Welcome to October! Foliage Reports September/October 2015 :

October is a month of big changes. This page will contain mostly wildlife and landscape images, plus area tidbits, events and activities. The Foliage Reports page will be a little more “foliage” specific and include updates as I get around to the various areas of the park.

In my opinion, the two “sleeper months” in Jackson Hole are May and October. They have lots of possibilities, yet they don’t get the fanfare of months like June and September. Through the end of October, most of the roads are still open, yet the bulk of the summer crowds have left the valley. Animals are active longer and days get shorter. With the sun lower in the sky, the quality morning light lingers longer. Check out October 2014 and October 2013 to get an idea of what to expect this month!

Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP .

Click the link above to get a quick look at what you might expect to find with all 12 months side by side. Hint: Click any of the months below to see how previous years looked!

Daily Updates Archives:
2017: Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: |  Apr: |  Mar: | Feb: |  Jan: |
2016: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan: 
2015: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | 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:

October 31, 2015 : Halloween

Welcome the Winter season to the Tetons. With howling winds, rain, and drizzle, I stayed home and culled images while watching college football games. All I had to do was look out the window today to know I was making good use of my time.

I also created the template for tomorrow’s new November Daily Updates page. Watch for it tomorrow.

Road Closures:

• Inner Park Loop Road from Taggart Lake trail head parking area to Signal Mountain Lodge.
• Moose-Wilson Road from Death Canyon road to Granite Canyon trail head parking area.

October 30, 2015 :

“For anyone considering night shots along the inner loop GTNP on Halloween, dispatch says the Rangers will sweep the road (then close it) about 8pm. So the road closes technically before the 11/1/15 date on their website.” via Ann Ruttle on the Teton Photography Group Facebook page.

Morning Peak: The overnight weather reports predicted clear skies at daybreak. That was enough to get me out early. I headed to the Old Patriarch area, but clouds covered the peaks like a shower cap. I gave up and drove down the Moose-Wilson road, hoping for some wildlife. I saw a few deer and elk, but no moose, foxes, or owls. This was taken near the south gate. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

Second Morning Peak: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

Aspen Trunks: Also taken along the Moose-Wilson Road at first light. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

Grand and Clouds: Taken near the North end of the Moose-Wilson Road. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens. 

The Setting Moon: I believe this is the north side of Teewinot. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

Old Patriarch Tree: I ended up where I started out. Clouds were still covering the peaks, but I took a chance and hiked out anyway. Today, it paid off. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens. 

Just Peaks: Taken from the Inner Park Loop road near the String Lake Junction. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have an opening for the last week of October and most dates in November. 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.)

At this time a year ago, Darla and I were in Hawaii…Maui to be specific. It was a great trip, but I still enjoy being within a few miles of the Tetons! Halloween in Maui ~ a never ending supply of willing subjects!

Afternoon: I hit the short window about as well as I could have this morning. Not long after taking the last shot above, clouds began rolling in again. By mid-afternoon, skies to the north are white and cloudy. Weather reports call for rain and snow most of the weekend.

Here’s a story in the JH News & Guide of local interest: “No pathway in Moose-Wilson plans. The long-awaited Moose-Wilson Road draft plans are out, and the park’s preference includes no pathway the length of the road and a one-out, on…”  The option the Park Service chose includes quotas for people wanting to go north or south on the Moose-Wilson road. Check out the link to read much more on the topic.

October 29, 2015 :

Preening Beaver: Still shot taken a minute or so before switching to video. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. 

Preening Beaver at Schwabacher Landing:  I thought viewers might like seeing the Beaver in action. I switched over to video for a short segment this afternoon.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.  (This clip was trimmed in Lightroom, then exported as MP4 in Low quality.)

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have an opening for the last week of October and most dates in November. 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.)

JH Loose Ends: All signs have been removed along the construction zone near Moose Junction. The 1.1 mile bike path addition is now open. Most of the bike path work between Jackson and the Snake River bridge has been completed. Daylight Savings time ends at Midnight Saturday night. It has been raining and snowing in town over the last couple of days. Snow should be covering the mountain tops when the clouds clear. The Elk Hunt is underway in some areas of Grand Teton National Park. Wear orange in those areas! Grizzlies will likely be moving into areas with shooting and gut piles. The Inner Park road will close at Midnight on October 31st. Gasoline prices have been steadily dropping.  Self-Serve Unleaded gasoline is averaging $2.41 at most stations in town.

