One Last Sunrise With The Tetons

With thirteen (yes, 13) blogs uploaded with pictures, it must be time to add a few captions and release them for your enjoyment. I figure there is no better place to start then a sunrise at Grand Teton National Park. Some of the details are a little foggy, but it seems like Eric and I worked second shift, drove home to change clothes and gear up (warm clothes and sleeping bags) and headed for the mountains. Arriving in the early morning hours, the stars were amazing - millions and millions of them. Galaxies, constellations, shooting stars and black holes, errr, the backs of my eyelids. I couldn't help but feel small (relatively speaking for those who see the humor) as I jumped in my sleeping bag for a few hours of sleep before the sun would rise. As usual, we started out at Schwabacher Landing, and here is what we woke up to...

...now that's hard to beat! You can just see the sun's rays starting to hit the peaks...
...as I started snapping pictures. I know what you're thinking - aren't these pictures the same?
No way - this one is in sepia...
...and this one is in black and white.
This one shows the beaver dam...
...and this one doesn't!
We were definitely spoiled by the quiet water with hardly a ripple or wave. Despite freezing temperatures and frost on the ground, no ice had formed either.
Okay, so you've remembered that I love the Teton's and struggled to delete any pictures, despite their similarities.
These captions probably take longer to read then the rising sun...
...but it's hard not to share God's creation as the pink reflections bounce off the water below.
Wow.
I know, it looks just like the last one, but it's not.
Here's a panoramic you can click on for a better view of the Teton range.
Unfortunately the sun would rise into the clouds of an approaching front, shielding the bright colors from the mountains, so here's one last look as the sun's rays touch the tree tops.
One last stop to catch the barns on Mormon Row in color...
...black and white...
...and sepia...
...and color (again), while being entertained by...
...fighting buffalo!
Sadly, like the water coming off the mountains and flowing by this barn, this was also my last trip through the park. In a few weeks, you will catch one more glimpse of the Teton's from afar, but this was my last trip for now. While I'm surrounded by the Adirondacks, Catskills and many other mountain ranges here in the East, I already miss the grand (get it?) Teton's as they stand so strong and powerful, while providing a beautiful canvas backdrop to so many adventures I enjoyed while in Idaho. But enough of the sentiment - we had to hit the local D.O.G. for some breakfast burritos before heading back home for a few more hours of sleep, another day at work followed by a trip through Yellowstone that you'll get to see when you stop back!