An excerpt by Tom Ingram:
In the spring of 2020, with COVID restrictions in full force, I received word that the famous grizzly bear 399 had emerged from her den with quadruplets. Given her fame and her age, there had been real concern she might not survive the winter. So when news broke that she had made it—and with four cubs—there was excitement across the country. I felt it too.
Within hours, I was out the door and headed on a 16-hour journey to Grand Teton National Park.
When I finally arrived at Pilgrim Creek, I was greeted by a mile-long bear jam. My heart sank. Photographers were already packing up, high-fiving, buzzing with excitement over the shots they had captured as 399 disappeared into the distance. I thought I had missed my chance.
Still, I decided to stay. I plopped myself down in a cold mud puddle, determined at least to get the infamous “butt shot” as she walked away.
And then, everything changed.
Suddenly, 399 turned around and began heading straight toward me.
The conditions were brutal. Heavy snow filled the air. The bears were moving too quickly to comfortably switch to manual focus, but autofocus kept locking onto the falling snowflakes instead of the bears. The cubs were playful and unpredictable, constantly shifting positions. I struggled to keep them all in the frame at once. One cub in particular always seemed to lag behind the others, just out of sync.
It’s moments like this that make us fall in love with nature photography all over again.
But then, for a few fleeting frames, it all came together. The cubs clustered close. Their faces aligned. The focus hit perfectly. In the middle of swirling snow and chaos, I captured all five of them—every face sharp and present.
Afterward, I just sat there in that icy puddle, staring and smiling at 399 and her new born cubs as they walked past at a safe distance, silently trying to send her a message: Thank you for letting us share you.
When everything aligns like that—the subject, the light, the timing, the emotion—it feels magical. Those are the moments that remind us why we endure the cold, the long drives, and the uncertainty.
It’s moments like this that make us fall in love with nature photography all over again.
Thank you 399 for all the wonderful memories. May you rest in peace.
Footsteps in the Flurry is available now as a framed fine art or metal print.
About the Photographer
Tom Ingram is an award-winning photographer with a passion for nature and wildlife. Tom’s objective is to preserve that perfect moment or capture that unique composition. To share wonders of nature that might not be easy for others to witness firsthand. With nature and wildlife photography, he especially loves being able to freeze wildlife in motion and capture details that the naked eye may miss.
