SmallCaliberCentral

I just got back from my first Yellowstone/Grand Tetons trip. My dear old mother had some frequent flier miles to burn up, and wanted to take me someplace. Jackson Hole seemed like a good choice We spent a week in Jackson Hole, and the local area, mostly the Grand Teton National Park. Went to Yellowstone, but the traffic kept us from doing it really, really right.

No matter, some friends of mine from a varminting forum live nearby, and they steered me right at least on non-bear viewing opportunities. So, we saw no bears, no mountain goats or bighorns, no wolves, but lots and lots of buffalo, elk, antelope, mule deer, and other game critters. The numbers weren't like Mother's African trip, of course, but the variety was still pretty good. I took some pics, the better ones are at a photobucket album, easily viewed here: http://s752.photobucket.com/albums/xx167/glennasher/

There are, of course, lots of bears around, just that we didn't see any, because of the dad-blamed traffic. The Tetons were a lot prettier, anyway! No elk pictures, Mom took a lot, but she hasn't had time to get them developed yet (35mm) and I haven't got a CD burned, yet, either. Gimme some time, we just got back last evening..........

Sounds like one heck of a trip. I've never been to that area and I do want to visit some day. I'll probably go when the kids are all out of the house probably in late Sept / early Oct.

Jim

I think Yellowstone closes to personal vehicles after Labor Day, since it snows a LOT there and all the mountain passes are closed. That would be a fine time for Jackson Hole, since it's a ski resort, though .

It looks like you had a nice trip Glen. I've been through those areas a few times and lived in the northern panhandle of Idaho for a year. Absolutely beautiful country! Dave

glenn asher wrote:I think Yellowstone closes to personal vehicles after Labor Day, since it snows a LOT there and all the mountain passes are closed. That would be a fine time for Jackson Hole, since it's a ski resort, though .

That early???

Darn, I'd like to go there when the place isn't so crowded. I figured the spring would be good too but the snow would still be around.

Nice pictures and thanks for sharing...

Welcome back GA!! Glad to know all went well & that you had a Grand time. Those pics are purdy nice for sure. What a beautiful place.

We were in Yellowstone last September, the week after Labor Day week. Alot less traffic, The anaimals are moving about; bull elk and bison were just starting to rut and you had to keep a close eye on them. We came in over Beartooth Pass just after the first snow on top; the road was still open but they said if it snowed much more , it would close for the season. A very beautiful drive. Got to hear wolves howl at 6 in the morning; something I'll always remember. Yellowstone is definitely a place to see as many times as you can.

They filmed the movie "Shane" in what appears to be Antelope Flats, of the Grand Teton National Park, before the park was expanded. If my pictures don't show them well enough, rent the movie and turn off the sound I did so last night , and looked it over real well, you can see Grand Teton Mountain extremely well several times, I'm not exactly sure , but I'd HAVE to bet that it was filmed about a mile north of Moose, there in the park now.

The movie was always a classic, though now it has a lot more meaning for me, since I've been where it was filmed. There are a bunch of pictures of Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, and Jack Palance in the Wort Motel, there in Jackson Hole, from that time frame. The motel itself is worth a walk-thru (the $329 a night is a bit steep for ME). The cinematography is excellent in that movie, they do all they can to capture the beauty there, and the elk in the garden! and a trophy-sized Muley in what looks like the Gros Ventres River (might be the Snake, but it must have been a really dry year if it was the Snake!)

Truly the trip of a lifetime for me. Mom has been to Kenya, on one of those photo safaris, but even she was really taken with the place.

Some of the best site in the world to see are right here in our own back yard. Just last year I took my two teenagers down south of here along the Oregon coast on US101. The Oregon coast is absolutly beautiful.

We did a jet boat ride on the Rogue River all the way up to Blossom Bar which is as far as you can go from a western direction. The Rogue River is where the raft sceen in John Wayne's "Rooster Cogburn" was filmed.

