Yellowstone NP Wild | a 7 Image Story Wild describes the essence of Yellowstone. It’s a vast wild place providing habitat where Bison, Wolf, Elk, Coyote, Pronghorn, and Bighorn Sheep as well as Bald Eagle and Raven call home. Life’s survival in wild Yellowstone is always challenging with winter being the hardest. Yellowstone is a land of fire and ice while beautiful and harshly wild. Yellowstone’s habitat is also beautiful scenery no matter what time of year. It contains contains 45 named waterfalls and hundreds of unnamed waterfalls. It’s not known for its rock formations, but it does have a few nice ones. Yellowstone’s thermal features keep the rivers from freezing in the winter and provide unique beauty year around.
American Bison This Bison image comes from Lamar Valley on a cold February afternoon. Notice his heavy winter coat to protect him from Yellowstone’s hard, long winter. Bison are year round grazers requiring water every day. They eat primarily grasses, but will also eat flowering plants, lichens, and woody plant leaves. In the winter, they sweep their heads from side to side to clear the snow. Bison lose so much weight from fall to spring just trying to survive the Yellowstone Winter, over nine percent of adult bison die during the winter.
The American Bison, also call Bison Bison, is our National Mammal and symbolic of the Great Plains. It’s largest land animal in North America. At one time millions roamed in herds across the grasslands of The Great American Prairie. A mature Bison stands 5-6 feet tall weighing 1,800 to 2,400 pounds. They can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. Just like much of the Great American Prairie has gone the way of the plow; so most of the Bison have gone. Today, small herds are live in Canada and the USA; mostly in state and national parks like Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park, and Yellowstone NP. With about 5,000 Bison, Yellowstone NP has North America’s largest population of wild Bison and is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since the prehistoric times of the last ice age. Also, see American Bison | a 7 Image Story for more information and images of the American Bison.
Yellowstone River Yellowstone’s first snow of the year in mid November made for a great day to capture images along the Yellowstone River. A snowstorm had fallen the night before, covering everything in sparkling fresh snow. Actually, we only had a few minutes to capture this image between snow showers. Although it was midday, the sun was shining through a thin cloud layer softening the light. Blowing snow and the calming sound of water ripples from the river completed the experience. The Yellowstone River, flowing north out of the park, was not frozen due to the thermal features of the park. It does not look like much of a river in this image, but it becomes a nice size river as it travels further north. There’s nothing like Yellowstone in the winter. Yellowstone always provides perspective and introspection. Every time I go to Yellowstone, the experience changes with new vistas, wildlife, challenges, and accomplishments.
Coyote This coyote is taking a break from hunting voles during the first snow of the year in Yellowstone. Coyotes are very good at finding the voles. They can hear them in their underground burrows. Winter in Yellowstone can be harsh. The coyotes seem to be well suited Yellowstone’s 20+ below zero cold. For more information on coyotes, see Coyote | a 7 Image Story.
Yellowstone Rainbow A few rain showers in the distance yielded several rainbows. This rainbow ends near Mammoth Hot Springs and Mt. Everts on the north part of Yellowstone NP. It’s difficult to show the vastness of Yellowstone. Although Yellowstone is not necessarily known for its mountains, the rocks help put the rainbow in perspective.
Raven Portrait Ravens tend to hang around the parking areas in Yellowstone. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds and have accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries by following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and cars looking for a quick meal. Ravens are really quite amazing birds. They can fly over 20,000 feet. They adapt to a very wide variety of habitats including the harsh climate in Yellowstone. They adapt to living around humans quite well. They’ll eat a wide variety of foods. They even befriend wolves while still sharing in the wolves bounty. Yes, amazing birds!
Mammoth Hot Springs This Mammoth Hot Springs image was captured during a rain shower. Mammoth Hot Springs, in the northwestern part of Yellowstone NP, is a large complex of hot springs on a mound of travertine, a form of limestone, created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate. The spring’s energy comes from the same magmatic system that fuels other Yellowstone geothermal areas. The hot water that feeds Mammoth comes from Norris Geyser Basin after traveling underground via a fault line. The water temperature at the spring hovers at about 170 °F (80 °C). Algae living in the warm pools have tinted the travertine shades of brown, orange, red, and green.
