As the sun begins to rise over the vast frosted expanse of Yellowstone National Park, the early morning light casts a soft golden glow across the snow-covered landscape. The crisp air bites on your cheeks as you settle into a cozy snow coach, its wheels crunching through the deep powder as it ventures into the heart of the winter wilderness. The windows fog slightly from the warmth inside but still offer a view into a world draped in ice and silence.
The landscape is breathtaking: towering snow-capped trees stretch toward the sky, their branches laden with a heavy layer of frost against a backdrop of Yellowstone’s snowy peaks. As we approach the interior, the air is thick with fog from thermal features and the open rivers with the misty stillness of winter. Yet, despite the frigid temperatures, life continues in this untamed corner of America. Here, fire, ice, and the tenacious creatures that roam these parts create a dramatic landscape full of contrasts and beauty. The park feels as though it is suspended in time, with nature in its purest, most enduring form. The animals and the land have found a way to survive, adapted to the extremes, proving that even in the harshest conditions, life finds a way to thrive.
This year our entire winter expedition was based out of the town of West Yellowstone, Montana which is the West Entrance gateway to our winter world. Since the roads are closed to regular vehicles, we travel on specially built snow coaches. For the next 5 days we will travel by private coach with a maximum of 6 clients which allows us to have plenty of room for cameras and winter clothing.
Our first two days were spent tracking the Wapiti Wolf Pack which is the largest pack in the ecosystem numbering a whopping 22 wolves. Finding tracks in Hayden Valley we knew the wolves were in the area, but they had not been seen since January 5th, three weeks prior to our arrival. It was a little discouraging, but not unusual, as there is an incredible amount of country not seen from the groomed roads we travel. With some persistence, our efforts hit pay dirt as we ran into the pack in the lower end of Hayden Valley.
We spent this quality time working with the wolves, and at times we had them within full frame of our cameras and longer lenses, howling and surrounding our vehicle. At close to -40°F, on that morning several of us had trouble focusing as the temperature gradient from inside to outside the snow coach ranged almost 100F. So, coming from a warm coach into the extreme outside temperature with diamond dust falling in the air effected lens performance and many had soft images. I had comments from other coaches as well that they had similar problems but all of us managed to get some superb images despite the challenges of winter.
The highlight of our wolf encounters was witnessing a pack hunting a herd of bison within camera range of our coach. Wolves typically hunt at night, so observing this behavior during the day was an exceptionally rare event. The wolves separated a cow from a small herd and, in no time, brought the animal down. The feast began as we watched and photographed nature taking its course. Many pack members came and went, each consuming up to 25 pounds of meat. After four hours, nothing remained of the carcass, and other scavengers—such as coyotes, eagles, and ravens—moved in to pick at the scraps.
Thinking this was the ultimate adventure, we were caught off guard when the rest of the bison herd reached the road, stopping just 100 yards from our coach at the crest of a hill. By then, several other coaches had gathered, along with a few snowmobiles. People snapped pictures of the confused bison as they milled about after escaping the wolves.
Suddenly, the herd stampeded—but not in the direction one might expect. They charged straight down the road toward the onlookers who had been watching and photographing the kill. Pandemonium erupted as people scrambled for the safety of their coaches and snowmobiles. One particular bison veered toward a crowd standing near a coach but changed direction at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the bystanders. Seeing a perfect photo opportunity, I quickly raised my lens and captured a few images of the bison swerving to miss the crowd.
It was a 10 out of 10 on the adrenaline scale—an unforgettable morning filled with raw, untamed nature at its finest.
For the remainder of our expedition, we explored various regions of the park, walking through and photographing some of its most iconic thermal basins while staying alert for wildlife encounters. The stark contrast between hot and cold created a mesmerizing landscape, where trees became draped in hoar frost and rime. At times, the weight of snow and ice bent them into incredible shapes, forming what are known as ghost trees—some even resembling human-like figures.
Frosted bison, coyotes, red fox, swans, and ravens are some of animals that can be seen and photographed this time of year. One unusual animal was a total surprise! In all the 40+ years I’ve been photographing the park in winter, I have never seen a pygmy owl. Due to the owls migrating further south into NW Wyoming for the winter, we were excited to see and photograph two of these illusive creatures.
Despite the frigid temperatures, life continues in this untamed corner of America. Here, fire, ice, and the tenacious creatures that roam these parts create a dramatic landscape, full of contrasts and beauty. The park feels as though it is suspended in time, with nature in its purest, most enduring form. The animals and the land have found a way to survive, adapted to the extremes, proving that even in the harshest conditions, life finds a way to thrive.
