Free Roaming Photography by Mike Cavaroc

Close Encounters with a Family of Moose

A bull moose walks along the edge of Marion Lake as he’s reflected in the still waters in Grand Teton National Park.

Our first day on the Teton Crest Trail was a long and brutal 12.7 mile hike that brought us in and out of one canyon after another before finally arriving at Marion Lake just as dusk was settling over the lake and Granite Canyon below. We had only briefly met our camping neighbors, two friendly and enthusiastic couples hiking together from Seattle and Florida, before we all turned in for the night. I was a little extra exhausted from carrying both of my DSLR cameras in.

After a good night’s sleep, I woke up shortly after sunrise and in feeling refreshed for another day, began to poke around for some photographic opportunities. I caught a quick landscape over Granite Canyon practically right behind our tents before heading up to the lake to see if it still had a mirror reflection on it, but before I even got there, one of our neighbors was on his way back from the lake to get the rest of his party. He eagerly informed me that there was an entire family of moose at the other end of the lake. Thinking I was only going to be doing landscapes that morning, I ran back to my tent to grab my 7D which had my telephoto attached to it.

We all met back up at the lake’s shore under some trees. The lake was to our west with a grassy meadow that stretched from the lake to the south of us, into the east with the moose directly north. We silently watched the entire family, a bull, cow and calf, feeding as one of the neighbors pointed out how clear their reflection was and what a great shot it made before the moose began to meander around the perimeter of the lake in our direction. Before making it into it the trees where we were, they had wandered into the meadow just to our east.

We moved around the other end of the trees hoping that they would continue on their path, but after waiting, realized that they were happily snacking on the other end of the trees that we were. I went out to take a peek at their location and saw that they were just on the other side, very nearby, but out of sight for a good shot. After a short while, the bull and calf had wandered into visibility through some trees, and I watched them create a scene that rips at the heart of any nature photographer for witnessing and not capturing: the calf had walked up to the bull, and both of them raised their noses toward each other till they were touching, both moose baked in brilliant, golden backlighting.

Realizing that I was missing out on some potentially great shots, I grabbed my camera and headed out into the meadow, just a bit south so I wouldn’t be encroaching on them, but more into the open so I could at least capture them with the warm backlighting that made their coats glow. I noticed a couple of the others following me for the better view until I had finally found a suitable spot with a perfect angle to them, and even keeping a respectable 30 yard distance between myself and the moose. (I hadn’t checked recently, but I remember hearing from a friend that the recommended minimum safe distance from a moose according to Grand Teton National Park is 25 yards.)

I had only just lifted up my camera to compose a shot when all of a sudden their heads jerked up looking the opposite direction and in only a fraction of a second and had cut the distance between them and myself in half as they were in a full sprint headed right for me! Moose are already very large animals, yet when you’re looking at them headed right for you, they appear even twice as big as that. We all immediately ran back toward the trees where we had been waiting for them to come out and I wondered if my hiking partner, who was still asleep, would wake up to find my trampled body just one day into our four day trek. As my sprint wound down near the trees, I turned around, hearing the sound of a stampede moving slightly away from me. Their sprint brought them completely through the meadow, right over where we had been standing, and continued on to the south end of the lake until they reached the finish line at the water, splashing into a stop. Adrenaline was still coursing through every limb of each of us at what had just happened. The occasional laughter from relief was let out as we just stared at the family of moose now so calm at the water’s edge several dozen yards away.

The adrenaline eventually subsided, and as it did I found myself able to hold my camera steady again to capture the calf in some warm, morning light, as well as getting a bit of video. The moose eventually headed back into the trees and though still accessible, we didn’t want to push our luck. They deserved a little peace and quiet from us, and so that’s what they got. I got one or two more shots as they moved out of the light and into the shade, and finally got a few landscapes of the lake, which luckily still had a glassy reflection on it.

A moose calf stands in Marion Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Posted: September 1, 2011

Posted in Wildlife | Tagged Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Water, Wildlife, Willow Trees, Wyoming
4 Comments

Stormy Sunrise Above Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Sunrise illuminates a rain shower above a smoke-covered Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Teton Mountains from the Red Rock Fire of 2011. (Mike Cavaroc)

Sunrise illuminates a rain shower above a smoke-covered Jackson Hole, Wyoming from the Red Rock Fire.

Another local photographer invited me out to catch a sunrise yesterday out Sheep Creek Rd. Even though I’m freelancing, I’ve found myself on a weekday/weekend schedule, so the opportunity to shake things up a bit was definitely enticing. While it’s not that far of a distance away as the crow flies, the dirt road makes for a slow ride out there, making it approximately 45 minutes from Jackson to where we were headed. As a result I had to be ready to go by 5:30am so we could be there by 6:15am ready for early light before sunrise at 6:45am.

