It has been a while since I posted a Morning Coffee Post. I thought it was about time to get back to sharing how blessed we are here in Western Wyoming no matter what the journey. This morning it was a trip into Jackson Wyoming and to the Aveda Salon for my wife. Truthfully I did not have plans to make this trip with her but she twisted my arm and so off we went.
First stop was to refresh our morning coffees, a decaf latte for her and a large Americano with steamed Half/Half, EXTRA HOT for me!. As usual we ran into some of the local people we know and started our visit in Jackson with some morning chat. I dropped off Peyton at the salon and once she was inside I was gifted with a couple hours all to myself.
Medicine for my Soul
North End of Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park
As I pulled away from the Salon I quickly looked into the back seat of my truck to make sure I had my camera with me. Yep, I do so where do I want to go for a few hours and relax? Without hesitation I headed north out of Jackson Hole, coffee in hand into Grand Teton National Park. I have so many favorite places I like to visit but because of time constraints I decided to keep the distance driven down thereby allowing me more time to just sit and take in Mother Earths blessings.
Today the weather was not stellar for photos but it was absolutely a beautiful day. Even though it is early May the tourists are definitely arriving and so are their driving habits…UGH. In some cases watching them is more fun than the park itself…lol.
These pictures taken this morning are all from the general same area in Grand Teton National Park. This last one is a place called Black Tail Ponds. This is such a beautiful view of the Tetons which are only a couple miles to the West of this place. Moose, Deer, Antelope, Elk and the elusive Griz frequent this place. The water that lays just below these pines is a ribbon of the Snake River which runs basically behind them.
Black Tail Ponds, Teton National Park
On a morning such as this… this place feeds Medicine for my Soul! The view never old and if ever you are in this country come to this place. Bring a cup of your favorite Coffee and enjoy what the morning has to offer.
I have just ordered some 16×24 Metal prints of this big boy. This image was capture in the summer of 2017 north of Jackson Hole Wyoming in the Antelope Flats area. Part of the Yellowstone herd comes south each summer to hang out in this awesome spot that sits basically within or right next to Teton National Park, north of Jackson Hole Wyoming.
This image can be reproduced in pretty much any size but I really like the the 16×24 vertical presentation. Not too big and not too small. If a more contemporary look is your desire hang directly on your wall. If you are looking for a more traditional fits to you space maybe add a nice frame. Available now.
Male Bison taken in the summer of 2017 in Kelly Wyoming just north of Jackson Hole Wyoming in an area known as Antelope Flats
Should you be traveling through Jackson Hole this summer please come visit me in my Studio Gallery. We are easy to find as we are just south of the town of Jackson Hole located just off of the Snake River. If you are looking for a pleasant afternoon and you want to explore something outside of Jackson Hole then take the journey south just 12 miles and view our art.
Please come spend a part of your day with Tim. We are located just about on the mighty Snake River. Take a walk along the river right from our property. Enjoy a beverage complimentary on us. In addition to Flutes some of Tim’s jewelry and local photography will be on display. We can also ship any purchase to your home or business so you don’t have to take it with you.
Bison Herd Antelope Flats
Artist In Resident
We are in the process of negotiating for a couple of spots in the town of Jackson Hole where Tim will be the Artist In Resident at one of the local establishments. This is still in the works but if and when we get this in the bag we will be posting days and hours you can find Tim in town.
Tim will also be crafting his art at our home studio gallery that will be open this summer. Come visit with Tim and watch how some of his art is actually crafted by hand. Everything will be available for purchase.
The Largest Selection of Flutes in Wyoming
Come see my collection of hand crafted award-winning Native American Styled Flutes here at our Studio Gallery on your next visit to Jackson Hole. The entire selection of Native American Styled flutes are crafted by local award-winning artist Timothy Jennings. We have fully completed flutes, flutes ready for final production (Available to customize), Flute Making Supplies and we will be taking commissions for the winter of 2017 – 2018.
How do you get here?
We will be posting complete instructions on how to get to our property as we get closer to May 1st. We will post a video that will give you a taste of what you can expect to see on your journey.
If you are interested please contact me via phone @ (307) 690-0427 or email me @ timjen333@gmail.com. Feel free to leave a comment to this post if this interests you… I would love to see you…
Here in the Yellowstone Basin our winters tend to be long and cold. Most years winter comes and goes within the normal season time frames and yes snow is definitely part of the mix. There are really two seasons that bring people to our area… summer and winter. Not that Fall and Spring are not beautiful but the masses tend to travel during the summer and winter months.
