Blog - Page 111 of 172 - Teton Photography Club

August 9, 2015

FREE in Jackson Hole ~ Areas & Activities:

An Ongoing List of Things You Can Do and See Without Pulling Out the Pocketbook!

Jackson Hole is not necessarily a cheap place to visit. We’ve lived here at least 29 years and feel the costs firsthand, however there are quite a few frugal activities worth exploring. Some require a vehicle and bit of gasoline, but otherwise have little additional expenses involved.

Grand Teton National Park: A week park pass for GTNP costs roughly $30 and you’ll likely have to pay another $30 to enter Yellowstone. While the Park Service doesn’t state it anywhere, the entrance stations are seldom manned until 7:00 am. “Early birds” can slip usually slip through the gates without a fee, then stay all day. There’s no GTNP entrance station if coming into the Park from Yellowstone. There’s an entrance station at the south end if entering from Teton Village, but visitors can go to the Craig Thomas Visitor’s Center (for free) and then drive on south the entire length of the Moose-Wilson road without a fee. The eastern side of GTNP doesn’t have entrance stations at all. You can view Mormon Row, the Gros Ventre River basin, Kelly, “Shane Cabin”, Snake River Overlook, and Schwabacher Landing without having to buy a pass. Currently, GTNP does not charge a fee if entering the Park on bikes at the Moose entrance station. Only one person in a vehicle is required to have a Park Pass. The rest of a car load enters free via the one pass. Lastly, the National Park Service offers “Free Entry Days” several times a year. Watch this site or the Park’s web site for the dates.
Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center – GTNP: As mentioned in the previous section, you can go to the Craig Thomas Visitor Center at Moose, WY without ever having to go through an entrance station and having to pay the entrance fee. There are plenty of interesting exhibits, photos, and a wonderful book store. The other GTNP visitors centers are “inside the park” at Colter Bay and Jenny Lake. The Center is closed during the deep Winter months.
Ranger Programs: Many people probably will already have a Park Pass, so spend a few minutes going over the many free Ranger-led programs inside the park.

Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center: Located on the north edge of the town of Jackson on Cache Street. Additional agencies represented in the Center are the National Parks and Forest Service and the National Elk Refuge. There are numerous sculptures, displays and exhibits, along with rack cards and brochures about the regional businesses and activities. Just to the north of the center is a picnic pavilion, kids fishing pond, and a bird viewing platform.

Bridger-Teton National Forest: There are plenty of trails, picnic areas, and areas of Jackson Hole you can enjoy without spending any money. Consider a drive up the Gros Ventre, out to Togwotee Pass, south through the Snake River Canyon, up Curtis Canyon, or to Granite Hot Springs and Granite Falls. (Wading and swimming in the creek is free. There’s a concrete pool near the falls which has a nominal fee if you choose to use it) Camping is free for up to two weeks in many unimproved campgrounds, and there’s a reasonable fee at most of the improved sites. Alternative Places to Visit, Hike, Fish, and Photograph

Historic Miller Ranch: Throughout the summer months, the Historic Miller House on the National Elk Refuge is free to visitors interested in experiencing some of Jackson Hole’s history and preservation efforts. Click the link for details and hours of operation.

Jackson National Fish Hatchery: Located on the National Elk Refuge. Enjoy a tour of the facility and see cutthroat trout at all stages of growth. A volunteer will great you and give you a tour of the main hatchery building. Fishing is allowed in the stocked pond. Kids of Wyoming residents can fish for free. Adults need a Wyoming fishing license. Children of non-Wyoming visitors may still fish, but at least one of their parents must buy a license. Many of the Snake River Cutthroat Trout raised in the hatchery are released in the Fall into the Palisades Reservoir south of Jackson. They swim upstream into the Snake River and fill in the gaps in the system.

Jackson Hole Shootout: Held nightly (except Sunday) on the NE corner of the Town Square. Get there at 5:45 pm and be ready for some dancing’ and shootin’ at 6:00 pm.

Jackson Hole Live ~ Free Music Concerts: Throughout the summer, a series of free concerts are held at various venues. Check the site for specific dates, times and locations.

Concert on the Commons ~ Free Music Concerts: Sunday evening concerts are free on the Commons at Teton Village in July and August.

