Just Another Late Spring Day in the Tetons!

A Snowy morning at Colter Bay here in Grand Teton National Park!

As you can see the weather is a bit unsual here in Grand Teton National Park for this time of year. It has snowed the last two days and is at the moment raining. The visitors to the park are not all that enthusiastic about it all. I love it. Every morning, or at least for the last few days, Yellowstone Park has closed their roads until snow can be cleared off of passes. They usually open by mid-morning but park visitors tend to pile up down in this park as we are on average a thousand feet lower.

We are trying to figure out if summer will be here on the actual date of the solstice, or not. There has not been much of a spring so far . . . has delayed most of the seasonal flowers. Hope is in the forecast. Temps are supposed to move up tomorrow and through the weekend. I hope so, for one reason, I haven't been able to take a hike yet. As it is, hiking will still be limited on mountain trails for a while. My favorite trail to Amphitheater Lake will not be hikeable by the likes of me until about July.

Old Ranger in the Tetons

One interesting phenomena we have encountered is visitors comments about Global Warming. Many seem to think that all this "chilly" weather means that we do not have anything to worry about. But, what they do not understand is that all these climatic changes are a part of it. The abnormal fluctuations are actually indications of the process. We are not out of the woods, and need to be concerned!

And it goes on, Life that is . . .

Howdy Folks,


Do not have much to tell you since the last posting. Although, our weather has turned a bit on the winter side again, just seems to want to hang on until summer. I had my second late evening program last night and we had snow. By the time the program started at 9:30pm the temp had gone down to 30 degrees. There were about 14 stalwart souls who were in attendance for the program. Last Tuesday's evening program, my first of the season, was in a continuous downpour of rain. I would not have sat through it myself but 6 individuals did so. Needless to say these were not tent campers, but RVers who could return to their warm mobile abodes.


There were no movies once again for my weekend (Thursday & Friday), or least none of the normal bill of fare. They are having the Jackson Hole Film Festival currently but these films were scheduled at odd times, never fitting into my schedule. I had contemplated going to see "Sex and the City," but could not bring myself to actually do it. The reviews have been fairly bad except for those that say fans of the TV series will like it as coming to "closure" with the characters and their lives.


In addition, Friday, June 6th was the second anniversary of my mother's death and I was feeling a bit of melancholy. It seemed that the above mentioned movie was just too frivilous for my mood. My mom was a great mother even though her choice in men was not all that great. I keep thinking that I will never see her again in this life and sometimes that seems so unfair. But I am glad for that portion of her 82 years that she was a part of my life.



My mother and her children at her 80th B-day

Yellowstone River flowing in Hayden Valley,
Mt. Washburn in the background

Greetings from my intermittent blog. It seems now that I am back to work, the busy requirements of a "lead" ranger have exhausted me to the point where my motivation, and time seem to be directed to other venues. Today I have a late start and will present my first evening campfire program of the season.

The snow is melting here and some of the valley trails are finally accessible but are, in many case, a bit sloppy. To aggravate this we are getting our usual June rain storms. But, all of this does not keep our more intrepid visitors to the park from getting "out there." And, in fact, on my next days off I will attempt my first hike of the season, a modest 4 miler in the Taggart Lake area.

On a continuously rainy last Friday I again traveled up to Yellowstone to traverse the eastern lower loop (by car). We get a lot of questions about our sister park and I always feel the need to visit to better inform our vistors. I stopped off at Fishing Bridge and Canyon visitor centers in that endeavor. Both of these are my favorites in that park.


Fishing Bridge Visitor Center, Yellowstone

Between the two visitor centers, travelling through the beautiful Hayden Valley, I was able to spot another Grizzly and her cub. It is amazing to me that for my first 7 years as ranger in this area I only ever saw one. It is wonderful to see all of these bears doing well throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecological System.





In addition, we have begun to see black bears as well. The other evening my friends Bob, Ben and myself saw a black bear and her cub take down an elk calf. I know for some of you this seems cruel, but it is the way of the natural world. Remember, even down to the molecular level, everything eats everything else, it's part of the chain/cycle of life.

"Now for something completely different" (credit Monty Python) . . .

Brief movie reviews . . . as mentioned before there are a dearth of good films in late spring and early summer. However, I liked the new "Indiana Jones" film. It was not the best of the series and as many reviewers said you either love or hate it depending on whether you are a fan. I happened to be one and for pure escapism it fills the bill. A truly excellent movie, and winner of the best Foreign Film Oscar this year, is the Austrian flick "The Counterfieters." It is based on the true story of Jewish concentration camp inmates being used by the Nazis to make British and American currency during WWII to flood the market and destroy the economies of their enemies. The acting is wonderful and the script serves the story well.

Jackson, WY with it's fairly mixed population (a lot of wealthy, well educated second home owners, combined with cowboys, river runners and a myriad of outdoor types)) sometimes, surprisingly, brings some nice international and independent films to town. Currently they are quietly having a small spring festival with two a week of their seven screens being taken up with that fare. But as the summer proceeds the larger summer "blockbusters" will take over.

Thats about it for this time from beautiful "downtown" Colter Bay, garden spot of Grand Teton National Park. Catch you all on the "flip side!"

Hold that thought!

Remember last week when I told you it was getting warmer? Well, it did for several days reach the 70s here in Grand Teton Park. BUT, it rained and snowed yesterday and throughout the evening. For the next few days the forecast is for the same. I love it but there are folks who live here year round, like some in Flagstaff, who want it to be over.

