Kevin Palmer

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  • In the Pryor Mountains of Montana lives a herd of about 120 wild horses. Thought to be descendants of Spanish colonial horses, these mustangs were the first to be federally protected after nearly being removed in the late 1960's. The foal pictured here (named Renegade) was less than 4 weeks old. He is 1 of 5 foals born this year, although 2 didn't make it. This wild horse range is not easy to access. It requires a long 40-mile drive on steep, rough, and rocky dirt roads, where navigation can be tricky. It's not a place to go unprepared. After I couldn't drive any further, I walked the rest of the way since I finally spotted the herd in the distance. I counted a total of 22 horses near the top of Sykes Ridge at 8,000 feet.
    2017 Mustang
  • Fall foliage is reflected in Long Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Up above, snow was falling on the higher peaks.
    Long Lake Reflection
  • This was the only time I was able to see the Snæfellsjökull volcano in it's entirety. The clouds on the left would soon move in and block the view of the glacier.
    Snæfellsjökull Barn
  • This halo stayed in the sky for most of the evening over the Icelandic village of Arnarstapi. The pyramid-shaped mountain is Stapafell, which is a lower peak of the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano behind it.
    The Halo of Arnarstapi
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. This was a stitch of 6 pictures.
    Lost Twin Lake Panorama
  • This picturesque church sits at the edge of Esterbrook, Wyoming. The tiny community with a population of 52 is only reachable by dirt road. Towering in the background is Laramie Peak, scarred by a wildfire from 5 years ago. The 10,276' high peak was a well known landmark on the Oregon Trail. It could be seen from up to 100 miles away, which was about 1 week's travel. From the summit on a clear day you can see all the way into South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado. The far-reaching views made it the perfect place to watch the solar eclipse when I returned 2 months later.
    Church of Esterbrook
  • A herd of wild mustangs moves across the sage brush in between Cody and Greybull, Wyoming. I counted about 100 horses in this herd.
    Moving the Herd
  • Rain was falling from the clouds, but it evaporated into the dry air before reaching the ground. This is known as virga. The views were dramatic from the McCullough Peaks Badlands, especially when the sun came out and contrasted with the dark clouds.In the distance the snow capped Bighorn Mountains can be seen.
    Vanishing Rain
  • A pair of bull moose trot past grazing bison in Yellowstone National Park. At up to 7 feet high, moose are the tallest mammals in North America, while bison are the largest. Bull moose typically lose their antlers in early winter, but you can see the stumps remaining between their eyes and ears. The flap of skin hanging from their necks is called a bell and it is not known for sure what purpose it serves. The Lamar Valley where this was taken is located in the remote northeast corner of Yellowstone, along the only road that's kept open in the winter. It has been called the Serengeti of North America because of the wide variety of large wildlife that inhabit the valley. Grizzlies, black bears, moose, bison, elk, wolves, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, coyotes, and red foxes can all be found here.
    Trotting Moose, Grazing Bison
  • A lenticular cloud hangs above the rising full moon during twilight. It was an extremely windy evening at the Sand Turn Overlook above Dayton.
    Hovering Above the Moon
  • As I drove towards the Frenchman Valley campground, this herd of bison crossed the road in front of me.
    Saskatchewan Traffic Jam
  • During the most intense part of the geomagnetic storm, I looked straight up and this is what I saw. It's known as a corona, and it looks like the aurora is radiating outward from a single point in the sky. This was the first time I've seen a corona and it didn't last long.
    Aurora Corona
  • The sun sets over the hills and prairie of Grasslands National Park. This was taken from the Rock Creek trail in the East Block.
    East Block Sunset
  • Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in March of 2010, with the giant ash cloud causing the biggest disruption to air travel since WWII.
    Eyjafjallajökull
  • Skógafoss is a 60 meter high waterfall in southern Iceland. In the evening it is positioned perfectly for vivid rainbows to appear in the mist. I got here at the perfect time, once I made it to the top and back the rainbow was already gone.
