photo tips

Yellowstone National Park in winter, absolutely magical.The park's wildlife moves to the lower elevations and just stand there, to preserve energy, so they can stay warm. Bison and elk are everywhere, geese, swans and otters are easily spotted in the unfrozen streams. You can see coyotes and wolves if you look hard enough, eagles soar overhead..... The parks thermal activity create unusually topographical features, the steam vents and erupting geysers makes you think you are on another planet....and a thick blanket of snow covers the landscape. Moreover, other then the snowmobiles traveling the park's roads there is no one there. I skied in the park's most popular areas for several days, I did not meet other skiers on the trails or the backcountry, although I ran into snowmobilers in the warming huts......at one of the huts I met Jeff Henry, a long time resident of the park and photographer who published a magnificent photo book of Yellowstone in the winter, "Yellowstone Winterscapes" chatting with him was inspiring.

Photography in Yellowstone's winter presents practical cold weather problems. Please see my photo tip page (click camera icon above) I describe some solutions that worked for me.

I find that the best way to experience Yellowstone's winter is on skis. It is an efficient, aesthetic and quite form of transport that maximizes opportunities for wildlife sightings and provides access to any place in the park. I was skiing alone one morning in an area near the Lamar valley, I was cresting a low ridge, heading into the wind when suddenly, no more then twenty feet in front of me, a pack of four black wolves (maybe the Absaroka pack) was stopped in it's tracks seemingly surprised to see me. We stared at each other for about a minute, I did not want to startled the wolves so I did not reach for my camera that was zippered closed and holstered on my chest. This was a rare and very special moment, I was not going to ruin it by trying to take a picture. When the wolves began to move again, I un holstered my camera and by the time I got off the shot, a mere few seconds, the only picture I got was of the wolves' behinds in the flying snow. (Unfortunately, even Photshop could not rescue that photo.) Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that, this sighting, I believe, was made possible by skiing. The next morning I skied to the same spot, since wolves often use the same routs, but this time, camera ready with a long lens, no wolves. I sure appreciate nature photography and the effort it truly takes.

The two area I like best in the winter are magnificent: the Lamar Valley or for many the Serengati of North America and the upper Geyser Basin. The Lamar valley area is easily accessible by car on a plowed road. The basin area is reachable via snow coach, a great way to see the park in its own right. Both areas provide lodging and all the mod cons.

The entire thirty miles or so of the Lamar Valley that runs along the Lamar River, is teaming with huge herds of bison, elks and assorted other wildlife. Easily observable from the road and approachable on skis. Early in the morning and in late afternoon wolves frequent certain parts of the valley.

The upper Geyser Basin is home to Old Faithful and the Snow Lodge. At the Old Faithful park service kiosk, hundreds of day tripping snowmobilers stink up the place with fuel fumes and noise pollution. Although an extensive layout of board walks lead you to the various geysers in the immediate vicinity, few venture beyond 500 feet of the Old Faithful benches. But.... step into your skis and glide for a few minute away from the crowd and you are in an other worldly, magic land. Continue for a while on any of the summer hiking trails and you are in for a life time treat. You wish the winter days were longer, because turn around time comes so soon despite a seven am start.

I returned to Yellowstone in winter 2004. This time with a Nikon 80-400 VR and got photos of wildlife I really liked, I hope you also think so.

In 2004 the restriction on snow mobile use in the park was the best thing that happened in Yellowstone!