Mosaic Monday #107: Road Trippin', Part IV

October 17 - 19: Our Time in the Tetons

Mountains.  Wildlife.  Lakes and rivers.  You could say the Tetons are almost like home (smile)!

Before we even entered the Park proper, wildlife put in an appearance.  A bull moose was bedded down among the cottonwoods along the Gros Ventre river, and a cow moose grazed nearby.  The animals were encircled by a crowd of onlookers, so we did not add to the melee.  So, no photos, I am afraid.

Inside the park, a pull-out provides a stunning panorama of the Teton range, along with a helpful plaque explaining the source of the names of various features.  French Canadian trappers referred to the Grand, Middle and South Teton as "Les Trois Tetons", or "The Three Breasts".  Since the vista was so expansive, I decided a video would be the ideal way to capture it.

At 9.30 AM, we began our hike to Surprise Lake and Amphitheatre Lake.  Clouds scudded across the face of the mountain, and the 48-degree temperature suggested we might encounter a snow shower or two at the higher elevations.  It was a Saturday, and it quickly became apparent that the locals had turned out in droves to do this hike before winter truly sets in.  In the first hour alone, we saw 22 people.  In the meantime, the chipmunks were fully occupied collecting food - so adorable skittering away with mouths crammed with pine seeds.  At this elevation, autumn color was splotched on the hillsides as though a five year old had been let free with the paintbrush.

The switchbacks became more intense, and the terrain featured predominantly rock fields as we neared Surprise Lake. 

Spousal Unit pointed out some white pouches on the widely scattered pines, and pausing to read a notice, we learned that whitebark pine are critical to the Grand Teton alpine ecosystems.  The park is working to protect the trees from mountain pine beetle using pheromone pouches.  We began to see hikers already on the descent, and they warned us of breezy, cold conditions up top.  One said he had been chased off by a sudden snow squall.  So, we paused long enough to take pictures, but then hurried the remaining x distance to Amphitheatre to ensure good visibility.  When we arrived, I was wearing only a long-sleeved shirt on top.  Within moments, it was coat, hat, neck gaiter and both pairs of gloves!  Brrrr.  It was worth the view, including Canada Jays that were locating something to eat in this barren alpine environment.  And it wasn't our snacks!!!

We headed back to the trailhead, and were rewarded with expansive views of the valley along the way.  Also, we spotted a pine marten crossing the trail ahead of us.  This is only the second time on our lives that we have seen one of these elusive creatures.  It is always amazing to me that is possible for such a sighting on a popular trail - we encountered at least 30 people headed up while we descended, but I suspect we were the only ones that saw the marten.

The full parking lot was additional testimony to this well-liked trail, and so perhaps we should not have been surprised when a fox showed up there, looking for abandoned food or even a handout.  I was sitting on a rock, changing out of my boots, when it sauntered past me, not more than 10 feet away.  You could have knocked me over with a feather!  Spousal Unit caught this gorgeous creature on video, and several hikers with large sandwiches can be heard telling it "No" quite firmly as it eyed up their food!  Check it out - you have to see this jaw-dropping beauty!

As we discovered the next day, foxes frequenting parking areas is more common in Teton than we might have imagined - this sign was in the parking lot near Signal Mountain. 

We also noticed that the moose were prevalent at the Gros Ventre river each time we passed.  While I don't think it is safe to assume that they were all different moose, if they were, it meant we saw five moose!  Other wildlife during our visit included pronghorn antelope bison, elk, a hawk, 2 bald eagles and an owl.  Sorry that I don't have blog-worthy pictures of them!

Low-lying clouds limited many of the vistas as we drove through the Park on the second day, so we re-traced our route on our final day and obtained some reasonable photos.  Nevertheless, we were not completely satisfied, so we resolved to return in the future, perhaps a few weeks earlier in the season.  Watch this space!

Jenny was the Shoshone Indian wife of Richard Leigh, a trapper who served as a guide for the 1872 Hayden Expedition.  Jenny Lake is more than 250 feet deep, indicating the power of glaciers to sculpt the landscape.

We couldn't call ourselves proper tourists if we left the area without some souvenirs, so our last stop on the way south was downtown Jackson Hole. 

(above picture will enlarge if you click on it)

Fortified with some Starbucks coffee, we turned to the GPS to lead us to Mountain Green, Utah, the home of one of my brothers and his wife.  After six nights on the road, we licked our lips in anticipation of their hospitality, which is renowned in our family.  We had no doubt that good times and good cooking lie ahead.  For now, I will leave you with a Utah sunset as seen from the deck of the house.  Glorious!  

