Welcome to November!
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Covid-19 Mask Update: The Teton County Commissioners extended the Mask Mandate until the end of 2021. Masks must be worn inside buildings, on public transportation, taxis, and tours.
New Month : New Week : New Moon : New Daily Journal : New Park — November 1st
Well, it’s a new month and a new week. In a couple of days, there will be a new moon. Yep…you are looking at the first entry for the new November Daily Journal.
The “New Park” item in the list above takes a bit of artistic or editorial license. Let me explain: Yesterday, we could drive the Moose-Wilson Road along with the middle section of the Teton Park Road. Yesterday, fishermen were still fishing on the National Elk Refuge and hikers and bikers were still using the pathway along it. Yesterday, you could stop at Dornan’s to pick up some snacks or fill the coffee thermos, but the stores and restaurant are closed for the month of November. Only a few days ago, we could drive up and down Mormon Row and we could drive down to Schwabacher Landing. But, all of those areas are now padlocked. In a few days, there will be hunters, outfitted in orange, driving up and down roads hoping to nail an elk. Those are only a few of the recent and upcoming changes in Grand Teton National Park.
Of course, not all of the news is bad news!
The big summer crowds are gone! The Park has a much more relaxed and “open” feel, even if some zones have no vehicular access. At least until December 15th, people can still hike into areas of the Snake such as Schwabacher Landing. For the hikers making the 1.25 mile walk, they’ll likely the the area entirely to themselves. This morning, I drove from the Moose Visitor’s Center area to the end of the road at Death Canyon on the Moose-Wilson Road and passed only two vehicles—one coming at me and one that passed me while I was taking photos of a moose cow in the water. I was able to park in a regular spot and walk down the road without the scorn, whistle, or screams of a Wildlife Brigade volunteer. Those volunteers are almost all gone now. A bear or moose sighting can still create a bit of a jam, but jams will not been as large or develop as fast as in the summer and fall.
Days are shorter and cooler, but usually not bitter cold. Wildlife typically hangs out longer, and generally speaking, the light quality is better. Soon, Daylight Savings Time switches back, so I end up at home and in front of my computer more. That’s good for my ever swelling Lightroom catalog. It is bursting at the seams and needing some severe culling! I took roughly 5000 images just today! The photos you see in this initial post were all taken today!
Photographic Opportunities in November
Landscapes: September and October were transitional months, changing from summer, to fall, and eventually into pre-winter. November, much like the previous two months, is also a transitional month. The high country already has snow, but early snow falling in earlier months melt on the valley floor. By mid-November, temperatures drop to the point all new snow will become part of the winter scenery. In other words, we are in for a change to the landscape.
Wildlife: When I think of November, I think of great moose viewing and photography. Swans also move into the valley for the winter. Bighorns will be migrating to Miller Butte on the National Elk Refuge, just in time for the annual head bashing rut. November can also be a good month for grizzlies, badgers, foxes, otters, and owls. I’ve had several reports of wolves being seen this year, too. Bison are currently split into two groups, one in the Kelly area and a smaller group in the Elk Ranch area.
Plan Ahead!
Remember, there are no facilities open inside Grand Teton National Park. While you can fill your gas tank at one of the “pay at the pump” locations, there are no stores or shops for snacks or lunch. Rest rooms can be found at the Kelly Warm Springs, Moose Visitors Center, just inside the Moran entrance, at the Taggart Lake trail head, and at the gas station at Jackson Lake Lodge. The restrooms around the Jackson Lake dam are still open but will be plowed in soon. Restrooms at Flagg Ranch are usually open.
The gas station and convenience store along the highway in the Buffalo Valley are traditionally open. I understand the small cafe on the Buffalo Valley Road is open through much of the winter.
Moose feast on fresh willow leaves in the river bottoms all summer. By November, the leaves are gone and moose switch to bitter brush, found in the sage flats. While there might still be remnant evidence of the fall rut, most of it is over. The bulls are beginning to gather in small groups following “the season”. Instead of moving back to the river bottoms at first light, more of them stay out in the sage all day. This big bull, Fremont, just showed up today…right on queue.
November can be a great month to see moose! I mentioned that already but it’s worth repeating. Today, for example, I saw at least 21 moose, and most of those were seen in the first 30 minutes!
Along with the bitter brush, some moose modify their diet to include aquatic vegetation. I caught this cow dining along the Moose-Wilson Road this morning.
I would have preferred to find Fremont, Shoshone, or Hoback in the pond, but any moose in the pond is a welcome change.
Elk are mule deer are also coming off their rut season. Yesterday, I hiked out to the Old Patriarch Tree. As I came over the last ridge, I saw two large elk herds scamper off when they saw me. Apparently, their rut is still ongoing. I’ve seen a lot of Pronghorns in the Elk Ranch area, but they will soon begin migrating out of the valley. Over the past few years, a few Pronghorns have wintered on the National Elk Refuge.
While November can feel like a gray month, there are still opportunities to find bright colors. Rainy days make subjects more interesting and the colors can be much more saturated. Of course, upcoming snow days offer great times in the field.
“Bad weather” for some people can be “good weather” for others looking for unique shots.
The observation platform along Flat Creek can be a hopping place in November as Trumpeter Swans and a wide variety of waterfowl move through the valley. You might also catch a few river otters on some days. The edges of the creek will likely freeze creating additional opportunities.
Lastly, I like to “practice” on what some people call mundane or common subjects. The plan is to work out all of the “kinks” to be ready for the more exotic subjects like eagles, owls, herons, and other raptors.
I renewed my permit to do tours in the National Elk Refuge for the 2021/2022 season. The use of the permit officially begins November 1st. Bighorns are start showing up and are usually in good numbers by Thanksgiving.
I offer year round photo tours in Grand Teton National Park and Winter tours in the National Elk Refuge. Book now! Click the image for additional information.
Additional Related Links and Pages
- Bands of Light
- Less Common Slices of the Tetons:
- Lesser Seen Regional Waterfalls
- Granite Falls and Granite Creek:
- Pretty In Peach: The Historic Stucco House on Mormon Row
- Abracadabra: Now You See Them—Now You Don’t!
The post November 2021 Daily Journal For GTNP & JH first appeared on Best of the Tetons, Area Info & Photography.
