High in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming lies Yellowstone Lake, an inland sea surrounded by evergreen forests. Frozen most of the year, the water temperature rarely reaches 60°F, even with the dozens of hot springs flowing into its depths.
At 7,733 feet above sea level, the weather changes quickly. Chilly summer mornings ease into warm, wispy afternoons that can erupt into sail-dousing dashes. Squalls boom down like swirls from the jet stream with lightning, blinding rain, and crashing waves. Being windbound all day isn’t unusual. Evenings generally calm down with brilliant sunsets and starry nights. There may be 100,000 people in Yellowstone National Park, but on the lake there is little sign of them, and nature is in charge.