The old saying, “patience is a virtue” may be trite, but in this case proved to be very true….My wife and I were returning to Oregon after visiting friends in Colorado and we decided to drive along the Oregon trail route through Wyoming to end up at Jackson Hole for several days of photographing and relaxation. Visiting the old Oregon Trail sites is a reflection on the hardships that these early pioneers endured on their trek to a new life in the West.

This was the second time I had visited Grand Teton National Park, so I was quite familiar with its setting as well as the better places to shoot but that didn’t stop me from visiting the local photography store for an updated map. The previous visit was in the fall with the nice yellow colors from the aspens and cottonwoods. On this June visit, one of my goals was to get some lupin images with the Tetons in the background. Unfortunately, the lupin bloom was rather anemic, even in our shared secret spot, so I settled on morning shots from Shwabacher Landing and then moving to some of the other iconic places like the Mormon Row, etc.

The first couple of mornings provided good color and images, yet the persistent morning clouds kept the top of Grand Teton shrouded. It was not till the third morning that looked promising from the beginning. There were morning clouds but thinner than the other days, which rose as we got closer to sunrise. Then there was a spectacular glow to the east and with the rising sun, the full Teton range stood in its glory. To top it off, we had virtually no wind for the nice reflection in the Snake River.