we ended our time at the goosewing and had a week or so to enjoy the scenery of wyoming.
i spend at least 3 or 4 weeks in wyoming every year, but i just never seem to tire of the land, people, and animals.
Elle’s never been to yellowstone, so we spent a few days up there, a few in the tetons, and then a few near pinedale, at soda lake and green river lakes.
it was too short, as always… but we had an appalachian adventure to get to. so we’ll have to spend extra time up there in september :)
fall is my favorite time of year. wyoming is my favorite place in the states. so you may be thinking, “i know where he’s going with all of this…”
well, i really wish i could say, “not so fast!” but i can’t. you’re right. i’m about to get all mushy on my favorite time of year in my favorite place.
the proximity of all the wildfires this year to all of my favorite spots, added a drama to the landscape that i never experienced. it was great for pictures.
mount moran towers over the fire on jackson lake with the moon and stars illuminating the night sky. maybe my favorite shot from the 2 week trip…
my good friend mike and his girlfriend ellen let me tag along on a quick pack trip into the wind river mountains near pinedale.
mike knows the winds and teton wilderness like the back of his hand. seriously. he has lived in the area since he was a little tyke, and he guided elk hunters through this maze of a landscape for over twenty years. he knows the land, it’s history, and it’s wildlife, but more importantly, he knows the ways of the wilderness.
there are certain unspoken rules one must follow when traversing the backcountry. it’s a matter of respect for the elements. someone like mike would have never survived so many years in the wilderness without acquiring such knowledge. he’s a great guy to have with you out there.
ellen is a great personality, and not too shabby with horses. she was breaking a young colt on this trip, and considering the nature of the trip, the horse did quite well. a testament to her abilities.
being texan, i’m naturally inclined toward firearms. we are all born with sidearms tied to our umbilical cords down here. so of course, mike didn’t hesitate when i volunteered to carry our protection from bears and lions (or worse… crazy people). later, as seen above, i showed the two what i would do if we encountered an aggressive bear. not all that intimidating, i must say…
the wind river range from soda lake. i go here a lot. it’s only a 5 minute drive from pinedale, but the views are spectacular, and i frequently get to see pronghorn, bald eagles, and sometimes moose and elk.
the golden hills and sky surrounding soda lake never cease to inspire me. i’ll never get sick of this place…
the magic of the alpenglow in the winds.
this is pinedale. no stoplights or fast food. just beautiful surroundings, friendly people, and my favorite beer in the world – the wpa (wyoming pale ale), from wind river brewery. hoppy and extra strong. the way i like ’em.
i’m kind of glad i can’t get it back home. i’d be just a little less likely to have a good excuse to go up to wyoming as frequently as i do.
the winds on a clear day from soda…
some of the surrounding hills between willow and soda lake looked as though they were on fire. the colors this year were spectacular.
my last night in the tetons was frigid. the first snow had come and gone. the clouds were moving out of the area, and thus, the heat from the sun generated during the day was vanishing from the land quickly. i awoke early to the sound of wolves.
wyoming is not a place i share with other people. i do it alone. that may sound like a prick thing to say, but it’s true.
i go up there to experience solitude, peace, fear, loneliness.
this trip was a little different though.
i arrived to jackson hole airport late on tuesday afternoon. i was supposed to be there by 3 that day to pick up my brother.
the inbound flight from austin arrived on time, so he took a taxi into jackson to get a beer. i told him i’d meet him there as soon as i could. the traffic coming down through the parks was miserable. it seems they always scramble to make improvements to the roads just before the ground freezes. thanks.
i finally made it to snake river brewery, after dark. but the alone time in wyoming didn’t seem to bother my brother.
after a hug and a few beers, we were off. it was dark, and i have a spot in teton park that i always go to camp when i arrive late.
we woke up the next morning to a cool autumn breeze, and my brother’s 34th birthday.
two months ago he called me. “there’s a fare sale to jackson hole. $89 each way from austin,” he said. “you planning on going soon?”
“well, yeah. i was planning a fall trip. september or october. why? you wanna go?”
i started to get excited. no one had ever expressed this much interest or determination to go to wyoming with me since my mother visited 5 years ago when i lived there.
i was excited at the prospect, but then nervous. could i share this place with others? would they understand it? no matter.
most guys have the idea that if they’re spending any time in wyoming and montana, they better have a fly rod or a pair of skis. and i think they’re right. it is world class skiing and fishing, after all. no snow yet, so my brother brought a friend’s rod.
we took a drive one evening up the beartooth highway outside of cooke city, montana.
regarded as one of the most spectacular drives in north america, the beartooth runs from red lodge, mt to the northeast entrance of yellowstone national park.
the beartooths are one of the highest elevation and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation. the road itself is the highest elevation highway in wyoming (10,947 feet) and montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the northern rockies.
we fished the lamar, the snake, the yellowstone, among others. to no avail. it may have been too late in the season, i guess.
the fires in northwest wyoming were in full force this time of year though. they even closed a few of the roads in yellowstone, preventing me from returning to the lamar valley. very sad.
but the drama of it all was truly impressive.
the fire on the banks of jackson lake at dusk. breathtaking.
the next day, there was an unavoidable haze that covered the sky and mountains. but again, to the naked eye, it struck as a little bit of a downer, but the dramatic effect can be artfully employed with a camera.
it was my brother’s last day. he had a flight out of JAC in the afternoon, so we found a section of the snake river, just 10 minutes from the airport. he wanted to give it one last go.
he didn’t catch anything, but i was happy. i think i got a few shots of him in this unreal landscape that will draw others in, and take him back… anytime he wants to go…
i’ve never shared this place with anyone before. but it was really nice to do so. to see the look on someone else’s face the first time they see the sun rise over the lamar valley of yellowstone, or the moon as it hovers over the tetons before dawn…
the way the fiery autumn leaves shimmer in the cool breeze. awaking in the cold to the sound of bull elk in rut, bugling. or the sound of wolves.
it’s all so beautiful. i’m glad i had my brother there to share it.
i hope there’s more sharing of this place in the years to come. i’m ready for it.
