Mon, Oct 4, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 09:43PM Monday, October 04, 2010
There is no doubt this has been one of the most pleasant trips we have made to Yellowstone. The weather has been ideal and the number of people in the park has been the lowest we have ever seen. It makes it much easier to enjoy the park and increases the possibility of getting good wildlife photos.
Another great night’s sleep and we were ready to roll just after daylight. Just inside the park we took a side drive that ran along the Madison River. Soon we came upon a large group of people photographing a trumpeter swan. It looked too crowded to me so we just eased on down the road about 1/8 of a mile. To our surprise the swan flew down the river and landed just ahead of us. So we grabbed the big lens and tripod and eased over to the river. Fifteen minutes later we left with some very nice shots.
That was pretty much how the whole day went. It was sunny when we needed it to be, a little overcast at very opportune times and even rained and produced a beautiful rainbow for us. It just seemed that luck was on our side today. By the time we were ready to stop for a picnic lunch we had pretty good shots of the trumpeter swan, a very nice bull elk, some close-up shots of several different bull buffalo and some pretty nice landscape photos. It was already turning out to be a very successful day.
We chose a quiet spot on the Firehole River to take the puppies for a walk. There was no one in the picnic area so we put the pups on leash (as required in the park) and walked along the side of the river until we were a good distance away. With no one around we took them off leash for a quick swim in the river and a little play on the bank. This section of the river is the perfect place… the river is about 2 feet deep with a gravel bottom and crystal clear water. Although there are large trees about 10 feet from the edge of the river, the area between the trees and the river is grassy and the grass grows right down to the water… so no mud! It is like a piece of heaven. The pups ran and played and rolled and swam until they were worn out. We then decided there would be no better place for a picnic so stayed and ate our lunch.
After a long leisurely lunch we continued the drive around toward Old Faithful. Before reading the Old Faithful area, we had the opportunity to photograph two bull buffalo lying near the Nez Peace creek, a coyote that was crossing thru a large grassy meadow and then to our delight, we spotted a beautiful coyote crossing the road. We pulled up beside him and with no one else around he seemed content to swap glances for a moment. Then Paris started talking to him and he was instantly intrigued. He eased along a bank across from us and then when she spoke to him again, he just sat down. He was the perfect model for a photography session. All too soon, though as often happens in Yellowstone a car approached to see what we were shooting. Without a lovely female dog in their car, he jumped up and disappeared over the bank. Paris got an extra bone for that one!
We had decided to drive back out the way we came into the park and then head for points further north and west. On the drive back out we took a few more landscape photos and then found a another nice bull elk who was distracted by the girls and allowed us to get some good shots. As we were getting closer to the park exit, Charles pulled over and suggested we go back into the park for the rest of the day and just stay another night in West Yellowstone. He didn’t have to twist my arm!
We decided to drive up to Mammoth and then depending on the amount of light remaining we would just drive back out or make the bigger loop around the other side of the park. Sitting in the car at Mammoth we decided to take the shorter drive back the way we had come. This turned out to be a very good decision as about halfway back we saw a guy standing in one of the pull offs pointing down the road into the forest. We slowed down and sure enough there was a wolf about 50 feet from the road trotting along thru the trees. We eased along just behind him/her and he seemed to be traveling a path so we eased on down the road to a place where we could pull off and waited. Luckily only a few cars came by while this was transpiring and none of them noticed him. Sure enough he appeared and I had just a short time to fire off as many shots as possible. He continued on along his route and broke into a lope. We drove ahead of him one more time and tried but could not get any more shots because of the trees between us. As he passed thru a small clearing another car passed, saw him and pulled over and he changed his path and trotted off into some dense brush. It was an incredible experience.
Just a few more miles down the road it began to rain. In the distance the sun was shining and I knew there would be a strong possibility we could see a rainbow. A few more miles and we pulled off and looked back to see a perfect rainbow behind us.
In the final miles before leaving the park we spotted a large crowd gathered along the Madison River. So we decided to stop and see what the faire of the moment would be. It was a small herd of elk cows and one very large bull elk. The light was fading fast but we got a couple of good shots and then all of a sudden he stuck his nose in the air and trotted off from his girls. It was obvious something in the woods to the east had his complete attention. He bugled a couple of times and another elk somewhere in the trees answered him. Unfortunately whatever followed between the two took place in the trees. He trotted swiftly down to the river, eased across the water, climbed up the bank of the opposite side and trotted into the trees. Everyone hung around until the light was too dim but we didn’t hear or see him again.
So for those of us who love the outdoors and wildlife… well, it could not have been a better day! I consider myself lucky to get out of Yellowstone with one good wildlife shot but today was definitely an exception.
We are staying in our same room in West Yellowstone tonight and will head out tomorrow to western Montana and possibly into Idaho.
We have had another awesome day and my whole group is bushed tonight. We do hope you all are well.
Peace, Hope & Love,
Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger
Reader Comments (1)
Hey Donna Gayle,
Just got home from DC and was delighted to see new postings and photos on your website. Loved them all. Sounds like you had a grand day! Loved the wildlife shots, and of course, the landscapes and what a gorgeous rainbow.
I too had an incredible day, despite air travel and crowds and airports, which I hate. A friend (note...government worker at the US Patent and Trademark Office) picked me up after my conference was over and we headed downtown DC. I got to finally see the WWII Memorial. It was awesome. I saw a crowd gathered in a circle and slipped up behind them while she was parking the car. It was a group of veterans (Honor Flight) from Pittsburgh, PA and the chaplain was leading them in prayer. After the Amens...I got to meet some of this Greatest Generation...some of whom were in wheelchairs, shake their hands, thank them for their service to our country and even got my photo made with a couple of them! It was such a great thing. The photos won't be very good ones because I just took my old camera (point and shoot) on this trip due to the bulkiness of my other one...but at least I got the essence of the moment. There have been several Honor Flights go out of Pensacola since there are a lot of retired veterans living around here. I'm sure Meridian NAS has had some of those flights too, right? Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you. I'm looking forward to more posts and photos and looking EVEN MORE forward to sleeping in my own bed! Good night. Safe travels. Love ya, Mary Anne