My trip to Yellowstone National Park the last week of October 2015 had it's good and bad moments.  Each day I would pick hiking trails where I could do day hikes back into the back country.  The goal was to experience and photograph wildlife in there natural environments.  Not like most photographers who only take photo's from their cars as they drive up and down all the roads in the park.

 My first full day in the park ended with one of my best experiences.  Base on a Rangers recommendation I decided to hike back in on the Hellroaring Trail.  After not seeing much for the day I decided to head back before it got to dark.  As I was heading back I was just approaching the Yellowstone river suspension bridge when I looked up on the ridge just on the other side of the river.  At first I thought I was seeing things but there was this big old Grizzly coming right at me at a good pace.  I really didn't have much time to react but I quickly took a picture of him on the ridge and then looked around for a place to get out of his way.  There was a point on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Yellowstone river about 35 feet from the trail.  Once I reached that spot I turned around and took this picture of him as he was exiting the suspension bridge.  I found out later this was Scarface the oldest Grizzly in the park.

Other hiking trails I hiked back in were Yellowstone River trail (just outside of Tower Junction), Mary Mountain trail (Hayden Valley), and some other trails in the Lamar Valley.  I did get more pictures of a young Grizzly eating some roots just off the Mary Mountain trail.  Each morning I could hear the Wolves but I was not lucky enough to see any up close.

On my last day I drove down from West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole, WY.  While driving down I captured this Red Fox eating some type of rodent.  Once I made it just north of Jackson Hole I was able to photograph two young male moose.  To see more pictures of my trip either select the picture or this  link to my Smugmug gallery.