Summer is simply breathtaking here in the Yellowstone Basin and people flock to this part of the world during the summer months by the millions. Winter is a different crowd mostly looking for that powder stash we are so well known for. Not only skiers but snow machiners as well. Togwatee pass is one of the top places in the world for Snow Machining and our resort Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is one of the top ski resorts in the world.
Along the banks of the Snake River
But for those of us who live here getting away from the deep snow, especially in years like this where the snow just keeps coming is a necessary endeavor. Last thursday we decided it was time to just go … anywhere where the snow was not so deep. Our destination was to be Bozeman Montana. From our home here just south of Jackson Hole our road trip was to take us 227 miles to the heart of Bozeman Montana.
Gallatin River, Montana
Now I know this sounds a little like a crazy thing to do which is to say drive 227 miles in winter to get away from the snow but this was to be our journey this day. It is important to note that the drive from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Bozeman Montana is one of the most beautiful drives in North American winter or summer. In the winter we travel from Jackson Hole, to Ashton Idaho then up to West Yellowstone and through the very NW corner of Yellowstone Park and we then follow the Gallatin River down into Bozeman. Simply beautiful the entire way! So we grabbed our Morning Coffee and off we went…
Once in Bozeman we stayed for the night and in addition to our normal Costco run we decided to explore some new places to eat since when in Bozeman this is one of our favorite sports. This trip we ate at four local restaurants two of which we will not talk about but there were two that we really enjoyed. We love to eat breakfast at local eclectic venues if we can find them and one that we ate at was simply a joy.
Stockyard Cafe Bozeman Montana
We found and ate at the Stockyard Cafe located in the Northeast side of Bozeman. A bit of an adventure to find and truthfully not a lot to brag about as this place is truly a small slice of Americana. Our first impression was that we made a mistake as this place is actually at the Bozeman Stockyards. We located the little red building that at first glance seemed to be in need of repair. But with all the cars parked in the parking lot it was a good indication that the food inside would be the perfect answer to the morning hungers.
To be truthful there is not a lot to talk about as this little cafe is well – let’s just say a place stuck in time. Don’t be surprised if you will need to help the staff with your table and such and the tableware is… well kind of plain. But those people who had already been served all seem to be pleased with their meals as everyone was eating and not much talking going on.
We placed our orders for each of us and waited for the hot coffee to pour which basically is a bottomless cup of joe for those of you who love coffee. The servers were friendly and busy to boot. The place was decorated with local flavor and let’s just say the decor was done a few years ago but actually quite quaint.
There were three of us for breakfast and I must say that we were not disappointed with our meals. I admit it… I had the biscuits and gravy two eggs and a side of local bacon… Why not? After all this was the west and we were in a real western cafe. Peyton’s meal which was … well I am not real sure – maybe some sort of huevos rancheros but delicious just the same. Brynn had the french toast and she too left satisfied and smiling.
If you want a real feel good breakfast then you have to visit the Stockyard Cafe. It was a lot of fun with a great atmosphere and the food and service were excellent. We liked it!
The other meal we had which was really good turned out to be the first choice of our daughter Brynn the evening prior. Brynn selected Pizza Compania Italian Restaurant which is located in the Cannery district of Bozeman. This restaurant sits in what was apparently the old granary and the atmosphere is excellent.
The funny thing was that earlier in the day we were talking about maybe a pizza place but she was not having the idea. But later that evening she all the sudden got the bug for pizza and well, it was her turn to pick. She did a great job picking Pizza Compania.
Our Leftovers!
This restaurant is probably the best place we have eaten in Bozeman. The service was excellent and friendly, the beer cold and local, the food simply amazing.
The artichoke dip we started with was absolutely the best we have ever had. OMG – we could not stop eating it! The salads were fresh and the dressing perfect in every way. But the pizza was to die for! Oh and the cost was hard to believe – our total bill for all that we ordered plus 3 beers and a wine was less than $70.00 dollars. If you are in Bozeman you will want to try this place out! If you like pizza then you will not be disappointed. There are other things on their menu as well and I am sure we will be back to try just about everything at some future date.
Road trips can be fun and they can be cathartic to your well-being. We love grabbing a cup of coffee and hitting the road. Although most of our Morning Coffee adventures are a bit shorter in duration. At the end of the day and the end of the trip we came home with smiles on our faces.