Last night however, put a lot of things into doubt and whether I would even be able to make it at all. I was up until about 11:30pm-midnight trying to finalize a website, and then upon finally getting to bed, discovered my cell phone charger was busted, leaving me wondering if I should just turn it off and skip sunrise to save the battery in case I’d need it in the morning. Luckily I remembered I prefer to live in the present, so I texted the other photographer, letting him know if my phone dies I probably won’t make it, but left it on just in case.

The phone lasted through the night and the alarm went off at 5:20am, at which point I kept my internal dialogue short and forced myself out of bed.

Obviously, despite the lack of sleep and potentially draining my phone, it was well worth the effort. It’s a general rule of thumb I stick to: when life gives you an invitation, accept it.

Posted: August 25, 2011

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Mountains, National Elk Refuge, Storms, Wyoming
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Jackson Hole Spring Time-Lapse Video

A time-lapse video compilation featuring scenes from Jackson Hole and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

I finally put together a new time-lapse video of some footage I had been collecting from earlier this summer and spring. Most of it is taken in and around Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park, with a couple of scenes from Yellowstone National Park mixed in there. The final two scenes were of the Perseid Meteor Shower from this year and the northern lights from August 5th the previous week, respectively.

For this video, I upgraded to Sony Vegas Move Studio HD Platinum 11, which I have been very pleased with thus far. It seems as though all my complaints from version 10 were addressed and fixed.

Posted: August 24, 2011

Posted in Video | Tagged Grand Teton National Park, Mountains, National Elk Refuge, Night, Northern Lights, Snow, Time Lapse, Video, Water, Wildflowers, Wyoming
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Rewarded Patience in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon

A dramatic sunset casts a pink glow over the North Fork of Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.

Weather in the Tetons can change in what seems to be an instant. A warm, sunny day had just transformed into a chilly, overcast day with a strong, threatening breeze. I had just arrived at my chosen campsite in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park when "bad" weather immediately began encroaching. I set my pack down and scoped out the scenery when thunder began to echo off peaks and canyon walls, reverberating from one wall to another and back and forth. It was a chillingly sublime sound. I sought temporary shelter underneath a large boulder while waiting for the storm to pass. A paranoia of lightning kept me nervously huddled uncomfortably low below the boulder.

While the rain made its best, yet futile, effort to drench me, I realized that this was actually the first thunderstorm that I’ve ever had to wait out while hiking or backpacking. Could that be right? In every hike I’ve done since 2006, when I began considering myself an avid hiker, have I really run from, avoided or just finished hiking whenever a storm had worked its way in? It was shocking to me that this was only the first time I had actually waited out a storm while out in nature. As this revelation settled within me, a comfort poured over my mind that shifted my view of the storm. It became something beautiful. I poked my head out a little to get a better view of what was going on. Most of the lightning was to the north over Leigh Canyon as sunlight broke through a hole in the clouds and began crawling up the eastern wall. I found myself with a new peacefulness and resonance with nature that I hadn’t felt before. I now had the small, but growing confidence that I could enjoy nature in many more conditions than just blue skies.

The sound of rain and passing thunder along with my new awareness left me in a euphoric state that had me out from underneath the boulder and enjoying the now light pitter-pattering on my rain jacket. Soon enough the storm had subsided and moved east, leaving both a stronger-than-remembered, fresh rain scent and a blissful silence to the North Fork, the only remaining sound being the constant, subtle roar of all the creeks pouring into the North Fork of Cascade Creek.

My newfound appreciation for all of nature’s states was rewarded when more clouds began to pass over toward sunset. Seeing the potential for something special, I found a scenic location near a small creek that passed in front of my tent and set up my camera there. Moments later, the sky exploded with color over the Cathedral Group of Tetons better than I could have ever imagined. Nature had rewarded me for finally accepting the other aspects of weather as beautiful also. This sunset that I’ll never forget was probably meant to do so so that it will serve as a reminder the next time "bad" weather rolls through.

Posted: August 22, 2011

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Grand Teton National Park, Mountains, Storms, Water, Wildflowers, Wyoming
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Backpacking Turquoise Lake in the Gros Ventre Wilderness

Clouds pass over Turquoise Lake in the Gros Ventre Wilderness of Wyoming.

Mountain peaks border the Gros Ventre Wilderness as seen from Jackson Peak in the Gros Ventre Mountains, Wyoming. (Mike Cavaroc)

Mountain peaks border the Gros Ventre Wilderness as seen from Jackson Peak, Wyoming.

Distance (one way): 10.9 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Best time of year: Summer, Fall

This post will initiate a new category on this blog that I’ll writing about encompassing some of my favorite hikes that I’ve done. It won’t be restricted to any one particular region, but will just be some of the hikes that have stuck out in my mind as memorable and enjoyable. This past weekend I made a backpacking trip into the Gros Ventre Wilderness east of Jackson Hole, Wyoming into Turquoise Lake and thought that that would make for a good inaugural post.

