Yellowstone and Grand Tetons - 06/15 to 07/02

[Sotol Vista]

for the whole photo album....go to my web site..

http://www.james-benton.com/index.php?/category/261


We arrived in Jackson Hole about noon last Friday. We went into town and found a grocery store to get a few small coolers and some food and supplies for a week. Then we headed up to Grand Tetons and checked into our room. We drove around the Tetons for a while getting the lay of the land and looking for some critters. We saw some pelicans which I thought was odd for as far north as we were. I thought those were coastal birds….but little do I know


Saturday
We get up early for some sun rise photos, and I spot my first Grizzly. Then head off to Yellowstone to do a quick survey to get familiar with the place. We checked out the Old Faithful area and explore around the many other geysers and thermal pools.

 
Sunday
We get up early and have some breakfast then head towards the south entrance of Tetons and check out this road called Moose road I believe. Well anyway we did come across a female Moose just munching and drinking in a pooled up area in a stream, snapped a few pics Then we headed out of the park and Drove out to Dubois, WY. To visit and old friend I have not seen in about 19 years.

My friend took us out east of Dubois to some private land to check out some 3,000 year old petroglyphs. They were real easy to get to, and there are more in the area, but it’s on even more private land and the land owners don’t like visitors . We had a really great time catching up and all and plan to go back next year.


Monday
We headed back up to Yellowstone and explored around the Storm point / Indian pond area. We had the place to our selves except for a few buffalo. We found a really big femur bone, probably from an elk or a buffalo. We then headed back up to the Old Faithfull area and got there just about 5 minutes before old faithful went off. I was really not impressed with old faithful, but at least I have seen it now.

We had an early dinner at the Old Faithful lodge and enjoyed a nice huckleberry ice cream desert. We headed up north on the west side of the park where we came upon 2 Grizzly yearlings or slightly older. What fun to watch this pair eat and walk about.


(cont..)

[Sotol Vista]

Tuesday
Up not so early this day. We headed out back to the north side of Yellowstone and hit the Lamar Valley area, this was our favorite part of the whole park. We then hit Tower then Mammoth hot springs area.
We decided to see if we could find a lodge room out of the east entrance to cut down on dome drive time. We found a nice place in Silver Gate, which is just 1 mile out of the park.


Wednesday
We head out early to meet up with Doug, the wolf researcher to go spot some wolves in the Lamar Valley area. We get up on the hill and set up the spotter scopes and Doug points the scopes in the right direction for us. We spot a big Grizzley who was just wandering around getting his morning grazing done. Then about 5 minutes later I see a white wolf and Doug said it was the Alpha Female. Then about 10 minutes later the Alpha Male appeared. It was very cool to watch these beautiful animals do their morning thing. I know very bad pic….but she was VERY far away


The Alpha female left the den area and my wife watched her through the scope catch some small mammal and eat it !! cool. We all watch the Alpha female make her way across the valley headed east. Then Doug spots another grizzly eating on a buffalo carcass that the wolves had taken down the day before. It was so cool watching that grizzly go to town on that buffalo. The funny thing was when ever the bear would really pull on it, the stiff leg of the buffalo would rotate around and smack that grizz up side the head .

We then go back east some and hike Trout lake to see if the otters were out. No luck with the otters, but the cut through trout had started spawning so we slowly walked up the stream some to watch these guys start their journey up stream….very amazing.
We then head on back over to the west side and I go hike Fairy Falls which was a real nice treat.



(cont)..

[Sotol Vista]

Thursday
We get up late again and have another great breakfast at Signal mountain Lodge.
We stayed in the Tetons this day to explore around there some. We head over to the boat dock and take a ride over to the other side of the lake to hike up to Hidden falls and inspiration point. On this hike, it truly felt like I was at a major amusement park. I could hardly navigate around all the people and crying kids.


The falls were indeed beautiful, but the enjoyment of them was not what it could have been due to the sheer number of people back there. My wife took the boat back across, while I decide to hike back to the boat dock. We then went to an area in Tetons where we saw some beaver dens and wanted to check it out to see if we could see any beavers. Well we were in for a treat. We got to the area and it was full of people. There was a Black Bear (the cinnamon version) munching on a beaver carcass.


We drive on in to Jackson Hole and check into our room there so we can enjoy the night in the nice little town. We ate at the Mountain High Pizza Pie, at the recommendation of CactusFlower and man was that some good Pizza.

Friday
Got up early to head back into Tetons for one last round of animal spotting before we fly home. We did not see much besides 2 elk. We headed back to Jackson and had breakfast. Then we packed up and headed on home…




James

[Al]

James, incredible photography!  There must be more!

Al

[Terlingua50337]

It's been way too long since I was last in that part of the world. Man to have been there with the likes of Jim Bridger, John Colter, Jeremiah Johnson, Jedediah Smith, Fremont, Sublette......

Great pics

[MilesOfTexas]

Thank you for sharing those fantastic photos!!!  For those that haven't been to his website, there is a ton more of great stuff!!!

[chisos muse]

SV, your photos are awesome, as usual! I really like the petro of Stewie Griffin with an afro! 

[Sotol Vista]

thanks everyone..... its NOT Big Bend by a long shot, but it will NEVER replace BIBE as my happy place.

Al

for the whole photo album....go to my web site..

http://www.james-benton.com/index.php?/category/261

[CactusFlower]

Sotol Vista, the pictures are great!  I hope I see half as much wildlife as you did when I go backpacking there in September.  And, glad you enjoyed the pizza place in Jackson.  Thanks for sharing your trip.  Wonderful.

[fartymarty]

Excellent photos James! You saw more bears than I ever did up there.

Here is my favorite:

I didn't see any shots of Yellowstone Canyon, were the crowds and congestion just too bad in Canyon Village?

[bjbriggs]

Good Photo's, I just got back from there.  Didn't see any bears, but I saw that wolf.  It was way too crowed for me.

[ambersdad]

Looks like a blast!  Nice photos.

I need to acquire a bear can and do some camping in bear country before heading up there.  Hope to do it next spring.

randy

[iCe]

Good Photo's, I just got back from there.  Didn't see any bears, but I saw that wolf.  It was way too crowed for me.

Go in November. It's almost empty... just don't go too late or the park will be closed. They shut down for a month to get ready for the winter season

[tjavery]

Great photos, James. I'm enjoying this report very much!

[randell]

You could decorate your whole house with photos from that one trip!  I gotta get up there sometime.