Posted by Darren Huski on August 5, 2012 at 7:25 PM
Here is a little summer reprieve from the heat...the Snowy Range.
I had the opportunity to do a short notice trip in June and even found cheap airfare into Denver. Decided to drive around Wyoming and visit the Snowys, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons.
The Snowys were my first stop. Few people visit here as most tourists go to Rocky Mountain NP. Personally the Snowys are much better.
Here is one of Lake Marie. This great little shot is all of 100 yards from the parking lot.
Looks like a great location, Darren. I enjoyed the write up on your blog as well. I have been curious about the Snowy Range for while. I have been up to the Foxpark area in the Medicine Bow range with family before I got serious about photography and I know this isn't far from there.
Dumb question - are there grizzlies in this area of Wyoming? I'm thinking that Grizzlies are really only concentrated in NW Wyoming but I'm not sure.
Posted by Darren Huski on August 6, 2012 at 6:32 AM
Thanks Brian. If you are ever in the area, they are well worth a couple of days.Hwy 130 goes right past the best of the peaks offering easy access. It is a place that there is both nearby camping or that you could day trip from Laramie.
As far as bears go, I did not see any. Since I was going to Yellowstone, I did buy bear spray and carried it (bear bells too). I actually only saw two bears there and none in the Tetons. Both bear sightings were form the car (the way I always prefer to see a bear). Traveling solo in bear country while being out before dawn is something that does make me cautious, but no bears seen in the Snowys. My guess is the local bear population is either all or vast majority black bear.
Posted by Tom Kennon on August 6, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Darren, I have never made to the Snowy Range, but it sounds and looks by your shot a good place to go. Sounds like the crowds are on existant there.
Thanks for the reply, Darren. I'm definitely more nervous about hiking in Wyoming due to the possibility of a bear encounter. The Tetons are high on my list of places that I want to go, but I am definitely nervous about hiking there even in areas such as Jenny and Leigh Lakes which are close to the road.
Posted by Darren Huski on August 7, 2012 at 8:04 AM
If you are going to Yellowstone or the Tetons, plan that you WILL encounter bears. If you plan for it and are smart, you should be ok. Basically that means take bear spray, wear bells, make noise, and give the bear the opportunity to hear you and move away. Keep a clean camp too. No food in tent EVER. If you spill something on your clothes, change them, etc.
I was nervous about being there solo. I camped just outside the NE entrance to Yellowstone near the Beartooth Highway (another true must see, watch for this on my blog in a week or so) and signs everywhere tell you that this is grizzly country. I talked to the park host at the small NFS campground I stayed at and they said in the 7 years they had hosted a bear had never been in camp.
Driving up the pass about 4 miles away I saw a grizzly by the road. As soon as he noticed the car, he ran into the woods.
Anyway, I was out along the Yellowstone River at dawn and dusk in Yellowstone NP and never saw a bear. But like, I said, I wore bells, talked alot, and had spray. I hiked along String Lake during the day in Teton and saw a lot of other hikers but no signs of bears.
Be smart and you will be ok.
Posted by Jan Harrison on August 7, 2012 at 11:43 AM
I really like your capture Darren. Did you try any other shutter speeds? It looks like the stream could get very interesting.
Posted by Rod Kissinger on August 7, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Great composition Darren. Just enough shutter speed to show movement but still capture the detail in the clouds.
We camped for five days in the Snowy Range near Medicine Bow Peak. Never saw a bear but cooked 100 yards away from tents, put up bear bags ( or bear pinatas as we called them-some were a little low), nothing with smell in tents or on clothes, that inclued chapstick, wipes etc.
Discussion
8 repliesI had the opportunity to do a short notice trip in June and even found cheap airfare into Denver. Decided to drive around Wyoming and visit the Snowys, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons.
The Snowys were my first stop. Few people visit here as most tourists go to Rocky Mountain NP. Personally the Snowys are much better.
Here is one of Lake Marie. This great little shot is all of 100 yards from the parking lot.
See more about the Snowy Range on my blog
http://wildernessphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-snowy-range.html
Dumb question - are there grizzlies in this area of Wyoming? I'm thinking that Grizzlies are really only concentrated in NW Wyoming but I'm not sure.
As far as bears go, I did not see any. Since I was going to Yellowstone, I did buy bear spray and carried it (bear bells too). I actually only saw two bears there and none in the Tetons. Both bear sightings were form the car (the way I always prefer to see a bear). Traveling solo in bear country while being out before dawn is something that does make me cautious, but no bears seen in the Snowys. My guess is the local bear population is either all or vast majority black bear.
I was nervous about being there solo. I camped just outside the NE entrance to Yellowstone near the Beartooth Highway (another true must see, watch for this on my blog in a week or so) and signs everywhere tell you that this is grizzly country. I talked to the park host at the small NFS campground I stayed at and they said in the 7 years they had hosted a bear had never been in camp.
Driving up the pass about 4 miles away I saw a grizzly by the road. As soon as he noticed the car, he ran into the woods.
Anyway, I was out along the Yellowstone River at dawn and dusk in Yellowstone NP and never saw a bear. But like, I said, I wore bells, talked alot, and had spray. I hiked along String Lake during the day in Teton and saw a lot of other hikers but no signs of bears.
Be smart and you will be ok.
We camped for five days in the Snowy Range near Medicine Bow Peak. Never saw a bear but cooked 100 yards away from tents, put up bear bags ( or bear pinatas as we called them-some were a little low), nothing with smell in tents or on clothes, that inclued chapstick, wipes etc.