Moran Junction

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Have you noticed everything is a Junction?

As we approach Moran Junction we need to decide if we’ll go right to Dubois or left toward Yellowstone and the inner loop.

Dubois will take us out of Grand Teton National Park. Going left we continue in the park. In fact there’s the entrance gate with the ranger.  My Gaperguide chatted away with the specifics of this ranger station as I approached the entrance. Being old has it’s perks. I handed over my life-long senior pass. No additional charge for me.  The ranger was an older man with a graying moustache. We shared a little flirty repartee.  I don’t know what is is about these western men! Such flirts but so much fun!

Oxbow Bend Turnout

Oxbow Bend Turnout

Not long after the ranger station I spotted Oxbow Bend Turnout. The area was filled with people and cars. Everyone had a camera. Some had tripods and expensive DSLRs. Whether armed with a cell phone or a professional camera, everyone wanted “The Shot”. Myself included! As if the views hadn’t been spectacular enough here was an iconic photograph. I was tempted to pull out the tripod but it was crowded. Hand held would give me more mobility in the crowd.

Mount Moran reflected in the Snake River

The only thing that would have made this photo better in my mind would have been a still water surface to enhance the mirror effect of Mount Moran. But in nature we work with what we have and I’m happy with the result. If you go, you have to stop here!

Jackson Lake or Signal Mountain?

Tearing myself away from this beautiful view I came to the next choice. Take a right and head toward Jackson Lake and Yellowstone or continue to the left on the inner loop. Signal Mountain Lodge was one of the few places still open in the “Off Season” So I decided to stay in Grand Teton and took the left.

 

Deadman’s Bar and Dude Ranches

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The Story of Deadman’s Bar

We’re coming up on a little dirt road that will take you to Deadman’s bar. It wasn’t in very good shape and I was concerned that my low-slung Toyota  would bottom out. Even though I took a pass the story of how this corner of the Snake River got it’s name is worth retelling. It’s a story of double cross and revenge.  In the spring of 1886 four strangers came into Jackson Hole to take up placer mining along Snake River, whose gravels were reputed to be rich in gold. Three of the men were friends. The trio had added a new 4th man to the group. The 3 men quarreled with the new man and delivered a severe beating. Later, as the 3 men slept, the 4th returned and shot them. He then weighted their bodies down with stones  and threw them in the Snake River. In the end the 4th man was arrested but in true old west fashion he was acquitted in spite of overwhelming evidence of his guilt. I guess its true that dead men tell no tales

Triangle X Ranch

Next up we pass the entrance to the Triangle X Ranch. The Triangle X is an authentic Dude Ranch that has been in continuous operation since 1926. Back when it started the “Dudes” wanted to rough it. Although the ranchers made it easier than it would be for real cowboys the guests still had the use blocks of ice cut from the river for refrigeration and logs for a fire for heat. The Guest Ranch is still in operation today. Its said that when asked why a cowboy would take on these city slickers that he replied “They winter better than cows”.

Elk Ranch Flats Turnout

Once this land was  owned by the largest cattle outfit in Jackson Hole. From 1920 until 1928 Josiah David Ferrin was the “Cattle King of Wyoming”. Eventually economic pressures made selling to John D Rockefeller Jr a prudent idea. Elk Flats Ranch now serves as home to herds of bison and elk that move south from Yellowstone to winter in the milder climate of Jackson Hole. Today there were a few Pronghorn grazing.

Pronghorn Family

Glaciers, Turnouts and Overlooks

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Glacier View Turnout

Leaving Antelope Flats and Mormon row behind I was soon approaching Glacier View Turnout. These scenic stops are wonderful. They have information boards that explain what you’re looking at. My Gaperguide usually adds it’s 2 cents as well.

Glaciers om the Tetons

 

This turnout was all about the glaciers that flowed down the peaks of The Teton Range. There are up to 11 active glaciers but only a few are visible from the road.  A few glaciers that are easily visible include Teton Glacier, Falling Ice Glacier, and Skillet Glacier. View the Teton Glacier from the Teton Glacier turnout on the Teton Park Road.

Schwabacher Landing

Schwabacher Landing

Unattributed photo of the views at Schwabacher Landing. I wish it were mine!

