Lessons From Yellowstone

I recently returned from an eight-day photography trip to my favorite place in the United States, Yellowstone National Park.

While being driven back to Bozeman, MT, for my flight home, I was thinking about what I had learned during that winter trip to America's first national park. I believe there is always something to be learned, even from places we have visited several times before. 

This is what I learned from this beautiful, amazing wild place.

• I realized all over again how much I love Yellowstone. It isn't just the wildlife -- wolves, bison, bighorn sheep, elk, bobcats, red foxes, cougars and more -- although the animals are amazing and the reason I go there so often. It's also the wildness of Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, and its thousands of thermal features (geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots and more). It's also the mountains, the valleys, the many rivers and waterfalls, and the harshness of the place. And it's the lack of cell phone service inside the park.
• I realized how passionate I am about wildlife and landscape photography.  Why else would I get up long before dawn to go into the park and stand outside in sub-zero temperatures, howling winds, sleet and snow to photograph bison? Why would I spend hours staring at a bobcat across the river, waiting for it to make a brief appearance?
  
• I realized anew how being in Yellowstone makes my heart sing. It restores a long-lost connection to the natural world and it connects me to a world where humans are decidedly not the top species.
  
• Yellowstone is one of those places that gets into the blood of many of its 4.25 million annual visitors. People take a temporary job in the park and end up never leaving. Others return again and again. This was my seventh trip to Yellowstone in just three  years. A German couple on the same trip was on its sixth trip as well. The woman told me that she cries every time she has to leave Yellowstone. I understand her sentiment. Yellowstone is just that kind of place.
• Visiting the park in winter gave me an entirely new perspective from my previous visits. Even familiar places looked new and different. 
• I saw the daily struggle for survival, particularly by the prey animals such as bison, elk and deer. Watching a 1-ton bison use its massive head to sweep away deep snow to uncover the dry, brown grass below was a sobering sight. So, too, is the knowledge that some 10 percent of adult bison will not survive the winter. For bison born less than a year ago, the mortality rate can reach 20 percent to 40 percent. The wolves, on the other hand, thrive during the winter, their prey weakened by hunger. 
• I realized that millions of people love Yellowstone and want to protect it, yet we as Americans seem powerless to stop the relentless attacks by Republicans who want to open this treasure to mining or to sell these public lands to private companies for exploitation.
• This trip also confirmed what I already knew -- that I am physically unable to handle a lens bigger than my 120-400mm telephoto zoom. After several hours of standing in the cold waiting for a seldom-seen bobcat to leave the safety of a log, my arthritic hands and the wrist I broke a year ago were hurting. I have had my eye on a 150-500mm or even a 150-600mm lens for quite a while, but this trip finally made me realize that bigger lenses are simply too heavy for me to comfortably handle.
• Finally, after downloading my trip photos, I realize that my 120-400mm lens does a good job of capturing smaller subjects from a distance. With a bit of cropping, my photos of the bobcat and a red fox are fairly impressive. 

So thank you, Yellowstone, for teaching me valuable lessons. Thank you for your wildness and for you uniqueness. May you always remain wild and free. 

  

Check Out My New Photographs!

Here are a few new photographs available

 New growth fills in an area previously burned by a wildlife near the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

 Grizzly bear Bella at Montana Grizzly Encounter near Bozeman, MT.

 This colorful scene was photographed at Yellowstone National Park.

 Travertine terrace near Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Large amounts of calcium carbonate dissolved in the very hot water are deposited as the water reaches the surface and cools. This photo has received three peer recognitions from other photographers on Viewbug.com!

Please check out my images for sale http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ann-sullivan.html?tab=artwork. All proceeds from sales of photos and unique, made-to-order calendars are donated to the Save the Elephants scholarship fund. And please check out my Facebook page, Desert Mountain Photography. I'm on Instagram at annsullivan5891 and on Twitter at @AnnSullivanNM.

In the Valley of Wolves

I recently won a book from Living with Wolves, an Idaho-based wolf advocacy group.

To enter the contest, I had to state what draws me to the wolf. My response: "Wolves speak to my soul. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them in the wild and listening to their howls." My entry was one of five chosen to receive a signed copy of Howl: Of Woman and Wolf by Susan Imhoff Bird. 

I almost never win anything, so this was a great surprise, particularly given my fascination with wolves. I recently finished reading Doug Smith's Decade of the Wolf, which is a behind-the-scenes look at the politics, science and logistics that went into the decision to release 31 gray wolves from Canada into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 and 1996. These wolves were the first to inhabit the park since the wolf population was exterminated by the park service in the 1920s. Those original 31 animals have given rise to a current population of some 100 wolves living in 11 packs as of December 2014. 

Now I am reading In the Temple of Wolves: A Winter's Immersion into Wild Yellowstone by Rick Lamplugh. His book is a series of essays about his observations of his winters spent volunteering with the Yellowstone Foundation's Wolf Watch program. He has some wonderful insights into the balance of nature and the interaction between species. This book is an informative yet very personal view of Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.

