Another very early morning so that I can capture sunrise in the Yellowstone Canyon.

 
As night falls, I spot this bull elk and his harem high on a ridge. By the time I am finished photographing the elk it is very dark and I decide to stay in the campground at Norris rather than stumbling through the wilderness in search of an open area to pitch my tent. The chatter of the other campers, however, convince me that I will find a back country site tomorrow evening. Each night I heat a can of soup on my portable stove for dinner which warms me up in advance of the very cold night.

 
The park was ravaged by fire in the 80s but I can not tell you how many beautiful scenes this has creatd throughout the park.

 
My next stop is the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. I intentionally include my shadow for something of a self portrait. Eruptions occur approximately every 90 minutes and I was fortunate to observe 3 during my investigation of the geyser basin.

 
As the sun continues to rise it lights up the exquisite fall folliage.

 
By 6AM I have eaten breakfast, broken camp, returned to the car and driven to the perfect overlook from which to photograph the Tetons by morning light. I am rewarded for my effort when a moose decides to traverse the river exactly at the moment the sun has started to illuminate the peaks. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

 
As evening approaches my attention turns to finding an isolated campsite. I drove off the main highway for a couple of miles and then hiked another 1.5 miles up to the top of this hill in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. I estimate my altitude at 7500ft and night time temperatures reaching 22F. Armed with a hunting knife and bear repellent I settled into a restless sleep, all the time worrying about a visit from a grizzly. I woke up at 4:30AM and was completely amazed by the star field. By far the most dramatic I have ever witnessed in my life.

 
There is beauty here everywhere you turn and I cannot imagine a more ideal destination for a photographer.

 
I spotted this magnificent male Pronghorn from the road and was able to hike in close enough with my big lens for a nice close up.

 
I arrive at Jackson Hole by early afternoon and immediately head out to explore the Grand Teton National park in a rented SUV.

 
Day one of a four day solo vision quest in Wyoming. I turn 50 next Monday and thought I would celebrate the milestone with my own coming of age adventure.

 
We attended Maya’s back to school night this evening. Jeanine tears up as she reads a story written by Maya about her mom. Maya is in a small class of 14 with a fantastic teacher and the curriculum looks very exciting. I am leaving for Wyoming on a solo adventure vacation and hope to return with many great photos which I will post next week.

 
Jillian’s is located right next to Fenway Park and featured live coverage of the Red Soxs game throughout the evening.

 
Last night after work the software team did a little bowling at Jillian’s. Not much available light but I was able to capture a few good images.