October 28, 2015 :

Alpenglow at Schwabacher’s Landing: It was 14°F when I was standing at this spot this morning. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Schwabacher and Setting Moon: I wore my waders and boots today to be able to get past the two banks of grass that has grown in the still pool. That only works if no one else is around to complain about you being in their scene. The textured area in the water (near the center of the scene) is ice. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Beaver Den with Morning Light:I was using Aperture Priority at F/11 with ISO set to 100.  D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

October 27, 2015 :

Beaver’s Big Back Paw: I’ve never had much of a chance to see a Beaver’s rear foot. This one was at Schwabacher’s Landing. A bull elk was killed by a hunter at Schwabacher’s yesterday. Here’s the story in the JH News & Guide: Bull elk poached along Snake  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grand Peak:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Sleeping Indian Sunset: The snow line on the East side of the valley reached very close to the valley floor this morning. The Teton Range had snow, but the snow line was only at about the top 1/3. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 26, 2015 :

Bull Elk: I drove out hoping for some landscapes, but clouds and rain rolled in. I found a few bands of Elk crossing the road at Windy Point. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Elk Herd: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Trumpeter Swans: Taken along Flat Creek. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

On the 31st of October, the Inner Park Loop Road closes to vehicles until May. That’s a major Park artery, but definitely not a finite shut down. Schwabachers, Snake River Overlook, Mormon Row Barns, Chapel of the Transfiguration, and parts of the Moose-Wilson Road will still be open. Antelope Flats Road does not close until mid to late December, based on snowfall and drifting.  Other roads south of the Gros Ventre River don’t close for a while — like access to Curtis Canyon. I’ll probably make a trip to Rock Springs and Green River to photograph Wild Mustangs. Bighorn Sheep may be excellent at Dubois.

Beavers Crossing Dam: This shot at Schwabacher’s Landing helps show the difference in size between the adults and youngsters. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver Wrestling Branch: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Winter’s Stash: The beavers are cutting down branches, twigs, and even small trees and dragging them to their new den.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver Over Dam: One of the challenges of photographing Beavers is getting their tail in the shot.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver in Evening Gold: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 25, 2015 :

Standing Cub: On my way home from Cody, I was lucky enough to run across Raspberry and her remaining cub on Sylvan Pass. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Grizzly Cub: Both were feeding next to the road. A Law Enforcement officer was on the scene, but letting people stand close enough for some nice shots. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Raspberry Portrait: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Raspberry: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Gray Owl: Taken at Lake Junction in Yellowstone. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 24, 2015 :

On the Road! I am posting from the motel room in Cody, WY.

Running Mustangs: I left town late yesterday and made it to Cody last night, then was out early looking for wild mustangs at McCullough Peaks Horse Management Area (HMA). D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Pintos: The peak in the distance is Heart Mountain. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Jack Rabbit in Air: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Prairie Dog: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black Stallion and October Moon: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

I had a good morning and a very good afternoon.

October 23, 2015 :

I was checking the morning weather report and saw this link. You might enjoy seeing his photos: Astrophotographer David Lane /Night at the National Parks.

Friday With Moose

Washakie and Custer: Custer roamed back into the scene this morning. There was no confrontation, but I don’t think Custer was as intimidated by Washakie this time. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Custer in the Cottonwoods: The spots on the shoulders and down tine on his right antler help identify this bull. He also lacks a long dewlap. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The Scent: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Sparring Partners: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Slow Approach: I believe most of the moose rut is over, but the bulls are still checking on the cows. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Resting Cow: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Other Wildlife: A nice herd of Bison were along the south end of Mormon Row. The road will be closed by tomorrow for the beginning of the Elk Hunt. A few Moose have been seen regularly near Moose Junction, along with a Fox around the Dornan’s restaurant area and Chapel of the Transfiguration. Check out the map on this document: Elk Brochure for more important information about the Elk Hunt.

October 22, 2015 :

Moody Morning at Sleeping Indian: Taken from the Gros Ventre Road.

Morning Moose: Taken along the Gros Ventre River. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Long Shadows: There was a beautiful bank of low clouds developing under the Teton Range this morning. I drove to Mormon Row and waited for the Grand to begin peaking out the top. The sun was low and directly behind me this morning. It cast my own shadow into the scene, so I pulled out the CamRanger and motorized hub. I included this photo to show the problem and my solution.

I snapped this shot using my Nikon D4 and the 14-24 lens, hand holding the camera off to the side. My shadow is still in this shot but this shot was only intended to show the equipment. For the low shots, I use a bean bag with a home made platform. A clamp holds the motorized hub, which holds the body. The CamRanger is connected between the camera and hub. Today, I used my iPhone 5c to control the camera. The Spirit Level lets me level the entire unit.

The CamRanger controls almost all functions of the camera except the zoom on the lens. I was able to pan around from side to side and up and down, composing the scene while standing off to the side. Focus, ISO, and Aperture can be controlled off camera. All it takes is a click on the “capture” button on the iPhone to trigger the shutter. The photo on the left shows the unit mounted over a tripod.

