Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Lander & Back
The nice thing about getting back from Lander just before dark is that it is the perfect time to see wildlife and spectacular sunsets. Here are a few of the animals we spotted. The bad thing about it is that Monday morning comes quickly and with a jolt!
Coyote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote
Big, busy tail!
Gray Wolf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf
These guys are awesome!
Moose
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose
Prevalent here, but I never get tired of seeing them!
Pronghorn Antelope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronghorn
Look like they belong in the Serengeti!
Coyote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote
Big, busy tail!
Gray Wolf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf
These guys are awesome!
Moose
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose
Prevalent here, but I never get tired of seeing them!
Pronghorn Antelope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronghorn
Look like they belong in the Serengeti!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Winter Critters
Between slowing down on my morning commute to let a trotting moose go by and resisting the urge to slam on the breaks to better view a pack of wolves in a horse pasture, I feel like I am reminded every day that I am truly at the edge of America's wilderness. I read postings about puma sitings and see pics of a young moose in front of a coffee shop in the local paper. Still, the harshness of winter is still a sobering reality. That puma likely got shot by hunters since it is permissible to hunt a small number of them here. Also, the wolves have recently been delisted, so I wonder what the rancher's response was to the wolves in his pasture. And, a young moose that frequented Jackson haunts has been reported dead. I say this not to depress you, but I am really in awe of the wildlife I am privy to here and the difficulty they face every winter even here in Jackson where we all are thrilled to see a moose trot by and an elk munching on park-supplied alfalfa.
The fact is, winter is rough on everybody. I have definitely gotten some hefty bruises wiping out on the ice. Our windshields are not as pristine as they used to be, and even though it is mid March, we have gotten two feet of snow in the last week. Wydaho sure is wild!
The fact is, winter is rough on everybody. I have definitely gotten some hefty bruises wiping out on the ice. Our windshields are not as pristine as they used to be, and even though it is mid March, we have gotten two feet of snow in the last week. Wydaho sure is wild!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Real Wyoming
Phil and I left our snowboards at home last weekend and dug out our rockclimbing gear. We grabbed the dogs and headed to Lander, home of The Wind River Range, Wild Iris, Sinks Canyon, and NOLS. It is roughly a 3-4 hour drive, and the scenery is quite incredible. You head north through Grand Teton National Park, and start heading southeast at Moran Junction. The snowiest part is heading up and over Togwotee Pass. It is gorgeous, but the area surrounding Togwotee Lodge is like a Harley convention only with snowmobilers. It is hard not to call them slednecks when the loud hum goes zipping by wide expanses of wilderness. I am sure it is fun, but still it seems like a strange "recreational activity." Nevertheless, we saw some moose napping and nibbling on branches.
As you drive down through Shoshone National Forest and into Dubois, Wyoming, the landscape turns arid and the cliffs and hills are red. You feel like you either took a wrong turn to New Mexico or maybe accidentally landed on the moon. Strange to see red, clay baked cliffs, with snowy peaks in the distance. Dubois banks the Wind River, and had an impressive Jackalope exhibition in the gas station where we stopped.
Eventually you head more south, and through the Shoshone Indian Reservation and Fort Washakie. It is pretty bleak and depressing that this area was their consolation prize. Still, their gas was cheap and they were friendly where we stopped. Slowly, the peaks of the Wind River Range come into view and you hit Lander, population around 7000. According to the sign, it is similar in size to Jackson, but very different in feel. Jackson feels like the glam queen, while Lander feels like a hard worker. It was a nice break for everything not to look too perfect and for the people on the streets not to look too rich.
We had a great time climbing in Sinks Canyon, where the south facing cliff is warm and comfortable while the north facing cliff is covered in snow. The dogs were thrilled to be invited and spent the day lounging in the sun. We spent a night with a friend of Phil's from the Prescott grad program,his cheery wife, and darling baby.
We were super glad to be back on real rock, and I am sure we will be back to Lander quite a lot. As we got close to Jackson on the way home, we saw a pack of wolves in the Elk Refuge- gorgeous! A coworker of Phil's asked "Where is Lander?" and another responded "It's in REAL Wyoming."
Pics to come...
As you drive down through Shoshone National Forest and into Dubois, Wyoming, the landscape turns arid and the cliffs and hills are red. You feel like you either took a wrong turn to New Mexico or maybe accidentally landed on the moon. Strange to see red, clay baked cliffs, with snowy peaks in the distance. Dubois banks the Wind River, and had an impressive Jackalope exhibition in the gas station where we stopped.
Eventually you head more south, and through the Shoshone Indian Reservation and Fort Washakie. It is pretty bleak and depressing that this area was their consolation prize. Still, their gas was cheap and they were friendly where we stopped. Slowly, the peaks of the Wind River Range come into view and you hit Lander, population around 7000. According to the sign, it is similar in size to Jackson, but very different in feel. Jackson feels like the glam queen, while Lander feels like a hard worker. It was a nice break for everything not to look too perfect and for the people on the streets not to look too rich.
We had a great time climbing in Sinks Canyon, where the south facing cliff is warm and comfortable while the north facing cliff is covered in snow. The dogs were thrilled to be invited and spent the day lounging in the sun. We spent a night with a friend of Phil's from the Prescott grad program,his cheery wife, and darling baby.
We were super glad to be back on real rock, and I am sure we will be back to Lander quite a lot. As we got close to Jackson on the way home, we saw a pack of wolves in the Elk Refuge- gorgeous! A coworker of Phil's asked "Where is Lander?" and another responded "It's in REAL Wyoming."
Pics to come...
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Bald Eagles and Bison Hunting
Saturday Jay, Wendy, Phil and I took a break from the slopes and spent a day wandering around like good tourists. Our underlying motive was to see a bison, which did not happen. Perhaps we will have to wait until May when Yellowstone opens back up and the baby bison are trotting around with their moms. We hiked a little behind The Teton Science School in Kelly before driving through Teton National Park. We saw lots and lost of snow.
Surprisingly, if you really look, there is a lot of color out there. Blue, blue skies, silver, green and red branches, and gorgeous shades of orange and pink as the sun makes its way around. Our big "conquest" was to see a huge bald eagle flying by, which was quite breathtaking. More non-snowboarding to come after this weekend. We are headed rockclimbing after a four month hiatus of climbing real rock. We are headed to Sinks Canyon, outside Lander, Wyoming. Let's hope it is sunny!
Surprisingly, if you really look, there is a lot of color out there. Blue, blue skies, silver, green and red branches, and gorgeous shades of orange and pink as the sun makes its way around. Our big "conquest" was to see a huge bald eagle flying by, which was quite breathtaking. More non-snowboarding to come after this weekend. We are headed rockclimbing after a four month hiatus of climbing real rock. We are headed to Sinks Canyon, outside Lander, Wyoming. Let's hope it is sunny!
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