art, photography, random thought, travel, writing

brazos bend

my wife and i haven’t been camping since new years… that’s been weighing heavy on us.

we LOVE camping. to get outside, cook over an open fire, lay in open fields, etc. it sets us free and recharges our batteries.

Elle had a few days off work this past weekend, so naturally, we decided to get outdoors.

brazos bend state park has been one of my favorite weekend destinations for the last 7 or 8 years. it about a half hour southwest of houston, so not too bad of a drive from dallas. a little over four hours. well worth the drive though because it’s crawling with gators!

did i mention that i LOVE alligators?

american alligators are one of the most fascinating creatures left on our planet. and they’ve been on our planet a really, really long time.

they have a primitive sophistication about them that has created in me a thirst for experience with these creatures. i suspect it will never be quenched.

it’s similar to my love of bears. i have a very healthy respect for both of these animals. but that respect has to find a way to waltz around the room gracefully with my curiosity. they are equal forces. and i have to reconcile the two. i want to get close… but not too close.

elle has not yet been to this park with me, so she was excited when we finally got the chance to go.

and there’s a lot more to this park that ranks it in the top ten state parks in the country.

the campsites are spacious and well kept, the facilities are that of a small national park, and the landscape, wildlife, and vegetation are stunningly beautiful.

the swampy landscapes created a great opportunity to get another unique star picture.

i’m just thrilled with the way this 30 minute exposure turned out!

sometimes we get bored in the heat of the day, so we goof off with my camera…

brazos bend also has a ton of great hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. we didn’t bring bikes or horses, so we just hiked. though if hunter were a little bigger, i might have tried to hitch a ride on his back…

lots of vines on which to swing and play tarzan.

and lots of little critters for hunter to sniff out and bay at in his cute, harmless little way.

baby dillos!

so, back to the alligator obsession. this next series of pictures is not meant to be mimicked or tried at home.

believe it or not, i have a decent bit of experience with these creatures, so my comfort level is considerably different than most people’s. i am fine with getting very close to alligators because i know their capabilities and body language very well.

so disclaimer out of the way, i called this 10 footer in from across the pond.

he slowly crept up the bank through the grass, and i stayed low, allowing him to think i was smaller than i am.

he came right out at a decent pace. i had my camera on a tripod, extended vertically out in front of me with a cable release attached to i could click the shutter at will and maintain a few feet distance.

he got a little too close for comfort on this one!

when i stood fully erect, he finally realized that i was too big for him. i thanked him for the good time and great pictures, and left.

the experience was refreshing and invigorating. i never felt in major danger, but it tapped into that wonderful, scary, primitive survival part of me that runs on adrenaline and instinct. thoughts race and reactions are sharp and focused. i needed that.

having an experience with the wild like that is nourishing to my soul. so i’m thankful i had that opportunity, and that it all went well and safely.

so i went back to camp. where waited my less than wild, but just as amazing dog, and way more wild AND more beautiful wife.

we had a fantastic weekend. and i know it’s not the last time we’ll visit brazos bend. i hope it’s sooner rather than later, but right now i’m satisfied that wyoming is coming up just around the corner…

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2011

film making, photography, random thought, travel, writing

…last week in wyoming…

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.

andrew slaton | blog

travelogue and visual catharsis of a nomadic photographer

Tag Archives: wildlife

brazos bend

…last week in wyoming…

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