Note: I set up and used the CamRanger in conjunction with the motorized head today. I could have mounted the camera directly to the base or to the ball head— eliminating the motor unit. I could have looked through the Live View image on the iPhone to compose the scene, balancing the base over the bean bag. The motorized hub and controller are nice toys, but are not absolutely necessary for this kind of shot.

Irrigation Ditch: Taken at the T.A. Moulton Barn on Mormon Row. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Another Angle via the CamRanger: D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

High Angle: For this one, I held the camera over my head and looked at the back LED with Live View turned on. I “aged” the barn roof in the two earlier photos. This one was left natural. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

John Moulton Barn: The low clouds were too attractive for me to leave this morning. For this barn, I used the targeted adjustment tool to isolate the roof and simply desaturated the bright red shingles. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Peach House: Some people call the John Moulton house the “pink house”.  D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Beaver on Rocks: Afternoon activity at Schwabacher Landing. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver with Branches:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver Crossing the Dam:   D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 21, 2015 :

Foggy Sparring: The entire valley was blanketed by fog this morning. Several moose were close to the Gros Ventre Road, so I stopped to work with them first. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young Bull Moose: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Scratching: This is Washakie, taking a break and using his antlers to scratch his back. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Resting Bull Moose: The camera’s autofocus occasionally has to search for something to grab. Once it does, I usually switch the lens to manual and then just shoot away. Back-Button-Focus might come in handy for this same concept, though I didn’t switch to it today. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Moulton Homestead: I made enough foggy shots at Mormon Row to create a full page of images. The fog definitely changes the common views of the subjects. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Pathway Progress: There’s a lot of activity along Mormon Row and Antelope Flats road. This shot is taken at the intersection, looking south. This crew is doing some work on the connecting path between the John Moulton Homestead and the T.A. Moulton Barn. A footbridge is still under construction at the irrigation ditch. The path continues along the fence to the Chambers Homestead driveway. Behind the workers in the shot above are some additional trucks and backhoes. At that spot, crews are grading a new parking area and preparing to build a rest room. Back on Antelope Flats road, crews are grading and improving the existing parking area, plus adding some new bus parking areas. To the east, the Park is adding a bus turnaround. Both barns received new roofs this summer, plus some much needed repairs and maintenance. Four new footbridges were added at the John Moulton Homestead. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Parade of Beavers: Taken at Schwabacher Landing. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

One Less Willow: This adult beaver cut down a 4″ diameter willow tree in about 15 minutes.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver with Tail: When possible, I like to include the tail with the rest of the body. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 20, 2015 :

New Feature Post! : Great Horned and Great Gray Owls: Instead of finishing my bookkeeping last night, I stopped to finish a new Feature Post. It’s loaded with photos taken this summer. It also details the difficulty we all face in finding them.

Morning Images

Young Bull Moose: Taken near the Gros Ventre River on an overcast morning. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Cow Moose: I love the fall colors and textures — especially on an overcast day. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Washakie Resting: I spent an hour or more waiting for this bull to get up. He never did! D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Resting Cow: When I found the group, the bull was already down. This cow and another young bull were milling around and feeding. Eventually, they bedded down, too. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Fall Leaves:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Red-tailed Hawk: I took the slower drive home along Spring Gulch Road. I saw at least four Red-tails and numerous Magpies, but no owls or foxes. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Late Entry Photos from Tuesday Afternoon >>

Just north of the Visitor’s Center on north Cache is a small park and picnic area. I stopped Tuesday afternoon to snap this photo of a mature Golden Willow tree on the ground. I have to chuckle a bit when I see it. Just after buying our house here in Jackson, we paid $250 each for a couple of Aspen trees. One day, I came home to see one of the trees cut down and heading up the creek with a Beaver pulling it. A Beaver can transform from an intriguing wildlife critter to a rodent pest in a very short time! D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver on Land: This was taken at Schwabacher Landing late in the day on Tuesday. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Preening: This beaver is preening his pelt using oil from glands near his rear end. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Rainy Crossing: I’d love to watch a beaver lift and move one of the large rocks. They must do that kind of heavy lifting during the night. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Rainy Day at Schwabacher Landing: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 19, 2015 :

The 2015 Elk Reduction Program begins Saturday, October 24th.

You’d think that information would be easy to find on the Park’s site, but it’s not! With a Google Search, I found  Elk Management Program – Grand Teton National Park and inside the page, I found this elk brochure with more information about elk ecology and a map of the hunt areas. The outdated page contains a press release. Unfortunately, all information relates to the 2014 Elk Reduction Program. You can call 307.739.3681 for a recorded message with this year’s dates.

The current “Park Alerts” page does not list any information about the upcoming Elk Hunt. Possibly, the Park Service will update all of these pages by the day of the hunt?