Who has not heard about the great adventure story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? Early from 1804 – 1806, Sacajawea was an integral part of this expedition that led Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their exploration of the American West looking for a path to the Pacific Ocean. Sacajawea and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau played an important role in the success of this expedition – an expedition that led them right through this part of the country – the great Yellowstone basin. But this post is not about their story. It is the story of the resting place of Sacajawea – a once young Shoshone Indian girl who helped change history forever. A place that can be found just a few miles Southeast from Jackson Hole.
Although Sacajawea was reported to have died in 1812 she actually lived to be a very old women as told by Shoshone oral traditions. Long after the end of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Sacajawea eventually made her way west back to the Shoshone tribes and lived out her life in the area that is now Fort Washakie, Wyoming. Anyone who has traveled to or from Lander, Wyoming has gone right through Fort Washakie which is one of two main cities on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Sacajawea Cemetery
Fort Washakie was originally a U.S Army fort in what is now the state of Wyoming. The fort was established in 1869 and was originally named Camp Augur after General Christopher C. Augur, commander of the Department of Platte. In 1870 the camp was renamed Camp Brown in honor of Captain Frederick H. Brown who was killed in the Fetterman Massacre in 1866. 81 men under his command were killed by Lakota Sioux, Arapaho and Cheyenne warriors during what was known as Red Cloud’s War on the white man. It was renamed again in 1878 after Chief Washakie of the Shoshone tribe making the fort the only U.S military outpost named after a Native American. The fort remained a military outpost until 1909 when it was decommissioned and turned over to the Shoshone Indian Agency.
Casualty of War July, 1873
The graves of Chief Washakie and the Lewis and Clark Expedition guide Sacajawea are located on the grounds of the fort. This burial site lies within the present-day Wind River Indian Reservation. Our family has become very familiar with Fort Washakie as we travel through there several times a year to visit our daughter in Boulder Colorado. As you pass through the main intersection of Fort Washakie there is a small road sign that says “Sacajawea’s Grave Site”. We had passed this sign many times over many years but had never taken the time to stop and visit this very special place. This last trip it was different – we made the time to visit the resting place of this very important person in American History.
Looking to the Southeast
Fort Washakie is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Jackson Hole. A beautiful drive that takes you over Togwotee Pass, through the town of Dubois and across the Wind River Reservation. Just short of Lander Wyoming is Fort Washakie. I need to tell you that please do not expect something on the grandeur of the National Park Monuments we are all used to. Fort Washakie is a humble place that belongs now to the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes. The poverty you will experience on this majestic reservation is shocking and to be truthful something for all to be ashamed about.
Peyton, Brock, Brynn and I have visited several Powwows on this reservation and I can truthfully say these were some of the best days we have had in Wyoming. The Shoshone people are very inviting and I suggest that anyone who is in the area think about visiting one of their Powwows if you can. On this day though we stopped and made our way west of the main intersection, past the Powwow Grounds and along the west side of the Wind River (actual river) for several miles until we came to a very small, unassuming sign that simply says “Sacajawea Cemetery”. As you enter this very humble place two things stand out. No trees or shrubs landscape this place and the close proximity of each grave. Some graves date back to the mid 1800’s and all the way to the present.
I have to tell you that if you are a lover of history you need to visit this place. To stand at the foot of Sacajawea’s gravesite, her son Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau and her sisters son Bazil is quite an experience. This place, this humble grave site, this troubled reservation of the Shoshone people gives one a reason to pause and think… think about those who help lay the path before us, a path that had led to this day that my family stood at the foot of what was once a young Shoshone Indian woman who made an everlasting contribution to our American History.
We woke up again this morning to another beautiful fall day here in the Yellowstone basin! But this morning unlike many of the ones over the past few weeks was really cold. As we pulled from our driveway this morning on our way to drop Brynn off at school the temp gauge was reading 28 degrees. By the time we got across the Snake River it was 25 degrees and even colder north of town.
The Snake River looked pretty cool as there was steam coming off of the water and for that to happen the air temp must be colder than the water. Trust me, the Snake River is not something to wade in this time of year as the water temperatures have dropped quite a bit. Anyway we dropped Brynn off and headed to the coffee shop and then north of town again.
Now forgive us as our camera was acting up this morning but I think you will enjoy our little adventure. We were alone this morning and the animals were right next to our truck at every turn. We took our time and sat and watched the three moose in the pics for quite some time. They were eating the sage next to the road and for the most part ignored us. Been then they decided to check us out and we rolled away as they headed to us. Very cool!
