Posts Tagged ‘Cunningham Cabin’

Grand Teton Diary: June 1-2, 2012

Early summer may be our favorite time to visit Grand Teton National Park.  There will be snow high on the Tetons through the end of June, which makes for an excellent contrast element to the complex rock formations.  The weather is fairly reliable, although as a few of these images will confirm, there is a enough instability to generate some interesting cloud formations.  Finally, we tend to spend most of the spring in the YNP, and have to delay a visit to GRTE (pronounced Gertie…) until early June.

Our favorite place to stay is at Jackson Lake Lodge.  It is a bit quieter here than at Colter Bay, certainly much quieter than at the Moose Junction area.  The lodge proper houses the registration office, gift shops, and restaurants, but few rooms.  A spectacular view may be had from the east side of the lodge, where windows rising from floor to the top of the peaked ceiling provide a lovely frame for the view of the Tetons across Willow Flats.  The guest rooms are laid out in blocks southwest of the lodge.  Many of these rooms have views of the Tetons, some of them spectacularly so.

A big advantage of staying at the Jackson Lake Lodge is that it is only a few minutes from Oxbow Bend, making it relatively easy to photograph Mount Moran from across the Oxbow Bend of Snake River at dawn.  The image above was recorded at 08:35 MDT (yeah, we arrived late the previous evening so the dawn thing was not happening) on June 1 , 2012, using the Nikon D800E and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 70mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/160s, ISO 100 (base).

From Oxbow Bend, the most compelling route to explore the park runs N/S along Highway 89 (and concurrently, Highways 191 & 287).  Traveling south from the Oxbow Bend, you will first run east to the Moran Entrance, and then track dead south.  The first major stop along Highway 89 will be the Cunningham Cabin area.  The site consists of two buildings located on several acres.   A buck-and-rail fence runs east-west along the southern edge of the site.  As you can see in the image below, the fence provides a nice foreground element to the image of the Tetons.

The name buck-and-rail derives from the characteristic X-shaped ‘crossbuck’ or ‘buck’ and long horizontal sections or ‘rails’.  Buck-and-rail fences are common throughout this part of the country.  The popularity of the style derives primarily from the fact that no post holes need to be dug.  The abundance of Lodgepole Pine trees in the region, which grow to produce specimens with trunks that are narrow and straight, insures a ready source of fence stock.

The image above was recorded just east of the cabin at 12:47 MDT on June 1, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm lens at 70mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/160s, ISO 100 (+0.33EV, corrected in post-processing).

An observation I have made on a number of previous occasions is that infrared imaging provides a very entertaining option for the motivated photographer.  Early summer in Gertie presents many such opportunities.  The image above was recorded at 11:46 on June 1, 2012, using the Nikon D200IR (converted to 830nm cutoff by LifePixel Inc) and the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED  lens at 60mm (90mm effective in FX).  Exposure was f/16.0 and 1/10, ISO 100.

Retracing our steps brings us back to the Cunningham Cabin area at around noon:30.  The image above was recorded using the D200IR and the 18-70mm lens at 40mm (60mm effective in FX).  Exposure was f/14.0 and 1/10, ISO 100.

The image above was recorded using the D200IR and the  18-70mm lens at 75mm (90mm effective in FX).  Exposure was f/16.0 and 1/10, ISO 100.

Traveling further south brings us to the famous Snake River Overlook (below).  Many have noted, some with lament, that the trees have grown tall since Ansel Adams made his famous image here in 1942.  I disagree with those that find the changes problematical, and suggest that a well-made image from here (today) can be just as compelling as those made by the master 70 years ago.

The image above was recorded at 13:09 on June 1, 2012, using the D200IR and the 18-70mm lens at 57mm (90mm effective in FX).  Exposure was f/16.0 and 1/10, ISO 100.

The region south and east of the Snake River Overlook is known as Antelope Flats.  We have not seen many antelope (pronghorn) around, but the area is very popular with bison, and we have seen moose near Ditch Creek.  A short drive east along Antelope Flats Road brings you to Mormon Row and the famous Moulton Barn shown below.  The gambrel-style barn structure has a timelessness to it that many find interesting – many are surprised to learn that the barn was used by the Moulton family until 1945.

Image above recorded at 14:07 MDT on June 1, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm lens at 55mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/125s, ISO 100.

In early summer Antelope Flats is decorated by brilliant yellow Mule’s Ears (Wyethia).  The image above was recorded at 14:24 MDT on June 1, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm lens at 42mm.  Exposure was f/5.6 and 1/2000s, ISO 400. Handheld.

After passing through Moose Junction we headed back north along the Teton Park Road, which tracks much closer to the Teton Range.  Just north of the Taggart Lake Trailhead, we found that the River Road was open.  On previous visits, the road has been closed.  There are a number of interesting things to see along the River Road, but it is the unique views of the Snake River that I find most compelling.  Below we find the HP; with her ever-present field glasses, along the western bank of the Snake.

Image above recorded at 16:27 MDT on June 1, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm lens at 32mm.  Exposure was f/8.0 and 1/320s, ISO 100.  Handheld.

Having recovered from a previous late arrival on the evening of May 31, we were ready for an early start on June 2.  The images above and below of the Tetons looking across Willow Flats we made at 05:44 MDT (above) and 05:52 MDT (below) using  theD800E and the 24-70mm lens at 70mm.  Exposures were f/11.0 and 1/10s (above) and 1/15 (below), ISO 100 (-2.33 EV).

The image above was recorded at 05:52 MDT on June 2, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 70mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/15s, ISO 100 (-2.33 EV).

