Today’s photos come from Wyoming and photographer Ephraim Heller. His IDs and captions are indented, and you can enlarge his photo by clicking on them:
My wife and I just returned from a few days of horseback riding and relaxation at a dude ranch near Dubois, Wyoming (pronounced “Du-boiz” with the accent on the first syllable) in the Absaroka Mountains. Dubois’ 82513 ZIP Code includes 1,537 square miles and has a total population of 1,549: a population density of about 1 person per square mile, making it ideal for astrophotography. Butch Cassidy (Robert LeRoy Parker) owned and managed a ranch on the outskirts of Dubois, beginning in 1890.
The Dollar Lake fire began during our stay. First reported on Thursday, August 21 the fire had expanded to 8,660 acres with 0% contained by the following day. The fire grew rapidly due to extremely dry conditions, a heavy load of fuel, and high winds. The forests in this area have a particularly high fuel load due to large stands of beetle-killed lodgepole pines.
Here’s the view south from the ranch toward the galactic center of the Milky Way on the night of Tuesday, August 19:
Here’s the view south from a nearby spot on the night on Friday, August 22:
And here are a few photos of our companions at the ranch, Equus ferus caballus. This one-eyed fellow was very friendly:
Other miscellaneous photos:
Very nice pictures! So evocative of the American West.
What an incredible night sky, and dramatic day sky.
I love that friendly horse.
Beautiful photos. Lucky you. We are dealing with a heavy fire season here too.
A lovely trip! Thank you for sharing.
Wyoming is beautiful!
How amazing that you could capture fire and stars in the same picture!
Wonderful. I miss horseback riding.
I also miss the night sky, living as I do in a megalopolis. Damn light pollution.
I was fortunate to see the 2017 total solar eclipse from a hilltop near there. Beautiful area.