In the Wilds of Yellowstone, Every Moment is Magic - Animals in Lamar Valley - May 21, 2021

 I can't believe I'm finally coming to the end of reliving my Grand Teton/Yellowstone adventure through my blog posts!  May 2021 was a long time ago, but I still feel like it was last week.  I know I want to go again soon.  Soon!  I'm going to shoot for 2027...maybe in Fall.  

As always, please click the links below to see the rest of the series!

Previously in the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone series:

Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons Day 1, Jenny Lake Campground, Elk Herd

Beautiful Jenny Lake, Foxes and Bears

Lovely Vistas full of Bison and Horses

Mormon Row, Pronghorn Antelope, and Ravens

Wildlife Art, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Colter Bay, and Ground Squirrels

Colter Bay to South Yellowstone

Black Sand Basin and Bison

More Bison, Old Faithful, Biscuit Basin, and Beginning of Artemisia Trail Hike

Hike to Morning Glory Pool! Plus Bison with Red Dogs, Elk, and Coyotes

Grizzly and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone

Fountain Paint Pots and Grand Prismatic Spring

Mama Elk for the Win! Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Surrounds

It's Elk! It's Birds!  It's Mammoth Hot Springs Campground! 

Tour around Mammoth Hot Springs!

Landscapes and sights on the Northern road

So my title is kind of a misnomer...  I said "in Lamar Valley" but as I later found out, I never really made it inTO Lamar Valley.  I only made it to Slough Creek which is the western edge of Lamar Valley. Oh dear.

But like most of my time in Yellowstone, I saw animals.  Much wildlife!  My heart was happy.  My soul was at peace.  And this is a photo essay of the animals I saw in western Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park!

I stopped at Undine Falls and saw a new bird for me.  A lifer as we birders call it (and I use the term "birders" loosely for me haha).  A Vesper Sparrow in the snow. 

 And then I drove through the windy hills until there was a hill on my right side and a small valley on my left.  There was a herd of bison in the snow in the distance.  And they had babies!

They also had coyotes ranging around them.  I saw three I believe.  They had their eyes on the babies, but seemed wary of the adults. 

A little further up the road, some bison decided - as they do - that they would rather be on the other side.  It created a small bison jam. I don't know why the car on the other side is sideways though.  Strange. 

And then a little further, there were some crossing the road from the opposite direction!  This was a popular bison crossing apparently. 

A short while later, I had left the snow behind (or so I thought.  Some more would fall on me at Slough Creek and it was so magical.) and was starting down into the valley when I saw a tour bus on the opposite side of the road.  The guests were looking through scopes towards a hill on their side.  I quickly pulled off the road and grabbed my camera with my 600mm lens on it. 

There was a Big Horn Sheep ewe!  I've always wanted to see Big Horn Sheep!  I got two photos and this is my best one.  :)

It always pays to stop when you see people with scopes.  Except when I stopped as Slough Creek hoping for wolves.  haha  They were long gone by the time I got there. But anyway, there was more to see!  Lots of bison with their red dogs!  And Pronghorn!  I took so many pictures of pronghorn but very few turned out decent.  They were quite a ways away. 

So many bison!

When the snow started to fall on me at Slough Creek, I was talking to one of the wolf watchers who told me that another storm was coming in.  That made me very nervous.  I knew I had to go across a pass in Idaho on my way home (which was a different route than what I had taken to Grand Teton on the way in) so my already anxious brain was now on high alert.  

I thought I was already in Lamar Valley proper so I decided to head back through Mammoth to West Yellowstone and hopefully beat the storm.  So off I headed back west.  

Back in the snow, my adventures were not over!  I saw a pronghorn in a wide turnout.  He didn't even look at me when I pulled past him, pulled over, and got my camera out!

A short time later, I pulled off again for what I think may be one of my best photos of the trip.  A lone bison (the herd was a short way off) standing just off the road. 

I was just about to Mammoth when I saw three Elk in the bushes just off the road.  I pulled over again because of course I did!

At this point, I was getting quite a bit anxious as the clouds continued to become darker.  It was only mid-day but it seemed a little darker than it had been that morning. 

