A Week in The Wild!!!
- Barbara
- May 5
- 6 min read
We flew back to Wyoming Saturday morning, April 26th. Both legs of our flight were uneventful, something you can usually only wish for. And, when we landed in Jackson, it was a gorgeous day.
Mount Moran
The Teton Mountain Range
Getting Ready to Land and Start Our BIG Adventure!
On The Ground!
After unpacking quickly and installing a couple of trail cameras, we headed into Jackson for provisions and dinner at the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse. Naturally, we had a cocktail at the Million Dollar Bar before dinner!
Sunday morning, we were up early. In part, due to the two hour time change, but also we had planned a trip into the Grand Teton National Park and wanted to get an early start.
Along Spring Gulch Road, we saw my second favorite local . . . (after moose, of course!)
Also Along Spring Gulch Road
More Elk
The View from Bar B C Ranch
We Spotted A Moose at . . . Well . . . Where Else? MOOSE, WYOMING!!!
Sandhill Cranes
Elk Re-Growing Their Antlers after Dropping Them in March
More Elk as We Approached the Moran Entrance to The Grand Teton National Park
As Don handed our annual Park pass to the Ranger at the entrance, I noticed a pine marten next to the road. It was moving faster than I could, so it's not a great shot; but you can tell it was a pine marten and particularly special to see it at the entrance to the Park!
The Scenic Oxbow Bend
At Oxbow Bend - A White American Pelican
Further into the Park, as we drove North, we spotted a red fox at Pilgrim Creek Bridge. It had run across the road and down the bank on the southbound side. Don stopped the car and I jumped out to see if I could get a quick photo. There was hardly any traffic in the Park and no one was in sight. The fox proved to be foxy and was no where to be seen. As I walked behind the truck to get back in on the passengers side, I noticed that the fox had doubled back behind us, running in the opposite direction. Don turned the truck around and we headed back down the road until we saw that it had stopped and had began to hunt. As it turned out, we had outfoxed the fox!
Success!
.
Trumpeter Swans
The View Crossing Jackson Lake Dam
We knew this year was going to be very different. Every Spring we rushed into the Park to get a glimpse of 399 and her family. After her tragic death last Fall, we weren't sure what we would see, but we knew it wouldn't be 399. As luck would have it, we saw 610, in her usual territory, in the Oxbow Bend/Willow Flats area! She is now 18 years old and a daughter of 399. She gave birth to triplets in 2022 and kicked them out last May. When she exited the den this year, she was alone - no new cubs. Spending the winter in a den without little ones to tend to must have given her a chance to tend to herself. She was looking very healthy!
While I was setting up a tripod and camera with the long lens (600mm), Don took some amazing photographs, with the Mac Daddy Lens (200mm). By the time I had my rig set up and was ready to shoot, she was ready to go.
She soon headed into the wooded area and, although we spent some time hanging out in the same area, we didn't get to see her a second time.
After a couple of hours touring with no new photo ops, we headed out of the Park and back to Moose Point Lodge. The Teton views never get old.
We had some housekeeping matters to attend to on Monday and on Tuesday we had appointments scheduled in Idaho Falls & Salt Lake City, so we spent the day on the road . . . taking care of business. No photos ops there!
Wednesday, we went for a hike behind the house. It was a beautiful day.
Afterwards, we drove back down to the "Park behind our house" and Don did a little fishing. I went down for moral support, which he really didn't need. He had a fish on, before the truck was out of sight!
Not the biggest cutthroat trout he's ever wrangled, but the first fish of the new season. Not a bad way to start, if you ask me!
A second cutthroat was hooked and netted pretty quickly. Don made it look so easy.
We saw a sandhill crane as we walked back to the truck.
And a bald eagle.
Later that afternoon, the view from our hot tub deck, as we slipped in for a relaxing soak.
Friday, May 2nd, we hopped in the truck and headed back to the Grand Teton National Park. We never get tired of that amazing place. Passed this homestead on Spring Gulch Road along the way.
The Moose Entrance to the Park opened May 1st, so we entered the Park there.
Jackson Lake was still mostly frozen.
Oxbow Bend
Spent a little time watching the pelicans at Oxbow Bend on this trip.
They were very entertaining. Further up the road, we spotted a raven perched on a Park sign in front of a very frozen Jackson Lake.
And even further up the road, almost to Flagg Ranch, we spotted a huge male grizzly bear. Don estimated he was about a half a mile away. Looked more like 5 miles through my big camera lens. We took a couple of photos with our scope and cell phone attachment. Again, not great photos, but it's the best we could get.
We watched that beast for a little while through our binoculars before deciding to move along. Heading south, another view of the Grand (Grand Teton Mountain, that is).
Down in the Willow Flats area, we spotted a great blue heron, very well camouflaged.
We stopped to play in the snow.
And, spotted another bald eagle.
With all of the snow around, you'd think it was freezing. Well, you'd be wrong. it was 68 degrees on Friday.
Jumping for joy, just to be back in Wyoming!!!
We took the scenic Drive around the Jenny Lake area for a couple of photos.
Back on the road, we spotted a coyote.
Back down at Oxbow Bend, we ran into a young artist at work. She and her boyfriend were from the Northeast, but now living in Idaho Falls and they came to the Park as often as they could for her to paint. She was off to a beautiful start with this project!
A Seale on a rock.
We exited the Park at Moran and were delighted to see the Bison herd had returned.
Two for one! Elk herd and a gang of bison. They look like they might be headed to the Cowboy Bar, to tear up the place.
We stopped at Dornan's for a cold beer and dinner. It was a wonderful ending to a fantastic day!
But, the photo ops weren't over! We spotted another great blue heron on our way home.
Saturday morning, we went for a walk behind the house and spotted these mallards. It's Spring in Wyoming! Two girls for every guy.
A red tailed hawk.
A couple of mergansers were swimming along, but didn't take too kindly to my invasion of their privacy.
After lunch, Don went back down to do a little fishing. I stayed at the house and baked some Big Soft Ginger Cookies. Yum!!! Now, this is a nice cutthroat trout! And a great selfie shot.
A second good looking cutthroat. He seems to have better luck when I'm not there to record his successes. Hmmmmmmm.
He pulled in three fish that afternoon, but had several more "got aways". Here's one that he set free after hauling it in. It looks so cool in the water which, as you can see, is crystal clear!
What a week!!! It's going to be hard to top this one, but we'll try. You just never know what you might see, here in the Wild.
Take care and have a wonderful week.
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