The last few safaris have been absolutely phenomenal with excellent sightings and interesting behaviors observed. This black wolf was seen in Grand Teton National Park along with a gray-colored wolf nearby and was one of many great animals seen.
Other sightings included moose browsing on cottonwood trees, a young golden eagle attacking bighorn sheep, mountain goats navigating steep cliffs, and a porcupine perched in a tree.
I was able to spend the last day of 2010 doing one of my favorite things…photographing a beautiful and relatively uncommon critter.
Pine martens are one of the only local weasels that regularly spend time in trees (often pursuing red squirrels) and this individual put on a phenomenal show! We commonly encounter their unique track pattern in the snow but only see the animal itself a handful of times each year. Thanks to Lance, Sophie and Steve for the heads-up on this great sighting!
Stay at Spring Creek Ranch and Heli-Ski the Teton Backcountry
Guests are treated to over 305,000 acres of terrain south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort including all of the Snake River and Palisades Mountain Range. There’s plenty of powder stashes here on the Idaho side, too, at their disposal. This is the kind of backcountry experience nature intended.
After an incredible day carving your way down the mountains relax and rejuvenate at the Wilderness Adventure Spa where you can choose from a wide variety of luxury spa treatments, including deep tissue and sports massages.
Raccoons are not extremely common here in Jackson Hole so I was surprised to see this handsome critter in my yard the other night. Most trash containers in this area are bear-proof, so it wasn’t able to cause any trouble for us. Winter has arrived in full force and wildlife watching has been great.
We are seeing elk, mule deer and moose on Spring Creek Ranch regularly and many other animals nearby on our safaris including bighorn sheep, coyotes and eagles.
The vast majority of breeding birds have left Jackson Hole in search of warmer climates, but several birds including this Steller’s Jay will remain throughout the Winter. This image taken this morning shows the vibrant blue coloration of this jay’s wing and tail feathers and (simply by good luck) has a six-sided snow crystal which recently landed on this bird.
This lightweight brand of snowflake has landed in abundance during the past week, accumulating to over three feet of snow in the mountains and allowing Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to open all of its ski lifts this weekend.
Last weekend we found plenty of snow on and off the groomed trails atop snowmobiles.
During this snowmobile trip, we explored the trails of the Salt Creek Pass as did several other enthusiasts. We enjoyed a few signs of spring along the way on our fifty-seven mile round trip day and we loved every minute!
We stopped in a cabin that is perched on the top of one of the buttes that was built for snowmobilers to get warm and enjoy a quick meal before heading back out.
We are very fortunate to live where we do and we respect the beauty of the land for those who will come after us. Contact a Spring Creek Ranch concierge to get you set up for your own snowmobiling adventure.
Our feathered predators seem to be finding their rodent meals successfully this year and several raptors have been more regularly seen this winter than in the past.
This great-horned owl sat contently in the soft light of sunset tonight as it scanned the nearby fields for mice or voles.
The time was about noon on Sunday and we decided to get in an afternoon ski at Snow King Mountain – The Town Ski Area – know to the locals as “THE KING“! I was skiing with my son Caleb – 14 yrs old who has been skiing since he was 2 yrs old and thus is always waiting at the bottom for me after each run. After riding the Summit Chairlift to the top of The KING, we took some time to check out the awesome views of the Teton Mountain Range and some of the other surrounding mountains. What a bonus to skiing at The KING!
The weather was sunny & clear with temperatures in the upper 20′s. We skied one of our favorites, “Belly Roll Trail,” a Black Diamond Run that rolls down the mountain with plenty of moguls. We also skied “Elk and Grizzly Trails” from the top, which offers great views of the town of Jackson with the Tetons in the background – these runs were skiing super.
Snow King Mountain also offers some other winter activities which include the Tube Park, Night Skiing and a Indoor Ice Rink with Public Skating and the Home of the Jackson Hole Moose Hockey Team. Check in with our concierge at Spring Creek Ranch for more details on these activities. Snow King Mountain recently hosted members from The USA and French Olympic Ski Teams for some ski race training before headed to 2010 Winter Game in Vancouver. So check out Snow King Mountain on your next winter visit to Jackson Hole – see you all at THE KING!
The vast majority of our breeding birds here in Jackson Hole migrate to warmer regions, but a select few are tough enough to endure our long winters.
Recently, our wildlife safaris have witnessed several of these species including a few species of waterfowl, rough-legged hawks, bald eagles, shrikes and this hairy woodpecker who visited a feeder today.
Blue skies and sunshine ruled a wonderful Valentine’s Day skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
With 9” of new snow in the last two days, the skiing just keeps getting better.
Cold overnight temperatures—combined with yesterday’s wind—left the snow soft & smooth for everyone who made skiing a part of their Valentine’s Day celebration. Today was an exceptional day to explore both the freshly groomed trails & wind-buffed powder leftover from Friday night’s storm.
Snow is in the forecast again for tonight & President’s Day Monday, so if you aren’t all ready here, pack up your ski gear and get on out to Jackson Hole. Spring Creek Ranch has a special or package for you. What are you waiting for?
Copyright © 2012 Spring Creek Ranch.
