Weather happenings

Yesterday it snowed most of the day. In the morning the sun was out as much as the snow clouds and I was able to put Fuji bicycle and Dolphin in safer storage places. They each have a tarp to live under.
Today was bright and cloudy. Temperatures overnight were below freezing. Car doors were frozen shut and ice scrapers were borrowed for windshields. The high T today may have reached 48 or 50 F.
The lake near Picnic beach is looking much better, the marina is not. Bureau of Reclamation has drained much of the lake in advance of the spring snow melt. Currently it looks dismal.
This past Winter was the 2nd snowiest in the past 40 years. Usually all the snow is gone by Memorial Day weekend.
Before dinner I drove to a bridge just past Jackson Lake Lodge. There are several trails leading into the brush, toward small lakes. I walked a short distance to a lake ringed with willows and found Ducks !! One pair each of Bufflehead, of Cinnamon Teal, of Gadwall, of Ring necked Ducks, and of Lesser Scaup. One lone Coot. I had to study those Scaup for quite awhile, I was not expecting Scaup in Wyoming. Audubon's Warblers and Robins are also busy setting up house-keeping and raising families.
After dinner I went to the marina to take the photos. 3 California Gulls were flying around the iced docks. Lower photo is the marina, top photo is the outlet to Jackson Lake. You can see the exposed shoreline.

Mountains are really here

By yesterday morning the rain had stopped, clouds came and went during the day. We had a tour of the cabins in the afternoon and actually saw the mountains. I went down to the lake for a look. Mountain Chickadees flitted in a Birch tree, a White-crowned Sparrow looked different. The Taiga / Orianthus race, perhaps. Something flew around me in circles and landed in a tree. A Red-naped Sapsucker returned to land on my pants !!! briefly. He didn't like the feel of the corduroy pants and went off to join the chickadees in the Birches.
After dinner I drove to the Oxbow viewpoint, a favorite for photographers. Western Grebes were doing courtship displays, not dancing yet. I spotted at least one Clark's with a yellow bill. White Pelicans, DC Cormorants, and a Chipping Sparrow finished the bird list that evening. The 4-legged excitement was a Moose across the river contently munching on willow branches.

This morning I woke up to a blue sky, with a few clouds. Quickly scooping up my yogurt, I went down to the lake and took the photo of Grand Teton Mt. Then the clouds came in.
The new work schedule gave me 2 days off, so I headed off on my first hiking adventure, Taggart Lake. The Ranger was correct in that people are using the trail. However, 3/4 of the trail is covered in snow !! When I reached the lake the mountains were covered in clouds. As I started back the wind was carrying snow, snow flurries surrounded me as I returned to the parking lot. A flock of Pink-sided Juncos was taking shelter in the sage brush, and a pair of Mountain Bluebirds was foraging on the ground. The male was brilliant blue.

Day 1 in Cabin office

We met at 8:30 am and stood around for awhile. No one has computer log-in codes yet. Couldn't the corporate office have processed that request a month ago ? We did some reading from the manual and discussion of situations. Late morning 1/2 the group went for the employee bus tour. In the afternoon the computers became unhappy. And so things went along.
Its been raining for 24 hours now. The Snake River and a few creeks look alot more flooded today than yesterday during the bus tour. Yesterday the guide told us the Snake is running at 10,000 cfs. The Bureau of Reclamation is allowing a great deal of water out over spillways with the goal of lowering lake levels before the spring snow-melt event. A huge quantity of water from snow-melt is expected this year. Jackson Lake is still partially frozen. The Marina has delayed opening until mid-June. The corrals have taken delivery of 80 horses in the past few days. Trails will not be open for awhile because of deep mud and lingering snow.
After dinner I drove south along the park drive. A Moose foraging 100 ft from the road edge had created a "moose-jam." (many vehicles stopped to photograph said animal) Bear-jams and Bison-jams are also common. I also saw several Elk near the road and Bison further away I have not seen a Bear yet, they are plentiful, the Rangers tell us. Tonight I did see a Sage Grouse walking on the shoulder.

Monday

Orientation was 2 1/2 hours in a meeting room. At North Rim they took 1 1/2 days for orientation. In the afternoon we boarded a bus for a park tour. The Head of Interpretative Services was our guide. He talked for nearly 4 hours, with a few breaks, and it was all very interesting. History, geology, where to go hiking, climbing, fishing, best places for photography or wildflowers, famous visitors, and more.
Dinner was pizza, last night they had meatloaf. There has been a good salad bar both evenings. After dinner I decided to check out the laundry facilities. I thought the washer would burst into pieces during an extended spin cycle, and the dryer wasn't sure it wanted to run or not. I read an entire People magazine on the royal wedding in Britain while I was waiting.
No photos today. The mountains are dramatic when the clouds blow away for a few minutes. Mostly its been overcast and raining. I will save my flash-card space for a sunny day. During the afternoon tour we saw herds of Bison with a few little ones, and herds of Elk with no calves yet.

