Happy 4th of July From the Tetons

Happy 4th of July From the Tetons, the Wildlife, and Jackson Hole!

TheChristyBel

Fireworks Show at Snow King Resort
Photo Credit to @RyanJonSheets Instagram

Bull Moose at Snake River Bridge at Moose Junction

Pronghorn and Babies

A Teton Sunset

This evening after Marc's Avalanche course, we decided to take a drive into the park to get out of town and embrace the clear skies for a Teton Sunset. We drove all the way up 89, right before the Moran junction. The weather was great (super warm - we didn't even need a puffy!) and the skies were clear! I think both of us really needed the drive into the park. The calmness and quiet that the park provides really clears your headache in your head and not gonna lie, it was great having a 'nature date' with Marc. We totally took a bunch of photos and Marc attempted to give me a 'spark notes' version of a lesson on how to take photos with his camera...that is too be continued for the summer. Haha. Ohhhhhh...and I got to see my most favorite animal ever. Guess what animal that is? Made the evening that much better! Enjoy the photos! More to come...Marc is editing them.

TheChristyBel

His Photo Came Out So Much Better!
Plus There are Moose in This Picture!
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

A Teton Clear Sky Sunset - Beautiful
I've Missed This View.

My Fave...Animal...Ever!

Just Browsing the Bitterbrush!

I Love It When He Nerds Out...on Animals...and His Art.

Beautiful Sunset
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

Captured a Sundog!?! Maybe!?
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

Attempting to Take a ChristyBel Photo...Through the Binocs.

Sleeping Indian Over the National Elk Refuge

Look At That Handsome Indian and The Sunset On Him!

Enjoying Time in the Park and Taking Photos Through My Sunroof!

Moose You're Drunk...Go Home

So Megan, one of the Graduate Students, found an ad in the paper for people to help with the Jackson Hole Rendezvous Music Festival - needing people that can help serve and sell alcoholic beverages to the festival visitors.

Of course, being poor graduate students we are, Megan, Em-J, and I applied and got to help out at the Music Festival on Friday and Saturday night.  Friday night we were able to listen to Blues Traveler and Saturday Night we heard Michael Franti.  It was pretty awesome!

Me, Meg, and Em-J Hanging With Mr. Moose

Fun times at the music festival in Teton Village and very cool to hear the Blues Traveler and Michael Franti live!

TheChristyBel

Moose On the Loose

This morning: look who I encountered on my morning drive to the Tetons Science Schools Journeys School, the organizations very own independent Pre-K - 12 school, for my last week of the winter teaching practicum.  This moose was in the middle of the road, and there was no way for it to get out of my path without just running away from my car down the road.  That is until it found a little escape route on part of the shallow banks towards the Kelly Warm Springs.

Moose have been pretty common on and along the roads in Kelly and the Gros Ventre areas.  I better embrace them now, because I have a feeling in the next few months, they will be going on a low visible streak.  Until then, embrace this video and how the video was shot with Lady Beyonce in the background.

And I apologize for video-ing this while driving...but I swear I was going really slow!

Xoxo,
TheChristyBel

A Moose Morning

As I was getting ready to prepare for a day of snowshoeing, guess who was outside my cabin...Momma Moose and her baby calf, licking the salt off of Leslie's car!

Morning Moose Kisses!

Enjoy!

Licking the Salt off of Leslie's Car

They do not even care that I was taking photos of them from my cabin porch.

A Salty Breakfast!

I just love it here...especially with these magical beauties visiting my cabin!

PS. To all my East-Coasters, I will be Home in 2 Days! Start grabbing lots of whiskey bottles!

Xoxo,

TheChristyBel

Winter Ecology Wildlife Expedition

This week, the graduates are in their first week of our sixth class, Winter Ecology! I'm pretty excited and interested in this class. In this course, the graduates learn about how to cope and be outside in this frigid weather, get a deeper look into snow science, and get a taste of natural history of animal tracking!

Momma Moose Sleeping Outside Cloudveil

To start off the mornings, and mostly every morning...Of course, there is nothing like waking up and starting your day off with a cow moose waking up next to your cabin!

Inside the National Elk Refuge Overlooking Some Big Horn Sheep

I believe it was Wednesday, we took another Wildlife Expedition tour through the National Elk Refuge. This was really fun. Our teachers, Kevin and Kevin were awesome knowledgeable guides as we talked about bison, elk, moose, and big horn sheep!

As we drove deeper into the refuge, we were able to see a first for me! Big Horn Sheep! It was such a sight! Apparently, right now, is their breeding season. So seeing them right now is pretty common along the rocky ledges of the refuge.  However we were able to see them at the base of the hills grazing on grass.

