A Photographic Journal:Our 2011 Vacation to Grand Teton

and Yellowstone National Parks

The window is open!Come share our journey!

Darren and EC

Our first morning…sunrise from our condo at the Silver Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Our condo was awesome – we loved the wood-burning fireplace and the private hot tub!

We spent our first few days in Teton National Park exploring, discovering, and marveling at Mother Nature in her grandest splendor.

We then drove north into Yellowstone National Park….

Early-on during our drive into the Park, we discovered that we were sharing the road…

….with a herd of wild bison (alias buffalo)

A young bull with the right-of-way!

The bison patriarch – leading the herd!We spent five days exploring Yellowstone National Park.

Around every curve and over every hill, there was always a new adventure….

A roaring mountain stream…..

The “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”

Pictures of the Lower Falls

Right of way issues again! (A couple of bison hanging out on the trail to the Observation Deck at the Lower Falls)

On the other side of the park, our eyes were filled with stunning views of the still-frozen lakes (Yellowstone Lake in the background).

We made a rest stop early one afternoon and noticed an “informational marker” buried deep in snow next to the roadside – we were straddling the Continental Divide!

And every day of our visit, we encountered bison, elk, and moose. We also saw the more elusive coyote, big horn sheep, and grizzly bear on occasion.

In Mammoth Springs, the moose, elk, and bison love to graze in the town square!

A female elk sunning by the river side

A momma bison warily watching over the newest members of the family…

And momma has good reason to be on high alert – there are hungry coyotes and wolves stalking the Lamar Valley!

Ahhhh, the spectacular waterfalls, breathtaking overlooks, free-roaming wildlife….

….but the most intriguing attraction in Yellowstone to us is the geographic and topographical uniqueness of the park – particularly the volcanic landscape.

There were geysers everywhere. Here is Darren in front of “Cliff Geyser” (see the water bubbling up in the crater?)

And just as we were starting to walk away, she erupted with an amazing display of thermal fireworks!

Another view of “Cliff Geyser” erupting…what’s up with those wild colors in the foreground?

We saw alluring thermal pools scattered throughout the landscape. In this pool, one peers 25-35 feet into the depths of a cavern, where magma-heated ground water boils up to the surface.

But of course, there is no other geyser like “Old Faithful”. What a magnificent sight!

This informational placard reflects the ever-changing volcanic landscape

“Fountain Paint Pot” is one of the most unusual and unique places on earth. It

ranks high on the list of “must see” destinations within the Park. This picture shows the actual bubbling paint pots just above the informational placard.

There were constant reminders that we were outdoors in the “American Serengeti”…(moose, bison, and bears – OH MY!)

Rare opportunity to photograph native big horn sheep. Check out their unbelievable camouflage (how many rams can you count?).

Early springtime in Yellowstone brings the grizzly bears out of hibernation. This year was no exception!

We think Darren’s yellow hoodie scared that old (wise) grizzly bear away!

The snow was so deep in some of the mountain passes that we had to stop for a quick snowball fight (the temperature at the time was 64 degrees).

Late one afternoon, we decided to make a quick trip back to the painted pots to see the difference in colors at twilight. We were amazed…..

Yes, it’s a strange and mysterious landscape….and, yes, that is a bald eagle minding her nest only feet away in that lone tree!)

It was a vacation to remember….

Yellowstone was unforgettable! E C

Smiling makes you feel better…hope you enjoyed our slide show : ) Darren