Yellowstone - September 20, 2104 - Saturday

Well the final day is always the saddest day, but that is the mark of a good trip – one where you are left wanting more.  We awoke at the customary 5:15 am, again taking heart that it was really 7:15 on the east coast (yeah right!).  Cheri made the final spectacular egg creation – this time egg whites with tomatoes and bison meatloaf.  Yum!  John had the usual pastries.

We were on the road, fully packed and checked out, by 6:30 am.  Still dark – perfect!  We elected to go back up to elk flats just outside of Mammoth on the way to Norris.  The elk all seem to hang out there and bugle the day in as they get ready to mate or fight to mate.  The sunrises are really good there too with lots of mountains and trees to make a photographer’s dreams.

As we waited, Cheri pulled up to the edge of the area where there were a number of rocks below.  Out of the corner of her eye there was movement.  What was that?  Something was darting in and out of the rocks.  Wait for it….it was a little American Pika!  Cool!!  A new animal to our list of never seen before animals!  It was so cute with its little whiskers as it was eating red leaves from a nearby bush.  At one point it stopped gathering food, stopped eating, stopped running and just sat and watched the sun come up! 

It was 7:20 am and we decided to try the alternate path back to the airport.  It would take us through the park but it was considerably longer.  We stuck off and shot elk along the way back into Mammoth.  The big elk that had been terrorizing Mammoth had rope around his antlers. 

We turned for Tower and then Lamar Valley.  Passing a few lakes on the left, steam a rising giving the heat of the season back to nature.

As we shot toward Tower there is a big open sage filled valley that was lit with precious morning light.  All of the sudden – John yells “Wolf” on the ridge!!!  Cheri says, “which ridge?”  The sun is shining brightly into our eyes and we are looking for all we are worth!  Cheri pops through the sunroof and begins to scan.  The wolf dropped back into the sage brush not to be seen again.  At least John saw it!

We headed down towards Tower and hooked up the gps.  Alas, there wasn’t time enough to make it to the airport with enough time to spare for gas and vehicle drop off, so we turned around and headed back out through Gardiner.  8:30 am – goodbye Yellowstone!

Got to Billings in record time with Cheri in the backseat out of the sun tying this blog all the way!!  A quick bite at the Mexican restaurant we ate in on the way in and whoosh….into the air and back toward the East Coast.

Enjoy!

Cheri & John

Yellowstone - September 19, 2014 – Friday

Up at 5:15 again.  This morning there was an egg creation with the left over elk bolognaise.  The moon was a crescent holding up a ball of ice cream....

 We headed up to elk flats.  The pre-sunrise looked like what we imagine the smoky mountains must look like; shades of grey with clouds lifting off the valleys and onto the peaks.  The sun lit the very tips of the clouds making it look like God was about to make an appearance, but it was just angels in the end.  A sight to behold never-the-less.

The elk bugled in the sunrise and kept at it.  We met a couple of guys from Ontario with a 600 mm and an 800mm lens each; lens envy!  We finally left them and headed up to Swan Lake toward Norris on the road that was closed 7 miles from there.  The forecast was calling for clear skies, even though there was considerable cloud cover.  We wanted to check out the location for potential Milky Way shoots. 

We then came back and headed to Lamar Valley via Tower.  On the way a cloud was in the valley below us making for wonderful photo ops.  It had rained seriously the night before and the road to 6 blacktails plateau was closed.  

 We got lucky and saw a bluebird close enough to snag a shot or two.  Of course the bison were everywhere!  We’ve gotten picky now – only shooting them if they were in the sun, doing something interesting, or had unique backdrop. 

Bluebird

 Each day the autumn colors were getting more vibrant. 

This day we decided to see all the parts of the park we had already been in and to add a new part – Norris.  After all, Yellowstone is known for its geysers and we hadn’t seen any.  That was by design as they stink!!  But, we were here so what the hey?!

So we drove to Norris Basin Geyser and walked around to see the color pools and watch people eat their lunches next to the smelly geysers (yuck!).  The pools are pretty, but after about 30 minutes we had had enough and were headed back to the wildlife and Hayden Valley.  

On the way back we did the Virginia Cascades loop.  There wasn’t much to see, but there was a small river near the end with a fly fisherman.  Cheri had always wanted to shoot one – she got her shot!

