The morning we left Grant Village turned into a 'vcation day.' We got up at around 9 AM - mostly because the clock was set wrong (PM instead of AM) and the alarm did not go off. Breakfast at Grant Village was very good.

We started off and headed out towards the East Enterance. We drove over fishing bridge and took some scenics over Lake. However, the road was under construction and we turned around before hitting the Sylvan Pass. We were hoping to find grizzly, but were not able to. We DID take some more wild flower photographs. They were great.

We cut down (south) and re-traced our foot steps, going back around Grant and up towards Old Faithful. We stopped at the Midway Geyser Basin at about 1 PM and napped for about 1/2 hour. Then, we photographed what we could. The sky had nice fluffy clouds and even though the hour was late, the light was not overly-objectionable (at that time, often, the light is so strong that it is very hard to photograph).

I used the 10-22 for most of the shots at the Midway Geyser Basin. I was surprised that given how much water was all around the parks (much higher water levels than in past years) that the geysers in the Midway Geyser Basin appeared to be so empty. I do not know what could have caused this. However, one of my favorite places to photograph became a bit of a disappointment photographically.

Later, we climbed the Artist's Paint Pots Trailhead. It was interesting because biologists were working in the stream bed with some park rangers.

Afterwards, we made our way towards the West Gate and drove to Jackson Hole via Montana and Idaho - going down Route 22 through Ashton, Driggs and Victor. We have been debating purchasing land in Victor or Alpine as an investment property. Victor, IMO, was the nicest town within 25 miles of Jackson (though tiny in comparison to Jackson) and relatively close to the Parks area. However, I now understand the price differential in land. Jackson is VERY expensive. The outlying towns are incredibly affordable.

It was a bit odd to see the Grand Tetons backwards...:) It is a pity that the weather was cloudy and hazy as I think that it would have potentially been a nice photograph...particularly at sunrise. Normally, most photographs I have seen are taken from the other side of the mountains (often from Schawbanger's (sp) point).

It was here that we had the opportunity to find out what "The Pass" is. All I can say is 'whoa.' The Pass is a road that goes up the edge of the mountain between Victor and Wilson Wyoming. It also has no guard rails for much of the drive. While it was definitely 'doable' during the summer, the idea of going up that in the winter on an icy road - or at night - is daunting. I have never seen anything like that in my life.

We wound up in Jackson at about 7 PM and stopped in on our friend, Janet, at the Buckrail Lodge (where we were staying). In my opinion, this is the neatest and cleanest lodge in Jackson and is very affordable. We have been staying there for years and the proprieter has become a friend over time. It was nice to be back - and to have a TV again (the rooms in the parks have no TV...which was OK). They have no telephones in the rooms but do have wireless internet. Go figure. :)

We ate at a restaurant in Jackson called the Merry Piglets. The salsa is QUTIE good - and even though the food was decent, I was still lamenting the loss of their chips, which used to be in the shape of pigs ears.

We got in, did our first web log, and crashed til the next morning.

-JM

[quote]
We ate at a restaurant in Jackson called the Merry Piglets. The salsa is QUTIE good - and even though the food was decent, I was still lamenting the loss of their chips, which used to be in the shape of pigs ears.

James, we ate at the same place.....being from Texas we needed our Mexican food fix...lol.

We are now in Colorado Springs.....Manitou Springs to be exact. When I get back to Texas I'll post links to my pictures. I think there is some really nice stuff. I did go to West Yellowstone and have two DVDs burned of my first 4 gigs plus of pictures as I was not trusting my Delkin Picture Pad. I now have another 4+ gigs to offload and/or burn before doing some more work here in the Springs area. I hope to go out and shoot some fly fisherman who will actually catch something.

Did you see any eagles or the trumpeter swans near West Yellowstone on the Madison River?

Moose?.... I was able to finally find some nice bulls and got some great shots but the mosquitoes chased me away before he finally moved down to the river to drink. I waited and waited for that opportunity but lost out to the blood suckers.

Sorry we didn't get to hookup.....would have been nice to meet you.

