We had 3 days of snowfall heavy at times but enough melting between each onslaught that it has pretty well melted around town but the high country had a lot to add to what is there.  Today is supposed to be the beginning of a warming trend that will bring that snow out of the mountains.  The Natl Guard will be in town tomorrow and I hear my place is a priority for sandbagging.  It will be an interesting week.

Day befor Memorial Day and it is snowing heavily.  My house has a good 4 inches of snow clinging to everything.  Trees and brush are bowed low by the heavy wet snow.  It all is adding to the incredible amounts in the mountains that one day has to come down river.  My plan is to start bringing sandbags to the house that are being filled at the town garage

Elk are everywhere and I run into bands like this everywhere I go out of Dubois.  Yesterday I drove up the Horse Creek road north of town and was stopped at the top of the divide between Horse Creek and the Wiggins Fork by a huge snow drift.  At this time of year that is unheard of.

Wildlife continue to be bottled up in the lower elevations due to the continued heavy snows and cold weather.  These two Moose wasted no time in putting distance between me and the top of the mountain.

Spring is trying to catch up with us though ever so slowly.  A few wildflowers are making their appearance and I was surprised to find this glacier lily growing amongst sagebrush and grasses.
By not being in Dubois yesterday you missed this.

Yesterday Dubois had a schedualed power outage all afternoon into the evening so we left a gloomy snow flurries falling day and went over the continental divide to Jackson Hole and the Tetons where the sun was shining and a lot warmer.  Watching and photographing wildlife and a picnic at Colter Bay.  It was a great day filled with many sightings of wildlife and waterfowl. 
Here a Moose trudges through melting snow along Pacific Creek.

Yesterday morning was one of those perfect spring mornings and at first light I was on Torrey Creek photographing a herd of avout 40 Bighorn Sheep.  There were 3 big rams with the bunch and I was able to get some great shots of them.  Across the creek were about a dozen elk grazing.  I have never seen elk there befor.  Over a hundred head of Deer were on the meadows and I watched the resident
Torrey Lake Ospreys doing nest work.  What a beautiful morning with not a soul anywhere around all morning.  I had the whole valley to myself.
This morning it is raining with snow falling again in the mountains.  What a change.

In spit of the cold and snow we have been experiencing there is a sign of spring such as this new born Cottontail jsut big enough that he would fit into the palm of your hand.  He is providing us with a little entertainment as he cavorts around my yard not straying far from my front deck where here he sits waiting for a little sun and melting of snow.  This morning he gets his wish as it is clear and sunshinning after record amounts of moisture the past five day.

Just could not leave well enough alone.  had to go check on the Moose kill again last night.   Was really surprised to find our Grizzly friend still there.  I had heard no one had seen him all day but in a falling snow there he was.  Also heard there was a second very large Grizzly also coming down and feeding.  Les Lefevre and I waited until 8:00 last evening but he never showed up.
It was a very cold evening with a brisk wind and snow falling.  At times making pictures very difficult. 
Too bad you missed out in what was going on in Dubois yesterday.

By not being in Dubois this morning you are missing a heavy falling snow after 3 days of steady rain.  We only receive 11 inches per year average and at 3 inches since friday it is wet and the river is high and worrisome with all the snow in the mountains with this added to it ...Katy bar the door. 
My house with a reddish muddy river flowing.

Vicki and I returned sunday evening to check the Grizzly out again.  It is incredible how much of the moose had been eaten since morning.  Another day and it will be gone as well as the bear.

{1}
May 8, 2011
Last night I received a call from artist friend Les Lefevre who had taken a drive west of town with his wife, Kathy.  He had stopped along the road to photograph some geese floating down the river when Kathy drew his attention to what appeared to be a dead animal across the river.  It was a Moose and they could tell it had been preyed upon.  They decided to stay awhile as it was getting late to see if anything came out to continue its feast.  This surely meant Grizzly.  Sure enough a large Grizzly boar came down the hill and began supper.  Les was going to go back out in the morning and so was I.
I arrived a little later than intended and Les and Kathy were all ready there at 6 am.  Les informed me that the Grizzly had been there and he had video of him as well as two coyotes that had crossed the river and were trying to get in on the feast.  The Grizzly had finally left and as I pulled up the two coyotes took off.
After waiting for some time and nothing happening Les announced they were leaving till later in the evening.  I stayed on a while then continued on up the road several miles, turned around and pulled up to the same spot.  A few minutes later I spotted the bear slowly walking the ridgeline off to the east.

{2}
May 8, 2011
I watch him for some time as he ambles along first away from me and then suddenly reversing direction he comes back my way crossing through timber, sage and snow with nose to the ground and then lifted high in the air catching scents as he goes

{3}
May 8, 2011
It is amazing to me that something so large can seem so small in the enormous landscape he calls home.  When in the sagebrush he becomes nearly invisible and if I did not know he was there it would be hard to pick himout of what he has so well blended into.
Rain is falling.  Not hard but fairly steady and at 35 degrees is not far away from snow.  He occassionaly shakes his whole body much like a dog coming out of water and slowly ambles along the top of the ridge heading back towards his moose.  Several Geese fly by.  their haunting call and the sounds of ravens also gathering adds to the mystic of the moody morning.  The river below slowly flows along adding to the mountain chorus.  Although I am sitting at the edge of the hiway I may as well be miles back in the wilderness.  There has been absolutely no traffic.  The wonderful peacefulness of the morning belies the evidence of life and death just yards away and below me.  It is raw nature at its best and I am privy to be a part of it this morning.

{4}
May 8, 2011
The big bruin drops down into a grove of Pines and I loose him against the dark timber.  It is now that I notice the two coyotes that Les had mentioned and filmed.  They are just to the right and really watching him and occassionaly approaching the timber he has disapeared into only to come back out into the sage and just sit there watching in the bears direction.  I really thought the bear had hunkered down in  the rain and to sleep off his night time feast. and was surprised to suddenly find him at the bottom along the river as he approached the moose.  I had been so intent on watching the coyotes I had never seen him descend the steep hillside.  he is now directly below me and about 50 yards away.

{5}
May 8, 2011
He goes back to work on the Moose with a terrible focus of sheer power and strength of determination he turns the moose over and then back again as he continues feeding.  I watch for some time taking numerous photos befor calling it a morning.  I will probably have to come back this evening to hopefully see this magnificent animal again.

{6}
May 8, 2011
On the way back to town I have to stop for several elk that are sauntering across the hiway only hurrying when I slowly approach them.  There are elk covering the hillsides in every direction in the DuNoir River area.  What a morning.
At the outskirts of town I discover about 15 Whitefaced Ibis working across a ranch meadow searching for their breakfast.  It has been a number of years since I have seen these most interesting birds. 
Yep.  What a morning

One of God and natures finest creations.  The american Wapiti or Elk

With all the snow we have had-wildlife are bottled up waiting for melt to head into the high country.  Counted 7 Moose and about 100 Elk.  Many Mule Deer too.

THIS IS WHAT YOU MISSED BY NOT BEING IN DUBOIS  yesterday morning.  North of town on the Horse Creek Road.  Snow is finally beginning to melt.  There is a lot of it to come down this year and flood advisories are issued.  Living on the banks of the Wind River it is a litle scarey. 

I have had a number of requests by friends, family and followers to add my facebook series, WHAT YOU MISSED BY NOT BEING IN DUBOIS TODAY.  I have seemed to have gotten bogged down too by not being able to fulfill faithfully my OUTDOOR ADVENTURES blog so I am going to add my DUBOIS images to this page