I started for Gardner to fill up on gas for the long road home and then headed back to West Yellowstone.  Except!  I had to stop once again.  For one, I wanted some video of the Roosevelt Arch.  for two, I saw a pronghorn in the exact spot that I had seen one the last time I went to Gardner!  Just before the North Entrance to the park in a little field there grazing.  I swear it's the same one. 

And then I was on my way home, racing (not really) the storm.  I did have to stop one more time as I saw my last bison just before the Norris Geyser Basin and it was such a beautiful, peaceful meadow that I needed to stop and photograph it. 

Okay, NOW I'm on my way home.

Did I mention I don't really drive in snow?  Well, that was put to the test as the snow was coming DOWN on Targhee Pass.  It was getting bad when suddenly I was headed down the other side.  Scared myself as my car hit some ice and slid along the lane as I was coming up behind another car, but luckily no crash and from then on it was smooth sailing. 

I didn't even stop except for bathroom breaks and to stretch my legs on my whole way back to California!  Unlike when I was going to Grand Teton and I needed to stop and take a long nap on the way. 

I thought I was done with the snow but I-80 thought different!  I couldn't believe it but it was snowing as I entered California and headed up to Donner Pass!  It wasn't as bad though so I was able to just keep going.  

What an unbelievable adventure I had!  It was so amazing and wonderful and I'm so glad I could calm my anxiety and take this beautiful trip!

 I'm so glad you've joined me for my photo recap of my adventures in Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks.  You should go yourself!  It's an amazing place that makes for some wonderful memories. 

xoxo

Nikon D600 with Nikkor 28 - 300 mm lens

Nikon D7200 with Sigma Contemporary 150-600 lens

A Magical Morning at Mammoth Hot Springs - Spring Snow! 5-21-21

Oh wow!  Another long break!  But this one was due to technical difficulty...  My Lightroom stopped working on my new(ish) computer which is a real bummer.  But finally - after a lot of handwringing and trying to fix things - I realized that I could use Camera Raw and Photoshop to edit the photos without Lightroom!

It worked thank goodness. 

So!  Without further ado, a video!

Oh, wait.  Lets get caught up first by clicking the links below:

Previously in the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone series:

Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons Day 1, Jenny Lake Campground, Elk Herd

Beautiful Jenny Lake, Foxes and Bears

Lovely Vistas full of Bison and Horses

Mormon Row, Pronghorn Antelope, and Ravens

Wildlife Art, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Colter Bay, and Ground Squirrels

Colter Bay to South Yellowstone

Black Sand Basin and Bison

More Bison, Old Faithful, Biscuit Basin, and Beginning of Artemisia Trail Hike

Hike to Morning Glory Pool! Plus Bison with Red Dogs, Elk, and Coyotes

Grizzly and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone

Fountain Paint Pots and Grand Prismatic Spring

Mama Elk for the Win! Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Surrounds

It's Elk! It's Birds!  It's Mammoth Hot Springs Campground! 

 As you could see in the video, I was so pleasantly surprised when I woke up in Mammoth Hot Springs.  Although I was completely confused because my windows looked like they were broken!  Even after I put my glasses on.  So I rolled down my driver's window and was shocked to find that it was snow and ice on my car.  lol 

After I recovered, I got up and went about getting dressed, etc.  When I returned from the warm, cozy bathroom, I snapped a couple of pictures.

I'm not going to lie...  I had some trouble with my picture taking with the cloudy sky.  Some of these photos are going to be underexposed and some looked like monochrome!  So I turned a couple into monochrome deliberately.  C'est la vie!  It's the price of shooting full manual when I'm just a step above a beginner.  haha 

I got everything organized and couldn't wait to get on the road.  My goal for the day was to head to Lamar Valley and I wasn't up as early as I had hoped.  So I got on the road, of course stopping for many photo opportunities along the way.  

So many that I had to split them up into three posts with this being the first one. 

Mammoth Hot Springs looked so wonderful in it's fresh blanket of snow.  