Quite often, during a visit to Gertie, we will make a dash up to The Stone.  A visit to Artist’s Point overlooking Lower Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, shown below, is a favorite spot.  I have a few other things to share about our visit to YNP on June 2, but that will have to wait for a future entry.

Image above recorded at 09:24 MDT on June 2, 2012, using the Nikon D800E, and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 70mm.  Exposure was f/11.0 and 1/125s, ISO 100.

Finally, we returned to Willow Flats in time to catch the sun setting over the Teton Range.  When the atmospherics are right, as shown here, the back-lighting of the Tetons can be properly dramatic.  Image above recorded at 20:48 MDT on June 2, 2012, using the D800E and the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 40mm.  Exposure was f/8.0 and 1/13s, ISO 100 (-2.0 EV).

Copyright 2012 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Grand Tetons Beyond 830 nm

Photography at Grand Teton National Park presents some challenging timing issues.  Since you will most likely be shooting from a location along the eastern side of the Tetons, your best light will come at dawn, and there are no very good options for late afternoon shooting.  Of course these rules only apply to visible light – head over to the near IR and you open up some excellent additional possibilities.

In my view, and I believe some of the images included in this entry may back me up, the near IR may have some distinct advantages over convention visible light BW rendering .  In addition to the ascetical advantages, there are three significant technical advantages.  First, the haze that is commonly apparently from mid-morning on through dusk is invisible in the IR.  Secondly, excellent captures can be made just about anytime between 10:00 and 14:00, assuming that the cloud cover is minimal.  Finally, since all ‘good photographers’ know that you cannot make decent capture outside of the golden hours, you will have what may normally be crowded locations all to yourself.

The images in this entry were all recorded from points all the Jackson Hole Highway – see the March 7, 2011 entry for more on this most excellent road.  Captures were recorded between 11:30 and 12:45 on August 8, 2010, using the Nikon D200 converted to IR , and the AF-S 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED lens at focal lengths of between 35mm and 50mm .  The IR conversion was made by Life Pixel, using their Deep BW IR option – equivalent to Wratten 830nm filter.  Images processed using Nik SIlver Efex Pro 2 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Copyright 2011 Peter F. Flynn. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

 

Along the Jackson Hole Highway: Antelope Flats

Call it US 26, US, 89, US 191, or the more colorful Jackson Hole Highway, the main line that leads north from Jackson through Grand Teton National Park to the Moran Junction is among the great scenic roads on the planet.  The Jackson Hole Highway (JHH) starts at the north edge of Jackson, WY (yeah, the area is known as Jackson Hole, the town is simply Jackson), and runs north along the western boarder of the National Elk Refuge and through the length of Grand Teton National Park.

Soon after entering the park, the road crosses the Gros Ventres River and intersects the Gros Ventre Road (providing access to the Gros Ventre Campground, Kelly, Atherton Creek, and the Lower Slide Lake).  Following the JHH a bit further north bring you toMoose Junction, which is a major intersection in the park.  Heading northwest out of  Moose Junction on the Teton Park Road, one can explore the center of the park, which passes closers to the Tetons, and also provides access to park highlights such as Jenny Lake, Leigh Lake, and Jackson Lake.  Staying on the main line of the JHH leads to a series of excellent overlooks, the first of which is the Blacktail Ponds Overlook (above).

The images above of the Grand Tetons from the Blacktail Lakes Overlook, in color and  BW, were recorded at 08:00 on August 8, 2010, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 38mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/50s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO 200.  Coordinates of the Blacktail Pond Overlook site are 40 40.004N, 110 41.8716W.  Image converted to BW using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

A bit further north along the JHH brings you to the Schwabacher Landing Road, which leads down to the Snake River.  The spot provides an excellent view of the Grand Tetons with a minor branch of the Snake running across the foreground.  A short walks brings you to a beaver pond, which likewise provides an excellent foreground element for the Tetons.

The image above was recorded at around 08:35 on August 8, 2010, using the Nikon D2s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 34mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/80s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO at 200.

Of course no visit to Grand Teton NP can be complete without a stop at the Ansel Adams fan Mecca that is the Snake River Overlook  (see below).  This location can be extremely crowded (preposterously crowded even), yet at other times, as on this morning, you will have the place to yourself.

The image of the Grand tetons from the Snake River Overlook was recorded at 10:00 on August 8, 2010, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 70mm.  Exposure was f/11 and 1/160s, ISO 200.  The image was converted to BW using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.  Coordinates for the site are unnecessary – if you are reading this blog, you will know how to find the place…

The final stop on the Jackson Hole Highway tour will be the Cunningham Cabin site.  The cabin itself is pretty photogenic (didn’t make this cut though), as are the horses that are grazed nearby.  The key shot here is the lovely meadow with Buck-and-rail fences running through it with the Tetons in the background (see below in color and BW).

The image of the Grand Tetons was recorded at 11:10 on August 8, 2010, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G Ed lens at 62mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/100s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO 200.  The BW version was generated using Nik Silver Efex Pro2.

The JHH through Antelope Flats in Grand Teton National Park is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular 25 mile sections of roadway found anywhere.  It is also at times one of the busiest roads in any National Park.  In addition to the myriad visitors to Grand Teton, the Rockefeller Memorial Parkway, and Yellowstone National Parks, commercial traffic to and from Yellowstone and Gardner (MT), also makes use of the road.  Add to this, the air traffic that flies overhead (Jackson Hole Airport is literally in the park!), and at times the place can seem pretty crazy.  Pick your time carefully though, and you’ll find the magic.

Copyright 2011 Peter F. Flynn. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.