For starters, don’t let the name fool you. While the lake does have some turquoise color to it, it’s nothing like lakes you see in the Canadian Rockies or even more locally, Delta Lake. It is however, a picturesque lake set against rugged alpine peaks, nestled in a wooded grove which gives it a very secluded and hidden feeling. There are three ways of getting to it, each about 11 miles to the lake, give or take. For this particular post, I’ll be writing with the origin being from the Goodwin Lake trailhead.

A long-tailed weasel, its coat in the process of changing from brown to white, searches a boulder field for food at Goodwin Lake in the Gros Ventre Wilderness, Wyoming. (Mike Cavaroc)

A long-tailed weasel searches for food at Goodwin Lake in the Gros Ventre Wilderness, Wyoming.

The Goodwin Lake trailhead is relatively popular despite its remote location and the brutal dirt road in for the last mile or so. For the first three miles, as you hike along a forested ridge to Goodwin Lake, you’ll encounter plenty of other hikers making a pleasant and fairly easy hike to that lake. It’s a pretty decent sized lake at the base of the northern ridge of Jackson Peak and many people even backpack there to fish for trout from it. The trail splits around the lake and will meet back up on the southern end, but the western split (right) will bring you over a small boulder field where you have a chance of seeing some critters such as pika and pine marten.

While the crowds will begin to thin out after that, many people will push the extra couple of miles to summit Jackson Peak, a relatively easily accessible trail that ascends to 13,517 feet above sea level. While most of the trail is relatively gradual, it’s the last mile or so that gets steep and difficult. The fork to summit Jackson Peak is about a mile past Goodwin Lake, whereas going straight will lead you to Turquoise Lake and a true feeling of isolation as you begin to hike deeper into the Gros Ventre Wilderness. The crowds begin to thin out dramatically after that since there isn’t much of a destination without a considerable distance. In fact once I passed that point on my hike, I only encountered one other party going in, one that showed up at Turquoise Lake after me, and one more going out. It’s a beautifully peaceful hike that truly lets you get away.

Wildflowers bloom on a mountainside in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

The trail is dry for the first several miles, so make sure you’ve packed enough water to last. Beyond Jackson Peak, the trail ascends and descends the terrain, with the majority going uphill. Should you be hiking this in early-to-mid August, you’ll be presented with a brilliant bouquet of wildflowers around every turn and over every ridge. At about halfway in, you’ll come to a fork that will lead you toward Granite Creek or Cache Creek. Cache Creek will bring you back toward Jackson, so you’ll want to stick with heading toward Granite Creek. At roughly two-thirds in, you’ll encounter your first reliable source of water: a large cascading waterfall flowing from dozens of feet up and continuing past the trail. It’s a great place to stop and rest as well as topping off any water.

From there the trail begins to climb pretty steadily up to the Granite Creek Divide. As you come out to a clearing along the way, you’re treated to one of the most unique views of the Tetons that you’ll encounter anywhere. Jackson Peak will be situated on the left with Table Mountain on the right and in between them is a bowl-like formation with South Teton, Middle Teton, Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot all sitting right in between and perfectly framed in the background with an open clearing in the foreground. It’s an incredible view that demands your attention and amazement.

A pika stands alert on boulders in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

Just a short distance up from that is the Granite Creek Divide where you’ll come across a large boulder field with plenty of marmots and pika scurrying around. On the other side of the divide lies a pristine valley that truly gives you the feeling of being in wilderness. Creek drainages line the vast walls in every direction and the scale of the landscape really gives you a sense not just of being in a completely remote area, but also reestablishes your connection with nature. From this point, the trail is mostly downhill about 1.5 miles to Turquoise Lake.

Turquoise Lake reflects symmetrical lines in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

Once at the lake, you’re treated to a peacefully remote sight with camping areas right off the trail and the soothing sound of a waterfall feeding water into the lake on the other side. At this point there’s nothing left to do but relax and enjoy your surroundings.

If you’re looking for an optional trail, you can also begin at Cache Creek and connect with the trail you came in on at about halfway, or you can also begin at Granite Hot Springs and from there the trail mostly follows Granite Creek up to Turquoise Lake. Another option is to also park one car at one trailhead and start hiking from another, and then head out a different way you came in. Either way, the scenery is breathtaking and well worth it!

Getting there: From Jackson, Wyoming, head east from the Town Square on Broadway till it dead ends at the National Elk Refuge. Turn left into the National Elk Refuge. After 3.5 miles, the road will do a 90-degree turn to the north and after another mile, you’ll take a right toward Curtis Canyon. At just over four miles, there will be a fork with a sign indicating Goodwin Lake to the right. The road gets pretty rough here for just over a mile so a high-clearance vehicle is highly recommended. The trailhead is at the end of the road.

View Turquoise Lake, Gros Ventre Wilderness, Wyoming in a larger map

Posted: August 19, 2011