Big Creek Trail

Today there was a break in the cold weather so I headed out to Paradise Valley to do some hiking. This area is world renowned for its beauty and it sure did live up to my expectations. As you drive along there are so many trails to chose from and explore it is hard to do only one. I chose Big Creek Trail which is about half way between Yellowstone and Livingston Montana. Although the colors of the area were beautiful, I chose to do my photos all in black and white this time because I wanted to do something different, but also because it seemed to feel more old and simple.

I love to stop and take pictures while I am driving, whenever I see something that catches my eye it is really hard to not stop and take advantage of it. Some of my best photographs were taken pulled over on the side of a road somewhere. 

Of course on the trail there is plenty of photography opportunities as well! This hike was really unique in that it went through a lot of meadows and then high mountains, giving me a lot of variety. 

It is amazing how many different types of trees that there are and how they can have so many different colors, even in black and white. I especially love the snags and how they pop out against the sky and background. 

It is amazing how quickly you become engulfed in the back country, I can leave my house and then fifteen minutes later be out in the mountains with not a person around. Which is one of the reasons why I love Montana. There is always one mountain range after another. 

All of the trails in this area connect one way or another. If I wanted I could probably easily hike from Bozeman to Yellowstone without having to step off the trail. Which is also one of the reasons why I decided to turn around when I hit Cottonwood Creek. Yellowstone was a bit ambitious for me!

Hyalite Canyon and Palisade Falls

It's amazing how many canyons there are in the Bozeman area. Each one is shockingly different and equally as beautiful. In the fall, Hyalite Canyon becomes a quite area where you don't run into nearly as many people as you would in the summer. Only seven miles out of town, Hyalite and Palisade falls are two beautiful little treasures with lots of other hikes and stops along the way.

This is just a small glimpse of what the drive was like. With the fall colors changing and the river on the right it doesn't get more beautiful then this. 

All three of these photos were taken along side the road just on the way up to the hike, while my dog sat patiently....waiting for me to return.

So patient ;). Because it was later in the day, we decided to go up Palisade falls rather than Hyalite Canyon. Palisade falls is a short hike, only one mile up and easy to access. 

The Bozeman area got a little bit of snow over the last week, making a beautiful combination of colors. This is probably one of the only places that you can almost get three seasons at once. 

Because the weather changes so quickly, you never know what you are going to get when you go out to photograph. But from my experience there is always something around here to make you in awe of what nature can do. 

This is one of many waterfalls in the area. Although it is a beautiful sight now, I can only imagine how it looks in the spring when the snow starts melting into the canyon. I hope that you all enjoyed my post and get out there to enjoy the beautiful fall colors!