Yellowstone! Elk morning
Elk: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Still in the shadow of the eastern ridge above Mammoth, the elk were already moving up from the town center across the lower ridges toward the higher country above the springs. #24, the dominant bull, was herding his harem and family higher up the slopes before attempting to cross the road just below the upper terrace of the springs. His is one of the larger herds of elk in the park. We watched them move slowly through the sage for more than 30 minutes, the bulls sense of urgency off-set by the cows’ and calves’ need for a morning feed. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 250-600mm equivalents for framing. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Orange!
We will take another break from Yellowstone to bring you a small sampling of the colors of fall in Maine. I have not gotten out much since getting back, what with my heart acting up, but I took a short walk around the neighborhood yesterday to see what I could find. Mainly orange. Maples and Oak. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at various short focal lengths for framing. Program mode with my macro modifications. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Yellowstone! Elk on the ridge
Elk: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — We got to Mammoth Hot Springs early on our second full day in the park, specifically to photograph the Elk as the sun crested the mountains. Still early enough here so the sun was not even on the ridges above the springs, and this buck and doe are silhouetted against the semi dark sky. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Mud Volcano
Seeing the grand sweep of the mountains of Yellowstone, or the vast waters of Yellowstone Lake, it is hard to remember that you are standing on a thin crust over one of the largest magma chambers of one of the largest super volcanos in the world. Two active magma domes under the park inflate and deflate on a long cycle, actually tipping the landscape in real time…changes that can be, and are being, measured. Then you come up on one the hydrothermal areas beside the road: bubbling hot springs and travertine domes and terraces, geysers blowing superheated water high into the air, or as here, steam rising from super heated, boiling mud…and the volcanic nature of Yellowstone becomes that much more real. The thickness of the crust of rock over the magma domes still is measured in miles…as little as 3 or as much as 12…but there are few areas in the world where the crust is so thin. Old Faithful may be impressive, and justly well known because it is, but it the sheer number of hydrothermal features in Yellowstone that is the most impressive. Sony a5100 with the Sony E 10-18 f4 zoom at various focal equivalents for framing. Superior Auto with Landscape scene mode selection. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Pika!
Pika: Sheepeaters Cliffs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Coming back late in day from our first day in Yellowstone, we decided to check Sheepeater Cliffs one more time for Pika. We had seen none on our morning visit, but we knew they were there. There is a very rough kind of trail off the left of picnic tables at the foot of the talus slope that climbs up to a little amphitheater like bite out of the cliffs. Though I really should not have, considering my heart, I climbed up there with Ken and Teresa Bonner, since we were still not seeing Pika down by the parking. It is a magical place with the basalt columns rising up on three sides, brushed with the last rays of the sun. And there were Pika. At least 4 that we saw. The scramble back down was even more difficult than the scramble up, but I made it…only to find that Robert Wilson had been photographing Pika at his feet while sitting on a picnic table. 🙂 Pika: Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zooms at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Cliffs with the Sony a5100 and Sony E 10-18 f4 at 27mm equivalent. Superior Auto. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Lower Falls and the Canyon
Though Yellowstone National Park is mainly known for Old Faithful and its other thermal features, and for wildlife, mainly the American Bison and Wolves (and maybe Grizzly Bears), the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Falls are also major attractions. This is Lower Falls, from the Lower Falls overlook and Inspiration Point and the canyon in that area. The Yellowstone River has been cutting the canyon for 100s of thousands of years through the thermally weakened rhyolite left over from the formation and infilling of the caldera. The falls themselves, Upper Falls at 109 feet and lower at 308 feet, are there because the rock at their lips is just a bit harder than the rhyolite of the canyon. Except for the close-up of the falls, which was taken with the Sony a6700 and Tamron 50-400 at 126mm equivalent, the other shots are from 15 to 27mm as needed for framing with the Sony a5100 using Superior Auto with Landscape Scene Mode selected. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Sheepeater Cliffs
If you read my other post this morning, this is Sheepeater Cliffs in Yellowstone National Park were we went several times to look for Pika. None on this morning, our first visit, but the cliffs are worth a look anyway, and this was the best light (and sky) we had on them. The Pika live in the talus slope below the cliffs. We did not see any this morning, perhaps because of the pair of guardians featured in my other post. The cliffs are columnar basalt from a lava flow 500,000 years ago and are named after the Tukudika, or Sheep Eaters—a band of Eastern Shoshone Indians. Sony a5100 with the Sony E 10-18 f4 zoom at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with the Landscape scene mode selection. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Odd Couple
Raven: Sheepeater Cliffs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Something you do not see every day…two Ravens sharing a perch. Raven tend, in my experience, to be solitary birds except in breeding and nesting season, so to see two sitting side by side in September is odd. These two were at the base of Sheepeater Cliffs where we had stopped to look for Pika…the little rock rabbits with the big round ears. We did not find any, perhaps because of this pair of guardians of the cliffs. You can see the cliffs themselves in my companion post this morning. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! The grandeur
I was surprised how often I used the 75mm equivalent end of the Tamron 50-400 zoom for landscapes in Yellowstone. The scenery is so vast…so grand…that much of the detail gets lost in a wide angle view. These shots are coming down into Norris on the way south from the Golden Gate, somewhere before the turn to Sheepeater Cliffs. I think we had stopped for the Aspen again, which was just coming into color in the northern reaches of the park. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 75mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Scragglehorn
Elk: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — This is one of two younger bucks that #24 tolerates in his herd in and around Mammoth. Though apparently otherwise healthy, this buck has a deformed horn…as you can see…his right horn grows right out of the center of his forehead. I do not know how that will affect his success with the ladies when his time comes. Here he is caught in the first full sun as it penetrates the valley above Mammoth town. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.