Last Wyoming Sunset

Spending the summer in Wyoming was an incredible experience. It felt good to get back to a quieter life - one that I remember enjoying when we used to live here. Fewer cars, less noise, more sky, more moose running through your yard. And sharing that with my child was a joy, because she really took to the land. She loved the freedom, no doubt, that comes with seeing endless forest from your windows. And she adapted as needed to be practical in a new environment. She eagerly listened to my husband’s seminars on map contours, and joined me when I spent hours in guidebooks trying to determine what wildflower I had photographed. It was a journey we took together, and I will always cherish my memories from this time.

Foggy Morning

If I learned anything this summer, it was that the weather in the mountains can surprise you on a regular basis. When I lived in eastern Wyoming, on the high plains, fog or mist usually appeared only in May, the month when winter became summer (it lasts longer in other places; some people call it spring). I would eagerly await this month and get up early to drive around with my camera, enjoying the crisp air and the low fog that hung in the hills. This summer, however, at 8,500 feet, we experienced a few mornings this way. And each time I awoke to fog, it was a surprise and a delight.

Falls Creek

I loved how the light was beginning to shine through the trees at this location during a morning shoot at the Wind River Photographers’ Retreat this summer near Dubois, Wyoming. The air in this image is a little hazy with smoke from wildfires in California and Oregon.

The Pinnacles

Our very first shoot at the Wind River Photographers’ Retreat was an area I had visited before in our wanderings around the Dubois area. These are the Pinnacle Buttes, which reach above Brooks Lake Creek. The area is popular with campers, fishermen, and bears. There had been a bear sighting in the campground earlier in the morning, and we drove around a bit to try and spot it, but it had moved on.

Absaroka Mountains

With summer has come a change of scenery for me. We spent some time in western Wyoming this year, trying to beat the heat in the mountains. Truth be told, since we moved away from Wyoming 11 years ago, my husband and I have been trying to find a way back here, at least for a few weeks of the year. This year we spent our vacation in the mountains near Dubois, Wyoming. It was a delight, for many reasons, including these views.

Olympic National Park - Hurricane Ridge

Seven Weeks Across America

Several friends encouraged us to drive up to Hurricane Ridge at the northern end of Olympic National Park, and boy are we glad we took their advice. The panoramic view of the mountaintops was amazing. I REALLY wish I had a wide-angle lens so that I could have captured it properly. But just imagine this first image X 10 on all sides as you spin around. It was the most incredible view of the trip, for sure.

The blue patch at the top left is the Straits of Juan de Fuca and you can see Victoria, Canada, on the other side.

After a quick loop through the Visitor’s Center (heavy on the gift store) we took a nice hike. We were so lucky it was a clear day. We could see all the way north across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Canada. As we walked through the meadows we came across a marmot colony, with several of the little guys peeking out from their burrows and trilling loudly.

It’s a good thing we got there in the morning, because by noon when we left, the parking lot was packed and there was a solid line of cars doing the super-slow drive looking for spaces. The drive up and down the mountain was spectacular, as you might expect, and we were happy to see some wildflowers still blooming.

Kings Canyon National Park

Seven Weeks Across America

Though they are administered together and are geographically close, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks have some very different areas.  Kings Canyon is also the home to some giant sequoias (more on that later) but it is more than just that.  We drove the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to its terminus down in the canyon.  It's a windy road that hugs cliff edges and offers superb views of the beautiful South Fork of the Kings River below.

Near the end of the road, we hiked around Zumwalt Meadow.  It's a pretty green gem, and the trail takes you through rocks and over boardwalks, at times skirting the river.  We were vigilant looking for rattlesnakes, but we are happy to report no sightings.

Our campground was back up the road, walking distance from the Visitor's Center and Grant Grove.  Unlike Sequoia National Park, there are no busses to ferry you around in Kings Canyon.  

We really enjoyed the paved interpretive trail around Grant's Grove, which includes not only the immense Grant Tree, but also an old cabin, signage about the history of logging in the area, and a giant fallen redwood that you can walk through upright.  I figured that would be my daughter's favorite part of the trail, and I was right.  But I was not expecting to delight in it so much myself.  It just seems so crazy to be walking through a huge tree that's laying on its side.

You can get a little closer to the trees here on the trail than you could at Sequoia.  Several are hollowed out from fire and this one was just right for a little fox to scramble through.