All in all we saw antelope, buffalo, moose, geese and most certainly some spectacular views of the valley. On this morning we passed through Kelly, Wyoming, past the entrance to the Gros Ventre canyon, over to Antelope flats and Mormon Row and then home again. Another great way to share a cup of java!
A few years back my son Brock and I took a day trip to Bozeman Montana to meet some very dear friends from the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation located in Montana. Donovan Sr, is an Assiniboine Elder who trained me how to make traditional Native American Pipes, (but that is for another blog post) and Uncle Loren. The short version is we met Donovan Sr. and Uncle Loren (we call him “Uncs”) to pick up some sacred pipe stone and a couple of new pipes, just completed by Donovan Sr., to take back to Jackson Hole to be photographed. We also picked up some pipe stone for ourselves as well as exchange some pipe stems, ideas, and friendship! The day in Bozeman ended in what we call a “Good Trade” day.
Our trip started early on a Saturday morning, leaving Jackson Hole at around 8:00am. After getting our coffee and a couple of bagels we hit the road. When traveling through this part of the country, which is sooo amazing and in a single round trip of about 450 miles one can experience everything the Rockies has to throw at you. The weather this Fall day was awesome, skies were clear blue and the sun was shining bright, and the temperature was perfect when we left town. There are a couple of ways you can make your way to Bozeman from Jackson, one through Yellowstone Park’s south entrance or head through Idaho, back into Montana, north through the very northwest corner of the park and finally past Big Sky Montana as you make your way down the Gallatin River into Bozeman.
From Jackson to Bozeman is about 214 miles (one way) over some of the most beautiful roads you can travel. We chose to head west over Teton Pass and into Idaho, then north along the west side of the Teton Range. You first travel through beautiful rolling hills where much of the russet potatoes are grown in Idaho, not to mention double row barley (which Anheuser Bush buys for their beer) and after you make a turn east in Ashton Idaho you eventually end up in West Yellowstone.
For those who are not familiar with Yellowstone Park, there are 4 entrances to the park. Jackson Hole to the south, Gardiner at the north, the east entrance which leads to Cody, Wyoming and the west entrance which is West Yellowstone (it’s a town). Some of you may be familiar with West Yellowstone as some of the premier fly fishing rivers in the world are in the area. The Madison river, the Firehole, Henry’s Fork, the Buffalo, the Gallatin and many more. This is truly Lewis and Clark country.
From West Yellowstone you head north toward Bozeman and you travel though the very northwest part of Yellowstone Park and you quickly pass over the Madison River eventually picking up and following the Gallatin river all the way into Bozemen. One important note here is that you pass right through a part of the park that suffered from the big fire in 1988. It is awesome to see how nature has recovered. You pass Big Sky Montana Ski Resort and other beautiful scenery. This is one of the most beautiful stretches of road to drive at any time of the year.
Once in Bozemen we had our little pow wow with friends, stopped at a few stores and headed home. When we left Bozeman the clouds had started to gather. The weather from Jackson to Bozeman had been perfect! Clear skies, very dry roads, an easy drive. But things were about to change. We headed back up the Gallatin to West Yellowstone. This part of the trip is about 90 miles. As we pulled into West Yellowstone, Brock said “Dad why don’t we go home through the park”. I said sure let’s do it. It is important to note that this is about 4:45pm MST and it is getting darker. It is important because this is animal hour in the park.
We entered the park and headed towards the Old Faithful Geyser basin. This part of the trip from West Yellowstone to home in Jackson is about 130 miles. This is when things started to change. We first ran head on into a male buffalo that decided my truck was bigger than he was. So he mosied off the road and into the pasture that sat along the Madison river. He was the first of hundreds we were to run into this day of travels through the park. And on top of it, it was starting to rain. I quickly looked at my temperature gauge and saw that the temp has dropped drastically to 38 degrees. This was important because at 38 degrees and below it will start to snow if the conditions are right.
As we got closer to Old Faithful we saw elk, and big herds of buffalo and we drove along the banks of the Madison River, simply awesome. By the time we got to Old Faithful Geyser Basin the temperature was down to 36 and still raining. And it was now getting pretty dark. Clouded skis and looking even darker towards Jackson. Along this stretch of the road you travel along the banks of the Firehole river for part of the way and it gets it name from all the thermal activity that it passes through. An amazing sight to see in its own right.
