Kevin Palmer

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  • A grizzly bear and her cub forage for food in a meadow within Yellowstone National Park. Grizzlies are among the largest mammals in North America and can weigh from 300-800 pounds fully grown. They are also an endangered species, with only 1,500 bears left in the Continental US. These all live in the Northwest with the Yellowstone area supporting a population of about 600. Grizzlies are very protective of their young and may attack if they feel threatened.
    Sow and Cub
  • On an overcast day, the sun came out for a minute over the Abyss Pool in Yellowstone National Park. Located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin, the turquoise pool is 53 feet deep.
    Sunshine in the Abyss
  • In the middle of September, Yellowstone received its first snowfall of the season. The next morning, this herd of buffalo was found grazing in the Hayden Valley. This valley, which is located in between Yellowstone Lake and the falls, is a popular place to view wildlife.
    Hayden Valley
  • Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park erupts under the light of a full moon. It is the most predictable geographical feature on Earth with eruptions about every 91 minutes. Even though it is one of the most popular sights in the park, there were very few people out to see it at 10pm.  Partially hidden behind the top of the plume, you can see the Big Dipper, or 'Ursa Major' constellation.
    Old Faithful Moonlight
  • I felt lucky to have seen this large bull elk on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. The first snowfall of the season had just ended. The elk was walking parallel to the road behind a buck fence which allowed me to get over a hundred shots. The elk were very active this week as they were rutting. Every night they could be heard bugling near the campground.
    Elk Call
  • A buffalo in Yellowstone sticks out its long tongue.
    Buffalo Tongue
  • 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
  • This rainbow appeared above Yellowstone Falls seen from the brink.
    Rainbow at the Brink
  • Cathedral Rock is locatred halfway up Bunsen Peak in Yellowstone National Park. Mammoth Hot Springs can be seen in the distance.
    Cathedral Rock
  • The small town of Gardiner, Montana, is found at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River splits the town in half.
    Bridge Over the Yellowstone
  • From Tower Fall there is a short but steep trail down to the edge of the Yellowstone River. It was a little slippery with the snow but it wasn't too bad.
    Yellowstone Riverbank
  • Old Faithful Geyser erupts on a September morning.
    Late Morning Eruption
  • The Grand Prismatic Spring is 370 feet around making it the biggest hot spring in the US. The microbial mats give the spring it's intense colors.
    Grand Prismatic Spring
  • Yellowstone Falls
  • Yellowstone River
  • On previous visits to Yellowstone I've passed by this Calcite Springs overlook without stopping. But I knew I wanted to see it in the winter. Since the road here is closed it requires hiking a couple miles down the road. Sulfur gas emerges from the ground at the base of the cliff along the Yellowstone River.
    Calcite Springs
  • Abiathar Peak glows shortly before sunset during a brief break in the snow. Snowflakes were in the air almost the entire time I was in Yellowstone National Park. Some of the best views in Yellowstone are found here in the remote northeast corner of the park. On the other side of the mountain is the small town of Cooke City, the highest in the Northern Rockies. It's hard to find a more isolated town in the winter. The closest city with more than 1,000 people is 110 miles away with a 2.5 hour drive. That doesn't include the frequent delays caused by herds of bison, who often travel on the road to conserve energy and avoid the deep snow in the Lamar Valley
    Abiathar Aglow
  • 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
  • While hiking to Tower Fall in Yellowstone National Park last winter I came across this bison bull grazing above the trail. I slowly made my way past while watching for any signs of aggression. At one point I could see his breath as he exhaled into the cold air and I had my camera ready. Bison are the biggest land mammals found in North America, with bulls weighing up to 1 ton. They typically live for 12 to 15 years. But it's always a struggle to survive the harsh Wyoming winters, with up to 40% of calves succumbing before their their first year. They will forage for grass wherever the snow cover is thinner such as thermal areas or on steep hillsides as this bull was doing. If the snow is too deep, the hump on their back enables them to pivot their head from side to side, sweeping away snow like a plow. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Their population dwindled to just two dozen in the early 1900's, but they now number at close to 5,000 animals.
    Bison Breath
  • There are at least a dozen waterfalls flowing down Baronette Peak in Yellowstone National Park.
    Mountain of Waterfalls
  • Tower Fall is a 132 foot high waterfall in Yellowstone National Park. The road there is closed in the winter so it requires a 5 mile roundtrip hike. The view of the waterfall is limited because there is no way to get closer or find a different perspective. There used to be a trail to the base but it is now closed.
