Yellowstone Insight

10/22/2024

A Little Touch of Gray Today.

Checking meadows at first light. Looking for a feathered extension of a tree trunk became our focus. Not more than 30 seconds of putting the car in park did I spot this special juvenile Great Gray Owl.

As a passing Raven came by, the owl sucked in its torso to look more like a part of the broken tree trunk.

The ghostly bird focused on the meadow now and again, but never did drop in on prey. Eventually it flew into thicker timber where we left it to its own agenda.

We felt blessed for such a spectacular start to our morning and grateful that we had it to ourselves. Vehicles quickly passed us by and none were the wiser to what we were watching.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures as another wildlife photography tour begins early! For more in about our tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/17/2024

10/14/2024

Day 2, Grand Teton National Park.

I found a campsite high on a mountain top and watched the wildfire smoke fade into darkness. I was visited before sleeping by a small creature whose eyes reflected a green glow in the dark. I’m not sure if it was a pine marten or a raccoon. All I could see were blinking eyes before it scampered off into the forest.

Woke to very thick smoke that had settled again into the Teton Valley. Horrible (toxic-like) conditions… I drove slowly through stands of aspen trees that grew near open meadows in hopes of spotting an owl. The smoke was so thick it made distant observations near impossible. The older female moose was where I left her the previous night. Her younger male suitor was nowhere to be seen. I saw a new moose for me that had incredibly long tines. A unique looking bull but was too far for good photos.

was kind enough to reach out and inform me that there were multiple moose being seen a bit south of my current location. It was incredibly serendipitous that on a smoke-filled day, as photo opportunities needed to be closer. Well, here it was - I think there were 9 moose all together!

I was able to keep a safe distance using a 500mm lens and focus on the biggest bull in the group. He wasn’t so happy that there were at least 5 other bulls in the area of a female he was showing interest in.

If you scroll through these images, you’ll see a one-antlered bull moose. I believe he was in a sparring match with this male earlier in the morning and by the looks of him - he lost the battle as he walked away with a serious limp and a busted bit of head gear!

I called the whirlwind trip to Grand Teton National Park a success after that morning moment, watching so many moose and observing their behaviors.

Clear (non-smoke-filled) air was being requested by my lungs, so I ventured north towards Yellowstone. On the tip of a new friend (local artist, Sonja Reid), I took a side dirt road in hopes of finding more wildlife. I stumbled upon a hunting coyote and decided to take a short walk in the woods to stretch the legs.

Then it was the long and slow meander back towards home.
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10/13/2024

Day 1: Grand Teton Nat’l Park

Unbelievable day. Feeling a little overwhelmed with trying to make the most out of this last minute trip, I didn’t want to waste my limited time. With the help of some friends, they dialed me into some places to check out.

With no luck finding a familiar big bull moose, I chose my own adventure and shouldered the camera to take a walkabout. I found a family of hunting river otters. They were overly busy eating in the shallows… it dawned on me later that they were likely eating fresh water snails. Lots of quick chewing and on to the next…. This went on for hours before finally mom took notice in my direction and moved into another farther channel of the river.

On another photographer’s suggestion, I drove a side dirt road and stumbled upon an elderly female moose who was being escorted by a decent sized bull moose. In the middle of the afternoon heat, they walked into a warm spring creek and the male bedded for hours as the female stood still.

As nearby wildfire smoke came back into the valley the sun edged closer to the western horizon. The male finally stood up from his watery bed and moved in front of The Grand Teton. It wasn’t the right light or clarity I had hoped for, but patience paid off and I was able to compose a nice image.

Camping at 28 degrees F in adjacent USFS lands, I woke early and am looking forward to what today will bring! Stay tuned.
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/12/2024

Started with elk bugle’s reverberating in the woods. Then it was down the road to a successful hunting Great Gray Owl.

After a fun off-trail walkabout, we ate lunch with some pesky Gray Jays, then it was unbelievably time to head home.

