A man and a woman stand on an old dirt road. One thats been here for over a hundred years. Towering mountains loom in the distance as cotton like clouds lay strewn around them. Dawn approaches and the cold still spring air carries the sound of a pack of coyotes, their yips and barks bond them over a fresh kill. A broken silence of the wild beasts that roam here. The nearly untouched flat beside the road hosts a single barn. All that remains of the family that built their home here. A symbol of these lands, its beauty magnetized, draws the couple to the American prairie.
The night before our flight to the west had me unable to sleep. I hadn’t ridden in a plane in over 20 years. Back then I hadn’t developed balance issues and the anxiety disorder yet. I spent most of the night struggling to try and convince my wife to allow me to cancel the trip. The fear of the flight didn’t let me sleep and I had never been so worried in my life. After a quiet argument at 3am we were in the car and headed down the highway toward the airport. My stomach was in knots, my head was spinning and I couldn’t focus on anything but the impending flight. We parked the car in the over priced garage and headed in with our 2 carry on bags and our one checked bag. Tickets in hand we waited a short while and breezed through security, of course it was easy and not slow enough to stop us from going. Waiting for an hour at the gate for our flight time I sat with my wife as my leg bounced and I anxiously looked around. Fifteen minutes left and I figure its time to take some meds to prevent air sickness. My main fear of flying is from a phobia I’ve developed since an illness I had when I was 8. Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting and being around those who are ill with stomach problems. I took a Pepto tablet and a Dramamine in hopes to prevent myself from feeling nauseous on the flight. They call our rows to board and I dragged my feet to our seats, stowing my camera bag between my feet in front of me. Everyone boarded quickly and then began the take off. Speeding down the runway I had an immense urge to somehow stop the plane and let me off, but my social anxiety had me not wanting to be a bother to everyone else. Then it happened, the plane lifted off the ground and my body felt like it was falling. Even after leveling out high in the sky at cruising altitude I continued to have the sensation of free fall and my heart was beating over 120 BPM for the entire 5 hour flight according to my phones pulse reader. I couldn’t move my head or body the whole time since any movement made me feel much worse. We tried to distract my mind by watching Black Panther and some Liam Neeson movie on the in flight screens to no avail. Then we were finally approaching the runway as the plane turned almost ninety degrees to take us in while I gripped the seat in front of me tighter than I thought was possible.
Then as if a switch flipped, the plane touched the ground and all my senses felt normal again. I don’t even remember getting off the plane. One moment I was in my seat, the next I was waiting for my wife outside the bathroom in the airport. We grabbed our bag from the belt and picked up the mini van from the car rental place. On the way we grabbed a burger from In n Out for breakfast to try and help my nerves. My wife had a migraine from the flight but now I felt exhausted. We drove along the highway and I started to feel like I was nodding off behind the wheel so we stopped for a little bit to get a soda and wake me up. That did the trick and I felt almost normal again so we continued on.
Five hours of rolling barren hills and winding dirt roads lead us to our destination as dust billowed behind our car. We arrived in a town that looks like part of it hasn’t changed all that much when is was founded back in the early 1800’s. Saloons still stand in the log style buildings. General stores sell goods to visitors and little shops line the streets. We continued on down the road towards the park wondering where the mountains were. We drove the straight flat entry way and after rounding a hillside we saw them. Soaring into the air stood the mountain range with its nearly 14,000 foot height. A craggy formidable stretch of rock and snow surrounded by flat open prairie. Awe struck we took a side road towards a pull off so we could get out and take it all in. Feeling like ants we stood there staring at the snow snaking its was through the peaks and valleys of the mountains. It was time to break out the cameras and I walked down the road a bit to get more of the mountain in the composition when I noticed two birch trees standing in the field to my right. All alone with tall pines behind them they really stood out and I took a quick shot of them. Then I turned my camera 90 degrees and lined up another photo as the fading sun dappled the cliffs and walls of the tallest peak. A rocky start to the trip turned into two solid images. (puns intended).
Twin birches stand together as brothers.
The fading sun lights the mountainside.