The wildlife are still, more than ever, making their presence evident. This will not be the case as the spring and summer proceed. As we get more visitors in the park and it gets hotter, the larger animals will have to be seen earlier in the morning and later in the evening. The sightings of grizzlies should become less frequent. I hope so for their safety.

Sad news, but the way of nature, is the predicted split of Grizzly 399 from her third year cubs. She has pushed them on their way to independence and has mated at least twice with a big boar grizzly that seems to have come up the Gros Ventre area. He was seen to run off her big male offspring. Ben Hoyle and I observed one of the adolesent cubs crossing in front of us near Colter Bay. I fear for these cubs lives as they have been raised to forage close to roads. It is a shame that three cubs made it to adolesence (which in and of it self is amazing since the average mortality is 50%) and will possibly be hit by cars.



Solo Grizzly 399 cub moving North toward Colter Bay

There are no movies to review as Jackson, WY theaters have been bringing the usual "beginning of the summer pap" for the masses, or decent films I have already seen in AZ. This weekend may be an exception with the new "Indiana Jones" release. Some early reviews have tended to pan it but you got to take it for what it is, just fun! I'm going to see it!

Finally, a bit Warmer

After a week of snow flurries alternating with days of 50 degree temps the snow cover here in the valley of Jackson Hole is finally receding. In fact, we finally opened the Jenny Lake Visitor Center today, a week late. We spent the week preparing for the opening, beginning with sledding in materials and ending the week with a shoveled path. Today it was 70 degrees.

The Teton Mountains are still snow covered, beautiful, and inaccessible except by snowshoes or skis. It will be late June before one will be able to hike up Cascade Canyon, which is interesting because last year was the first year that I was able to do that in May with my good friends, Cindy and Bob Henry. What a difference a year makes!


Snow along road through Lewis River Canyon

I made my first trip of the season up to Yellowstone Park yesterday. I love that park as well. Even though roads have been cleared the snow there is very deep. My trip took me to the "Old Faithful" area. It is wonderful time to be there because of the lack of crowds. I was hoping to walk the three miles around the Geyser Basin but it was closed due to the presence of two Grizzlies in the area. The Geyser Basin was the only "trail" free of snow but not of ursine.


Old Faithful Inn

Good fortune shown down on me as I was driving into the area a Grizzly came down the road in front of my car. He then dropped down the side of the road by the last bridge before the final descent into the "Old Faithful" area. I was able to get a couple of shots of him. This whole eco-system is "Grizzly happy" this year. I only hope, with so many, that they will not get into trouble with humans, but that is bound to happen.





This is a great place to be this time of year. The wildlife are abundant. And, they all are looking for food after a long hard winter.

Still Snowy but . . .

Howdy Folks,

I've been here a little over a week now and the snow, although receding some do to about three days of warmer temps, is still quite evident. In fact, the amount of the white stuff piled up has kept us from opening Jenny Lake Visitor today. It is now sheduled for opening May 22nd. Regardless of that we have been working diligently on the inside to clean and organize. Colter Bay VC (where I use to work) is going to try to open as scheduled today. However, we did get a little more snow last night.




Sand Hill Cranes at Willow Flats


No matter the weather, it is spring to many species and they are beginning to arrive in Jackson Hole. This is especially true of the bears that "hibernate" here. Many have been out since the middle of April. Because of the snow they are ranging throughout the park and eco-system looking for food. This is the case with our local "signature" Grizzly known as 399. Her third spring "cubs" will be leaving her soon, sometime in May, and she will be ready to mate again.




There have been other Grizzlies sighted coming out in areas further south in the Park, i.e., Death Canyon and the Gros Ventre area. This bodes well for their bounce back from very small numbers bordering on extinction it the lower 48. However, it will make an interesting summer for hikers here. In the past we have been able to tell visitor's that in a lot of areas there was a low probability of the presence of Grizzlies. Now that is not the case. They range throughout.






The sun is coming up and the Alpen Glow on the Teton range is magnificent. What a wonderful place to work. Coming here in early spring and leaving early fall really gives me a taste the seasons here.


P.S. I went to the movies last weekend and saw Iron Man, and was pleasantly surprised by it. My usual cinema fare rarely includes "super hero" flicks, but as a fantasy this one was done well. The presence of Robert Downey Jr. in the lead made the movie. He did a great job. The supporting cast of Gwyneth (sp) Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terence Howard added to the quality. My only criticism is the use of Paltrow so sparingly. This is an Oscar ward winning actress who's talents should be more usefully employed. Overall, I give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Greetings from the Tetons

I made it to Wyoming without mishap. But, I did drive back into winter here. The mountains have the most amount of snow on them that I have ever seen; 8 years as a vistor, and now 10 as a Ranger. They are absolutely beautiful.

Colter Bay Employee Housing

The problem with so much snow is that it will be difficult to open the vistor center by next Friday. At the moment the snow is so deep you cannot get in the front or back doors. It seems an auspicious beginning for my transfer to Jenny Lake.

However, both Saturday and Sunday have been pretty warm, in the 50s, so there may be some hope for a bit of a respite. But, the chance of doing any hiking in the mountains before June is nil. Plus, two of the three campgrounds scheduled to open are inaccessible.

Tomorrow it is back to work until October.