This is an beautiful part of the park and we tried to take some pictures before the light got too low. Almost everywhere you look you see geysers, fumaroles, steam, hot pools, bubbling mud, trees, animals, – awesome! We decided to pull over to take a short break and just take in this beautiful valley. But we did not stay long as the temperature continued to drop and I said to Brock we are about to get snowed on. But the ferocity of the change was not expected.
The Snow Starts to Fall
We headed south towards home and as we got down the road about 5 miles the temp dropped to around 32 and I said to Brock here it comes. And come it did! It did not flurry a bit or start real light – it just started snowing. Now in this part of the country you will cross the Continental Divide many times. And we were heading for one of those crossings at an elevation of 8391 feet above sea level. One other thing to note here – the park was void of people as it was close to closing so we were basically on our own.
The snowflakes started to increase in size and the volume at which they fell was speeding up. The road quickly disappeared and became totally white. The snow was accumulating at a rate that I estimated at over an 1-2 inches per hour maybe even more at times. We put the truck into four-wheel drive as we were not going anywhere without it. Our speed dropped to about 25 miles per hour and we are crawling our way through Yellowstone park in the middle of a snow storm all alone. When we left Jackson it was sunny and clear. In Bozeman it was starting to cloud up but still relatively warm. West Yellowstone it started to rain and now we were surrounded in white.
Continental Divide 8391 Feet
Our final stop before it got real dark and we made the final trek home was the pass where we cross over the Continental Divide. We stopped and took this last picture here. We got out of our truck and it was completely quite. Snow was falling straight down and you could hear it hit the trees, your clothing, the truck. It was coming down so thick that it would fall right into your mouth. If you have never experienced the complete quite of the forest and to see snow falling straight down and building up in front of your eyes you have missed one of heaven’s real treats!!
The light faded fast and Brock and I decided that if we did not get moving we may be spending the night here as the snow was already over a foot deep on the road. We slowly made our way to the south entrance of the park and as the roads started to clear we made our way home to Jackson. You actually leave Yellowstone Park and then make your way through parts of Teton National Park before you get into the Jackson area.
This was an amazing day for Brock and I – we spent it together as father and son, we shared lunch with friends and they we got to see God’s hand on our Mother Earth. We were kissed by her this day and left with a memory I shall never forget! WE WERE TRULY BLESSED THIS DAY!
Just listed on our website is this simple but nice flute perfect for the first time flute owner or as a gift to a friend. Hand crafted out of Old Growth Alaskan Yellow Cedar and features a 3/4 inch bore. In an effort to offer flutes at price points that most anyone can afford this flute fits right in with this. Artist Timothy Jennings wants everyone who comes to the flute to be able to afford one.
This flute is easy to play and small enough to stuff into your backpack so you can take it with you wherever you go. Read more about this Otter Themed flute that is ready for a new home. CLICK HERE to visit this flutes page on our website. Priced at $165.00 plus $16.95 shipping. Visit the page to also here the latest sound clip on this flute.
All of the flutes listed on JacksonHoleTim.com are available for Commission. Questions? Call (307) 690-0427 or send an email to “timjen333@gmail.com”. We would love to hear any feedback from you after you visit the page.
We just added a new sound clip to this recently completed Alaskan Yellow Cedar Raven Themed flute. This flute was completed for a customer recently and we wanted you to be able to hear how beautiful of a voice Alaskan Yellow Cedar can deliver.
This flute is now available for a new home… Click Here to visit this flute on our website. Also available for Commission – I can build one similar on a Commission Basis. I really like this flute but we can make it your own by adding your vision to the project. Let me hear from you if you like how it sounds … or not…
Listen to Sound Sample from this flute
This flute design is available for Commission so if you have interest please reach out to me at “timjen333@gmail.com” or call (307) 690-0427.
We just added a new sound clip to this AWARD Winning flute titled “Ta Tanga Ax Dog” (Runs With Buffalo). This flute was completed for the Western Design Conference two years ago and I have kept this flute since then as it took First Place in Accents that Fall.
This flute is now available for purchase or I can build one similar on a Commission Basis. I absolutely Love like this flute but we can make it your own by adding your vision to the project. Let me hear from you if you like how it sounds … or not…
Listen to Sound Sample from this flute
This flute design is available for Commission so if you have interest please reach out to me at “timjen333@gmail.com” or call (307) 690-0427.