Yellowstone's wolves are a major tourist attraction, boosting the area's economy with dollars spent on lodging, guides, meals, gasoline, souvenirs and other things. One study estimates that people visiting Yellowstone to see wolves pump some $35 million/year into the economies of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. I love Yellowstone, especially the bison and wolves. I love the variety of geysers, hot springs, mud pots and other thermal features. But the reason I keep going back is the wolves. 

It is such a thrill to see the wolves up close, although that rarely happens. More typically, I get to see them through a high-powered spotting scope. Although I dream of getting close enough to capture a really great photo with my long (400 mm) lens, that hasn't happened yet. But I am forever hopeful. 

I will be going back to Yellowstone later this year, after the crowds have gone. I have even hired a guide/photographer for a private wildlife and photography tour for two days. There is something so magical about Yellowstone and its 2.2 million acres of wildness. Where else can a visitor hope to see grizzly bears and wolves, herds of bison, moose, big horn sheep, pronghorn, mountain goats and bald eagles, in addition to more than 10,000 hydrothermal features such as geysers, mud pots, hot springs and steam vents?

I would love to live close enough to Yellowstone to visit on a regular basis, but the winters there are far too harsh for me. And I avoid the park's masses of visitors during the summer months. But my once or twice yearly visits during the spring, fall or winter are the highlights of my year. Since I can't live there, I guess I will have to be content with reading about these fascinating animals and visiting as often as possible.

My Favorite Place

I have been fortunate to travel to many wonderful places around the world the past couple of years. Yet the only place that brings tears to my eyes and a longing to my heart when I read about it or watch a video is right here in the United States.

That very special places is Yellowstone National Park, founded as America's very first national park in 1872. I first visited Yellowstone in 2013 on a January trip with the National Geographic Society. Most of the focus was on the park's many thermal features, such as geysers, mud pots and other hot-water attractions. And of course, watching the magnificent bison in the snow was an amazing experience. Yellowstone in winter is truly a magical place. Gone are the massive crowds that clog the roads during the summer. All but a couple of roads are closed, and access is limited to those participating in organized snow machine tours or group tours that travel in the park's famous Bombardier machines, with skis on the front and treads on the back.

I returned to the park twice in 2014 on wolf-watching trips, and I was hooked. Although wolves are typically reclusive and stay well away from people, I was fortunate enough to see a few of these amazing animals. Despite two more trips in search of wolves in 2015, I have not been able to get any really good pictures of them. They are simply too elusive, particularly given the large groups of people that gather whenever word of a wolf sighting spreads through the park.

Even so, I love going to Yellowstone. I won't go during the summer months, as there are simply too many people. And as much as I hate cold weather, the winter months are by far the best for spotting wolves. I have been lucky enough to watch the Lamar Canyon family

trotting across the snow at sunset as my group stop atop a nearby hill. I got to see a couple of members of a wolf family no more than 100 yards away one morning. And getting to hear a group of wolves howling to one another is an amazing experience.

A lone bull bison plods through deep snow up a hill.

I also enjoy photographing the bison that call Yellowstone home. I love seeing them sweep the snow with their massive heads to reach the scant grass below, or watching them lie down near thermal features in search of warmth (although they are built to easily handled the incredible cold of Yellowstone). Nothing says Yellowstone in winter like a bull bison covered in frost.

A red fox pounces on a mouse or vole with uncanny accuracy.

I have watched a grizzly bear foraging for food in preparation for a long winter hibernation, and a few minutes later watched a mama black bear and her cub dash up a hill. Elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, moose, red fox, mule deer and mountain goats are other species that call Yellowstone home.
 
Yellowstone symbolizes the wildness, and wilderness, that we have lost in so much of the country. It has thousands of thermal features and countless water falls. It is the best place in the world for wolf-watching. It is home to the last wild herd of bison, untainted by cross-breeding with domestic cattle. It has some 10,000 thermal features.  

I have visited six countries in Africa and I have been in awe at the magnificent animals that live there. But my heart always returns to Yellowstone. I wish I could live there year-round, but the winters are just too harsh for me.

Yellowstone is the place where, if my final wishes are followed, my ashes will be scattered in the Lamar Valley. Then I will spend eternity with the magnificent wolves of the Lamar Valley.

The Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Without the Beasts

What is man without the beasts? For if all the beasts were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit. -- Chief Seattle

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. -- Chief Seattle

I love these quotes by the great Indian chief, Seattle. They seem particularly relevant to me now, after spending a wonderful week in Yellowstone National Park (and a couple of days near Grand Teton National Park), searching for, observing and photographing the park's magnificent wildlife.

Although wolves are typically very reclusive and stay well away from humans, we saw wolves on four different days. And we were able to watch some animals without the use of spotting scopes. One cold and windy evening, just at sunset, we watched the entire Lamar Canyon pack of eight wolves (parents and six yearling pups) trotting across the snowy landscape. We saw a small group of wolves just hanging out together. The sound of their howls as they talked to the rest of the pack across the road was spine-tingling. The morning we were leaving Yellowstone, we were thrilled to see two wolves, a male and a female, lying in the snow just 100 yards off the road. We watched in awe as they eventually got up and walked up a nearby hill. And on the last day of the trip, we followed four beautiful gray wolves as they trotted in line across the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming. Although I think all wolves are beautiful, these four were particularly magnificent. My eye saw what would have been a fantastic photograph, with three of the wolves back lit by the morning sun. Sadly, they were too far away for a photograph, but seeing them through a spotting scope was still a thrill.

