Yellowstone 02/16
Charming town of West Yellowstone
Our view of West Yellowstone as we drove into town from Canada.
The OLD, Old West
Drummond, MT. Our second time into this old town. Our vehicle always seems to need gas at this point in our journey. Last time we drove through, it was pitch dark..this trip the old town came to life in the daylight. I was charmed by this "Used Cow Lot" right beside the rail line.
Yellowstone Snow Coach
In the winter, this is the only way to see the west side of Yellowstone in the winter, but it's not a bad way to travel at all! One will see wildlife, geysers including Old Faithful and some of the most beautiful winter landscape ever imagined.
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Mountain Sheep Ram
This guy was with a herd of mountain sheep right by Quake Lake on the way in to West Yellowstone. They had been drinking out of the lake which is right beside the highway. Jim Bridger ( you may remember the name from the movie Revenant) passed through this area leading a group of explorers and were some of the first white men to see Yellowstone and its geysers.
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Mountain sheep
This herd was crossing the road after drinking in Quake Lake.
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Mountain sheep ram
One of the two big boys in the herd by Quake Lake.
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Early morning at the Bar N Ranch
This was our view as we awoke at dawn. The mist is rising from the South Fork of the Madison River which meanders through the ranch. No...that isn't a real moose...but I sure wish it had been!
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Hunting buddies
These two coyotes were hunting along the Madison River in Yellowstone. Their coats look fluffy and healthy...they must be pretty good at their job.
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"Excuse me but what are YOU doing here?", they seemed to say.
Having come down the trail from the geothermals, these two guys were watching me and debating whether to turn up the trail (headed toward me!) or to continue across into the deep snow of the pasture. It was hairy standoff for a couple of minutes as they made their decision...if they had turned toward me, I didn't have much room to escape as the ground on either side was soft and rather warm due to the geothermal area.
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Beasty Close-up
Bison are known to be a bit lazy, preferring to travel on the road instead of on natural ground. I was quite fortunate when they continued across the path into the open range.
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Rough and Tough
These guys mean business! No polite niceties here.
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Firehole River Falls
One of the many beautiful stops on our snow coach tour.
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Serene Elegance
A Trumpeter Swan peacefully making his way down the Firehole River.
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Elk Cow
This girl was grazing along the bank of the Firehole River. By the size of her belly, I'm guessing she is pregnant with a calf to be born in the spring.
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Mist of the Geothermals
We visited several geothermal areas which have remarkable color in the winter, the earth's minerals contrasting against the snow.
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Always an amazing site!
Old Faithful....she blows her lid and releases steam plus 3700-8400 gallons of boiling water 185 feet in the air about every 90minutes.
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Casually Grazing
Almost hidden from view, this fella found a bit of green grass near the geothermals.
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Beasty close-up
I stayed on the trail, giving him a wide berth...even so, a shot through a long lens gives one a sense that one is almost face to face with this huge guy.
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Another early morning dawn at the Bar N Ranch.
Sunrise greets one of the many cabins at the ranch.
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Blending in
Demonstrating the same color as the water and brush, quietly posing, from a distance his presence is almost overlooked.
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Congregation at the Firehole
These bison had stopped for a drink and were moving on.
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Single File
The Big Boy blazes the trail and the others follow single file in his path. It's interesting to watch the dynamics of bison. With a big herd full of cows, young bulls and calves, the head of the herd decides where and when to relocate and will observantly watch to make sure all members stay safely grouped together.
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A contender this year.
Judging from the size of this guy's antlers, he will be wooing the girls this fall.
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Dinner Time
This guy is scavenging an elk carcass killed a couple of days ago by a mountain lion.
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A virtual feast!
With no other contestants, this fox has dinner all to himself.
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Finders Keepers
He seems to be saying, "It's mine...all mine!"
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Momentarily he is distracted from his feast.
Keeping alert for competition.
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Contemplating an executive decision.
What is this guy about to do?
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Leaving with his Prize
We watch him start up the hill thinking he is gone for the evening.
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He stops and drops his prize.
Is anyone watching?
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Buried in the Snow
Digging a hole he hides his treasure.
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He stops to look around.
Did anyone see me?
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Satisfied his cache is safe....
This guy was so accommodating and photogenic.
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