Roadtrip

I departed Grand Tetons on a Friday, and spent 2 nights with my friend, Marianne, in central Wyoming.  Continuing on, I drove east and south across windy Wyoming and into Colorado which was also very windy.  I stayed 2 nights with my friend, Sandy, in central Colorado.  We did a nice hike in Pike National Forest, adding Pygmy Nuthatches to the bird list.  She is very kindly allowing me to store Fuji-bike and Dolphin in her shed.
      I continued south on highway 25, driving across the arid grasslands with an occasional clump of Junipers.  New Mexico had more elevation gain and more trees.  I stayed 2 nights with my friend, Elaine, near Phoenix, AZ.  She has been very kind to let me leave Silver truck in her garage while I flew out NH to visit family.
    Photo of Sandhill Cranes in central New Mexico.

     Dad and I have been birding in several places.  Mom and I have made many good things in the kitchen. My brother came over to visit.  Saturday we drove to Plum Island in coastal Massachusetts to meet my sister and her family for a day of birding.  Hooray for birds !   It has been a good visit.

 Above, a Green Heron at Papago Park near Phoenix.

to the left,  this American Bittern was successful in catching small fish and little crabs in the open marsh.  Its the first time I have seen a Bittern out in the open for such a long time period.  at Plum Island, Newburyport, MA

We walked on boardwalks like this one into a beautiful Oak forest.  such a pretty day.






Afternoon delight:  a Barred Owl was very obliging to conduct its late afternoon hunting (looking for mice) sitting on a branch in the sun.

Season's end

     Signal Mountain Lodge stays open late into October, and is the only area of visitor services during much of October.  We finished inventory at the shop, and covered everything with sheets borrowed from Housekeeping, or plastic bags.  Mice and rodents are known to live in the basement during the winter.
     Aspen trees have provided glorious color to the valley this Fall.  When I departed on Friday afternoon, many Aspens had lost their leaves.

Willows turned golden and brown for the Fall. Naked twigs are a dark red-brown.  Elk drink from these ponds in Willow Flats while resting from their rutting behavior.









I hiked Open Canyon in early October.  Despite its name, Open Canyon trail does not lead to a spectacular view.  Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Gray Jays, and Clark's Nutcrackers were busy feeding and gathering seeds.  Least Chipmunks and Red Squirrels were also busy, scolding me for interrupting their foraging as I walked by.

Back at Signal Mt Lodge 2 young Mule Deer bucks entertained guests and employees alike.  This one crossed the road while I was watching them eat leaves and bushes.

A triumph of Swans

North of Jackson is the Elk Refuge. A viewpoint has been built where Flat Creek flows into the Elk Refuge.  I often stop to watch ducks and blackbirds during the summer.  One July morning Trumpeter Swan parents showed their young cygnets.  I was lucky enough to be there to take a few photos.
     In early October I stopped at the Refuge viewpoint again.  The Trumpeter Swan family was swimming together past the overlook.  So exciting to see the 3 cygnets have survived their first summer.

     








October has brought frosty mornings with grass blades and leaves covered with bits of ice. This is a Buckwheat with frosted red leaves and dried flower stalks.                                                                                             Spruce branches behind.

A foggy morning at Signal Mt Lodge. 

Fall trees ablaze with color

     In between cold fronts I went out Saturday morning to enjoy the bright sunny day and brilliant trees.  Conifers become darker green, and Aspens light up the forest in yellow.  (sometimes orange).  American Goldfinches are migrating in flocks. They are the color of dying Aspen leaves, no longer matching the yellow flickering leaves.
     A week and a half ago I hiked to Taggart and Bradley Lakes.  What a pretty day !  A Belted Kingfisher and 3 Common Mergansers were fishing in the lake. 
     Willow Flats and the meadows are shades of yellow, rusty brown, and orange.  Elk have been bugling their mating calls across the fields at night and early morning.

 This young male Mule Deer stopped to look at me as I walked along a creek.

Grand Teton at sunrise from the balcony of the registration building.

I took the Tram up to Rendezvous Peak, at 10,927 feet, and hiked around below the summit.  Surprisingly a few flowers are still blooming (on the south slope).  Grey Jays and Mountain Bluebirds were fun to watch.

Oh no, Fall

The glorious summer in the mountains is no more.  Wildflowers are mostly faded and gone to seed. Asters, Yarrow, and the little Mountain Sunflower persist.  Nights are much cooler.  I had the window open in the room for nearly 3 months.  Vireos, Tanagers, and most of the Swallows have departed for warmer places and more insects to eat.
    This photo from Lupine Meadows road, an Aspen has turned yellow ahead of the other trees.

Fireweed stalk with red leaves, willows, and alder sapling.

Geranium leaves turn red before other foliage. Trailsides have been so green with abundant plants.
    I carried the 'scope down the trail to Christian Pond to study ducks.  Ugh, all in eclipse plumage.  Coot families were swimming together, a few Wigeons, Gadwalls, and others I did not figure out.

Hiking the Canyons

      Garnet Canyon, Paintbrush Canyon, and Hanging Canyon have all been beautiful in the past few weeks.  The trail up Hanging Canyon is a steep informal trail not listed on the maps at all. It must be a climbers access trail because I found it accidentally while chasing a woodpecker earlier in the season.
     Wild flowers have been spectacular.  Paintbrush in many colors, Bluebells, Sunflowers, Columbine, Penstemon, Monkeyflowers, Buckwheat is still blooming, Asters, Spirea, Red Heather, Monkshood, and more.
      This photo is Middle Teton from Surprise Lake.

Surprise Lake is one of those beautiful alpine lakes at the top of Garnet Canyon.

The trail is pretty also.

Snow melt cascades down each mountainside.

Teewinot and snow fields feeding the waterfalls and cascades.

Paddling around

     Dolphin and I have been out on 5 lakes so far.  Earlier in the season I was seeing female ducks leading broods of ducklings, spooking Great Blue Herons, and watching tiny fish swimming in the clear water. 
    This photo was taken during a short portage between bays.  I paddled south from Colter Bay boat ramp across 3 small bays  and around 2 little islands.  Water levels are dropping in Jackson Lake, as the Idaho potato farmers take their 38 feet of the lake.

String Lake is a narrow lake that empties into Jenny Lake.  I paddled north along its length to the take-out site and dragged Dolphin up the muddy bank.  The trail to Leigh Lake is short and ends at this  "staircase."  I watched a man position his plastic kayak, sit inside it, and slide bump, bump, bump down the ramp to splash into the water.  I did not do that !!

Leigh Lake is larger and has a few boat-in campsites on the shore.  I came around a corner and the wind was suddenly very strong.  I took a quick photo and turned around to return the portage.  String Lake is much more sheltered from the wind.

Oxbow Lake is a wonderful marsh to paddle around in.  Female ducks hide their ducklings in the willows.  I came around a corner and found a much larger youngster,  a baby Moose.  I was quiet and did not disturb mama Moose resting in the willows nearby.  The baby Moose looked at me and sat down in the grass.  It probably thought I was a big blue whale.