Years ago, while at home for the holidays, I happened to watch a PBS special called Christmas in Yellowstone. It shared the experiences of a photographer, Tom Murphy, who has crossed the park on skis each winter. I was completely enthralled and wanted to experience the beauty of the wild and unblemished wilderness during the coldest months of the year.
This past Christmas, my family did not gather together in San Diego as we usually do. Mom went to Canada to be with her sister, my younger brother Andy stayed in Arizona with his family in their new home. I was a bit distraught at the idea of spending Christmas alone. Then I remembered Christmas in Yellowstone. I packed my camping gear and my old Nikon D50 and opened the Audible app on my iPhone to listen to another survival book during the 13 hour drive.
The park was quiet with only one or two other vehicles in the campground. The first night brought about 4 inches of snow, but the skies were clear for the next two days.
My old DSLR was having a fit in the freezing temps, though, and I only managed to get a handful of decent photos during the Wake Up to Wildlife tour. But I enjoyed the wild stillness of the park on a couple of hikes and snowshoe trips.