    Rainbow of Skógafoss
  • Iceland has no shortage of scenic waterfalls. This one is called Hraunfossar (meaning Lava Falls) and it's located near Húsafell in the western interior. The water splits into numerous cascades as it trickles through the mossy lava field and flows into the Hvítá River. Volcanic activity still heats the many hot springs found in this valley, which includes the most powerful one in Europe. The river is fed by the Langjökull Glacier, the 2nd largest in Iceland. Glacial silt suspended in the water gives it the beautiful turquoise color. A forest of short but colorful birch trees grew around the river, an unusual sight in this mostly treeless country.
    Hraunfossar
  • On my 4th night in Iceland I stayed at a small campground in Setburg outside of Grundarfjörður. This was the view at sunset. The mountain on the left is Kirkjufell, but this is a much different perspective than most people see.
    Setburg Sunset
  • The F570 road which heads up the east side of Snæfellsjökull volcano is quite steep and rough. I couldn't drive it with my rental car so I walked it instead.
    Road to Snæfellsjökull
  • I took a few steps onto the Argentière Glacier, but didn't go too far. The top of the ice was covered in a thin layer of gravel, and there were a couple crevasses on both sides of me. The mountain on the top left is Aiguille du Chardonnet.
    Dirty Crevasse
  • The Pryor Mountains are not a very large or tall range. But they hold lots of wonders including several mysterious ice caves. At this elevation (8,600') any snow would have melted away months ago. But snow and ice stays beneath the ground year round. The Crater Ice Cave is one of the harder caves to reach because it requires an 1,800 foot climb to the highest peak, Big Pryor Mountain. The cave is located just below the summit and has a side entrance as well as a skylight entrance overhead.
    Subterranean Snow
  • After a rough 35 mile drive on rocky dirt roads, I reached the Dry Fork Overlook at the top of the Pryor Mountains just before sunset. There was a large thunderstorm to the south in Wyoming, which lit up with color.
    Pryor Experience
  • Yellow wildflowers bloom on the hillside above Lower Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
    Granite Wall Flowers
  • This severe thunderstorm rolled across the grassland near Decker, Montana late at night. There were dozens of wildfires burning across Montana. Before this storm hit, the air was mostly clear. But the strong winds brought in thick smoke from the northwest. It smelled like there was a fire nearby, even though there were none in the immediate area. All the lightning had a reddish-orange tint to it.
    Orange Lightning
  • Before heading back, I wanted to make it to the Upper Lost Twin Lake. This was more difficult than I expected, since there was no trail, and I had to hop across boulders still wet from the morning storms. This was the view from the hill above the lower Lost Twin Lake.
    Taken for Granite
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. Treeline in the Bighorns is at about 10,500' feet so most of the trees were very short around the lake.
    Edge of Treeline
  • When I left Highland Park I went off trail and climbed higher to avoid a very snowy section of trail. I decided to climb an unnamed 11,370' peak since I was so close. This was the view from the top.
    Peak 11370
  • The horizontal cloud stretching out from the supercell is known as a beaver tail. It is formed from moist inflow winds feeding into the storm. The winds were very strong as you can see from all the dust picked up underneath. There was a tornado ongoing at this time which damaged 2 homesteads near the Nebraska/Wyoming border. But it wasn't visible from my location and I couldn't get any closer because there weren't any roads heading east.
    Beaver Tail
  • This is one of the most beautiful times of year in Wyoming. The valleys are green and the mountains are filled with colorful wildflowers. This was taken near Red Grade Road. The trees were burnt in a wildfire 10 years ago.
    Burnt Tree Bloom
  • I've seen pictures of this arch at Bighorn Canyon before, and haven't been able to locate it. But after visiting a 3rd time, I finally found it. The arch frames an incredible view of what is sometimes called Montana's Grand Canyon. After waiting here until 9PM, I gave up on seeing any color in the sky. But before I could make it back to my car, an orange glow emerged in the west and pink clouds briefly overtook the sky. I hurried back to the arch to take this final picture. It always amazes me just how empty this place is. It's not unusual to see more wild horses than people. I had to drive very carefully back to the campground to avoid hitting the mustangs that were standing on the road in the dark.
