Bridging the Gap

Yes, we DID drive 300 miles to photograph a bridge!

A couple of years ago, we took a hike in Yellowstone. Not far up the Beaver Ponds Trail out of Mammoth, we came to a little footbridge. I was smitten with this rustic-looking structure nestled in the bright green foliage surrounding it. Not long afterward, I photographed the same bridge, garbed in autumn's attire. Now, I just needed a winter picture. 

Yesterday, after too long a wait, was finally the day. Despite a few places where snow had drifted across the interstate, we made it to Gardiner without incident. After a quick photo shoot with an unconcerned big horn ram, we headed straight to our destination ~ the hot springs and the start of the Beaver Ponds Trail. As we commenced our hike, we startled a small herd of elk. They weren't in any hurry to get away from us, though. One awakened from a nap, pried open an eyelid, then apparently concluded that we were not threatening enough to be worth disturbing herself. I gave her as wide a berth as possible and proceeded up the trail. I got my bridge pictures and we returned to the parking lot. 

I found this "sap fall" fascinating. 

Now what? While we might be crazy enough to drive that far for a picture, we certainly weren't crazy enough to turn around and leave immediately just because we had achieved the goal!

So we drove to the parking lot at the top of the terraces. We "just happened" to have the showshoes in the car, which was a good thing, since the groomed trail was open only to skis and snowshoes. It was a pleasant,sunny (albeit chilly) afternoon, and the formations were beautiful in the snow. It didn't take all that long to walk the mile and a half long loop. 

But remembering the blowing and drifting snow, Dan wanted to get home (or at least back through Columbus) before dark. We stopped briefly at the Visitor's Center, just because we never have. We perused the displays and chatted with the ranger about bears, cameras, and stupid tourists. (Not that HE could call them that!) Then we got back in the car and ended another fabulous visit in Yellowstone.  

This is the tree in the picture above. Make sure you check it out
in full screen. So intricate!

What an interesting horn! Did he knock that part out in a fight? 

Fly Like an Eagle

This morning, I posted to our Face Book page, "Off to work! I wish our day jobs were this much fun!" It was a little warmer today, with clear, sunny skies. So we loaded up the cameras and set out in search of willing subjects. 

We took the truck because we wanted to get out on back roads. Just past Columbus, we turned onto Country Man Road. We started seeing deer right away. While I do think the does are pretty, they do not appeal to the general public the way a big buck does. We stopped for a couple of shots of the Crazy Mountains (my favorite range), and again for the grain elevators in Reed Point. 

Then we drove our GPS crazy as she tried repeatedly to get us on I-90 back toward home. (Who asked you, GPS? Dan just turned it off!) Nope ~ we wanted Bridger Creek Road. More deer and more mountains, but the day was beginning to look like a bust from a photography point of view. We managed to get all the way across Bridger Creek (we weren't sure if it had been plowed) and turned toward Fishtail. Suddenly, Dan spotted a fox in the ravine below us. We did manage to get a few quick clicks in, but she wasn't hanging around for a full-on photo shoot. 

With our outlook refreshed, we took the road toward the East Rosebud Valley. Finally! We spotted an eagle! There was an unfortunate deer that had not gotten across the road safely, and a pair of eagles were keeping a close eye on it. A small group of magpies were taking advantage of the eagles' absence to take their turn at the carcass. I think magpies are pretty, so I took a few pictures of them before joining Dan in shooting the eagle. 

We don't usually see many eagles during the afternoon, but today was different. As we started toward home, we came across a stretch of road near Roscoe where we have frequently seen eagles. Sure enough, there was a pair hanging out in the branches above the river. As we followed the river back to Absorkee, we continued to see eagles, turkeys, and deer. But daylight was fading, so it was time to "clock out" and go home.