452

My plan was to go over the Teton Pass early in the morning. I did get up before the sun, but being spontaneous I decided to drive up to Grand Targhee Ski Resort that is just outside of Victor. The fall colors were AMAZING and I watched the sunrise over the Grand Teton Mountain….

Then when I finally came down out of the mountains, I stopped for coffee and it was nearly 10 when I headed over the pass. I had to stop at the top… it’s something of a tradition for me. When I drove to college my freshman year it was my first stop and I remember sitting on the hill side and praying about my future. It is a very vivid memory for me. Once again I stopped to pray about my future. These things just come around full circle.

On the other side of the Teton Mountains, I drove past Teton Village and into Teton National Park via the back road to Moose. It was spectacular. At one point took a road that was supposed to lead to a trailhead and when a sign appeared about a mile in that said high clearance recommended… I took the dare. It was almost as good as Archangel Road for my Alaska friends. So I bounced my way down the dirt road until I saw a clearing with some buildings. So I got my camera, my arsenal of lenses, tripod and headed out across a grassy meadow. It turned out to be historic buildings that the forest service is trying to save… and oh so picturesque right there in front of the Grand Teton Mountain. It reminded me of being in the Swiss Alps with my friend, Anita… it just made you want to sing.

The fall colors are at their peak and it makes me extra photo-happy. I drove on through the park, stopping every once in awhile. Had lunch at a picnic area and downloaded the 237 photos that I had already shot that morning and tried to take a little nap in my car. It didn’t work because someone spotted some elk from the parking lot. So that was that. I drove onward to Signal Mountain Summit and on the road met a mama mule deer and her two babies. At the top…with a stunning view… I had some time with God in his amazing creation. Who could ask for a better sanctuary?!

I headed back to Jackson, my destination for the night. My one last stop was at the famous Snake River Overlook at sunset for my attempt at looking professional. By the time sunset had started there were at least 8 other people lined up with their tripods and fancy cameras. My little set up looked pretty pathetic… but I tried to look like I knew what I was doing. 150 photos later, I was freezing and ran back to my car.

So my eyes are tired of drinking in the landscapes around me and I am off to bed. Tomorrow... Yellowstone! And many more pictures

Oh yeah, the total photo count for the day… 452