Breaking Trail

'First Place' in the 2015 'National Wildlife Federation' Photography Contest, Mammals Division.

Winter snow accumulates fast and deep across Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley and temperatures can dip to minus 44 F.  When confronted with deep snow Bison will travel single file with a lead cow breaking trail and the rest of the herd following in her tracks.  This photograph was taken in early February as the sun began its descent and the temperature plunged to minus 10 degrees.

NWF Citation:

'Deep snow, long shadows and a willful line of bison yield a powerful portrait of a charismatic animal in one of America’s most iconic landscapes: Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. A professional guide and photographer, Cindy Goeddel made this image on a frigid February afternoon while leading tourists through the park, home to more than 4,000 genetically pure wild American bison.'