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.

Bighorn Sheep

Whisky Mountain in Wind River Range (about 55 miles east of Jackson, outside of Dubois, Wyoming) is famous as a bighorn sheep habitat. Over 1,450 sheep live in the area.

Searching for herd of sheep to photograph one day in March, my friend and I drove over the Continental Divide to Dubois. Although Togwotee Pass and Jackson were in still in the midst of snowy winter, it was already spring in Dubois. Rather than white, the desert valley showed bare brown ground. Flowing water surged through the creeks.

Last time I was in Whisky Mountain Basin, I only spotted two rams on a mountain ridge, way beyond the reach of my telephoto lens. I was so disappointed as there were hundreds of deer all over the place. I was eager to capture images of bighorn sheep before I leave this area at the end of March. The weather was nice with streams of bright blue sunshine.

After passing the town of Dubois, we drove over the dirt road that leads to Whisky Mountain Basin, adjacent to a meandering creek framed in willows. There was thin layer of fresh snow over the desert ground. I was eagerly searching for a glimpse of sheep on the rocky cliff along the dirt road. I couldn’t spot a single sheep or deer, not even on the farthest mountains. In the warm weather, wildlife moves up higher elevations.

So, we decided to hike up Whisky Mountain for a while.

A few hours later, we came back to the car and drove all way back on the dirt road. I didn’t even look for sheep anymore. Suddenly, I spotted a group of animals sitting on a large flat rock. Hallelujah, sheep! A herd of bighorn sheep were resting and chewing grass only 30 feet from the road! We parked the car, approached, but they didn’t seem to care. All of them had a pair of small horns on their forehead, but I didn’t see any ram with big curly horns. I slowly open the door and walked out… click went my shutter. Slowly I moved around them to compose more shots. They were still chewing grass in a relaxed manner. After awhile, a few of them cautiously stood up and began walking. Several followed. There were a few lambs in the herd. They found another patch of grass to chew only several feet away from their original place. It was magnificent scene, all those sheep just quietly pursuing their peaceful life.

Sunset from Angle Mountain

I’ve been snowshoeing a lot this winter. Snowshoeing is the best way to explore winter photo opportunities in deep snow at Togwotee Pass.
I climbed Angle Mountain (a 1,600-foot ascension from the trailhead, 10,300 feet) with skier friends one afternoon. It was very steep… I’ve been snowshoeing a lot, but it was my first time climbing at that steep an angle in the snow! My two friends were climbing with skies!

It was snowing hard almost all day… The sunlight broke through sometimes and pieces of blue sky were visible. The trail was snow covered, of course, so we made our own trail and did a number of switchbacks across the side of the steep mountain. We climbed through the trees, and then onto the open ridge… The trees were snow coated on the ridge. I love those “white trees!”

Recently, I’ve been working on outdoor adventure images. My two skier friends were good model for the day! When they skied off the summit, they created a trail of beautiful powder!
I followed them by climbing down the steep trail… it was still snowing. The sun peaked through a hole of heavy clouds, and beamed down to the distance hill. It was a breathtaking view…Then, as we approached sunset, the hole between clouds widened, and a perfectly west horizon appeared… The last sunlight brightened up the fog underneath. The whole sky turned bright orange! And that orange color reflected on the snowy meadow and the road below… Amazing! The magic of the last sun on a snowy day. I was in a right place at the right time!

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.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Jackson, Wyoming!

I wish Happy New Year 2010 for all of you.