With the light fading fast as sunset was approaching we went straight to the nearest lake in hopes of getting one last photo in. With a brisk walk we went down the path to the waters edge. A clear crystal blue lake laid still at the mountains base creating a nice scene. I realized I left my polarizing filter in the car and rushed back to get it. As I made my way back I stopped dead in my tracks as a lone red fox stood on the trail in front of me. We silently stood there watching each other before it decided to move on and continue on its way. Making it back to my wife just in time I lined up a hail mary shot and took the photo below.
Clear blue water sleeps beneath the looming mountains.
We sat for a while taking in the beautiful sight by the water, breathing in the cool fresh mountain air. Thats when we heard a small rustle behind us, a small pine martin ran behind us while we sat on the ground. Getting within about a foot of us we noticed a small mouse in its little jaws and it scurried by as if we weren’t even there. Clearly the wildlife here are not afraid of the many visitors this park receives. With that we headed to a near by parking lot just before it got dark to re create a famous Ansel Adams photo. Only now the trees have grown so tall that most of the snaking river is hidden behind them. Satisfied with our first evening in the park we headed to our hotel in town after stopping by a local restaurant for yet another cheeseburger. With our stomachs full we checked in to the hotel and fell right asleep after getting in the room.
Ansel Adams stood here and I tried in vain to capture a similar image.
The next day we got up early to take photos at sunrise at a famous barn in the park. We arrived in the blue hour light and were all alone in the cold morning temperatures. Not much sound could be heard except for the many bluebirds coming in and out of the old barn and the eerie yips of coyotes somewhere close by. Cloud cover was pretty low so most of the mountain range was hidden in their thicket. We didn’t care though, it was just great to be there and smell the freshest air we have ever experienced. Of course I took my camera out and waited any way as the sun turned the peaks and clouds a moody purple tone. The barn sat as a relic of the past settlers who lived here and it was all we needed to enjoy the morning.
An old barn sits quietly as a remnant of the past homestead here.
The rest of the overcast dreary day we didn’t end of shooting any photos. Driving around and stopping at pull offs to just look around was excitement all in its own. We spotted a moose drinking from the river that ran through the area, far off elk grazing in the fields and bison roaming their fenced off areas. Checking out the town and all the little shops was quite the experience as we felt very out of place being from the east coast. No shops sell taxidermy animals or huckleberry treats like they do around here. We ate some pizza from a local shop and walked the boarded walkways feeling like we stepped into western movie set. We spent the rest of the day napping in the hotel since a small rain storm had come in. Tomorrow was our last day here so we went to bed early to rest up.
More overcast light plagued the area so sunrise wasn’t an option. We wanted to check out another trail so we slowly pulled into the parking lot as a large marmot bolted away from the trash can it was feasting on. Without bear spray we made an agreement to turn around and head back to the car at the first sign of bear activity. Not 50 yards from the parking lot we looked down and saw a giant pile of bear poo and said “well that was a short walk” and went back. Today was our first day at the next park so we had to get going soon anyways. We began seeing snow on the sides of the road which was weird since we had just come from a melted green prairie and we weren’t gaining elevation. Small amounts turned quickly into 6 foot tall snowbanks lining the only road into the park. As we passed a lake I saw another mountain range with a boat launch and quickly pulled in.
The silvery blue light was creating a very moody scene and I shot a quick panorama of the wide range. We got back into the car and hoped the shots we got turned out well. Which is seen below.
Overcast skies hover over a lakeside range.
