Archive for the ‘Panoramic Images’ Category

Bearpaw Lake

In Grand Teton National Park the eyes track the skyline. There is no doubt about this. And feet must answer for what the eyes insist on seeing ever more closely and clearly. Curiously, a goodly number of the day hikes in Grand Teton National Park measure in for the round trip route at just around eight miles – the eye makes extravagant demands….  Most of these routes run flat along their length, and thus make very doable day hikes.  There are not less than a dozen of such treks, but our favorites of these cluster along the eastern side of the waterworks, providing the classic Teton water-and-peaks-‘o-granite views.  Among these, the path from String Lake to Bearpaw lake may be the very best.

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

The path begins at the String Lake Trailhead, shown in the pano above (43.784416N, 110.727310W), and heads north along the lake shore.  Alternative starts may be commissioned anywhere along the mile long eastern shore of String Lake.  On a sunny day, you will find the picnicking areas along the shore of String Lake packed to the limit with enthusiastic visitors.  In summer months, you will need to arrive before 9 am to secure a parking spot – no joke, the String Lake area is super popular.

Leaving the bulk of humanity behind, make your way north.  You will most probably be accompanied lakeside by a small flotilla of canoes and kayaks paddling along the length of String Lake.

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

Near the north end of String Lake you will pass the portage between String and Leigh Lakes (43.796686N, 110.728348W).  This is busy junction, with boats departing/entering String Lake before/after moving north and south along the portage. The portage from String Lake to Leigh Lake is about 225 yards, and gains less than 50 feet – all in all not an unpleasant lift.  The southern bay of Leigh Lake is one of the most beautiful locations in the park (43.798275N, 110.727328W).  Bordered in thick shore growth, the crystal clear water in the shallow bay opens up to the north with most excellent views of Boulder Island, the bulk of Leigh Lake, and towards the north end of the lake, Mystic Isle.

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

The HP on the Shore of Leigh LakeThe HP makes an appearance in the image above, shot towards the northwest from the eastern shore of Leigh Lake (43 48.2552N, 110 43.1717W).  Note the presence of Mount Moran and Leigh Canyon in the background.  The path continues, tracking north along the eastern shore of Leigh Lake.  Leigh is a mighty Lake, and would take two days with a fair bit of bushwacking to circumnavigate.  Our travels encompass only a quick  three mile run up to Bearpaw Lake, which lies just a fraction of a mile north of the top of Leigh Lake.  A highlight at the midway point is the the set of three campsites, 12A, 12B, and 12C.  The sites are primitive, with very strict occupancy regulations, but offer some of the best lake shore camping anywhere.  The pano below was recorded at site 12C.

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

Cascade Canyon from the East Shore of Leigh Lake

The image above provides a view into Leigh Canyon (43.8150N, 110.7558W).  The canyon lies between Mt. Woodring to the south and Mt Moran to the north, and is (mostly) used by climbers seeking to access routes on the northern Teton summits.  I am interested in a venture here next summer – since access is pretty much exclusively by (private) boat, I have to imagine that the canyon is relatively wild and uncrowded.  The shot below shows one of several bear boxes and hanging rigs that lie near the back of the Camp 12 sites.  Given the relative remoteness of the location, I would guess that bears could be frequent visitors to the camp.

Campsite 12 Along Leigh Lake

Bearpaw Lake (shown below) is a small lake that is isolated from the Jenny-String-Leigh Lake system.  It lies nestled (together with Trapper Lake) in a lovely basin in the relatively untraveled region of the park.  Although it is highly unlike that you would find your self completely alone here, solitude seekers will be encouraged by a very low head count.  There is one large campsite available on high ground between the bulk of Bearpaw Lake and a minor, heavily silted, arm – a bit too right in the middle of things for my taste, but again, the traffic here is low.

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

A small stream exists the northern tip of Bearpaw Lake (43.8317N, 110.7280W), and leads north into a heavily silted corner of the lake.

Bearpaw Lake, Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton Trip, July, 2014.

Click on pano thumbnail to view larger image

Bearpaw Lake, Grand Teton National ParkNorthern End of Bearpaw Lake

Images in this entry were recorded on July 26, 2014, using the Nikon D810 with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR.  This combination represents the state of the art in outdoor photographic gear.  I’ve used it all, and I will take this simple setup above anything other one-camera + one lens setup.  Panoramic images were recorded using the Apple iPhone 5s with the Autostitch app.

Image

Copyright 2014 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Hermitage Point Trail – Grand Teton National Park

Hermitage Point Trail, Grand Teton National Park

Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

Grand Teton may very well be the most versatile park in the NP system.  Within park boundaries, one can tackle classic big wall rock climbing, ride your bicycle along paths the run below some of the most dramatic peaks on earth, float a legendary river, or paddle around in beautiful mountain lakes of remarkable clarity.

Hermitage Point Trail, Grand Teton National Park

The northern portion of the park is dominating by Colter Bay, with its many boating options.  While these boating opportunities are unique and wonderful, they are not the only reason to spend some time in this part of the park.  Some of our favorite hiking trails start in the southern end of the Coulter Bay complex, near the boat launch.  The trail to Hermitage Point provides an excellent chance to experience the northern park vistas along a flat and fast track out and back to an excellent terminus on the shore of Jackson Lake.  Along the way, you will also be able to make visits to two other smaller Lakes, Heron Pond and Swan Lake.