I slowly drove around town to see the sites before doing the auto tour on Mammoth Hot Springs (MHS). I loved the buildings and was excited to photograph them.  I especially love taking photos of churches that are photogenic or older.  The Mammoth Chapel definitely fit the bill. 

The church is quite nice, but I really liked the post office!  It looks a bit different than the other buildings which look more like army buildings - which is because the other buildings were part of Fort Yellowstone.

Just behind the post office is the Mail Carrier's Cabin.  It's a log cabin built in the late 1800's and still standing today.  The two-room structure was used by park service staff until approximately 2002.  You can see an addition to the back which is brick.  There is another later addition on the back right side as well which brought the square foot total to 512. 

So here we'll take a brief pause as I drove around and out of town on Grand Loop Road towards Slough Creek, stopping to see much wildlife on the way.  

Let me interject - especially with reflection as the time has passed and editing these photos again - that Yellowstone has so much beauty.  Some of it is understated but it's still there.  I took pictures of so many landscapes and just...objects.  Like snow on trees and bushes. Rocks. I just found them so beautiful. Not to mention the sky, the mist over the mountains, and the hillsides themselves. 

Yes, I have a lot of photos of those things along with more of the "usual" landscapes.  So I've divided my photos into three categories:  Mammoth Hot Springs, Landscapes, etc., and wildlife. 

Since I started the day in MHS, I started the series of posts with MHS. Next post will be all the amazing landscapes and objects.  And the last, but not least will be the wildlife that graced me with their presence. 

Of course you will see a lot of beauty in MHS as well...especially on the terrace of the actual hot springs. Which we will get to now. 😊

This next photo is later in the day when I drove back through MHS to visit the auto tour and then head back to California.  The snow had largely melted from the boardwalks this time around. And there were more people out and about. 

I headed onto the auto tour and was captured by the views of the upper terrace.  I love this photo with the town of Mammoth Hot Springs in the distance!

Like much of Yellowstone, MHS has it's share of trees some of which are dead and in varying degrees of decay which makes them ultra photogenic in my eyes.  Don't get me wrong...I love living trees too!

Stay tuned for tons of trees.

At a guess, I think this next photo might be Canary Springs due to the color. 

The feature called Orange Spring Mound really lives up to its name!

And there was more orange on display on this next terrace. And cool trees of course.

Next slide is Elephant Back Terrace.  Named so for obvious reasons. 

I just loved the Angel Terrace.  Such cool formations, steam, and dead trees!  Awesome!

It was a wonderful drive with so many stunning views.  10/10 would recommend. 

Well, that's it for today!  Glad to be back and sharing my adventures...even if they are 5 years old! 😀

I'll leave you with a short video of snow falling on the Mammoth Chapel.  It was so lovely!

xoxo

Nikon D600 with 28-300 mm Nikkor lens

Nikon D7200 with 150-600 Sigma Contemporary lens

Videos by Pixel 3

In Search of Monarchs at the Wrong Time of Year - Walking the Natural Bridges Monarch Trail in Santa Cruz, California

 Hello!  We're back to continue the fun adventure I had in Santa Cruz, California back in April 2025 where I wanted to rediscover my love for photography and see some beautiful flora and fauna in the process.

Click on the links below to see my previous posts from this series:

Flowers! University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Brandt's Cormorants Nesting Colony on the bridge at Natural Bridges State Beach

After spending the morning with the flowers and the early afternoon with the cormorants, I was ready to take my next walk and discover the Monarch Trail at Natural Bridges State Beach.  

I have been wanting to go and see the monarchs over-winter there which happens from mid-October through early February.   So on this outing, I didn't really expect to see any monarchs...I just wanted to familiarize myself with it so I could come back during winter feeling more comfortable. That pesky anxious thing again.  

But I was doing pretty good as I walked up to the Visitor Center.  I decided to go inside so I could see the exhibits and the little gift shop.  I got to talking to the lady working in there and she told me that it wasn't monarch season but that she had seen two monarchs flitting around a couple days before!  Exciting!

So I headed out...  It is quite beautiful and peaceful there.  The weather was amazing and the walk was filled with trees, birds, and other lovely sights.  First I walked through the little garden next to the VC. 