From there we continued north into the borders of the park where the drab overcast was still present. Passing more forests and small hillsides we reached the visitor center to view a very famous geyser. The very predictable water plume was set to go off in just ten minutes so we made it just in time. We gathered around the boardwalk with the other visitors and waited. Nothing but steam was rising from the hole in the ground when suddenly water started to spit up. The scalding hot water spurted more and more until a sudden gush of water shot straight up. Over the next few minutes over 5,000 gallons of boiling water soared over 100 feet up as we all just watched in silence until it just suddenly stopped as if someone turned the lever off. Everyone just sort of filed out after that seeming kinda disappointed as if we were all saying “thats what everyone makes a big deal about?”. While impressive, my wife and I were just underwhelmed by the whole thing. After checking out the near by general store and picking up some huckleberry soda we drove over to a trail that housed some thermal pool. The cold air made the beautiful sapphire waters more steamy than normal so visibility wasn’t all that great. We walked on the trail exploring the many different colored pools of water heated by the caldera deep underground before heading back to the car. Waiting for us beside it in the parking lot was a gigantic bison and sticking to the 25 yard distance the park requires we had to wait it out while the 1,200+ lb living tank grazed on the newly grown grass. Once it left we were able to get back to the car and continue on. Another massive spring of rainbow colors sat in the wide open area. A boardwalk took us close to its edge and keeping visitors off the extremely fragile soil around it. Spotting coyote prints in the ground we also saw many human shoe prints from foolish and selfish visitors who left their scar in the ground and damaging the fragile ecosystem.
Driving through the snake like road past dense forest that went as far as the eye could see we spotted a nice waterfall by the roadside and walked down to get a closer look from the short trail above it. While trying to take a photo together a very nice couple offered to take our picture so we each took turns getting a shot for each other. People seem more generous our there then back at home so we are always surprised by the kindness we run into. The afternoon was spent exploring more of the area passing by deep ravines, tall rocky hillsides and the random steaming cracks in the earth. In the distance ahead of us I spotted a beautiful snow capped mountain range with a rolling hill landscape at its base. While everyone else just drove by ignoring it we parked and took a few shots as the low clouds moved in to cover the scene shortly after we got there.
Looming clouds envelope the electric mountains.
Later on in the afternoon the clouds had cleared off a bit as we visited the parks hot springs. Sulfur scented pools dripped their water down the hill into the next pool creating a brown ice like appearance. Far from being cold the boiling water sort of freezes down the hill from the geothermal pools from the high amounts of calcium over thousands of years. Mixed hues of tan, white and brown make it all appear frozen in time while lava stirs beneath them. The air however smells like egg farts so my wife wasn’t in any rush to stick around very long. We got out the area and headed towards the valley where wildlife is known for its abundance. It didn’t take very long to see the many different animals roaming free in the wide open land. Bison, pronghorn, deer, elk, coyotes, grizzly bears and the seldom seen wolf are known to be here so we tried our hand at some wildlife photography. I’m not much of a wildlife photographer and the only experience I’ve had until this point was in local zoos. While we were stopped for the third time as herd of bison and their offspring crossed the road, a single adult found a large boulder and was using it as a scratch its neck so I grabbed my camera and shot this from the drivers seat.
A bison using a large boulder as a scratching post.
The solidified run off from the hot springs.
Further on down the road we spotted a large crowd gathered on the road watching a pair of coyotes search the river edge for food and we kept driving to try and escape the growing hordes of people. We eventually found solitude after passing large herds of bison when I saw a lone pronghorn walking along the valley floor. I kept my distance and zoomed in to my telephotos maximum and took this photo.
An old pronghorn wandering the valley.
The day was getting late and we were getting tired but wanted to press on in hopes of seeing a bear. A duo of guys had some spotting scopes set up and were pointing them towards some distant boulders so we parked behind them and I pulled out my little binoculars to see what they saw. One of them noticed me and asked if we wanted to look through his scope, more of that western kindness. We happily accepted and saw what the boulders really were. Two very large grizzly bears were digging in the dirt in search of food while a herd of bison stood cautiously nearby. The fact that these two bears looked like boulder from about 600 yards away really told how massive they were. We thanked the two gentlemen and drove a short ways down the street passing a large moose on a hillside and more deep ravines and mountains when we spotted a lone giant bison in the valley. Thankfully there was a pull off and no one else was around so I quietly got my camera out and zoomed in. The setting sun was just about to pass behind the mountains and light was hitting its side. It noticed me and we stared at each other for a while until I remembered to press the shutter button. After that it turned and walked off, disappearing behind the tall grass and hills. An icon of the area and one that was once almost driven to extinction now gets to live free and protected thanks to the park.
