Kevin Palmer

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  • The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River thunders over a cliff as seen from almost a mile away. At 309 feet high, this waterfall is nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls. It is the largest waterfall in the Rocky Mountains by volume, although the flow rate was a lot less in September when this was taken. The 24-mile long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone starts here and in some places is over 1,000 feet deep. The canyon walls consist of a volcanic rock called rhyolite, and display a wide variety of colors. Hot springs and other geothermal features are scattered throughout the canyon along the river. If you look closely you can see a viewing platform just above the falls to the right.
    Falls of the Yellowstone
  • I've seen spectacular sunsets and I've seen breathtaking views. But to see them both at the same time was an incredible experience. This thunderstorm moved off of the Beartooth Mountains and settled over Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana. Here eagles, raptors, and hawks swoop through one of the deepest canyons in the US. Bighorn sheep scale the cliff walls, and wild horses roam free in the neighboring Pryor Mountains. 'Wow' was a word I said and heard often this evening. I also heard someone exclaim "These colors look fake." I was surprised there weren't more people here on a summer weekend. But without a boat, much of the canyon is difficult to access. The northern end of the park is less than 20 miles from the southern end where this was taken. Yet it takes over 3 hours to drive that distance, going over and around mountain ranges, rivers, and the Crow Indian Reservation.
    Devil Canyon Sunset
  • I've seen spectacular sunsets and I've seen breathtaking views. But to see them both at the same time was an incredible experience. This thunderstorm moved off of the Beartooth Mountains and settled over Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Montana. Here eagles, raptors, and hawks swoop through one of the deepest canyons in the US. Bighorn sheep scale the cliff walls, and wild horses roam free in the neighboring Pryor Mountains. 'Wow' was a word I said and heard often this evening. I also heard someone exclaim "These colors look fake." I was surprised there weren't more people here on a summer weekend. But without a boat, much of the canyon is difficult to access. The northern end of the park is less than 20 miles from the southern end where this was taken. Yet it takes over 3 hours to drive that distance, going over and around mountain ranges, rivers, and the Crow Indian Reservation.
    One of Those Moments
  • 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
  • This was my view while I ate lunch on Cloud Peak, the highest point of the Bighorn Mountains. I timed this 25 mile long, 3 day backpacking trip with the hottest day of the year. While the temperature topped 100°F down in the valley, up here at 13,167 feet it was much more pleasant in the 60's. At this high elevation the boiling point of water is 25° cooler than at sea level. In the cirque 1500 feet below lies the Cloud Peak Glacier. It is the only glacier in the Bighorns and is predicted to be gone 20 years from now. As the compressed snow and ice slowly slides down the mountain slope, it grinds up the bedrock beneath it and forms a very fine silt called "rock flour". This flour becomes suspended in the glacial meltwater and gives the lake it's greenish-turquoise color that changes with the lighting conditions. In the hour I spent on the summit I heard the sound of numerous rockfalls. Some of them would cause a chain-reaction lasting a minute or longer.
    Top of the Bighorns
  • Early morning sunlight lights up the cliffs in Canyonlands National Park. This view is from Dead Horse Point, looking south into the canyon formed by the Colorado River 2000 feet below. The juniper tree in the foreground is a tough plant that survives the dry heat and cold of the desert. It can take decades for it to grow to even this small size.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/6/2013
    Canyonlands Vista
  • I always feel a a sense of urgency this time of year to capture the fall colors before they're gone. Tongue River Canyon is always a great place to hike, and one of the closest trails to where I live. It was extra beautiful on this warm October afternoon. A patch of sunlight came out for just a minute.
    Overcast Sun
  • The Bighorns contain quite a few deep canyons with towering cliffs like this one. I've driven past this canyon near Lovell before but had never stopped and explored it. I knew based on the name alone that there would be lots of color this time of year. Cottonwood trees grow next to creeks and rivers in otherwise dry areas, and turn a brilliant gold in the fall. They get their name from the cotton-like fibers that are shed in the spring. The fibers contain the seed which gets spread in the wind, and can look like snow at times. In the distance the Bighorn River can be seen, with another stripe of golden cottonwoods beyond.
    Cottonwood Canyon Colors
  • I waited on this precarious ledge for the sun to come out one more time over Bighorn Canyon before setting. The light only lasted a couple minutes. I'm not sure what caused the 2 different colors mixing together in the river.