    Frozen Tower Fall
  • Buck Lake is a small lake above the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone. There were at least 4 bison grazing around the edges of the lake.
    Buck Lake
  • Abiathar Peak towers above the Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of Yellowstone, while 4 bison graze below.
    Abiathar and Bison
  • At the end of February I went camping at Mammoth Hot Springs, the only campground in Yellowstone that stays open for the winter. With constant snow coming down, it was hard to get out of my tent in the morning. But as the sun started to climb over Mount Everts, I knew something special was about to happen. I climbed the hill across from the campground to watch this 22 degree halo appear. The sun was too bright to include in the photo so I used this tree to block it out.
    Mammoth Halo
  • The Gardner River wraps around the east side of Bunsen Peak, an extinct volcano. The peak was an easy climb when I visited Yellowstone in September, but I don't know if anybody climbs it in the winter.
    Bunsen in Winter
  • The colors were very muted as the sun set over Soda Butte Creek in the Lamar Valley.  But it was the only hint of color I saw in the sky while I was in Yellowstone.
    Soda Butte Creek
  • A lone bison stands next to the river in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.
    Bison Alone
  • Electric Peak in Yellowstone National Park is the highest in the Gallatin Range. It lies directly on the border of Montana and Wyoming, exactly halfway between the equator and the north pole. The 10,969 feet high peak got it's name after the first men to climb the peak were struck by lightning near the summit.
    High Voltage
  • 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
  • After making their way past the bison, this pair of bull moose crossed Soda Butte Creek.
    Moose Crossing Creek
  • 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
  • This bridge crosses a canyon over the Gardiner River. On the upper left steam can be seen rising from the Mammoth Hot Springs geothermal features.
    Bridge Over Gardiner River
  • This backcountry thermal area is a 3.5 mile hike from the Lamar Valley trailhead. The water running through was not hot, but highly sulfuric. The sulfur gases could be seen bubbling through the mud.
    Backcountry Thermal Area
  • By the time I finished hiking the Upper Terrace loop trail the snow was coming down heavily.
    Upper Terrace Trail
  • The Orange Spring Mound is one of the more colorful geothermal features found in the Mammoth Hot Springs area.
    Orange Spring in Winter
  • This magpie was very bold as I was packing up my tent at the Mammoth Hot Springs Campground. It was looking for any food I may have dropped under the picnic table.
    Magpie in Tree
  • This wasn't the sunrise I was hoping for. But I had to stop at this overlook for The Thunderer mountain and just appreciate the perfect silence. The snowflakes in the air seemed to absorb all sound and the thick forest blocked out the winds that were present further up Lamar Valley.
    Silent Dawn
  • Mammoth Palette
  • For most of the day clouds, fog, and snow showers hid the sun. I was not expecting to see any color at sunset. But this overlook of the Snake River in eastern Idaho was spectacular enough that I had to wait it out just in case. The sky did not disappoint. Even though this view is looking east, the sun’s rays snuck in through a gap in the clouds to paint the entire sky orange and pink. Sometimes the best sunset is the one that almost doesn't happen. <br />
The Snake River begins on the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park. It flows more than 1,000 miles before connecting to the Columbia River in Washington. Together they form the longest river in North America that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Here the river flows beside the Big Hole Mountains in the Swan Valley. Farther west it winds its way through the much flatter Snake River Plain. Then on the opposite side of the state it carves a gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon. The pause in the weather was brief. An additional foot of snow would fall in these mountains overnight.
    Sunset Over the Snake
  • At nearly 11,000 feet in elevation, the Beartooth Highway is the highest road in the Northern Rockies. The scenic 68 mile byway starts near Red Lodge, Montana, and leads to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Summers are very short in this harsh alpine zone. It was stormy when I drove up a couple weeks ago. Once I reached Beartooth Pass, a mix of rain, snow, and graupel was falling from the sky. But I knew a rainbow was likely as soon as the sun came back out. So I put on a rain jacket and climbed up this pile of rocks to get a better view. When the rainbow first appeared, it was so close and vivid it felt like I could reach out and touch it. But it only lasted a few minutes as the storm moved away and the sun quickly melted the snow and graupel that coated the ground.
    Rainbow at Beartooth Pass