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...met Scott, and we took
off driving the Loop Road. More staggering scenery. Saw two bison
from a distance in the Sage Creek area. On the return, saw another
on the prairie near where the park corrals them (they cull the herd
every two years, and give them to the Natives). Scott drove in closer
so I could get some close-ups. Bison are amazingly big - up to 2000
lbs. We headed off towards the corral to see the setup - humming
through the snow, bouncing hard, fish tailing, snow flying. We got
close to the gate and had to slow down - I knew we wouldn't make
it through the huge drift. Had to dig the truck out and turn us
around - no easy task. As the sun set, we freed ourselves, said
so long to the bison as we passed, and headed back towards the main
road.
March 10
 Up
at 5:30. Already getting light. Looking out the Window Trail, the
sky had some nice color, but a contrail was right in the way. Drove
out the Loop Road to see where the sun was hitting. The myriad colors
of grasses, from rust red to bright yellow, emerge from a blanket
of snow. Mule deer and rabbit tracks are everywhere. I stopped at
every pullout, but the wind quickly picked up and it was bitterly
cold, especially on top of the Wall. I found out later it was -3
degrees, not counting wind chill, which could have easily put it
at -30. As bundled as I was, it was brutal on my face, and I didn't
wander far. Took some shots of the ice-covered grasses out the car
window. The sky flattened with gray almost from the start of the
Loop, making picture taking difficult. Took some shots of some mule
deer between Dillon Pass and Pinnacles Overlook, but they were skittish
and I didn't get too close...
...after lunch, still cold. But not wanting
to sit, I drove out Rt 44 to check out the turnoff for Sheep Mountain
Table. It was covered in snow, so I'll have to wait to get up there.
Kind of a tricky drive back - high winds blowing sinews and blankets
of snow across the road - hypnotic, mesmerizing, hard to focus.
Snow falling as well as blowing, little visibility. Back at Cedar
Pass, the pinnacles were half lost in falling snow. Still flat light,
so I put on a warming filter and tried a few shots. Hard to keep
the snow off the lens, and soon headed back to the apartment. At
moments I feel guilty about not shooting every spare second, but
also realize that I need to recharge. Sun and wind have parched
my face and wiped me out...
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