Children hold me tight, to calm their fears at night.
But if I draw too close, adults are filled with fright.
Tag Archives: Yellowstone National Park
Morning on the Blacktail Road
I’ve driven Blacktail Plateau Drive, a one-way gravel road on the way between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower-Roosevelt, a number of times on my visits to Yellowstone. The first time was one of the best, when I came across a couple of cubs high in the trees who slid down when their mother called them. This morning wasn’t too bad either, as a lone male pronghorn was resting in the grass in the early morning. The gate at the entrance has usually been locked at sunrise when I’ve been there that early, which is unfortunate, as there is no way to know without driving all the way out there.
Biding His Time
This young bull was hanging out on the periphery of the harem of a much older bull. It kept a respectful distance and never sought to challenge the old fellow, despite his exhaustion at the end of the rut. The older bull was more concerned about bugling rivals further off than this youngster.
A Glimpse of Beauty
This was my first (and so far only) sighting of a three-toed woodpecker. I came across this beautiful little creature several years ago in Yellowstone National Park. I didn’t think I’d have much chance at a picture, as despite the harsh light of the midday sun, little was making it through the canopy. I had left my tripod in the car so that I didn’t get too tired on the hike, but handholding the camera wasn’t easy in the low light. And the bird wasn’t sitting still, circling around the trunk and hammering into the bark, usually partially obscured by the many thin branches sticking out from the tree, often in poor lighting. While I don’t usually like strong light sources in the background, I really like them in this picture, the sunlight streaming through distant trees.
Holy Smokes Boolie, It’s Cold!
I agree, Mr. Elk, I agree. We’ve had an unusual spate of sunny days the past couple of weeks. Sunny and cold days, although the clouds and rain returned this weekend and it should be back to normal this week.
I came across this bull elk late one evening on a snowy day in Yellowstone in the fall of 2007. I’m always a bit nervous driving in snow on my hiking trips since I’m traveling alone and not used to the winter conditions, but the snow wasn’t too heavy on this day (although a heavier storm arrived soon enough).