Mon, Oct 4, 2010

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



Sun, Oct 3, 2010

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Every time we take a road trip there comes a point in the trip where I feel like I’m just repeating myself… perfect weather… gorgeous scenery… pups playing… short hikes… etc…  So if you’re getting bored with my daily writings, I’ll certainly understand but I have to warn you today was a day just like many of our previous days on the road… perfect! 

We had a good night’s sleep and got up about daylight to begin the day’s journey.  After a cup of coffee and a donut, we left Afton headed toward the Tetons and Yellowstone.  Soon we were winding thru the mountains beside the Snake River.  At Hoback Junction (about 15 miles south of Jackson Hole) we spotted a nice looking market so we shopped for picnic foods and picked up another hot coffee! 

Shortly, we were in Jackson Hole but had no reason to tarry there since we wanted to get into the Tetons while the light was still good.  Once inside the Grand Teton National Park that’s where our plan kind of went awry.  The weather was just too perfect and we had no reason to hurry toward Yellowstone so we basically spent the better part of the day wandering, walking, having picnics and making photos all thru the Tetons.  It was another beautifully clear day with very mild temperatures and that sooth your soul breeze that feels to me like the calming hand of God reaching down to remind me that all these take your breath away sights come courtesy of him because he loves us so much.

By late afternoon we entered Yellowstone and the perfection continued.  At the first place we found a phone signal we called and got a room in West Yellowstone so we wouldn’t need to leave the park before dark.   We drove the loop road up the east side around by Lake Yellowstone soon replaced by the Yellowstone river.  Followed up with stops at Yellowstone falls and Tower falls, the Hayden valley, the Lamar valley with sightings of coyotes, a big bull moose, large herds of buffalo, mule deer and elk.  I have to tell you my eyes are tired!  Unfortunately, I was only able to get a quick photo of one of the coyotes.  The moose was too far away, and the light was so low by the time we got to the Lamar valley where the majority of the larger animals were… well it was difficult to get any decent photography. 

Tomorrow we will head back in to the park about daylight and plan to make the drive along the Madison River and then around to Old Faithful.  At that point we’ll see what opportunities we have had and determine what the rest of the day will hold for us.

Charles has been reading to me from the West Yellowstone paper… actually he was just reading the police report to me and it was a hoot.  A black bear was trapped in someone’s yard, two horses were found loose on a local street, someone stole some “stuff”, and the best one was the woman who called dispatchers and told them she lost her husband.  She doesn’t know where she is staying, doesn’t know the street and she advised them that she “has been drinking”.  Folks, I can’t make this stuff up.

We had another great day on the road and are well tonight.  We hope you all are too.

 Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger



Sat, Oct 2, 2010

Saturday, October 2, 2010

After a good night’s rest we were up early and hit the trail just a little before sunrise.  The plan for the day was to end up a lot closer to the Tetons and Yellowstone.  We knew this would mean a good bit of driving but there would be a diversity of landscapes between the two.  For at least one more day the weather was perfect. 

Just as the landscapes were diverse so were the things we saw today.  The most unusual sighting came as we were leaving Vernal, UT and we saw some large items in trailers in front of a Home and Garden store.  As we got closer it became apparent that these large items, and I mean very large, were pumpkins.  It seems Utah has a Giant Pumpkin Growers Organization and they were having a competition.  To really get a better idea of the size of these monsters, you have to look at the photos.  The competitors were just beginning to arrive, but I’m guessing we saw some of the largest ones before we left.  These folks are some serious growers is all I can say.

As the morning progressed we made out next stop in a beautiful aspen grove in the Ashley National Forest just south of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.  This was a long and leisurely stop.  The pups and I wandered around in the aspens enjoying the blue skies and the smell of the forest.  Charles had a few phone calls to make and remarkably had a cell signal so he stayed at the Jeep.  It truly was heavenly there with mild temperatures and just the slightest breeze to make the aspen leaves shimmer. 

Just a short drive more and it was time for some lunch.  We found our way to the Red Canyon Lodge just outside Flaming Gorge and split a good grilled turkey sandwich as we sat out on the deck and watched four Stellar Jays fly to and fro from the bird feeder.  While they enjoyed the bird seed there were at least a dozen chipmunks scampering around on the ground below the feeder grabbing whatever morsels the Jays dropped.  The Lodge has some cabins and will take pets (they also said we could bring the pups up on the desk with us as long as they were on a leash) so we made a note that this would be a good option the next time we are passing thru the area.

After lunch we got out the Utah recreation map and searched for an interesting backroad to take and were lucky enough to find out we were just a few miles away from the Spirit Lake Scenic Backway.  Of course we took it and it turned out to be a very nice drive (all dirt as all Backways are but gravel) and we had a nice stop for the pups to swim at Sheep Creek Lake.  At the end of the Backway drive we reentered the world of paved two-lane roads.