    Through a Window
  • I've seen pictures taken from this arch above Bighorn Canyon, but I've never been able to locate it until now. And it's not too difficult to reach. Compositions are limited because of the way the arch is set against the cliff and you can't get very far back. Just as I started to leave, the sky unexpectedly took on a pink glow and I ran back to the arch to capture the color before it faded away.
    Bighorn Canyon Arch
  • The setting sun casts a golden glow on the boulders beneath the summit of Black Mountain.
    Golden Boulders
  • After the sun set, the Belt of Venus rose in the southeast, casting a soft pink and blue glow over the Bighorn Mountains.
    Dusk Before Solstice
  • The Tongue River was flowing quite a bit in early June. This was the view in the morning from my campsite while backpacking in Tongue River Canyon.
    Rapid Morning
  • It was late May but there was still plenty of snow along Red Grade Road in the Bighorn Mountains.
    Spring at Red Grade
  • I wasn't really expecting the northern lights to be this active. It was a beautiful night for stargazing, and I was only planning to shoot the milky way, but I never got to that. A slight breeze disturbed the surface of the lake most of the night. But at 3AM it became perfectly calm and the surface of Lake DeSmet looked like glass. A long exposure from a camera always picks up more colors in the aurora than the human eye can see. Oftentimes only the color green is visible. But the purple pillar on the right was very noticeable and it hardly moved at all.
    Purple Pillar
  • It was a very dark night at Devil's Tower, in between lightning bolts. The lightning was difficult to expose for, since it was infrequent, and usually very bright. This was one of the dimmer bolts. I was standing underneath the back door of my car to stay out of the rain when I took this.
    Power at the Tower
  • Morning sunlight illuminates an unnamed peak in Montana's Beartooth Mountains. This was the view I woke up to while camping in the East Rosebud Valley in Early May. In this mountain range are found dozens of glaciers, and the largest high elevation plateau in the US outside of Alaska. In the upper reaches of these steep slopes avalanche activity was high. A cornice, which is an overhang of snow caused by strong winds, can be seen on the upper right. Overnight the snow solidified as the temperatures cooled. But once the sunlight touched the snow and temperatures warmed, the snow became unstable and gave way. In my 10 mile hike through the wilderness I witnessed about 20 avalanches, most of them small. Sometimes I would hear them before I saw them, with the noise sounding like distant thunder. See below for a picture of one.
    Beartooth Mountain Majesty
  • After I thought the sunlight was gone on Devil's Tower, it came out once more for just a couple minutes.
    Devil's Tower Last Light
  • The view was amazing from the High Park lookout tower shortly before sunset. This is the view looking north. Meadowlark Lake can be seen on the left. Bighorn Peak and Loaf Mountain are the prominent peaks on the right.
    North of High Park
  • This is the view looking west from High Park lookout shortly before sunset.
    Behind the Pines
  • There were about 8 bighorn sheep grazing on this hillside. When I walked up to take pictures I didn't even notice this ram to my left at first. He traversed a steep 45 degree slope and came within about 50 feet of me. He looked like he had been in plenty of fights with patches of fur missing on both sides and a broken left horn.
    Roughed Up
  • Abiathar Peak towers above the Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of Yellowstone, while 4 bison graze below.
    Abiathar and Bison
  • I liked the way Tongue River was reflecting the golden cliffs above. This canyon is always tricky to shoot because the sunlight disappears much sooner than I expect.
    A River Runs Through It
  • A bright red bush adds some color to the banks of the frozen Tongue River.
    A Splash of Red
  • I could tell there was a colorful sunset on the way so I drove outside of Sheridan to photograph it. There was nobody else around on this empty dirt road between ranches.
    Super Sunset
  • Snow covers the granite summit of Black Mountain. The fire lookout can be seen perched at the top of the 9500 foot peak.
    Snowy Granite
  • Colorful wildflowers surrounded the oasis in Borrego Palm Canyon.
