A Weekend in Jackson Hole

I was up and out early on my first morning in Jackson Hole. It had rained overnight and the moisture in the form of fog was lifting.  This handsome buck pronghorn was keeping an eye on his harem of does behind me. The pronghorn rut is later than the ruts for bison, elk, and moose.

I went to Schwabacher Landing to check on the foliage, and hope for a moose or two. On that morning, thick clouds shrouded the Teton Range, but I caught a quick glimpse of the Grand on it on a couple of occasions. 

As seen here, clouds in the west cleared for a few minutes and it took the obligatory Schwabacher Landing reflection shots.

A large bull moose was courting a cow at Schwabacher. While there, I thought this might be Hoback, but after seeing the photos on my computer, I don’t this it was. Either way, the bull was a welcome sight for my first morning in the Park.

In wildlife photography, there is often a lot of sitting, standing and waiting. Most tourists don’t have the time and patience it takes for both the best landscapes or the best wildlife shots. Unexpected opportunities can present themselves during the slow times! For a good part of the morning, clouds wrapped over the Teton Range, but for a few precious moments, the peak of the Grand appeared through the moody clouds. 

When a Moose beds down, you can be certain he will get up.  However, “when” he stands up is another issue! It can take hours. Sometimes, they stand up, stretch, then bed right back down on their other side. This bull did a lip curl, then followed the cow back into the thick willows. For all practical purposes, the “show was over”.

During the slow times, I look for small subjects like these berries and water droplets.  If I were to do a coffee table book, these detail shots could be used augment the big scenes and subjects. 

The Tetons usually get most of the photographic attention, but I like to keep my eyes open for other possibilities. This was taken from the Schwabacher Landing parking lot, looking north. 

Last year, the Park Service lifted the old John Moulton house off it’s old foundation, built a new foundation and rolled it back.  
This year, it appears the crews are finishing the project with a new chimney, plaster, paint and roof. Photographers can still get shots of the John Moulton barn .
 
If you look closely in the lower right corner, you can see “trouble brewing” along Moron Row. Small aspens are growing all along he east side of the road, and if left to do their “nature thing”, they will someday block the classic shots of the homestead. If you have ever stopped at Snake River Overlook, you can see how the spruce trees and lodgepole pine trees are blocking the view of the Snake River below. It’s obvious when you look at the photo Ansel Adams took back in the ’40s.

I was able to get a few shots of this sow at the end of my first day. She moved on up the hillside along the Moose-Wilson Road before the wildlife management personel arrived. The official volunteer told me I couldn’t be out of my vehicle. I suggested that the area I was in was outside the No Standing area. He called in and got a clarification that he was wrong, but was not appologetic at all about his mistake. By that time, the bears were out of sight and I left.

On my second day in Jackson Hole, it was windy and the park was crowded. I retraced the zones I had success in the day before, it just wasn’t happening. I went back to the Moose-Wilson road where I spotted the black bear and her cub. She crossed the road in front of my vehicle. About that time, another wildlife management team showed up. This time, they didn’t say anything about being outside my vehicle, but they stood in the places where I could have taken a few photos, but told everyone to move up or down the road. Frustrating! I never got a shot of them in the berries. I headed on home, but stopped at the Visitor’s Center to see the raptors on display by the Raptor Center. They had an Eastern Screech Owl, this Swainson’s Hawk, and a Golden Eagle on that Feathered Friday. 

The wedding was not going to take place until later in the afternoon on Saturday, so after a frustrating day in the park, I decided to go back south through the Hoback Canyon. When we came through Wednesday, there was a fair amout of yellow in the Bondourant area.  Sure enough, I found it. 

Instead of the standard Grand Teton National Park photos, I had a good time searching out appealing or interesting subjects near Bondourant.  I’ve always liked this classic barn and shed.

Several years ago, a fire raced through this zone near Bondourant and the Hoback Ranches. Many of the dead trees are still standing.

I spotted this little scene as I drove by, then did a U-turn and took a few photos. Early morning photography sometimes reveals opportunities that are unavailable as the sun gets higher and brighter. I headed back to Jackson and made it to the wedding on time. 

On my last morning, I tried for moose again. This “mid-sized” bull was along the Gros Ventre, along with several cows and a couple of smaller bulls. I was there before the first rays of light, shooting at high ISO speeds and lower shutter speeds. A few of the cottonwoods were beginning to turn. 

The bull milled around, ran off the smaller bulls, ate a few willow leaves, then moved back into the sagebrush. At just about the time the sun started lighting him up (photo below), he bedded down. Even with a “short session”, it felt like a successful outing. 

I was able to search for photo opportunities on four mornings while in Jackson Hole. One was great, two were good, and one was a stinker! Actually, I’d be happy with those results on average about anywhere. It helps to live in your favorite area, and if that is not possible, it helps to allow yourself at least three or four days to hit a great day, or even a great hour.  > M