On our return back north a beautiful momma grizzly and her 3 cubs crossed the road in front of us. It was perfect timing! It was an amazing day with wonderful guests! Repeat guests that have been taking tours with me way back in the early 2000’s when I was a Resident Instructor for the Yellowstone Association Institute.

A quick afternoon turn around for me as I headed south again for a short solo photography trip to the Grand Tetons. I’ve got high hopes for tomorrow’s adventure. Stay tuned and check our story for some fun videos from today!

For more information about our private tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/11/2024

Life Inside The Volcano.

Today was a spectacular day observing wildness in the heart of Yellowstone. From a colorful sunrise to start the day we moved south towards grizzlies. Along the way we were waylaid with swans and a successful hunting coyote.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures! For more information about our year round private tours, please check out website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/10/2024

Administrative Day.

That’s what it was for me in Gardiner today. This afternoon I took a drive up into the park to scout a few things out for tomorrow. The sky got dark and the half moon shown bright. The clouds swirled across the sky and there was no sign of the Aurora’s cool colors tonight…maybe tomorrow.

This morning Electric Peak was tack sharp from Gardiner! It is my favorite mountain because it is what I’ve looked up to for so many years. I believe I’ve reached the summit 3 times now with 2 failed attempts due to weather and too late of a start. Hoping next year I will be another successful summit!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures as a new tour starts tomorrow morning. For more information about our tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/09/2024

A Needle in a Haystack.

My guests today were hoping to find a Great Gray Owl. Not so much to photograph one, just to be in the owl’s presence. To see it in its natural habitat and watch as it goes about its business.

We spent about 4+ hours walking, listening, enjoying and experiencing the terrain of a Great Gray Owl. We watched a large, but shy Pine Marten lope across a log. We heard the Chickadees and Nut hatches filtering about. We were chastised by numerous Red Tree Squirrels as we moved quietly through their backyard. Gray Jays poked around as we filtered through the pines and meadows…

Finally, at 12pm, there it was! A juvenile Great Gray Owl. It perched and preened for quite a while and then flew into the timber, not to be seen again.

We all wished it well in Life and hoped for a successful transition along its next stage of development - hunting and surviving on its own. Thank you owl for your time.

The Autumn forest and grasslands always make me think back to my childhood in Boulder, Colorado and to the beginning of the Yellowstone chapter of my life that started 25 years ago.

Today was a success on many levels. I’m glad that my repeat guests had the patience to be able to wait for what they hoped for, that Yellowstone provided for us and that we have a unique place to explore where the wild things can live freely.

Until the next adventure. Please check out our website for more information about our private, YEAR ROUND tours,
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/08/2024

Steamboat Geyser & Elk Park.

Well well, missed yet another Steamboat Geyser eruption this morning at Norris Geyser Basin. I don’t know how many I’ve missed over the years, but that’s okay…there will always be another possibility for me.

After today’s tour I found a quiet spot to reflect for a few moments with some sleeping elk. Sometimes you need to switch up your routine and remind yourself to go check the nooks and crannies around you that are filled with Nature.

Tomorrow’s tour I hope to be a special one. My guests deserve a memorable day immersed in Yellowstone’s beauty. Stay tuned for what we might find!

For more information about our private Year Round tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/03/2024

Be Present. Have a goal. Go forward with Optimism.

Our reality is that not every day is filled with positive things, nor does every day turn out exactly as you had hoped it would.

Yesterday was Day 2 with the same photographer. He had never seen a Great Gray Owl before and really wanted to put our attention and efforts on a successful sighting…. We did exactly that!

In early morning light, after an hour drive in darkness, we pulled into an area with hopes of seeing the ‘gray ghost’. There it was, flying across the exact meadow we had anticipated finding it.

We got our gear together and quickly located it perched in a crescent-shaped Lodgepole pine. Over the course of an hour, the owl transferred between various trees, never really focused on us, just testing different hunting zones. I noticed that it spent a good amount of time focused on the tree tops to the west, rather than the grassy field. I can’t tell you why, but I pondered if it was watching the sun’s early light work its way down from the tree tops, illuminating more of the meadow as it considered heading to a roosting spot after an earlier morning of successful hunting.

