To get the full effect of this magnificent country that I love portraying with camera and brush simply click on any image for enlargement.

[1]
March20,2010
Saturday morning and it is first light when I leave town traeling north on the Horse Creek Road. It is 17 degrees and we had an inch of snow yesterday. Not much compared to central and southern Wyoming who had up to a foot that left a number of roads closed and warnings to travel at your own risk on others. it seems a great morning to be out. Cold and brisk. This is still a great time to catch critters out and I have watched a number of grizzlies this early where I am going though not for several years now. They should be just now emerging from their winter dens and it will be pretty cool to get to see one. I drive pretty slow stopping occassionally to glass the mountain sides with my binoculars. Nothing. Not even any Deer this morning not to mention Elk, Moose or Grizzlies. From Brent Creek Road just off the Horse Creek Road I stop in a grove of Aspens still glassing the surrounding countryside enjoying the time just befor the sun breaks the eastern horizon.

[2]
March20,2010
As the sun rises and catches the Ramshorn to the west I cross the Horse Creek bridge. For some reason I am into the designs portrayed by melting ice on mountain streams. Having painted several paintings of such in the past couple of weeks it is pretty awesome to find Horse Creek at just that perfect stage of melting and I spend a while here along the creek searching for further compositions that might lead to "masterpieces" that I have conjured up in my mind.

[3]
March20,2010
From the Horse Creek bridge, Horse Creek flows through a small winding canyon and the road does a detour cutting through Aspen and Pine filled Rock faces and returns to the creek as both open out onto a beautiful flat basin ringed with mountains all around. Horse Creek meanders snake like across this basin. This is my kind of road. Narrow and one must pick a spot when meeting oncoming traffic so that both may pass. Ther is 8-10 inches of snow on the road and the temperature has taken a nosedive and reads an even zero on my truck thermometer. The fresh snow from yesterday makes everthing look pure and clean.

[4]

March20,2010

The creek again is alternating with ice cover and open pockets of moving water. More painting possiblilities and I shoot a few more pictures

[5]
March20,2010
The sun has yet to reach the valley floor but is shining on the peaks that panoramically spread across the north horizon. I don't know how many times I have photographed and painted this scene but it always seems new and full of possibilities. I never tire of this view. In years past doing workshops I always bring my classes here for painting. This next fall I have one schedualed and will do the same.

[6]

March20,2010

Individually picked out from the slyline is the Cathedral Peaks cold and inviting this morning in sub zero weather. There is a pretty good wind blowing up there as blowing snow is pluming off the tops in veils of mist hundreds of feet up and off those moutain faces.

[7]
March20,2010
Boedicker Butte is equally impressive with its fresh white washed face of winter snow. There are vehicle tracks here at the Jct of the road continuing on up the mountain towards the Wiggins Fork or up the valley to the T Cross Dude Ranch. Both roads can be tricky at this time of year and although someone has gone on up both roads I decide it is not for a cripple and turn around.

[8]
March20,2010
Returning to the point horse Creek skirts the edge of the road I find the sun reflecting off the mountain above setting the water ablaze in color. I can't pass up this opportunity and climb out of my truck and hobble through a foot of snow to the edge for this picture. I tell myself it is well worth it as this has got to be a great idea for a painting and it alone makes the trip this morning worth it.
With that accomplished I head back towards Dubois. Saturday I always take Vicki out for breakfast and it is time.

By clicking on any image you may enlarge it to get an even better idea of the grand beauty of this country that I so love depicting.

[1]
March12,2010
I am determined to get out more and more pushing this heel which is not very comfortable doing so but as a good friend of mine put it "It is weakness leaving the body". I think that is a military term as that is what he is involved with. At any rate this wednesday morning I left town early and headed up Horse Creek road. We had a skiff of snow last night but looks as if they even missed that up here. At 16 degrees it doesn't seem bad with no wind blowing. There is a total lack of snow for this time of year it is scarey. I am able to drive quite a ways with no trouble and even up Brent Creek to the locked gate[so locked to protct wintering wildlife until June 15.]
Usually Winchester meadows here are loaded with wildlife. I can always find Elk, Moose and occassionaly Grizzlies but this morning there are only a few deer. There are some Moose tracks in the snow so they are around. This is the view across Winchester meadows to the south and looking at the Wind River Mountains.

[2]
March12,2010
On my art painting blog I have been doing some stream-snow paintings and thought I had pretty well exhausted that theme for a while but after looking over Horse Creek and shooting a numbr of photos there I have found some exciting ideas that I just may have to pursue. The quiet of the morning and having the area all to myself is enough to become motivated to paint some of what I am seeing. I even wish I had had more time to bring my paints this morning.
I have been talked into doing a Painting workshop this coming fall and had thought about this area for a location and am now even more convinced that this would be the perfect place. In all seasons it can't be beat for variety and color.

[3]
March12,2010
This morning I tried to beat the sun up but ran a little late as it was hitting the Ramshorn by the time I was about 5 miles west of town heading for the Union Pass road. The past several years I have found elk along the road climbing up from the hiway. It may be a little early in the season but it is a good time to check things out partcularly as mild and open a winter as it has been as far as snow is concerned.
I just have to stop at this point looking up Wagon Gulch Draw towards the Ramshorn catching the morning sun. This is always a great spot for photos and paintings and I have done my share of both over the years. In the last several years someone has put in a corral consortium to hay and water livesock interupting the view in that way.

[4]
March12,2010
I am barely up the road climbing the switchbacks when I run into the forst herd of Elk. This is just what I was hoping for. There are several hundreds of them and they are everywhere. In draws, hillsides, in the timber and even standing in the middle of the road.

[5]
March12,2010
They are not too happy to see me as I drive slowly by stopping now and then to shoot a picture. They are off up a steep incline.

[6]
March12,2010
I finally find a few that are a little more cooperative and this youg lady poses just off the road.

[7]
March12,2010
I continue on up the switchbacks and by the time I am into the timber there is another sizable herd. They seem a little more tolerant of me and I get a lot of really great photos. A fellow coming down the road stops to tell me there are even more higher up the mountain but this is fine for me.

[8]
March12,2010
Everyone is posing. What more could a wildlife artist ask for. Even the light is good.

[9]
March12,2010
This cow and two of last years calves seem not too disturbed in that I have messed up their breakfast. They still have grass hanging out of their mouths.

[10]
March12,2010
I finally move down to where I first encountered the elk. They seem a lot less concerned than when I first came on the scene and I stop and watch them awhile getting more research pictures. They really settle down and go back to grazing.

[11]

March 12, 2010

I finally call it quits and return to the hiway and back towards town stopping to photograph horses grazing on a pasture. The end of a great morning venture. I am back in town having been gone a little over an hour and having had a very productive day.