In June, my wife and her college friends planned a get-together in Durango, Colorado. She was going to fly down, and I would follow along with our car, pick her up, and we would mossy back to Portland via the Oregon Trail and through Jackson Hole.
My part of the trip went well on the way down. I stopped at Ridgway to see one of my photography friends before I drove along the Million Dollar Highway. Her part proved otherwise, with weather canceling her flights from Denver to Durango. Ultimately, she flew into Montrose, where I picked her up, and we headed to Durango for her get-together.
The goal then was to visit Jackson Hole in early spring, having been armed with the secret spot guaranteed to obtain some good shots, with the hope of photographing the Grand Tetons with lupin in the foreground.
Early the next morning, after arriving in Jackson, I headed out for my spot. The first reality was that this spot was not exactly a secret, but perhaps not widely known. Secondly, the lupin really was not exciting that year, with no signs of nice lupin stands. So, I figured I would just concentrate on the Tetons from the Schwabacher’s landing area.
When I plan photo trips, I typically allow myself several days as one never knows what nature will give you; the same is true of this shot. I showed up three consecutive days running to get this shot on the 3rd day. In each of the previous 2 days, in the early morning, some clouds formed on the peaks, hiding the tops of Grand Teton, Mountain Owen and Middle Teton. But on the 3rd day, we hit the jackpot. Not only did we get a glorious sunrise, but we also got no breeze and low and behold, all of the peaks appeared in all their glory.