Jackson Hole Farmer’s Market: Held each Saturday morning at the Town Square during the summer months. Kids can play in the square, and parents can enjoy the sights and sounds. Entry is free, but you can spend some money on fresh fruit, pastries, and so forth. The JH Public Market is held on Wednesdays at the base of SnowKing Mountain. 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Memorial Day and 4th of July Parades: Always free! They usually begin around 10:30 am. The Fireworks shows at SnowKing and Teton Village are also free on the 4th.

Gondola Ride at Teton Village: Throughout the summer, you can ride the Bridger Gondola to the Coulior Restaurant for free. Show up at 4:30 pm and bring your camera and jacket! Most Saturdays are booked with private parties and weddings, along with some Fridays, so it might be best to call earlier the day. There’s a large deck for relaxation and viewing. They serve appetizers and drinks, but people are not required to buy them. The ride down is free, too!

Wilson Beach: That what the locals call it anyway. Head out of Jackson and look for the sunbathers and kids splashing along the bank on the West side of the Snake River. There are parking areas on either side of the highway.

Rubber Raft Rides on the Snake: This is popular with the teenagers and the younger crowd during the summer months. Innertubes and air mattresses are illegal within GTNP, however are allowed in some areas south of town. Most of the people put in at the new ramp (VonGontard Landing) five or six miles south of Jackson and then float to the Astoria boat landing a few miles down the river from Hogback Junction. As with any water activity, this one has a degree of danger, so please use all necessary precautions.

Teton County & Jackson Parks and Recreation Parks: The Town of Jackson maintains several community parks around town. Kids can play on the playground equipment and there are picnic tables and shady areas for some cool air and relaxation time. Miller Park is close to downtown. The Mike Yokel and May Parks are in east Jackson. Powderhorn Park is located near Pizza Hut and McDonalds in West Jackson. Several parks have volleyball and tennis courts. Click the link for maps and directions.

JH Skate Board Park: The free park located near the High School baseball and football field. The park was expanded a few years ago and features a large bowl, mini bowl and plenty of “street” features. Contests are held at the park periodically and viewing is free.
High School Football, Basketball, and Other Sports: Free admission to all High School sporting events.

SnowKing Trail: Throughout the summer, hikers can take a trail from the base area to the top of SnowKing mountain, then ride the chairlift down for free.

Snow King Climbing Rocks: Aside from the other parks listed above, the Snow King public park has a free rock climbing area. Walls for all skill levels.

Bike & Hiking Path System: The Teton County / Town of Jackson system of asphalt covered paths is constantly expanding. Hikers and bikers can take advantage of the entire system for free. Walkers and hikers area also allowed along the road on the National Elk Refuge. I recently read there are over 50 miles of paved paths and countless more hiking and biking trails. Some of the more popular trails are on Snow King Mountain and up Cache Creek.

Winter Cross Country Skiing: There are several commercial cross-country ski trails which will cost money, but there are several free areas.

Stargazing: Jackson Hole has some of the darkest skies in the U.S. All you have to do is drive out of town a few miles to see the amazing heavens as few other people see them. This area draws plenty photographers wanting to capture the Milky Way and constellations. As mentioned earlier, the east side of GTNP has no entry gates. The Mormon Row barns are popular subjects to include under the stars. Note: This shot was taken inside the Park, but the entrance stations are usually closed by late evening and you can drive in without having to pay.

Slide Lake: This area is popular with wind surfers, canoeists, and family swimming.

National Museum of Wildlife Art: Entrance into the actual museum has a fee, but the exterior areas do not. The museum is located a few miles north of town and overlooks the National Elk Refuge and Sleeping Indian mountain.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art has an impressive Sculpture Trail with great views of the valley floor. During the Summer of 2015, watch for the Ai Weiwei group of twelve Zodiac sculptures.

Teton County Fair: The midway and most exhibits at the fair are free to view and enjoy. It costs to ride the rides and go to some of the bigger events.

Fishing: Okay…it takes a Wyoming Fishing License to be able to legally fish in the state. If you have the license, you can find quite a few good places to fish in the region—and your children 13 and under can fish free as long as the license bearer is with them.

Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival: Many of the events at the Fall Arts Festival are free to the viewing public. This shot shows the “Quick Draw” event held during the Festival.

Jackson Hole Gallery Association’s Art Walk : Enjoy Jackson Hole’s world class art galleries on the third Thursday of the month from 5-8pm. Parking is free downtown. You don’t have to go on the Art Walk to visit the town’s art and photography galleries.

