A Winter Road-Trip: Wildlife, Snow, and Mountains
As often is the case with many of my adventures, the first thing out the window were the plans. After meeting up with Ben Huseman, the first thing I did was a last-minute check of the weather at our initial destination.
Day 0:
- The Drive to Sandwash Basin, CO
- Sandwash Basin Sunset (Hopefully)
“Uh, Ben…. I think going to the Tetons tonight would be a waste of a couple of days as the weather now looks blah.” Well, it went something like that, and after a quick brainstorming session, we headed off to NW Colorado in order to kill a few days before getting back on track and heading to the Tetons.
The drive was relatively uneventful and got us to Sandwash Basin just as the sun was setting. With no time to scope out a decent composition, I set my camera down and snapped what I had. If nothing else, it helped to capture the moment for the blog.
Sunset At Sandwash Basin
After shooting what was really a gorgeous sunset, other than the fact that I, unfortunately, had no foreground, it was time to find a spot to spend the evening. Off we went blazing around on some snow-covered 4x4 roads that weaved their way through a Juniper forest for a lack of a better term. We ended up not benefiting from exploring around at all as nothing we found was better than the place we were in when we shot. To make matters worse, I received a nice set of Colorado Pinstripes along the fruitless adventure.
The Road Less Traveled: I Earned My CO Pinstripes!
Day 1:
- Sandwash Basin, CO (Sunrise)
- Red Mountain, UT area (Sunset)
Without much of a foreground to shoot, sunrise was merely an excuse to get the cameras out and see how they withstood the sub-zero temperatures throughout the night. I hope they did better than the water in our bottles and in our storage containers as it was pretty rock solid.
Sunrise At Sandwash Basin
There was great potential to see sunrise colors in the clouds much like the colors we saw in the previous evening’s sunset. I looked around in the hopes of finding something to shoot as a foreground. I ended up coming up with the rocky scene you see above. Unfortunately, the cloud cover snuffed out the rising sun on the horizon and smothered our morning colors. “No biggie,” I thought to myself as I was really here to shoot the wild horses that roamed around. We’d heard a single horse off in the distance and hoped that the rest of them were traveling around in more of a group. Time would tell.
After shooting sunrise, we ventured on down the road in the hopes of finding the horses. It wouldn’t be long until that happened as there was a group of them not far from where we shot the sunrise.
It was neat to see the different “personalities” in each of the horses. In the brief time that we were there watching, you could clearly see that some were a bit more feisty than others while a few were quite content with hanging out alone and soaking up the morning’s sunshine. This warmth surely had to feel nice if they were half as cold as I was. I am sure they were as a few of them had frost on their bodies.
After enjoying the morning with the horses, it was time we moved on along on our little adventure. Next stop, who knows!? We sure didn’t.
BTS Near Red Mountain
We headed back into town to fuel up before hitting the road again. Our general direction was towards the Tetons, so we scoped out a few locations between here and there to check out for this evening’s sunset. We ended up choosing an area near Moonshine Arch and Red Mountain.
The hike up to the edge of the rockface (seen in the image above) was quite steep and tiring. It was, again, one of those times when I managed to make it to a location to shoot moments before the sunset. I found the curving rock in the foreground interesting and used it once the sun shone directly on it just before setting as seen below.
Sunset from above Moonshine Arch
Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 | 70mm | f/11 | 1/10s | ISO 100
Day 2:
- Flaming Gorge, UT (Sunrise)
- Teton West (Sunset)
Daylight found us, after a night of driving and scoping out compositions, always fun to do in the dark, by the way, standing along the edge of the Flaming Gorge in Utah. The night had been quite cold. Each night seemed to be progressively getting colder. I am unsure what the temps dropped to on this particular night, but it felt colder than the last and the last was -6°F. The water bottles were frozen once again. Luckily, I kept the windows in the Explorer cracked enough to allow a bit of airflow or the entire inside of the vehicle would have been a winter wonderland.
