Trip Report: Whispers of Winter
November 2023, Jackson Hole, WY - Here at Think Wild we put the intimacy and quality of ethical wilderness experiences at the forefront of our expedition offerings. As the tourists trickle out towards the end of October, a short yet delightful offseason begins before skiers start to fly back into the Cowboy State. This provides us with a perfect window to take people into our favorite corners of the spectacular valleys and meadows of Grand Teton National Park in search of soulfully energizing wildlife photography experiences. We’ve always cherished this time of year for personal exploration, yet it was nothing short of an absolute delight to welcome our first group of guests during this special time of year filled with spectacular light and countless opportunities for wildlife photography.
After welcoming a wonderful bunch of passionate lovers of the wild, we set off on a three day expedition in some of the best kept secret corners of the park looking for moose, bears, and anything else we might run across. With open minds and open hearts we began our search on what would become nothing short of an unforgettable weekend of wildlife photography.
On the first morning, we started on a high note spending some time with two female and one male moose right off the bat. Soon thereafter, we were fortunate enough to find one of the largest moose in the state of Wyoming sleeping peacefully in a cottonwood grove. With nobody around, we set up at a safe distance and began enjoying hot cocoa and Swiss chocolate as we patiently waited for this magnificent moose to wake up from his morning nap. We watched in awe as moody and sometimes dramatic clouds washed across the valley sky, setting a perfect scene for what would be a memorable first photo shoot of the weekend.
After a quick lunch break at one of our favorite deli spots in town, we headed back into the park to begin the search for our second most anticipated wildlife encounter: the grizzly bear. Because grizzlies roam far and wide in the late fall, it can be challenging to have lengthy or intimate encounters with these fascinating animals this time of year. We searched far and wide down little known offroad trails in the distant corners of the park before eventually coming across something very special. Out in one of the many pine lined sagebrush meadows was a young subadult female grizzly bear foraging for roots and rodents.
Smiles abound and cameras in hand, we set up as a group on the side of the road as she peacefully continued her afternoon digging. Passing clouds and beams of light gave us a stunning variety of conditions to photograph this beautiful young bear in. Although encounters can be brief this time of year, the food source was reliable enough that we were blessed with nearly two hours of bear viewing with various angles, compositions, and stunning light to cap off a home run of a first day on this expedition.
As it happens, the next day was filled with just as much fun, laughter, and even more wildlife encounters. We set out early at the frosty wee hours of the morning in hopes of photographing the alpenglow on the Tetons. As sunlight began to grace the tips of the mountains, we quickly pulled over in awe as we watched a female moose walking in the distance beneath the towering peaks. A few miles down the road, an enormous herd composed of solely bull elk stampeded across the road in front of us in the golden morning light. “Can this possibly get any better?” we asked ourselves.
Turns out the day had more in store for us as we kept searching through the park in all the nooks and crannies that we knew had potential to deliver wildlife encounters - it seemed to simply be our luck that at nearly every corner we stumbled into yet another beautiful wild experience. At Think Wild, we are firm believers that having a mindset free of expectations, a willing and flowing attitude, and keeping things lighthearted almost always leads to better experiences in the field. We were blessed to have another encounter with a subadult grizzly bear, more brief but equally exciting. A little later while scouting for moose in a local creekbed, we stumbled into a group of five young male moose - some feeding on twigs while others rested.
Capping off the day with a high note seemed like a daunting task after a day this successful, yet we managed to find two more massive moose as they woke up from their long afternoon nap. They began sparring before us as we watched giddily, feeling an immense amount of gratitude for the company we shared with these wild souls and more importantly the amazing people around us. As darkness coated the autumn skies, we walked back to our cars and drove into town to enjoy a warm family meal while retelling the stories and encounters of the day.
Two days of exploring into this expedition, our hearts overflowing and our souls brimming with inspiration, not much else was needed to wrap up what had already shaped up to be a trip for the ages. It was a cold, rainy morning and we decided to take a later start in hopes of giving the light time to begin filtering through the dark storm clouds. We ventured into a similar area as we did the first day in hopes of finding more moose to photograph - this time with wet fur and all the contrast of a dramatic and moody morning.
We scouted various roads with little luck, scoping through our binoculars in search of spiny moose antlers poking up through the sage. Off in the distance, we caught a glimpse of something that looked out of the ordinary to the busy and bushy pattern of sagebrush. We zipped down a dirt road and pulled over as we watched one of the biggest male moose in Wyoming take a majestic standing pose as he woke up - the same beautiful animal we first encountered on day one. This time, the light was perfect, the sky sensational, and the moose fully soaked from head to toe bringing out all of the gorgeous detail in his fur. Things were about to get good.
We spent a solid two hours with him before he laid down and we headed back into town for a brief break with smiles gleaming all around. Making our way back into the park in the afternoon, the pace had slowed down considerably. For the first time that weekend, we spent several hours exploring new spots around the park hoping to find something good - it seemed as if our luck had finally ran out… only for so long.
Having left our moose encounter in the morning knowing the animal had recently bedded down, we figured we’d try our luck yet again and return to the same area in hopes of seeing him one last time. It isn’t uncommon for moose to wake for a few hours in the morning and sleep all day only to wake up only for the last hour or so of daylight as the night creeps in. We drove down the same dirt road and walked out to the pinned spot and were relieved to see that he in fact had not moved since the morning. As the storm wind died, he waked from his long nap and rose to his feet.
It pays to know an area well, but knowing an individual animal well pays even more when trying to capture spectacular wildlife images. Sure enough, the majestic moose began slowly lumbering in the direction of a watering hole that we had witnessed him drinking out of on a few rare but highly memorable occasions. Knowing this, we gathered the group and began gaining ground as we aimed to position ourselves in the watering hole before the moose arrived so as to not impede its natural behavior. What unfolded soon thereafter was something none of us would ever forget.
We waited patiently at the water’s edge, some of us on the bank and some in the water as the giant moose began approaching. Slowly and in all his grace, he steadily walked down into the water and started drinking for what seemed like an eternity. As he wrapped up his thirst quenching chug, he lifted his head and posed in all his majesty with a picture perfect setting, bringing an iconic vision to life. Yellow autumn grasses adorned the banks of the local stream, a touch of color to parallel the animal’s light fur undertones on his seven foot tall shoulders. The last storm clouds hugged the Tetons in the distance as the snow dusted mountains reflected their fading shade of blue. The air was calm, crisp, and full of wonder as we all stared in disbelief at a scene that will remain engrained in our minds for the rest of our lives. Time came to a stop…it was just us, a moose, and whispers of winter.
Images by Arthur Lefo & Brooke Bartleson
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