At 0500 Jamie and I got up in order to meet Cody for our tour of Jackson. I’m used to early mornings thanks to Uncle Sam, but they are never too much fun. However, when you know you are getting up to see the sunrise over the Grand Tetons it makes it a lot easier! 
We met Cody at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and headed north in search of Moose Junction to park and wait for a spectacle that everyone must experience. It was an experience that will not be forgotten. To see the sun highlight Middle Teton followed by Teewinot Mountain and ultimately the Grand Teton is simply priceless.
From there we headed into the Bridger-Teton National Forest in hopes to see wildlife. Jamie, not being used to all the wide-open country that Wyoming offers, can be known to suffer from motion sickness. Remember me saying we stopped a lot on the way to Jackson? Well today proved to be another challenge for her. However, she was a trooper. We
were able to see bighorn sheep, coyotes, swans and even some very fresh wolf tracks. At this point, motion sickness got the best of Jamie and we took her back to the museum parking lot so she could rest in our vehicle and recuperate prior to us catching the Xanterra Snow Coach in route to Yellowstone.
Cody and I went on the back side of the National Elk Refuge in hopes of seeing even more wildlife. What a great decision! Not to leave Jamie - to look for more wildlife. I assure you I was within 20 steps of bighorn sheep! I was taking pictures like crazy. There were two sheep on a rock ledge and I was clicking away in hopes to catch one in midair coming off of it.
From a distance we saw nice herds of buffalo and elk. Jamie started texting me saying the herd of 8,600 elk was feeding near Hwy 191 and she was watching them through a spotting scope set up at the museum. Cody and I weren’t far from there when was saw five trumpeter swans.
Using the binoculars (that we bought last night) I saw a massive amount of elk. All around them were 30 or more coyotes and even a pack of wolves which included two black leaders. Jamie was seeing the same thing Cody and I did just from a different location. At once, we looked up and saw a pack of wolves stalking this lone, sickly elk. It was predator vs. prey at work in a way that few people can say they have witnessed firsthand. What are the odds that Jamie and I would both be able to see this since we weren’t together? That was amazing. The wolves waited and watched the elk, choosing just the right moment to attack and all at once they moved in…unreal.
We both would have loved to stay and watch more of nature’s greatest moments but we had to get to our snow coach so we could reach the Wonderland of all Wonderlands…Yellowstone National Park.
Using four-wheel drive we managed to get from Moose Junction to Flagg Ranch with 30 minutes to spare. It was “white-out” conditions in places. Certainly white knuckle moments as we eased our way closer at massive speeds reaching 20mph!
Slowly but surely we arrived at Flagg Ranch where there had to be seven feet of snow on the ground. I can’t wait to clean my truck when we return on Tuesday. Flagg Ranch to Snow Lodge
is only 40 miles away. It doesn’t sound far but when you are in a snow coach traveling safely along the way it can take perhaps three hours including stops for wildlife and photo opportunities at places like the Continental Divide, West Thumb of Lake Yellowstone, and various waterfalls along the way.
Speaking of the West Thumb. There is little geyser activity. I mean none. However, Black Pool is located there and is quiet interesting. Black Pool is the home to numerous organisms which take on various shapes, sizes and colors often creating an image that is hard to describe. While viewing the sights associated with Black Pool, I, Jeremy Sparks, saw a geyser erupting! I pointed it out to our snow coach driver, Will and to Jamie. We watched it shoot water up to ten feet high.
As we talked, Will said this was very odd as there are no active geysers in the West Thumb area. We discussed it with the on duty park ranger and learned that this is a so rare that the geyser I spotted isn’t even named due to the fact that there is no record of it actually erupting. So I have an idea for Yellowstone. Call the unnamed geyser, “Sparks Geyser!” Great idea…I know.
Just goes to show, every visit to Yellowstone you will discover something for the first time.
Forever West,
We met Cody at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and headed north in search of Moose Junction to park and wait for a spectacle that everyone must experience. It was an experience that will not be forgotten. To see the sun highlight Middle Teton followed by Teewinot Mountain and ultimately the Grand Teton is simply priceless.
From there we headed into the Bridger-Teton National Forest in hopes to see wildlife. Jamie, not being used to all the wide-open country that Wyoming offers, can be known to suffer from motion sickness. Remember me saying we stopped a lot on the way to Jackson? Well today proved to be another challenge for her. However, she was a trooper. We
were able to see bighorn sheep, coyotes, swans and even some very fresh wolf tracks. At this point, motion sickness got the best of Jamie and we took her back to the museum parking lot so she could rest in our vehicle and recuperate prior to us catching the Xanterra Snow Coach in route to Yellowstone.Cody and I went on the back side of the National Elk Refuge in hopes of seeing even more wildlife. What a great decision! Not to leave Jamie - to look for more wildlife. I assure you I was within 20 steps of bighorn sheep! I was taking pictures like crazy. There were two sheep on a rock ledge and I was clicking away in hopes to catch one in midair coming off of it.
From a distance we saw nice herds of buffalo and elk. Jamie started texting me saying the herd of 8,600 elk was feeding near Hwy 191 and she was watching them through a spotting scope set up at the museum. Cody and I weren’t far from there when was saw five trumpeter swans.
Using the binoculars (that we bought last night) I saw a massive amount of elk. All around them were 30 or more coyotes and even a pack of wolves which included two black leaders. Jamie was seeing the same thing Cody and I did just from a different location. At once, we looked up and saw a pack of wolves stalking this lone, sickly elk. It was predator vs. prey at work in a way that few people can say they have witnessed firsthand. What are the odds that Jamie and I would both be able to see this since we weren’t together? That was amazing. The wolves waited and watched the elk, choosing just the right moment to attack and all at once they moved in…unreal.
We both would have loved to stay and watch more of nature’s greatest moments but we had to get to our snow coach so we could reach the Wonderland of all Wonderlands…Yellowstone National Park.
Using four-wheel drive we managed to get from Moose Junction to Flagg Ranch with 30 minutes to spare. It was “white-out” conditions in places. Certainly white knuckle moments as we eased our way closer at massive speeds reaching 20mph!
Slowly but surely we arrived at Flagg Ranch where there had to be seven feet of snow on the ground. I can’t wait to clean my truck when we return on Tuesday. Flagg Ranch to Snow Lodge
is only 40 miles away. It doesn’t sound far but when you are in a snow coach traveling safely along the way it can take perhaps three hours including stops for wildlife and photo opportunities at places like the Continental Divide, West Thumb of Lake Yellowstone, and various waterfalls along the way.Speaking of the West Thumb. There is little geyser activity. I mean none. However, Black Pool is located there and is quiet interesting. Black Pool is the home to numerous organisms which take on various shapes, sizes and colors often creating an image that is hard to describe. While viewing the sights associated with Black Pool, I, Jeremy Sparks, saw a geyser erupting! I pointed it out to our snow coach driver, Will and to Jamie. We watched it shoot water up to ten feet high.
As we talked, Will said this was very odd as there are no active geysers in the West Thumb area. We discussed it with the on duty park ranger and learned that this is a so rare that the geyser I spotted isn’t even named due to the fact that there is no record of it actually erupting. So I have an idea for Yellowstone. Call the unnamed geyser, “Sparks Geyser!” Great idea…I know.
Just goes to show, every visit to Yellowstone you will discover something for the first time.
Forever West,
Jeremy
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