The park consists of a complex layer of terra firma on top of a supervolcano, which produces all the bubbling mud pots and spouting geysers that make Yellowstone so famous. Summer tourists flock here to watch the hot-watered spectacle, sometimes taking selfies with buffalo that dot the sage steppe. But on the other side of the park, and particularly in winter, the park is depleted of tourists...except for those hearty souls hoping to observe the mountain valleys come alive with hungry predators.
I joined a class at UW to observe these predators as they track their prey. A professional camera crew accompanied us to document this incredible opportunity for students. We safaried every day through the northern part of Yellowstone looking for big animals.
And we saw them. A lot of them. Moose, elk, pronghorn antelope, bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, grizzlies, coyotes, muskrats, bald eagles, ravens, cranes, and even the elusive wolf. Un.Be.Lieveable.
The approach to north Yellowstone, where ranch country and wild country come together.
The northern gates to the park.
The Lamar Valley, where wolves roam freely.
Big-horned sheep.
Another sheep!
See those two tiny white specks? Mountain goats, stuck to the side of this vertical face.
Yellowstone in the late winter.
The most classic of Yellowstone residents, Bison bison.
The ubiquitous herd of buffalo.
A friendly face.
A typical scene.
A bit of color in the Lamar Valley.
The brightest lichen I've ever seen.
The upper reaches of the Lamar Valley.
The reason we came to Yellowstone: the predators. This is a coyote on a buffalo carcass.
A huge grizzly.
Grizzly, two coyotes, and bunch of ravens on a buffalo carcass.
Look at the claws on that griz!
A stunning and giant raven.
The Yellowstone landscape.
Bear chillin.
Rolling snowy hills in Yellowstone.
Yours truly doing a little snowshoeing amongst the predators.
Until next time, Yellowstone.
Griz on the move.
Sand hill crane.