    Burst of Color
  • I was surprised to find this large grove of aspen trees on the 70 Mile Butte trail. There are very few trees in Grasslands National Park. The late evening sunlight intensified the color of the leaves.
    Prairie Aspen
  • After seeing only about 1 hour of clear skies over 5 nights, I was determined to catch a good aurora display on my last night in Iceland. The southern coast was showing the best weather forecast. So that is where I went, camping in the shadow of the glacier-capped Eyjafjallajökull volcano which was lit up by the moonlight. This is the same volcano that erupted 7 years ago with the giant ash cloud causing the biggest disruption to air travel since WWII. As soon as it got dark the northern lights came out and stayed the entire night. Compared to lower latitudes, the aurora up here is brighter and moves and changes so much faster. It will often appear anywhere in the sky, not just limited to the north.
    Volcanic Green
  • The 60 meter tall Seljalandsfoss tumbles over a cliff in the evening sunlight.
    Mist in the Air
  • I found these horses on the side of a random road in Iceland. The mother was very friendly, walking up to the fence so I could pet her. But the young foal was more shy.
    Friendly Icelandic Horse
  • This is the lower view of Kirkjufellsfoss. The light had already gone flat by the time I made it down here.
    Cloudy Kirkjufellsfoss
  • Just as I had hoped, the sun began to break through the clouds while I climbed Kirkjufell.
    Breaking Through
  • Clouds drift past the medieval village of Conflans in Albertville, France, as a storm clears.
    Conflans Fog
  • This is the view of the small French village of St-Pierre-d’Albigny as seen from the Miolans Castle.
    St-Pierre-d’Albigny
  • These colorful wildflowers were blooming near the top of Big Pryor Mountain.
    Pryor Wildflowers
  • The pyramid shaped shadow of Black Mountain grew larger as the sun set behind me. The views are amazing from this 9500' peak in the northern Bighorn Mountains. Climbing it in June is about 10X easier than the last time I climbed it in January.
    Black Shadow
  • Just before the drenching rain started, I took one last shot and captured this bolt of lightning, reflected in Big Goose Creek.
    Electric Green
  • This meadow below "Grandma's Mountain" is one of many scenic views along the Penrose Trail near the town of Story.
    Grandma's Mountain
  • It was a cold and moist night at Devil's Tower with a few too many clouds. But the milky way was visible for a short time.
    Galactic Tower
  • Cloud Peak is the highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains at 13,167'. It also holds the last remaining glacier in the range, which can barely be seen below the granite wall. Because the peak is flat-topped, it's not too difficult to climb, although it still requires a 25 mile roundtrip hike.
    Cloud From the East
  • Thanksgiving morning at Bighorn Canyon brought the best sunrise I've seen this year. Even an hour before the sun rose, the clouds in the east were already showing a deep pink color, and it only got better. The clouds were sculpted by strong winds and showed lots of texture. This view is from the Hillsboro Ranch trailhead at Barry's Landing.
    Hillsboro Sunrise
  • For the Geminid meteor shower I snowshoed to the top of the continental divide in Western Montana. From the Granite Butte lookout tower, the views were stunning in every direction. The weather changed by the second alternating between snow showers, gale force winds, freezing fog with zero visibility, clear skies, and brief moments of calm. The tough whitebark pine trees which grow up here are all permanently bent. They point eastward from the prevailing westerly winds which almost never stop. The low temperatures, strong winds, and fog combined to create hard rime ice, which covered every surface (including me and my camera) with a coating up to 2 inches thick. To say that shooting conditions were challenging would be an understatement. My tripod had to be carefully propped up to avoid it blowing over. And with all my batteries dying too soon, I didn't get to take as many pictures as I wanted to. This was one of the brighter meteors which shone through the fog. The lights on the right are from the city of Helena.
    Through the Freezing Fog
  • The views at sunrise were stunning from the Granite Butte fire lookout on Montana's continental divide. All the whitebark pine trees were coated with thick rime ice and fog drifted around the valleys.