    Below the Edge
  • The Château de Miolans is a privately owned castle dating back to the 12th century. It was built on the side of a hill overlooking the French village of St-Pierre-d’Albigny.
    Château de Miolans
  • 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
  • Most of the snow had melted in Tongue River Canyon, but some ice remained near the riverbanks. After the sun set, I setup my tripod on the edge of the ice to try a long exposure.
    Tongue River Ice
  • After coming around a bend in the trail in Tongue River Canyon, the Keyhole Arch came into view with some colorful clouds behind it.
    Keyhole Arch Sunset
  • The warm sunlit cliffs of Tongue River Canyon contrasted with the cold river ice. It was a beautiful afternoon for a hike.
    Reflected Gold
  • Highway 14 winds through Shell Canyon on the west side of the Bighorn Mountains.
    Shell Canyon Entrance
  • I've been to Tongue River Canyon many times, but have never shot this particular view before. The cottonwood trees were very colorful on this warm but cloudy October day.
    October at Tongue River Canyon
  • The warm sunlit cliffs of Tongue River Canyon contrasted with the cold river ice. It was a beautiful afternoon for a hike.
    Path to Sunlight
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended
  • The dramatic walls of the Lost Twin Lakes stand tall above this alpine meadow.
    Approaching the Cirque
  • Mantle Rock is located in rural western Kentucky. The 188 foot long arch is the longest in the US east of the Mississippi River. A thick green moss covers the moist and shady sandstone walls. This place also has historical significance as well. In the harsh winter of 1838-1839 almost 2,000 Cherokee Indians camped in the area as they waited for the nearby Ohio River to thaw. These Native Americans were forced by the government to relocate from the Deep South to present-day Oklahoma. A large percentage of them tragically died during the long journey, on what is known as "The Trail of Tears."<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Mantle Rock
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended B&W
  • Near Kinsey, Montana, I found myself in between a wall cloud from a stationary supercell and an advancing gust front from an MCS. Eventually the gust front overtook the wall cloud and everything merged together. At this point it was very windy with lots of dust in the air, but I had to get a couple last shots before the rain started. I was glad I wasn't in the precipitation core on the left since 2.5" hail and flooding was reported there.
    Kinsey Wall Cloud
  • A wall cloud descends behind Crow Peak in the Black Hills. Not long afterwards a tornado would knock down parts of the forest.
    Crow Peak Wall Cloud
  • A group of trees grow against a wall in Kaskaskia Canyon.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: January 6, 2015
    Against the Wall
  • A wall cloud hangs underneath a storm base near Lingle, Wyoming. This storm would produce a tornado 5 minutes later, but it wasn't visible from my position.
    Lingle Wall Cloud
  • Yellow wildflowers bloom on the hillside above Lower Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
    Granite Wall Flowers
  • Even though I love thunderstorms, I was hoping for a clear sky to photograph the milky way since I was only in the Badlands one night. At 10 pm it didn't seem like it was going to happen so I returned to my campsite in Wall. But just before going to sleep at midnight I looked up and could see stars. So I drove the 20 minutes back to the overlook and saw this. Badlands National Park is one of the best places you can go for dark skies with very little light pollution. Although it wasn't very well defined, green airglow is visible in this shot. Even a very small town can have lights that reflect on the clouds and that is what the orange spots are.
    The Clearing
  • The last light of the day shines on the granite wall which is part of Spear Peak in the Bighorn Mountains.
    Spear Peak
  • This was the 2nd twister that I saw outside of Buffalo, South Dakota. It danced around, touching the ground briefly and lifting again a few times. But the wall cloud on the right was beginning to show very rapid motion. It was about to drop a wedge tornado, and I knew I had to get closer to get a better view.
    Cute Little Twister
  • A warm and humid wind gusted across the prairie causing the grasses and goldenrods to sway back and forth. In the distance a supercell thunderstorm spun away furiously. I knew a tornado was on the ground in Montana, but I couldn't see it until it crossed into South Dakota and emerged from behind a distant hill. The first tornado roped out after a couple minutes, but then this funnel quickly formed. It danced around, touching the ground briefly but not doing much. This was a cyclic supercell, which means it produced multiple tornadoes. As one ropes out, the wall cloud regenerates and another forms. Tornado #3 would be a much more substantial wedge that stayed on the ground for about 20 minutes. After I saw the storm's movement, I knew I could move a bit closer to get a clearer view. Sunset was minutes away and there was not much time left before it got too dark to see.