The views from this place were spectacular and are definitely something I’d like to revisit when the sun moves further to the North in the warmer months.
BTS At Flaming Gorge
It’s tough, traveling hours and hours, miles and miles, to get to a place and not get the conditions that you’d hoped for. On this particular morning, I was happy that the water wasn’t frozen over with snow on top. I’m not sure how on Earth it wasn’t frozen solid, but I am glad it wasn’t. I am quite sure it was well on its way to being so.
I quite liked the snow on the shaded side of the canyon and the sun being able to hit the exposed sides more towards the North. This allowed for a bit of warmth in an otherwise cold image. My one complaint was the fact that the sky was a bit boring.
A Nearly Cloudless Flaming Gorge Sunrise
Nikon D750 | Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 | 14mm | f/11 | 1/40s | ISO 100
In the composite image above, the warm canyon walls were blended with an image taken a bit earlier when the skies had a bit more color to them. As mentioned before, this is definitely a spot I want to return to when the sun is beaming down this canon on a hopefully partly cloudy or high altitude cloud morning!
A few jumping jacks, cups of coffee, and packs of oatmeal later and it was time to hit the road again. Destination: Grand Teton.
Frosty, Lonely
Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 | 120mm | f/11 | 1/320s | ISO 200
I’m not one for a strict driving route. It’s kind of funny because, in most everything else in my life, I feel I am strict about how things get done. With photography, you are strict at your own peril.
You can plan all you want, but Mother Nature gets the last say. Take this trip for example, we initially planned on leaving town and heading to the Tetons. A last-minute weather check, while admittedly not a guarantee, changed those plans. We merely decided to add a delay in arriving at our final destination.
That turned out to be every image you’ve seen until this point as well as the scratches on my Explorer, but we will ignore that and attempt to keep this as positive as possible. ;-)
Now, there are, admittedly, no award winning shots up to this point, but the experiences were definitely worth it. I now have put my eyes on a few locations and have a much better understanding of their setting, geography, and appeal. These can be quite valuable when planning future trips.
Speaking of trips, let’s get back to the one at hand and finally reach our destination, the Grand Tetons.
BTS On The West Side Of Grand Teton
We approached the Tetons from the Westside. This was due to the fact that we’d be arriving with the ability to be able to shoot a sunset. As the Tetons go, they set up very well for Sunrise on the East (Wyoming) side and sunset on the West (Idaho) side. The plan was to find a shooting location and wait until sunset to shoot it. After that, we’d head over to the Eastside and await the sunrise. So far so good.
Is it just me or, does it seem like when you are trying to get somewhere in a time crunch, every overly cautious driver on Earth has a radio and they tell each other? I say this jokingly, as I know it not to be true, but it sure oftentimes seems like it is.
We would, eventually, be approaching our shooting location, a location still yet to be determined, as the sun set. Bummer.
A Bit Of Perspective
We scrambled to find a composition, splitting up in the process. I found the above composition literally just as the sun set.
I pulled over as best I could on the snow-covered roads. This location had me about 200 yards from approximately where I’d need to set-up to get the shot I saw when driving around.
I probably looked like an idiot, flying out of my car with the rear hatch opening as I ran around to the back of the vehicle. I grabbed my backpack and that’s it, no jacket, no water, no cellphone even. The sun was sinking and fast. My priority definitely shifted to the shot vs me being comfortable.
With my backpack on, I ran off down the road as if I was late for something important. I can only imagine what bystanders might have thought.
I set-up my composition, with each camera, after a brief, and I do mean brief, search. I was finally able to settle down a bit after grabbing an image from each camera’s perspective. Whew! I at least had a shot in the bag. Now, about that jacket….
Still looking like a complete idiot, I ran back to my vehicle leaving my photography gear set-up on location. I grabbed my jacket, phone, and a water bottle, and ran, again, back to my gear. Now, I could settle down and focus on what I came for.
