“February is loaded with possibilities. Get out and find them! ”
February 2, 2016 :
Snake River Overlook: It was -10°F during the Alpenglow period this morning, but luckily, there wasn’t a lot of wind. The recent storm turned much of the valley into a Winter Wonderland! D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens
Frosted Fox: This fox got wet and needed to dry off. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens
Removing Ice Balls: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens
Winter Vixen: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens
February One-on-One Photography Excursions: Recently, someone sent a note asking if I offered One-on-One Photography Excursions in February. You betcha! I hadn’t updated some of the text on the Excursions page in a while, so I can see how it might have been unclear. I have openings in most of February still available. You can check out what I photographed in February (or any month for that matter) by clicking the appropriate month in the list near the top of the page. Here are links for the past two years: February 2015: | February 2014: I should probably mention I offer the trips all year. September is probably going to be a good one and a couple of spots are already filled.
February 1, 2016 :
We are starting February as a Winter Wonderland!
Winter Wildlife Opportunities For the First Weeks of February:
- Moose are moving to the river bottoms. A few bulls may still have antlers. Check the Gros Ventre and Pacific Creek.
- Elk are plentiful on the National Elk Refuge and along the east slope of East Gros Ventre Butte near the museum.
- Mule Deer are moving towards Kelly, into town and along the east slope of East Gros Ventre Butte.
- Bison are still occasionally seen in GTNP, but most are moving into the National Elk Refuge.
- Bighorn Sheep spend their winter on Miller Butte on the National Elk Refuge.
- Pronghorns: I haven’t seen any this year, but they could still be on the National Elk Refuge.
- Bears and many of the small critters are hibernating.
- Otters: Keep and eye on Flat Creek and around the Dam.
- Critters: Watch for Ermine, Squirrels, and Foxes. Foxes have been showing up in numerous areas.
- Wolves usually follow the Elk. A couple have been spotted on the Refuge and in the Kelly Warm Springs area.
- Mountain Goats are occasionally seen at the mouth of the Snake River Canyon near Alpine Junction. February can be a great month for them!
As always, I won’t have a lot of photos from the first of the month until I can get out and find subjects. For now, be sure to check out January. Many of the opportunities will be identical to the last couple of weeks of the month.
January 2016 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: A Monthly Journal
Also, be sure to check out February Journals for February 2015: February 2014:
Last night, I uploaded a new Feature Post called: Lightroom for Mobile. If you have Lightroom CC, you might enjoy a few new features that can save time and motion!
The National Elk Refuge has begun supplemental feeding of the elk. Until recently, the elk were scattered all over the refuge, but are now clustered in much smaller zones. The group of elk above were on the hillside along the Refuge road late in the day on January 31st. I went there looking for Bighorns, but they were high on the ridges.
Area Tidbits: I just noticed the Shell station dropped the price of unleaded gasoline to $199.9 per gallon. That’s great for the travelers, and it helps me afford to travel around the valley to continue posting images and info! MJ
Check back on this page often! I add photos and comments (almost) daily!