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Figure 1. Pronghorn jumping off the fence in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge.Pronghorn is one of my favorite wildlife to watch, though this animal is not as popular as bear, elk or bighorn sheep. This is the fastest land animal in North America and only cheetah in Africa can be faster. If they both run a longer distance, cheetah can not catch up with pronghorn.
Although the pronghorn are such great runners, they are poor jumpers. At least, most books say it this way. The fence can easily block their way and give them a difficult time to migrate for seeking food. There is, however, always exception.
One day I was on my way to Grand Teton National Park from Rocky Mountain National Park. I decided to go by Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, Wyoming and hoped to see something. Pronghorn was on my list and I really saw lots of them around. When a herd of about 10 pronghorn gathered near the fence, I though I can take my time because they have nowhere to run. To my surprise, they didn't follow what the books say. The whole herd just lined up and jumped off the fence one by one.
I guess I may be the worst predator they have even seen so that they try their best to do what they really don't want to do. Any way, I consider I am pretty lucky to get couple shots of this rare action from pronghorn.
Figure 1 is my last shot of their jump, while Figure 2 is an earlier shot for this short encounter. I stayed about one hour in this Refuge.
Figure 2. Pronghorn lining up and jumping off the fence in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge.
Figure 1. Horsetail Falls at sunset (the so-called firefalls) in Yosemite.There are two firefalls in Yosemite National Park. One was the falls from Glacier Point on summer night. This man-made firefalls has been prohibited long ago and now it is a history rather than reality.
The other firefalls is the Horsetail Falls at sunset in winter. Galen Rowell is credited to popularize this waterfalls, though he is not the first to discover it. Horsetail Falls only has a small amount of water fed by winter snowfall. This restricts the opportunity to see the firefalls. Mid to late February is considered the best time to see this waterfalls at its best. Don't feel surprised if you see people merging at some strange place in the park at this time. This is a very popular winter activity in Yosemite.
Does it require good skills or equipment to get this natural wonder? Not really. You need to be lucky because the clouds tend to block the sunlight at the last moment, even on a sunny day. This waterfalls is small and high on the cliff. You will need a telephoto lens to get it when the moment is right (sounds like a Cialis ad). This one is captured at 180mm on an 1.6x cropped body, which is 288mm on a full frame body. Most people brought a tripod to shoot this waterfalls, but I didn't.
There are many places to shoot this firefalls. One thing for sure is that you should be on the east side of the El Capitan. One of the most popular place is the picnic area on the Northside Drive near Cathedral Rocks. Figure 1 was shot there. After you pass Yosemite Lodge/Camp 4, try to find a place to park when you see the sign of picnic area. Usually you will see some cars on the roadside and many in the picnic area. You may have to park far from the picnic area and walk a while to be in the right place.
Some people shoot this firefalls on Southside Drive across Merced River. In this case, you will need to have a longer telephoto lens.
If the conditions of water amount, sun and clouds are right, you should to see it. If not, as the Boston Red Sox fans used to say, "wait until next year."
Firefalls
Beauty of Scale
Right Place, Right Time, ......and Right Bird!
Color Me Blue
Colter's Hell
Old Faithful Geyser
Same Shot Different Day: Washburn Point
From A to Z Points: Vista Encantada
Steam and Snow, Yellowstone National Park
Autumn Praire and Forest in Yellowstone
Snake River Overlook
Swiftcurrent Creek and Cracker Flats
Ghost Trees at Winter Sunset, Yellowstone National Park
Winter Forest in Yosemite Valley
Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park
The Cathedral Group
Winter Sunset at Mammoth Hot Springs
Stormy Morning in Badlands
Giant Sequoia, Mariposa Grove
Lake Sherburne
Heart Spring, Yellowstone National Park
Painted Dunes
Elk Meadow, Redwood National and State Parks
Where the Buffalo Roam
Best Care-Killing Scenery
Storm in Grand Canyon
Desert Bighorn Sheep in Zion
Gaylor Lakes Basin
Silent City
Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park
Ocotillo in Borrego Palm Canyon
From a Distance
Lower Yellowstone Falls
Indian Paintbrush
Chicken Spring Lake
Autumn Foliage in Yosemite Valley
Mammoth Hot Springs in Winter
New Year 2017 at Sunset Point
Snow Shower in Grand Canyon
Desert Chicory
Point Supreme, Cedar Breaks National Monument
Cottonwood Lakes Basin
Waterpocket Fold Under Storm
Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park
Show Me the Power: Daisy Geyser
The Need for Speed
