The First National Park
Yellowstone National Park was founded in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant. Though Yellowstone is considered to be the first National Park in the world, Yosemite was actually the first area protected from development in 1864. Yellowstone consists of 2.22 million acres most of which is wilderness.
There is no place like Yellowstone National Park. To hear the wolves howl at night and to live among the spectacular wildlife is an experienced unmatched.
I worked at a restaurant in the resort in Yellowstone. This was an amazing way to be able to experience what the park has to offer. I was able to spend my afternoons and days off exploring the backcountry and photographing the local landscapes and wildlife.
I started to work in Yellowstone in April2017. The weather was still very frigid and snow still covered the ground. This was a great time to be in the park due to low number of visitors so wildlife could be more frequently seen along the roadways. On my first day after I was all settled in my dorm room I immediately set out on a drive to try and find some animals to photograph. I was very lucky to come across a carcass about 200 yards from the road so i was able to observe from the comfort of my car (Also using my car as a blind). Unfortunately the 200yds was a bit of a reach for my 150-600mm lens, but it was still great to be able to witness such a scene.
Coyote eating a bison carcass.
Bald Eagle
As the months went by I explored more and more. I would park at a turn off and just hike into the backcountry. I was very fortunate to be able to see an excessive amount of wildlife and scenery. In my 7 months from April to November the only months it did not snow was in July and August. This was partly due to being at a high elevation. The snow was very convenient for tracking animals and being able to see where animals frequent so I could set up my camera and wait. I would wait for hours at a time at different locations trying to photograph wildlife. Most times I would not see a thing and other times I would see some wildlife but I was unable to get an exceptional image.
Tracking bears through the backcountry.
Hiking alone is not advised in Yellowstone but I was always very vigilant and always carried my bear spray.
The above image of a grizzly is one of my favorites from my time in Yellowstone. Though it is not an exceptional image it was a great experience to witness such an amazing animal at a close distance. I was driving from Lake Village to Hayden Valley when I spotted this bear from my car at about 100 yards away. I pulled over and got out my tripod and camera. I immediately started to take pictures. He was far away and somewhat in the trees so i wasn’t getting good results. Then all of the sudden he changed direction and started walking towards me across the open field. I was so excited and took hundreds of pictures with him coming straight towards me. He kept coming closer and closer, straight towards me. I then realized he was coming straight at me from about 30 yards away! I decided to slowly make my way back to the safety of my car. The bear ended up passing behind my car and disappeared into the forest behind me.
Grand Prismatic
The land in Yellowstone always appears to be on fire
Yellowstone is located on a huge super volcano that is said to be years overdue from erupting. If the volcano erupts the whole world is said to feel its effect. This causes the multiple geysers and hot springs found throughout the park. Half of the worlds geysers are located in Yellowstone. These thermal features make very interesting and unique subjects for photography.
Working at Yellowstone was an experience that I will never forget. Though the work was not always pleasant the opportunity to live in such an amazing place was worth it. I cannot recommend enough to spend a summer season there working and exploring the great Yellowstone wilderness.