    Tornadic Buffalo Supercell
  • Moonlight illuminates the badlands and grassland in South Dakota.
    Diverging Trail
  • This ladder/stairway is part of the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park.
    The Notch Trail
  • As an evening storm approached, the sun came out for just a moment over the Badlands National Park. After driving and trying to make it to this overlook, this was the only shot I took before it was gone.
    Moment of Light
  • Moonlight illuminates the top of the badlands in South Dakota.
    Summit Pass Moonlight
  • The first light of sunrise paints the top of the badlands with a brilliant orange glow. Located in western South Dakota on the edge of the Great Plains, this harsh landscape is home to bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, and other wildlife. By definition badlands are semiarid regions with sparse vegetation that experience high rates of erosion. Even though there are other places in the western US and throughout the world known as badlands, the term originated here in Badlands National Park. This is a special place, but unfortunately the person who decided to use it as a landfill didn't think so. When I peered into this steep ravine I spotted a couch that someone had rolled to the bottom.
    Badlands First Light
  • A spire rises above the grassland along the Castle Trail in Badlands National Park.
    Badlands Spire
  • Early morning sunlight illuminates a striated portion of the badlands in South Dakota.
    Striped Hills
  • 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
  • Matthiessen State Park is located in North Central Illinois. There are at least 6 waterfalls located throughout the park with several creeks cutting through the gorges. The creek in this shot flows from Matthiessen Lake down to the Vermillion River. The trails alongside the creek are only accessible when the water level isn't too high. Giant's Bathtub is the name of this waterfall and it's located in the upper dells area, not far from Lake Falls.
    Giants Bathtub
  • 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
  • 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
  • The crescent moon glowed brighter after the sun set. By walking up the canyon a bit I was able to line it up behind this cliff.
    Crescent Cliff
  • 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
  • At 8:25pm, the 1st of 4 tornadoes that I saw that evening emerged from the rain shaft. This was the strongest tornado of the day, with the NWS rating it an EF-3. But it roped out about 3 minutes later.
    Tornado Road
  • In between the upper and lower Lost Twin Lakes, there is a waterfall. After raining all morning, the sun finally came out at 1PM.
    Lost Twin Falls
  • It was a beautiful day for a hike in Shell Canyon. The fresh green foliage on the cottonwood trees was catching the sunlight.
    Shell Canyon Spring
  • Massive boulders lay at the base of Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains. Some of these are the size of houses.
    Among the Fallen
  • Porcupine Falls is a scenic 100+ feet high waterfall in the Bighorn Mountains.
    Above Porcupine Falls
  • At 90 feet high, Wildcat Falls is the tallest waterfall in Starved Rock State Park. Starved Rock is located in North Central Illinois and contains 17 canyons, many of which have waterfalls. Each canyon flows into the Illinois River to the north.
    Wildcat Falls
  • I chased this cyclic supercell from eastern Montana into South Dakota. In total, it produced 8 tornadoes. This was taken just before it dropped the last tornado of the day after sunset.
    Cyclic Supercell
  • A telephoto lens was very important to have on this storm chase, since I never got closer than about 9 miles to the tornado. This is the 4th and final tornado that I saw this evening. It was after 9:00 so that made it very challenging to photograph. The 1-second exposure gave the twister a blurred look. I would lose sight of it about 7 minutes later.
    The Last Twister
  • From the moment I woke up a deep red glow was visible through my tent walls. As I stepped outside a lone elk bounded away into the woods. There was so much color both in the sky and in the foliage below Cement Ridge in the Black Hills. It was the start of a beautiful fall day with temperatures in the 70's. But this season is short. By the next day it would be snowing heavily with subzero wind chills. The mountain in the distance is Terry Peak, the highest in the northern Black Hills.
