We headed out early in the morning to catch sunrise. It was spectacular! After returning to our hotel for breakfast and some rest, we headed out again to see some beautiful mountain scenery and to look for wildlife. It was a good day!
Sunrise
When we arrived at the Glacier View Turnout, the sky was clear and already a nice shade of blue. It was rather cold, 14°F with a wind chill of 4°F. We quickly setup the tripod and ultimately decided on using the wide angle lens.
We configured the camera to automatically take a photo every 20 seconds so that we would have images at regular intervals and more importantly so we could keep our hands in our pockets. In our rush to get setup, we neglected to put on gloves!
We were treated to a truly spectacular display as the sun illuminated the tip of Grand Teton and then the other smaller peaks. We watched as the light reached the cloud in front of the mountains and eagerly awaited what would be next!
Eventually, the sun illuminated the cloud and then started on the land between us and the mountains.
While we were watching the light get progressively closer, we heard a sound. A coyote yipping! It sounded close. We took the camera off the tripod, mounted a telephoto lens, and tried to find the coyote. We ultimately did not find the coyote. There was just too much terrain, the majority of it a very similar color to a coyote!
We created a short timelapse from the photos we took! In the future, we probably will take more frequent photos so that the motion looks smoother.
We snapped a quick photo with the telephoto lens before we left since it was already on the camera.
Moose on the Loose!
As we were driving south, we saw vehicles stopped on the side of the road just past the Albright View Turnout. We quickly noticed that there was a female moose not far from the road! We quickly pulled over, completely out of the lane as one should, and watched to see what the moose was doing! Luckily, the telephoto lens was still on the camera so we didn’t have to waste time swapping lenses!
There is an airplane in the background as Jackson Hole Airport was just a little bit further down the road.
The moose seemed to get spooked a bit by some highway noise and walked a bit faster. At one point, she appeared to head towards us. I was hoping she wouldn’t get too close as I’d be obligated to hide behind our vehicle if that happened.
She did get closer but not too close. We could see the steam from her breath as she walked by!
I was too busy looking at the moose through the telephoto lens that I completely missed when she walked directly in front of Grand Teton! I got this photo of her after she walked past it.
The moose slowly and confidently crossed the road behind us.
The fur on her back was covered with frost! It is visible in some of the photos that we took but is more apparent in this view after she crossed the road.
This was definitely the closest encounter we’ve had with a moose!
Mormon Row
Later in the day, we visited Mormon Row for a quick look around. It actually took us two attempts to get there as the southern end of the road was closed. We had to backtrack and drive in from the west instead.
The famous T.A. Moulton Barn, a rather famous photography subject. I have nothing new to offer as this barn has been photographed countless times. Here is an attempt using our telephoto lens. The ground in front of the barn was a muddy mess and would have looked terrible if included. I would have preferred to be a bit further back to capture the entire barn but there wasn’t sufficient terrain to do so. There are also trees in the area that limit where you can get a clear photo from, particularly if you want Grand Teton in the background.
Another historic structure in Mormon Row.
Some additional structures along Mormon Row in the opposite direction.
While at Mormon Row, we noticed this Delta Airlines Airbus A319 headed in to Jackson Hole Airport. Unfortunately, I was a bit too slow to get the photo I wanted with the aircraft headed towards Grand Teton.
Cunningham Cabin
We also visited the J.P. Cunningham Cabin, a historic structure to the north of Mormon Row.
The Cunningham Cabin dates back to the late 1800s. It is a simple structure with two rooms and a covered area in between and is more primitive than the buildings on Mormon Row. There isn’t really anything to see inside.
There was a short loop trail by the cabin. It was mostly flat but there were a few tiny slopes that were unfortunately quite muddy. There were also great views of Grand Teton!
Teton Range
While at the Cunningham Cabin, a couple mentioned that they saw three moose over by Antelope Flats Road. We never did find the moose, but we did snap this photo at the Blacktail Ponds Overlook at the west end of the road (more or less).
We took various photos of the Tetons as we were driving around today. They’re always a beautiful sight but particularly so when there is snow and some clouds.