Wyoming road trip's end

Raining and still very gusty winds as I left Douglas. Black sky to the west,and the sun coming up in the east, made for a dramatic scene. Suddenly a rainbow appeared to the south. A good omen. As I approached Casper, the rain decreased, so I ventured to EK Wilkins State Park. It was a good morning, despite the wind. 4 White-faced Ibis sleeping, 5 White Pelicans flew overhead, and a male Cinnamon Teal came out of the reeds for a minute. very Western birds !! I have moved beyond the Catbirds making odd noises in the bushes, and the Blue Jays calling from the forest.
By late morning the wind speed had increased, so I moved on. Casper provided a bit of indoor entertainment as I walked laps in the big shopping mall. I drove west on Hwy 20. Silver truck does not like this wind. The Snowy Range was visible to the south, rugged and snow-covered. The prairie is mostly dry grasses and sage brush, not much for the cattle to eat.
Closed highways must be a common event. Each major highway I have been on in the past 2 days has a posted sign: 25 (or 20 or 59 or . . . .) Closed when lights are flashing. Return to ______ (town). To be that well prepared for highways being closed speaks volumes about the weather in this area.
overnighted in Riverton. Strong gusty winds continue, altho the temperature was in the low 60's when I arrived.
Sunday morning dawned clear and bright for the last leg of this road trip. Temperature was probably in the low 40's overnight. In one sunny spot, as I was leaving town, a few flowering trees in a yard had started blooming. Old Cottonwood trees along Hwy 26 are not leafing out yet. I was still driving across the open plains, now there are mountains to the left and to the right. The Wind River range is rugged and snow-covered. Birds were buzzing and calling from the dry grasses. Vesper or Brewer's Sparrows, probably, altho I did not see them.

This was an amazing scenic drive: a creek lined with Cottonwood trees with the mountains behind, split rail fences along the road, huge sedimentary hills striped in brown, purple, white and pink. On the west side of the road the cliffs were brick red, like Utah sandstone. Horses have little colts beside them. A Black-billed Magpie flew across the road.
As I climbed up Togwotee Pass (elevation 9650) snow was deeper and deeper. A sign for Falls Campground was nearly buried. Snowstakes were poking out from the snowbanks. Coming down the other side the snow quickly disappeared, leaving a high elevation sage brush community. The important photo was taken.
I arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge late morniing. I now have an ID card, Silver truck has a employee sticker, and I was assigned to room 6 in the "older people" dorm. (Otherwise known as "quiet"). Orientation is Monday, training Tuesday and Wednesday, and Colter Bay area opens on Thursday.
Birds around the Lodge: Pink-sided Juncos, Pine Siskins, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Pictures are not great, camera was having trouble with exposure.

just photos

Home home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play. I saw the Pronghorn Antelope on the grasslands. (not in this photo)
was buying gas in a small town when I noticed the "Patchwork Buffalo."

South Dakota and beyond

Strong winds from the west really decreased the gas mileage today. Highways in western Iowa and eastern South Dakota are under much re-construction. Bird sightings were sporadic: A Red-tailed Hawk in the top of a young slender tree holding on against the winds, Turkey Vultures nearly blown across the highway, and 3 Great Egrets in a flooded field along hwy 90. Swallows are nesting under the bridges of highway overpasses. I saw 2 Ring-necked Pheasants from Hwy 90, in different places. Again today, many dead raccoons, badgers, and deer along the highways are not being found or eaten by the Turkey Vultures.
Elk Horn, Iowa is a small town proud of its Dutch heritage with a large windmill, a Dutch museum, and many Dutch souvenir shops. Elk Point, SD has a sign remembering the campsite of Lewis and Clark along the Missouri River. Laura Ingalls Wilder's homeplace near DeSmet, SD has a highway sign inviting visitors. World's Only Corn Palace is still attracting tourists in Mitchell, SD. Billboards for Wall Drug start as soon as you cross the state border into SD. A few decades ago the bumper stickers read "Where is Wall Drug?" Today they use a Wild West: theme, "Wall Drug or Bust."
The flat lands of eastern SD are still being planted in crops. After the town of Oacoma hills appeared, and so did the cattle. Several young frisky calves played in the green fields near their Moms. Rain has been heavy at times. The landscape is very green.
I stayed overnight in Murdo, SD. While planning this route I had dreams of Prairie Chickens, Longspurs in breeding plumage, and grassland sparrows doing their song-flights. Prairie Chickens and Grouse are more easily seen earlier in the season, if you go out to their leks. The weather across South Dakota has been such that any grassland bird would take cover.
A nice warm shower, some Internet, and I am ready to drive into the foggy gray morning. Mountain Time Zone, another state split into 2 time zones. Missouri River was running high and muddy from alot of rain and dirt washing into the river. Cheyenne River is running over its banks as well. Geese and Mallards are taking advantage of flooding in low laying fields.
About 2 hours from Rapid City the sky lightened, and the wind blew the clouds out. Blue sky !! To the south the rugged landscape of the Badlands appeared. I remember well our family trip in this area, and camping overnight on the prairie.
Finally past Wall, the advertising billboards were beginning to look like too much clutter on the edge of the highway.
At Rapid City the landscape undergoes a dramatic transition from rolling prairies to western forest. The Black Hills are sort of a "sky island" for forest creatures. I drove into the Black Hills under sunny, altho windy skies. Yesterday and today, I have seen many old old weathered cabins and barns abandoned for decades. Some are still standing, some have collapsed. The gray wood is eroded from years of wind.
BIRD NOTE A birder had reported Juncos at the KOA along Hwy 244 in Black Hills. I was able to find White-winged Juncos among the pine trees. Hooray for Juncos, and for ebird.
also seen: Golden-crowned Kinglets, Audubon's (yellow-rumped) Warbler, Chipping Sparrows, Barn Swallows, and a Yellow-breasted Chat.
I ended the day driving across Thunder Basin Grasslands in Wyoming. The eastern portion is green with grass and bushes. I saw Lark Buntings, Clay-colored Sparrows, Western Meadowlarks, and more Chippings. The western portion is drier. I drove for 30 miles along an open pit coal mine, after that the landscape was dry grasses and sagebrush.