    Explosion of Color
  • This was the first major snowfall of the season in northern Wyoming. Up to 12" fell in the valleys, with more in the higher elevations. I went to take pictures at one of my favorite places to hike, Tongue River Canyon. This deep canyon ascends into the northern Big Horn Mountains west of Dayton. The canyon looked stunning with snow clinging to the sheer cliffs and trees, and the river gurgling below. Above the walls are found interesting geological features likes arches, spires, and caves, one of which has over a mile of passages. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it up the narrow gravel road which was unplowed, but it wasn't a problem with 4WD. Last time I was here I spotted a black bear running up the road, but I'm sure most of them are in hibernation by now.
    Snowy November Sunset
  • Underneath a volcanic field in the Mojave Desert there is a lava tube that is fascinating to explore. The cave is not very big, about the size of a house. The ceiling has 5 skylights which lets in sunlight, illuminating the walls of the cave. Throwing dust into the air made the sunbeam even more visible, and created this shape that resembles an angel.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Angelic Beam
  • After heading down an unmarked road I unexpectedly came across this old cabin with 3 walls standing and a collapsed roof. I don't know the history behind it, but it sure is photogenic. After going on a hike I returned to capture it in the golden light of sunset.
    Dimming of the Light
  • Up until the lunar eclipse started, I still wasn't sure I would be able to see it. In between an overcast day and an incoming snowstorm, weather models were showing a brief clearing. The clouds parted not a moment too soon. Compared to the last recent eclipse, the moon was a lot higher in the sky at 50°, which made it more challenging to shoot with a foreground. I needed to find something tall, where I could set up my camera underneath and point it southeast. The Needle's Eye is a natural arch that stands at the entrance to Tongue River Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit the moon inside the arch, but just above it. This is a wider shot to include more of the canyon walls.
    Red Moon and Arch
  • This is the biggest and last waterfall on Skillet Creek as it flows through Pewit's Nest State Natural Area. The fall colors were at their peak and the orange leaves were contrasting with the green moss on the sandstone walls. This deep and narrow gorge is located just outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin.
    Colorful Gorge
  • In early January I stayed at this USFS cabin high in the Bighorn Mountains on a frigid night. The cabin was very rustic with no running water and only a wood-burning stove for heat. The walls creaked as they heated up and I quickly learned that it's a lot of work trying to keep a cabin like this warm in subzero temperatures. But it did have electricity, and I left the lights on to cast shadows across the snowdrifts. My goal was to capture the elusive Quadrantid meteor shower. It's rarely observed simply because the weather is rarely ideal in early January. The sky was mostly clear at 10pm, but then snow showers moved in and obscured the stars just before the meteors were expected to pick up. But it was still a cool experience staying in this old log cabin.
    Cabin Fever
  • At the end of June I returned to one of my favorite places: Bighorn Canyon. Located on the Wyoming-Montana border, this vast canyon ranges from 1,000 - 2,500 feet deep. The remote location and dry desert air makes it a great place for stargazing. But capturing a canyon on a dark night can be a challenge. In pictures they only appear as a dark void, since very little light makes it's way down between the steep walls. But on this night I had the assistance of the crescent moon just out of frame to the right. The moonlight was bright enough to light up the cliffs, but not bright enough to drown out the Milky Way. This natural arch is set back against a steep hillside, which meant there was really only one spot to place my camera. After a hot day, I heard several rockslides echo from down below. And while walking back to my car, I met a baby rattlesnake who was not too happy I was there.
    Window to the Universe
  • In a cirque at 10,000 feet in the Cloud Peak Wilderness during the middle of summer, it's pretty much paradise. There are no trails here, visitors must navigate their own route on steep boulder fields. Not knowing exactly what to expect is what makes it an adventure. At this elevation it never gets hot and some snowfields stay year round. Waterfalls and wildflowers abound under towering granite walls. 9 named lakes fill this high valley, plus countless unnamed tarns like this one. Each lake is different. One of them was still partially frozen, another had islands, and one a sandy beach perfect for swimming. It's the only place I've ever caught a fish with my bare hands. This was the easiest of the 3 creeks I waded through that day. The puffy cumulus clouds were a precursor to the thunderstorms that pop up most summer afternoons. Up here above treeline it's very exposed to the weather. I made it down to the protection of the forest before the first rumbles of thunder, but didn't escape getting rained on.
