Winter Extremes

Yellowstone is full of many wonderful, unique animals. Many of them have developed very unique ways to survive the extreme Yellowstone winters.

Take the Bison for instance. How does the largest North American mammal survive the subzero temperatures of Yellowstone?

It all starts with the first green grasses of summer. It will take the bison all summer and fall to build up enough fat reserves to have a chance at winter survival. Heavy snows and the extreme low temperatures deplete their fat reserves at an alarming rate. It doesn’t help that the grasses available under a blanket of winter snow have the nutritional value of cardboard. One way they insure their survival is by conserving as much energy as possible during the winter months. Using up too much energy decreases their chances of making it til spring.

The second thing that bison have to do to survive winter is stay warm. Bison grow a winter coat of woolly underfur with coarse guard hairs that protects them from the elements. It's key for surviving the extreme low temperatures of the Yellowstone winters. There is speculation that bison may not begin to feel cold until it gets to 30 below or more.

While bison must store up all the energy they can to survive winter one of the smallest North American mammals needs to eat every day during winter in order to survive.

The Ermine, also known as the short-tailed weasel or stoat, is a cute, color-changing weasel. In winter their fur turns completely white with the exception of the black tip on the tail. It’s one of the most dense furs of any mammal on earth. They have a body weighing just under half a pound and a body diameter about the size of a fifty cent piece. Their metabolism burns through calories so fast that the ermine is constantly in search of its next meal. These lightweights are pound-for-pound one of the most successful predators in North America, sometimes taking down rabbits twice their size.

Many animals in Yellowstone tend to either migrate or hibernate to cope with winters extremes. Then there are those like the bison and ermine that are able to adapt, making Yellowstone in winter an even more extraordinary place.

Ed

Yellowstone In Winter

Back home in West Yellowstone and winter has definatly shown up. This time last year when we returned from Alabama we were greeted with ground bare of snow. What a difference a year makes. In West Yellowstone and the surrounding area winter seems to be making up for lost time. I’ve spoken with several long time residents and have been assured that it been over 20 years since we’ve had this much snow so early in the season.As I’ve mentioned before, this is my favorite time of year and I am so ready to be trekking through knee deep snow, camera in hand.

Yellowstone National Park opened for the winter season on December 15th. For those who don’t know, I guide snowcoach tours in the winter. Most of Yellowstone is closed to private vehicles during the winter and the only access for visitors is to either take a guided snawcoach or snowmobile tour to the parks interior. I’ve had a front row seat for the past eight years to experience wonderland with all its wildlife during the most exciting time of year. And believe me, Yellowstone’s winter wildlife is amazing.

Yellowstone is a completely different park when it shifts from summer to winter. If you’ve only witnessed it in summer you definitely need to come back in winter. I often tell visitors that it’s so different that you may not recognize places you’ve been to many times before. Vistas that in summer are rugged and formidable are transformed by a blanket of shimmering crystal flakes that soften all the rough edges. Snow also has the added effect of softening every sound. Sometimes it’s so quiet it almost hurts your ears. It’s sensory overload.

So what do you say, ready for another visit to Yellowstone? How about coming to see the “Other Yellowstone”. The one you can only see in the winter. Been here in winter before? How about sharing your thoughts about winter in wonderland.

Ed

What type of photographer am I?

In short, I’m a Nature/Wildlife photographer.

Some of my earliest memories revolve around nature. Growing up in the 50s, like most kids from my generation, my summer days were a clean slate on which I could write anything. From the time I woke up every morning till the sun went down at night I was exploring the natural world.

My earliest fascination with photography didn’t start with a camera. It started in the darkroom. I learned process film, worked an enlarger and learned how to dodge and burn decades before Photoshop. Watching images of nature come to life in the red glow of the darkroom light was magic. I was hooked. It wouldn’t belong before I had my first camera.

Over the years my interest in Nature Photography expressed itself primarily in landscapes. I tried shooting a few weddings, enjoyed a bit of aviation photography, even dabbled in Real Estate photography but my focus, no pun intended, has always been the clean canvas of landscapes.

My landscapes included wildlife when encountered but I didn’t actively seek it out. All that began to change when we moved to Montana. Living on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park and the entire Yellowstone ecosystem is bound to have a major impact on what you shoot.

So that’s my journey. It’s taken a long time to get here. I still dabble from time to time in the other end of the pool but these days I’m a Nature/Wildlife photographer...in Yellowstone...Wow, what a ride.