If I Were Going...: Grand Teton National Park

Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park

I blog about almost all my trips for a couple of reasons: to preserve some memories, to have information in case I plan to return to the same place, to share with others who are curious about visiting that place and, quite frankly, to showcase the photos I spend so much time taking and processing.

Do I blog every single place I go? Nope, but some are so special that I just keep writing about them even though I have probably exhausted everything there is to say.

Such are Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Since both are close to where I live (in western terms where anything under 12 hours is close), I visit both often.

A gorgeous place to visit

Sometimes I go with Caty, sometimes with Scott and sometimes with both. Yes, we invite Becca and Aaron, but they haven't joined us yet. Chasing and photographing Bears isn't really their thing.

But, Scott, Caty and I love it

So, last year, after visiting both Parks in 2022 looking for (and failing to find) COYs, Caty and I made reservations for the whole family to come back in 2023. A COY is a "cub of the year," a Bear cub born in the den during the winter and making its debut to the world.

With all the years I have photographed Brown (AKA Grizzly) Bears, I have yet to see a tiny spring COY. I failed again, but am ever optimistic. Since I have seen lots of posts of COYs in late May and early June, we had targeted that time of year.

We see lots of one- and two-years olds, but no COYs

My blogs on GrandTeton start here and Yellowstone starts here. There are a couple of installments.

During the year, we did lots of other things and decided we didn't really need to go every year and we cancelled our rooms.

Then, in May, Scott decided he wanted to take a spur-of-the-moment trip. He was talking about Black Mesa in Oklahoma for dark sky, but I really don't like that place. So, I countered with Grand Teton. And, I found lodging at the Flat Creek Inn just north of Jackson and south of the Park. We got a room with a nice kitchenette and, although it is about 20-30 minutes to drive to the Park, it was far less expensive than in-Park lodging. And, it was available. So, off we went.

It was still pretty snowy

We only booked for Grand Teton because it was mid-May and the road between the two Parks wasn't open for the season when I was booking. It opened the day we arrived, so we were able to venture into Yellowstone even though we didn't stay there.

We had a great time, but no COYs. Of course, the week after I got back, everyone and his brother started posting photos of COYs. Arrghhh.

Caty got some time off for Memorial Day, so we decided to go and try our luck. There had been tons of baby Bears the week before – twins, triplets and even a new single for 27-year-old Bear 399 in Grand Teton (she is famous for her quadruplets born in 2020).

399 and cubs, 2021

Caty and I booked our first night back at Flat Creek (regular room, no kitchenette) and found lodging in West Yellowstone (I hadn't stayed there since the girls were young). It was, after all, Memorial Day weekend, so I was surprised to get lodging.

I could do a minute-by-minute account of both visits. But, why? Instead, I'll just post highlights of both trips together, split by Park rather than date. And, I will start here with Grand Teton.

Elk grazing in the shadow of the mountains

Bonita by the Road

While Scott and I didn't see any of the most famous Bears, we did see one that is fairly well-known and that we hadn't seen before: Bear 1063 AKA Bonita. She's the daughter of another famous Bear, known as Blondie.

Bear 1063 is tagged and collared

We saw her in the far north part of Grand Teton, just past where lots of photographers were staked out, hoping that Bear 399 would emerge (she did a week later).

1063 in a beautiful meadow

1063 was right beside the road, vigorously digging up roots ...

She had made big holes all over the field

... and totally ignoring the large group of admirers she had collected ...

Photographers hungry for Bears

For anyone who thinks Grizzly Bears are full-time ferocious killers, I hate to break your bubble: Bears eat lots of roots, bugs and tiny little ground squirrels. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, 1063 was obviously intent on eating as much as she could. After a long winter's nap, that's what Bears do. Then, they eat to keep up strength during the summer. Then, they eat to fatten up for winter.

She looks pretty fat already

It's exhausting ...

Resting (and smiling?)

Two outstanding spottings both occurred on my trip with Caty, one at the beginning of our trip when we planned to be in Grand Teton and one at the end when we drove back through on our way home.

Bear 610 and Cubs

The very first morning, we encountered a Bear jam right away and it was Bear 610 (399's daughter) and her three year-old cubs.

The one photo I got of all four (they were too close to us and too far from each other)

Scott and I had barely missed them when we visited, but this time they were right by the road and the wildlife volunteer was extremely accommodating, allowing us to photograph from a hill across the road rather than forcing us to get in our cars.

The Bears were so close, the volunteers would have been within their rights to send us packing. Instead, they sent us higher and higher up the hill. A couple of people had left their car windows open. One group was worried, as they should be, about the raspberry donuts on the front seat and one guy had left his hatchback open with lots of camera gear on display.

Close to the cars

There was no way to get back to the cars because the Bears were so close. We thought for sure we'd see some pillaging, but, except for a few sniffs, the Bears didn't mess with the cars.

Smelling the donuts?

I always close my windows and lock my car unless I think we may need quick access (Bear charge), then I leave it unlocked.

We spent a lot of time photographing these three gorgeous and very healthy-looking Bears as they foraged for roots. A real treat.

Digging deep

Bear 610 was born in 2006 and, like her mother has become a "road bear," comfortable near park roads and relaxed with yet attentive with cubs.

610 is a good mom

In 2011, Bear 610 actually adopted one of 399's three cubs. Adoption of cubs between two female Bears is rare, but not unprecedented. One theory is that a large male may have had an altercation with 399 while in the vicinity of 610.

