Category: Yellowstone 2014

My folks were following behind me in their vehicle as we drove through various basins and thermal areas along the west side of Yellowstone National Park. It had been raining the entire day, yet we found many things to photograph and enjoy.

Raindrops clinging to evergreen needles kept us entertained for a good hour!

With a Raptor Exhibition on the horizon, every large bird that moves seems to catch my attention. This hawk was no exception.  As we pulled into a loop, it flew over the cars, landing on a snag in a small meadow. The precipitation had its feathers pressed close to its body. As I grabbed my 300mm lens, the hawk gave itself a nice shake relieving some of the moisture that had collected. As I saw the one feather begin to float to the ground, I knew that’s where my focus had to be.

My parents are the best in helping me come up with names for my images. Before the day was done, Mom had the winning title for this one: “98 Feathers”. Perhaps it was the sheer amount of road trips we took as a growing family when we enjoyed too much superfood and sang songs to keep us occupied along the miles. But as soon as she said it, it fit!

Here is the same bird, as it landed farther back in the meadow. My best guess on ID is a Red-tailed Hawk. I’m still learning, so if you know that it is something different, I’d love to learn more!

While making headway on some exciting projects coming up this spring, I’ve come across a number of new favorite images from this past fall while visiting Yellowstone with my folks!

Surprise Pool

Hayden Valley Rainbow

Sunrise at Indian Pond

Stay tuned for the story chapters to continue as the year progresses.

Bird’s Eye View

Traditionally it’s a drive down Hwy 89 from Livingston, in through the park entrance. It just feels right! Making my way from Mammoth, over Dunraven Pass, through Hayden Valley and past Fishing Bridge… the park is dead quiet. Barely a car in sight, and not an animal beyond the far away bison herds to be seen. Until my car makes the curve just past Steamboat. Not only do I recognize the vehicle pulled off along the side of the road, it’s a lens I know by sight. Unmistakable! I smile, roll down my window and start photographing the beautiful Swainson’s Hawk sitting in the tree.

Heck, I didn’t know how long my friend had been waiting for it to “pose” in the beautiful sunlight like that. Breast feathers illuminating as it tilts its head looking for food. So I wait and shoot and observe. Beautiful! As it takes flight landing in a distant tree, I make my way over to Steve and the conversation begins! We shoot and chat for over an hour. What a fantastic beginning to this day!

So this is where it all begins? Among the Prairie Dogs and Scat?!

Well kind of! Thanks to my friend Dan Cooke for suggesting to me years ago, that Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the perfect place to stop between the Twin Cities and Yellowstone, I haven’t been able to pass it by since! Even though we live much farther away now… that is indeed where my images usually begin!

But, this time, we had the BIG CME coming our way! You know… the one “they” were predicting would be seen from Wisconsin to New York!!!

I planned my route with a headful of ideas where to photograph this epic event along the way! By the time I hit Grand Rapids, MN (2 hours from Babbitt), I called my friend Bob and he took me to a little lake (insert name here) to see if we could catch even a glimpse of this now dwindling-by-the-second event…

The night was indeed full of color, but I’m not sure how much of that was really an aurora glow.

We gave an old spruce bog a try, getting just a hint of color along the horizon. From there I decided to make my way into the night driving until I got tired.

As dawn broke, I made my way down to this small lake I decided to sleep along side. Watching the sun burn off the rising mist was the perfect beginning to this much anticipated road trip!

As I reached Theodore Roosevelt National Park later that afternoon, there was no question in my mind that I would be stopping! It’s probably the lure of finding feral horses stomping about the hillsides that really draws me in. And although I did not see any on this trip, the bison, prairie dogs, and mule deer did their best to keep me entertained!

The park was full of coyote that day. This one in particular stood still long enough for me to make an image or two. In fact, had it not moved I may have thought someone placed a stuffed critter out in the field.

Not to be outdone by the beauty of this land creature, an incredible hawk now was catching the glow of afternoon light. It didn’t even cross my mind that I was following in a line behind a pilot car through a construction zone… this raptor caught my attention and the nearest pullout was just up ahead! Watching it soar above the painted hills was well worth the disappointed look I’d receive from the pilot car driver as I made my way back through the work zone. Clearly, it was time for me to get back on the highway!