Wyoming Blog 2014

03/09/2014: After 2 and 1/2 days on the road, Candy and I (and the 2 cats) arrived at out new home in Riverton, WY.

Our new home
Our new home

Found out the next day that our 18-wheeler would not be arriving until Thursday March 13. We came prepared and had an air mattress to sleep on until then. The truck unloaded on my birthday and we spent the next week working many hours unpacking boxes. Each evening we took advantage of our outdoor hot tub to soothe our aching bodies.

Hot tub time
Hot tub time

Best time for the hot tub was in time to watch the sunset over our Wind River backyard with the Wind River Mountains in the backgroud.

Wind River Wyoming
Wind River

Even the cloud formations here are fascinating. These “flying saucer” clouds are called lenticular clouds.

Wind River Wyoming
Wind River

Finally getting all the furniture in place and boxes unpacked, we had 4 of our new friends over for dinner and celebrated by the fire. The orchids were a house warming gift from our friends.

Our new home
Our new home

After finally getting unpacked, we started work on March 31 so not much time for sightseeing. We are amazed at how many different sights are within an hours drive of here. We tried to drive up to Togwatee Pass to get a glimpse of the Teton Range, but despite it being sunny and 55 degrees at 6,000 feet, when we got up to 9,000 feet the roads were ice and visibility poor so we turned back. We did get to see a new type of precipitation (for us). We saw round balls of snow that looked like styrofoam beads and later found out it is called Graupel. These are some of the sights we saw that day:

Dubois Wyoming badlands
Dubois badlands
Crowheart Butte Wyoming
Crowheart Butte
Dubois Wyoming painted hills
Dubois painted hills

Another day we drove up to Wind River Canyon, also less than an hour away:

Wind River Canyon Wyoming
Wind River Canyon
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Wind River Canyon
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Wind River Canyon

04/18/2014: Finally got a Saturday free to go on a day hike. We went to Sinks Canyon State Park. There is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs here. The Popo Agie River (pronounced po-PO-zha) disappears into a cave “the sink”…

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming sink
The Sink

…then reappears a half mile away at “the rise”.  The problem is, it takes 2 hours for the water to complete the journey, more water comes out than went in, and it comes out several degrees warmer. The mystery of “where does the water goes for 2 hours” has yet to be solved. 

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming Rise
The Rise
Middle Popo Agie River Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Middle Popo Agie
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Lunch Break
Middle Popo Agie River Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Middle Popo Agie
Spreading Phlox
Carpet Phlox
Sagebrush Buttercup
Sagebrush Buttercup

05/03/2014: Busy Saturday, so just took a brief run to find Red Canyon so we can put it on our list to explore in the future.

Red Canyon Wyoming
Red Canyon

05/04/2014: The day has finally arrived! Have been wanting to cross Togwotee Pass (pronounced TO-ga-dee) which can be icy and treacherous all the way to summer because of its 9500 ft elevation. Today looked like the perfect weather for the trip. The goal? To get to The Tetons. It is so nearby that we didn’t leave until after singing at Mass, just making a half-day trip. Was it worth it? You be the judge. This is what we saw just over the rise after crossing 9500 feet…

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Togwotee
Tetons from Togwotee

Once down in the valley, the views just kept on getting better…

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Cunningham Cabin Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Cunningham Cabin
Cunningham Cabin Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Cunningham Cabin
Uinta Ground Squirrel
Uinta Ground Squirrel
Snake River overlook Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Snake River overlook
Snake River overlook Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Snake River overlook
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
The Grand
Oxbow Bend Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend

While at Oxbow Bend, I saw an Osprey hit the water and catch a fish. Here he is flying past the majestic Tetons holding the fish.

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Osprey
Osprey, Tetons

I SWEAR, NO PHOTOSHOP TRICKS. While I was photographing him overhead still holding the fish, he flew past the crescent Moon.

Osprey with moon
Osprey with moon

Heading back home, more beautiful sites along the way…

Pinnacles Wyoming
Pinnacles
Dubois painted hills Wyoming
Dubois painted hills

05/10/2014: . We tackled Sinks Canyon State Park again, this time determined to hike to Popo Agie Falls. It’s only a 1.7 mile hike but significant elevation gain.

Popo Agie Falls hike Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls trail
Popo Agie Falls hike Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls trail
Popo Agie Falls hike Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls trail
Few-flower Shooting Star
Few-flower Shooting Star
Mountain Bluebells
Mountain Bluebells
Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Arrowleaf Balsamroot
American Pasqueflower
American Pasqueflower
Sugarbowl
Sugarbowl

Finally arrived at Popo Agie Falls. It is so complex with multiple levels and sections, it can’t be photographed all together.

Popa Agie Falls Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls
Popa Agie Falls Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls
Popa Agie Falls Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Popo Agie Falls

Sunrise/Moonset from our deck May 15, 2014

Wind River Moonset/Sunrise
Wind River Moonset/Sunrise

05/20/14: Jason & Michael came to visit our new home for a week. We went back out to show them Sinks Canyon. Here they are in front of “The Sink”.

