| |
Photographers of all kinds are in for a treat when they visit
the Gallatin National Forest. The forest is home to absolutely
fantastic scenic vistas of mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and
a brilliant night sky. This is one of the better places a photographer
could go in the world, and also one of the wildest. The combination
of scenery and wildlife make it touch to beat. Many consider the
Gallatin National Forest to be more scenic than Yellowstone National
Park, and I would whole heartedly agree with that.
There are many options for the photographer. There are deep wilderness
hiking trips which take the photographer high up into the alpine
environment where rocky peaks and mountain goats are your only
company, long float trips which reveal eagles, otter and deer
- or road side photography of creeks and critters. These different
activities require a different approach. For scenic float trips
on the Yellowstone, Madison or Gallatin rivers, you will want
a waterproof pack to protect your gear from moisture. If you cannot
do a waterproof pack consider sealing your gear in two ziplock
bags and at least giving it a chance if the camera and lenses
get dunked. It's also important to carry a lens cleaning kit while
on the river as water drops can and will get on your lens. Nothing
ruins a good photography float trip like water drops on the lens.
You cannot fix these images in Photoshop.
A pair of grouse sit tight on a fence in the Gallatin
National Forest.
For those trekking into the wilderness, I have found that a quality
backpack from a hiking shop works best. I have ziplocks for any
spare lenses as well as small section of a plastic tarp to cover
lenses in inclement weather. This saves on weight as well. I keep
the camera at the top of the pack with a long telephoto attached
in case I come across any animals while hiking. When someone asks
me, "do you keep your landscape lens on while traveling the
forest and mountains" my answer is that I always keep the
wildlife lens on because that mountain or river can't run away
like wildlife. Wildlife generally doesn't like to stick around
in the presence of humans. By the time you change your landscape
lens to your wildlife lens, the animal can be gone.
For hiking, I would also recommend a carbon fiber tripod to help
keep weight down. They tend to be more expensive but are worth
it for this exact purpose. If you find yourself hiking often,
do not hesitate to purchase a carbon fiber tripod. For overnight
treks this is something that you will be glad you did as this
choice will cut down your overall weight for over night trips.
The Gallatin National Forest is a diverse and beautiful landscape.
Many parks o forests are known for only a few key features that
photographers flock to. I can tell you that the Gallatin has many
uncountable scenic areas. We will try to break some of them down
below:
Greycliff Prairie Dog Town: I hate to give away this secret,
but people expect Parkcamper.com to deliver the goods, so here
it is. This is located a few miles east of Big Timber at Greycliff
on I-90. Watch for the exit off the interstate. The park is thirty
seconds from the interstate. A great place to photograph prairie
dogs, rabbits and raptors. Please do not feed the critters as
they end up chasing the cars and getting squashed.
The Crazy Mountains: A spectacular island range northwest
of Big Timber. Follow 191 north from Big Timber, Montana about
7 miles north to Big Timber Canyon Road. Follow this up into the
national forest for dramatic views of the mountains. A standard
range zoom lens will work good here for the landscapes. Once you
get into the forest, Big Timber provides a dramatic series of
falls. A wide angle lens is suitable. The "Crazies"
as they are known rise 7,000 feet above Big Timber. They are fantastic.
Rainbow Lakes: A spectacular set of alpine lakes located
an hour and a half south of Big Timber on the Main Boulder Road.
You need to hike to see them, and the trailhead is at Hicks Park
campground. Expect a long, bumpy drive to reach the trailhead.
The drive is very scenic with many photo opportunities along the
way.
Beartooth Country: This is the rugged country just northeast
of the Yellowstone border. People refer to this as the Cooke City
area. For those not interested in hiking, you can be "in
the mountains" a bit without too much exertion. Take the
Beartooth Highway and be blown away. Trust me on that one. It
is perhaps the most scenic drive in the U.S. Those interested
in hiking have the fantastic Beartooth Plateau. This is 900,000
acre high altitude area of thousands of alpine lakes, dramatic
peaks and granite plateaus. This is absolutely stunning country
that should not be missed if you can get to it. A true highlight.
