The Aerial Tram
Thursday, July 21, 2005: This morning I started by birding the Willow Flats, finally getting a Wilson's Warbler for the trip. Then I headed out east and did a birding loop on Buffalo Valley Road. Most of the birds were the expected birds, such as Red-naped Sapsuckers in the aspen. When I was done with the loop, I drove to Teton Village via Jackson in order to visit Rendezvous Mountain.
I didn't visit Rendezvous Mountain on the previous Teton trip. The tram to the top (from Teton Village) may be closed in the near future so I thought I'd better take it this trip. Besides, I still need Pika and Black Rosy-finch for the triplist. At the top, I walked down to the base of Cody Bowl (a cirque) and back (about 2 miles and 700-800 feet). Although I found a number of birds, none of them were Rosy-finches. The Pikas were neither seen nor heard. After I got back to Jackson I shipped some books back home. It was barely more expensive that the weight surcharge I would have faced at the airport, and a lot easier than carrying them around.
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| Tram | Cody Bowl: From Above | Cody Bowl: From the Bottom |
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| View from Rendezvous Mountain |
Jackson Hole | Hang-glider |
On the north side of Jackson, I stopped to photograph some Trumpeter Swans. Since it was a hot afternoon, I decided this would be a good time to drive out to the Gros Ventre Slide. So when I got to the airport, I took the Kelly Road, then the Gros Ventre Road out to the slide overlook. It was actually fairly scenic out there, with red hills. The way back yielded some nice views of the Tetons. I found a Black-headed Grosbeak near the Kelly Science School. I finished the loop on Antelope Valley Road. I thought about taking some photos of the old barns, but everyone does that.
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| Trumpeter Swan | Buffalo and Tetons | Gros Ventre Slide |
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| Red Hills | Tetons from Gros Ventre Road |
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I stopped for gas at Dornan's, then drove back toward Jackson to go to the National Museum of Wildlife Art. My timing was pretty good. I finished going through the museum about 30 minutes before closing. Then I went back to the lodge, after stopping at Cascade Canyon turnout for some photos. After dinner, some Mule Dear were present on the lodge grounds and I took the opportunity to photograph them.
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| Cascade Canyon | Mule Deer |
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Birds: 151. Mammals: 27.
Jackson, WY