October Nature News
Posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
(Before the snows came. Photo by Jim Stanford)
Before the weather abruptly turned to this, September had been glorious. It was a great time of the year to be in Jackson Hole, with endless recreational choices, beautiful fall colors and great wildlife opportunities.
I summited the Grand Teton on Sept. 17. It was AWESOME! I climbed with my husband, Rustin, and senior Exum guide Kent McBride. After living in the area for more than 20 years, it was breathtaking to see the valley from our highest peak, 13,770 feet. We climbed the Upper Exum Ridge, and I truly recommend the experience. Learning to climb is great fun. You can’t beat the views, and the excursion is challenging but doable with a great guide.
Kent McBride is a Jackson local with years of climbing and skiing experience. He shares his knowledge with grace and confidence. While teaching us the art of climbing with the focus of safety, he shared local history, made us laugh, and pointed out the mountain terrain. You can’t beat the endless places we have to explore, whether climbing or skiing, and Kent has the expertise to make the trip memorable and fun. If you want to reach him, his e-mail is mountainsense@gmail.com. Mother Nature was kind to us and gave us a stellar day with little wind and clear skies. Fond memories were made, and I will always look at the Grand Teton a bit differently after standing on the top.
Nature is definitely on the move. Birds are flocking and migrating to their winter territories. Elk and moose are mating with the evening hours filled with the eerie elk bugle. Pronghorn antelope are in harems with the buck standing majestically over his females.
(Pronghorns are the second-fastest land mammal in the world, able to run at nearly 60 mph.)
The pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, is native only to North America. Both males and females have horns, and the bucks are fairly easy to pick out of the herd because they have the pronged horn. Females have unbranched horns usually shorter than their ears. Pronghorns mate in the early fall and soon will begin their long migration to the Red Desert and elsewhere in southern Wyoming. They can migrate more than 200 miles to windswept plains and exposed sagebrush.
For the last two weeks of September, the sky was filled with a smoky haze from several fires burning in the area; some were controlled burns, some were lightning fires, and some were due to camper’s neglect. The warmer afternoon temperatures caused them to build and billow, and then they dampened at night with the cool evening air. Fire is very important in our dry climate and is Mother Nature’s way of rejuvenating the forest. This is an especially vital process with many old trees and insect infestations. Key nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorous, are byproducts of fire and replenish the soil and spur new growth. Fire burns in a healthy way, if it doesn’t get too much fuel and become uncontrollable and wild. When you see the large dark cloud of smoke, it is important to remember the significant role fire plays to keep the forest healthy.
The autumnal equinox was Sept. 22, the time of year when day and night are of equal lengths. The changes in light as days continue to shorten signal the imminent approach of winter. Species prepare. Change is coming.
What’s in the woods:
9/2 – Pole Canyon: Stellar jay, Indian paintbrush, larkspur
9/7 – Victor, ID: great horned owl calling
9/9 – Darby Canyon: mature rose hips
9/11 – Paintbrush/Cascade Canyon: grass of Parnassus, monkey flower, larkspur, glacier lily seed pods, Clark’s nutcracker; bald eagle by String Lake!
9/13 – Moose Creek: large aspen tree with bear scratches covering its trunk and beaver browse at the bottom (cool!)
9/16 – Garnet Canyon: picas, shrubby goldenweed, monkeyflower, raspberries
9/17 – summited Grand Teton: spectacular day!
9/20 – Teton Pass: two bull moose
9/25 – Yellowstone Park: fires burning, bald eagle, pronghorn, bison, elk, mule deer
9/26 – Boiling River: American dipper
9/29 – Fox Creek: leafy aster, mature rose hips
Tour Suggestion
A fall favorite of mine is a visit to the Boiling River in Yellowstone. It is a natural hot springs where the boiling-hot river from the Mammoth Terraces mixes with the Gardiner River. You relax and soak where the hot and cold waters meet. It is very refreshing and natural with the feeling of touching the center of the earth. Yellowstone is geologically active with the hot spot beneath it, so you are soaking in waters heated deep within the earth. It is wonderful.
To reach this special spot, drive out of Mammoth toward Gardiner, Mont. As you leave the park, you wind down near employee housing; when the road turns north look for your next pullout on the right. It is a parking area with an informational sign about the hot water. Walk down the path along the Gardiner River, and you can’t miss the hot water seeping out of the earth, the alluring steam, or the happy faces of fellow soakers. All you need are river shoes, bathing suit and towel. It’s a bit slippery when you climb in, but there is plenty of space. This is a great fall adventure because the water is too high in the spring to enjoy safely. Have fun and listen for the elk bugle while traveling through the park.
Cathy Shill is the owner of Hole Hiking Experience.