    Rime Before Dawn
  • Grasslands National Park is located in Southern Saskatchewan right next to the Montana border. They are known as Land of the Living Skies, and Big Sky Country respectively, and it's easy to see why. This was the view from the top of 70 Mile Butte outside of Val Marie.
    Big Living Sky Country
  • With both clear skies and a geomagnetic storm in the forecast, I headed north of the border to Saskatchewan. Grasslands National Park is a long ways from anywhere. During the day the landscape seems stark and desolate, especially after a very dry summer. But the real beauty of this park comes after sunset. It is one of the darkest places on the continent. With no sources of light pollution at all, the stars appear the same as they did to the Plains Indians hundreds of years ago. The aurora was already bright and colorful earlier in the evening. But at midnight after the moon set, the northern lights went insane. I've never seen such rapid motion before. If you could imagine a campfire with the flames rising upward and flickering on and off, that's what it looked like. Except instead of orange, it was green, and instead of it being confined to a fire ring, it filled the entire sky. I don't think any camera could fully capture it, it just has to be experienced.
    Two Tipis
  • It was nearly 11pm in southern Saskatchewan. I had just watched a bright auroral substorm send colorful arcs high into the northern sky, but it was starting to fade. Then I turned around, looking south, and this is what I saw. A bright pinkish strip of light stretched from east to west, while the crescent moon hung low on the horizon. It's one of the most unusual things I've ever seen in the night sky. This strange type of aurora is called Steve. The name started as a joke, but it stuck.  Steve was first captured last year by a group of aurora photographers in Alberta. After ESA flew a satellite through it earlier this year, it was discovered that it's comprised of very hot (10,800°F) ionized gases moving along at 4 miles per second. This ribbon of light is 16 miles wide and thousands of miles long. I watched as Steve started overhead nearly paralleling the US-Canada border, before slowly moving south. It turned into a green "picket fence" pattern before fading away. It was awesome to see such a mysterious phenomena which is still being studied by scientists.
    An Aurora Named Steve
  • The sun sets over the hills and prairie of Grasslands National Park. This was taken from the Rock Creek trail in the East Block.
    Butte Afterglow
  • On my way back from Canada, I stopped at James Kipp Recreaton Area in northern Montana. The cottonwood trees around the Missouri River were at peak color.
    Golden Riverbank
  • On my way back from Canada, I stopped at James Kipp Recreaton Area in northern Montana. The cottonwood trees around the Missouri River were at peak color.
    James Kipp Road
  • Since I was camping near Seljalandsfoss, I went over to get a few shots of the aurora above the falls. I wished I could have turned off the spotlights, since they were a bit too bright. The moon was positioned at the top of the falls.
    Seljalandsfoss Aurora
  • After seeing only about 1 hour of clear skies over 5 nights, I was determined to catch a good aurora display on my last night in Iceland. The southern coast was showing the best weather forecast. So that is where I went, camping in the shadow of the glacier-capped Eyjafjallajökull volcano which was lit up by the moonlight. This is the same volcano that erupted 7 years ago with the giant ash cloud causing the biggest disruption to air travel since WWII. As soon as it got dark the northern lights came out and stayed the entire night. Compared to lower latitudes, the aurora up here is brighter and moves and changes so much faster. It will often appear anywhere in the sky, not just limited to the north.
    Aurora Gap
  • There aren't very many waterfalls in the world that allow you to walk behind them and watch the sunset. But you can do just that at Seljalandsfoss on the southern coast of Iceland (foss is Icelandic for waterfall). This is only possible during the late summer and early fall, when the sun lines up and transform the curtain of water into liquid gold. A rain jacket or poncho is essential if you want to get behind the waterfall without getting soaked. The force of the water falling 200 feet and hitting the pool below almost seemed to create it's own wind, with the spray going everywhere. It only took a few seconds before my lens was covered with water droplets. To get this shot I huddled over my camera in a corner, waiting for just the right moment when the sun popped out and no one was walking in front of the falls. This is a popular tour bus stop along Iceland's Ring Road, so it can get very crowded at times.