“For Your Safety…
During the elk reduction program, hunting is prohibited within 1/4 mile of U.S. highways 26, 89, 191 and within 1/2 mile of buildings. Some parts of Area 75 have a 1/4-mile posted closure. Shooting is permitted adjacent to secondary roads within areas open to hunting with hunters at least 30 feet from the roadway. Hiking is not recommended in areas of the park and parkway adjacent to or within hunt areas. If you do hike in these areas, please wear flourescent orange. Also, the park recommends that all hikers carry bear spray. Consult a map or check at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose for recommendations.”

The hunt area map can be found on this PDF: Elk Management Program – Grand Teton National Park

Looking North: It’s not very often I don’t take at least a few photos at some point during the day. We had thick clouds most of the day, and it was still raining at about 4:00pm when I had planned on going out. I could have taken photos of the birds in the back yard—there were plenty of them today—but instead I worked on the quarterly bookkeeping. Late in the day, the clouds broke and I was able to see some of the Teton Range from my upstairs office. I cropped this just above the neighbor’s roof and vents. The shot also documents the bright colors of the aspens, willows, and cottonwoods still found in the town of Jackson at this time.

October 18, 2015 :

Clark’s Nutcracker: It was raining at 6:30 am this morning. I stayed home and did some work on my computer, then set up to take a few shots in my back yard. Clark’s Nutcrackers show up within minutes after offering them a few peanuts. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black-capped Chickadee: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black-billed Magpie: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grosbeak: I’ve been hearing and occasionally seeing a pair of Evening Grosbeaks around the yard. They are attracted to black oil sunflower seeds. This male finally came out of cover long enough for me to snap off about a dozen shots this afternoon. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Valley Birds: Ospreys have headed south, but Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks are still visible. I still see a few Meadowlarks and Bluebirds, though not as often. I didn’t see any Long-billed Curlews this year. American Kestrels were around, but I didn’t see as many as some years. Dark-eyed and Oregon Juncos are moving back through my yard now. I haven’t seen that many since early Spring. I am hearing a Nuthatch, but haven’t seen it yet. I’ve had both White-breasted and Red-breasted varieties over they years, however never both in the same year.

Afternoon at Schwabacher Landing

Beaver Crossing with Willows: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Returning with Willows: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Shaking Off: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver Over Dam: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The Grand: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 17, 2015 :

Bi-Color Bison Calf: By late in the summer, most of the year’s “red dogs” will have changed to charcoal brown. This calf is beginning the change. A herd of bison and a few pronghorns were along Warm Springs Road (the dirt road heading west from Kelly Warm Springs) D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Morning Bull: This bull moose was coming out of the Gros Ventre river bottom. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Dripping Water: This is the bull with a broken paddle on his left side. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Spring Gulch Barn: The cottonwoods behind this old barn are bright, especially when the sun is hitting them. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

October 16, 2015 :

Doldrums of Fall: All week long, we’ve had clear skies for most of the day—especially the mornings. Most of the Fall foliage is behind us, and we haven’t had fresh snows in the mountains for several weeks. As a result, most landscape photography has been lackluster and flat…at least for me. During that same time, I’ve spent my mornings looking for any kind of wildlife I could find. They are actually fairly active at this time of the year.

Remember, the Inner Park Loop Road (Teton Park Road) closes on the morning of November 1st. If you want to drive to String Lake, Jenny Lake and up Signal Mountain, you better do it soon! Also, the Elk Reduction Program (Elk Hunt) begins soon. Extra caution is advised in some areas.

Spike Buck: Taken near Kelly. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mature Buck: Also taken near Kelly on the Gros Ventre Road. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Herd: Taken at the Kelly Warm Springs. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Cow and Calf: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Bull Crossing Outlet: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Moose Cow: At the edge of the Gros Ventre river. D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Washakie: This one has an almost identical stride as the cow one photo above. D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Mid Stream Pause: D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Downed Cottonwoods: The white spots are stream side bugs like Mayflies, Caddis and Midges. D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Afternoon at Schwabacher Landing

Beaver: I counted seven different beavers this afternoon. D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Incoming with a Branch: D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 15, 2015 :

Bull Elk: I saw this bull next to the Teton Village Road near the John Dodge subdivision. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Stand of Aspens: This was taken just north of Teton Village on the Moose-Wilson Road. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 14, 2015 :

