Seasons are a-changing

The effects of Hurricane Irene were felt way out here by some of the guests. Several people told me, "We were on the last flight out of JFK airport, or out of Washington DC, or . . . . I offered our office phone and extra chairs to families stranded in the park. Flights back home had been cancelled and their reservations had run out. Travelers were "on hold" for up to 1 1/2 hours trying to re-schedule their flights.
Monday afternoon I did a short hike to Grand View Point, walking through a lovely Aspen-Fir forest. Hillsides were golden in the late afternoon sun. It made a pretty scene with the craggy mountains behind in filtered light from the approaching thunderhead clouds. Leaves of the Arrowhead have dried and are rattling in the wind. Willows and bushes are turning yellow. Only the late summer flowers, the Asters and Goldenrods, are still blooming. Fields where the Bison are grazing have become brown and dusty green. I saw a Pronghorn Antelope running along the edge of the Bison herd, nearly invisible in the brown grasses.
The early mornings are cooler now. I took Dolphin-kayak out to String Lake where there are a few birds left. Pink-sided Juncos and Red-breasted Nuthatches are calling from the trees. I watched a Warbling Vireo feed a begging juvenile sitting on a branch. There is not much time for the second brood to grow up and get ready for migration.
........Photos of Coralroot with the fruiting bodies, and the view to the east from Grand View Point. The mountains in the national forest are more rounded.

Yellowstone again

Enticed by a report of Gray Partridge in Bozeman, MT I decided on another bird adventure. The very good shorebird migration locations in Montana are too far away for a short visit, so I opted for less driving to Bozeman. I selected a route past Midway Geyser Basin to Madison, exiting the park at West Yellowstone. Hwy 191 follows the Gallatin River going north. This is a popular area for fly fishing and white water rafting. The landscape moves from being heavily forested to a steep walled canyon, to open sagebrush flats. T'was a very scenic drive. A thunderstorm was breaking over Bozeman as I arrived, causing me to take shelter in a coffee shop until the storm passed.
........ Early the next morning I found Sourdough Trail, part of a network of trails maintained by the local Rotary Club. The trail protects a riparian corridor between 2 housing areas and a golf course. Black-billed Magpies were dominant. I also saw a Song Sparrow, Yellow Warblers, Evening Grosbeaks, and a few Mallards. Backyard feeders of a house had attracted both Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, as well as Common Grackles and House Finches.
......Birds had slowed down by mid-morning on this warm Summer day so I left town and headed south, back to the park. A few hours later I was standing on the edge of a natural wonder, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The falls were thundering, roaring down the canyon. Late afternoon sun made this a spectacular scene.
I saw Ospreys nesting on a rock spire, part of the canyon wall, and being fed by a parent. No predators will climb up to bother this nest !! At another viewpoint I watched a Clark's Nutcracker bill-wiping several times on a branch.
The next morning I launched my kayak at Bridge Bay marina and paddled out into the sparkling blue waters of Yellowstone Lake. Its a huge lake and I stayed close to the shore. Wildflowers are still blooming near the lake edge, watered by small trickles of water flowing into the lake.
.........Around Colter Bay I was beginning to think the forests were totally devoid of avian life, when a Cassin's Finch showed up yesterday afternoon. This morning, behind Jackson Lake Lodge, I watched 2 Sandhill Cranes fly over. Several minutes later I heard other SH Cranes calling. That really is a sign of Fall when the Cranes are migrating.
.......Photos of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Rainbow in the mist of the waterfalls, and West Thumb Geyser Basin.

more photos from hiking

Purple flower is called Elephant's head (notice the tusk-like feature)

A little Pika among the rocks.

and, a Glacier Lily, the last of this season's blooms.

