Thursday, July 31, 2014

Today was our 14th day in the park which was supposed to be the maximum stay.  Joani had already confirmed at the office that campsite occupancy was low enough that we could extend our stay if we desired.  Knowing there was a lot to do here and the weather could not be beat, we headed to the office when they opened at 8:00 to pay for another two weeks.

On the way, I noticed several people with their cameras out and I jumped to the conclusion there must be some wildlife in the area.  I assumed it was another moose sighting.  But no, it was a herd of bison that was getting everyone's attention.  The further we drove, the larger the herd appeared.  I estimated there were between 200 and 300 bison total and they all skirted campsites and then crossed the main road into the campground passing next to the office.

The guy below just sat at his picnic table and stared as the Bison trailed by. I got the impression he was a bit awed by the spectacle. He did not seem at all concerned that they were only maybe 30 feet away.

From the office, I took a panoramic shot that better captured the expanse of the herd, but it was still far less than half of the total number of bison. The volunteers said that the herd was often this large early in the spring before the campground opens, but usually, throughout the summer, the herd split into many smaller groups that scatter over a large area.

Once we knew where we would be sleeping for the next couple weeks, we headed north through the park to Coulter Bay Village and Visitor Center.  I wanted to find out what they had in the way of astronomy programs (the only place in the park with any astronomy activities).

Along Teton Park Road we spotted an animal jam and pulled over.  It was a lone elk.  He was a beauty with a large rack showing off for the crowd!  He was quite far from the road, but Joani pulled him in with her 30x zoom. 

Jackson Lake is home to some pretty nice looking marinas with some extremely nice looking watercraft!  I guess the people in the area with money left over after buying their $20-million-plus estates have to have a convenient place for their toys.

As we headed back to Gros Ventre campground, we passed a small fraction of the same herd we watched earlier.  This was more typical of the size group we usually saw along the road.  By now, we had seen enough bison they had become just a part of the landscape like the sagebrush and the trees.  Nothing wrong with that!

Monday, July 28, 2014

I had the alarm set for 5:00 a.m. and the plan was to head directly to Schwabacher's Landing.  A short hike led us to an often photographed spot along the Snake River.  Being so popular meant we would have company.  There was no hope of seeing moose when I could hear the earlier photographers talking and laughing from 50 yards away.  Oh well, at least the view did not disappoint!

It was very cold (low 40s) in Grand Teton National Park.

 Still pretty dark - the little beaver pond sleeps.

 The prime spot, with the better framing, was occupied.  Next time, 30 minutes earlier and we may have a chance.

 The peaks were ablaze with morning light that had yet reached the valley floor.

 The morning glow on the Tetons was fading, but the trees were coming alive.

Following our photography outing, we returned to the coach for breakfast.  Sam was happy to see us.  He was wondering "what happened to my morning walk?"  We cleaned up and headed to the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole.  This museum made quite an impression on us when we visited last year and it was a must see again this visit.  Arriving at 10:00, our plan was to spend the remainder of the day in the museum, including lunch in their Rising Sage Cafe.

 The art of Amy Ringholz dominated the Johnston Hall and gave it a party atmosphere.

If this looks familiar, it is because a little over a year ago David was similarly mesmerized by "Chief".

 For David to want to pay cold hard cash to visit an art museum twice, speaks volumes to this museum's appeal.  I think this painting by Robert Bateman is largely the reason.  This time we watched a video (twice) showing the process Bateman used to achieve this masterpiece.

Another hauntingly beautiful painting by Robert Bateman, Lone Raven, 2002 (acrylic on linen).

Albert Bierstadt, Wind River Range, 1859 (oil on board)

This is by far not the best example of Albert Bierstadt's work, but being a Hudson River School groupie, I was thrilled to view it.
NOTE: Hudson River School was not a school at all.  It was coined in the 1870s and intended as an insult, but the moniker stuck.

I love the humor in this painting by Philip R. Goodwin, The Surprise (aka Reel Adventure), 1925 (oil on canvasboard).  It's a familiar scene in these parts!

Breathtaking (and large, about 30" across and deep and 24" tall) carving by Leo E. Osborne, Brothers of the Wood, (Maple Burl Wood).
Mr. Osborne has cast this in bronze and it can be yours for $12,000.

N. C. Wyeth, How Many Millions, One Can Only Guess, 1905, (oil on canvas)

 William H. Dunton, Black Tail Deer in Aspens, 1925 (oil on canvas)
This painting has such a modern sensibility, I was surprised by the year it was painted.


Georgia O'Keeffe, Antelope, 1954 (oil on canvas)

I love this painting by Sir Edwin H Landseer, The Deer Pass, 1852 (oil on canvas).  We witnessed the same "You look'n at me" expression from the big boys we came upon in the Hoh Rain Forest.

Carl Rungius, Survival of the Fittest, 1901-1904 (oil on canvas).

When we visited this museum last year, we fell in love with the works of Carl Rungius (National Museum of Wildlife Art has the largest public collection).  The museum effectively shows how his style's progressed over the years.

Carl Rungius, Pronghorned Antelope Study, 1910 (oil on canvas).

Carl Rungius, Morning Mist, 1930 (oil on canvas).

Carl Rungius, Dall Sheep, 1930 (oil on canvas).

Carl Rungius, Old Man of the Mountains, 1930 (oil on canvas).

