Jackson Hole Morning – Part 2

The first part of the morning described in Jackson Hole Morning – Part 1 was spent experiencing the Jackson Hole valley in the early morning hours leading up to sunrise.  After the sun rose, the character of the valley changed dramatically such that it was a completely different experience.    

Much of the classic photography of Jackson Hole includes the iconic locations such as the Snake River Overlook, Ox Bow Bend, Schwabacher’s Landing and the barns along Mormon’s Row.  In the winter, many roads in the area are closed and only accessible by snowshoe or skis.  While Ox Bow Bend is accessible, it has a completely different character when the water is frozen over, and snow covered.  Not to say the majesty is lost, it just isn’t what you normally see on posters and in art galleries.

After the sun rose, the fog and frost on the trees created a surreal winter landscape that left me with the ultimate challenge, can I capture what my eyes are seeing or more importantly, how being in this magnificent place makes me feel?  I was fortunate to find myself near the dam at Jackson Lake this random morning when nature was performing an amazing symphony of weather and light artistry, complimented with the music of the birds…simply grateful!

While being fortunate enough to stumble upon this amazing display of natural beauty, none of the pictures above would give any indication that I was in Jackson Hole, or even Wyoming for that matter.  But not to worry, a few miles down the road, the fog had cleared and the classic beauty of the Tetons was on full display, nicely complimented with its winter coat.

…and only if I had my snowshoes to follow the tracks and see where they lead into the wilderness.

But, was there any wildlife?  It is the Teton Valley…of course there was wildlife!!

It was an amazing morning, but I found myself getting hungry and it was time to head back into town for breakfast and some much-needed coffee.  It was 10:30.