©Jack Graham 12/2008
It was 9 degrees and snowing lightly when we left our hotel room this am, heading west from Cody out to the North Fork of the Shoshone River. This road, (Hwy 14) runs west from Cody to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
The entrance is closed for the winter but you can drive up to the entrance on hwy 14.
I’ve driven and photographed many times on this road and toady was not a disappointment. It is a beautiful, scenic byway in addition to offering great opportunities to photograph the big horn sheep as well as a few buffalo that live in this area during the winter.
Luck was with us as the animals just about where I expected them to be. We experienced lots of the typical behavior between the rams, females and young. It is simply amazing to see these animals run up the side of the rocky hillsides and rock walls. Actually one of the ways we know they are around is to look for rocks in the road that fall as they run up the hillsides.
It is not uncommon the see the big horn sheep walking right up the road.
Low angle winter light reflecting in the water of the Shoshone River
It warmed up to about 16 later in the day and warmer weather is forecast for tomorrow, when we will explore the south fork of the Shoshone River, east of Cody. This area is not as rocky but again offers great landscapes and hopefully as many animals as today.
JG