To get the full impact of this incredible country we refer to as the Yellowstone Ecosystem simply click on each photograph to enlarge it to screen size.

June 9th is Vicki and my anniversary and both our birthdays fall within the next twelve days so to celebrate we take two days off gallery duty and head to yellowstone under a cloudy cold drizzly morning. Going over Togwotee Pass we drop down into jackson Hole where we take a few side roads to seek out the wildlife we might find there. We find and photograph a number of elk and even shoot inclement weather conditions. It is all a part of June.
By noon we are in the Hayden Valley where we have a lunch with winter jackets on though the weather shows signs of breaking. We are accompanied by three Big Bison Bulls. At one point we pull off the road while climbing Dunraven Pass and watch [surprise to us and him]a Red fox who quietly trots up the mountainside and out of sight. He is the first of two we see this trip and that is an oddity.

[1]

June 9, 2010

The Yellowstone Ecosystem is the largest nearly intact ecosystem in the temperate zones in the world and encompasses much of Northwest Wyoming, extreme Southwest Montana and extreme Southeast Idaho. It is a wonderful region of wild landscapes and its inhabitants and as vast as it seems to be is a very fragil region so susceptible to changes by human activities and threats that are always on the edge of happening. It is only by hard work and dedication by some really inspired individuals that it is what it is today. It is so easy to stand on a high point and see in a seemingly infinite distance of vast wilderness to think it would never change.

Our destination is the Lamar Valley of Northeast Yellowstone where we spend an incredible two days of watching and photographing this wonderous wild country and its wildlife and enjoying animal behavior.

[2]
June 9, 2010
Dropping offf the north side of Dunraven Pass and into the Lamar Valley we stop to watch this Red Fox unfazed by traffic walking up the road. I tried to engage him[her]in a conversation but he certainly had something else in mind and barely gave me a glance as he passed by. Terribly rude.

[3]

June 9, 2010

We reach the valley floor after descending from Dunraven Pass where we had pulled ff at various points and with glasses were able to pick up many bands of Elk scattered across the valley and mountain slopes by the hundreds. Bison too. It is a real American Serenghetti.

As we cross the yellowstone River bridge which is accessed from a steep descent with the deep canyon of the Yellowstone flowing under the bridge we find a ton of vehicles parked and stopped haphazardly along the bridge. From a rolled down window I can get a picture of conversations that a bear had come down the slope and swam the river and was now somewhere below climbing back out of the canyon. We find a turnoff beyond the bridge and drive down it, get out of the truck and have barely walked toward the edge of the canyon when this Grizzly comes out of the draw right in front of me. I am guessing it is a rather young bear maybe three or four years old. If I was any closer I could not have photographed him with my telephoto lens. All this poor guy wants to do is get out of here and fairly rapidly climbs the hill on out of sight . We drive on out of the traffic jam and stop about a half mile up the road and sit for about twenty minutes watching several Pronghorn Does on the hill above about where I am guessing our bear might reappear. There are some people siting on the edge of the road with a long lens on their camera and seem excited about something. Curiously I ask them what they are doing. they were watching a Flicker in a nest in an Aspen tree. I tell them that at any moment they might get to see a grizzly come over the hill. A lady in the bunch suddenly exclaims. "There he is!". He tops the hill just above one of the antelope and she is really looking. For several minutes she is really watching it as it drops down into a low spot where we can't see it any more. The Doe is suddenly off and running straight down the hill. We watch for about fifteen minutes but never see it again. There was some timber at that point and I am guessing the poor guy was pretty tired and stressed out with his observed river crossing and was up there taking a much needed nap. He sure did scatter that Pronghorn doe.

[4]
June 9, 2010
We spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in the Lamar valley watching and photographing hundreds of Elk, Bison and various other critters from close and afar. Watching at one point a coyote who appears right under our noses and is trying to put a sneak on a duck on a pond.
We find our way to Slough Creek and up the dirt road where we again watch wildlife on and around the high waters of Slough Creek that has overspread its banks to flood the whole valley floor with hundreds of stream channels and ponds. This is where the first wolves were released into Yellowstone and there continue to be photographers, artists and wildlife watchers who frequent the area with their high powered lenses and Spotting scopes. We find a quiet spot with no one around where we glass the mountain slope beyond and are lucky enough to spot a very large Black Bear traversing the mountain. Over the course of the afternoon from various spots we watch this bear moving northeasterly in its slow methodical march across the mountain. It makes for an interesting afternoon.
Towards evening we make our way out of the park to Cooke City where we have a motel reservation and are up early to once again explore the Lamar River valley. The weather has cleared off and it is a beautiful frosty morning. There is no traffic at all this early and we have the whole road and country to ourselves. It is easy to simply stop in the middle of the road to get pictures. I will never understand why people get up late to find wildlife and never see a thing.

