De Anza College Outdoor Club Grand Teton trip 2010

dinner on Lunch Tree Hill Sept. 2010: mountain sunset and people watching, preparing dinner

A hill above a plain with multiple creeks has always been an Outdoor Club favorite for wildlife watching then sunset watching while having dinner.

pronghorn and bison Grand Teton park: pronghorn running and bison grazingpronghornrunning2010: two pronghorn running side by side

As seen from the main park highway, Bison grazing and Pronghorn running.

grizzley bear jam photo by Alan Ahlstrand: photographers stand on the far side of cars from the grizzly; one man watches while standing on his car seat, with his upper body through his sunroofThis photo shows the proper way to watch a grizzly bear if you are allowed to get at all close by the park rangers. The wildlife brigade volunteers (light green vests) were happy that the humans were behaving themselves and told everyone that if the sow up on the hill decided to leave the bushes she was eating serviceberries from and cross the road, that everyone should quickly get into a car … any car. (The bear probably weighed 350 pounds and was six feet long.) She ate the berries by putting her mouth around the bottom end of a branch, closing it, and running her teeth along the branch, stripping off berries and leaves.

photo by Alan Ahlstrand griz eating 2010: grizzly in bushes eating service berriesgriz eating service berries Tetons photo by Alan Ahlstrand: griz in bushes eating service berries and bushesphoto by Alan Ahlstrand grizzly in bushes: grizzly in bushes

photo by Alan Ahlstrand griz profile: bear head and shoulders from side photot by Alan Ahlstrand cub of 399 September 2010: grizzly walks in wildflowers griz photo by Alan ahlstrand: side view of a grizzly bear, head slightly lifted

below: sunrise at Schwabacher landing, where we found fairly fresh bobcat tracks in the mud of the trail we were hiking on (beaver lodge on the left at the back edge of the pond), mid-day in Cascade Canyon with glaciers at the top of the cliff and cascades on the way down and on yet another day, sunset at Schwabacher landing while we had a picnic dinner.

beaver lodge and mountain reflection: beaver lodge, clouds and mountain reflection in pondcascade canyon cascades and clouds: cascades down a forested cliff and clouds

Schwabacher landing sunset 2010 photo by Alan Ahlstrand: mostly clouds, some mountains and trees

September Schwabacher landing sunset closer: mountain tops with snow and bright sunset clouds above

On the portage to the Leigh Lake wilderness overnight there are stairs down to the lake built for people to move boats on. You need to control the slide of the heavily laden craft (notice the firewood we collected along the portage trail in anticipation of none in the vicinity of the campsite):

canoe down stairs on portage trail 2010: canoe sliding down huge stairs on portage trail canoe portage 2010: canoe sliding down huge stairs on portage trail

Alexander Mitchell and Alanna Klassen paddling: canoeist and kayaker on large lake

Overnight we heard elk bugle, moose grunting; did not use up all the firewood obtained for the campfire and stargazed the Milky Way.

morning on Leigh Lake September 2010: mountains reflected in still lake water, person on sandy beach near canoe and kayakWe made breakfast on the shore of the lake instead of back in the forest at the campsite. Heard more elk bugle, and saw/heard a loon couple but did not get photos.

Pine Martin with his breakfast: Pine Martin with his breakfast in his mouthA Pine Marten dug and dug near the campsite then came up with breakfast in his mouth.

Alanna Klassen paddling against wind: girl in kayak with wind blown hair and whitecaps on waterOn the paddle back from the wilderness overnight we fought strong wind and the lake had small whitecaps.

Alanna Klassen portaging kayak: girl pulling a kayak on a wheeled trailer on a forested trailWheeled trailers make moving the fully loaded kayaks from lake to lake easy.

duck family on String Lake: duck family paddling in a line

Snake river channels and bull moose: three river channels and one bull moose with rain clouds in background
There is a bridge on the Snake River at Moose, Wyoming that looks down on prime moose habitat with willows they especially like to eat.

With a telephoto or your own binoculars you can watch him up close:

bull moose below Snake River bridge: moose standing in water bull moose in bushes Sept 2010: bull moose standing in shallow river water bull moose at Snake River bridge 2010: bull moose standing in water photo by Alan Ahlstrand bull moose at Snake River bridge: bull moose and bushes Sept 2010 bull moose below Snake river bridge photo by Alan Ahlstrand: bull moose, mostly showing antlers and head photo by Alan Ahlstrand moose profile: closeup of moose head from the side bull moose drinking water photo by Alan Ahlstrand: bull moose with head bent down to drink water

A full grown bull moose is seven feet tall at his shoulders. “Gi-normous” according to one trip member.

mini rapids on Snake river: three kayakers in swiftly moving water
On our early morning paddle in drizzle from the outlet of Jackson Dam to the Pacific Creek Landing we had only a few rapids worth a wheeeee. We watched a bald eagle and osprey compete for food.

On another day we saw, but did not photograph, a mink in its very own mink coat.

Grand teton peaks with heavy clouds above

It didn’t snow on us but we did wake up to snow covered mountains near the end of the trip.

Old Bill’s Fun Run in Jackson is a fundraiser for dozens of charities and projects, including the Bridger-Teton Red Cross chapter, fire, EMS, Grand Teton Park, search and rescue. In 2010 a total of $7,304,595 was raised. We volunteered at the race to give a little back to the community the Outdoor Club has visited for ten years.

Old Bill's Fun Run volunteers Alanna Klassen, Emily Kinner and Alex Mitchell: three people crossing a crosswalk wearing orange vests, carrying flags Old Bill's Fun Run volunteer Mark Nevill: man with orange flag standing in roadway as runners, walkers and one person with a stroller go by

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second and third photos below by Mark Nevill:

welcome to idaho sign 2010 late at night.: photo taken after dark, vehicle lights in foreground, Welcome to Idaho sign in background Alanna on Montana sign photo by Mark Nevill 250 pixels: girl sits on sign that says entering montana continental divide 2010 photo by Mark Nevill: four people stand behind sign that says continental divide

Grand Tetons is the main page about the De Anza Outdoor Club trips to Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Tetons trip pages index has brief descriptions of most of the pages about this trip.