Kyle Ploehn is an artist, illustrator and writer living in Billings Montana. He likes to spend the few hours he isn't painting hiking the mountains of Montana.

Fading is the second painting from the lost buffalo series, in which I explore the tragic tale of the great american buffalo and their decline into near extinction. The image for Fading came to me while I was painting The Coming Storm and it was so impacting that I had to stop what I was doing to do a sketch.

I wanted to convey the great herds disappearing in a visually disturbing way as a symbol of the needless brutality, but I also wanted to leave the idea of hope as some buffalo outrun their extinction and lead on in the memory of those that were lost. I also wanted to play upon the short memory of the world, fading not only refers to the buffalo themselves, but also our recollections of the past. Fading acts as both a prologue and epilogue to the tale of the buffalo, tragic but hopeful.

Canvas Prints of 16x32 are available for $250, 6x12 poster prints matted to 11x14 are available for $45. Contact me at [email protected], if you're interested in purchasing a print or visit my website http://kyleploehnart.blogspot.com

While most people around the country have just about had it with this winter that never ends, one man is reveling in its quiet and solitude in northwestern Wyoming. And why not? He's the Winter Keeper at Yellowstone National Park. Our Cover Story is reported by Lee Cowan:

To understand Steve Fuller and his passion for solitude, you have to understand his job.

He's the winter caretaker of Yellowstone National Park -- one of just a handful of hearty souls who remain in this wilderness long after the Summer tourists have gone.

"What an extraordinary landscape, huh?" he said. "You see all kinds of animals passing through -- Grizzly bears, big herds of bison, elk.

"When you're out alone, you don't want to make any noise. You wanna whisper if you're talking."

Cowan asked, "How do you describe your job here?"

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"I usually start off with caretaker, and their immediate response is, 'Have you seen 'The Shining'?" he laughed.

A peak inside Yellowstone's deserted Canyon Lodge, and you can see why.

GARDINER — If you think Yellowstone National Park’s Boiling River feels hotter this winter, you’re right.

The temperature of the thermally heated water that flows into the Gardner River at a popular swimming hole has been increasing slightly since August of last year, park spokeswoman Amy Bartlett said.

In August, the temperature was about 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the past seven days, the temperature has ranged from about 136.5 to 139.5 degrees.

These temperatures are too hot to swim in, explained park geologist Henry “Hank” Heasler, but dilution with cold water occurs where the Boiling River meets the Gardner. He said 120 degrees is the temperature considered “scalding,” which can burn people, especially children.

Park regulations prohibit swimming in hot springs and runoff that are of entirely thermal origin. The prohibition is two-pronged — one, thermal features are fragile and can be damaged by human activity; and two, hot springs are dangerous because water temperatures can spike suddenly.

But park regulations allow swimming in many places where hot water meets a cold water stream — like where the Boiling River meets the Gardner. The swimming hole is located within the park between the North Entrance at Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs.

Longtime locals swimming at Boiling River on Feb. 22 said the water seemed hotter than they’ve ever remembered it. A small cascade of hot water which in the past has been pleasant to sit under was unapproachably hot one recent Sunday, Post said.

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