No sunset is ever the same, even just one sunset can be portrayed in a thousand different ways. As a photographer it is your job to take something normal and everyday like a sunset and transform it into something new and exciting. I try to do this as often as I can because I sure do love sunset pictures.
I couldn’t post last night because we were staying in Silver Gate Montana just one mile outside of the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
We started our day with the Enchanted Highway whihc is almost to the border of North Dakota and Montana. It is a thirty two mile long road that is peppered with statues ranging from ones like this to huge pheasant statues and fisherman. It i really interesting but we only saw the very begining and had to move onward to Roosevelt National Park.
Truthfully there isn’t a whole lot of stuff in Roosevelt National Park but I can guarantee one thing if you go there: great prairie dog shots. There are tons of prairie dog towns along the side of the road and they are quite funny to watch. The funniest thing they would do is squeak and stand up on their hind legs while whipping their arms in the air. It was quite the sight.
By the way none of these are cropped so you can tell just how close I got to these guys. I love their feet and hands, they are surprisingly creepy for such an adorable creature. This has got to be one of my favorite photo of a prairie dog; I caught this one in mid-yawn and it makes him look positively evil.
After that we headed into Montana, the Big Sky state.
We headed down Beartooth Pass which took us to our place of lodging, Silver Gate. Coming over the pass was a little scary because there was a storm and the mountain was cloaked in fog and mist. At some points you couldn’t see anything. It did clear up finally in the end leaving a beautiful day.
After the pass in Silver Gate we checked into our cabins which were these really quaint cabins right outside of the park. Before we even have time to settle I hear my mom yell to me as I am in the bathroom, There’s a coyote right outside!
So naturally I flip out and rip out of the house looking frantically for my camera before he runs off. The neighbors thought I was a mad woman they way I ran out of the cabin. As I snagged my camera and run up the hill behind our cabin I saw him. It wasn’t a coyote, but a red tailed fox with a kill. So I prayed for him not to move so I could get just one shot and I did. I got one shot of him before he took off behind a cabin.
He was one of the most beautiful animals I have seen in a while with his angled face, long neck and color markings. Of course naturally I ran up the hill and into a small ravine looking for him but he had vanished. We hadn’t even been there for five minutes and already I had a wild life shot.
We decided to head into the park with the few hours of day that remained to see if we could spot anything at dusk. We found a big kill out far in a creek bed that had five grizzlies on it. The crowd surrounding the area was enormous even though you could barely discern the grizzlies from the surroundings. It was really interesting to see. I had never seen a grizzly before.
We moved on through the park and found some buffalo that we running around and across the road. We were still a little wary about buffaloes from our trip to Custard where we got charged. So I stayed in the car, standing up through the sunroof to get photos.
We then watched the sun set on Lamar Valley and the rivers. It was so beautiful.
Lamar Valley coated in the fading light of sunset was really a treat. To watch the light change the entire way the valley looked, literally night to day. It was so different and so gorgeous.
The next day was a full morning of Yellowstsone. Stay tuned for me catching up on our trip. There is even better wildlife to come
Just going to throw this out there, Bootjack has the best sunsets. No competition. Every single night there is an amazing sunset just waiting outside of our window. It truly is spectacular. We have a front row seat every night of a sunset over a beautiful lake. Let me re-iterate. Every night, beautiful sunset, right outside. We are very lucky to have this spectacular natural wonder be our guest every night. We really enjoy it and I want all of you to enjoy it as well.
I mean look at the colors on the water alone. This is just a fraction of the real beauty of the sunset but the reflection of the sunset on the lake always adds a little grandeur and wonder to the entire spectacle.
I didn’t get to post last night due to the lack of internet connection in our wonderful, western facing room in the Grand Canyon National Park. We left the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas for the peace and tranquility of Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Don’t ask me how but my mother is a miracle worker. Some how she managed to get one of the best rooms in the entire lodge which are always book a year in advance. We had a balcony that looked right over the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was beyond gorgeous.
We didn’t waste any time relaxing in our cabin and instead set out for a hike to the point of Cape Royal. We had a lot of fun posing on the edge of rock cliffs and trying to find the best views possible. There was just so much to see.
As soon as we were done with Cape Royal we headed back to the lodge to watch the sunset from the Transept Trail. Sadly we got the time changes mixed up and showed up an hour early thinking we were right on time. The left over time we had was used well though. We became the photo-takers of the Grand Canyon view-point. Every five minutes a family would come by and we would take the picture of their whole family together. Pretty Interesting, we met some amusing characters. We did meet two really nice people, Christopher and Charity. We talked to them a long time because they too were waiting for a sunset shot of the Grand Canyon. They were really nice and became our Grand Canyon buddies. With their friendship I realized that people down here are actually really really friendly. Anyways, the sunset was gorgeous and people lined up like a flocks of sheep to come watch. It was a good and fulfilling day of travel and hiking.
When I was in Yellowstone, I saw some of the most beautiful scenery in my whole life. Valleys of snow and brush, trees lit by fading sunlight, and the bluest sky you will ever know. Montana is called big sky country for a reason (yes I know Yellowstone is Wyoming but we stayed in Montana). This tree was so pretty even though it was barren, the sunset hit it in a beautiful light making something dead look beautiful beyond words. I wish this photo could have captured it better but here it is anyway.
This is a grove of trees we camped out near when we were waiting to see the river otters. It was so cool and a bunch of the trees had been knocked over by beavers or almost gnawed down. Very interesting.
You were watching the sun set over the pier. You looked like a man waiting for something. What I do not know. You seemed content in your isolation, everyone was so happy around you but you were all alone sitting in your chair watching and waiting. I don’t know how you sat there staring at the sun, I couldn’t it was so bright. What were you looking for on that horizon. Whatever it is I hope you find it out there somewhere, someday. Just don’t stop looking, one day you will find it but it might not be what you thought you were looking for.
A beautiful sunset in the middle of nowhere Utah. It was beautiful, I wish I could have gone to Moab or Zion. So close yet so far away. Another trip I guess.