Leaving that turnout behind we come to Schwabacher Landing, a great place to get down by the Snake River. There’s a a boat launch there and it’s a key spot for anglers to access the river. I skipped it but in retrospect I wish I hadn’t. It’s described as one of  America’s most spectacular viewpoints. I missed my photo op. I guess I’ll have to go back!

Teton Point Turnout

At Teton Point Turnout you see the terraces of the Snake River. The flat plain there meets the base of the Teton Range. I looked for animals, elk, bison and pronghorn but the view was empty when I was there.

Sake River

Snake River Overlook

Sake River

This overlook was quite large. As you walk along the curving path lined with a stone wall  different views open up for a feast for the eyes. A tour bus pulled in spilling loads of tourists out for a brief stop and leg stretch. Camera’s clicked and selfies were snapped. It seemed like the bus had a full load. I walked the whole perimeter taking pictures as I went. There was still snow on the trees but it didn’t feel that cold. The sun was out and the sky was blue. It was beautiful and one of my favorite stops.

Snake River Overlook

Mormon Row and Antelope Flats

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PronghronMormon Row and Antelope Flats Turnoff

Back on Route 89 I passed Airport Junction and Moose Junction before coming to the Antelope Flats turn off to Mormon Row.  Just before I reached the turn there was another pulloff with views of the Tetons. As I pulled in I noticed a herd of Pronghorns getting ready to bed down for the day.

Mormon RowMormon Row

Mormon Row, so named for the members of the Church of Latter day Saints, who  homesteaded the area in the 1890’s is a photographer’s destination. Photographers from around the world stop by T. A. Moulton’s barn to capture this iconic historic structure with the Teton Range in the background. According to Flickr this is the most photographed barn in America. Of course I had to join the crowd and add my photos to the many others taken here.

 

Moulton Barn with Tetons in the background

Antelope Flats

Mormon Row in located in Antelope Flats. My Gaperguide was stressing this often overlooked area. Antelope Flats Road is a spectacular route that takes you through sagebrush flats and over rolling plains. This tract of land lies in the path of a primary migration route for pronghorn, bison, and the largest elk herd in the world. As you view the old homesteads you can feel like you’ve been transported back in time. You gain a glimpse of the Old West.

Old Homestead in the shadow of the teton Range

Wildlife of Antelope Flats

The list of wildlife to be seen here is long and varied, wolves,  badger, coyotes, and fox as well as the bigger animals. It was quiet as I drove slowly along searching. I spotted more pronghorn in the distance and at one stop two chipmunks played in the dry grasses by the side of the road. It’s amazing how completely they blend in with their surroundings. They seem a darker color than the cinnamon colored rodents of New England. I only spotted them because they moved!

Wyoming Chipmunk

Wyoming Chipmunks

New England Chipmunk

New England Chipmunk

Prong Horn Antelope

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Gros Ventre slideProng Horns gather at Antelope Flats

Turning  at Gros Ventre Junction will take you to Antelope Flats and the little town of Kelly.  And I do mean little. At the last census there were only 138 people residing there. The little town has a tragic history. On May 18, 1927 the town was destroyed when a natural dam formed by the Gros Ventre landslide two years earlier collapsed and completely flooded the town. The little town never recovered. Today you can see the scar the slide left in the landscape and visit the Lower Slide Lake. There’s also a campground and convenience store.

Between Gros Ventre Junction and Kelly

Mounrt Saint John

I spotted my first wildlife as I traveled down this little side road. I stopped at a turnout overlooking one of the many rivers in the area. Moose habitat but no moose. Moving along I spotted the shortcut to Mormon Row a historic district located in Antelope Flats. I loved the clouds wreathing around Mount St John so I stopped for a series of photos. The road was a mess of pot holes. Back in the car I reached a closed and locked gate. Looks like the short cut is closed for the season. I decided to retrace my steps to the highway. It was on my return trip that I spotted the pronghorn.Prong Horn

It’s just one but its a start

I imagined a beautiful photo of a prong horn antelope with the magnificent mountains in the background but no luck. If I focused on the  antelope the mountains didn’t show and if I zoomed out to get the whole vista the antelope faded away to a tiny spot. I sat watching the lone Prong Horn as it meandered it’s way along the berm. The Prong Horn, like the elk, migrate through Grand Teton National Park as the cold weather rolls in. With luck this would just be the first of many sightings.