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August 4, 2015

String Lake to Cascade Canyon

Fog on String Lake

Distance (one way): 6.2 miles (to the end of Cascade Canyon)
Difficulty: Easy
Best time of year: Summer, Fall

On a normal summer day, I wouldn’t go anywhere near Cascade Canyon unless I were coming out from a larger, overnight trip. However in late July of this year, we received an unusual dusting of snow in the higher elevations. I probably would have gone backpacking to get a better view, but I had already made plans days earlier to be in town in the morning. However with those plans cancelled at the last minute, I decided to spend the morning getting some good views, and the closest views I could get in the shortest amount of time were in Cascade Canyon. I knew String Lake would look spectacular as well, so I started there at sunrise.

The String Lake trailhead itself has some spectacular views of the Tetons from several different vantage points. At the trailhead, the trail bends west, toward the Tetons, to wind around more of String Lake to ultimately fork to either head to Leigh Lake or up into Paintbrush Canyon. Another option even branches off to complete a loop around String Lake. To get to Cascade Canyon, I began heading south just 100 yards or so to the bridge that crosses the lake, where it begins to transition from less of a lake and more of a runoff of rapids, connecting String Lake to Jenny Lake.

Fog on String Lake Runoff

The trail winds along the connector through a relatively recently burned forest from 1999. Along the way, great glimpses of the Tetons whet your appetite on one side, while on the other the water cascades down the rapids providing some peaceful natural white noise. You’ll soon come across a fork. Left will continue you along Jenny Lake and up toward Cascade Canyon for 1-1.5 miles, the other will bring you around to the other side of String Lake to make the loop toward Paintbrush Canyon. I continued left, and enjoyed having the trail to myself at such an early hour, taking pleasure in the little things that were all around. Soon enough, I found myself on the northwest side of Jenny Lake with tremendous views of the fog clearing off of the Cathedral Group of Tetons.

Breaking Fog on Teton Mountains

The trail continues along the burned area, skirting the lake and teasing views of the Tetons as they get closer and closer. As I got closer to the older, unburned forest, I noticed a healthy black bear near the trail, but as soon as he saw me, he was gone. Unfortunately it was one of the camera shy bears, otherwise known as “still wild.” Once in the older forest, my views were blocked of the Tetons, so I quickened my pace to get up the Horse Trail access to Cascade Canyon, which is found just before (north) of the boat dock, which fortunately still hadn’t made its first trip yet for the day.

The Horse Trail climbs up the back side of Inspiration Point for about a mile or so, connecting with the Cascade Canyon Trail west of Inspiration Point. Also due to construction and trail enhancement efforts, this is also the only route this season to get to either Cascade Canyon or Inspiration Point. Most visitors head straight to Inspiration Point and tragically never see the tremendous beauty just a short distance up Cascade Canyon. I had no interest in seeing Inspiration Point that day, so I continued back into Cascade Canyon to get the great views of the tallest Teton Peaks with some new snow on them before it melted off.

The views throughout the canyon are impressive at any time of day, but in the (still relatively) early morning light with clouds and fog breaking up throughout the peaks, revealing the recent snow, the trail was simply euphoric to be on. Knowing I had it to myself gave it an extra layer of peace as well. Over the course of the 3.5 miles to the back of the canyon from the Horse Trail fork, waterfalls poured down the south side of the canyon from the highest reaches of the Grand Teton and Mount Owen, all the way down to Cascade Creek nearby, while pika constantly called out from the boulders. A couple of miles up the canyon, I was getting a shot of the peaks with the July snow on them and a local couple on their way toward Lake Solitude (or possibly farther at their pace) caught up with me and made a general comment about how nice of a morning it was. I mentioned, “Especially with the new snow on the peaks.” They looked up at it apparently having not noticed it at all prior, nor apparently had they seen the weather alert about the storm the previous day. Even so, their pace never even slowed. They simply looked curiously up at the peaks and continued on their way. I personally was having plenty of fun soaking in the views on my way up the canyon until I had finally reached the fork to head into the South and North Forks.

Cascade Creek and Teton Mountains

I was hoping to make it as far as either Lake Solitude in the North Fork or Schoolroom Glacier in the South Fork, but checking the time, I had already eaten up half the morning and I unfortunately had plenty to do in the afternoon. They’d have to wait for another hike.