Couldn't resist a semi-macro shot (using a zoom lens lol) of this lovely yellow flower.  

And I loved these little red flowers on a bush...  Love both of these pictures.

Then I headed out on the trail proper.  The eucalyptus trees surrounded the boardwalk along with lilies and other beautiful foliage.

After walking about five minutes, a Spotted Towhee landed on the fence about 10 feet in front of me!  I love these birds...they are so cool looking.  Love the bokeh made by the leaves in the sunlight too. 

And there were a few stragglers here and there by the fence.

The eucalyptus trees are so gorgeous.  I love their bark; it reminds me of puzzle pieces and the colors are so pretty. 

It's a prettyish kind of a little wilderness! (Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice reference. IYKYK)

Complete with copious amounts of Poison Oak.  Walk carefully!

And then I saw them.  Two bright orange and black butterflies flitting around the meadow.  I was so excited!  I lifted my camera and said a prayer that I would be able to capture a halfway decent shot.  My prayer was answered!  Truly I got halfway decent shots.  lol It was so hard!

I watched, enthralled, as the two butterflies fluttered and swooped around the meadow going in every direction.  I loved it!  I was so happy to just stand there and watch, occasionally raising my camera to try to capture them. 

These photos, as you can see, are nowhere good.  Not clean.  Not clear.  Soft and unfocused.  lol  But I love them.  I was having such fun!

And then they flew over the trees and flitted away.  It was a wonderful visitation and seemed special just for me.  

I kept walking for a little bit.  I only walked a little of the entire trail.  The bit I walked was about .6 of a mile in and out.  There was a little marsh with very cool plants in the water which sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.  Unfortunately, this picture doesn't fully capture the mystique. 

On my way back to the VC, I saw another Spotted Towhee.  It might be the same one?  But I was happy to see it anyway.  It's flicking its tail at me. 

I went back to the VC and found some birds out in the garden.  I think this is an American Goldfinch but I'm not certain.  Pretty bird and pretty bokeh.  

And there were some finches flying about.  I'm not sure if this is a House Finch or a Purple Finch but I'm leaning towards the latter.  The lady in the VC thought Purple as well.  Whatever it was, it was gorgeous. 

I went inside the VC to tell the lady that I had seen two Monarchs and she was as excited as I was.  lol  I bought a cute little Monarch pin to remember it by. 

Then she told me that there was a Great Horned Owl nest in one of the trees just off limits behind the VC but that I could go try and have a look.  

I saw just a tip of the horns in a beautiful tree cavity nest.  

And then I walked to where my car was parked in the parking lot and saw a beautiful Western Bluebird and a stunning American Crow.  I love Corvids so much. 

Then I headed down to the beach to try to find the tidepools.  Of course I couldn't.  Apparently I didn't walk far enough which I just realized by looking at a map of the beach.  lol  Next time I guess.  Sucks because I timed it exactly right to be on the beach at low tide which was very low.  

I saw tons of By-the-Wind-Sailors washed up on the beach.  Snapped a pic of course.  This was in the little creek that ran down to the water. 

That was about the extent of my "tidepooling".  haha  But I definitely enjoyed my walk and sat by the ocean for a little bit just listening to the wind and waves and looking out at the Bridge rock with the Cormorant colony on it. 

Enjoy a little ASMR video of the waves and wind on the cliffs of the beach!

Then I hopped in my car and drove north on Highway 1 to Shark Fin Cove - an amazing little cove which has two large rocks that look like...you guessed it...shark fins!

It was beautiful of course.  I was hoping to come back at about 3:00 in the morning to try to get some Milky Way shots but I didn't make it.  And that's okay!  I will be going back.  And now I know to walk on the bluffs to the right of the cove for the perfect Shark Fin/Milky Way angle!

And with that I drove to my hotel in Scott's Valley for the night.  

What a lovely day filled with exercise, lovely landscapes, flowers, birds, and butterflies!

Can't wait to go back.  :)

xoxo

Nikon D600 Nikkor 28-300 mm lens 

Shark Fin Cove photo taken by iPhone 15 Pro Max