    Frozen Lake Falls
  • On a subzero morning at Starved Rock State Park, very intricate and delicate frost formed on this icy creek. I felt like I was destroying a work of art every time I took a step. The golden sunlit canyon walls are reflected in one of the only unfrozen portions of La Salle Creek.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 12/24/13
    Cold as Gold
  • La Salle Canyon is a 2 mile hike one way in Starved Rock State Park. There was hardly any water flowing on this frigid morning. The early morning light was shining on the canyon walls.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 12/24/13
    Frozen La Salle Canyon
  • With fall off to such a cloudy start, I felt like I had to take advantage of the few hours of clear skies on this night. I ended up in a remote part of Montana, where the deer and coyotes vastly outnumber people. The dot on the map labeled Kirby is a ghost town. I couldn't find any information on what this old wooden building used to be. Perhaps it was a school, or a post office, or a general store. Or maybe it's better not to know, which makes it more mysterious. Frosty overgrown grass surrounded the leaning walls and crooked windows. The light from a distant ranch house (the only one in the area) was just enough to cast a warm glow on the front of the building.
    Timeless
  • Badlands are a type of terrain that experiences rapid erosion, estimated to be an inch per year at Badlands National Park. Much of that erosion happens during thunderstorms like this one. When the downpour first started I was disappointed because I didn’t get any shots of the storm structure beforehand. But then there was a break in the rain. It lasted just long enough for me to rush back to this overlook and capture the dark menacing clouds above surrounded by two blueish-green rain cores. Hidden in the ravine below were big horn sheep climbing the steep muddy terrain. The second wall of water hit even heavier than the first and dropped visibility to almost zero. A local told me they had never seen a spring with more rain. And they were right, 2019 was to become the wettest year on record in western South Dakota.
    Wall of Water
  • This snow covered wall is on the west side of Peak 10215 in the Bighorn Mountains. Loaf Mountain can be seen in the distance.
    Snow Wall
  • This massive sandstone wall is just around the corner from a small cave in Wildcat Den State Park.
    Cracking Wall
  • A colorful tree grows against a wall along the Buffalo River.
    Buffalo Wall
  • Striated Wall
  • This is the view from the edge of the road near Tower Fall. If I slipped here I probably wouldn't stop until I got down to the river.
    Basalt Canyon Wall
  • In the dry climate west of Kaycee, it does not stay this green for very long. But I love the contrast of the greenery with the red rock formations. I came across these 6 horses at the Hole in the Wall Ranch while driving by. They were on the other side of the field but trotted over to greet me as soon as I walked up to the fence. This area has a history of horse thievery. At the end of the 1800's this was the hideout of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, which included Butch Cassidy and many other outlaws. They would lay up here after robbing trains or rustling cattle. This rugged country was easily defended with only one way in from the east. While there were shootouts, in 50 years no lawmen were ever able to capture any gang members here.
    The Gang's All Here
  • Bats emerged from their hiding places and fluttered about as the rumbles of thunder drew closer. A herd of bighorn sheep and a couple of bison were grazing around me as I awaited the arrival of the storm. The sun had already gone down over the South Dakota Badlands, but the nearly continuous flashes of lightning provided enough light for my camera. The storm was advancing slowly, but once this striated shelf cloud emerged ahead of the rain core, then it picked up speed. I could hear and smell the rain before I felt it. Once the wall of water hit, the downpour wouldn't let up until 3 hours later. This perhaps wasn't the best night to be camping in the Badlands. Although my tent held up well enough with minimal leakage, the entire campground was a muddy mess the next morning.
    Badlands Shelf Cloud
  • Bats emerged from their hiding places and fluttered about as the rumbles of thunder drew closer. A herd of bighorn sheep and a couple of bison were grazing around me as I awaited the arrival of the storm. The sun had already gone down over the South Dakota Badlands, but the nearly continuous flashes of lightning provided enough light for my camera. The storm was advancing slowly, but once this striated shelf cloud emerged ahead of the rain core, then it picked up speed. I could hear and smell the rain before I felt it. Once the wall of water hit, the downpour wouldn't let up until 3 hours later. This perhaps wasn't the best night to be camping in the Badlands. Although my tent held up well enough with minimal leakage, the entire campground was a muddy mess the next morning.