Grand Teton Visit, July 2014.  Hermitage Point Trail.

Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

The pano above and the image below were shot at Heron Pond.  The trail passes along the eastern shore of the pond, which provides stunning views of the northern portion of the Tetons, including most notably, Mount Moran.  The pond is filled to about 50% of its surface with some species of water lily – and I am not certain that these are proper lilies, but anyway, some form of aquatic veg.

Hermitage Point Trail, Grant Teton National Park

Excellent time can be made along the Hermitage Point trail, which gains/loses only a couple of hundred feet along the 4.4 mile trek.  Much of the trail is either close and above Jackson Lake, or runs very near to the shore.

Hermitage Point Trail, Grand Teton National Park

Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

The pano above, and image of the HP below, were recorded at Hermitage Point.  The approx 4 mile distance is just long enough to insure that you will never have to share the point with more than a couple of other people.  Passing power boats, as shown in the image of the HP provide a curious contrast to the otherwise natural wonders visible from this viewpoint.

Hermitage Point Trail, Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton Visit, July 2014.  Hermitage Point Trail.

Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

A variation on either the route out or back leads you to Swan Lake, shown above, which is another lovely lake near Colter Bay.  This is a mature Lake, wrapped in shade from firs and pines that run right down to the shoreline and nearly filled with water lilies – an especially welcome rest stop on an afternoon return.

Images appearing in this entry were recorded using either the Nikon D810 and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR, or the Apple iPhone 5s (all panos).

Copyright 2014 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Porcelain Basin

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is a large geothermal area that lies near the conjunction of park roads that head south to Madison, east to Canyon village, and north to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Norris, as park denizens refer to it, is divided into three major areas by a trail system that depends largely on boardwalks: Porcelain Basin, Back Basin, and Back-of-the-Back Basin.  Back Basin and Back-of-the Back Basin are collectively labelled just Back Basin on Park maps, but visitors are likely to appreciate that these two areas are quite easily distinguished by the distinct levels of effort required to explore them.

Norris Geyser Basin

The most accessible, and in my view, the most rewarding area in Norris is Porcelain Basin.  I will post an entry on Back Basin in the future, but this entry will focus exclusively on the quite easily manageable circumnavigation of Porcelain Basin.  The area is located just north of the Norris Geyser Basin Museum, which itself is about 300 meters west of the parking area along a paved pathway.

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

n

Norris Geyser Basin

The two images above were recorded looking west from the paved trail that descends from the museum.

Norris Geyser BasinA warning to photogs along the descending pathways…  Prodigious quantities of steam are continuously produced by the Ledge Geyser.  The winds within the basin are characteristically changeable, and one can find themselves enveloped within a steam cloud instantly, virtually any time morning or afternoon.

Norris Geyser Basin

The route leads north down from the museum along a paved path that provides an excellent overview of Porcelain Basin.  After descending perhaps 50 meters, hikers encounter a fork in the path.  I suggest traveling along the east (right) leg, which places one on an anti-clockwise orientation around the basin.  Much of the route around the basin consists of a boardwalk in very good condition.  Guardrails provide an extra element of safety if you are totting children, but are also useful for leaning against while studying the terrain.

Norris Geyser Basin

A bit of backtracking is required if you wish to visit all of the major geothermal features in the basin.  I would highly recommend taking the extra time to visit Colloidal Pool, Hurricane Vent, and Porcelain Springs, all of which lie on an eastern spur of the main route.

Norris Geyser Basin

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

The name Porcelain Basin derives from the delicate white color of the mineral deposits in the area.  The light color of the surface contrasts with the stronger colors produced by the other mineral deposits, and from the colorful algae and bacteria that exist in the relatively hostile conditions found here.

Norris Geyser Basin

The main route leads north, bold and straight across Porcelain Basin.  The obvious, low-impact, route would have followed the high ground (east) around the circumference of the basin.  I can only guess that the current route was forged in early times, as environmental impact would appear to be maximized with the existing situation.  I have no idea how the boardwalk maintenance can be executed…  Regardless, the boardwalk is wide and stable.

Norris Geyser Basin

But in some parts of the basin the stream bed is green!  Really green…  This unlikely hue is due to the presence of Cyandium caldarium, an algae that exists only in environments with a pH between 0.5 and 5.0, and water temperatures between 35C and 55C.  Yeah, think hot acid solution.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser BasinNorris Geyser Basin

You are unprepared for the intensity of the color and contrast.  We have scoured the earth for kooky natural phenomenon.  This is as good as it gets, just stunningly beautiful.

Yellowstone National Park, Fall 2013

 Click on pano thumbnail above to view larger image

The return side of the route provides a compelling view of the descent into the basin and the crossing.  Pick a time in the afternoon to walk the route and you will be rewarded with favorable light along the entire route.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin

Images in this entry were recorded on the afternoons of the September 21, 2012, and September 29, 2013, using the Nikon D800 and D800E at f-stop at f/11 or f/16.  Panoramic images were recorded using the Apple iP5 and the Autostitch acquisition application.

Copyright 2014 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.