 The weather started to really cloud up and look threatening so after one last look at Le Hardy Rapids, we headed back out of the park for dinner at the Iron Horse.  Cheri had the Bison meatloaf and John ordered a Bison steak but ended up with a rib eye that was very tasty!

Enjoy!

Cheri & John

Yellowstone - September 18, 2014 – Thursday

Good thing we checked the weather the night before and learned it was going to be grim.  We took the opportunity to catch-up on some much needed shut-eye!  Ahhh.  10 ½ hours to feed the soul!  An egg creation of egg whites, tomatoes and elk bolognaise.  After processing images and actually reviewing them, we got our act together around 10 am as the weather appeared to be clearing.

At this point, Intellicast is still saying it’s going to clear and we think we’ve timed it right – so off to 6 blacktail plateau.  By the time we get there, storms engulf us, big rain drops fall like crocodile tears and then form into a good cry.  After about 15 minutes, the sun starts to poke through again.  This would be the story for the day.  Great!  Shooting moody skies is a real treat that is hard to come by.  Most of the time when the weather is bad you get slate grey skies which are patently unphotographic – but not this time!

As we got toward the end of the dirt road, we stopped to shot the autumn colors and sat for a bit.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, we were treated to some birds we’d never seen before – ruffed grouse!  There were about 8 of them and they crossed the road right in front of us.  The sun came out in full force.  As they entered the tall grasses on the other side of the road, one flew into a tree…pow, pow, pow.  Then the male got onto a branch right next to Cheri and proceeded to pose in every possible way!!  Jackpot!!! The sun picked up all his colors and with a backdrop of fall golden grasses and yellow aspens – what shots!

 

rough grouse

We headed for Lamar Valley.  Along the way there were a gaggle of cars and people and park rangers stopped; lots of big lenses visible.  We asked what was up – it was a black bear.  So we stopped.  No sooner was Cheri out of the car, but the rain started again – big crocodile drops.  Luckily, she was in five layers and the outer layer was a Northface Hyvent Goretex shell!  She walked down to where the bear was, but the views were rough.  The bear clearly knew we were there and had no intention of offering a clear shot.  So – shots taken and she was wet enough that we carried on.  

Black Bear

  We had lunch by the river at the far end of Lamar Valley when the rain stopped enough that Cheri could make our customary ham, dill pickle and brown mustard sandwiches.  The thunder was rumbling loudly all around us.

After lunch the sun broke again and moody skies were on offer.  Pow, pow, pow….Bison in huge herds….pow pow pow.

  

As we slowly made our way back toward Mammoth, we pulled into a pull out just as big drops began to fall again.  As we rounded a giant rock on the edge of the pulloff – we saw movement.  Cheri had the wide angle lens on, but pulled it out quickly – but the animal was quicker!  That night we asked around for what it might have been; maybe a marmet or maybe a badger.  The next day we found an animal guide and learned it was an American Badger!  Another new animal for us – even though we didn’t score a picture of this solitary animal, it was wonderful to see!

We sat and waited for the rain to let off in hopes of seeing the creature again.  As we waited, the sun began to shine though the black clouds and a rainbow appeared.   It was one of the most vibrant rainbows either of us had ever seen; ROYGBIV all in their glory.  And then, a second, fainter rainbow appeared above the first; two, parallel, streams of joy and life, each leading to their own pot of gold.  Finally the sun came out enough that the rainbows disappeared. 

As we drove on there was another group of Bison right next to the road on both sides.  Cheri said, “stop, stop, stop” and jumped out.  There was a yellow headed blackbird which she had never seen before!  WOW – another new species!!!

yellow headed blackbird

We drove on and got to Hell’s Raising.  Another rainbow appeared.  We pulled in and Cheri took off rapidly down the trail hoping for a clearer spot to shoot.  The clouds were thickening and the thunder was picking up considerably.  She kept thinking, “I know better than to be doing this after having shot rockets to attract lightning many years ago, but….”.  She got the shots and was hoofing it back up the trail as John appeared.  He said, “ I was getting worried when I read the sign that said bears in the area don’t hike without 3 or more people and make noise!”.

Back in the car the clouds kept getting more interesting as the storm came in in force.  Back to Gardiner! 

Enjoy-

Cheri & John