    Out of the Darkness
  • Normally I like to explore a location during the day before taking pictures there at night. But the Southern California traffic robbed me of the time to do that here. Arch Rock was a little bit hard to find in the dark, but it wasn't too bad. I just had to be careful to avoid rattlesnakes. The 30 foot long arch is located near the White Tank campground in Joshua Tree National Park. The eastern part of the park has very dark skies the farther you get from the desert cities. To illuminate the scene, I shined my headlamp on the rock wall opposite the arch. A soft, warm light was reflected backwards. I was grateful the skies cleared up long enough to see the milky way. A few minutes after this clouds started to cover the sky as monsoon thunderstorms moved past the area.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 19, 2014
    The Opening
  • Deep within a canyon in the southern foothills of the Bighorn Mountains is found the Outlaw Cave. This area is rich with Wild West history and legends. Only a few miles away is Hole In the Wall, where Butch Cassidy and his gang used to retreat after robbing trains and hustling cattle. There is evidence that at least some outlaws used this cave for shelter, as well as Native Americans before that. The cave is only the size of a large room, barely high enough to stand up in. But it is well hidden from the canyon rim, and the proximity to the river allows for great fishing - the leftover fish bones in the fire ring were proof of that. It took 2 visits before I was able to locate the cave, which is at the end of a steep trail that traverses cliffs above rushing rapids. The land here is just as wild today as it was in the 1800’s.
    Looking Out of Outlaw Cave
  • 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
  • After driving for over 5 hours I finally reached the edge of this powerful supercell just west of Faith, South Dakota. From a distance I could see wall clouds and funnels, but up close they disappeared. I was having trouble recognizing the storm structure until I noticed this horseshoe-shaped RFD cut. The back of the horseshoe shows where a potential tornado would form. There was a short-lived funnel, visible at the bottom center. At the time there was a mobile dopplar radar parked down the road scanning the skies.
    RFD and Funnel
  • Mid-June brought a tornado outbreak on the high plains with dozens of twisters reported in 4 states. I intercepted this strongly rotating mesocyclone while tornado sirens went off in Fort Laramie (the very first settlement in Wyoming according to the sign). Storm chasing in Wyoming is different than in other places. Because roads are so few and far between, it's unlikely that you'll be able to follow a storm for very long. Instead you have to anticipate the storm's movement so you can get ahead of it while staying aware of all the paved road options and escape routes. Then you just have to hope to get some good shots before losing the storm in a roadless area. On the lower right a funnel can be seen under the tightening wall cloud. Even though I didn't see it touch the ground, the time corresponds with a tornado reported to the southwest. After this I packed up my tripod and left in a hurry as small hail began to fall. This supercell had already dropped massive grapefruit-sized (4.5") hailstones and I prefer to keep my windshield intact.
    Funnel and Mesocyclone
  • This isolated supercell formed near Miles City out ahead of the advancing MCS. It barely moved at all while slowly organizing and developing a wall cloud.
    Montana Prairie Storm
  • After the microburst occurred the rain continued to increase. The lowering on the right resembled a wall cloud, but I'm not certain what it was. <br />
<br />
Click 'Videos' above to watch a time lapse of this scene.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 28, 2014
    Torrents of Rain
  • Normally I like to explore a location during the day before taking pictures there at night. But the Southern California traffic robbed me of the time to do that here. Arch Rock was a little bit hard to find in the dark, but it wasn't too bad. I just had to be careful to avoid rattlesnakes. The 30 foot long arch is located near the White Tank campground in Joshua Tree National Park. The eastern part of the park has very dark skies the farther you get from the desert cities. To illuminate the scene, I shined my headlamp on the rock wall opposite the arch. A soft, warm light was reflected backwards. I was grateful the skies cleared up long enough to see the milky way. A few minutes after this clouds started to cover the sky as monsoon thunderstorms moved past the area.<br />
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Date Taken: August 19, 2014
    Arch Rock Galaxy
  • The view out the window from this historic cabin was so perfect it looked like a picture hanging on the wall. The northern Tetons stood prominently with the top of Mount Moran shrouded in low clouds as the muted colors of sunrise overtook the western sky. JP Cunningham built this 2-room log cabin in the 1880's and lived on this ranch for 40 years. The area regularly experiences some of the coldest temperatures in the lower US. After spending 1 night camping, I can't imagine surviving the long harsh winters here in such a primitive home.
    Through the Window