First Sightings of Big Horn Sheep Through A Scope

Using the spotting scope, I was able to capture some grazing moments for you! Remarkable that my iPhone can take some decent photos by placing it up to the lens of the scope. Eventually I should probably look into an actual camera! (Hope you're reading this Mom and Dad, for next year's Christmas gift! Haha)

So Cool for the Close Up

Heart Exploded!

These animals are so beautiful! Heir horns are not like antlers, where the animal will shed them off every year. Big horn sheep's horns will remain on the animal and will grow as the animal grows! Hence the rings on the horns.

Big Horn Sheep!

Our guide, Kevin, showed us a Big Horn Sheep skull to get a closer look. Very impressive! 

Skull of Big Horn Sheep

You can see in the photo below, how small their brain is compared to the rest of the skull. Also, you can notice that buffer zone near the forehead and top of the skull: hollow cavities in back of thick bone! This is used to absorb tremendous amounts of intense shock when the sheep butt heads with others during intense duels and fights.

Look at the Tiny Brain Cavity!

Even the horns themselves are really fascinating as well! Some can curly cue multiple times and get very large! The one we got to see up close was bigger than my head and could totally be used as a phone...just kidding!

It's the Size of My Head...And Bigger!
Can I Have this to Make into a Phone?

Seeing the big horn sheep was such a treat! Hopefully it won't be my last! Can't wait to tell my students about these wonderful animals! Bring on Winter Practicum!

Bahhhhhh!

TheChristyBel

Species of the Day: Moose

So on my way into Jackson, as I was not even 5 minutes onto the snowy road...I drove past this handsome guy!  No, I did not stop and ask for his number.  But I did stop and take his picture! Haha!

Handsome Eating the Bitterbrush in the Snowy Sage

Moose have been pretty common our in the sage, and well very close to campus, since the wintery season has come upon us.  When I drive into Kelly or Jackson, I can count as many as 5-15 moose along the sage and aspen communities along my drive (fortunately always within 5-minutes from the beginning of our campus driveway)!

During the winter, they will will switch from eating the willows to the bitterbrush.  It is also very fascinating to see the bulls.  Each set of paddles as their antlers are so different from the next.  Some are very well defined with sharp points to other are more paddle-like and have less spikes and more nubs.

Still very wonderful and lucky to see these creatures on a daily basis.  One day I hope to pet one...maybe. :)

Xoxo,

TheChristyBel

Mr. Handsome Bull Moose

Moose on the Loose on Campus

Look Who Showed Up to Breakfast This Morning?

This blog entry is for you, Luke.  You would have loved today here on the Kelly Campus.  Your favorite animal of all time came to visit us today!  So I hope you can live these moments through these next photos and videos!  All I know is, that this just means, you have to come back and visit so you can experience this for yourself!

Anyways, you would think that today was going to be an ordinary Sunday back on the Kelly Campus.  It's nice being on the Outreach Team and travel everywhere, but when you are gone all week, it is nice to wake up in your own bed, in your own cabin, and enjoy what you have in your own backyard.  This morning, Mandy, Joe, Dani, and I met very early (around 7:30am) to work on our Community Ecology's Research Project Proposal.  Sitting in the conference room all working on the proposal in Google Docs, Joe was trying to explain our methods to the rest of us, and was interrupted mid-sentence to a female beauty walking in front of the main lodge!

Momma Cow Moose and Her Baby!

All of a sudden we hear, "Oh, look! A Moose!"  And of course I spring up to the window!  Low and behold we come to see a cow moose and her young trotting a morning stroll in front of the dining and main lodges.  We quietly go onto the porch to observe the momma stopping, literally in front of us at some of the trees on the front side of the dining lodge.

Breakfast Time!

Seeing her browse on the willows and shrubs was really cool to see up close!  She can literally strip off all the leaves of a branch in seconds!  What a great 30-minute distraction from our morning work-session!

She was so beautiful!

Her baby was a little skiddish.  I accidentally laughed a little too loud, and of course, the baby went running away.  But Momma Moose just kept eating the vegetation.  So after realizing there was no danger, the young came back and had some breakfast with mom.  Adorable!

Family Breakfast Time!

Seeing the moose eat was really cool to watch!  I am still amazed on how fast they can strip off leaves!

You Know...Just Eating all the Leaves on this Tree. NBD.

Enjoy the video of Momma Moose Browsing and Nipping the Tip of the Branches!

Joe Got Some One-On-One Time with Momma Moose!

After we got our proposal finished and turned in, I decided to go back to my cabin for some relaxing time before I got back into homework mode...and before I knew it, I had a visitor!

TheChristyBel Can't Come Out of Her Cabin...There's a Moose at Her Door!
Photo Credit to Mandy Redpath, fellow TSS Graduate Student.

And well, even though there is no one stopping me from breaking NPS regulations, I can assure you, I was abiding the rules and decided to stay in my cabin and wait for the beautiful creature to leave.  I mean, she was very cute and all, and OF COURSE ALL I WANT TO DO IS NUZZLE HER FACE!  But to go up against a several hundred pound moose with her young in the area...that is a 'No Go' on cuddling!