Where are the Owls? That seems to be the question I get asked most, either by private emails or when I bump into people out in the field. There is a time during the middle of the summer when the adults are active throughout much of the day—hunting to feed their growing babies. That’s a good time because the owls hunt in zones relatively close to their nests, and once you find them hunting, they often return to their favorite hunting zones. Once the owls fledge from nests, they can roam the entire valley. Both Great Gray and Great Horned owls like the cottonwoods and large conifer forests found along the Snake River and its tributaries like the Gros Ventre, Buffalo Fork, Ditch Creek, Pacific Creek and so forth. Knowing the Snake meanders through around 35 miles of the valley and the river bottom is roughly half a mile wide, the search zone is huge. That’s the bad news. Throw in the fact they are extremely difficult to see even when they are within close proximity to a road.  The good news is the reported 23 successful Great Gray Owl nests this year. If you were to average 3 fledglings per nest plus the adults, there are now quite a few of them to scatter through the ecosystem. Good access points include Schwabacher Landing and the Moose-Wilson Road. Great Horned Owls can be heard regularly along the Gros Ventre and Ditch Creek.

Luck is probably your biggest asset! Better yet, you might drive up to a spot where someone else has already spotted one. Otherwise, there really isn’t much of a substitute for slowly walking through the forests looking for them. Great Grays can be sitting on a stump three feet off the ground or up to about 12′ feet off the ground when they are hunting. Great Horned owls seem to prefer to hunt from higher perches, at least that’s the case when I actually see them. Possibly they are not hunting at that time at all, but instead are trying to sleep the daytime hours away?

Wednesday Morning:

Resting Bull Moose: This bull has some of the most impressive and deadly looking antlers I’ve seen in a long time. They are “all business”.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Sparring: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Small Riverside Bull: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull In Cottonwoods:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Moose at Water’s Edge: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Steam Greetings: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Short Pause: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Crossing: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Stream Courtship: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mid-Stream Scratch: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Gros Ventre Lip Curl: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 13, 2015 :

Early Morning Pronghorn Doe: I saw this pronghorn doe and fawn feeding in the sagebrush as I walked to the river. I stopped, set up the tripod, and let them graze by me. The doe gave me a nice pose before continuing on her way. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The Day After: Somehow the two photos above fall into line with this recent post: “Don’t it always seem to go? You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” The photo on the left was taken yesterday morning and the one on the right was taken this morning. Apparently, there was a heck of a battle overnight. Large chunks of this bull’s antlers were missing. Besides the antler shape, the scar over the left eye helps identify the bull. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens. (Click the image to see it much larger!)

Bull with Bling: I’d I had to bet, I’d say this is the bull that did all the damage. He is missing one tine. It’s a clue. When this bull approached the other bull, it backed away quickly. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Careful Sparring: I am always amazed how these bulls never seem to have punctured eyes.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young bull In Sage: Fall foliage is still available in a few areas.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Watchful Cow: Yesterday, I saw 15 moose, including three on the north side of the JH Visitor’s Center. The cows are often seen now without a bull hanging close to it, suggesting the rut might soon be over. I witnessed quite a bit of interest in this cow and a younger one this morning, so I know it’s still going on in some areas. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Resting Bull: Each year, I find bulls with large chunks missing from their antlers. I’ve always wanted to photograph a serious battle, but after nine years I am still coming up empty. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Raccoon Number Six: So far this year, I’ve captured and relocated six Raccoons from our back yard. I released this one near the edge of the Snake River. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver: After the sun disappeared behind the Tetons, several beavers became active at Schwabacher Landing. I caught this young one crossing one of the dams at ISO 9000.

October 12, 2015 :

Monday Morning in the Park: When I left the vehicle this morning, the thermometer read 25°F.  There was ice on some of the small puddles and my fingers were feeling cold even with my light gloves.

Flehmen Response: Bull Moose along the Gros Ventre. This is often called a “lip curl”.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young Moose: This behavior is not limited to the larger bulls! D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Nose-to-Nose: Gentle sparring between two bulls.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Morning Drink: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young Bull in Fall Willows: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Crossing:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Herd: This herd of around 50 finally returned to the south part of the park. We had bluebird clear skies most of the morning. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Coyote in Morning Light: Taken along Mormon Row. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Coyote in High Grass: This coyote seemed much more comfortable behind the grass. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mormon Row Bus Turnaround: The Park Service is adding a bus turnaround on Antelope Flats Road and a new parking lot and restroom area along Mormon Row. I’ll add more photos on this page: Mormon Row Preservation and Enhancement 2015:

October 11, 2015 :

Early Morning Clouds: I was hoping to find herds of Elk along the Teton Park Road (Inner Loop Road), but they were scarce this morning. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Morning Clouds:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

River Otter: This River Otter at Schwabacher Landing had just caught a Brook Trout and was taking it across a Beaver dam. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

River Otter Crossing Beaver Dam: After polishing off the trout, the Otter headed back for more. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Just the Nose: Taken on one of the smaller pools at Schwabacher. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

In the News: My fighting mustangs appeared on the cover of GeoLino earlier this year. If you subscribe to Bird Watcher’s Digest, you will see an article and some of my wintering back yard birds in an upcoming issue (Dec. ?)

