For $1200* a night I had hoped to have more than a 8' x 10' sleeping box for two people and all their winter clothing and gear.
First thing noticed entering the sleeping box is the stink.
The heater in the 8' x 12' sleeping box will not maintain a comfortable temperature. It's either it's too hot or too cold in your sleeping box,
and when in the on mode, the heater blasts on the person that's on the same side. Air quality was a concern. It seemed at times there was a lack of fresh air in the sleeping box while trying to sleep, and it was worrying that if sleeping was actually accomplished, waking might not happen, as people do die when sleeping from being gassed to death in small spaces with heating appliances that operate by combustion.
Comfortable sleeping was only accomplished by wearing down pants and a heavy down jacket inside the provided sleeping bag with the heater off.
There were two stinky bathrooms for around 20 people in camp that were not much more than enlarged outhouses. Showering wasn't an option. If you had to pee at night you used a bottle unless you wanted to take a hike in the snow and cold to the stinky bathroom.
The dining yurt was short of chairs for the number of guests. At one point we were told to sit on the ends of some cut logs, but somehow they came up with some chairs- some of those folding steel chairs, that make your back and your butt ache.
The food was good enough. No complaints there.
The ski tours were good although on one the guide didn't know the route and had lousy route finding skills. Our group was an experienced group, more so than the guide, and luckily and would not have been in trouble immediately, but it was almost dark when we got back to camp. Finding the way in the dark would have been hard even though we did all have headlamps.
The staff did well with what they were given to work with. I have no complaints with the staff. The complaint is that even though we paid as much as we paid, the management demanded a gratuity for the staff.
I wonder how many people would go back to this concession for a second stay. My guess is not many. I wonder how many people leave angry and how many say they won't go back to Yellowstone after a lousy experience with these guys.
I don't fault the people doing the work. The management and maybe the Park Service are to blame for gouging the public and providing the minimum for the maximum money which is typical in the national parks.
*$1200 is based on the $2200 per person price tag we paid for three nights (minus $400 per person they get in Yellowstone for a ride somewhere).
$2200 minus $400 equals $1,800.00 for three nights.
Divide that by three nights is $600 per night per person in a sleeping box, times two people in the sleeping box is $1200 per night. read more