Sunset on Grand Teton From The Idaho Side (Pano) Prints Available
Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 | 200mm | f/11 | 1/30s | ISO 200
Sunset on Grand Teton From The Idaho Side Prints Available
Nikon D750 | Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 | 200mm | f/11 | 1/30s | ISO 200
I ended up shooting a very large panorama of this scene. While the image from my wide angle lens is nice, I rather like the way the longer lens brings the mountains in a bit. The resulting pano image is huge! Its file size is almost 8.5 gigabytes! This image could print at 75” wide at 300ppi with zero problems.
With the sun now gone, there was no time to waste; it was time to jet over to the other side of the mountains and get prepared for the morning’s arrival.
After making it back through the mountain pass that had previously been so slow, we slipped through Jackson and into Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). It’s funny, with us not being in a hurry to get anywhere, the traffic through that pass sure was a lot faster. Hahaha.
The big unknown to us was the water’s condition here within the park. With some of our favorite places being off-limits due to wildlife concerns, we made our way to Oxbow Bend in an effort to check out whether or not the water was frozen over. If so, was it covered in a layer of snow? Was any of it still liquid on top allowing for potential reflections in the morning? These were all questions that needed to be answered in order to make a decision on the morning’s fast approaching sunrise.
In the back of my mind, I knew the answer. Still, there was part of me that would always have asked, “What if…,” had I not gone to check. Of course, the temperature crashing to -20°F was also a clue as to what I’d find. Regardless, I had to look.
Sure enough, the water was frozen over and had a layer of snow stretching all across the lake. There’d be no Oxbow reflection in the morning. Note-to-self, “Return to Oxbow in the Spring.”
Screenshot of my vehicle’s map showing the temperature. It’s Going To Be A Cold Night Of Camping!
We left Oxbow with grand plans on a Spring return and refocused our attention on the coming morning’s shooting location. Back to the other side of the park we went.
Day 3:
- GTNP, WY (Sunrise) (Sunset)
We eventually set-up in the Southeast portion of the park facing the mountains. The temperatures never really cooperated much setting us up for a very cool few hours. Regardless, the pure anticipation of the coming sunrise was almost enough to keep me warm. Almost.
A Teton Sunrise In Pastels
Nikon D750 | Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 | 31mm | f/11 | 1/25s | ISO 100
The sunrise didn’t disappoint. As I’d soon be unknowingly saying a few times, the trip could have ended after this shoot and I’d have been happy.
The early moments of the sunrise lit the sky up in some of the most vibrant pinks and purples that I’ve ever seen. Again, I was set up with the same two camera set-up as before when shooting the sunset on the other side of the mountain range for last evening’s sunset. Only this time, I had my wide-angle lens focused on a, well, a wide-angled view of the mountains while the longer lens was focused on the peaks themselves.
A fog lies below Grand Teton as the new day approaches.
Nikon D750 | Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 | 175mm | f/11 | 1/6s | ISO 100
Coming away from the morning’s sunrise with two very different images is the entire reason I shoot with two cameras.
These two images were taken at different moments during the sunrise. The wider of the two was very early in the sunrise while the closer, more zoomed in, version of the image was taken much later as the vibrant colors transitioned to more of a pastel.
A few mere momets later and the sun was kissing the peaks.
Tetons: Sun-Kissed
I was happy with the morning’s sunrise as I packed up and prepared to venture into the park.
I’ve been to GTNP many times without seeing much wildlife at all. The same with places like the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), I’ve been before and barely saw an Elk. For those of you who’ve been before, you may know that you typically see elk by the hundreds.
Moose are so much the same in that you either see none or you see quite a few. By quite a few, I mean four or five separated throughout the park. This morning held a surprise in that regard. On this particular morning, I would end up seeing eight moose with six of those grouped together!
You Looking At Me?
Prints Available
Nikon D750 | Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 | 150mm | f/11 | 1/320s | ISO 100
Having all things perfect, I’d have been here just a tad bit earlier. Still, the late morning sun was much better than a mid-afternoon sun as far as photography goes.
