Big Bend National Park The Milky Way was so readily visible to the naked eye It’s been five years since I took this photo of the silhouette of an ocotillo against the starry night sky in Big Bend National Park. I have to say that despite taking astrophotography in several other parts of the country, […]
Northern Lights Forecast The sky went from a shade of green to a burst of red I’ve chased the Northern Lights for my entire adult life. Whenever I’ve heard a forecast that the Northern Lights might be visible near to where I am, I have attempted to see them. There was one night when I […]
Bison – IUCN Conservation Status: Near Threatened Visitors to Yellowstone are almost certainly going to see a bison Hours before I took this photograph it was snowing. It was one of those spring days with dramatic temperature swings. By afternoon, it was sunny and in the 50’s Fahrenheit. The bison were enjoying the warmth. Pronghorn Yellowstone This photograph […]
Moose – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The males are called bulls and they can weigh more than 1,000 pounds This is a young moose that I came across in Grand Teton National Park. If you are lucky enough to see a moose, it is generally somewhere around water, such as a marsh, lake shore, or […]
Elk – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They use mechanical equipment to feed the elk roughly 35 tons of alfalfa pellets each day In the summer, there can be as many as 20,000 elk from seven different herds in Yellowstone National Park. They are considered the most abundant large mammal in Yellowstone. However, they do migrate and […]
Yellowstone National Park There are some people who believe the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was created through glaciation This is the Yellowstone River, the longest undammed river in the continental United States. This majestic river is responsible for the geologic formation we call the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Roughly 14,000-18,000 years ago, as the large glaciers in […]
Ka’ena Point Trail The Wai’anae Mountains were formed by an ancient shield volcano Walking along the 2.5-mile long Ka’ena Point trail, I was amazed by the mountainous peaks that were to my left. I would later come to learn that these were the Wai’anae Mountains, also known as the Wai’anae Range. This rock formation includes […]
Waipi’o Valley News There are some portions of the road that have a grade of 45% Waipi’o Valley is one of the most challenging places to visit on the big island of Hawai’i. There is an access road on the south entrance to the valley that has a 25% average grade. There are some portions […]
Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area Kauna’oa Point connects two beaches This photo of four kiawe trees was taken while hiking between Hāpuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach through the Kauna’oa Point. This hike is called the Ala Kahakai Trail, and it is located along the northwest coast of the big island of Hawai’i. Like almost […]
Taggart Lake Earthquakes over millions of years help create the mountain range In the northwest corner of Wyoming, at the southern end of Grand Teton National Park is picturesque Taggart Lake. It is accessible via a short hike. There is a “Taggart Lake Loop Trail” that takes a couple hours to complete if you are taking your […]