The next morning I entered the park just before sun-up to look for elk along the Madison River. Not three miles into the park I got a glimpse of a big white bird in the water. It was a trumpeter swan. I pulled over, grabbed my tripod, and slide down the roadway embankment on my butt and into the trees along the river. Before me was another rapidly developing OMG moment. The moving waters didn’t present a perfect reflection but were smooth enough to provide one. The grasses on the bank beyond were dead and brown. As the sun peaked over the horizon, the dead grasses blazed of gold on the still unlit black waters with this beautiful white bird dipping its beak to find its morning nourishment. “On Golden Swan” seemed to come to mind and I could only hope these images would be as good as I was expecting.
My first day in Yellowstone I saw four eagles, two brown bears and a griz, and of course several bison and a couple of pronghorns. But twice along the way I heard about that moose under that bridge in the Tetons. The stories were getting better now as he had a cow and a young one and it seems his antlers were growing much bigger than the elapsed time would allow.
The second day presented me with the light at Artists Point, a Bison scuffle, more bears, and mountain goats when I decided to take a run over to Bear Tooth Pass. I didn’t make it back to the Park and chose the next day to make a run over the Chief Joseph Highway and loop back around through Cody.
I drove hundreds of miles through Yellowstone and saw literally everything you could ever want to see. I got my best moose images ever and saw river otters for the first time, joyfully playing in the Madison River and again later in the Yellowstone River under the concrete arch bridge. Now I don’t want to sound boring but I even saw deer, elk, bighorns, hawks, herons and egrets. I will mention one more time, I have never, ever, seen this much wildlife.
And I probably should elaborate about that Moose. I was stopped in a traffic jam along Yellowstone Lake. A zillion people out working this moose. He was on the wrong side of the road with bad light behind him. As he started moving toward the road, I got out and hurried up a slope in hopes he would come into view between me, the lake and the early morning sun. If he did, I had no idea what kind of image I would get; however, another OMG moment when he crossed between me and the lake on his way up to disappear into the woods. I normally tell people I’m not really so good, I’m just really lucky. What makes my photography good is that I put myself in a position to be lucky. A lot!!
I usually only spend two or three days in Yellowstone but I just couldn’t bring myself to leave until I finally realized the leaves I had photographed coming back from Bear Tooth were peaking and I may only have a couple more days for serious photography in the Tetons. I might add this was the most pleasant weather I had ever had at Yellowstone. I had several days with warm, summerlike temperatures and no rain. But I also realized that one front blowing across from the west and it could all be over for the season. I had been snowed in at West Yellowstone before by early snows, but by then I know the party’s over and it’s about time to head down into Utah and on toward home. I did have the presence of mind to get chains in Kalispell having left them at home, so I did feel somewhat prepared for a change in weather with my chains and new comforter. I wonder if those Lemon-Clorox wipes would melt ice. I didn’t want to leave but it was time to go. And do you suppose that bull under the bridge at Moose Junction might actually still be there? I couldn’t help but think that everything else had been nearly perfect. Maybe he is really big. He’s gonna be there. C’mon Richard, let’s go.
