Today's Reading
CHAPTER ONE
In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.
—John Muir, conservationist
Kate Cunningham’s eyes widened with awe as Grand Teton National Park unfolded before her, a sight so breathtaking that it forced her to pull over to the side of the road. No amount of research could have truly prepared her for the spectacle that lay ahead: a sweeping valley floor pushing right into the steep granite peaks of the Tetons, still covered with snow.
She sat in silence, mesmerized by those peaks, until the awe overwhelmed her and she had to look away. In the meadow in front of her, Kate spotted an elk grazing. The quiet beauty of the scene stirred something within her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she leaped out of her car and popped the trunk to retrieve her prized possession—a brand-new Sony Alpha 1, heralded as the epitome of wildlife photography cameras. Working at a zoo to create a portfolio, padding her meager income with gigs from bar mitzvahs to weddings, and surviving on a diet of Top Ramen had led her to this moment. Kate was on a mission.
Just as she attached her zoom lens to the camera and focused in on the elk, her eyes widened in amazement as a black bear emerged from the tree line. Following behind her came two cubs.
A flare went off in her heart. She’d barely arrived in the park and she’d already seen more wildlife in two minutes than she’d hoped for in two days! With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, she aimed her lens at the sow and her cubs. As the black bear lumbered away, she looked at the images she’d taken. Good, really good, but not unique. Not noteworthy. Not for National Geographic, anyway.
With a vague promise from a Nat Geo editor dangling like a tantalizing carrot, Kate had set her sights on capturing a unique photograph of the world’s most famous bear—Grizzly Bear 399. The editor, a woman she’d met at the zoo a few weeks ago, had said that if Kate could deliver that shot, she would take a serious look at it. But, she said, she would need to see the photograph by the end of May. She handed Kate a piece of paper with her email scribbled down. It was the closest Kate had ever been to a breakthrough opportunity, and she was determined to seize it. Within her grasp was her dream—to be a wildlife photographer.
Stopping at the Moose Entrance, Kate had learned that Grizzly 399 hadn’t emerged from hibernation yet. “Then again, she might be dead,” the ranger said in a matter-of-fact way. “She’s an old lady, you know.”
Oh yeah, Kate knew. She had studied everything there was to know about 399. This bear was iconic, known particularly as a wise and vigilant mother.
The bear’s age was the reason that the Nat Geo editor said she wanted a close-up picture—everyone assumed this could be the bear’s last summer. From what Kate had read, and from the grim remark by the ranger, that was a reasonable assumption. No one expected Grizzly 399 to survive yet another winter. Year after year, she kept surprising them. Kept emerging from her den, often with new cubs. A few years ago, she came out of hibernation with quadruplets—a rare occurrence for a sow. Keeping four cubs well-fed and well-protected was no small feat for a bear of any age.
This summer could be the start of Kate’s wildlife photography career. She could sense it—something was coming her way. Something that could change everything.
And if she missed it, she’d be back to the zoo.
She reminded herself that it wouldn’t be the worst thing to go back there. It was steady work. She shot pictures of the animals for exhibit signs, as well as for publicity and marketing. Locally, she’d been gaining a bit of recognition after adding quirky captions to the zoo photographs she posted on Instagram. One of her hits was a group of majestic giraffes all looking in unison, with a mischievous monkey photobombing in the background, hanging upside down and looking utterly ridiculous. Kate’s caption for the shot: “The relative who never gets mentioned.”
She took a few more photographs of the elk grazing in the meadow. Such a peaceful moment. She was tempted to stay longer, but she wanted to check in at Jackson Lake Lodge, get something to eat, and plan out her locations for the week. It was one thing to read a guidebook about the national park, it was another thing to be here, surrounded by its vastness. Its grandeur.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, God, for bringing me here.
She put the cap on her camera lens, satisfied. This, she thought, was a good note to end her first day on. A very good note.
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