First Snow

The llamas never seem to know how to handle the first snowfall of the year! I'm not sure how Dusty managed to collect icicles on her eyelashes but they don't seem to bother her a bit.

The pinyon jays have returned for the season as have the rosy finches. Both species travel in flocks and it is always fun to see a whole tree decorated by their presence!

The pinyons are really beautiful but I need to get some shots of them in the sun so you can truly appreciate the depth of color.

Windy Mountain

Yesterday we decided to take on a hike to the top of 10,200' Windy Mountain before the weather made it impossible for this season. The day was absolutely beautiful with clear skies and a slight breeze.

We were able to drive to a spot at just under 8000', leaving us with a little more than 2000'elevation change each way over a distance of 7 - 8 miles. On the way in to the trailhead I had Ken stop the car so I could snap a photo of the amazing landscape by the river, above.

 One of the joys of this hike is the 360 degree vista at the top of Windy. The ever familiar Pilot and Index Peaks could be seen to the northwest once we reached the ridge at around 9000'.

To the right is the Forest Service marker on top of Windy Peak.

One of the idiosyncrasies of this particular mountain is the skeletal remains of a Forest Service lookout that is still in place.
The lookout was built in 1940 and was destroyed by the Forest Service sometime around 1970. Strangely enough, they left in place the outhouse which had the unique feature of being built to hang out over the sheer drop on the side of the mountain. The rocky soil made it impossible to dig any type of hole so apparently the powers that be of the time decided the best disposal of the human refuse was to let it roll down the side of the cliff! Curiosity about the outhouse has been one of the reasons for climbing the mountain for many years. A number of people mentioned its existence when I said we were planning the hike. We were totally amazed therefore to discover the outhouse smashed into pieces when we arrived at the top. It seems the violent winds of last winter finally did in this infamous landmark!

We were expecting to trudge through some snow on our climb and were not disappointed. For about a half mile once we reached the 9000' mark until we hit the windswept ridge, we were post-holing through knee high drifts.

The view to the southeast from the top revealed Heart Mountain with the scar of Chief Joseph Highway in front of it.

Other highlights of the day were the sounds of howling wolves early in the climb, clear wolf and grizzly prints in the snow and a very fresh mountain lion track on the way down, obviously walking over the top of our upward prints!

Clarks Fork Canyon

 Yesterday Ken and I led a hike from Chief Joseph trailhead to the mouth of the Clark's Fork Canyon. This is one of our favorites and I am sure I have posted shots of the area before but it is so beautiful that I hope you won't mind me repeating myself! The photo above was taken at about the three mile mark of the 8 mile hike. The overlook at this location allows viewers to see Sunlight Falls at the bottom of the canyon as well as much of Sunlight Plateau above.

 This goat was quite curious. How he was walking along the side of this cliff I do not know! They are amazing animals.

The photo below is the same guy - one of the two goats I saw - but I shot him in HDR (hence the blue shadows) because of the extreme sun on the cliffs behind while he was in shadow. Without the three exposures either the wall in back would have been way overexposed or the goat's area would have been underexposed.

 About halfway along the trail you start the plunge down to the Clark's Fork River which then has to be forded. I really think that was one of the coldest stream crossings I have ever done. I am sure the water was at 33 degrees - barely above freezing - as the ice was already formed along the edges. The air temperature was in the twenties which didn't help us to get our feet warm once we made it across the river.

This last shot is again from the overlook. I loved the way the tree in the foreground was in shade while the background was sun lit.

Goldie Again

 Two posts in a row -I'm on a roll! The first photo above is one I took on my way home from classes on Friday. For almost two years I have been looking at this fence as I drive by it twice a day, five days a week and thinking I should pull over and take this shot. I finally did it and I am glad!

The second shot was taken yesterday and is the golden eagle that perches in a tree not far from our house. This is the third time in the last year he has allowed me to get within feet of him to take a photo. I love the way his headdress matches the final fall leaves in the tree.

Old Ranch

 Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted! It isn't for a lack of taking photographs, I assure you. The problem has been that I spend five days a week in classes and then have to travel somewhere on the weekends - at least for the last month. Today is actually a holiday at the college so the profs can enter our mid-term grades so I have a mini chance to get caught up on some things.

 These images were taken this past Saturday on the Landmark Ranch near Powell, Wyoming. Ken and I were there as part of a volunteer work crew charged with removing the old sheep fence that is a hazard to wildlife; particularly greater sage-grouse. The new owners of the ranch are hoping to restore the old buildings before they fall down completely.

My favorite shot is of this old chicken coop sitting all alone out on the wind swept prairie.

More Yellowstone

 Last weekend we went back into Yellowstone for one last fall visit before roads and accommodations begin closing.

The fall is such a wonderful time in the Park with fewer visitors, cooler days and lots of wildlife on the move!










The first shot shows Otter Creek at sunrise.

 In the above shot the bison are grazing in Lamar Valley. The lighting was pretty amazing - I have not manipulated this photo in any way but it looks like an old picture from the days when the bison roamed the prairies.

When else but in the fall could you take photos of grass and have it look this pretty?

More HDR

There is definitely a line that HDR photographs cross when it comes to reality. Even though you are simply combining three photographs of the exact same image,  the result can be quite surreal and more painterly than a typical photograph.

Last weekend was my outdoor photography course in the Beartooth Mountains and Yellowstone Park. Because of the smokey skies covering the west this summer, it is really tough to get a good landscape shot that doesn't look like it was taken through wax paper. That is where HDR comes in. By increasing the contrast in the images you are taking, you are able to circumvent the smokiness - but it comes at the price of realism.

I need five images to turn in next week from the trip and one has to be an HDR. Pictured here are just three of the approximately thirty I have to choose from!

The first shot is from a half mile up the trail to Crazy Creek looking out over the creek and the plateau below.

 Next up is Yellowstone Falls from Artist's Point. The haze in the background in this case is from the rain that was pouring down as I was shooting.

This view of the Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs is pretty amazing. The colors really do look this intense when you are standing there and it is pretty tough to capture without HDR.