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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Mosaic Monday #106: My Thanksgiving

Hello, my dear friends.  The last few weeks, I have been regaling you with our road trip adventures.  I decided to take another tack with this post.  I like to listen to music while I'm house-cleaning, and a few days ago Don Henley was my inspirational selection.  His song "My Thanksgiving" has always been a favorite, but the lyrics struck a deep chord (pun intended) with me this time.  This song may have been released in 2000, but I think the sentiment is as relevant now as it was then.  I have included some recent photos, but the focus is meant to be the lyrics.  "For every breath, for every day of living  This is my Thanksgiving."

A lot of things have happened

Since the last time we spoke

Some of them are funny

Some of 'em ain't no joke

And I trust you will forgive me

If I lay it on the line

I always thought you were a friend of mine

Sometimes I think about you

I wonder how you're doing now

And what you're going through

The last time I saw you

We were playing with fire

We were loaded with passion

And a burning desire

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

Now the trouble with you and me, my friend

Is the trouble with this nation

Too many blessings, too little appreciation

And I know that kind of notion - well, it just ain't cool

So send me back to Sunday school

Because I am tired of waiting for reason to arrive

It's too long we've been living

These unexamined lives

I've got great expectations

I've got family and friends

I've got satisfying work

I've got a back that bends

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

Have you noticed that an angry man

Can only get so far

Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be

With the way things are

Here in this fragmented world, I still believe

In learning how to give love, and how to receive it

And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege

Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge

And I don't mind saying that I still love it all

I wallowed in the springtime

Now I'm welcoming the fall

For every moment of joy

Every hour of fear

For every winding road that brought me here

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

For everyone who helped me start

And for everything that broke my heart

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

Don Henley, Jai Winding & Stan Lynch

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the US, and wishing the rest of you many moments of joy!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #105: Road Trippin', Part III

October 15: Winter arrives in Yellowstone

We had big plans for the third day of our road trip.  A visit to Lamar Valley, a wolf watching destination since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995.  A hike to the summit of Bunsen Peak.  Well, do you want to read the "rest of the story"?

Departing the cabin at 7.45 AM, the temperature gauge read 27 degrees.  Brrr.  Perhaps I should not be surprised that it did not seem to faze the cow elk we observed standing in the Madison River.

Or the bison grazing along the road, as you see in the video below.  Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.  Yellowstone bison are special because they are America's largest bison population on public land and have not been hybridized through breeding with cattle.

By 9 AM, it was snowing.  Our truck was still sporting summer tires, so we took it steady.  We reached Canyon Village around 9.30 only to find the road north closed.  (We assumed because of snow, but I later learned - by reading the Park brochure - that this section of road was closed all year for construction!)  This basically ruled out a visit to Lamar Valley, as it would take too much time to reach the Valley through Mammoth Hot Springs and still fit in our plans to hike/visit the Mammoth complex.  I abhor backtracking, but there was no alternative.  Reaching "new" territory, we headed north from Norris Basin and shortly passed Roaring Mountain.

We tooled along, speculating about the visibility from Bunsen Peak, our chosen hike.  A few miles short of the trailhead, we could see red taillights.  Hmmm - more wildlife?  We pulled up behind a stopped car, the last in a line of at least a dozen vehicles, and the truck skidded slightly sideways.  Oh dear.  Not good.  Ahead, we could see some flashing lights, but not much else through the falling snow.  We waited 15 minutes, studying the map and watching several cars turn around and head back south.  One paused to talk to us, but couldn't offer any information.  We surmised that there was an accident ahead; the map showed the road entering a canyon with twists and turns.  Shortly, a plow came southbound, and we made the tough choice to turn and follow it.  No Bunsen Peak or Mammoth Hot Springs for us!

Our decision was rapidly affirmed as we squeezed past trucks skewed sideways on the road, and witnessed several vehicles in the ditch.  Our day seemed blessed by comparison!  We paused at Roaring Mountain for a couple of pictures.  Amid the steam and sulfur-rich gases, microscopic organisms are hard at work.  This barren slope, inhospitable to humans, is the perfect home for Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.  Billion and billions of these thermophiles live here, wearing away the mountain.  We also took the opportunity to select another hike - we don't give up easily!

Most of the route to Wolf Lake passed through a tangle of downed trees, among which lodgepole have emerged, sometimes quite thickly.  It must have been an intense fire about 20 years ago.  We encountered two stream crossings.  Downed trees had to serve as make-shift bridges, and with a slick covering of snow, it was tricky!

