THE DESTINATION OR THE JOURNEY......Continued

Note...If you have not read part one of this post, please scroll down and read it first. This will keep the events in chronological order...

 Willow Flats is a large expanse of land covered by thick willow plants,  interspersed with open areas which allow good views of the wildlife that inhabit the area. Over the years we have seen elk, pronghorns, bison, coyotes, wolves, black bears, grizzly bears, seasonal migrating waterfowl and sandhill cranes. On this trip we hoped to encounter elk...

Finding elk, where they can be photographed, is hit-or-miss. One's odds increase greatly at dawn and dusk...

We spent two weeks in Grand Teton N.P. These images were taken in various locations as we searched the park for wildlife...

In the next image a bull is bugling. A call usually only heard during the rut...

One of the larger mammals that can usually be found is the pronghorn...

Pronghorns are the fastest land animal in North America. Once they are able to keep up with their mothers they have little to fear from predators...

One day, as we were watching the willows, this black bear came scampering out. Perhaps frightened by the rumored presence of a grizzly sow with cubs...

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks get millions of visitors each year. Some of the most popular trails and thermal features often look like overactive anthills with humans wandering in all directions. I am going to share with you one of the lesser known areas where one can often spend hours without encountering anyone else.

 Uhl Hill Road can be an out and back hike, bike ride or drive. It can also be a loop excursion beginning and ending on Route 191. To begin the adventure as a loop one can start at the Elk Ranch Road. To do the loop one must take the Wolf Ranch Road which leads back to the highway. The dirt roads are crossed by irrigation canals which normally are not too deep if one is in a vehicle. They may require getting wet feet if on foot or a bicycle. When Elk Ranch Road ends Uhl Hill Road goes to the left and leads to a reservoir used for irrigation. On this trip we encountered pronghorns...

 Kestrels...

Ravens...

Hawks...

Bison...

On past visits to the area we found a pair of nesting golden eagles...

A hawk with dinner...

Magpies...

Sandhill cranes...

Sage grouse...

Mountain bluebirds...

Upon entering the park at Moran Junction we almost always check out the already mentioned Oxbow Bend. On one particular evening we were thinking about going back to the campground a little early. I'm glad we didn't...

At the last minute we spotted 399 making her way to the river. 399 is considered "the most famous grizzly in the world". Just Google "grizzly bear 399" to learn about her...

Oxbow Bend and Willow Flats are two of her favorite places to look for food. In the twelve years that we have visited the area these are two "must see" areas when in search of grizzlies...

She frequently crosses the Snake River here; sometimes several times a day...

Looking upstream we spotted a paddleboarder approaching...

Some may think the paddleboarder is putting himself in danger but' as long as he remains in the middle of the river, there is little chance of a bear-human conflict.

On a different day, we were parked near some berry bushes that were set upon by a flock of hungry waxwings...

They may have been cedar or bohemian waxwings; or even a mixed flock containing both...

Whichever species, I personally think that they are one of the most beautiful birds...

This flock consisted of adults and many juvenile birds...

 

It was a treat to observe these beautiful creatures from ten feet away...

Once again, Cheryl noticed a pair of bald eagles soaring above the river...

An osprey was also fishing in the area and had to use caution to prevent the eagles from stealing it's catch...

We chose to go in the Fall because we had never seen the Aspens at this time of year...

We were still a little early to see the best colors...

As one enters the park from the south the first campground is Gros Ventre. Named for the Indian tribe that lived in the area by early French trappers because other tribes referred to them as "The Water Falls People." The sign for waterfalls is the passing of the hands over the stomach and the French thought the Indians were saying "big belly" so they called them Gros Ventres meaning the "big bellies."

It is an ideal location to explore the southern end of the park. One of our favorite areas is the Moose-Wilson Road where a good sized turn-out is available to observe wildlife...

Moose are one of the species commonly seen here...

While many visitors were watching this cow moose...

I and a few others spotted an antler tip behind some willows...

A short time later this bull walked out...

Cheryl really enjoys watching moose and her persistence paid off on this occasion...

The Gros Ventre campground is well known for the moose which live nearby and frequently wander through. Before leaving each morning we try to check the campground for them. On one morning we saw a group of photographers and we knew something interesting must be nearby...

We waited a long while for the bull to finally stand up...

When he finally did it was clear that he was testing the air for a trace of scent from a cow nearing estrus...

After moving to the shade of a cottonwood tree he resumed his vigil...

Not long after, the object of his interest strolled into view...

We made another visit to Moose-Wilson road and encountered a black bear searching for the bounty of berries that are known to grow there...

If you are a hiker, or just enjoy seeing what the back country looks like, you won't want to miss Part 3 of this post. Our daughter, Sarah, joined us for most of our stay in Grand Teton and she and Cheryl took some awesome hikes with spectacular scenery.

Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.