6-18-09
my car is facing away from the mountain. i wake to the cold and rain. it’s 5:30 a.m.
behind me, the mountain is covered in a thin fog, like a bride under her fine lace veil. she thought she was hiding from me, but how could i not notice her?
cooke city, montana has always treated me well, but this morning, i feel lost.
i rolled in late last night. weary from the road and rain. the miner’s saloon, as inviting as it always is, seemed distant. they only take cash, and the big city man i am, i only had plastic. no problem, i thought. this always happens. luckily, they have the only atm in town. i slid the blue card in nice and easy, and yanked it back in a forceful, but fluid motion. “out of order.” !?!? but i had already started drinking my beer!
i apologized. the bartendress seemed annoyed at my genuine apology.
“well, i guess this one’s on me,” she said angrily.
i finished my free scapegoat pale ale and left.
my usual “free” campsite at the edge of town was closed with no explanation. i put “free” in quotes because i believe you’re supposed to pay. but i always seem to pull into cooke city after dark… so, i never have.
i decided to park at the old city dump, on the other edge of town. it only takes about two minutes to walk from one end of town to the other.
i reclined the driver seat of my chevy aveo rental, wrapped myself haphazardly in a sleeping bag, and called it a day.
now here i am; seven hours of restless sleep later.
the sun rose somewhere already, but not here. the cloud cover is thick, and there’s a light drizzle. 35 degrees. massive lodgepole pines in front of me absorb the rain like thirsty sailors imbibe on the first day of fleet week.
lately my heart’s been heavy like a sandbag.
this morning is no different. in fact, today it’s worse.
it feels like someone tied a cinder block, or a dozen, to my chest, and dropped it in the deepest ocean.
if it felt possible to cry, i would. but i wouldn’t know what for. after all, i’m in one of my favorite places in the world.
so i decided to start my day.
i made a cup of coffee and rolled a cigarette. yeah i know, i quit smoking three years ago. it was three years ago almost to the day when i started again in spain. then it continued on into lebanon…
you can smoke anywhere in lebanon. just walk into the airport in beirut with a lit cigarette, and see if i’m exaggerating.
so, unfortunately, for a time, i’m smoking again.
slowly my mind and body, cold and slightly wet from the night before, begin to wake up.
the lamar valley of yellowstone anxiously awaited my arrival. but the sun still hides it’s precious rays.
in spite of my thoughts, behind the clouds, the light is there just waiting for me to remember it still exists.
one of my first, and best, friends when i lived in wyoming was kim. she recently got married and had a gorgeous little girl, kate. first thing’s first… i had to go see them.
now on to my animals. a coyote searches for food in the elk national wildlife refuge near jackson.
two ocean lake in teton wilderness provided fantastic scenery.
on the way out of two ocean and pacific creek, one of my favorite views of the tetons materializes quickly. almost out of nowhere, the jagged peaks come into view with force and drama.
then, of course, the jackson lake dam provides unimpeded views of this beautiful mountain range, the grand tetons.
a lone big horn ram wandered, grazed.
early in the morning, the elk eat dew-covered grasses.
lamar creek. the hidden gem of the lamar valley. always one of my favorite spots to sit in the morning.
the lamar valley in the summer is a haven for the american bison. they graze it heavily in massive swarms.
the lamar valley is also home to many bears. this pair, one black bear and one cinnamon black were inseparable as i watched them cross miles of open landscape. i saw this same cinnamon about four years ago in the exact same spot. glad to see he’s got a lady to keep him company now…
bull elk are scattered across yellowstone this time of year. typically alone, they seem to know that the autumn rut and breeding season will be coming in a few short months.
sulphur stained ponds dot the landscape of yellowstone.
a lone black bear on the northeast entrance road scavenges in the shadow of the mountains surrounding the montana/ wyoming border, near cooke city.
not even a mile away from the bear, a fox too looks for an evening snack.
on the road to lulu pass, just outside city limits, seedlings, clear cuts, mountains, and sky provide the backdrop for cook city, montana.
early morning, heading back from a night spent at the cooke city dump, the mountains and fog performed a ballet. mist danced across the tops of trees as the light watched passively from behind the clouds.
and it only gained dramatic crescendo as i made my way back, further into the lamar valley of yellowstone.
after a long morning hike up the side of a peak in the lamar, a lone antelope kept his distance.
a 45 minute exposure at oxbow bend in grand teton national park, well after sundown.
morning glow over the tetons. i love waking up to this view!!
mid-morning at oxbow bend. light slowly makes it way toward me from behind, painting my canvas.
jackson lake was glass. a rare site.
string lake, near jenny lake, grand teton national park.
back to my old haunt in sublette county… green river lakes in bridger-teton national forest.
the lower lake was in tumult, with wild winds from the south rumbling like a freight train through the valley toward the upper green.
the green river was calm the next morning, though the sky overhead read drama.
i hiked the highline trail toward the upper lake. squaretop mountain spectacularly reflected the patches of sun.
i followed massive grizzly tracks all the way to the upper lake about three miles. it was not alone. two smaller sets of tracks alerted me to the fact that a sow with two yearlings could be around any bend.
on the way into little soda lake, the aspen groves catch a reflection more colorful than reality.
cactus patches keep me aware of where i place my feet…
just a few minutes from the front door of my old house in pinedale, soda lake reflects the wind river mountains, creating impressionistic hues that would make any artist salivate.
andrew slaton | blog 