We moved onward to another location for a different Great Gray Owl. We walked into a meadow but thought an owl could be perched nearby ready for a nap. We went beyond the hunting grounds and into the surrounding woods. There one was! Flying elegance, silently cruising through the branches.

We watched as the owl preened itself, stretched and focused on nearby bantering squirrels. It stood there quietly as nuthatches and chickadees complained about its presence.

We were present in the moment. We moved forward through our day with optimism. We had a goal, yet were open to whatever came our way. It was a grand day in Yellowstone. Another day I will not soon forget.

For more information about our private tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/02/2024

For Today - I have No Words…

We had impeccable timing this morning.

We stumbled upon a massive fight between two bull elk while in search of just such a moment.

Next, not more than a few minutes after a grand discussion about “being present in the moment” we were strategically placed to watch a pair of young wolves from the Rescue Creek wolf pack take down an elder cow bison.

There is a greater story about this morning, but at the moment, I need to mentally digest the events that as they unfolded and process how the nieve and self-centered Yellowstone visitor can ruin a wild moment in the present moment that can have a negative ripple effect that affects the one wild animal’s last life struggle as well as the other animal’s hard work…

For more information about our YEAR-ROUND private tours of Yellowstone National Park, please check our website at: www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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10/01/2024

A Portal Into The Wild.

The higher we climbed away from the sounds of vehicles the better the mood became. Into the Douglas fir forest we went, noticing dried black bear, elk and bison droppings on the animal path we were using.

As the forest cleared into a higher sage-filled valley, we felt drawn to an island of colorful aspens. The well-worn bison trails led us directly through the ancient Aspen stand. I felt as though we walked though a portal to an older time as we passed the fallen logs.

The towering triple-trunked Aspen tree appeared to be welcoming us in! We obliged and went on our way. We discovered dropped elk antlers, a few old bison carcasses and incredible vistas for our fair weather hike.

Tomorrow another great day begins pre-dawn. Check back with us to see what wonders Yellowstone decides to share. For more information about our private tours, please check out our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/30/2024

An Autumn Dream Come True….

Just us. Bugling bull elk and a pre-dawn chill in the air. With a crescent moon and stars above, we heard the call of the wildness in the dark meadow. As the eastern horizon grew aglow with a blanket of orange color we glimpsed the large elk whose call we heard.

A few ‘satellite bulls’ let their raspy calls answer the herd bull, but all kept themselves hidden.

As the sun broke the tree line we ventured on to mirrored reflections of grandeur. It is a place that I hold dear to my soul. A place I’ve witnessed amazing moments of wildness over the years. A place where I can see my favorite peak & recall the many adventures I’ve spent on its surrounding slopes and summit. A place where obsidian flakes litter the land from previous generations of peoples. It is a place where the land is open, yet at the same time contained by glorious peaks.

After a bit, we moved on to discover a black bear foraging on the bitterness of wild rosehips. Chocked full of vitamin C, bears love them at this time of year…

Another day begins early tomorrow morning. We will be switching the plan up a bit with hopes of stepping foot in an untrammeled part of the park few people ever experience. It will be a new spot for me too!!!!

For more information about how to book your private tour with me, any month of the year, please check our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/29/2024

The Rock Rabbit.

This tiny little creature is really known as a Pika. But some refer to the other name due to its genetics. It appears to be a rodent living in the rocks, but in actuality, it is in the Lagomorph family, related to rabbits.

There is so much to say about this fury little “hamster on steroids”, but what I really think is interesting is that they do not hibernate. They use the snowpack as an insulative layer as they winter-over in their talus piles where they’ve cached stacks of vegetation for consumption.

I sometimes ponder what conversations take place in their rock tunnels during the cold months… Do they argue more in close quarters during winter? Do they try to steal from each other’s stash piles? Or, do they cohabitate in a cohesive atmosphere…. Just some random thoughts from a local Naturalist.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventure and don’t forget to watch the highlights from today in our Story! For more information about our year-round private tours, please check our website at: www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/28/2024

Another Banner Day in Yellowstone.

