Another hot cup of coffee and a short road trip north of town. Fall is quickly starting to pass and winter is not far away. The weather was not the best for all these pictures but we found a few that we liked. Waiting for the first snow to get some shots of whats to come. Enjoy the slide show.
Last winter we started posting several times per week to our blog what we called “Morning Coffee”. Simply put we drop our youngest daughter off at school and then head to the coffee shop for a cup and then we head out to see what we can find. We try to frequent our favorite coffee hangouts but we usually hit them all throughout the year. Summer has been absolutely spectacular here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. But the summers here are too short and we try to make everyday count. But as quickly as summer rolls in – it rolls out and into Fall. Fall is actually one of my favorite times of the year. Cool crisp mornings and absolutely beautiful warm days.
Well school has started and we are back at it. This past weekend we purchased a new camera in Bozeman Montana. The new Nikon D3200 was our choice and so far we like it very much. This morning we headed north of town on the west bank side of the Snake River. Passing along the Moose Wilson Road we were met with a traffic jam as a Black Bear was foraging through the Hawthorne trees looking for berries. We decided to pass through the mayhem and onto Antelope Flats. There were almost no animals this morning with the exception of the bear but we did manage to find a small group of Pronghorn Antelope and shoot these shots. We are still trying to figure out how to use our new camera but I thought these pictures of a mother and her young were worth sharing.
The Pronghorn Antelope is a beautiful creature to see. They are the fastest animal in North American and can run at speeds that approach 60 miles per hour. They also migrate each year to and from the Yellowstone basin and their migration paths are some of the longest. This year the herds in our area have had a good year with offspring and they are growing in size. It won’t be long now before they start on their long journey south for the winter. When they do we will not see them again until next spring. The return of these awesome little guys marks the beginning of the coming summer which makes everyone around here happy. Stay tuned though as Fall and Winter approach we will be back at it again posting things we think are worth sharing about our home. We look forward to seeing some new and exciting events worthy of a post.
Not sure what got into me today but I just decided to take some pictures of all the signs we have here in Wyoming. This gallery of pics is a small example of the signs we see everyday in our state. Call me crazy but I had a lot of fun this morning. I saw many animals but today it was the signs that grabbed me. Enjoy…
As we move ever closer to the start of the winter of 2011 we are blessed with a variety of beautiful days here in the Rockies. On this morning we were blessed with clear blue Wyoming skies and almost no one on the roads north of town.
Our plan was as it is most mornings, grab a cup of coffee and just drive. On this morning we decided to visit a different coffee shop that sits on the West Bank of the Snake River in the business center at the Pines . Elevated Grounds is a very cool eclectic place to visit. The coffee is good and HOT! If you are visiting or living in Jackson try a cup from Elevated Grounds.
As we left our daughter at school and turned onto the Village Road (heads to ski resort) we passed a mother and her two calves helping themselves to some tall grass right on the road. We turned around as went back to take this quick shot of the young family. As the temperatures drop the moose move to any place they can find food to fatten up.
This time of year the Moose Wilson Road closes just north of the resort so the only way to the north part of the town is that you have to travel back through Jackson and back north alone the East Bank of the Snake. It was absolutely gorgeous this morning and as we turned onto the road that takes you to Kelly, Wyoming I took these next two pictures. This area is a favorite spot for us to view antelope, bison, deer, moose, coyotes and birds of prey.
I usually don’t find any compelling reason to take pictures of the Tetons from here but on this day the Grand seemed to be barking at me. So I stopped and took a couple a pics. I think the contrast between the browning grass and the fresh powdering of snow on the Grand against the blue sky is what grabbed me. These smaller pics do not even grab the brilliant colors that existed this morning nor do they show how really blue the sky was but they should give you a feeling of the beautiful solitude that exists just north of Jackson Hole. Morning coffee in Jackson Hole can be a really fun adventure you can take when you visit. Almost any day and any time of year you will find something you will want to snap a picture of. Enjoy…
Not more than a week ago I posted some pictures that I took while up at Oxbow bend and then a few days later I post some pics from the Moose Wilson Road. I was trying to share some of what we experience here in Jackson during the Fall colors. The word on the street that we were hearing was that you needed to get your shots taken as the first storm of the season was moving in from the west.
