-37°F must feel cold even to a massive, fluffy, bison.

For all their fat, thick hide and that heavy coat there is no way to protect from that kind of cold.

Nature cinematographer Drew Simms posted the video you can watch, below, on his YouTube page.

No words, just music, sound, and bitter cold.

I was lucky enough to spend just over a week around Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming last winter.

Weather was brutal with temps reaching almost -40F!  I spent time photographing and filming some of my all time favorite wildlife experiences.

Including frozen bison, multiple coyotes, mountain goats, big horn sheep, and many of the geysers around the park.

Hands down one of my most memorable winter camping trips of my life.

 

If you think the bison look cold, imagine how cold Drew felt when he shot these videos.

Some of the more impressive sites in the video are of the steam rising off the waters and out of Old Faithful.

The air is so frigid it's tinted a deep blue, which just makes a person feel the chill as they look at it.

There's a special kind of quiet that comes with subzero temperatures.

Nothing wants to move. Not man or beast.

Even the air is still.

These are the most peaceful moments in the park.

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The contrast between the hot thermals and river along with the heavy snow and cold could not be greater.

Yet, be careful hanging around those steaming waters for too long.

It might be warm but dangerous gasses gather there.

Entire herds of animals have been found dead because they tried sleeping near some warm steaming waters.

Drew spots bighorn sheep, hiding in the trees.

The video shows a wolf, pushing through the heavy snow as he looks for food.

The bison below is awake and hungry, but his meal lies under a thick hard snowpack.

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You can see by the snow on his forehead and snout that he's been trying to push the snow aside to get as what little grass is lying dormant under all that white.

Extreme cold winters in this area are as bad as a hot summer drought for the wildlife of Yellowstone.

Yet, it's all still so beautiful.

Nothing to do but stay still, try to conserve energy, and wait it out.

These bison still feel warmer than you and I would in conditions like this.

In the spring they will start to shed that heavy coat for summer.

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Alcova On Ice

One of Wyoming's most beautiful lakes, seen after weeks of winter storms and sub-zero temperatures.

The ice can be heard making strange noises, from snap, crackle, and pop, to glub glub.

The works of people talking in a normal tone of voice carry across the frozen surface.

Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods

WEIRD Wyoming Snow Drifts April Blizzard 2022

Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods

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