-JM [/quote]

Hey Johnny,

Glad to see you made it out. :) Where did you see the Bull Moose?

As for bald eagles - yes, I saw several in the park - mostly the South West areas from Old Faithful to Madison Jct. Otherwise, most of the big birds were Ospreys. I saw several geese/swans in the Oxbow Bend area of the Tetons.

-JM

My wife and I were up and out around 7:30 AM. We stayed in for coffee with the Colonel. Afterwards, we did breakfast at Jedediah's in Jackson. Jedediah's is 'home of the sourdough pankcake.' Everything is sour dough...and sour it is. When they say it, they mean it. They make a decent omelette, but I was not prepared for the breads/pancakes (reguardless of the name).

We started off down the Moose Wilson Trail and the Death Canyon Trail Heads. Moose Wilson leads out of Teton Village. It was beautiful. We saw two moose cows while there - both appeared to be adolescents to me. Old enough to be on their own, but not mothers themselves.

We spent several hours photographing the moose. However, I wound up getting poison sumack (or some such skin rot) while in the folliage. It was worth it.

Afterwards, we went to Jenny Lake and did some hiking. We got back to Jackson at around 4:30 PM so we drove out behind the Elk Refuge looking for Bighorn Sheep. None.

At 6 PM we met a wedding photographer friend of ours in Jackson. He took us to the various galleries and introduced us to David Brookover - a very nice fellow with some spectacular work. We then did dinner at Pica's and called it a night. Tomorrow we were to drive back to Salt Lake City and fly back home (almost).

We looked at some investment properties in the Jackson area. I am anxious about purchasing anything do to current property costs. However, I am not sure about the great fall of prices that most experts are talking about. I MAY decide to purchase 25 acres in nearby Victor (as I said earlier, a beautiful town on the wrong side of the pass). It may some day be a nice place to retire to.

We stopped in on another friend who owns a B&B in Jackson (Tom and Nancy of The Grand Victorian Lodge) and then drove out to SLC. We went back South Via 89 again, HOWEVER, we made some changes to the route that shortened it significantly.

At Montpellior (sp), we veered off of 89 for a short while - that allowed us to cut about 2 hours off of our trip while still providing a very scenic view. We cut across 80 West into Salt Lake City.

We called it a night and went to the airport at 6 AM on the 26th...to Providence to pick up the cats and then to Manhattan thereafter.

-JM

I figured that this might be a good time to put up some pictures that I like from the weblog. I am going to try to put the whole thing together with a full collection of shots for a front page article.

-JM

These shots were all from Sunset in Mammoth to early morning going towards the East Enterance.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1454_Elk_Silhouette_web.jpg

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1433_MammothSunset_web.jpg

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1549_deerFawn_web.jpg

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1753_phantelope_web

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1877_coyotee_web

This is one of the hot spots for looking for Wolves in the Yellowstone area. This group is the Slough Creek Wolf Pack (well, this is just a photograph of some trees and reflections...but I am referring to the group of wolves who inhabit this area) pushed out the Druid pack that used to inhabit the Lamaar Valley. They are now called Agate.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1895_sloughcreek_web.jpg

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_1899_marmut_web.jpg

This baby moose and his momma were being hounded by folks...I really thought that someone was going to get hurt. Fortunately, no one was injured.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2322_moosebaby_web.jpg

The next shot is of a moose cow from the Moose-Wilson Road that Sheebs and I were talking about earlier.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2961_Moose_web.jpg

This is a shot of the Tetons from Idaho. I know the sky is a bit hazy, but it is such an interesting perspective of the mountain range to me - particularly because we never see it this way in any of the photographs.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2707_TetonsFromIdaho_web.jpg

I figured I would post some new elk shots!

This first shot was taken half in jest. I have been getting the impression that the only thing that matters to people are the elk's antlers.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2425_ElkAntlers_web.jpg

The following two shots were taken in the Canyon area.

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2492_Elk_web.jpg

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/forshow/_MG_2580_Elk_web.jpg



-JM

I saw the bull moose along the Gros Ventre River.