We went on down US101 to Legget CA via the Avenue of the Giants. If you've never seen the Redwood's you don't know what you're missing. My two teenagers were awe struck by there sheer size.

Afterwards we cut across the Smith River Valley over to Grants Pass on the way to Crater Lake OR. I had seen Crater Lake from the air before and like the Grand Canyon, pictures doesn't do the place justice. The water really is "blue". We also caught the head waters of the Rogue River on the North Slopes of Crater Lake.

I really want to visit Yellowstone and Yosemite as well as Glacier National Parks in the near future, I just desire to visit it (and the others) when the rest of the country isn't there either.

If anyone is heading to the Northwest and is interesting on some scenic rides, drop me a line. If you're in Washington, Mt Rainer is nice but one of the best jewells not talked about much is the San Juan islands.

Anyway, thanks for sharing...

Jim

I read " Rogue River Feud" by Zane Grey many years ago, I feel like I almost know the place, emphasis on "almost" . He painted a very pretty picture of it, anyway. Always wanted to see it, after reading the book.

Ken Burns, who does all of the GOOD PBS specials on TV, has a new one coming out in September, "The National Parks", I've seen previews just this week on our local PBS (yeah, yeah, I KNOW PBS sucks, but sometimes, they have some gems worth watching) He always has some fantastic cinematography, and he covers almost all the National Parks. It should be pretty good. His preview has some excellent pictures of Crater Lake. That's another one on "the list".

I really liked the job he did with "Lewis and Clark", the upper Missouri River country looks mighty fine, too.

glenn asher,

Glad you had a nice trip. I went thru Yellowstone the year after I graduated high school and I didn't want to go home, but had too. I think I grew up in the wrong part of the country.

.......and yes, I also watch PBS. They have some really neat shows and concerts on there.

glenn asher wrote: I really liked the job he did with "Lewis and Clark", the upper Missouri River country looks mighty fine, too.

Roger that on the Lewis & Clark film (Corps of Discovery). I just wished he would have covered more on the return trip. If you're ever out this way and have the right rig you can drive over parts of the Lolo Trail. Its located on the North Side of US-12 between Lewiston ID / Clarkstown WA east to Lolo MT approx 15 south of Missoula MT. Check it out on Google Earth. It's tough and rugged and you definitly don't want to get stranded but like the White Cliff's of the Missouri River, it looks much today as it did then.

I may try and catch the upper end of the Rogue River (Grants Pass to Hellgate). The middle portion is canoe / raft / kayak but no motor vehicles and I believe it has to be with a guide. Another good one too is the Snake River Canyon and I'm going to be fishing over there later on in the year.


Jim

Looks great Glenn!

A couple of us are heading up there on Harley's....leaving August 19th. We are going in the east entrance over to Gardiner where we will stay at a B&B. From there we will ride south thru the Park and the Tetons, and will spend a night in Jackson Hole before heading back to Colorado.

Mike

Watch out for the buffler if you're going on a bike, there isn't much give in a bison They seem habituated to motorcycles pretty well, though, it looked to me. I'd hate to be a bicyclist (and there are plenty in there) during the fall rut, if a bull bison was out of sorts.

If you can, make sure to take the loop towards Kelly in the Teton Park, it'll meander around back towards the main highway, and you'll see a LOT of buffalo and antelope, and maybe some moose, too. The Antelope Flats are well named, you're almost guaranteed to see some antelope and bison there, probably some elk, and again, maybe some moose. Keep a close eye on the willow flats around the Gros Ventre River, the moose love the stuff.

Thanks for the tips.

Fortunately, I live dead center of Colorado, and ride 50 miles one way at 0500 to work. Almost daily, elk and mule deer have to be avoided, so I'm used to emergency tactics. Here is home to many speed goats also.

We would have liked a couple more days, but archery elk season opens the 29th of August, and I have a client coming in from Michigan, and I have some things to attend to before his arrival.

Mike