one of my first, and best, friends when i lived in wyoming was kim.  she recently got married and had a gorgeous little girl, kate.  first thing’s first… i had to go see them.

now on to my animals.  a coyote searches for food in the elk national wildlife refuge near jackson.

two ocean lake in teton wilderness provided fantastic scenery.

on the way out of two ocean and pacific creek, one of my favorite views of the tetons materializes quickly.  almost out of nowhere, the jagged peaks come into view with force and drama.

then, of course, the jackson lake dam provides unimpeded views of this beautiful mountain range, the grand tetons.

a lone big horn ram wandered, grazed.

early in the morning, the elk eat dew-covered grasses.

lamar creek.  the hidden gem of the lamar valley.  always one of my favorite spots to sit in the morning.

the lamar valley in the summer is a haven for the american bison.  they graze it heavily in massive swarms.

the lamar valley is also home to many bears.  this pair, one black bear and one cinnamon black were inseparable as i watched them cross miles of open landscape.  i saw this same cinnamon about four years ago in the exact same spot.  glad to see he’s got a lady to keep him company now…

bull elk are scattered across yellowstone this time of year.  typically alone, they seem to know that the autumn rut and breeding season will be coming in a few short months.

sulphur stained ponds dot the landscape of yellowstone.

a lone black bear on the northeast entrance road scavenges in the shadow of the mountains surrounding the montana/ wyoming border, near cooke city.

not even a mile away from the bear, a fox too looks for an evening snack.

on the road to lulu pass, just outside city limits, seedlings, clear cuts, mountains, and sky provide the backdrop for cook city, montana.

early morning, heading back from a night spent at the cooke city dump, the mountains and fog performed a ballet.  mist danced across the tops of trees as the light watched passively from behind the clouds.

and it only gained dramatic crescendo as i made my way back, further into the lamar valley of yellowstone.

after a long morning hike up the side of a peak in the lamar, a lone antelope kept his distance.

a 45 minute exposure at oxbow bend in grand teton national park, well after sundown.

morning glow over the tetons.  i love waking up to this view!!

mid-morning at oxbow bend.  light slowly makes it way toward me from behind, painting my canvas.

jackson lake was glass.  a rare site.

string lake, near jenny lake, grand teton national park.

back to my old haunt in sublette county… green river lakes in bridger-teton national forest.

the lower lake was in tumult, with wild winds from the south rumbling like a freight train through the valley toward the upper green.

the green river was calm the next morning, though the sky overhead read drama.

i hiked the highline trail toward the upper lake.  squaretop mountain spectacularly reflected the patches of sun.

i followed massive grizzly tracks all the way to the upper lake about three miles.  it was not alone.  two smaller sets of tracks alerted me to the fact that a sow with two yearlings could be around any bend.

on the way into little soda lake, the aspen groves catch a reflection more colorful than reality.

cactus patches keep me aware of where i place my feet…

just a few minutes from the front door of my old house in pinedale, soda lake reflects the wind river mountains, creating impressionistic hues that would make any artist salivate.

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2009