Wednesday, June 27, 2012

TETONS PART IV


June 25th, Monday

Our plan was to be in Jackson early so that we could call a dentist, get an appointment and get my cap put back on. When we left at 7:15am, there was little traffic until all of a sudden there were two ranger cars and all kinds of cars stopped on the side of the road near Oxbow Bend. They were letting a Mama Grizzly and three cubs cross the road. We took some pictures through the front windshield right into the sun, so they really didn’t come out that well. But, we were thrilled to see them up so close again. Those claws are amazing!

Mama Grizzly
One of the Cubs

We continued our trek to Jackson and at 8am I called a dentist, Dr. Owens, and, since she had a no-show, she took me right in. She was very professional and efficient and my cap is now back in place.

We did a few errands while we were in town and headed back to the RV. As we passed the road to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, we saw a gathering of cars down that road parked on both sides. Knowing that this occurrence generally meant some kind of wildlife sighting, we took the detour, grabbed our cameras and headed off through the woods. There were two moose across the river eating the bushes. One was very obvious, but the other stayed pretty well hidden.
Moose Eating Bush
So, I guess you can say we have now seen wildlife in the Tetons!

June 26th, Tuesday


Since we enjoyed our trip down the Snake River so much, we ventured out once again. This time, it took Tim a little longer to make the bike ride from the take out at Pacific Creek back to the headwater at the dam because the winds were so high against him. He made it back, however, and off we went. The wind was at our back and even though they had decreased the output of water at the dam by 200 gallons per second, we had a good ride without paddling much at all.
Floating Down the Snake River

Steering But Not Paddling Much!

Half way down the river, a bald eagle dove right in front of the canoe and clutched a fish out of the water. He returned to the bank, held the fish down with his talons and started tearing at it. We paddled right up to the shore and were surprised that he didn’t take off with is catch. Instead, he pretty much ignored us and ate his lunch.
Bald Eagle Eating Fish
Keeping Watch
Who Are You?
I have only gotten two other pictures of a bald eagle before and one of them was at a rapture farm where the bird was in captivity. The other flew overhead and I had to use the full zoom to get any picture at all. This time, I just sat and clicked away not more than ten feet from him for about ten minutes. When he decided to move, he only flew another fifteen feet up the hill, so I was still able to get a few more good shots. What a thrill! What a great day on the water!

And the moose was right where we left him yesterday so we got a few more shots on the way home.

We have had a wonderful time here in the Tetons-enjoying the warmer weather, hiking, canoeing, campfires and especially seeing the wildlife these past few days. The Teton Mountain Range offers spectacular views of snow covered peaks and is a virtual playground for those that love being outdoors.

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