Northern Flicker: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Clark’s Nutcracker: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Hairy Woodpecker: Males have the red patch on the back of their head. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Northern Flicker: With the orange patch on his cheek, males are easy to identify. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 10, 2015 :

 

Custer in Cottonwoods: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Early Morning Crossing:  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mother and Young Bull: You can see the pads for his future antlers. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull in Sage: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Beaver on Dam:  Late evening at Schwabacher Landing.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 9, 2015 :

Great Horned Owl: I spotted at least 11 moose this morning, but chose to get some exercise and hike into the woods looking for owls. Any owl of any species would be grand. I found one Great Horned Owl…a nice surprise since I don’t have that many shots of them. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Horned Owl: This owl flew from tree to tree over a period of about an hour, then eventually found a branch and went to sleep. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Horned Owl: When I left the owl, it was sound asleep on a branch about 25 feet off the ground. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 8, 2015 :

A few months ago, Adobe introduced the new Dehaze adjustment slider in Adobe Lightroom CC 2015. It was included under the Effects tab. Adjustments made with the Dehaze slider were global—meaning the entire image received the changes. It was possible to isolate the adjustments by making a Virtual Copy with the changes, select both and then export the two as a layered document in Photoshop. Using Layer Masks, it was easy to paint in the Dehaze area. (Advanced Photoshop users would know what all that meant). I had hoped to see the Lightroom adjustment in the Gradient, Radial, and Adjustment Brush, which would eliminate the extra steps and files. I just received a notice telling me there were updates to Lightroom and Photoshop, so I ran the update. Surprise! Dehaze is now included in the list as seen in this screen grab. This one slider can do some amazing adjustments. Being able to target areas is a huge addition to the software.

Dehaze in Photoshop CC 2015: You can also access the Dehaze command from inside Photoshop. Go to Filter>Camera Raw Filter… To add even more editable functionality, go ahead and turn the layer into a Smart Filter prior to running the Camera Raw Filter command. (Filter>Convert to Smart Filter).  Also note: Dehaze might be available in Photoshop CS6 if you update Adobe Camera Raw. I’ll check that later.

Aspen Stand: The clouds in this photo were enhanced with the slider. The Dehaze adjustment often makes the blues too vivid, so I pulled back on the Saturation slider on the image above.

I used the (targeted) Dehaze adjustment tool on several of the images below, all taken this morning.

Washakie: Early morning shot of a nice bull grazing in the cottonwoods along the Gros Ventre river. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Young Bull: The larger bull chased this one across the river. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Washakie Crossing the Gros Ventre: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The Rut: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Pronghorn Buck: I could have spent all morning photographing Pronghorns. This one was grazing along the Gros Ventre road. I saw at least six groups of Pronghorns up and down the road between the highway and Kelly. There were quite a few on Mormon Row Road. Normally, they can be spooky, but during the rut, they tend to tolerate vehicles and photographers.

Other Moose: I saw one large bull and cow near the highway on the Gros Ventre. Others have been sighted along the Moose-Wilson Road near the ponds. I heard of a nice bull at Blacktail Ponds Overlook. One has been seen off an on at Schwabacher Landing. Keep an eye out at Ditch Creek. I saw another nice bull in the sage near the Airport yesterday.

Cross Fox: Watch for a Black/Gray Fox near Lupine Meadows, along Jenny Lake, and in the picnic area around String Lake.

October 7, 2015 :

Unpaved portion of Moose-Wilson Road Closed for Dust Abatement October 6 and 7
To accommodate a dust abatement application and road grading, a brief travel closure will be in place for about 48 hours, beginning 4 a.m. Tuesday, October 6, on the unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park. The road will reopen by 8 a.m. Thursday, October 8

Sunrise at Windy Point: This was taken out the window of the parked van before using the morning glow to light the scene. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Jackson Peak: Taken at the same spot as the image above—shot over the hood of the van. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Foggy Sunrise: Taken along the road into String Lake.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Old Patriarch Tree: I made the hike out to the tree, hoping to catch glimpses of the Grand as the fog pulled back. It was still foggy when I finally gave up at 10:00 am. Still, an unusual view of the subject. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Mike & John at the Patriarch Tree: This morning, John and Sherry accompanied me through the thick fog to the Old Patriarch tree. Sherry snapped this intimate shot of us as John was making an adjustment to his camera.

On October 19th of 2008, I was waiting for a friend to meet me at the Patriarch Tree. I had been there a while and had already taken a lot of photos, so I walked part of the way back to the road and called my friend. He was just leaving the road. While on the cell phone, I saw this grizzly cross in front of me.

