Prong 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

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.

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.

Flat Creek, Jackson

Flat Creek in Jackson runs just behind the visitor center. and follows route 89 as you are leaving Jackson for the National Park. This section of Flat Creek is part of the National Elk Sanctuary. Folks come to Flat Creek for the fly fishing. I came for the birds. The river is on a migration path and always filled with birds. Ducks, coots and even swans filled the waterway.

Fish Hatchery

About now my Gaperguide chimed in. A fish hatchery was coming up on the right. I chose not to stop but I gather the hatchery is trying to rescue the cutthroat trout in the area from introduced lake trout. Cutthroat trout support many of the birds and animals in this eco-system. Bear feed on them, eagles and otters join in. Animals can’t catch the lake trout so it’s crucial to the habitat to maintain the stocks of the cut throat trout. Amazing how man’s meddling can have such far reaching consequences.

Entering Grand Teton National Park

As I pass the Fish Hatchery the road climbs a small hill. You’ll get your first real view of the Teton Range as you reach the top. I never tired of the way you come over that hill and the mountains are right in front of you! Beautiful and breath-taking; minimal foot hills. It’s like someone just dropped the mountains in the middle of a flat plain. My Gaperguide was on the job reminding me to slow down. It even suggested a photo op. The park entrance was coming up. The Park Sign has a terrific view of the namesake mountains.

Gros Ventre Junction

The Elk Refuge follows along on my right. The next turnoff is Gros Ventre Junction. The area is named for the Gros Ventre (pronounced grow vaunt) Native American tribe that migrated down from Montana to hunt bison. Taking a right here will lead to the little Town of Kelly, population 138.