One of the guides mentioned that while many people come to Yellowstone with the dream of seeing wolves, many never see them. But even then, they appreciate enjoying Yellowstone's sense of wildness. For them, as for me, just knowing the wolves are there is comforting. And getting to see them, as I did, and even getting to see and hear them howl to their brethren across the the road, was a special treat.

Elk cows on Wyoming's National Elk Refuge.

Bison were present, too, although in smaller numbers than usual. And bighorn sheep, pronghorns, foxes and even a grizzly that left hibernation months early due to the unusually warm weather. We saw bald and golden eagles, and beautiful trumpeter swans. And of course, elk were plentiful at Wyoming's National Elk Refuge. 

Wildlife are under attack in many places these days. Many ranchers hate wolves and coyotes and jump at the chance to kill them. Bison are under attack by none other than Yellowstone National Park, in conjunction with Montana cattle ranchers.

Grizzly bears are hunted in some places despite their limited numbers. Wildlife in other countries face threats from poachers, trophy hunting and human encroachment. I worry about what we humans are doing to this planet. We use it up, we
Mine it, we pollute it. Not only the wildlife, but human lives as well, may well be threatened if we don't change our ways.

Chief Seattle was a wise man indeed. So many of would "die of a great loneliness of the spirit" if we lose our magnificent wildlife. These animals, all of them, have a great intrinsic value far beyond whatever economic impact they have. Thousands of people visit Yellowstone every with the hope, however small, of seeing a wolf. We are thrilled to watch bison, bighorn sheep and other wild animals. It fills our souls with hope and a connection to something much older and greater than us.

Winter Wildlife in Yellowstone

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend several days in Montana's Yellowstone National Park on a wildlife viewing trip.

Although I really dislike cold weather and snow, this trip was so amazing that I wasn't at all bothered by the cold. Much of the park, including the very popular Old Faithful geyser area, was closed to all vehicle traffic except for escorted snow machine tours and special vehicles known as snow coaches. These machines come in two varieties. One has treads and several small wheels on both the front and back; the other has treads in back and skis on the front. Regular vehicles, even those with four-wheel drive, would not be able to navigate the groomed but unplowed roads.

As a result of the road closures, the crowds that typically flood the park during the summer were absent. One morning, as I walked near Old Faithful, I realized that I could neither see nor hear another person. It was as if I had the park to myself.

We were blessed with clear skies, calm winds and not-too-cold temperatures during the majority of our trip. Unfortunately, our time at Old Faithful was marked by overcast weather, which made photographing the geyser's eruptions of gray steam against a gray sky less dramatic than hoped. But the scenery of the park is magnificent: snow-capped mountains; ice-covered trees; bubbling, boiling pools of water and mud; pristine snow; frozen rivers, and of course, the wildlife. We saw herds of bison, some clearing snow with their massive, 250-pound heads, to get to the grass beneath. We spotted bald and golden eagles, numerous pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, elk, coyotes, red fox, mule deer and, far in the distance, a couple of wolves feeding on an animal carcass.


I also was blessed to travel with a dozen wonderful people. There were two couples from Australia, an 88-year-old retired accountant with her attorney daughter, a young widower from Miami (born in Argentina), a retired Navy meteorologist, and other couples and solo travelers. It was a delightful group of travelers. And our group leaders were experts in the biology, geology and history of Yellowstone and its inhabitants.

I am so glad I got to experience Yellowstone in winter. We were treated to video of the park's wolves shot by a wonderful filmmaker, as well as photos taken by the park's original winter-keeper over his 40 years of living in the park. And I tried snowshoeing for the first time. Although apprehensive at first, I just had to try my hand at this novel way of exploring some of the park's trails.

As the guy in the rental shop said, "If you can walk, you can snowshoe." And he was correct. It took just a few minutes to feel comfortable with a large plastic rectangle -- with what looked like saw blades on the bottom -- strapped to each foot. I also bought a pair of Yaktrax, removable devices that make it easier and safer to walk on packed snow and ice.

My biggest disappointment was not having been able to get a closer view of some of the park's wolves. They are reclusive by nature, but one of the guides has had a close encounter with a wolf in the past. Alas, that didn't happen during my trip. But just seeing them through a spotting scope was still a thrill.

This trip was sponsored by the National Geographic Society, and I definitely will look into future NatGeo-sponsored trips for future travels. Everything was well planned, and even a couple of mechanical problems with the snow coaches were handled promptly and with minimal inconvenience to the travelers. I would love to revisit Yellowstone during the spring and fall, when the park retains some of its serenity and visitors can experience a different view of this beautiful place.