By Stan Tekiela
Wolves in a snowy landscape are the main subject to photograph in my winter Yellowstone Photo Tour. So, every effort is made to locate and get into a position to capture some images of these amazing creatures. This was the case last week while leading a tour in the interior of Yellowstone National Park.
The park is closed to the public during winter due to the snowy winter conditions. So, in order to gain access to the interior, we get special permits and also hire a snow coach. The snow coaches are huge monster-truck-like vehicles with massive 46-inch tires and four-wheel drive. This is what is needed to navigate the snowy back country and get out alive. Even with these gigantic vehicles, we have got stuck in the past.
Each morning would start early in the dark. A quick breakfast and putting on at least 3 layers of winter clothing before heading out to the snow coaches. We load up with all our photo gear and lunches and water for the day. For many days we had been tracking the wolves. We would see their tracks in the snow as the wolves moved around during the night. Each day we would pick up their trail again.