A Winter Wonderland!
December 1st, 2018 – Saturday
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Early December Notes
With few exceptions, December is a “white month” in Jackson Hole. Heavy snow covers the mountain ranges and begins to blanket much of the valley floor. Ski resorts open and tourists return to take advantage of the white, fluffy powder. Days are short and often cold, but the low sun and reflected light often allows for all day shooting for photographers.
December is a great time for winter landscapes. Many of the roads are closed, but enough are open to make it worth a trip into the park and around the valley.
Wildlife is surprisingly easier to find in December than many of the other months.The wildlife that doesn’t either leave the valley or hibernate during the winter months is often pinched into smaller areas of the valley. It’s a very good month for photographing Moose. Most will retain antlers through much of the month and some all the way into January. A few Grizzlies can be seen in the southern portion of the valley, at least until the Elk Hunt is over. Bighorns are usually in the rut throughout much of December and are visible at close range on most days. Elk are visible on the National Elk Refuge, with the Sleigh Rides into the herds beginning for the Winter. Coyotes and Wolves are often more visible in Winter. Mountain Goats have been fairly reliable in December in the Snake River Canyon, but each year is different. I have been seeing more Great Horned Owls this year than most other years. If you are lucky, you might spot an Ermine, Pine Marten, Skunk, or Badger. Trumpeter Swans are usually visible along Flat Creek and at Boyles Hill. Foxes, Otters, Porcupines, and Owls are always on people’s list, but can take a little effort and often a lot of luck to find. Around town, Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, along with Pine Grosbeaks may be feasting on berries and fruit bearing trees.
December is also a good month to explore and experiment! Icicles hang from facias and roofs. You can find leaves hanging on for dear life, frosted over from overnight hoar frost. Puddles will often have impressive crystal patterns. Animals leave tracks in the snow.
Winter Posts:
Click this link to view a variety of previous posts related to a Winter Visit to Jackson Hole! The link below is also very popular.
If I Had Only One Winter Day in the Tetons:
November 2018 Daily Journal for GTNP & JH: As always, the first few days of a new month will often be similar to the last week or so of the preceding month. Check out November 2018. It was actually really good!
If I Had Only One Winter Day in the Tetons:
NOTE: My wife’s sister is getting married in Las Vegas over the weekend. I’ll be back roaming the Park on Monday, but check in for a few updates.
I offer year round photo tours in Grand Teton National Park and winter tours in the National Elk Refuge. A winter trip offers opportunities you won’t find in the other three seasons! Book now! Click the image for additional information.
Client Comments: “As a published and passionate photographer, I recognized Michael Jackson’s extraordinary skills as a photographer. Today I learned more about composition and creative technical ideas than I ever could have imagined.” G.S., Jackson Hole