Elk Cow & Calf Yellowstone is all about its wildlife. It’s hard to miss the affection this mom Elk has for her baby; well her bigger baby now. Yellowstone has thousands of wildlife stories every day. It’s a real privilege to witness just one of those stores.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Yellowstone NP Wild.
America the Beautiful | Montana High Country The Montana countryside is sky clear and filled with contrasts. This image reminds me of the big beautiful skies in Montana. With hay stacked sky-high, the Bridger Mountains stand many miles in the background. For the whole story with all images, see America the Beautiful | a 7 Image Story.
America the Beautiful | a 7 Image Story After the current virus crisis has subsided, our beautiful country will still be here for us to enjoy. These images remind me of the beauty in our country, in particular the Midwest, the Great American Prairie, and the American West. Really, any nice image from any part of the country can remind us of how lucky we are to be Americans.It’s easy to appreciate America while flying north along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. On a clear day, you can see the lake shore forever!
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
America the Beautiful by John Williams & Boston Pops Orchestra
Yellowstone This Yellowstone landscape,accented with an Elk herd, reminds me of our raw American beauty. In the fall Yellowstone becomes a magical wilderness with fall color and the distinctive sound of an Elk bugling. Fall’s brown grasses provide contrast for the new forest growing through an old burned forest.
Badlands Storm South Dakota Thunderstorms rumble over the Badlands frequently during the summer months. In fact, they are one of the trademarks of the Great American Prairie. Nothing can remind us of America more than the Great American Prairie.
Illinois Tall Grass Prairie Illinois was once covered with tall grass prairie. This fertile land has been mostly converted to farming land. See The Great American Prairie | a 7 Image Story for additional information and images, Although Illinois was on on the far eastern edge of the Great American Prairie, it still contains several restored prairies to remind us of the natural beauty.
Montana High Country The Montana countryside is sky clear and filled with contrasts. This image reminds me of the big beautiful skies in Montana. With hay stacked sky-high, the Bridger Mountains stand many miles in the background.
Wyoming Grand Teton Flats The Grand Tetons get many clear mornings. Low lying fog along the Snake River lingers to make a beautiful American image. Teton country provides many contrasts between the flats and the mountains.
Platte River Nebraska The Platte River provides a beautiful sunsets in March and April each year as the Sandhill Cranes make their annual visit. In the distance, the last Sandhills are landing to roost for the night as the last good light rests in the west. Sandhill Cranesroosting with a beautiful sunset on the Platte River is truly America the Beautiful.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category America the Beautiful.
The Sunday Drive | By Lone Trees If you are lucky enough to live close to Wind Cave NP, it’s a great place for a nice, quiet Sunday drive. You can drive through the park on its one gravel road, stop the car, turn off the engine, and hear nothing but the sounds of nature. It’s totally quiet of the sounds of man and screaming with the sounds of nature. For the whole story with all images, see The Sunday Drive | a 7 Image Story.
The Sunday Drive | a 7 Image Story When I was a young boy growing up on a Midwest farm, my parents often took a Sunday drive. It became a bit of a tradition. Now, we did not go every Sunday, but fairly often. Sometimes, the purpose was to “look at the crops.” Sometimes, it was to “just to get off the farm.” Sometimes, it was a short ride; sometimes a long ride. Occasionally, the Sunday drive took us all the way to Chicago’s Midway Airport to watch the planes land and take-off. Apparently, my parents were not the only ones to partake in this “tradition.” The Sunday drive was a relatively inexpensive way to showdown, spend family time, and enjoy the world around us.
Why remember those Sunday Drives now? With the world in crisis mode over the corona virus, states and even countries are issuing stay at home orders. It’s forcing us to slowdown a bit and value the simpler things in life. More people seem to be going for walks. Although the stay at home orders generally discourage travel by car except for the essentials, the slowdown somehow reminded me of those Sunday Drives. As some of the restrictions are raised, maybe the Sunday drive will make a resurgence. Or, perhaps a Sunday walk or bike ride will take its place.
