Bighorns in the Water

Another magnificent morning in beautiful Waterton Canyon… That seems like such an understatement! When photo associate Kevin and I arrived, a small part of the herd was already on it’s way down the embankment and into the river for a

Waterton Bighorn

crossing to the rugged cliffs on the south side. I would have never dreamed that such an inhospitable place would be their choice location for the day! But there they were, standing precariously often pushing and shoving, on the towering cliffs along the South Platte River. We remained at that location for quite some time, watching and photographing the nerve wracking action!

Waterton Bighorn in the Platte

A crowd began to gather upstream where another part of the herd was coming down from the mountains to the north, and we decided to move on, choosing to photograph in the brighter light of sunshine on that side. While we worked the north side rumors began to spread of a bigger herd a few miles up the canyon and eventually we decided to ride up past the dam and check it out. The river is more beautiful there, and more accessible to sheep and photographers alike!

Pair of Waterton Bighorn

As we neared the location a couple of rams were walking down the dirt path towards us. We readied our cameras and got a few shots of the regal creatures striding towards us. It wasn’t long before they too entered the river for a crossing to the prize grass on the other side, affording us a great opportunity for some awesome images if the sheep wading through the beautiful pristine waters of the South Platte River.

Bighorn River Crossing

Soon a very large herd of the massive beasts began to make it’s way down the mountains and onto the dirt road and we had an amazing good time watching them interact and cross back and forth across the river in search of the lush grasses along the riverbank.

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