The sun was shining when we first arrived at Wolf Lake, but suddenly the wind picked up and it began to snow, so we didn't linger.  On the return journey, we took a spur to Ice Lake.  A log made for a snack spot, as we watched 2 coots bobbing on the lake, and listened to the screeches of a Clark's Nutcracker.

The clock read 3.45 when we reached the truck, and the temperature had risen to 37 degrees.  We contemplated another attempt at visiting Mammoth Hot Springs, but rejected the idea due to the late hour and the condition of the roads.  A bit of a disappointment, but we were soon comforted by the warmth of the cabin and another delicious meal from Head Chef.

October 16: Exploring Teton Valley

In my research of "things to see" for this trip, I read several recommendations for the drive through the Teton Valley for its scenery and quaint towns such as Tetonia, Driggs and Victor.  As we departed Island Park, with a temperature of 30 degrees and high winds, we were content to be in the truck for a bit!  We hurtled down Highway 20, noticing the numerous signs for snowmobiles - obviously a popular spot for this sport in the winter.  We also whizzed by a prominent sign for the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, and a quick consult of the map showed this would not take us much out of our way and could be interesting.  So Spousal Unit made a safe U-turn, and I am so glad he did - this road led to the Upper and Lower Mesa Falls - spectacular.

The Upper Falls had an extensive set of boardwalks that provided several vantage points and numerous placards with historic, geological and nature information.

If you would like to see (and hear) the Upper Falls in action, check out this video.

As we left the Falls, I was amused to see this snow pole.  If you had any doubt about the snowfall they get in these parts, that pole should erase it!  (The Lower Falls had only a distant overlook; we could see tiny people who had walked from the Upper Falls.  We will have to make time for that walk the next time we come this way.)

Our next destination was the Darby Wind Cave, which I had also discovered during my Internet research.  We were pleased to find that the temperature had warmed to a comfortable 42 degrees, and we set off with great anticipation.  The trail was remarkably diverse - pine forest, canyon, alpine meadows.  About halfway through the hike, you can spy the Wind Cave across the canyon.  Can you see it near the middle of the picture to the right?  If not, the collage below is from a closer vantage point.  Near here, Spousal Unit spotted a bright red bird at the top of a pine tree.  I grabbed my binoculars and soon had it in view.  Later, I was able to easily identify it as a pine grosbeak.

As we reached the headwall of the canyon, we crossed a dry creek bed and began the final ascent toward the mouth of the cave.  At one point, a rope is secured between trees to help hikers pull themselves up a particular steep section.  We were grateful for a set of steps that had been constructed to climb the final 30 feet or so.  That section was wet and icy and would have been treacherous without them.  (The blue speck at left is Spousal Unit.)  We had read ahead of time about the highly technical nature of this cave - with steep drop-offs and deep, cold water, most of it should only be explored by experienced spelunkers with full caving equipment.  We ventured about 50 feet inside, enough to get an an interior shot and an interesting picture looking out of the cave.  (There is a passageway from the drop-offs to a nearby ice cave, which produces a cold wind.  This is what lends its name to the Wind Cave.)

Looking at the thick brown foliage in the meadows, and the uncountable bare-branched aspen, I could imagine that this hike would be even more jaw-dropping in the summer and early fall.  The barren trees make it slightly easier to spot the Clark's nutcrackers and a Steller's Jay, while a hawk lazily circled overhead.  The sun came out as we re-traced our steps, and I thoroughly enjoyed the downhill tramp, absorbing the earthy autumn aroma and the pine scent cast into the air by the sun's rays.  (In studying the map for this post, I have just realized that while the trailhead for this hike is in Idaho, the cave itself is in Wyoming!)

We cruised on down Highway 33, with the Tetons looming on the southeastern horizon.  As you reach the summit of Teton Pass (8,431 feet) the valley that encompasses Jackson, Wyoming spreads before you.  I literally gasped out loud.  My picture of the valley is not the best, but perhaps you can get the general idea.

We passed several appealing bars; people were seated outside, soaking up the autumn sunshine.  On a normal day, we would have selected one and enjoyed a beverage.  But it is not a normal world, and all of them were much too populated.  We decided to go straight to our accommodation for the next 3 nights, a cabin at the Cowboy Village Resort in Jackson.  We sure were ready to eat when Head Chef put this on our table.  A fitting end to another wonderful day.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter