Winter in Yellowstone National Park is incredibly brutal. The temperatures are often in the single digits or much lower, often in the negative teens and twenties Fahrenheit. The snow is deep and bison are literally only trying to survive until springtime. This is my absolute favorite time to be in Yellowstone.
On this day in January, it was -32 degrees Fahrenheit and I couldn't step out of the car for more than a few minutes because of howling winds and freezing cold temps. The entire park was closed the day before this shot as a blizzard came through and dropped over two feet of snow in the area. When the roads opened up, I headed into the park immediately. About halfway between Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley, I came upon this scene in the valley below. I was able to photograph these bison as they trudged through the deep snow and up the hill here to the road. You can see the trails they made in the snow, and they will all follow these same trails as they travel so that they don't have to expend as much energy. Their favorite thing to do is make it up to the road and use the road to travel. I have spent hours over the years parked on the road while giving them time to travel. You never want to honk and move them out of the way because forcing them to run causes them to use up energy they barely have. It is such an incredible experience and I love allowing them to just be at peace, while I sit back and give them space and appreciate all they endure to survive.
