June started cool and wet with additional snow accumulation in the mountains. By the middle of the month, sun dominated with warmer temperatures and a receding snowpack. The creeks, the river and its’ tributaries are full of sediment as warmer temperatures arrive. This is delaying the start of the fishing season but the water is filling the lakes and reservoirs and is welcome. Rafting has been great. Wildflowers blanket the lower elevations. Jackson is beginning to pulse at the summer pace of happy visitors in search of their nature excursion, the elusive bear, and the joy of discovering the national parks.

I always find it interesting that we don’t really have spring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We spent the months of April and May with cool temperatures and stormy, snowy weather. Our longer days were spent indoors. One week before the summer solstice on June 20, the skies cleared and sunshine found the valley. Temperatures reached 70 plus degrees. The flowers bloomed in force. It was summer. Spring is experienced elsewhere but rarely in the Tetons.

At the time of the solstice, the valley is at an energetic peak. All parts of nature thrive. The flowers burst forth with luminous blooms and bright green leaves. The insects quickly follow bringing the continual buzz and flutter to the air. Birds are feeding chicks. The bald eagle chick near Victor, Idaho majestically sits in its’ nest awaiting the next meal. It is big, really big. You can see the fuzzy head of the hawk chick as it anticipates its’ parents return. The young are born and the parents are busy. The pronghorn doe is seen defending her calf from the coyote. The elk calf is never far from its’ mother. The different species are at a collective peak as they welcome the summer and the universal gifts from Mother Nature. It is going to be a great summer in the valley with all our water and melting snowpack. It is a great change over last year which was hot and dry. You can witness this vibrancy by slowing down a bit, sitting in a meadow and just experiencing what you see and hear.

The water rises and rises. Streams overflow and some crawl spaces fill with water. With over 600 inches of snow in the mountains and a fresh 18 inches mid-month, the snow has just stated to melt and it is melting. With 70 to 80 degree temperatures the river is a torrent of rushing water, flowing logs, and travelling gravel bars. All bodies of water are high. It is a welcome sight and a natural part of spring.

If you have the opportunity, visit this summer. I haven’t seen lush wildflowers in this concentration in years. The meadows are full. We still have snow at 8500 feet so lots of changes still to come. We usually lose 90 percent of the snow in the Tetons determined by summer weather. This is the year that the sound of music comes to mind as you hike and explore through endless meadows full of life. Our days might be getting shorter in the northern hemisphere but right now winter seems far away so come and play if you can!

What’s in the woods-
6/4- Jackson, WY- High School Road- fox kit
6/5 Yellowstone- Grizzly bear, elk, elk calf, bison, American White Pelican,
6/7-Munger Mountain- nine-leaved desert parsley, yellow violet, spring beauty, Indian Paintbrush
6/9-6/10- rainy, cold weather- snow in the mountains
6/11-Cache Creek- wild alyssum, gromwell, serviceberry, lily-of-the-valley, dusky flycatcher
6/14- victor, ID- my backyard-morels, clematis, serviceberry, pine siskin, bullock’s oriole- male and female, black headed grosbeak- male and female, calliope hummingbird, black capped chickadee, house and cassin’s finch. Broad-throated hummingbird
6/15- Munger Mountain- beautiful and sunny, male and female western tanager, red squirrel, hellebore, sticky geranium, arrowleaf balsamroot, meadow rue
6/19-Shadow Mountain- pygmy lewisia, primrose, long leaved phlox ,mountain bluebird, elk, deer
6/19- Old Pass Road- yellow-rumped warbler, broad-tailed hummingbird, geranium, serviceberry, balsamroot, baneberry, rocky mountain maple
6/22- Palisades Reservoir- lunched with immature bald eagle, western grebe
6/24- Pinedale- pronghorn, mule deer
6/27-Munger Mountain- coralroot orchid, osha, bracted lousewort
6/28- Victor, ID- cotton from the female cottonwood catkins

Trail Suggestion-
If you are visiting in the near future, I would go to a visitor center and check on trail conditions. I do like to maximize the beauty so choose hikes that are most vibrant with life. At this time, the best hikes are still lower in elevation. It is a great time to hike to Phelps Lake in Death Canyon, Bradley/Taggert Lakes, or to hike the valley trail between Death and Granite Canyon. Hiking in the Gros Ventres is also great at this time of year since they receive less snow. For longer hikes, I would explore Grizzly Lake or Shoal Falls. If you are traveling higher in elevation, you should be prepared for snowy conditions. Remember the motto “hope for the best but prepare for the worst” Have fun!!

Experience nature! Join us to make the most of your Jackson Hole visit! Our tours are educational, inspirational, and fun for all ages. Visit our web site: http://www.holehike.com