Ashley Fetner Fine Art Photography

 “Yellowstone River”

The Yellowstone River that flows through the Hayden Valley is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. It begins near Younts Peak in northwestern Wyoming, flows through Yellowstone National Park into Yellowstone Lake then empties into the Grand Canon of the Yellowstone and eventually flows into the Missouri River. The Hayden Valley is one of the most important places in Yellowstone for wildlife and birds. It is also one of the harshest places in Yellowstone in the winter with heavy snows and strong winds. This image was photograph in early May.
Kay

“Sunset”

Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. The lake is a remnant of pre-historic Lake Bonneville, which covered more than 20,000 square miles during the Ice Age. Currently the Great Salt Lake is 75 miles long by 28 miles wide covering 1, 7000 square miles. The maximum depth is about 33 feet but the depth and size vary with seasonal evaporation and precipitation. Water flows from four river drainages, carrying 2.2 million tons of minerals into the lake each year. The Great Salt Lake has no outlet and the water leaves only through evaporation so high concentrations of minerals are left behind. The salinity level ranges between 4 and 28 percent compared to the ocean at 3 percent.
Kay

   “Winter Beauty”

The Blue Ridge Parkway is part of the National Parks Systems and is known as “Americas Favorite Drive”. It winds 469 miles along the crest of the southern Appalachian Mountains taking you by meadows and overlooks with spectacular views of distant mountains and valleys. There are historic sites, old farmsteads, trails to hike and picnic and camping areas. It was the nation’s first and longest rural parkway linking two other eastern national parks- The Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and The Great Smokey Mountain National Park in North Carolina.
This is the actual color of tree that we found on the parkway between West Jefferson and Boone, NC
Kay

Low Country is a term to describe the South Carolina coastal counties that include Charleston and the Sea Islands. Live oaks are adapted to all of South Carolina but they favor the areas along the coast where they grow wild. This stand of live oaks is near the coastal town of Beaufort, South Carolina.
We had taken a detour off the main highway due to road work and had been traveling this country road for sometime.  Just when we thought we may be lost, we rounded a curve and there they were— a beautiful stand of live oaks seemingly in the middle of nowhere!
Kay

“Abstract”

 Living organisms thrive in the acid hot springs of Norris Geyser Basin. The overflow channels of geysers and hot springs are colored with numerous microscopic life forms like this orange cyanobacteria found in the runoff streams in Porcelain Basin. These microscopic life forms are a focus for research in medical and criminal investigations. New tools for use in areas such as AIDS research and DNA “fingerprinting” have been developed from the microscopic thermal organisms found in Yellowstone’s hot springs.
Kay

Canyonlands National Park is Utah’s largest national park and preserves a wilderness of rock. The park is divided into three very different regions –Island in the Sky, the Maze and the Needles.  The Island in the Sky is a broad mesa that is between the Green and Colorado Rivers-standing here you can look thousands of feet down to the rivers or thousands of feet up at the red rock pinnacles, cliffs and spires.  The Maze is 30 square miles of sandstone that is ranked as one of the most remote areas of the United States. In Horseshoe Canyon there is sandstone wall called The Great Gallery that has life size figures left by the Anasazi Indians more than 2,000 years ago.  The Needles is a diverse landscape of sculpted rock spires, arches, canyons, garbens, potholes and grass covered valleys.
We were hiking in the Island of the Sky region when we found Mesa Arch. Looking through the arch you can see the La Sal Mountains about 35 miles away. These mountains have the highest peak (12,721 ft.) on the Colorado Plateau.
Kay

 “Desert Water”

We were traveling from the small Navajo community of Kayenta Arizona on our way to Page Arizona, which is located on the southern shores of Lake Powell, when we found “Desert Water”-
Kay

 Yellowstone National Park is bear country and no matter where you go in the backcountry you are not far from bears. Both black bears and grizzlies are found in the park. The grizzly is the largest and most powerful. Males stand seven feet tall and weigh from 400 to 600 pounds and occasionally more than 800 pounds. Females range from 250 to 400 pounds. The grizzly’s thick fur can range from light brown to black with “silver tips” or “frosty-looking” fur giving him a “grizzled look”-hence the name “grizzly bear”.  In 1975 the grizzly was listed on the endangered list when the population was only136 in Yellowstone and now there are over 500 living in the park.
On this day we were fortunate to see two of the 500—we had heard that near Lamar Valley two grizzlies had been spotted on their kill.  So off we went to find them—it did not take us long when we spotted a group of cars and trucks along the road.  We walked to the clearing and there he was about 100 yards down the hill — I was barely breathing and mesmerized by what I was witnessing  as we watched him roll around all over his kill—then walking around on his back legs waving his “arms” then finally coming to rest on the carcass.  Ashley was photographing but unable to get close enough when we heard the other grizzly was just across the road under the bridge.  So to the bridge we went and there she was ambling down the hill toward the Yellowstone River.  She appeared to ignore the crowd but we left the car “running” just in case she changed her mind!  What a wonderful experience -  I never thought I would be that close to a grizzly in the wild!
Kay

 We traveled from Cannonville Utah, along the Cottonwood Canyon Road, through amazing wilderness areas. The dirt road crossed up and down steep ridges and through dry creek beds as we traveled through this remote area of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah. Approaching the end of an isolated ridge we saw the 152 foot tall double arch of yellowish-white Henrieville sandstone that is one of the most photographed places in the National Monument. This arch was discovered by a National Geographic expedition team and was named for the society founder Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor.  Grosvenor was known as the “Father of Photojournalism” and was the first full time editor of the National Geographic Magazine from 1920 till 1954.  He died at the age of 90 in 1966.
Kay

 Just outside the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and through Cooke City Montana you pick up State Highway 296. This is known as the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway that winds its way through 47 miles of spectacular views and ends in Cody Wyoming. Besides being known for its geological features and abundant wildlife it also has a unique history. The highway was named for the Native American Chief of the Nez Perce tribe. After a battle in Idaho in 1877 Chief Joseph and 1,000 of his tribe fled through Yellowstone trying to escape the US Calvary and make their way to Canada. They were stopped about thirty miles from the Canadian Border at the Battle of the Bear Paw in northwestern Montana.
If you are a “back roads” person like I am, you do not want to miss this wonderful highway—you need to go the entire 47 miles. There are places along the way to stop and take in the views—there is so much to see so on the return trip be sure and look for the areas you missed!
Kay