Crisp and cold air greeted the elk’s warm breath. We found the bull elk that eluded us a few days ago and it looks like he’s broken a tine on his antler since I last saw him.

The morning frost covered a robust bull bison in Hayden Valley. The fog was thinning with the help of the eastern sun rise and he turned towards us, feeding heavily on the remaining bits of dry grass.

See our Story for a short video of a massively large grizzly bear! I would wager that the bear is topping the scales over 650 pounds! I would not want to see him in the backcountry near my campsite as the sun was setting…

Sylvan Lake was strikingly beautiful this morning before the breeze picked up. What a refreshing sight it was of the reflection….

Stay tuned for more adventures in Yellowstone tomorrow. And if you are interested in learning more about our year-round private tours, please check out our website:
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/25/2024

Out from The Darkness.

Deep in the dark timber came the call from a big bull elk. Our windows were open as we drove by, hoping to hear that exact sound. We saw the elk in early morning light with a line of female elk walking single file out into a sun filled meadow.

The bull bugled again and we made a hasty U-turn back to the elk to safely pull over. As we quietly exited the vehicle we lined up the female elk with the backlit sunrise. Steam billowed out from their nostrils in the cold, crisp air.

The massive-sounding bull never did make an appearance for us, nor did he call out again to give away his location.

As my enthusiastic guest said, “her brain is erupting!”
For my first-time guests, anything and everything was amazing to them! We had quite an awesome day and our Day 2 together will be this Thursday. I’m looking forward to that!

Another amazing day unfolds early tomorrow! As we venture out to see Yellowstone’s wonders, check back in to see what the majestic natural system decides to share with us!

For more information about our private guiding services, please check our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/18/2024

A spectacular day in Yellowstone National Park.

My guest from the UK has been contracted to write a story for three major outlets (more about this later) about Bison Management. A few months back, he reached out to inquire about a tour to see/learn more about the bigger picture of Yellowstone’s inner workings. We discussed the intricacies of bison on the landscape but also delved into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

We stopped mid-morning in the drizzling rain and listened for elk bugles. In the distance one called out. We used the Rocky Mountain junipers to cover our approach. Through the wet grasses we stalked closer with telephoto lenses in hand and found some wonderful compositions with the Autumn landscape. From a distance, the elk went about their business with no concern about our presence.

Another late morning off-trail excursion allowed us to stumble upon a black bear’s summer day bed. Lined with piles of dry s**t, it looked like this was an early summer hideaway and not recently used. I knew of a bull elk skull that was tucked in some dark timber and thought it would be a good photo op for the journalist. The short visit proved a memorable stop as we noticed another day bed from a bear, lined with s**t. I find it so interesting to check the visual surroundings of a bear’s bed and ponder what it is they notice in their view shed when waking from a mid-summer day slumber. In this instance, a cool elk skull just a few feet away isn’t too shabby!

In all, despite the rains, we made the best of the day and had a grand time!

If you are excited about learning more about Yellowstone’s wonders, please check out our website for more details about our YEAR ROUND private tours!
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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09/15/2024

A very special day was had on tour yesterday. We switched our agenda and started the tour a little later to allow the early morning sunlight to come into Mammoth Hot Springs.

We found a large male elk bugling and pushing a group of females across the road. Whitetail deer were spotted in the dark timber as we moved onto the unique geological wonders that make Yellowstone so unique.

A tip from a local guide friend helped in our success in finding a Long Eared owl later in the morning. I have only seen one before but never able to capture a good image of this species. It was just the 3 of us watching this smaller-sized owl for a few moments. We backed away shortly after finding it to let it get back to sleeping.

We hiked to a historical, old Douglas fir tree that down below the lateral roots housed some wolves. We visited an abandoned wolf den and relived some stories about memorable wolves like #21, the alpha male of the Druid Peak Pack.

It was a special day for all of us as we engaged in Yellowstone through story and observation. Stay tuned for what tomorrow will bring!

For more information about the types of private tours we can offer you, please see our website at:
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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