I had drunk a liter of water at breakfast, but since I hadn’t had any water to bring with me, I had filled up a liter earlier in the hike and was just now getting around to purifying it. The fork is also a good spot for a snack, so I went to grab one and knocked my bottle of freshly-purified water onto the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh that I had carried that liter of water for about 4-5 miles for no reason. I was able to fill up again though just a short distance back down the trail.

On my way out, the trail began to fill up with people. Backpackers coming out of the higher elevations caught up with me since I stopped frequently for photo ops. Other tourists that had gotten an early start were also out exploring the deeper reaches of the canyon. Between the growing number of people and the sun getting higher up in the sky, my motivation for photography began to wane and I started making my way out, but not before watching a cross fox run right past me on the trail! Unfortunately he was so quick I wasn’t able to get my camera ready in time for any decent shots, but I was delighted to have seen my first cross fox in Grand Teton National Park after living here for nearly seven years. The only other cross foxes I’ve ever seen have been in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

Clearing Fog from Peaks

Along the way, I took a little pleasure in seeing the diversity of people that were out on the trail. There was the large family decorated in Cabela’s gear who weren’t acknowledging a single other person, all of them looking like they were satisfying a requirement being back there than actually enjoying it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was an extremely friendly and excited Australian couple who couldn’t wait to tell me about a deer nearby. They were wearing different pieces of clothing that showed their support for predatory animals in the ecosystem, and were also very easy to strike up a conversation with.

Once I was back on the Horse Trail, there were significantly more people, many of them wondering how much more they’d have to climb and if this supposed great view was even worth the effort. Of course since Inspiration Point was their destination, many will never even see the best views just a short distance in the other direction. I always like to have a quicker pace going downhill to go with the momentum, but of course with so many people, I had to jump off the trail to let them by or dodge them completely. The crowds never did let up all the way back to the parking lot, so I was thankful that I had had that morning of solitude all to myself in such a typically populated area.

TIP: To avoid the crowds, try hiking these trails either at sunrise or in the fall after the Jenny Lake shuttles have stopped operating for the season.

To see more images from String Lake and Cascade Canyon, check out my gallery of the Teton Mountains Backcountry.

Getting there: From downtown Jackson, drive north 12.3 miles to the Moose Junction and turn left (west) and continue through the town toward the entrance gate of Grand Teton National Park. Once through the entrance gate, continue north approximately 10 more miles, until you reach the North Jenny Lake Junction. Take a left (west) there and follow that road for 1.5 miles until you reach an intersection. Take a right (west) and park at the first pullout on the left just off the intersection. To include more of String Lake in this hike, follow the road until it dead-ends into a large parking lot. The String Lake Trail will follow the lake back to this parking lot as well. From the first parking lot, look for a wooden foot bridge crossing the lake to get you on your way up the trail.

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August 1, 2015

August 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH:

A monthly journal of wildlife reports, scenic opportunities, and tidbits for both photographers and Teton visitors!

Recent Daily Updates Archives:
2015: Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2014: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2013: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug:

Check out the August Overview!

Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP . Get a quick look at 12 months side by side.

August 1, 2015 :

Sunrise: Clouds hung close to the horizon in the Northeast, filtering the rising sun. D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull Elk: A nice sized “poser” near the Jenny Lake Junction. The amber/gold cast in this shot was a result of the filtered sunrise light seen in the previous photo. D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mother Moose and Calf: Taken from the overlook along the Moose-Wilson Road. I finally got to see the Black Bear and two cubs on the Moose-Wilson Road, but I didn’t get shots. The gravel portion of the Moose-Wilson Road will be closed on August 4th for dust abatement. D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Upcoming Plans? If you are planning a trip to the region, here are a couple of suggestions:

All Summer: Jackson, WY: Farmer’s Markets ~ Saturdays on the Town Square.

All Summer! Jackson, WY: Rodeo on Wednesday and Saturday nights all summer.

All Summer! Jackson, WY: JH Shootout on the Town Square at 6:30 nightly (except Sunday).

