Real Life in Jackson, Wyoming

The Mighty Kaiser is Open!

After four days of skiing around and doing setup (ie: spud barring bamboo into the ground for ropelines), the King opened today to the public on lanes 4 and 7.  We have about 20 inches of man-made snow down on the lower mountain and about 24 up high (all natural).  We actually are a bit ahead compared to prior seasons, and we should have Rafferty area open next Saturday and the summit by the middle of the month.  And so it begins....

Yo-yoing Temps.

The last several days have been pleasant but BAC at night, which is good.  The King is looking good to open soon after a huge push to make snow.  Just below freezing as I write this and it is mostly clear so the temps should drop low enough to fire the guns up again.  Going to be on skis soon.

Happy Turkey Day!

Hopefully, dear readers, you are at home with your loved ones stuffing your faces with great food and booze.  Loosen your belts and pass out in front of the idiot box.  Hopefully you were able to get out and ski a bit.  Not yet here at the Kaiser but Grand Targhee and the Village are open.

Couple More GTNP Photos.

Here are a few more Grand Teton National Park photos.  Enjoy.

Sunrise over Jackson Lake.

About an hour later.

 

Photo Excursions.

When I go out to take some photos I refuse to say "expedition" because that is ridiculous.  I'm just going out for some photos.  Anyway, I hoped to go out today but it is overcast and murky, so photos wouldn't be any good.  Still have plans for something in the next few weeks, just in time for Christmas.  Stay tuned.

The Kaiser is making snow for a huge snowmobile race in two weeks and for their general opening but we had a thaw this weekend so looks like sometime after Thanksgiving to get on skis.  Oh well.

Photo Effects.

I hope folks have been enjoying the photos, and the picture effects.  I was reading online on a thread about how a person was asking how to get rid of the picture effects from his new Sony camera, and the general consensus was once the camera took a photo with a picture effect, you couldn't change it.  Poor guy "lost" bunch of photos.  The thread also said the easier thing to do is take photos in a normal mode and then add effects on the computer.  That way you can save the original and still have it as a backup.  Worth a shot.

Added New Works to Redbubble.

I have been on Redbubble for a few years selling some ski area maps and a few other items.  I just uploaded about ten or so more photos taken in Grand Teton National Park so feel free to check them out.  My storefront is Fungus50.  Check it out and spend lots.

Still Training.

Just got done with our annual medical and lift-evac training this past weekend, and only two more weekends to blow.  Next Saturday our paid staff are having a refresher, and a week after that we are having a medical evaluation for some patrol candidates.  Can't wait to be on snow.  Gaining weight in the off season for sure.

Nuts...Part 2.

Following up on my last couple photo trips, here are more photos.

Taken with the "toy miniture" picture effect.  Somewhat weird but different.

Illustration mid picture effect.  Not too hideous.

Watercolor picture effect.  Meeh.

Toy camera picture effect.

Here is an example of normal "landscape" settings and the "pop color" picture effect settings.  Looking at Catholic Bay of Jackson Lake.

"Landscape" setting of Sony.

"Pop Color" picture effect.  Dramatic, no?

Last one for this post.  "HDR Painting Mid" picture effect. I think it was taken with the HDR effect.  Can't remember.  Still pretty.

Nuts....

At this time of year I try and get out for some photography in the mornings, especially up to Grand Teton.  It is quiet up there, the roads are still open, and you can get places easily.  A bit harder after November 1 because the inner park road between Bradley/Taggart Lakes parking area and Signal Mountain Lodge is closed to cars.  This is 16 miles long and I can still ride a bike on it until the snow really flies.  The park service does groom this road but they don't allow bikes to access it, not even fatbikes.  Kind of sucks but I have plans.  I have gotten out early for the last several days before the road closed and got some good time lapse series and other photos, but now the weather looks like it may have changed for good.  The next several days look blustery and winter like.  Not much fun for early morning photos.  I have been wearing a down semi-puffy jacket and I was still cold on Wednesday.  I do have some plans for keeping my camera battery warm and fully charged because I can burn through a new battery in less than two hours in the cold mornings (Wednesday morning it was 19 degrees).  Stay tuned for reports.

Walking out to my location on Tuesday morning.  Probably 5:30 am.  At least 10 inches of snow on the ground and those humps are sagebrush.  On the left you can just make out the tree I was walking towards.  I call it Old Man Tree.  Driving up to this location I was going through 6-8 inches of snow on the road in places.  Definitely slick with summer tires on the car.

Old Man Tree.

Cold dawn.  Thank God I had four cameras spread out so I stayed warm walking between them checking them.

Mount Moran starting to peek out.

Still damn cold.

Took this photo with a "pop" color picture effect with my Sony RX100V.  I like it.

 

For the most part the time lapses didn't work out as planned.  More to follow.