The Griz dropped off the little bluff exactly where I had been standing earlier. (the red dot is where I usually stand) Okay…I’d love to get a shot of the bear under the tree, but that would definitely age me a a few years in a few seconds.

October 6, 2015 :

Pending Closures: (via JH News & Guide)

• Flagg Ranch Cabins, Lodge, and Campground CLOSED
• Colter Bay RV Park and Cabins CLOSED
• Gros Ventre Campground to close Oct. 9
• Signal Mountain Campground and Lodge to close Oct. 18
• Colter Bay Visitor Center to close Oct. 12
• Craig Thomas Visitor Center (Moose) to close Oct. 31
• Moose-Wilson Road and road between Taggart Lake Trail Head and Signal Mt. to close Oct. 31
• Old Faithful area closes Oct 11

Sleeping Indian: Taken from the Gros Ventre Road at sunrise. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Sparring Partners: Young bulls practicing for future battles.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Running Moose: I love this action pose. Something on the back side of the clump of willows spooked the group. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull Moose Along the Gros Ventre: There’s a lot of waiting around, but occasionally it pays off nicely. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Stream Crossing: Almost all of the cottonwoods are bare now. A few low willows and the underbrush still has fall colors. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bull Crossing: I haven’t seen the larger bulls lately. This is a young bull, but any bull crossing the river is well worth capturing. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Michael Seiler sent this shot to include here. I was wearing my Muck Boots to help keep my feet dry. The two shots above were taken from that vantage point at about 45 yards. I was looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t in anyone’s line of sight when he crossed. I believe Michael was using a Sigma Sport 150-600mm lens.

Tamron 150-600mm Lens: Michael was able to include me in the shot above by pulling back on the zoom. That’s what I was able to do in the top river crossing picture. It gave me more of an environmental opportunity. With only a twist of the zoom ring, I was able to bring the bull moose in to fill as much of the frame as I wanted for the second shot.

Clark’s Nutcracker: There are still some yellow and lime leaves in my back yard. I put out a few peanuts and immediately had some visitors. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Depth of Field: This might help a few people. Occasionally, I aim my camera at a bird (or any subject) and the autofocus grabs the shoulder. Depending on the angle and pose, the head and eyes might be 3/8″ or 1/2″ behind the shoulder. As you can see, the depth of field is limited to only .01 feet (1/8″) in front of and behind the focal plane. The shot above was focused on the bird’s head, along with the squirrel below, and since the eyes were towards the front, the camera did a great job. I was experimenting with the D810’s Group Focus feature for the shots.

Red Squirrel: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Northern Flicker: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black-billed Magpie: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

There are a few new shots on Foliage Reports September/October 2015 :

October 5, 2015 :

Pronghorn at First Light: Taken at Gros Ventre Junction. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mid-sized Bull Moose: I think I’ve photographed this bull numerous times this year, including while he was still in velvet. They roam the Gros Ventre river bottom from the highway to from Kelly. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Alert Young Moose: The odds are high I photographed this youngster when it was a calf. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Cow and Calf: These moose were feeding on willows along the dike at the JH Golf and Tennis subdivision. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Broken Antler: This isn’t a great shot of a bull moose…but more of a record photo. I was having to shoot directly into the sun, and since he was on private property, I couldn’t move around for better shots. His right antler is broken off at the base. He was near the bridge on Spring Gulch Road. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Lifting Fog: Taken along Spring Gulch Road of the Box L Ranch. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Horses in the Fog: Also taken along Spring Gulch Road. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 4, 2015 :

Young Buck: Taken near the Kelly Warm Springs before first light. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Industrial Scratching Post: The Park Service recently installed a new sign to explain the invasive species of tropical fish in the Springs. This bison spent a while rubbing against it this morning. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison On Ridge: Heading North after a good scratch. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Cascading Creek: With the overcast skies, I hiked about half a mile at the Taggart Lake trail head to the stream that cascades down the mountainside. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Beaver Creek Cascades: D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Bar-B-C Duplex: Aspens are very bright at this old Dude Ranch located about three quarters of a mile east of the Taggart Lake trail head on the old RKO road. I spent an hour or so there and captured lots of colorful images. D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Bar-B-C Restoration Progress: Quite a few of the old cabins have been restored, yet there are lots to go.  D810 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Herd of Elk: At first light, many people see this herd of Elk at Windy Point. Today, several horseback riders headed across the flats, spooking them towards Timbered Island. They crossed my path about 50 yards out. You can see one of the Tram Towers from Teton Village on the hillside in the upper left. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Buck Mule Deer: The first image I took this morning was of a couple of buck Mule Deer. The last one was also of a nice couple of bucks near the south gate.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

October 3, 2015 :

