While the summer months are flooded with tourists in Yellowstone National Park, the winter offers a bit of a reprieve to a person seeking solitude, vistas and wildlife.

The few days I spent here were magical, full of stunning landscapes and wildlife in the snow.

Besides beautiful dark bison bathed in snowy cloaks, I got some nice time with two big bull elk and coyotes as well. As I made my way into the elk habitat I didn’t realize that I was walking atop a marshy area unt suddenly my Baffin boot collapsed into knee deep water below. The boots have been my saving grace several times throughout the trip.

The last day Mary’s workshop had ended so the two of us headed out to photograph and see what animals would come to visit a recent kill near the road. Many others were there with tripods set up and we stood there a few hours. Suddenly someone yelled out “bobcat!” and sure enough, surreal as could be a fluffy stocky bobcat made her way down the hill, on the trail of the kill. She stopped to pick up chunks of meat that a fox had not hidden cleverly enough. She kept making her way along the scent and was led shockingly wonderfully close to where we were all standing, shaking in our boots for our good fortune! I’d never seen a bobcat so to have this opportunity was precious indeed.

That day earlier I finally got a chance to go for a run. see my route in google maps here and take it into google earth as well.

The scenery along the run I did. I met a herd of pronghorn at the end who ran alongside me for part of the way, curious about me.

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