Early Spring in Grand Teton

In mid March, it is already spring in Grand Teton National Park this year. Snow began melting in the valley, and water began running down creeks… There is plenty sunshine everywhere!

The large Jackson Lake in the Park is still solid frozen at this time of the year. Snowshoeing cross the lake and exploring coves and islands are the only experiences left of this winter.

Many other smaller lakes along the valley can be explored with snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Taggard Lake and Bradley Lake are right under the base of the Tetons. These lakes would have perfect reflections of the Tetons during summer.

Creeks connecting the lakes were slowly melting… and bears already woke up at this time. One of my favorite spots; Tetons and Snake River.

Mormon Row and Grand Teton

This old barn and the rugged Teton Peaks are well known photo locations in Grand Teton National Park. You may have seen this iconic scenery in a poster or postcard before. I always wanted to photograph this scenic view at sunrise, especially during a winter in snow.

Normally, snow in the area is very deep, at least several feet, and the road is closed. However, this winter is mild in the Grand Teton area, 40 percent less snow fall than average winters. Snow is melting fast in March; the road is open earlier this year but still enough snow for “winter scene” images.

One morning in mid March, I was setting my camera before sunrise. I was hoping for a beautiful alpenglow on the Teton Peaks. The sky was clear, around 7:30 (thanks for the spring time forward), the east horizon was becoming slight orange and the whole area turned to pale blue. Then, the tips of the Tetons lit up magenta. The light was gradually shifted to lower peaks and the mountains were colored salmon pink!

The alpenglow was fading in a few minutes, and warm light enveloped the whole area. I was moving up to other historic buildings and took some shots. This historic homestead, called “Mormon Row,” was originally built in 1910s by early settlers.

I liked this historic outhouse!

Someday in summer, I’d like to go back there for another sunrise shot with green grass and meandering river foreground.

Sunrise at the Tetons

Alpenglow on the Tetons is one of the most beautiful scenes you can imagine. When it’s clear (preferably a few clouds around the peaks), the first pink light hits the tips of the peaks… then gradually widens across the whole mountain range. As the morning progresses, the rose color began to fade, and the sun’s rays light up the whole mountain.

One of my favorite views is the Tetons from the pass where I live at this moment. One cold morning before sunrise, 20 degrees below zero, I set up my camera at my favorite spot, and waited until the sun came out… it took for 20 min, My fingers began to stiffen despite my warm gloves; my toes began to tingle with pain despite my heavy boots, and my cheeks lost sensation… Finally, the sun came out and lit up the distant peaks.

As the sun rose, warm golden lights brighten the aspens on the hill. The Tetons were already in full of sun. The snow crystals sparkled on the intricate grasses!

Another day, I was setting up at the famous “Snake River Overlook;” the eastern sky was turning vivid red right before sunrise! I turned around, and shot the most amazing colors in the sky. Then, I turned to face the Tetons again… The glow on the mountains was stunning, but merely ordinarily beautiful compared with the other side of the sky. Sometimes, we find something better than what we looked for.

On the way back, a bull moose cross the road right behind me.