Well the storm arrived yesterday in the form of a pretty solid rain. Kind of nice since we had not seen much rain this summer. But rain quickly turned to snow and for the past 24 hours it has been a mix of both rain and snow here in the valley. This morning we took another drive out to the Moose Wilson Road in Teton National Park with hopes if showing the contrast from earlier posts.
This morning was cool as there were 3 black bears roaming around, 1 sow and her two cubs. But the Park Rangers were closing the road and asking everyone to leave and let the bears feed alone. Then this afternoon we heard that a Grizzly Sow and her cub made a visit to this same area. Although this could be a rumor it would not surprise me with the snow fall. They get pushed down looking for food. You never know what you will see on one of your morning adventures. Enjoy!
It is that time a year again when those of us who live in Jackson Hole have mixed emotions. Summer has come and gone and the fall weather is upon us. The beautiful colors that we all look forward to have changed and are quickly disappearing. But if you keep a sharp look out you will see things here that can stir a man’s (or woman’s) heart.
Jackson Cattle Drive
On this morning after we dropped off our daughter at school we headed once again for the coffee shop and on the way we passed a typical fall morning where we passed some of the local cowboys moving their cattle from one pasture to another. What better way than to just run the heard right down the highway. It is kind of nice to have to stop on the road side as part of the American West passes you by. Unfortunately for some of these cattle they are heading to the pasture to fatten them up before they hit your plate. But for those in the city – this is a real as it gets.
Moose Wilson Road
After passing our bovine friends we headed again north of town for one of our morning coffee drives. One of the incredible things about living up here is you never know what is going to jump out at you and speak to your heart. As we headed north of town we turned into Moose Junction and made our way to one of our favorite morning drives, the Moose Wilson road. Like I said you never know what to expect and as we made our way to the turn off – BAM! We pass this spot all the time but for some reason I felt the need to stop and take this picture. All alone on the road, just after a brief morning sprinkle, and the leaves starting to fall we stopped and gazed at one of God’s most spectacular works, the Grand Tetons. Truthfully there are no bad views and all are worthy of taking a picture or two. This picture does not do a good job of conveying how absolutely beautiful this morning was. We are blessed to be able to see this on any given morning and we never tire of the views.
Heaven Shines On The Grand.
As we got back in the car we headed down the road a bit and we came to this place only to see the clouds break open and heaven shined upon the Grand as you see it here. The weather has certainly changed in the past few days and it is clear what Mother Nature has in mind for us in the coming months. But for a few more weeks we will have days like this where we only need a light jacket to help ward of the chill, a hot cup of coffee to keep our insides warm. And, more important to share a moment with our creator that has blessed this valley with some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Every day we see a new painting on the canvas set before us. It is our hope that by sharing some of our mornings with you it will inspire you to come visit Jackson Hole Wyoming and come see for yourself what a simple morning drive with a cup of coffee in hand can do for you well-being. Enjoy!
Just about three or four days a week my wife and I drop our daughter off at school and instead of going straight home we venture out. First we visit one of the many coffee shops in town and head out for a drive home – the long way. On this morning which was yesterday morning, we headed north past Teton Village and traveled the “Moose Wilson” road that connects you from the western side of the Snake River to Moose Junction which is north of Jackson Hole about 15 miles.
Moose Junction is where you will find the main entrance to Teton National Park as well as the new Visitor Center which is a must see if you come to town. Moose Junction gets its name I am sure from the many moose you can see on any given day. On this morning we simply made the loop home via this route and then back to town. The picture you see here are nothing special from the stand point of the camera we had with us. But it is proof positive that this valley is one of the true wonders of the free world! Enjoy!
