Color photo. The Grand Tetons in the middle frame, from a distance of a few miles. Their peaks are craggy and pointed, with patches of snow in the deeper crevasses. In the immediate foreground there is a line of pine trees. In the valley between is a green forest, with a lake visible on the right. The deep blue sky is filled with puffy white clouds, some of which are streaked, indicating rain.

Day two at Grand Teton National Park in 2023. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ll start with a photo of the heart of the range. 🙂

That morning I got up before dawn and headed to Oxbow Bend. The intent was to see if I could get a shot of elk coming down to the Snake River to drink, or foraging in the fields. I definitely heard them bugling nearby, but wasn’t rewarded with seeing any. I did get a shot of a Great Blue Heron catching breakfast, though, and that was pretty nice.

Once the sun was up, I took the road up to the top of Signal Mountain, where I got that wonderful shot of the range.

Clouds were building all morning, and I was a little worried that the day would eventually get rained out. But that meant the sky was very active! To the north, puffy white clouds. To the south, dark and ominous. Both made for good photos.

Next Week: Middday and Unexpected Ghost Town.

Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3

Check out the Print Store for fine art nature photos

Color photo. A Great Blue Heron wades in water near the shore at the middle of the frame. The water, in the bottom half of the frame, is slightly out of focus but mist can be seen rising from it. The top half of the photo, the far shore, is covered in tall green grass, beyond which is a dark forest.
Color photo. The Grand Tetons in the middle frame, from a distance of a few miles. Their peaks are craggy and pointed, with patches of snow in the deeper crevasses. In the immediate foreground there is a line of pine trees. In the valley between is a green forest, with a lake visible on the right. The deep blue sky is filled with puffy white clouds, some of which are streaked, indicating rain.
Color photo. A lone tree in the middle distance grows in a field of yellow and sage colored grass. In the far distance, on the horizon, is a line of low hills. The top two thirds of the frame are deep blue sky filled with puffy white clouds, some of which are streaked, indicating rain.
Color photo. A field of golden and sage colored grass occupies the bottom third of the photo. Above that, on the horizon, is a line of low hills. Above, the top two thirds of the photo are occupied by dark storm clouds, from which streaks of rain fall to the hills below.