[5]
June 9, 2010
We find this rather unusual happening on our way down the road. A buck Pronghorn Antelope is harassing four does trying to keep them herded up tightly in a swale. It is a real control thing with this guy. no sooner would one break away than he was onto her and chasing her back into a tightly fit group. This is something you would expect to see in August and September certainly not in June. I shoot a number of pictures of this behavior and of the does who are not quite wanting to play this game.

[6]

June 9, 2010

About a mile further down the road we pull off at a turnoff and decide it is a great place to have breakfast. We had gotten hot cofffee and a Blueberry Muffin in Cooke City on the way out of town and along with some cereal we have breakfast off the truck tailgate and are provided with entertainment by this Doe and fawn Pronghorn Antelope. The little fellow would run out into the saage as fast as his legs would carry him only to wheel around and come charging back to mom. he really put on a show.

[7]

June9, 2010

Vicki calls my attention to the other side of the road where just off the barrow pit this badger is chasing a mouse or vole through the frosty grass. He seems oblivious to me as I slowly walk down my side of the road shooting pixs as I go. Suddenly discovering my presence he quickly scoots over a rise and remerges seconds later out of camera range disgusted at having his hunt ended the way that it did. What a great way to have breakfast.

[8]
June 9, 2010
After breakfast we again continue to the area we were on yesterday. Slough Creek. Wolf watchers are out again with their high powered lenses and spotting scopes. No one has seen any wolves but they are watching elk and Big Horn Sheep high and so far away that I can barely make them out with my binoculars. There had been a grizzly sow with three cubs but they have dissapeared into the timber at tree line.
We need gas so head westward towards Gardner, Montana and then head south from Mammoth where we encounter another bear jam. Was a Black bear with cubs way out on the sage covered flats near Swan Lake but we are again too late to see any thing. My good friend, Merideth Taylor was by here the next day and was able to witness a Grizzly Sow with four cubs. A real rarity. She e-mailed me a video that is making the rounds of the internet world of the Bear group. It is pretty incredible to watch.
Continuing on we pass many Bison and agian many elk and another bear jam that we are again too late to see. Nearly noon the park critters are taking part in noonday snoozes. Calf Bison are flat out and the others are pretty well napping away.

[9]

June 9, 2010

We again find a wonderful spot along the Gibbon River for a picnic lunch where the weather catches us turning much coller and rain showers falling. The temperature dips into the 40's by the time we get to Old FAithful where we have some ice cream and a break visiting with my artist friend, Jim Reed who is the artist in residence at the Old Faithful Inn. If you make it to the Inn, be sure and stop by and tell Jim Hi. He is an incredible Gouache Watercolor artist.

We eventually make our way out of the park taking a side trip up the Grassy lake road at the south entrance hoping to see a Moose that usually frequents the area or one more Grizzly. The weather is now a steady drizzle and is mixed with snow at 37 degrees. This is Polecat Creek near the south entrance. A favorite area of ours.

[10]

June9,2010

We had an incredible two days in the park and were fortunate to see and experience many things and to capture memories that we will share in our lives. Anyone who knows me knows how I love the streams and waters of Yellowstone. I didn't get many pictures of them as they are running quite high and don't have that "hard to pass up" look to them as what they will have in a few weeks. I did find it hard to pass up Undine Falls near Mammoth though. It is a beautiful, passed by many, waterfall.

I had also brought my watercolors along for some field studies but just didn't have the time.

