Monthly Archives: October 2011

Rocky Mountain Gold – Day 10 – Grand Teton National Park

We arose early on day 10, first to check the weather, then to travel quickly to an area of the the park known as Mormon Row.  Since this would be our last day in Grand Teton National Park it was very pleasing to find that the weather was perfect for sunrise photography.

At Mormon Row we intended to capture the light from the rising sun illuminating the Moulton Barn with the Teton mountains as a backdrop.

Moulton Barn at Sunrise, Mormon Row

The Moulton Barn is probably one of the most photographed barns in North America. It dates back to the turn of the 19th century when mormon homesteaders settled in an area of Antelope Flats known today as Mormon Row. Few of the original 35 homesteads remain, but those that do offer lots of photographic opportunities.

The Pink House, Mormon Row

Mormon Homesteader Barn, Mormon Row

Grand Teton View from Mormon Row

Later in the morning we travelled across the park to photograph an area at the foot of the Tetons known as String and Jenny Lakes.

Reflections on String Lake

Jenny Lake and Tetons

After a short break back in Jackson Hole it was time to set off on a 200 mile journey to Green River. This would be a staging stop only as we would travel on to Glenwood Springs (Colorado) and Durango later in the week.

** Disclaimer** Above images are quick previews specifically for this blog so that friends and family can see how I’m getting on.

Rocky Mountain Gold – Day 9- Grand Teton National Park

As per the weather forecast day 9 began with heavy rain. Our plans to visit the Moulton Barn for sunrise were abandoned, instead we took an early breakfast.  After breakfast we headed towards the Gros Ventre area in search of moose. On past trips to Grand Teton NP I had always been fortunate in seeing moose in this area and sure enough we weren’t to be disappointed this time. A small family group comprising a bull and two cows were spotted at a location were the Gros Ventre river comes very close to the road, so access was relatively easy. Getting an unobstructed shot proved more difficult, but we did succeed.

Bull Moose, Gros Ventre River

The remainder of the morning and early afternoon were spent dodging in and out of heavy rain showers, but we did manage to get some very nice shots at Schwabachers’s Landing and along the Snake River.

Clearing Weather at Schwabacher’s Landing, Snake River

Cottonwoods and Teton Mountains

Schwabacher’s Landing, Snake River

By late afternoon the rain had eased considerably, so we headed back over to the Gros Ventre in the hope of getting some shots of sunlit cottonwoods and aspens alongside the river and hillsides. We also spent some time photographing the moose family that we’d spotted earlier in the day.

Moose, Gros Ventre River

Gathering Clouds, Gros Ventre

Given the weather conditions were so bad for most of the day I think we had a fairly successful days photography. As it’s our last day in Grand Teton NP let’s hope tomorrow brings better weather.

** Disclaimer** Above images are quick previews specifically for this blog so that friends and family can see how I’m getting on.

Rocky Mountain Gold – Day 8 – (West Yellowstone to Jackson Hole)

Day 7 was to be our last day in Yellowstone. Fortunately, we awoke to reasonably kind weather, but the forecast for the afternoon wasn’t so good.

The route between West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole allowed us to visit a few stops that we’d previously missed. These included the Lower Geyser Basin and West Thumb. On our way to the Lower Geyser Basin we came across a large heard of Bison grazing on the frosted grasses of Fountain Flats meadow. Needless to say we didn’t need much encouragement to stop and take a few shots. During our short stay the bison moved back and forth across the road. So, one minute the meadow was crowded with bison and the next only a few remained. The following photograph shows a couple that decided to stay put and enjoy the grazing.

Bison Grazing in Frost, Fountain Flats Meadow

The Lower Geyser Basin is only a short distance along the road from Fountain Flats, so the stop for the bison didn’t delay us too long. The following is one of my favourites, and was taken in the run-off area below Silex Spring.

Acorn in Bacteria and Algae Pool, Lower Geyser Basin

Our next planned stop was West Thumb Geyser Basin, which was a good hours drive away. When we arrived the sun was out, but clouds were gathering (here comes the rain again).  West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, and is inaccessible in winter. Therefore, this would be my first visit and I didn’t need much encouragement to walk around the various pools. Some are a lot more colourful than others, but all were worth a shot or two. I particularly liked the moody lighting and clouds patterns shown in the following shots of Blue Funnel Spring and Abyss Pool.

Blue Funnel Spring, West Thumb Geyser Basin

Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin

Having finally got some photographs of West Thumb it was time for us to travel on to the Grand Teton National Park. As we drove along the lakeside we came across a grove of aspens backed by conifers. The contrast in colours was spectacular, but when the sunlight began to shine along the top of the conifers we got really excited. I think the following shot shows why we spent the best part of 30 minutes at this particular spot.

Orange and Green, Jackson Lake

Our last stop before heading on to Jackson Hole was String Lake. This is one the three small glacial lakes that lies at the foot of the Teton mountains. There are some very nice walks along the shoreline of String Lake and this presented us with plenty of opportunities to photograph the mix of colours from the trees reflecting into the lake.

String Lake Shoreline, Grand Teton National Park

Weather for day 8 is forecast to be horrid – heavy showers in morning turning to continuous rain in the afternoon. Fingers crossed the forecasters are wrong.

** Disclaimer** Above images are quick previews specifically for this blog so that friends and family can see how I’m getting on.