March 2018 Daily Journal for JH & GTNP

“Watch for Hints of Spring During a Traditional Winter Month”  March 1, 2018 Thursday
Sooty Wolf Wildlife Notes for Early March: With the recent snows, it looks like most of the Elk and Bison have finally made it to the National Elk Refuge. Still it’s a light snow year and some of the Bull Elk have moved back north to the Gros Ventre River area. Coyotes, Raven, and Magpies are on the Refuge feeding on Winter kill carcasses. Moose are seen much less often in the sage flats and appear to be moving back to the river bottoms—generally scattering into the valley. Mountain Goats have been scarce lately, but I expect good activity in March. Bighorns are still visible on most days on the National Elk Refuge. Eagles and Great Horned Owls should be on nests soon. Watch for flocks of Cedar Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks feeding on the remaining crabapples, choke cherries, and Mountain Ash berries. There have been occasional sightings of Wolves and even a Mountain Lion around the valley. The cold nights have been freezing most ponds and slow moving portions of the streams. Swans and other waterfowl adapt as necessary, finding open water zones. Rough-legged Hawks are seen regularly on Spring Gulch Road and along the Elk Refuge fences and power poles. Continue reading "March 2018 Daily Journal for JH & GTNP"

When Things Seem Slow in GTNP: Options and Suggestions

Come to Jackson Hole!

Sunrise Moose Expect to see towering mountain peaks, panoramic vistas, moose, deer, elk, bison, pronghorns, bears and wolves! You’ll see all of them on the brochures and guide books, but it can take a bit of luck and a lot of persistence to actually see them. There are days when I am driving around and think to myself that I am glad I don’t have a Best of the Tetons Photo Tour that day. The animals, aside from a few ravens or magpies, are simply not visible. It can be perplexing—even for someone who has lived here over 30 years! If you scroll through the years of images and pages on Best of the Tetons, it is evident the animals are here. The magnificent mountain range on the west side of the valley never moves, but at times I might not seem them for a week to ten days. Sometimes it feels like Mother Nature is pushing back! So, what do you do when things seem slow? Continue reading "When Things Seem Slow in GTNP: Options and Suggestions"

Government Shutdown 2018 :

Grand Teton National Park, National Elk Refuge, & Jackson Hole Information.

Government Shutdown – Déjà vuThe last Government Shutdown occurred on October 1st, 2013 and lasted 16 days. Timing was terrible! It happened to be during peak foliage season so the park was very busy. Most federal agencies seemed unprepared for any sort of shutdown. It took them a couple of days to “close the park”, put up barricades, and inform the public of the details of the closures. The National Park Service and National Elk Refuge were more prepared for the current 2018 shutdown—each with contingency plans. Fortunately, this Shutdown occurs during a much slower time of the year and less people are affected. Continue reading "Government Shutdown 2018 :"