For years, I had dreamed of spending a night at the historic Old Faithful Inn. That evening, after photographing Yellowstone's Lower Falls, I returned to the lodge excited to review the day's images. While editing, I noticed something I had completely missed in the field. My attention at the canyon had been on the waterfall, the changing light, and balancing the composition. I never saw the Yellowstone River below the falls glowing with gold. Behind me, the setting sun had turned the western sky brilliant orange, and for a few fleeting moments that warm light reflected into the river as it wound through the canyon. I've never witnessed that color there again. The photograph reveals another quiet contrast that I didn't fully appreciate until later. Above the falls, the river is calm and almost motionless, gathering itself before the plunge. Seconds later, that same water explodes over the edge with tremendous force before continuing its journey through the canyon and beyond the frame. That evening, sitting in one of America's most iconic lodges, I realized I hadn't simply photographed Yellowstone's Lower Falls. I had discovered a River of Gold.