow tourists,
many from faraway lands. They have perhaps one or two days to view
and experience the wonders of this majestic place. A snowmobile
gives them that opportunity.
The machines are
four-strokers, which means they are surprisingly quiet and
fume-free compared to the old two-cycle versions. In addition,
snowmobiles must travel in groups of 10 or less at 35 mph maximum,
and be led by a guide. No more private machines screaming along the
roads at breakneck speeds, as I was told by a snowcoach driver. No
more park employees at the entrances wearing gasmasks. And
everyone, even the snowmobilers, slows way down for bison on the
roads. Yes, one can hear them for a moment, if you are on a roadway
as a group goes by. But while on the ski trails one can seldom hear
them.
So let’s let bygones be bygones on this one
and simply enjoy the park: It is there for all of us.
Larry Kline
Lakewood, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Thumbs up on Yellowstone snowmobiles.
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