    Liquid Gold
  • At the base of the 200' tall Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland I saw something I've never seen before: a 360° rainbow. Every rainbow is actually a full circle, but the lower part is almost always blocked by the horizon. There are only a few situations where a full 360° rainbow may become visible. One way is to have a very high vantage point, where you can clearly see below. A steep mountaintop or an airplane window would work under perfect weather conditions. But in this case, it was spray from the waterfall that caused the rare optical effect. The rainbow faded in and out depending on the wind and where I was standing. The amount of mist in the air had to be just right. The sun also needed to be low on the horizon, so that the light would be shining through the mist at just the right angle. The radius of a rainbow from the center (the antisolar point) to the outer edge is always 42°. Since my widest lens only had a field of view of 81°, I couldn't quite capture it in it's entirety.
    360° Rainbow
  • Iceland has no shortage of scenic waterfalls. This one is called Hraunfossar (meaning Lava Falls) and it's located near Húsafell in the western interior. The water splits into numerous cascades as it trickles through the mossy lava field and flows into the Hvítá River. Volcanic activity still heats the many hot springs found in this valley, which includes the most powerful one in Europe. The river is fed by the Langjökull Glacier, the 2nd largest in Iceland. Glacial silt suspended in the water gives it the beautiful turquoise color. A forest of short but colorful birch trees grew around the river, an unusual sight in this mostly treeless country.
    Lava Falls
  • Kirkjufellsfoss is one of the most iconic scenes in Iceland. Just Google "Iceland" and see how many times it shows up. The name translates to "church mountain waterfall" because of the peak's nearly perfect symmetrical shape. There is a trail (if it can be called that) leading to the top of Kirkjufell which is one of the steepest I've ever hiked. In the evening, tour buses stop here and this small spot is filled with hordes of tourists and photographers lined up tripod to tripod to capture the sunset. But I wanted to avoid that so I came back in the morning when it was much quieter. There was a storm moving in and the sunrise didn't look very promising. But the eastern sky took on an orange glow for a short time.
    Kirkjufellsfoss Sunrise
  • After waiting hours for thick clouds to clear over Grundarfjörður, I gave up and headed back to my campsite. But to my surprise the clouds parted briefly as I got close to Olafsvik. I stopped at this perfectly calm lagoon, which was lit up by the moonlight. The aurora wasn't as active as before, but it was still visible.
    Inverted S
  • The northern lights shine through evening twilight over the Atlantic Ocean near Ólafsvík, Iceland.
    Overpowering Green
  • After reaching the top of Kirkjufell, the trail keeps going until that cliff at the end. This view is looking north out over the Atlantic Ocean.
    Where the Land Ends
  • The pyramid shaped Stapafell is reflected in a calm pond in Arnarstapi, Iceland.
    Stapafell Pond
  • After a very cloudy day, the clouds broke just enough to allow for a colorful sunset over Lake Geneva near Veytaux.
    Lake Geneva Sunset
  • The Peak to Peak bridge on top of Scex Rouge isn't very long. But the other side became completely obscured by fog as the clouds lowered.
    Bridge to Nowhere
  • Grindelwald is a small village in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland. It's hard to take a bad picture here with towering snow-capped peaks, grassy pastures, and rustic barns everywhere.
    Grindelwald Barn
  • I spotted this bright sundog over a mountain near Grindelwald, Switzerland. It didn't last long.
    Alps Sundog
  • Clouds swirl around the peaks Mettenberg on the left and Eiger on the right.
    Eiger and Mettenberg
  • Clouds swirl around the peaks Mettenberg on the left and Eiger on the right.
    Eiger and Mettenberg
  • The 3,824m (12,545 ft)  Aiguille du Chardonnet Argentière towers above the Argentière Glacier. Part of the Mont Blanc Massif, the glacier is 9km long.