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Jason & Michael at "The Sink"

Lots more water now flowing into The Sink but still not enough to cause the overflow channel to fill yet.

 
Middle Popo Agie River Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Middle Popo Agie River
Middle Popo Agie River Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Middle Popo Agie River
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon
Lichen decorated rock
Lichen decorated rock
Western Gromwell
Western Gromwell
Hoary Balsamroot
Hoary Balsamroot

05/23/2014: Playing board games with the boys and it was dark and stormy, so dark we thought it was night. I looked out and saw a complete double rainbow against the “night” sky.

"Nighttime" double rainbow
"Nighttime" double rainbow

06/14/14: For Father’s Day we went hiking at about 9,000 ft elevation. Before we got that high we found a wildflower meadow to explore:

Loop Road wildflower field
Loop Road wildflower field
Lupine with Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Lupine with Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Lupine with Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Lupine with Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Wild Alberta Rose
Wild Alberta Rose
Sticky Geranium
Sticky Geranium
Dotted Blue Butterfly Frye Lake Wyoming
Dotted Blue Butterfly

We then drove up to Frye Lake with Wind River Peak in the background and found even more new wildflowers.

Frye Lake Wyoming
Frye Lake
Alpine Wallflower Frye Lake Wyoming
Alpine Wallflower
Silky Phacelia Frye Lake Wyoming
Silky Phacelia

Next was hiking a bit from 8,800 ft elevation up to 9,000 to reach Roaring Fork Lake with Roaring Fork Mountain as a backdrop.

Roaring Fork Lake Wyoming
Roaring Fork Lake
Roaring Fork Mountain Wyoming
Roaring Fork Mountain
Heart-leafed Arnica
Heart-leafed Arnica

We decided to spend a 3 day weekend in Grand Teton National Park for our 33rd anniversary on June 20. We arrived late Thursday with this view from our cabin:

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons

06/20/14: Anniversary morning…

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming sunrise
Teton Sunrise
Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Tetons Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Tetons
Grand Teton with Mount Owen Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Grand Teton with Mount Owen
Along Taggart Lake Trail Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Along Taggart Lake Trail
Blue Penstemon Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Blue Penstemon
Scarlet Gilia Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Scarlet Gilia
Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot Mountain Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot Mountain
Least Chipmunk
Least Chipmunk
Taggart Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Taggart Lake
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
View form our cabin
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Uinta Ground Squirrel
Uinta Ground Squirrel

06/21/14: Today’s hike will be around Jenny Lake. Along the way stopped at the Blacktail Ponds overlook.

Blacktail Ponds Overlook Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Blacktail Ponds Overlook

In all the years of photographing hummingbirds, I had never found an active hummingbird nest until today. At the very start of our Jenny Lake Hike, we found a Calliope Hummingbird sitting on her nest.

Calliope Hummingbird on nest Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Calliope Hummingbird on nest
Jenny Lake and “The Cathedral Group” Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Jenny Lake and “The Cathedral Group”
Oregon Grape flowers
Oregon Grape flowers
Desert Parsley
Desert Parsley
Cathedral Group close-up Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Cathedral Group close-up
Jenny Lake, Mount St. John and Mount Moran Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Jenny Lake, Mount St. John and Mount Moran

06/22/14

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Mount Moran
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Lupine Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Lupine

We’re no longer sad when we have to leave The Tetons because we know they are always so close. Besides, who can complain when, after our first day back at work, we see this out our back window?

Wind River sunset pano
Wind River sunset pano
Bitterroot with Lanceleaf Stonecrop
Bitterroot with Lanceleaf Stonecrop
Common Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk

07/19/2014: The Annual Rendezvous Balloon Rally in Riverton

Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Cold inflation of the home town lead balloon
Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Hot inflation
Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Once the lead balloon leaves, then the rest follow
Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Rendezvous Balloon Festival
Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Rendezvous Balloon Festival
Rendezvous Balloon Festival Wyoming
Rendezvous Balloon Festival
Wind River double rainbow
Wind River double rainbow

In August we had a visit from Paula and Byron (first family members to see our new home other than Jason and Mike in May). Since they had never seen either Grand Teton National Park or Yellowstone, we took them on a whirlwind tour of both in one day!

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Cunningham Cabin Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Cunningham Cabin
Butterfly Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Butterfly
Lion Geyser Yellowstone Wyoming
Lion Geyser
Old Faithful Yellowstone Wyoming
Old Faithful
Firehole River Yellowstone Wyoming
Firehole River
Excelsior Geyser Crater Yellowstone Wyoming
Excelsior Geyser Crater
Grand Prismatic Spring Yellowstone Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring
Firehole Spring Yellowstone Wyoming
Firehole Spring
Gibbon Falls Yellowstone Wyoming
Gibbon Falls
Paula & Byron, Wind River Wyoming
Paula & Byron, Wind River

They even played their Native American flutes for us.

We were blessed to have found 2 very good new friends here, Jackson Crawford Ph.D and his wife Katherine. Katherine is a world class fire juggler/fire spinner. She gave us a show in our back yard at dusk.

Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning

September 19-21, 2014: Candy and I have always wanted to see the fall colors in Grand Teton National Park. We got lucky and arrived just as the colors were peaking.

Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Oxbow Bend Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend
Oxbow Bend Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend
Oxbow Bend Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend
Oxbow Bend Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Tetons
Aspen Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Aspen
Jackson Lake Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Jackson Lake
Schwabacher Landing Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Schwabacher Landing
Snake River overlook Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Snake River overlook
Oxbow Bend Teton sunset Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Oxbow Bend Teton sunset
Taggert Lake trail Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Taggert Lake trail
Taggert Lake trail Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Taggert Lake trail
Taggert Lake trail Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Taggert Lake trail
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming
Taggert Lake trail

10/05/2014: Our good friends Dr. Jackson Crawford and his wife, Katherine, took us to see the Miner’s Delight ghost town on the way to the Red Desert.

Miner's Delight Wyoming
Miner's Delight

We even thought we saw some ghosts, perhaps past relatives of Katherine and Jackson?

Miner's Delight ghosts Wyoming
Miner's Delight ghosts
Miner's Delight Wyoming
Miner's Delight
Miner's Delight Wyoming
Miner's Delight
Miner's Delight Wyoming
Miner's Delight

I usually avoid posting pictures of myself, but here’s one.

Dr. Joe at Miner's Delight ghost town in Wyoming
Dr. Joe at Miner's Delight ghost town in Wyoming

Katherine’s been framed.

Katherine framed
Katherine framed

Jackson and Katherine on THE Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail Wyoming
Red Desert Wyoming
Red Desert
Red Desert Wyoming
Red Desert
Red Desert Prairie Dog Wyoming
Red Desert Prairie Dog
Red Desert elk Wyoming
Red Desert elk

The highlight of the day was finding 2 herds of wild Mustangs. The first let us get quite close…

Red Desert wild horses Wyoming
Red Desert wild horses
Red Desert wild horses Wyoming
Red Desert wild horses

Our first view of the western side of the Wind River Mountains

Red Desert Wyoming
Red Desert

We actually had a picnic lunch by the second group of Mustangs

Red Desert wild horses Wyoming
Red Desert wild horses

Jackson then showed us some petroglyphs at Sinks Canyon that we didn’t know about.

Sinks Canyon petroglyphs Wyoming
Sinks Canyon petroglyphs
Sinks Canyon pictographs Wyoming
Sinks Canyon pictographs
Wind River sunset
Wind River sunset

Total lunar eclipse of 10/08/2014.

Lunar Eclipse
Lunar Eclipse

October, 2014, fall comes a little later at our home in the valley.

Wind River
Wind River
Wind River
Wind River

This was actually taken at midnight with the moon for illumination.

Moonlit Wind River
Moonlit Wind River

As you have seen earlier, Katherine is a fire spinner/juggler. Here she is spinning LED’s.

LED Spinning
LED Spinning
LED Spinning
LED Spinning

And now dress rehearsal for a performance at a local museum’s Halloween party.

Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning
Fire Spinning

11/16/14: One of the most spectacular and surreal winter phenomenon is hoar frost. Every morning I wake up hoping it happens again.

Hoarfrost Wind River
Hoarfrost Wind River

This first time we saw hoar frost was with the first cold blast we had in early November with 2 nights at -20 F and it didn’t get above zero for over a week.

Hoarfrost Wind River
Hoarfrost Wind River

I could make an entire blog just on sunrises and sunsets around here. Beauty like this is almost a daily occurrence yet always different.

Wind River Sunrise
Wind River Sunrise

11/29/14: Decorating for our first Christmas in our new home.

First Christmas
First Christmas

12/12/14: Possibly the most spectacular sunrise I’ve ever seen. The cloud formations were just unreal, making it look more like a painting.

Wind River sunrise
Wind River sunrise

12/17/14: Loved our simple Nativity framed by the hoar frost covered Aspens.

Hoarfrost Nativity
Hoarfrost Nativity

During our second chance at witnessing hoar frost, while being beautiful from a distance…

Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost

I realized that it is also amazingly intricate in close-up…

Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost

Even to the point of seeing individual snowflake crystals, realizing these didn’t fall from the sky but were formed directly on the plants!

Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost
Hoarfrost

12/25/14: Christmas day, fresh snowfall on already snow-covered ground made for a truly white Christmas.

White Christmas at home
White Christmas at home

12/27/14: We took a trip up to Sink’s Canyon to see what it looks like in winter. Snow in some areas was waist deep.

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon

From earlier posts you may remember the Popo Agie River rapids rushing down this area…

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon

…then disappearing into “The Sink”

Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon
Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming
Sinks Canyon

Next day we headed up to the red rock formations near Dubois…

Dubois Badlands Wyoming
Dubois Badlands
Dubois Badlands Wyoming
Dubois Badlands
Dubois Badlands Wyoming
Dubois Badlands
Dubois Badlands Wyoming
Dubois Badlands
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