I spent Monday the 2nd, heading north, following the Greys River. This area is due south of Yellowstone and the Tetons, but the beauty of the area does not stop at the Teton County line. The flowers were in full bloom and although I don't practice macro or flora type photography, I couldn't help but take several pics of the yellows, reds, blues, purples, pinks and other colors of flowers that emerged from the landscape. They were everywhere!
For a holiday weekend, the traffic was very low and primitive campsites were available at the river's edge for several miles. I found myself driving between the Salt River Range and the Wyoming Range, with numerous peaks above 11K feet. While the Tetons and the Wind River Mountains get most of the notoriety, the Salt River Mtns are more than worthy of the trip. Several spur trails leave the main road and one can only imagine the hidden treasures these various trails lead to.
After stopping and photographing as many mountain peaks and flowers as I can stand (lots of bees when you're shooting flowers!) I head into the small town of Alpine for lunch and to determine my return route home. Over a basket of fish and fries I consult the Gazetteer and find a way that will allow me to drive about half way across Wyoming, back home to Lander, all on a 4wd trail.
With a route in mind, I return to the Grey's River, heading south to McDougal Rd, which will lead me east towards Lander. This trail was nearly deserted due to the late run off and poor fishing. After climbing to nearly 10K ft in elevation I found an amazing campsite overlooking a marshy creek area on one side and Lander Mounatin on the other. I spent the last hour of daylight watching the water below for animals but only spotted a couple of does. The sunset was outstanding and I tried to capture it on film but I have to believe even a professional photographer would have been overwhelmed by the scope and colors that night. Just amazing!