Looking for Teton Village

Posted on October 17, 2017October 15, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Teton Village and the Teton Club

My resort is the Teton Club in Teton Village. I has taken me 3 years to get a reservation here. My first impression as I drove along the road from the airport is that this is cow country. Cattle fill the pastures along the way. Of course where there are cows there must be cowboys. There are almost as many pastures filled with horses as there are with cattle.

National Elk Refuge

There is a fence line along the highway with signs for the National Elk Refuge. Right now I don’t see any elk but the refuge was created in 1912. Early residents from Jackson Hole valued the Elk for their antlers, hide and meat. Elk migrate from as far away as southern Yellowstone National Park. The Sanctuary protects elk habitat. The Boy Scouts collect the antlers that are shed and sell them to pay for feed to help the herd survive the harsh winters. I’m hoping the elk migration will begin while I’m here. Elk are on my bucket list to see.

Town of Jackson

My directions take me into the Town of Jackson. What’s the difference between Jackson and Jackson Hole? A hole is a valley and Jackson is a town. So Jackson Hole is the whole area while Jackson is the principal town in the valley. As I entered Jackson I noticed a beautiful Visitor Center. Once I find the resort I’ll have to stop back here. I’m sure they have lots of information. I passed the town square which seems to be the heart of Jackson. The 4 entrances to the town square are marked by huge elk antler arches. They have similar arches at the airport and in front of several motels. There are animal and western sculptures everywhere.

There’s a Moose on the Loose!

As I turned onto RT 390 I spotted cars lining both sides of the road. A moose was calmly wandering through someone’s backyard. All the cars on the side of the road belong to people like me-tourists. They were following the poor moose with cameras snapping. My camera was still packed with my luggage in the trunk so no picture this time. I’m still looking for that resort.

The Great Whale Photo Search

Posted on February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 by Dusty Roads

I’m starting to get excited for my trip back to Maui. My timeshare called me. They tried to hook me up for a Luau and a special evening of wine and food put on by the executive chef. I said no to both. I’ve done enough Luau’s now that the thrill is gone. They are enjoyable but my mouth doesn’t hang open in wonder any more, not even for the fire dancers. As for a special culinary evening, I don’t drink and I’m not an adventurous eater. Probably the most exotic thing I like is escargot. Calamari? Not a fan, salmon? Nope. Even with dessert I prefer plain and simple. Flans and crème brulee? Not interested. I’ll take a dish of chocolate ice cream, a slice of apple pie or a strawberry shortcake. A foodie vacation would not interest me.

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What does interest me are animals. I’ve chased Elk all over from South Dakota

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(where I struck out) to Tennessee (where I finally caught up with them)

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So this trip to Maui is all about the whales and the posts on Facebook are really getting me in the right frame of mind. Just look at this photo taken by Anna Smith on a sunrise Whale Watch out of Lahaina. What an awesome shot!

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Then there is this one from the same place captured by naturalist Jackson Kowalski. Hats off to this photographer too.

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I want to capture my own version of this behavior. I’m ready. I can’t wait!

Jackson Hole Wyoming

Posted on January 20, 2017January 20, 2017 by Dusty Roads

I thought I’d give Hawaii a rest for a bit.

One of the places I have been trying to get to is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is the only location in Wyoming where I have a time share option but it is always booked. I’ve been wondering if it’s because of the time of year I try to get a reservation. I think Jackson Hole is a big ski area and I’ve been looking in the winter.

I heard that the Elk herd winters in an Elk Sanctuary just outside of Jackson hole and they have horse drawn sleigh rides through the winter herd.

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I’ve also heard that the animals in Yellowstone are easier to see in winter because they congregate around the hot springs to get relief from the cold. The exception is the bears because they are hibernating but wolves are more visible.

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Speaking of the cold, most of the roads in Yellowstone are closed once the snow flies. The only way around the park is by snowcoach, snow mobile, snow shoes, or skis. I wouldn’t be up for the show shoes or skis but maybe the snowmobile although with camera gear for pictures the snow coach might be the best bet. Sadly that takes personal exploration out of the equation.

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I recently bought a photography book for the Tetons and Yellowstone and after wading through tons of technical photo speak I’m beginning to think a spring or fall visit might be better than winter. Spring would mean baby animals like elk and bison and maybe a grizzly cub if I got lucky and fall would mean the elk and moose rut. Bears might still be active as they try to fatten up for the hibernation.

Buffalo Calf

They talked a lot about the foliage of golden aspens but being from New England that seems a bit dull. I’m used to the vibrant reds of the sugar maples and every color of orange you can think of. All the photographers spoke of sun rise and dawn or sunset for most of the locations. Jackson Hole is a good 45 minutes away from the south entrance to Yellowstone. That is making me wonder if a decent photography trip can be had for both Yellowstone and the Tetons if I stay in Jackson Hole.

So much to figure out. Any suggestions?

The Wild Life

Posted on October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 by Dusty Roads

I was thinking about wildlife. Now if I were still in my 20’s and 30’s it would be reasonable for you to think I was talking about WILD LIFE! You know, crazy, partying and carrying on. But as I left those wild days behind long ago I was actually thinking about animals in the wild.

Of all the things I’ve tried photographing, pets, people, landscape, travel, flowers, and anything else I run across, wild life, animals in the wild are may favorites. Its also probably the most frustrating and truth be told, the style in which I have the most failures.

My best work seems to be birds. Why? Because there are always birds of some kind around. I can stake out a bird feeder and have all the “models” I could ever wish for.

But wildlife doesn’t always cooperate. First you have to find them. Then you have to wait for them to do something. A perfect example is the great blue heron that summers at the Herring Run. I have spent hours with this bird and over the past 5 years I’ve seen him catch 1 fish. Normally he stands as still as a statue for hours. I finally got this picture this year. But he’ll be back next year and I’ll be waiting.

It occurred to me that I haven’t been out to photograph any deer in the last couple of years. I take that back, I photographed deer

and elk

on my vacation in Tennessee but not around here since I got my first camera. According to a photographer friend of mine, now is the perfect time to try to get more deer shots for my portfolio.

The weather is changing there’s crispness to the air and the bucks are looking for love. He got some really fun shots in RI this week but you have to get there early.

Now I’m not an early riser. Must be a throwback to all that “Wild Life” when I was young so even though I had the best of intentions this morning I missed sunrise. Yup, overslept.

I took a run down to the Wildlife Sanctuary anyway so I can be sure to find it in the pre-dawn light. I’m going to try again tomorrow.

Since there wasn’t any action going on there I headed to my old faithful sanctuary in Marshfield, MA, Daniel Webster. I’ve never been there without seeing deer but this afternoon I came up empty. The reason is that it was crowded with families walking the trails. Kids were whooping and yelling. I stayed until after 5 pm and I could still hear them. My previous schedule allowed me to explore mid week so it was always quiet. Often my car was the only one in the parking lot. So note to self, try after work mid-week.

So cross your fingers. I’m heading back out to the RI sanctuary in the morning and this time I have set the alarm.

Photo of the Week ~ 22

Posted on June 4, 2014June 4, 2014 by Dusty Roads

This week was very close. I have to admit I was torn too. The winner is Majestic Elk with 31 points but Thumbelina was right behind with 26 points. I’m glad it wasn’t a tie. The Elk photo represents a lot of work searching 3 states for the elusive animals but how many times do you see a 6 inch 4 lb goat. A miniature bundle of cuteness.