So, we didn't get the TRUE Yellowstone experience.  When we were about to board the plane to Idaho, I found out that the park would be absolutely closed for the season in 2 days. We had planned to go to Yellowstone toward the end of the trip, but it quickly became a priority.  As we researched what to do, we quickly found out that the only roads currently open went to Old Faithful and back.  Then we found out the only way you could get there was on a guided tour.  Guided.  That means other people in our group. On a schedule. In a moving vehicle.  These are all very very bad things for a photographer.  I like to take my time, and stop whenever I feel like it.  I really wanted to see other areas of the park as well.  

The above pic is my favorite from the trip.  There were bison EVERYWHERE!

It also turned out to be one of the worst days, weather-wise.  It was gray and bland.  I did get a few pics I liked in the end.  We ended up going on a snow cat tour, and our tour guide was just awesome.  He was a retired park ranger who had been at Yellowstone for over 15 years.  He knew everything there was to know about the park, and he did everything at his own pace.  He would stop and let us get out to take pictures - even if it did make the other tour buses mad:)

Yellowstone is nothing like I've ever seen before.  All the volcanic activity is just amazing.  You feel like the earth is just going to explode under you at any minute.  It's just seething with activity.  This is the Sapphire Pool.

These hot springs are so hot that they will kill you if you get too close and fall in. I can't imagine camping with kids here in the summer. I'd be a nervous wreck.

This was the best shot I could get of Old Faithful.  Pretty pitiful huh? Well it's not supposed to be amazing, just faithful.  They can predict when it will blow within 20min.  It happened to be the worst weather of the day, so all the whites and grays just blended together.

This was hilarious.  The ravens at Yellowstone are so stinkin smart.  This one (along with another one that was on the lookout) perched on the back of a snowmobile, unzipped the backpack, then started dumping things out of this poor person's bag.  Big things - jacket, maps, etc.  I'm not sure what he was looking for, but he got shooed away before he could find it.

More geysers bubbling and steaming.

This was called the fountain paint pots. 

Lodgepole pines.  Cool fact: they will only reproduce if burned.  Their pine cones form a really thick resin and can only release the spores if it comes in contact with extremely high temperatures.  Weird, huh?

So, in the end, we are very glad we went to Yellowstone but now we definitely have to go back.  I'd like to go back when there isn't any snow and explore more of the 100+ miles of the park.

To see more pictures from our travels, see the "Wanderlust" gallery in the "Fine Art Prints" gallery.