[11]
June9, 2010
Reluctant to end the trip we stop over at Colter Bay and as we have done befor visit the wonderful Indian Museum located there. It is a collection to die for. We then buy a rotisseried chicken at the cafeteria and take it back down to the Lake for a picnic bundled up in winter clothes . It has at least stopped raining.
I stop off at the Oxbow of the Snake and shoot a few pixs of the socked in Tetons. It is still magical and offers possibilities for paintings. We then watch a coyote trying to put a sneak onto a flock of Canada Geese and two Sand hill Cranes. Of course to no avail. Embarassed he slinks on into the willows. It is a cold wonderful evening.
On towards home we cross the continental divide at Togwotee Pass where they have had a good three inches of snow today that leaves the hiway slushy.
This weekend [June 11-13]was cold and rainey with heavy snow in the mountains. This morning it has cleared off with a heavy white coating of snow across the peaks. The sun is shining and it feels a lot warmer. Our fingers are crossed.

By clicking onto each image will enlarge it for a larger view of this magnificent Greater Yellowstone country we call home.

[1]

June 6, 2010

6:30 in the morning and artist friend, les Lefevre and myself are off to check out the country north of Dubois. it continues to be rainey and quite cool and this morning is no exception with rain lightly falling. Within three miles of town we are spotting elk scattered about in the hills above the muddy road. By the time we reach the forest boundry we have seen many elk and deer all looking pretty shaggy with their winter coats slowly shedding and needing warm weather and good food. they are all pretty thin looking such as this Buck Mule Deer with his emerging velvet covered antlers.

[2]
June 6, 2010
We climb out of Horse Creek and on the divide between Horse Creek and the Wiggins Fork glass the large sage-Pine covered flats to the south picking up a few cow elk scattered about here and there. They are all browsing and it is all indicative that there are probably new born calves nearby. We barely continue on when we come upon a number of cow elk and several little ones right off the road. There is not much time to grab a picture befor they are off followed closely by those young ones. These calves are no more than a week old and can all ready stay pretty close to mom in times of danger. This is also the time when Grizzlies are looking for them for a feast and a few of them will not make it through June. Wolves, Coyotes, Cougars and the elements are also enemies they will have to survive to be able to make it.

[3]
June 6, 2010
Within a quarter of a mile we come onto another band of elk who are off and running immediately followed along by a few young except for this cow who is reluctant to leave. She surely has a calf nearby hidden in the sage. She finally slowly walks off nonchallantly head held high in that typical elk fashion. After about 75 yards she stops dead in her tracks watching us and just wishing we would leave. Not wanting to stress her out we oblige and move on in the ever increasing rainfall.

[4]

June 6, 2010

The further we go the more elk we run into. Small bands with young and the occasional single cow standing her ground watching us as we slowly drive by.

On a return trip from Casper the other day it was fun to watch the many Pronghorn Antelope on the Wyoming prairie with their little ones barely discernable above the sage and grass covered plains as they follow mom. It is that time of year with the young of every species being born and beginning their adventure of what we call life.

Just beyond this cow we jump a Whitetail Doe deer who runs across the muddy road and into the timber. There are very few of these deer around this part of the country and only so in recent years. They are strange animals to me as I have grown up with Mule Deer and they are so different in their behaviors. This one looks like a dog running through the trees never looking back. The Mule Deer would always stop and get aother long last look at you befor bounding away. Much to his demise during hunting season.

A little further along we jump a Pronghorn Antelope Buck. Really surprising to find him this far back in the mountains. It is quite a morning.

[5]
June 6, 2010
We turn around at the Bog Lake road as it is really getting slick and muddy with the rain increasing in intensity and head back downcountry. We still encounter elk on the way and shoot a few shots of the mountains veiled in rain. It is snow higher up in those peaks.

[6]

June 6, 2010

We again stop on the divide and glass across the sageflats to the south. We can still pick out individual cow elk here and there . Can you spot the one towards the bottom of the photograph?

[7]

June 6, 2010

Back on Horse Creek Road we drive up the Burroughs Creek road towards the T-Cross Dude Ranch looking for moose along the willow covered valley floor. Strangely I have not spotted one all spring and we don't find one this morning either. We stop along an old beaver flooded section of the creek and watch a pair of Scaup and two male Green Wing Teal. A flock of Canadian Geese wing above us flying down the valley floor honking as they go then it is all quiet again. The road becomes soup and by barely creeping am I able to keep the truck in a straight line.

[8]

June6, 2010

Near the T-Cross dude ranch we turn around and stop along Horse Creek for a few pictures along Horse Creek with the rain falling and the low clouds drifting across the timber slopes creating a mystical world. I personally love this kind of weather and wish I had time to just hike off through the woods. Dripping rain and all.