    Aiguille du Chardonnet
  • Known as the "Diamond Ring" effect, this is when the first bit of sun emerges from behind the moon. It lasts only seconds. I was surprised by just how suddenly the sun popped out with all the brightness of the sun concentrated into a single point. If anyone was looking through an optical instrument at this time, it would probably be the last thing they would ever see. I shot this using live view and then quickly put a solar filter back on before I fried the camera sensor.
    Diamond Ring
  • In the Pryor Mountains of Montana lives a herd of about 120 wild horses. Thought to be descendants of Spanish colonial horses, these mustangs were the first to be federally protected after nearly being removed in the late 1960's. The foal pictured here (named Renegade) was less than 4 weeks old. He is 1 of 5 foals born this year, although 2 didn't make it. This wild horse range is not easy to access. It requires a long 40-mile drive on steep, rough, and rocky dirt roads, where navigation can be tricky. It's not a place to go unprepared. After I couldn't drive any further, I walked the rest of the way since I finally spotted the herd in the distance. I counted a total of 22 horses near the top of Sykes Ridge at 8,000 feet.
    4 Week Old Foal
  • In the Pryor Mountains of Montana lives a herd of about 120 wild horses. Thought to be descendants of Spanish colonial horses, these mustangs were the first to be federally protected after nearly being removed in the late 1960's. This wild horse range is not easy to access. It requires a long 40-mile drive on steep, rough, and rocky dirt roads, where navigation can be tricky. It's not a place to go unprepared. After I couldn't drive any further, I walked the rest of the way since I finally spotted the herd in the distance. I counted a total of 22 horses near the top of Sykes Ridge at 8,000 feet.
    Chasing the Mare
  • When I woke up on East Pryor Mountain, it was mostly cloudy but there was no fog. As soon as I realized there was fog in the valley below, I walked here to look over the edge. But I was too late, the fog pushed up the mountain and visibility dropped to zero. The sun became visible for a short time, but then fog overtook it again.
    Fog Vs. Sun
  • In between the upper and lower Lost Twin Lakes, there is a waterfall. After raining all morning, the sun finally came out at 1PM.
    Top of the Cirque
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. The light from the crescent moon was sparkling in the lake before it set. The planet Jupiter can also be seen just below the moon.
    Sparkling Lakeshore
  • This scenic waterfall is near the beginning of the Lost Twin Lakes Trail in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
    Middle Tensleep Falls
  • Crazy Woman Canyon is is located south of Buffalo in the Bighorn Mountains. A steep, narrow, and bumpy road ascends the canyon all the way up to Highway 16. It's a fun drive, with lots of scenic cliffs and rock formations, and plenty of dispersed campsites available.
    Narrow Passage
  • This severe thunderstorm rolled through Sheridan at the end of July, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and hail. This was the view from the rest stop.
    Sheridan Rainfoot
  • After descending Loaf Mountain, I came across these wildflowers at 11,000 feet.
    Loaf Mountain Wildflowers
  • As I was driving down Red Grade Road, I noticed this smoke plume in the distance. The fire seemed very active, forming pyrocumulus clouds above. But I never found out any info on the fire. It was somewhere in Montana on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
    Pyrocumulus
  • Nearly 2 miles high in the Cloud Peak Wilderness is a place called Highland Park. Ever since someone told me about it last fall I've been wanting to visit. But it is not easy to reach. The trailhead starts at the end of a long and rough dirt road. After hiking 7 miles, deep snow drifts covered the last mile of trail. With lots of post-holing, my shoes were soon soaked through. But it was worth the effort to get here. The highest peaks of the Bighorn Mountains towered to to the south providing an incredible panoramic view. From left to right is Penrose Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, Mount Woolsey, and Blacktooth Mountain. With over 50 elk grazing in the meadow below I opted to setup camp a little higher instead. Other than the sound of a distant waterfall and the occasional elk call, it was perfectly silent. This was the view of the alpenglow at sunrise the next morning.
    Highland Park Sunrise
  • The views from Highland Park in the Cloud Peak Wilderness were even more beautiful at sunrise than they were at sunset. Dozens of elk were grazing in the meadow below while alpenglow touched the highest peaks.
    Alpenglow Boulders
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