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Having researched a tiny possible window to photograph the Milky Way at Grand Teton National Park the night before, I woke to the alarm I’d set for 4AM, stumbled my way to depress the button on my electric kettle, then scooped fresh ground coffee into my French press and donned my warm base and top layers while I waited for the water to boil. Once the kettle turned off, I poured the hot water over the ground beans, breathing life into my brain with the aroma of fresh coffee promising much-anticipated alertness.

I warmed up my truck, loading my gear and trying not to disturb Mountain Goat in the process (easier said than done in a fifth wheel). I pressed down my coffee, grabbed my favorite mug, and poured the coffee into my well-insulated Hydroflask bottle for the road.

I quietly climbed down the stairs, locked the door behind me and slid into the preheated driver’s seat. I plugged my phone in and turned on some Sia to help wake me up while I sipped my coffee. I turned north on Gros Ventre Campground Road, heading toward Mormon Row, not far away.

On arrival, I backed my truck into a spot near The Pink House and the John Moulton Homestead, hoping to capture the Milky Way over the barn there. I quickly assembled my camera and lens, mounted them onto my tripod and scurried my way into position. I set up a quick test shot to see if the sky was favorable for my goal, which yielded a lighter sky than I’d hoped for, indicating that I’d missed any possible window and the sun was already too high below the horizon for good Milky Way shots. I took a couple of images anyway and quickly made my way over to T. A. Moulton barn to try to get a shot before the opportunity deteriorated further.

Barn at John Moulton Homestead, Mormon Row (no Milky Way)

T. A. Moulton Barn, Mormon Row (no Milky Way)

I then set up for some sunrise shots, as another photographer pulled up with his wife and set up his gear. We started chatting, and I learned he was visiting from Australia. We chit chatted about our travels and photography as more people slowly gathered for the sunrise with cameras. I kept snapping pics as the sky continued to brighten and change the colors on the Tetons in the distance. He and his wife shared a video they’d taken the day prior of a mama grizzly and her 3 cubs crossing the street, with two of the cubs adorably playing rough and tumble and mama bear stopping them to get them to cross the street. They said they’d seen her at Colter Bay, and had heard that’s where these bears tend to be.

Eventually the sun made its way over the horizon behind us, casting its warm light onto the barn and the mountains, all of us furiously snapping away and jockeying for position.

After capturing some shots from a few angles and the sun well above the horizon, I returned to my now-cold c up of coffee and headed back toward camp. The road crossed a creek that intrigued me, so I stopped and trekked down toward the water and set up my tripod with my ND (neutral density) filter to try to get some shots of the sun and water. I played with a few angles and then made my way back to the truck and then to camp, where Mountain Goat had breakfast waiting.

That afternoon, we jumped onto Highway 191 northbound, paralleling the Snake River to check out some of the scenic drives with hopes of also seeing some wildlife. We stopped at a few vista points, passing countless herds of elk along the way, then as we approached Moran, we saw our first herd of bison in a prairie, with a string of vehicles along both sides of the highway. Excitedly, we climbed out and I set up my gear to take some photos with the afternoon sun in the perfect spot for my vantage point. A few spring calves were interspersed alongside their mama cows while the rest of the herd napped or grazed.

Satisfied I’d captured a sufficient number of shots, we continued along the highway, stopping at Oxbow Bend, a spot made famous by Ansel Adams, for a quick shot, then on to Colter Bay on Jackson Lake.

View at Oxbow Bend along the Snake River

After we parked, I made my to the water’s edge. Ice chunks floated over the deeper parts of the still surface, which reflected the Tetons. I captured a few shots while the water was still before other visitors waded their way in and skipped rocks along the water.

I returned to the truck where Mountain Goat was waiting for me. We drove around the parking area with hopes of seeing bears, but no such luck, so we made our way back to the highway to head back to camp.

When we hit the stop sign, Mountain Goat noticed several vehicles along the road to the north and wanted to check it out. We passed cars parked, then saw trucks with lights flashing and people in bright reflective vests ahead. I rolled down my window to ask two gentlemen with “Volunteer” printed on the backs of their vests, eyes were pointed up the hill on the right, what was going on. They said, “There’s a mama grizzly and her cubs up there.” They were keeping traffic moving slowly through the area, so we drove past to a safe place to turn around and parked across the street. A volunteer advised me to stay in my vehicle, so I grabbed my camera and my 70-200mm lens and climbed into the bed of the truck, hopeful for some good shots. One cub, then another made their way through the bushes into a small clearing about 50 yards ahead of me, snouts to the ground, rooting for food. Then mama and her remaining cub made their appearance, and I excitedly captured some shots of the four of them, giddy with our luck. Despite our many black bear encounters, neither Mountain Goat nor I had ever seen a grizzly before this, and we had really hoped to get to see at least one while in Grand Teton.

GB1063 and her cubs (two on the left, one on the right)

One of the volunteers posted up next to my truck, and we watched the bears as they meandered around the clearing. They moved further back and the volunteer couldn’t see them over the berm, so I updated her with where the bears were and which way they were headed, and she radioed the other volunteers. We chit chatted a bit, eyes up the hill, as mama and her babies disappeared into the trees. Mountain Goat asked another volunteer which bear this was, and he said it was GB1063, aka Bonita.

A volunteer down the road could see her making her way north a bit, so I took the opportunity to grab my tripod and my 60-600mm lens and scurried back to my post, eyes scanning the hillside intently. Then mama bear appeared over the hillside approximately 25 yards from me, and I excitedly whisper-shouted to Mountain Goat, who was in the driver’s seat with her window down, that mama was there. She gave me an excited thumbs up as she was already taking video of her. Thrilled with my vantage point, I furiously snapped more photos as her cubs slowly appeared one at a time, each rooting and turning over rocks looking for grubs. They meandered around the hillside, then crept their way downward toward the road. Eventually, one of the volunteers got on the horn of his truck to spook them back up the hill to safety. He yelled and banged his palm on the roof of the truck as the ranger, who I’d seen cruising back and forth a couple of times started her siren to assist the volunteer. The bears were initially spooked a bit, then looked back (giving me a perfect opportunity to capture all four looking in my direction), and then headed back up the hill.

Crew hazing the bears

~ Mama Bear turning over rocks ~

GB1063 and her yearlings as the volunteers and ranger hazed them back up the hill to safety

Mountain Goat and I gleefully exchanged a few words and decided we’d seen the best we would likely see, so I packed up and we headed back toward camp. We saw several more elk on our way back, including a bull on the side of the road who gave no mind to us taking photos and videos of him from the truck.

We finally made our way to camp, and I couldn’t wait to start editing the photos I’d taken of the bears and bison in particular.

What a treat to get to capture so much varied wildlife and so many beautiful scenes! I hope to return for some Milky Way shots at some point and lots more hikes.

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*On 5/15/25, I saw a post from Grand Teton that two of three grizzly cubs from GB1063 (mama grizzly) were killed by a male grizzly. It’s common for male bears to kill and even eat cubs they did not father to get females back in heat, as they do not go into heat while still actively raising their cubs. (citation: Allen, et al) While this is a natural process, it breaks my heart that these two cubs have perished, and my mama heart goes out to GB1063 and the dedicated staff and volunteers who ensured their safety as well as they could. Thankfully, GB1063 was reunited with her third cub shortly after the attached article was released.

Grand Teton, Part TWO

Grand Teton, Part ONE