Hiking adventure

Sunday afternoon I was able to get a backcountry camping permit for Monday evening at North Fork. Its a popular area for backpacking because of the scenery and a longer loop trail is possible. I started at String Lake and walked along the inflow creek to Jenny Lake. Birds !! This area burned several years ago and now provides open shrubby habitat for birds and small mammals. I saw a female Black-headed Grosbeak, a Williamson's Sapsucker, a MacGillivray's Warbler, and a Western Tanager feeding a young one. An Osprey sat on her platform nest watching me walk by.
The trail climbs up to Inspiration Point and continues into Cascade Canyon. I had hiked part of the canyon before, on this trip I walked the 4 miles to the western end and turned north. The designated camping area is in an incredibly beautiful scenic valley. Alpine vistas, flowers, snow on the high peaks, and a rushing snow-melt creek. After 7 miles I set my pack down on a grassy spot and just watched the scene for awhile.
........In the morning Pine Siskins were squeaking and chattering along with Yellow-rumped Warblers. There was frost on the grass and ground-hugging leaves. At least 30 F !! I took a walk and found Pikas on the rock slide giving alarm calls. Big 2-legged creature !! Squeak, squeak !! I also saw Clark's Nutcrackers, Mt Chickadees, and heard an Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Hiking out I came by some other hikers who had just spotted a Mama Moose and her calf in the forest. !!!!!! Closer to Jenny Lake I took the Horse Trail short-cut that avoids the crowds at Inspiration Point. The disadvantage is, of course, I needed to watch my footing around the horse droppings. A loud sudden rustling in the brush caught my attention. A Black Bear running into the forest, away from me !!!! No bear spray needed. Such a day for wildlife.

A Visit

My brother, Gary, and Nan have started their around the world bicycle adventure. On Saturday they stopped in to visit me for a few days at GT park. Saturday and Sunday afternoons they busied themselves with bicycle maintenance, journals, and other useful things while I was working. Gary cooked wonderful meals for us on his stove using the BakePacker device for making bread and other good things. Monday and Tuesday are my days off, so we went off to have fun.
We rented an aluminum canoe and brought my kayak to Jackson Lake for a morning of paddling. The morning was so pretty with the mountains shining and the water sparkling. Common Mergansers popped up from foraging to look at us, and a family of Otters was exploring the shoreline bushes. The 2 young ones were most curious. Nan took some .photos.
Afternoon found us in Jackson Hole looking for a camping site in the nearby National Forest. Jackson is such a heavily moneyed area that the authorities have banned camping the portions of the NF closest to the city.
Tuesday morning we did a short hike up a creek, found a few birds, and returned to Jackson for errands and Internet at the library. Late afternoon we found a wonderful camping site near Mosquito Creek. The mosquitoes are not as bad now, July was worse for biting insects. Wednesday morning we parted company. Gary had found a backroad going south to avoid traffic, and I needed to return to Colter Bay for my afternoon shift at Cabin Office.
.......Over the past 2 weeks I have noticed signs of the end of Summer. Forests are quiet with only an occasional bird calling. Lupine and Coralroot blooms are fading, being replaced by seed pods. All the rayed yellow composite flowers are dropping their petals and Salsify is showing large fluffy seed heads. Nighttime temperatures are dropping below 40 F.
Tourist season is still in full swing. Overnight accommodations are filled to capacity every night.
......Photos of Gary cooking Cranberry-nut bread on his stove for breakfast. The brown building behind is the dorm I Iive in. Photo #2 is Nan in my kayak on Jackson Lake.

Summer in GT Park

Snow is melting fast, melt water cascades are thundering down the mountainsides, feeding the lakes and Snake River. Saturday morning I joined a Ranger-led paddling trip on Jenny Lake. So beautiful to be out early in the morning !! The mountains sparkled, the water was calm, and we could hear the roaring of 3 snow melt streams in different canyons on the west side of the lake.
.........Wildflowers are simply spectacular now. I have taken so many photos, its a good thing I am not buying film. Butterflies are out, too: Swallowtails, and little Blues, and many more. Mosquitoes are even more abundant. We need more bats to eat mosquitoes !!
.........Moose and Bears continue to entertain visitors with their presence near the main road. Saturday morning as I was driving to Jenny Lake for the paddling trip, I came upon a large bear in to middle of the road. Mama Grizzley !! Her 3 little ones were bouncing on the side of the road. She moved off the road to let me pass.
This morning I hiked along Arizona Creek in the north end of the park. Aspen leaves were quaking in the wind, a verdant meadow was filled with flowers, and the willows looked chewed on. Further along I found an area where 2 Moose had spent time sitting in the shade of a large conifer.
One of the joys of the past 10 days has been an indoor activity. A co-worker purchased the DVD of the Ken Burns film The National Parks: America's Best Idea, and is letting each of us borrow the set. Oh my, what a wonderful video. I was totally entranced watching it, and the wonderful Special Features at the end of each DVD.
........We had a rainstorm yesterday and the mountains are misty. Photos from Jenny Lake, and of Symmetry Spire.