2019 Spring trip to Yellowstone

[KarenNWendyn]

I like “Theory of geospatial data management”. You could have a section on wheelchairs.

 

[Narrowminded]

Steve thank you for once again sharing about your trip and Yellowstone in general. Someday I hope to make it out there to visit. Would have loved to do it with my PALs, but that was not meant to be.

Hugs

 

[swalker]

I really appreciate the feedback I receive from folks on this forum. It is a joy to share my experiences here. I am really excited to know that some others will be able to visit Yellowstone.

Here is the next installment of our adventure there this spring.

I have been going to Yellowstone for many years. Over that time, I have watched and photographed quite a few bears. One of my favorites was a bear nicknamed Blaze. She had a remarkable light colored strip that made her easy to identify. She was a wonderful bear and reared numerous cubs. Of those cubs, I have gotten to know Raspberry (who liked to eat raspberries) and Hobo, who liked to ride on Blaze's back.

Four years ago, Raspberry had her first cub. This cub was remarkably light colored and was nicknamed Snow. She is an amazing bear and quite a lot of fun to watch. This spring, my wife and I were able to spend an hour or so watching her forage around Steamboat Point, which is a bit east of Fishing Bridge.

She wandered along the road, crossed it, and generally gave those watching quite a show. Here are a few pictures of this beautiful four year old grizzly bear.

Steve

 

[pittsburghgal]

Steve, thanks for sharing your great photos and descriptions of your exciting trips. My PALS and I look forward to reading about your trips each year. We have not been able to travel for seven years so it is a real treat to read about your adventures.

Sharon

 

[Nikki J]

Amazing pictures! Thank you. I still want a book. Collate your posts and pictures!

 

[affected]

stunning captures Steve, and lovely story to enhance the beauty of the images. you bring so much joy with these stories of hope!

 

[swalker]

Yellowstone's Hayden valley is an amazing place. Over the years I have seen abundant wildlife there. On this trip, we had driven through the Hayden valley a few times and had seen little more than buffalo (which are certainly magnificent creatures) We had seen some great blue herons, but the light was not right or they were not in a place where I could photograph them.

They are an amazing bird and can eat astonishingly large fish. There is a great blue heron rookery just south of the Hayden valley's Nez Perce ford picnic area that we have spent many hours watching. It is not uncommon to see these magnificent birds flying to and from the rookery in the morning and evening.

I took an evening trip to the Hayden valley and was thrilled to find a great blue heron in beautiful light in a location I could access (that means I could set up the camera very close to the car). I was rewarded with some of my favorite great blue heron photographs. There was no wind so the water was like glass. I was able to get beautiful reflections, which had been a goal of mine for this bird.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from that encounter. It was a magical evening.

Steve

 

[affected]

that is a superb series of the heron ☺

 

[KateEmerson]

Amazing pictures Steve !!! They are the best pictures I have ever seen of a great blue heron . If Yellowstone does a calendar, these should be in it. Wondering how you got to know the bears so well?

 

[vltsra]

Wow Steve! These photos are great! I will be sure and show my PALS...we probably won't be as lucky to see a bear (I have never seen a grizzly in Yellowstone) but I am hoping he will be excited for our trip!

 

[blitzc]

You are the most amazing photographer of Yellowstone wildlife!!!!
Such a blessing for you to see these creatures and share with us.

 

[swalker]

I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Yellowstone so many times. One year while in Yellowstone, my wife commented that the tent seemed like it was starting to leak and needed to be replaced. I disagreed, because the tent still seemed pretty new to me. Actually, it was over 15 years old. I calculated that I had spent over 300 nights in that tent in Yellowstone.

We bought a new tent, which we were only able to use for a couple of years before transitioning to trailer camping due to my decreasing mobility.

By spending so much time in Yellowstone, I have discovered times and places where the opportunity of seeing wildlife is greater. When we are there, we spend countless hours looking for wildlife. Most of the time we don't see what we are really looking for, but occasionally we are blessed with absolutely amazing wildlife encounters. I have many fond memories of those times.

While we are driving around Yellowstone I often say to my wife "you never know what will be around the next corner". On our spring trip this year we experienced some pretty wonderful wildlife. It was really one of our finest wildlife viewing trips.

Here is an example. We planned to hike the Bunsen trail (with me in my wheelchair, of course). I was really excited, because with the newly-installed lithium batteries in my X4 wheelchair I would be able to go further than I ever had before on that trail.

When we arrived at the trailhead, we discovered the parking lot was completely full. Fortunately, there is a nearby pullout where we could unload the wheelchair. As we pulled into that place, I noticed some movement to the east of the road. We discovered that it was a very young grizzly bear! I would guess that it was a one and half year old bear that had been kicked out by its mother so the mother could mate. If so, the mother and cub would probably join up again after mating (perhaps a month or so later). Another person thought it was an older bear, perhaps two and a half years old.

Regardless of its age, it was a very confused bear. It kept sniffing the air trying to sense any sign that mom was around. Everything was wrong for photography. It was mid day, which means the lighting was very harsh. Worse, the bear was in a very large field of sage and the sun was causing significant heat shimmering, which causes pictures to not be sharp at all. Finally, the bear was at the extreme distance for meaningful photography. I had to use my long lens with a 1.7 factor teleconverter. This reduces light reaching the sensor as well as sharpness and contrast.

We set up my camera equipment anyway! I was happily snapping away when the bear stood erect and looked in all directions vainly trying to see mom.

The pictures I shot are of poor quality. I would never expect to enlarge them. But, the experience I had photographing that bear is absolutely priceless.

After standing up, the bear went back down on all fours and then bolted across the trail we were planning to hike. Ten minutes later, we hiked the trail past where the bear had crossed it, keeping bear spray ready and a careful eye out for the young bear. We never saw it again (though, perhaps it saw us).

The whole encounter probably lasted only five to ten minutes.

Here are some pictures of the encounter. As I said above, the quality is low, but the experience was great and I wanted to share it with you.

Steve

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Those photos are amazing. I wouldn’t say the quality is low. I think you can be proud.

 

[ShiftKicker]

Steve, your photos are always absolutely amazing. Filled with movement and life and beautifully composed.

I now feel very sorry for Young Bear. Ditched by ma so she can go get her some Springtime action. Poor little guy. He looks completely bewildered.

 

[KateEmerson]

What a wonderful expierence Steve. I think the photos are great!