Biologists believe this may be an example of wild kingdom altruism because five-year-old 610 was theoretically better equipped to nurture cubs than her 15-to-16-year-old mother (at the time, no one predicted 399 would have quadruplets at 24 and another cub at 27 years old).

Part of a Bear dynasty

It is believed that 399 has had 18 cubs and 610 has had at least eight that I could find records of.

As Caty and I were going home on our final day, we saw what we thought was a bear jam very close to where we had seen 610 that first day. So, we parked and got out. We were surprised to see people down the hill in the trees, which seems like a bad idea when there is about 800 lbs. of Bear in the area.

You wouldn't want to be face-to-face

A Much-Searched-For Sighting

We asked a young man with a scope what he was seeing and he said he hadn't found anything, but had heard there was "some kind of ... hmmm ... Gray Owl??? Or something like that????"

A Great Gray Owl? We had been looking for years for one!

So, as the sky darkened and it started to rain, we searched the trees and found it.

The camouflage is so good, it was tricky

But, we saw it. It flew to another spot ...

Off it goes

... and we grabbed a few more photos before it flew away!

Contemplating the next move

Then, of course, the sun came out!

I had seen Great Gray Owls (also in bad light) in Minnesota. But, this was Caty's first. Next time, we hope to see more and get better photos.

My best isn't that great

Another famous Teton Bear is Felicia, who lives out the Moran entrance. Rangers have been making a concerted effort to haze her away from the road and, indeed, Scott and I saw her and her two cubs briefly as they ran from blanks being fired to scare them off. They were moving too fast for photos.

North American Beavers

When Scott and I visited, we saw Beavers, lots and lots of Beavers, including two very good sightings.

Swimming our way

I apologize if I have already written in detail about North American Beavers in a previous post, but here is some general information.

Native to North America and introduced in South America and Europe, the North American Beaver is thought to have migrated here across the Bering Strait. The oldest fossil record in North America is of two teeth found in Oregon that are 7 million years old.

They haven't changed that much in millions of years

The largest rodent in North America and the second-largest in the world, following the South American Capybara, Beavers weigh from 24 to 71 lbs. and are 29-35 inches long PLUS a 8-14 inch-long tail. Very old individuals can be exceptionally large, weighing up to 110 lbs. I am always surprised at their size.

The don't look that big from a distance

Beavers are well-suited to their semiaquatic like, with large, flat, paddle-shaped tails and large, webbed hind feet.

Going under water

The unwebbed front paws are smaller with claws and are used for digging, for folding leaves into their mouths and to rotate small, pencil-sized stems as they gnaw off bark.

Their eyes are covered by a nictitating membrane that allow them to see under water and their nostrils and ears seal while submerged. Their lips can be closed behind their front teeth so that they can continue to gnaw underwater.

Waterproof and warm

A thick layer of fat under the skin insulates the Beaver from its cold water environment. The fur, which consists of long, coarse outer hairs and short, fine inner hairs also provides warmth. Beavers have glands that secrete castoreum, an oily substance they use to waterproof their fur.

Demand for the lush fur from the 1600s to the early 1800s depleted Beaver populations nearly to the point of extinction.

They have rebounded to an estimated 10 to 15 million, a fraction of the originally estimated 100 to 200 million before the days of the fur trade.

When herbaceous plants are growing, they make up much of the Beaver's diet. In winter, they switch to woody plants and food they have stored. Their constantly growing incisors are used to gnaw trees and branches. Contrary to widespread belief, they do not eat fish.

Chewing on a twig

Beavers build lodges, made of sticks, twigs, rocks and mud, that may be surrounded by water or may be connected to land with burrows dug into river banks. For winter, they plaster the exterior with mud that freezes to the consistency of concrete. A small air hole is left in the top of the lodge.

Deep pond

If the water by the lodge is not deep enough to provide a good year-round escape from predators, they will build a dam across a stream to form an artificial pond. Where naturally-occurring woody material is limited, Beavers may build their dams largely of rocks.

Besides providing a safe home for the Beavers, ponds provide habitat for waterfowl, fish and aquatic animals, help reduce soil erosion and control flooding. Beaver dams depend on continued maintenance.

Beaver dam at Schwabacher's Landing

Beavers also construct canals to increase accessibility of river resources. They use the canals to float logs while building lodges, to bring food to the lodge and to decrease the risk of predation.

Beavers usually mate for life, forming familial colonies. Kits typically remain with their parents up to two years to develop dam construction skills and other abilities required for independent life.

Leaving the shore

Predators include Coyotes, Wolves, Mountain Lions, Black Bears, Bobcats and Foxes. Both Golden and Bald Eagles may on occasion prey on a Beaver, most likely only small kits. Despite repeated claims, no evidence shows that North American River Otters prey on Beavers, but they may take a rare Beaver kit.

Beavers are active mainly at night making the number we saw extra special. They are excellent swimmers and may remain submerged up to 15 minutes. More vulnerable on land, they tend to remain in the water as much as possible. They use their flat, scaly tail both to signal danger by slapping the surface of the water and as a location for fat storage.

A good view of the tail

Other Sightings

Over the two visits, I saw a number of other animals, including Elk ...

A small herd

A very cooperative Bald Eagle ...

With all the water in Grand Teton, I am surprised we don't see more

Other raptors ...

Osprey, Northern Harrier and Swainson's Hawk

Birds ...

Top: American Robin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler; Bottom: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Clark's Nutcracker, Cassin's Finch

Waterfowl ...