An icon of the west stares at me as I stare back.
The day was done so it was time to drive an hour to our little cabin that we rented. We passed a group of unruly visitors harassing a lone black bear up a hill getting way too close and scaring it. We wondered who the true animals were in that situation and wished people weren’t so brain dead. As we arrived to the little log style cabin we did our ritual of getting our stuff set up and searched for a place that was still open in the small town. The bar down the road offered the standard pub food that you would expect so we had yet another burger. Feeling out of place in the small town bar with its giant taxidermy bison in the middle of the restaurant, a sad white dog sat by our table outside staring at our food through the door window. Its owner was inside eating but his puppy dog eyes made us want to share our fries with him, though we didn’t. The next day was coming so payed our bill and we headed to bed.
The next morning we got up early in hopes of nice sunrise but heavy cloud cover had moved in overnight. Sticking with our luck I had received and alert on my phone that someone had stolen one of my credit card numbers and tried using it so I had the joy of sorting that out around 4am in the cabin. Not letting that ruin the last day of the trip we went out to shoot anyways. Our target was a monstrous waterfall in a deep canyon that fell 308 feet down into the river below. We found a perfect overlook giving us a clear iconic view of the falls and we were happy to be alone gazing at the vertigo inducing canyon lined with thousands of tall pines. With the boring light we opted to shoot a black and white shot of the scene and came away with my favorite photo from the whole trip.
Powerful waters crash far below into the canyon.
From there we walked back to the car just as a tour bus unloaded its many passengers and were glad at our good timing. Not far from the lot we spotted a small red fox trotting through the snow at the tree line, a bald eagle sitting on the ground looking grumpy by a rushing river and a single coyote in the snow. Watching the coyote stalk something we took shots of it as it crept along staring down with its head twisting side to side listening for the tiny scratching of its pray below. As I pressed the shutter it leaped into the air to drive its jaws into the snow and came back up with a small rodent in its mouth.
A coyote pouncing on unsuspecting prey.
We didn’t have much left to explore and it wasn’t even noon so we decided to head to a small animal sanctuary next to our cabin where they had some wildlife that had either been injured or abandoned as babies. Unable to be released into the wild they lived here, well fed and away from any dangers or hunters. Grizzly bears, wolves, owls and eagles sat behind fences and while we understood the reason for their captivity, the sightings of wild animals in their natural habitat the days before had ruined any enjoyment we used to have in zoos forever and we left shortly after. With nothing to do we were amazed to find an IMAX theater in the town of only 1,200 citizens. With overcast and rain on the forecast we chose to spend the last day here watching Avengers Infinity War before settling in for the last day of the trip. We decided that after our horrible experience on the plane that maybe we should eat the cost of the return flight and just drive home instead so we had an early morning ahead of us.
Driving in the frigid temperatures the next morning at 3am we made our way to the airport to return the rental car and pick up another one to take home. As the sun rose behind the mountains we shot days before we passed through a nice area and a very large statue of the states icon, a potato. With our new beat up rental car in hand we spent another 7 hours driving back across the country stopping at a rest stop along the way. As I waited for my wife to buy snacks a large group of ground squirrels populated the area and one came up and sniffed my shoe as I sat like a statue as to not scare it.
Two days passed as we drove through endless field of corn, torrential downpours and tornado warnings, more and more cities and into the original airport we left for my wife to pick up her car from the garage. Just in time for rush hour traffic we crept along taking 2 hours to get home when it took 45 minutes to get there the day we left. Exhausted and grumpy we safely made it home to our happy cats with relief. While reviewing my photos I came across this shot that I must have accidentally taken and ended up making a nice abstract of a bison.
A happy accident created a nice abstract.
Though the flight and credit card debacle was the worst we’ve experienced on our travels we were still glad to have seen the vast wilderness of mountains, valleys and geysers. The herds of bison and elk and the predators that hunt them, a man and his faithful dog. And smell of the trees, sounds of the frontier and the clear mountain air that filled our lungs that made us yearn for our next adventure.
Clouds create and eagle shape in the mountains.