Thru the Woods Spring is technically here. A nice spring snow shower made beautiful surroundings on my way to the grocery store this morning. The stay at home order does not say you must take the shortest route to the store. This route may be less traveled, but its beauty improved my mood for the day. On Gravel Roads The countryside in Montana contains numerous gravel roads running along old fence lines. Unless you live in a large city, back country, gravel roads aren’t all that far away for a lazy Sunday drive. In the Hills Arizona can get pretty hot in the summer. A nice Sunday drive into the mountains can show you breathtaking beauty as well as much cooler air. And in the winter months, snow and ski runs might great you at the end of the road. Over the Snow Most of us don’t live close enough to Yellowstone NP to go for a Sunday drive. Still, many of us live near hills and mountains. When covered with snow, they make a nice scenic day drive.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category The Sunday Drive.
The Badlands | Rocks at the Badlands The Badlands’ rock formations are distinguished by their vibrant red, tan, and white stripes. Each stripe represents a different layer of sediment brought there by rivers and seas, millions of years ago. Over time, the mud and grit hardened into layered sedimentary rock. After sedimentary rock formed, the White, Bad, and Cheyenne rivers carved the flat floodplain into sloping hills, jagged cliff faces, and precarious spires. For the whole story with all images, see The Badlands.
The Badlands | Badlands’ Valley Spring in Badlands NP feels like another planet for a Midwesterner. Between the mid May and mid June the normally brown and tan landscape of the Badlands turns green and and the wild flowers bloom. For the whole story with all images, see The Badlands.
The Badlands | a 7 Image Story The Badlands are truly inspiring. There’s something rather spiritual about Badlands NP. Perhaps, it’s the stark contrasts, the native American influence, or the large expanse of rock formations. Taking time to reflect on the grandeur adds perspective to life’s challenges. Badlands NP is one of my favorite places to photograph. There’s nothing like rising at o’dark thirty to capture the sunrise and morning’s nice light. It’s hard to decide whether to look for landscapes or wildlife or both. Badlands NP stands at the intersection of the Great American Prairie and the North American Great Plains.
Soundtrack from the movie Dances with Wolves; a musical score composed by John Barry.
Spring in Badlands NP feels like another planet for a Midwesterner. If you want to see the Badlands in spring green, travel between the last 2 weeks of May through the first 2 weeks of June, when the brown and tan landscape turns green. Also, it’s a great time see wildlife babies. It’s not green in the Badlands for long. Generally, I prefer the first week of June. Usually, the grass is green and the wild flowers are blooming. In a nice long weekend, you can explore much of Badlands NP.
In any time of year, the Badlands’ rock formations are distinguished by their vibrant red, tan, and white stripes. Each stripe represents a different layer of sediment brought there by rivers and seas, millions of years ago. Over time, the mud and grit hardened into layered sedimentary rock. After sedimentary rock formed, the White, Bad, and Cheyenne rivers carved the flat floodplain resulting in sloping hills, jagged cliff faces, and precarious spires.
Nothing says Great American Prairie like a lone tree on the rolling mixed grass prairie of the Badlands. Thunderstorms often rumble over the Great Plains during summer. While driving into the Badlands NP near the front gate, this storm became visible from the road. After pulling off the road, I just grabbed the camera, pointed it west, and ripped a burst of images. Luckily, one image captured the lightning strike. The great plains are known for their thunderstorms. Sure, it was a very lucky click to capture the lightning just as I was leaving Badlands NP.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category The Badlands.
Yellowstone NP Wild | a 7 Image Story Wild describes the essence of Yellowstone. It’s a vast wild place providing habitat where Bison, Wolf, Elk, Coyote, Pronghorn, and Bighorn Sheep as well as Bald Eagle and Raven call home. Life’s survival in wild Yellowstone is always challenging with winter being the hardest. Yellowstone is a land of fire and ice while beautiful and harshly wild. Yellowstone’s habitat is also beautiful scenery no matter what time of year. It contains contains 45 named waterfalls and hundreds of unnamed waterfalls. It’s not known for its rock formations, but it does have a few nice ones. Yellowstone’s thermal features keep the rivers from freezing in the winter and provide unique beauty year around.
