Note - I had orginally planned to keep my trip photos off of the website until May when I am the featured artist at CoArt Gallery in Staunton, VA. I was woried I wouldn't get enough images from the trip. I was wrong. The current plan is to put the horizontals and standard images up on the website and hold back the verticals until May. I'm still going through over 1000 photos I took. I expect to start putting them up next week.
I just got back from a trip to Yellowstone. We also visited the Tetons and Beartooth Hwy. I must confess that most of my expectations of Yellowstone came from the television series and one trip across country my parents made with me when I was 6. I remember seeing Old Faithful. So I'm thinking tall moutains, wildlife, and a geyser. It was so very different. While I was at Yellowstone I was thinking "this could be another planet". Stuff that looked like snow, but wasn't. Stuff that looked like ice, but wasn't. Stuff that looks like fog but is actually steam just popping up here and there. Wild colors and if you step off the boardwalk you might find yourself in super heated water. Oh, and certain areas smell like sulfur ie. rotten eggs.
Field of Steam
The first place we visited was Mammoth Hot Springs. Looks like a snow covered mountain with spots of yellow.
White Hot Spring
I did have some trouble with the altitude in Yellowstone. Well controlled asthma at 500 feet above sea level is no longer well controlled at 8000 feet above sea level. So I didn't get as many photos of Mammoth Hot Springs as I would have liked.
We next visited geysers and hot springs and little side roads. As I mentioned the colors were very interesting as you can see from the front photo - Hot Pink and Blue.
Yellowstone Grand Canyon was awesome. All kinds of colors again. Lots of photos, these will be up in May.
We did see a lot of wildlife, Bison, Elk, Prongs, Black Bear, Wolf (through a spotting scope). I am not a wildlife photographer so most of those photographs will be kept as snapshots and memories. I do like this image of a Prong.
Next up - Grand Tetons
Tetons View
And then Beartooth Hwy with a dusting of snow. The top point of this highway is 10947 feet above sea level.
High Mountains
Some information if you are planning your own trip:
Explore Rentals - We rented a very nice car plus bear spray, bear proof cooler, and spotting scope. For a resonable extra fee your car will be waiting at Bozeman airport with all your rental stuff inside. Saves a lot of time. You cannot fly with bear spray and you probably won't need to use it but if you plan on getting out of you vehicle get the bear spray. Food in Yellowstone is few and expensive. Pack your cooler with breakfast and lunch items.
Grant Village - close to Yellowstone Lake, reasonably priced for accomodations in Yellowstone. Make any reservations early. No TV, no AC but a nice view and nice beds.
Altitude - As I found out, well controlled asthma at 500 feet above sea level is no longer well controlled at 8000 feet able sea level. Walmart, near the airport, not only carries food but canned oxygen. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
GuideAlong app - Plays on your phone by GPS and points out places of interest along with history. There were a lot of side roads we would have missed if we hadn't had it. If you plan on doing the Tetons and Beartooth Hwy there is a bundle that does all three.
Images will start going up next week.