Yellowstone in Winter--December 2009--Day 3

The day began with the sky falling, a flat gray cloak pulled across the sun and landscape, rendering Yellowstone's stage devoid of contrast and anything dynamic.  My attitude mirrored the opaque gloom of the day and it didn't get any better as I drove the first 20 miles of the morning without seeing anything other than distant dots upon drab hillsides.  My wife had joined me, which is quite unusual but a pleasant surprise, and we planned to drive clear to Cooke City for breakfast before coming back into the Lamar Valley to do some skiing.  Finally, very near Slough Creek Campground, a coyote trotted alongside the road and a large traffic jam clogged the shoulders of the road.  The wolf lovers were out in force, gazing into the gray distance at three specks lying atop a distant ridge, some 3/4 or more of a mile away. 

Not even the Sigmonstor could work magic with this scene, so I snapped a documentery photo and continued driving, frustrated by the lack of visible wildlife and the accompanying photo opportunities.  By the time we reached Cooke City, snow had settled in and large flakes obscured the view.  We ate at a quaint little cafe and the food was wonderful, all the while listening to the whinning shriek of passing snowmobiles headed for whiter pastures.  After breakfast, still feeling the effects of my cold, I needed a nap.

Around 12:45, we decided to head back towards Tower Junction to do some x-country skiing.  Along the way, we stopped at a pullout where 3 other cars sat.  I could see nothing that would draw their interest but continued studying the landscape through my binoculars.  I finally saw what would make the dreary day end magically.  From under a cut bank along Soda Butte Creek, easily 300 yards from the car, a river otter walked out onto the ice along the edge of the stream.  Before long, we had seen 7 total (2 adults and 5 youngsters) and I decided I would venture out into the large meadow near them and attempt to get some closer shots.  I huddled for a few minutes with the others at the pullout and met Tim and Dave, two other photographers from Colorado and Montana.  We agreed to work together so we wouldn't scare the otters away.  What ensued is one of those magical, unforgetable 2 hours every photographer experiences occasionally.  The otters cooperated, sunlight burned through the cloud layer and the megapixels vaporized wth astonishing rapidity.  When all was done, I had shot over 600 images of the otters, which presented a wriggling, writhing, comical photo subject to a very appreciative photographer.  Here are some of my favorites.

I finished the day slowly driving back towards Gardiner.  I encountered a few buffalo and a lone coyote along the way.

I'll be back out tomorrow morning for the last time this trip  I'll be headed towards home by 11:00 or so.  Once again, I'll post images tomorrow evening if possible.  I'll also begin uploading the rest of the images from the trip tp my website (http://www.timdoolinphotograhy.com/) later in the week.

Thanks for the comments to those who have.  Feel free to ask question about equipment and/or technique and I'll give the best answer I know.  This has been fun for my first attempt at blogging.  I'll have to continue this in the future.