We came across this…., uh….., herd, pack, group of moose standing in the warm sun with the Tetons in the background. “What an epic opportunity!” I thought to myself. Hopping out of the car, I grabbed my cameras. My first shots were with a 70-200mm lens and my latter shots were with a 150-600mm lens that I borrowed from a buddy back in Monument.
The Moose of Teton National Park
Prints Available
Nikon D750 | Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 | 110mm | f/11 | 1/320s | ISO 100
I was lucky enough to witness something on this trip that I’d never seen before. While shooting the moose, so to speak, I saw a couple of them rearing up on their hind legs in what looked to be a minor confrontation. I like to think that they were battling over a yummy looking clover, a patch of grass, or whatever it was that they were eating. Not only was I able to witness such an event, but I was also able to get a picture of it. Bonus! The trip could have ended at this point and I’d have been happy!
Ever see the movie Brother Bear? I like to think of these two as the two moose in that movie. :-)
Photobombed
Nikon D750 | Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 | 150mm | f/11 | 1/320s | ISO 100
In addition to the moose on this trip, I also ran into a few Bighorn Sheep.
Bighorn Sheep: The Profile
Nikon D750 | Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 | 200mm | f/5 | 1/4000s | ISO 64
Bighorn Sheep: The Stare
Nikon D750 | Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 | 200mm | f/5 | 1/4000s | ISO 64
Hoping for a decent sunset
Nikon D750 | Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 | 70mm | f/4 | 1/640s | ISO 100
This scene will set up nicely for a sunrise shot when I return in the Spring!
Goldfish in a creek within Teton National Park :-(
I was floored when I saw goldfish in the creek. Believe it or not, goldfish are quite hardy. I’ve raised them myself in ponds and they do just fine under a winter layer of ice. The park mentioned having thought they eradicated them about two years ago. Sadly, I guess that’s not the case.
Sly As A Fox
Later in the day, I happened upon a fox out pouncing around. He was a pure joy to watch. At one point, he ran in front of me. I attempted to follow him with a 600mm lens. As you can tell, I am not quite that good as a wildlife photographer, to say the least. Above was my attempt to follow along with him. I think, if you take a piece from each shot, you could put together an entire fox. Haha…!
The Sly Diptych Fox
The Entrance Prints Available
The Exit Prints Available
Just for fun, and at the encouragement of many of you, I pieced together a diptych of the fox. Geesh! That face on the fox says it all. I think he knew I never had a chance at getting a good shot of him running along.
I was able to snag a few images of the fox when he wasn’t so bouncy. They turned out a bit better or, should I say, a bit less comical.
Day 4:
- GTNP, Snake River, WY (Sunrise)
The evening found Ben and I working the business side of life vs the fun side, so we missed the sunset. With that, we turned our sights to the coming morning’s sunrise.
BTS At Snake River Overlook
We set up at the Snake River Overlook hoping to witness a beautiful sunrise.
PNG
Nikon D750 | Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 | 19mm | f/11 | 5s | ISO 100
I snapped a few shots, but the sunrise never really materialized. I ended up liking the cold blue hour image the most out of any of the shots that I took. This spot is definitely still on my list-o-places-to-shoot!
BTS: Grand Teton, One Last Time
Grand Teton, One Last Time
As we began making plans to head South towards home, I took one last shot of Grand Teton in the daylight hours as I liked the way the clouds above and behind the mountains offered up a bit of separation.
Ooops
Help Has Arrived
Of course, we couldn’t just pass by a stranded motorist who clearly wasn’t going anywhere without a bit of help. We made light work out of snatching this van out of the snow and then we were on our way. I imagine the occupants of the van have quite the story to tell of the time they were in GTNP and not only got to witness the park, but got to experience the thrill of both sliding off into the snow, feeling stranded, and then being rescued. Tho, I am sure it wasn’t all fun and games at the time, but everyone was unharmed, and hindsight has a way of turning such events into great memories.
Until next time, ciao for now!