Since it is Saturday and we were not sure just how far we would get or where we would stay we knew it was time to just drive for a while until we found a room.  We passed thru several smaller towns but saw no good accommodations.  But luck always seems to be with us! Just about an hour before sunset we arrived in Afton, WY which is about 100 miles south of Jackson Hole.  As we made the short drive thru the main street we saw only one questionable motel and were about to resign ourselves to having to make that two hour drive to Jackson Hole when we spotted an older motel that appeared to be in good repair.  We pulled up to the office but it was dark inside.  Just as we started to back out an elderly lady drove up and motioned to Charles to go back to the office.  Of course, the first question we must ask is if they allow pets.  She said No! Then she asked what we had and Charles told her we had two Australian Shepherds who helped us work our cattle and traveled everywhere with us.  Way to go Charles… throw in that rancher connection… Afton is a ranch community!  It worked! She said OK and we were in.  Whew, that was a close one.  She even recommended a restaurant and it turned out to be a good family style restaurant. 

We had another very nice day.  Oh, and my knee is much better Mother! (I knew she would want to know).  We are resting comfortably in our room… everyone has had supper and we are ready to do a little reading and get a good night’s rest.  Tomorrow we will head into the Tetons and then our favorite park… Yellowstone! 

We hope you all are well too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger

PS Even if you don’t look at any other pictures, you’ve got to check out those gigantic pumpkins!



Fri, Oct 1, 2010

Friday, October 1, 2010

Photography is all about the moment.  It’s the seeking instinct… looking for just the right scene, the subject, the light, the emotion, the moment… seen thru your eyes and captured in all of its glory. – Donna Downey

Photography excites me!  Everything about photography is so phenomenal to me.  Just knowing you can see a moment in time and capture it, for an indefinite period of time… well it is just so unbelievable.  I love to get to the room at the end of a day, pull up the photos and relive the day calling Charles over time and time again to show him what we were able to capture.  Some day when we are unable to travel I hope we are still able to pull up our photographs and relive our road trips again and again.  Of course, after years of studying photography it is nice to get better shots that more accurately portray what we saw.  Another thing I love about photography is the ability to share it with others.  Y’all have been great with your comments and it just adds another layer of joy or laughter to each day.  Thanks.

Today was just another perfect day on the road.  When you are primarily trying to photograph landscapes and in particular fall colors, it is not necessary to get up well before daylight.  Although the best light is still early and late in the day, it’s not nearly as early as trying to get wildlife shots.  So we slept later than usual and walked over to the restaurant across the street from our motel and had a hearty breakfast to begin our day of “seeking” the wonders of aspens in full color.  We were not disappointed! There is still plenty of color in the mountains of Colorado and we spent the day enjoying it.  The weather was again near perfect as well. 

We spent most of our day on dirt roads climbing in and out of the jeep.  Let me just remind you all that I took a wonderfully graceful fall yesterday and much to my disappointment my body did not respond well to my throwing it down.  It would probably be a shorter list to tell you what is not sore or hurting today.  The knee reminds me of some of my bicycle falls as a child but the rest of my aches remind me that I am no springy chicken any more.  But, I did not quit, did not fail to get out one time when the opportunity arose for a photo... although hikes of any length were definitely out of the question.  Just goes to show that when you have an addiction, excuse me, I mean a passion for something you will work thru the pain!

If you love landscapes and fall colors, please check out the photos today.  I think you will enjoy them.  We had a ball making them. 

Tonight we are resting comfortably in Glenwood Springs, CO.  As soon as I finish posting, I’m getting some ice on my knee so I’ll be able to keep up tomorrow. We will continue this road trip tomorrow as we head further north toward Yellowstone.  We are well and hope you all are too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger



Thurs, Sept 30, 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ok, it was a perfect day.  Left Grants, NM about daylight and the temperature was delightfully cool!  No more of that stuff in the 90s.  By the time the sun was up, it was windows down and they didn’t go back up until we pulled into our motel in Creede, CO just about dark.  The high for the day was probably about 80 but most of the time it was in the low 70s!

North of Grants we entered the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation which covers approximately 1 million acres and is also home to the second largest natural gas field in the United States.  Our drive took us thru the more remote areas of the reservation.  We started out in the high desert with little vegetation, as we gained elevation there was more vegetation and the roadsides were bright yellow with copious amounts of blooming snakeweed.  Then there were cedars and pine and juniper and just before entering Colorado there were the towering ponderosa pines.  There were numerous stops for walks and puppy playtime and photography of course.  And there was the return of the beautiful crystal clear rivers… today’s river of the day was the San Juan River followed closely by the Rio Grande.

By lunch time we were in Pagosa Springs and after a good Mexican meal made the gorgeous drive thru Wolf Creek pass and entered the colorful world of fall in Colorado.  Although it has been very dry, the aspens were still full of color.  After a quick stop in Creede to get a room we drove out toward Lake City and took a dirt road that wound thru the colorful mountains to North Clear Creek Falls.  As we began our drive back to Creede the sun was just beginning to dip behind the mountains behind us.  As we came around  a curve to our right in a small stream was a moose with her calf.  We were lucky enough to get a few shots in the low light before she wandered back into the dense woods.  We made a couple more stops to enjoy the vistas and then one last stop to watch as the last red rays of the sunset disappeared. 

After splitting a cheeseburger and fries we enjoyed a cup of coffee as we sat out front of our room and enjoyed the silence.  Yes, it was a perfect day for four who love a road trip!  Great roads, beautiful scenery, multiple wildlife sightings, clear rivers and good food all topped off with ideal temperatures. 

We are tired but doing pretty well (except for the quick fall I took when my foot slipped in some gravel and the resulting torn jeans and skinned knee).  I did not, however, let my camera hit the ground!  We hope yall are well too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger