Keeping My Head Above Water

We made our first trip into Yellowstone National Park this year, also the first in about a year.

This trip had been on the calendar for three months. Originally planned for the weekend the West gate reopened, but we pushed it back a week. We were excited enough that we arrived too early for check-in on Friday and started at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center before heading into the park.

The focus was simple: wildlife.

We skipped most landscape work and spent the time covering ground, looking for movement. Friday evening and a long Saturday paid off.

In the wild we saw eagles, a lot of bison—including a few red dogs—coyotes, elk, wolf, and bears.

Not everything was in range for a strong image. That’s how it goes. But we saw them, in the wild, on their terms.

We cut the trip a few hours short Sunday morning and left West Yellowstone early to stay ahead of incoming snow.

This frame came from one of my favorite moments, a bison helping her calf swim across the river, the calf resting its nose against her side, likely just trying to keep it above water.

I still didn’t find my fox, but this trip gave me plenty to work with.