Morning Moose: This young bull was within a mile of the highway on the Gros Ventre road this morning. This bull and another larger moose were causing moose jams by late afternoon. I saw a couple of cows mixed in, too. A large buck Pronghorn has been hanging around Kelly, along with a couple of nice sized buck Mule Deer. Elk have been hanging around Lupine Meadows, along with a Fox. A coyote has been seen regularly around the Mormon Row barns. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Gray Owl: This year’s fledglings are now hunting on their own. Watch for them wherever you can find marshy grass areas. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Owl Eyes: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The Catch: D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Porcupine Eye: Taken on Fall Creek Road late in the day. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Sunday is the last day for the Tram at Teton Village. Locals get to ride free. The new Roller Coaster is supposed to open Sunday.

October 2, 2015 :

Sunrise Over Buffalo Fork: This is a bracketed three shot image, combined in Lightroom CC. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Pine Cones and Water Drops: D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Buck Rail Fence: Driving out of town, there were a few thin low clouds and one small cloud at the tip of the Grand. Within a short period, they thickened and covered the top half of the peaks. I drove out to the Buffalo Fork River and waited for the sun. You can see the bottom half of Mt. Moran in the upper right.  D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Perfect Tool for the Job: This doe and two fawns of the year were grazing near Signal Mountain Lodge.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Pacific Creek: Low, soggy clouds were the name of the game for much of the morning. I shot this one from the bridge over Pacific Creek near Moran Junction.  D810 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Leaf on Lake Creek: Lake Creek flows out of Phelps Lake and through the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. This is a long exposure at about 1/6th second. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mule Deer: This respectable buck was grazing near the Chapel of the Transfiguration. He looked up and back when a tour bus approached. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Photographer: Some of the leaves are thinning at the T.A. Moulton barn. The roof was wet, so I didn’t take the time to darken it.  D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Loadall: For whatever reason, the contractor at this barn has not been in a hurry to remove the excess equipment and materials from the site. Maybe soon. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Canada Geese:  After a quick stop at the bank, I to Boyle’s Hill Swan Pond west of town. I spend a lot of time there in the winter, but it still offers plenty of opportunities the rest of the year.  D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Trumpeter Swans: Also taken at Boyle’s Hill. Rain can close some doors, but opens others. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

The early morning weather forecast called for clouds and scattered thunderstorms. The day was similar to the day I wrote this post: Making the Best of a Rainy Day:

Wildlife Reports: If you haven’t found this page, check it out! Where to Find Wildlife in the Tetons and JH Area . Here are a few recent reports.

• Bull Moose seen along Moose-Wilson Road recently.
• Bull Moose and Cows at Schwabacher Landing – occasionally.
• Grizzly Boar on a Moose kill under the JH Lodge.
• Great Gray Owl on Moose-Wilson Road – occasionally.
• Great Gray and Great Horned Owls along the Gros Ventre Road – occasionally.
• Great Gray Owls seen near Munger Mountain on Fall Creek Road – occasionally.
• Moose along Gros Ventre Road. – fairly often.
• Elk in early mornings along Inner Park Loop Road…Windy Point, Jenny Lake, String Lake.
• (Cross) Fox at Lupine Meadows early. – occasionally.
• Bison are still north, near Elk Flats – regularly.
• Pronghorns along Mormon Row road and Warm Springs Road – regularly.

October 1, 2015 :

Light of the Moon: The remains of the full moon were lighting the early morning clouds when I drove up to Schwabacher Landing this morning. The moon was bright enough I didn’t need a flashlight to walk to a good spot. The camera wasn’t able to focus on the mountains with so little light, so I aimed at the moon and let it obtain focus. I put the lens in Manual mode, then shot this image with the camera on a sturdy tripod. I could lighten this image  some, but I think it would defeat the idea of it being a true night shot. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Schwabacher Inlet: Moody morning clouds and changing cottonwoods. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Beaver Dam: D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Reflections: The camera was just above water level to get the reflections in the small beaver pond. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Barrows Golden Eyes: Taken in the upper pond. I didn’t see a male this morning. D810 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

John Moulton Barn Roofers: The south side of the barn is now shingled, but the area is still a mess. There were a couple of boards leaning against the barn, a trailer showing from behind, an outhouse and other ladders and equipment scattered around. I included a wide shot on the Foliage Reports page. D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Until I have time to add more October photos, you might want to check back on the last week of September 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: A Monthly Journal.

Most Recent Feature Post: Aging the New Moulton Barn Roof in Lightroom: D810 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Roof Exchange: I tried something different this afternoon. I found a similar shot of this barn I took in 1913, selected the two roof sections and copied them to a new document. I used those two sections to place over the shot from today—reshaping them to fit using the Free Transform tools.