...'Come to My Window!'...

It was such a treat to sit at my desk and see her just eating and browsing at the Wild Rose!  It really freaked me out how big she really is, as well!  Her hoof alone is the size of my hand, if not bigger!  Not to mention her head is probably the size of my upper body to some extent!

Just Chowing Down at the Vegetation!

She Left No Trace...Except These!

Her Hooves Were the Size of My Hand!

What a Day...Full of Moose Visits!  My Life is Now Complete! ... Well, I mean, once I can pet one, then my life is complete.  But it's a great start!  Haha.  Enjoy all the photos and videos.  Believe me, I have more, but I had to limit myself to under 20 for this blog entry...bah!

Next Blog Update: Outreach Team - Week Two: Casper!

Moose!
TheChristyBel

My Life it Complete...Up Close and Personal With Moose!

A Wild Ride: Wilderness Expedition

Well, we've started our first week of class.  It's been a great start so far - a little bit of class, natural history, risk management, process of programming, and of course, getting outside and HIKING!  I can talk about what we've done the past three days, however, I think Day Four's Day should be discussed first! :) By far, the one of the best days of my life!

So this morning, we went on a 7:00AM MST tour with TSS' Wildlife Expeditions tours.  So besides the Graduate Program, environmental education programming, their K-12 Journey's School, and the Conservation Research & Teacher Learning Center, Teton Science School also offers Wildlife Expeditions.  Wildlife Expeditions are these phenomenal tours where naturalist guides will take you out and locate and observe some of the outstanding and special wildlife around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

So our three guides, Kevin, Jared, and Paul met us at the Kelly Campus and took us to go scope out some big mammals in these awesome observation vans.  These vans have huge windows great for viewing animals from inside when danger lurks, and have these awesome roof viewing holes where you can observe from inside the van but getting a higher view of the land.

Good Morning!  From the Grand Tetons!

The morning was a little on the crisp side, roughly 50 degrees F, and they had us wake up mad early to grab some breakfast and be in the vans by 7am.  The sunrise was yet again, beyond beautiful and there was a low fog at the base of the Teton Range which looked like the mountains were floating in the clouds!  So pretty!

So we set off down Ditch Creek Road, and of course, you cannot go five minutes without seeing BISON (Bison bison)!  I really love these animals, even though they are highly dangerous if you get in their space, they are pretty remarkable creatures.  The are part of the Bovidae family and our largest land mammal in North America.  Out guide Kevin explained that there are more than 3,900+ bison located in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  

Found in grasslands and right now, found amongst the sagebrush, they primarily graze on grasses and sedges.  Their massive hump on their back helps support the strong muscles; not to mention they are pretty athletic (who would have thought) - they can also jump 6 ft.  Kevin showed us a back vertebrae of a bison.  This bone was crazy!  It was long - roughly 1-2 feet in length.  Can you imagine that?  Their vertebrae is clearly distinctive to them and I believe it helps create a strong back for when they plow through snow and carry themselves all across the grasslands of Wyoming.

We learned that this month into the next few is beginning their breeding season, which in turn means, Bison are going into Rut.  The males get pretty energetic and want to show off for their ladies, which in turn means we have to be pretty careful and cautious when we are around them. 

OH: SIDE NOTE: So yesterday morning, after breakfast before class, a HUGE STAMPEDE of bison came running through the entire Teton Science School Kelly Campus.  It was crazy!!!! I was in my cabin and all of a sudden, I heard and FELT rumbling!  I go outside and there is jump a few hundred brown, HUGE, bison just running down our hill and stampeded through campus.  They ran through the forest, down the hill, past my cabin, through campus, around the dining lodge, and around the main lodge, and then second rounding it towards Ditch Creek Road.  It was crazy!  I wish I got a video of it to explain the craziness (and danger) they cause coming through campus.  Luckily no one was hurt, but it was something to remember and talk about!

Oh, Hello, Bison!  Do you see me?

We asked Kevin about what it means when you just see a lone bison in the field.  Kevin explained that a long bison, especially this time of year, usually means it's a male that is on the older side of age.  They are mostly scrounging around and looking for food - mostly in prep for the winter season.  They are probably too old to continue to breed and are just focused on prepping for the colder months.

They are pretty beautiful, aren't they?!

We also saw some Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), the black-tailed counterpart to my friends back east, the White-Tailed Deer.  These are really cool and very different from the white-tails.  Mule Deer reside in areas from desert to forested habitats, but especially in mountain regions, and can be found in huge herds or by the handful or lonesome.