West Yellowstone, MT: Smoking Waters Mtn. Man Rendezvous: July 31-August 9

Fort Hall, ID ~52nd Annual Shoshone-Bannock Festival & Pow Wow ~ August 6-9, 2015

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have openings most dates in August. September is mostly filled, but ask if you are interested. The trips are designed to help people learn to use their DSLR cameras and help photographers find some of GTNP’s nice shooting locations. Click the link for more information. (Golden Era Studios / Mike R. Jackson is an Authorized Permittee of the National Park Service and the National Elk Refuge.)

August 1, 2015 :

2 Years at Best of the Tetons! I just hit a milestone. Technically, yesterday was the two year anniversary of the first post here on Best of the Tetons: The West of Yesteryear and Today. Thanks to all the readers and subscribers! As always, I can use your help to spread the word about this site. I also encourage people to sign up to follow the blog to receive first notices of new posts. Hopefully, I can keep this going another year! Cheers, MJ

Blue Moon! Last night was a “Blue Moon”. That’s a term for the second full moon within one month. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Blue Moon & Grand Peak: I shot these two moon images with a Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens on a steady tripod. The typical mid-toned gray peaks were still being bathed with early morning rose colored light. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull Elk Looking Back: Taken near Jenny Lake on the Teton Park Road (Inner Loop Road) D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Biker and Blurred Tetons: I stopped along the highway to try my hand again at capturing a cycle rider. Streams of them are heading north each morning to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Spearfish, SD. Check the July 2015 Daily Updates and Photos: page to see a couple from yesterday. In one, everything was frozen. I had a blurry pan—similar to this one. July was a GREAT MONTH for me. I had a lot of variety of subject matter and chances to take plenty of photos, so check out the page! D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Note: Feature Posts usually contain photos and information about a “specific topic” while the Updates and Photos (like this one) contain photos and comments I add each day.

Afternoon Horses: Taken near Teton Village in the late part of the day. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young Wrangler: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Sweet Ride Home: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Quick Notes:

Flat Creek on the National Elk Refuge, Blacktail Ponds, and Cottonwood Creek below Jenny Lake opened to fishing today. As I drove north before sunlight, the parking lot was full already!

The gravel portion of the Moose-Wilson Road will be closed on August 4th for dust abatement.

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July 30, 2015

The Other Side of Doubt and the View 22 Project

Rainbow Over Aspens

Earlier this season, I was honored to have been included in the Jackson Hole Land Trust’s View 22 Project. In previous years, only a handful of local artists were selected to portray lands that the Land Trust has protected over the course of their existence. This year, however, they expanded it to 35 artists covering all different mediums. As one of the 35, I happily agreed.

The property I was assigned is a small piece of land located along the border of town along the Flat Creek corridor, between Snow King and Josie’s Ridge. As someone whose favorite places are away from civilization and light pollution, I began to have a little trouble finding the motivation to see what kind of photo I would ultimately capture. I was most thinking of trying to get a shot around sunrise and night, but this proved to be a little trickier than I initially anticipated. I never could find the right conditions at night because of frequent stormy weather, nor could I manage waking up early enough to get there for sunrise due to responsibilities I was managing into many nights. Days began to drift to weeks, until the deadline for getting in some info back to the Land Trust about the final image was rapidly approaching. The pressure began getting to me and I actually had to restrain myself from telling them that I wouldn’t be able to get an image done due to too busy of a schedule.

With the deadline for some info looming only a week away, I began to doubt if I would ever get a worthy shot of the property. Realizing I was just stressing myself out and putting too much pressure on something I do so naturally anywhere else, I finally released myself from all the doubt and pressure that had prevented me from doing anything at all. I decided not to stress myself out with it, but simply accepted that as a worst case scenario, I would just head up there at the last minute one night and get what I could.

The deadline for the info was now just a couple of days away when I found myself heading into town during a stormy day for other priorities. I happened to be parking nearby the property for something entirely unrelated, when I noticed a spectacular rainbow beginning to come out. I checked the time to see if I could spare a few minutes, and sure enough, there was a window of opportunity. I grabbed my camera and rain gear and ran up into the property and began photographing every angle I could, until I ultimately ended up with the image above. The rainbow started to fade nearly as soon as I got this shot, almost as if it were just waiting for me to take advantage of the opportunity. My camera gear was (relatively) soaked, but I was excited about the serendipity that had unfolded right in front of me. I couldn’t have planned it any better. All the elements I wanted were there with no sign of town. All I had to do all along was just relax.

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