Some lovely day hikes

These photos are some highlights from several different day hikes in May. We had a lot less snow this past winter which opened up the backcountry earlier than usual and I'm okay with a longer hiking season! 

This photo was taken June 3rd. All north facing slopes hang onto winter snow the longest.

Snow Way!

In the seven years that I've lived in Teton Valley and skied/snowboarded at Grand Targhee--this is the lowest snow fall season yet. Apparently, it hasn't been this bad since the 1930's! We can only hope for a rainy spring and summer to make up for the winter drought. Here is a photograph of me standing in the same place comparing the snowpack from last March 2014 to this years March 2015. Notice the dramatic lack of snow on the right. 

Granite Falls & Picnic

Grand Targhee Summer

Snowboarding Wyoming!

Snowboarding is my favorite thing to do before work! On this particular day I got to experience my first "inversion," (while snowboarding) where it's cloudy in the valley and the chairlift brought me through and on top of the clouds where it's blue sky and sunny. It makes the surrounding mountain peaks look like islands piercing through the clouds. It was marvelous and absolutely stunning to experience.

More of the Winds

Can't stop the Winds

The always stunning and extremely rugged Wind River Mountains... I can't get enough of this mountain range. I crave these mountains. They consume my thoughts and day dreams--from exploring every trail, finding a new lake, new route to hike, sleeping in them, fishing in them and swimming in them. I'm grateful for the few times I had with them this summer but I am sad to see this season of backpacking come to a close. The short summer and even shorter fall allows just a few months to explore these hills. On this last trek, after tossing and turning all night in my sleeping bag trying to get warm I got up the next morning to my water in my camelback being frozen solid. That's when I realized I was on my final trip of the season in the Winds. So, now I have all winter and spring to plan my next Wind River adventure and hopefully I find some new recruits to join me.