Music • Photography • Writing
National Parks Of The American Rockies
The
Tetons
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I chose the Tetons for the logo above because these mountains have become the most recognizable symbols of the American Rockies. Like gigantic gems, these spectacular peaks look different from different angles. At left is a photo of Mount Teewinot taken from the northeast; the same peak can be seen at right in the logo above.
At the end of June, the wildflowers are at their peak. A couple of the most spectacular species are the white miniana columbine, with its tuft of gold stamens, and the ubiquitous lavendar-colored sticky geranium, which has sticky seeds that adhere to hikers' socks.
Split-leaved paintbrush brightens the forest floor, off-setting the grays of the fallen trees. Paintbrush, true to its name, comes in just about every color of the spectrum, each plant looking a bit different from its neighbors.
Snow lies deep on the high peaks after a late, cold spring. In the valley below, an abandoned barn and thick sagebrush recall the area's Old West past, when cattle mingled with the bison.
Early morning light shines on the abandoned ranch. In the foreground, an irrigation ditch reflects the deep blue skies. Many ranchers were grandfathered in, meaning they retained their property after the establishment of the national monument in the 1920s and then the park in 1950. When the property leaves the family, it reverts to the park.