Yellowstone National Park

Mound Terrace Boardwalk

During the cold snap before Christmas, I decided to take a drive into Yellowstone and see what beautiful scenes I could find. It was a wonderful (and very cold) day and I saw temperatures that ranged from -30F to a "balmy" -10F. In the afternoon, I took a short walk up to Mound Terrace (a terrace that is fast becoming my favorite). Due to the cold, there were very few visitors our and other than the couple in the steam in the photo, I saw no one else on the boardwalk. I loved this scene so much that I had to capture it.

Undine Falls

I just loved the yellow aspens behind the sign for Undine Falls. This triple falls is next to the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction.

Autumn Undine

This is probably one of my favorite roadside waterfalls. This triple fall is beautiful in any season. My favorite seasons are fall and winter to photograph this waterfall. I love the splashes of red the underbrush creates on the right side and the hints of yellow near the brink.

Fog

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone looking downriver from Lookout Point towards Artist Point (top left). The rainy/humid conditions created this interesting fog layer inside the canyon. Less than a day later the park would be hit with a 1-in-500 year flood event.

Foggy Lower Falls

This was taken on June 12, 2022. Less than a day later, Yellowstone would be hit with a 1-in-500 year flood that would damage infrastructure throughout the northern end of the park. The 12th was a rainy day in the park and the rain and humidity helped to create this foggy scene.

Blue Hour

Blue Hour (the time after sunset or before sunrise where the sky takes on shades of blue) is beautiful in the geyser basin. The deep sapphire blue of the sky (in this photo helped by fleeting clouds) sets a beautiful backdrop to an eruption of Old Faithful Geyser.

Watchful

This male bighorn sheep seems to be peeking over the snow at something. What? He is looking back towards the road at the crowd of visitors watching him. He would eventually cross the road and head up the nearby hill. Bighorn sheep like alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, and foothill country near rugged, rocky cliffs and bluffs. Their grace at navigating those cliffs seems to defy gravity; a feat made possible with their split hooves, rough hoof bottoms and excellent eyesight.

Canary's Details

A pale sunrise in January had me searching for more inspiration. I was drawn to this small section of terrace near the boardwalk. I was fascinated by the curves and lines as well as the subtle variety of colors within the pools.

Cottonwood Dawn

On a frigid morning (around -20F) in Lamar Valley, frosted cottonwood trees face the fleeting light of dawn just before the sun rises over the eastern mountains. The color is called the Belt of Venus. It is the fleeting purples and pinks as we transition between dark and sunrise or sunset.

Frosty

A small tree frosted by the steam from Mound Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs. This little tree was fun to photograph as the steam moved through the scene. The steam would completely envelope the tree then drift away creating very different feeling scenes. I liked the softness of this scene as the steam was drifting away.

August snack

A little black bear snacking on some red berries (maybe chokecherries). During the fall, bears go into hyperphagia where they are eating all the food to get ready for their winter snooze.

Icy Undine

Every November/December the cold of winter starts to set in and ice forms anywhere this is cold water. It is fun to watch the ice form on Undine Falls as it slowly creeps down the falls like a slowly falling curtain. Eventually, the ice will completely cover the falls and quite it's voice until the spring thaw comes.

October Snow

A mid October snow blankets the small canyon that Lava Creek flows into. The waterfall, Undine Falls, is a 3-tier plunge approximately 60 feet tall. It is just off a large pullout east of Mammoth Hot Springs.

Gardner River Gold

The Gardner River winds it's way through Gardner Canyon near the north entrance to Yellowstone. The bushes and trees along the river turned lovely autumn shades. On June 13, 2022, a 1-in-500 year flood event swept through this area. The flooding Gardner River has drastically changed this area.

Wapiti Walk

The Wapiti Pack walks along the top of a hill near the road in Yellowstone National Park. There was a winter killed bison in the area that they were travelling to. If you look closely, you can see 15 wolves.

Old Faithful Curves

Toward the end of this pre-dawn eruption, a slight breeze pushed the column of steam into this graceful curve.

Ghosts

A small stand of pine trees is shrouded in steam/fog from an erupting Grotto Geyser (behind the camera).

Old Faithful Blues

Old Faithful Geyser erupts in the blue early morning before sunrise.

The Devil's Thumb

Some scraggly plants cling to life amidst the thermal waters of the Mammoth Terraces. The steam from the water coats the plants in hoar frost which gives the scene an otherworldly feel.

Owl Be Watching You

A Great Horned owl watches me in a heavy snow squall. Owl sightings are rare in the park and to have one so calm so close to the road is a sighting one talks about for years.

Lower Falls Ice

Ice forms along the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. Water finds a path and flows over the ice.

Undine Flow

Undine Falls in late November as the ice of winter starts to form around the edges.

Winter Dawn

Soft winter light is reflected in the warm pools of Upper Canary Spring.