Carl Rungius, Herd of Elk, 1959 (oil on canvas)

This was painted the same year that Carl Rungius died at age 90.  It is unsigned and it appears to be unfinished.

Nick Brandt, Cheetah and Cubs, Maasai Mara, 2003 (platinum print).

A striking collection of photographs by Nick Brandt, taken without the aid of telephoto lenses.

Outside the museum, there was an extensive collection of bronze sculptures to explore, but after five hours inside and what appeared to be a pretty significant storm nearing we chose to head back to the coach.  We will be able to wander around the sculptures and study the museum's architecture another day.

Bart Walter, Wapiti Trail, modeled 2005, cast 2007 (bronze)
Little Emerson taught us that "wapiti" is a Cree word meaning "white butt".

It looked like a storm was a-comin'.  Time to go home and comfort Sam.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

It was a lazy day in Grand Teton National Park's Gros Ventre campground with nothing noteworthy to record, so it was a good time to include some more of the unique and "adorable" approaches to camping.  Below, what's that?  A boat in the park.  These folks from Colorado camp in their trawler!

When near a big lake, they don't have to worry about finding a campsite - they have the whole lake.  Our neighbors (last week), Bob and Sondra, would have liked this.  They have a 42-foot trawler in Florida and were considering full-timing in a motorhome.  I thought they would be ideally suited to the full-time lifestyle since they had spent 5 years sailing around the world in a 36-foot sailboat (with three kids).  I think that takes a lot more courage, but Bob was not too sure about traveling the highways because of the crowds.  I suppose the Interstates do look pretty busy compared to the ocean.

The tiny fold-out camper below can be towed by a motorcycle, but in this case, it was a small car.  It just did not seem like it was even five feet in length and I seriously doubt it would support my weight.  I would say it was just for the kids but, there was no other tent on the site.

Below was another case of attaching a tent to a tiny trailer to provide adequate room.  The trailer was really just a mattress on wheels, according to the owner.

The Scamp is so cute, but like all small trailers, it needs more room at times.  This one had an awning that would double its footprint on the ground when it was deployed.  That means they would have room for two chairs outside.

The "tent" below is either for people who sleep standing up or it is an outdoor shower.  I never saw anyone in it and I did not see any other tents around it, so it was a mystery.

The little teardrop trailers strike me as a great alternative to a tent, but in bad weather, they would be very cramped.  These guys extended their space using a large screen house that seemed to be made just for them.

This had to be the shortest Airstream I had seen.  It was shorter than the truck pulling it, but I suppose it must seem palatial to the owners of a teardrop camper.

This teardrop was made of polished aluminum and made me think it would like to grow up to be an Airstream someday.

On a slightly different note, but still, in the odds and ends category, we found out that Jackson, had a hill slide last year.  This house, overlooking Broadway, was one of the casualties.  The Walgreens just below it has also been closed, as the hill continues its slow descent towards the road below.

Friday, July 25, 2014

We were up early again.  This morning we joined the Reimers and Osmundsons on their float trip down the Snake River.  It was a big boat, but the thirteen of us and our guide filled it up.

Posing for a few "before" pictures while the guys got the raft ready to put in.

Our river guide, Knox, had quite an interesting history working as a guide on a lot of different rivers.  I think he liked being a fishing guide best, but he also did a lot of river and white water rafting.  He told us his name, Knox, was a family name and that he was related to James Knox Polk, the 11th President of the United States!

When the captain speaks, everyone listens, so his was the only picture with everyone looking the same way.  He actually did a quite nice job of framing - everyone said cheese.

Sweet little Macey is hidden behind David, oops.

We saw a lot of Bald Eagles along the shoreline.  We did not keep an accurate count, but everyone agreed the total was between 12 and 15. A pair of young eagles were sitting on a fence at the water's edge. One flew as we drew near - all of the others just sat and watched us float by.  We saw one Osprey fly overhead, but it was too quick for a picture.  

Emerson is surely going to be a photographer - she loved snapping pictures, capturing all of the action in the boat.

The Grand Tetons made a beautiful backdrop for the river trip!

Our guide spotted some Snake River Elk along the shoreline.  He knew he couldn't fool this crowd, but he said he did have a couple of older ladies from the big city going for a while before he finally told them they were just cows.

A boat full of Iowa farmers knows a cow when they see one!

The trip went by way too quickly, although we traveled 13 miles down the river.  There were only a couple of times that the water was rolling a bit and the kids all loved it.  Keith rode on the front for a while and got to see just how cold the river was.  Harrison got his feet wet and had Grandma sit on them to warm them up.

Back at their condo, we had some yummy homemade cookies (courtesy of Diane) and delicious baked ziti (thank-you, Jamie) and salad - that hit the spot!

Erica, Kathy and Keith wanted to make one last trip to the Jackson square and we joined them for a little window shopping.  Joani wanted to show everyone the bargain she had found in one store.  The scarf was a steal at just $418.00!  I'm hoping it was an error, but you never know.  Fortunately, Joani did not feel the overwhelming need for a souvenir.  

No error, every scarf on the rack was over $400, but that's Jackson!

We had ice cream at the same interesting shop on the square.  They sold ice cream, candy and paintball guns, ammo and equipment.  One of these things is not like the others; one of these things should be someplace else? 

Of course, they have coffee, too!

It seemed like the week flew by all too quickly and we had to say our goodbyes!  Thanks for letting us be a part of the Reimer and Osmundson Teton Vacation Adventure!