Sunrise
I re-set my alarm for 4:45 to make sure I didn't miss sunrise again. I shot sunrise/moonset from the bay right below our campsite, so I didn't have far to go.
When I woke up, I looked out to find a cloud-covered sky, but when I looked west, I could see the moon through the trees. I quickly got dressed and drove down the hill to the Jackson Lake parking area. I could see where the moon was through the clouds, but the moon wasn't visible. As I watched, the moon played peek-a-boo through the clouds. Each time I had a glimpse of the moon, I shot as many shots as I could in the 30 - 60 seconds the moon was visible. I only had 3 or 4 chances to get a clear view of the moon, so it will be interesting to see what I got.
The skies cleared with a ribbon of clouds as the sun touched the peaks. When it became obvious that Mt. Moran would remain hidden behind clouds, I packed up and looked for new areas to shoot. On my way to Oxbow Bend, I saw a mother grizzly and her two cubs crossing the road. As I approached, I realized a car was parked perpendicular to the road and blocking both lanes. I'd seen plenty of people stopping in the middle of the road to get a photo, but never one blocking the road by parking across it. He may have been trying to shine his headlights on the bears in the trees before they crossed the road. The car eventually moved off the road, and I cautiously passed him and was trying to decide if I wanted to pull off the road to shoot the bears. Behind me, was someone in a much bigger hurry to reach his next destination. He zoomed around me and freaked out the mother grizzly so she stood up on her hind legs, hustled the cubs into the woods, and then disappeared in the trees.
I continued to Oxbow Bend to shoot the dramatic clouds over the Tetons. The sun broke through the clouds for a minute or two as it rose above the horizon, but the light was always somewhat subdued.
Clouds completely filled the sky to the east and north, so I backtracked to the inner park road and drove toward String Lake. I stopped at the Cathedral Group Turnout to frame the side-lit Tetons between the fir trees. I was set to shoot, when I noticed an elk walking into the bottom of the frame. Perfect timing. I waited until it moved completely into the frame and included her in the image. The light was continuing to deteriorate, so I drove back to camp for breakfast.
Shawn and his family joined Carol and I in the Explorer, and we drove to Jackson Lake Lodge. One of Grace's law school classmates was there with his family. Grace had a chance to see him while we looked around at the shops in the lodge. The lodge has a huge room with a fireplace and a large area where you can sit on couches and look through a wall of windows toward the Tetons. It's one of the best views in the park, but it was overcast and gray today.
We returned to our campground at Colter Bay so Shawn's girls, Bella and Lilly, could watch a wolf movie at the Visitor Center. That filled their final requirement to become Junior Rangers. The wolf movie was fascinating as it portrayed the lives of the first wolves re-introduced into Yellowstone. The aggression of the hunting for food was contrasted with the loving care the wolves provide for the pups in the pack. When the movie was over, Ranger Dave was great with the kids. He took lots of time with them and had some fun with the swearing in. He is a great asset to the Park Service.
We ended the day by eating dinner in Shawn's motorhome and watching the latest version of "Beauty and the Beast." Since we're both fans of Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies, we enjoyed "Beauty and the Beast" even more.
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