Paradise Valley: Starts just a few miles south of Livingston
Montana on highway 89. Several national forest access roads roll
up into the gorgeous mountains. By driving this towards Yellowstone
you will see dramatic mountains and sweeping bends of the Yellowstone
River flowing through the cottonwoods. A good place for landscapes.
The gigantic Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is in the mountains
east of highway 89 between Gardiner and Livingston for those interested
in hiking. There are trailheads at the end of the forest service
access roads.
A shallow pond in the eastern half of the Gallatin
National Forest.
Gallatin Country: The Gallatin River from Yellowstone to
Gallatin Gateway on U.S. 191. The rushing Gallatin River framed
by dramatic, thickly forested slopes. Lots of wildlife. The Lee
Metcalf wilderness area borders U.S. 191 on the west between Big
Sky and Gallatin Gateway. This is a beautiful mountain area for
those interested in hiking. Snowcapped peaks and sparkling creeks
welcome the hiker.
Madison River Country: This includes the river form Hebgen
Lake up through Bear Trap Canyon. Very scenic country with the
Lee Metcalf Wilderness east of U.S. 287 for much of the route.
Access roads will take you to the trailheads. Sphinx Mountain
stands tall over the Madison Valley. In my opinions the best way
to photograph this area is either by float trip on the Madison
river or by hiking into the national forest/wilderness area. This
area also includes the eeerie Quake Lake with its dead trees poking
out of the water. This is a good area for birds.
Palisades Falls: From the town of Bozeman drive south on
19th Street 5 miles to Hyalite Canyon Road. Then travel south
on Hyalite Canyon road 20 miles to the forest road junction. Look
for sign to the Palisade Falls and follow about one mile. This
is a very cool 80 foot waterfall in a thick forest of spruce and
pine.
There are many waterfalls in the Gallatin National Forest. The
nature of the streams are steep and rocky. You will find many
small waterfalls simply by walking upstream many of these creeks.
By purchasing the western and eastern national forest maps, you
can follow these creeks and have yourself a true adventure.
For the Gallatin National Forest I would recommend a standard
17/18-50mm lens on a 1.6x crop body. This is a very useful range
when on the outskirts of the forest in the plains/sagebrush areas.
However, once you are in the forest itself things tend to narrow
down and for that I recommend an ultra wide angle with a wide
end approaching 10-11 mm on a 1.6x crop body. This is essential
for work in tight forest canopies and narrow canyons. For wildlife,
you will want the longest lens you can afford. For those starting
out, the canon 55-250 IS or a 70-300 IS are good lenses that will
see a lot of use for wildlife. The Nikon 70-300 VR is also a good
cost effective choice. Ultimately if you are serious about wildlife
you will want something longer, at least 400mm. The Canon 300mm
F4 IS with 1.4x TC works great for this. The Canon 400mm 5.6 is
a great lens, but lacks IS which means you will end to have it
on a rock steady tripod while in the shadowy, low light forest
conditions which often prevent themselves in the Gallatin. The
Canon 100-400 IS is a nice lens as well, but all of these "L"
lenses are considerably more expensive than their non-L counterparts.
The Sigma 120-400 IS and 150-500 IS seem like a real nice middle
ground between the Canon L's and the 55-250 IS/70-300 IS. If I
did not have my 300 F4 IS with 1.4x TC I would most certainly
be looking at those Sigma's.
Anyone interested in photography on the Gallatin National Forest
should know that camping gives you a real advantage in capturing
images. You don't really have to drive anywhere as the campgrounds
on the Gallatin are already in the best locations for wildlife
and scenery. This means "you are there" for the good
early morning light and the times when animals are out and about.
Plus, you don't have to worry about driving back to town after
dusk, which is not the best idea in this area unless you like
numerous close encounters with deer on the roadways.
Image note: This was on the boundary of the Absaroka-Beartooth
Wilderness looking northeast during September of 2009. It was
a spectacular night sky with a new moon. I used bulb mode with
a manual switch and let it run for 50 seconds. The lens was a
Sigma 10-20 ultra wide at 10mm on a Canon 50D. The combination
of the wind singing through the pines, the river sounds echoing
off the mountainside and the crystal clear view of the universe
made for a great nature moment.
|
|
