Snowflakes and Swans

The sun was shining when we left home this morning. Our plan was to go into Yellowstone from the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway through Cooke City. Fortunately, Dan checked the internet before we left, and he discovered that the pass between the highway and Cooke City was closed. No problem, there are other ways to get to Yellowstone. We got gas in Cody, where despite the stout breeze, the skies were still mostly clear. 

Sylvan Lake

But, alas, as we started up Sylvan Pass out of the east entrance, the mountain tops were beginning to disappear into the clouds. The pass tops out at about 8,500 feet, and the road was wet, even slushy, in a few places. Sylvan Lake was pretty in the snow, though. 

As we came down the other side of the pass, the temperature climbed back up a few degrees, and the sun made a feeble effort to burn through the cloud cover. We ate our lunch overlooking Hayden Valley, but the wildlife was highly uncooperative. The valley was deserted except for a small flock of geese. Not even a stray buffalo! 

Back on the road, I told Dan that if we spotted the swans, I wanted to stop for pictures. Find them we did, and I started shooting. Another vehicle pulled up and stopped, and the driver approached us. He introduced himself as Bill Long, with the Wyoming Wetlands Society. He told us that their group was involved in the recovery of swans in Yellowstone. He said that at one time, there were only two pairs of swans left. The society has placed both adult birds and cygnets, obviously with some success. I showed Mr. Long some of the pictures that I had taken, and he asked us to e-mail him a few to be used in presentations and literature! Well, then! :)

The two young swans in the center were placed
with the adults at one day old.

What a handsome pair. The females are banded,
but the males are wild. 

What a show-off!

Take off

By now, the sun had given up on defeating the clouds, and before long, it started to snow. We decided to cut and run for home, since apparently the animals had all hunkered down out of sight anyway. We did see some cow elk in Mammoth, but the bulls were nowhere in sight. Still, it was another good day in Yellowstone. 

Winter is pretty... but it can stay
in the mountains!