Distinguishing traits different from the White-Tail are that they have a black tip on their tail, larger ears, about 2/3 the length of their head and have a darker patch of fur on their forehead.  Another key trait is that the male antlers are incredibly different from the White-Tails.  The white-tail has one main antler beam from which the tines will branch off and rise vertically.  The Mule Deer have two main forks and branch into smaller forks (bifurcation). 

Two Male Mule Deer in the Sage Brush

As we drove along Antelope Flats Road, we also saw some Pronghorn (Antilocapra americanus).  These creatures are beyond interesting!!!  These animals are part of their own family, Antilocapridae.  They are the fastest mammal in North America, because at one point in time, North America used to have a North American Cheetah that would hunt on the pronghorn.  Since the Ice Age, the N. American Cheetahs have long been extinct.  However, these guys are still kicking around!  This is because they do well in extreme weather conditions, except deep snow.  

We also learned that Pronghorns break the rules between mammals that have antlers and horns.  Even though the Pronghorns have horns, which mean they would not fall off during their lives, in reality, both the males and females grow these horns and will shed them off annually after breeding season.  Crazy!

We then parked off the side of the road and walked up a hill to gaze at Blacktail Butte where the three guides had spotted some Black Bear (Ursus americanus) before picking us up.  So we went back to see if we could see them through some binoculars and scopes.  Sure enough, we spotted one trekking up the butte along an edge.  Kevin talked that this time of year is not only breeding season for many animals, but it's also a time where animals are getting ready for the cold, winter months.  He explained that the Black Bears are getting into hyperphagy (fast eating mode).  This means that the bears will ear up to 28,000 calories per day to develop enough fat to get them through the winter.  That's a lot of calories!  Black Bears are also a pretty omnivorous creature, however, they can have a diet that is solely consisting of berries or insects!  Imagine, 28,000 calories of bugs and larvae....Ew. haha!

We then headed into the Gros Ventre Campground in Kelly and we encountered two beautiful creatures.  I literally cried tears of happiness when I saw these two boys!  Just look at those racks!  Haha.

Two Bull Moose just lounging in the Gros Ventre Campgroud!

This totally made my day!  I mean, the first time I saw a moose (Alces alces shirasi), I was driving, and was not able to see the two bulls on the side of the road.  And today, to stand about 50+ feet away from these animals, I was literally in Heaven!  Waking up at 7am to see these two was incredibly worth it!  The morning is a prime and excellent time to catch moose.  Moose enjoy shady, cool ecosystems, and for them to be even found in this dry, and hot at times region is really impressive!  Kevin told us that this area is the southern-most part that the moose will reside in.

Getting a Close-Up through the Scope!

The two bulls were lying in and around a favorite food source of theirs: Bitterbrush, that is commonly found among the sage.  They are mostly 'growzers' that will move out into the sagebrush to eat the Bitterbrush, depending on the snow-depth and temperature of their food source habitat.

I just learned a new little fun fact about the moose this morning.  Their beard plays a significant part in their day-to-day needs.  Both males and females have them (males tend to be much bigger), but these beards are called 'dew-laps.'  These serve as a bib when they drink or eat vegetation from lakes and waterways.  Instead of the excess water dripping everywhere and all down their chest and legs, the dew-laps serve as a bib and create a one-point of dripping for excess water to drip off them and away from their body!  How crazy is that?!

Seeing the moose was just a wonderful sight and moment.  Then as we look to the south of us, we could see a double rainbow!

Ahhh, Double Rainbow!  What does it mean?!

So not only were we freaking out about the moose, but it brought more question of this double rainbow!  From that funny YouTube video of the Double Rainbow, the phrase, 'What does it Mean?' came to mind...and well, instead of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we saw a pot of three grizzly bear at the base of it!  How lucky were we?!?

As we look back onto Blacktail Butte, through a scope, we could see three little, well not so little, Grizzly Bear Cubs!  Then we saw her, the infamous momma who has been making news around Jackson Hole the past few days.  Grizzly Bear #399 and her three triplet cubs!  She has been seen multiple times the past week and is famous because she was the one grizzly that has brought grizzlies into the area AND has had multiple set of triplets throughout the years!  She has never posed a threat to the community, just very tolerant to humans, and very comfortable being in the Jackson Hole area and within the National Elk Refuge.

Then we also saw 2 additional Grizzly Bears in the surround area of #399 and an additional Black Bear!  So many bears!  Do not worry, we were VERY FAR AWAY!

Infamous Grizzly Bear #399 and her Three Triplet Cubs on Blacktail Butte.

Today was a pretty magical day.  Seeing the moose and a grizzly bear (from afar) really set the day's bar very high!  Not to mention the views of the mountains and the sky was incredibly gorgeous!

Looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday and then to spend most of the weekend working on two assignments due before our Backcountry Backpacking Trip to the Teton Crest Trail on Tuesday!  Boom!

Until then,
TheChristyBel

Double Rainbow!  Photo Credit goes to Tootsie, fellow TSS Graduate Student.