Season finale

Colter Bay closed to guests on Sunday morning.  Cabin Office staff are re-assigned to help Housekeeping winterize the cabins.  So much needs to be done.  They strip all the linens out of the cabins and place them in large plastic bags.  Yesterday I drove the company van around the cabins and collected all the plastic bags.  6 van-loads, and I was not the only person collecting bags.  The laundry men were astonished at the mountain of large bags for them to haul away.
     Other tasks are done cabin by cabin,  wrap the curtains and lamp shades in plastic, turn the trash cans upside down, and remove all paper products from the bathrooms.  All the soap and shampoo dispensers must be emptied and cleaned. Our Maintenance dept installs a support beam in every cabin to help the roof withstand the weight of the winter snows.  Its a huge project for 167 cabins and they appreciate all the help we can give them.
     Last week I was able to tour some of eastern Idaho.  Much of the landscape is sage brush, as I expected.  A few areas surprised me.  There are 15 dams on the Snake River to capture water for irrigation or for hydroelectric power.  Reservoirs created by these dams are drying up rapidly as the water level has dropped to extreme lows.  Palisades and Ririe reservoirs still have water in the central "lake" area.  Tributaries or "arms" of the reservoir have become mudflats.  Another reservoir has been reduced to mudflats and had attracted a wonderful collection of shorebirds.
    Returning thru Targhee National Forest I saw Maple trees on many hillsides turned brilliant red.  I did not know Idaho had such bright red Maples in the Fall.

In a few days I will head south and east.
Photos:  Pond with a beaver dam in Bridger-Teton NF.   red Maples of Idaho, 
and a shed antler from a Mule Deer.

into September

Its been so smokey here.  A new wildfire started just south of Jackson Hole.  This morning I had breakfast at Oxbow Point and could not see Mt Moran or Grand Teton.  That's a crazy amount of smoke.  Compensation this morning were the birds,  a flock of White-crowned Sparrows, a few Song Sparrows, and a Wilson's Warbler !!    2 days ago a flock of Cedar Waxwings came thru eating the Chokecherries.  Pink-sided Juncos have been flitting in the Pines outside my window, and 2 Gray Jays were looking for pine seeds.

still looking for a winter location.

a Visit

Last week Tuesday my sister came to visit with my brother-in-law, Jorge, and their friends from Spain.  The smoke blew away and the vistas were beautiful.  We rented enough canoes and kayaks for everyone to be on the water.  Paddling in Colter Bay is so pretty. We saw an Osprey, a Western Tanager, and Spotted Sandpipers.
      Wednesday I recommended we go hiking in Cascade Canyon, one of my favorite places.  We rode the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake and started hiking up to Inspiration Point.  This is the only serious climb on the trail, and rewards hikers with a view of Jenny Lake and the mountains to the east.  Clark's Nutcrackers, Moose, and mountain valleys were well photographed. Scenery in this canyon is magnificent. Sue and I found Cordilleran and Olive-sided Flycatchers !!
     After dinner we drove up Signal Mt and found Dusky Grouse.  That was exciting too.  A brilliant sunset was a great way to end the day.
Thursday and Friday we spent exploring Yellowstone Park.  Hydrothermal features are only part of Yellowstone's offerings.  Hayden Valley was beautiful.  Smoke from a nearby wildfire had nearly blotted out the sun by the time we arrived at Canyon.  The orange sunlight made an unforgettable scene in the canyon.  At Mammoth we saw a group of Elk with their harem leader, a large bull with an impressive set of antlers.
       Jorge took most of the photos so I can post only a few of mine.    Some of these are from this morning's paddling trip on Yellowstone Lake.  Elk are bugling, beginning the rutting season.  The Avocets were a wonderful surprise.