Bear Up There

Last spring I was heading home to my cabin late in the afternoon when I spied a black blob high in a tree just inside Yellowstone's northeast entrance.  This area of the park is densely forested, with a sharp canyon and creek beneath the road on one side and mountains all around.  The sightlines aren't great due to the lack of wide open areas, so when wildlife sightings do occur, they're somewhat fleeting and less common than in other parts of the park.  As a result, every time I actually see an animal in this stretch, it feels like I'm discovering buried treasure.

This bear stuck out like a sore thumb.  It was way up at the top of a very tall tree, perched high above the canyon and in front of the mountain backdrop.  It felt like a unique perspective compared to most of my other bear encounters, and with the waning afternoon light I was compelled to squeeze off the road to snap a few photos.  The bear was smaller, so I'm guessing it may have been a yearling, just recently booted from "home" by its mother.  Cubs are used to sleeping high up in trees, so despite the fact that this perch looked a bit precarious, the young bear probably felt safest going as high up as possible.

I was able to shoot a couple different angles, including a cleaner background with just blue sky behind.  However, I felt the mountainside added a bit of texture and offered a better perspective, showing how high and isolated the bear was in this situation.

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 600mm
ISO 400
1/640th
f/8

Max