In many areas of the country, the bare days of November have arrived: that period in late autumn after the last leaves have fallen but before meaningful snowfall arrives. In New England, it’s known as stick season. 

That transition period occurs here in Teton Country, too, even while snow is beginning to blanket the mountains (see above).  

If you live in a northern climate, you know what "bare November" means. The contrast between the vibrant early autumn landscape and post-foliage vistas can be stark.

Many landscape photographers consider this an uninteresting time of year to shoot. Especially when compared with the intoxicating color of peak foliage, that same terrain - suddenly faded - can feel especially drab and dreary.

I’ll admit, the post-foliage period doesn’t occupy the top spot on my hit parade, but if there's one thing photography has taught me it's that there's always something to appreciate in nature: even now, during stick season. 

The unadorned landscape has an unpretentious allure.

There can be beauty in monochrome. In bleakness. With color largely removed from the equation, shapes and patterns take on more prominence. The graceful outlines of deciduous trees are much more obvious. 

After the leaves have fallen, vistas are revealed which remain hidden for much of the year. Sightlines open up.

Early morning frost decorates fallen leaves, grasses – all sorts of simple subjects – painting enchanting scenes.

Ice forms overnight in shallow standing water: another source of interesting shapes and patterns. 

The sun, now very low in the sky when it chooses to make an appearance, creates soft lighting and lovely, long shadows.

Somber skies and barren, monochromatic landscapes are often great vehicles for black and white photography.

Also worth remembering: this time of year the air is crisp, the crowds have dissipated, and the bugs are gone. What's not to like?

Don’t let your camera gather dust during this seasonal transition. November might surprise you.

In Local News

Grizzly 399 returned home to Grand Teton National Park late last week. Her ashes were scattered near Pilgrim Creek, where she spent much of her life. She will now forever be part of this place upon which she had such a positive impact. It is where she belongs, and it's the dignified ending she deserved.

Last Saturday evening at the Town Square in Jackson, a few hundred people gathered to remember and celebrate this wonderful bear: our Queen of the Tetons. This may seem odd. After all, we're talking about a wild animal. But those who have been lucky enough to catch glimpses of her over the years, who witnessed what a wonderful mother she was, who have photographed her, and the many who have followed her from afar understand how uniquely special she was. There will never be another like her.

As I've said previously, 399 was consequential. In the 1970s, before they received endangered species protection, grizzlies had been completely extirpated from Grand Teton National Park. 399 paved the way for the bears to repopulate the Jackson Valley. She was an exceptional mother to 18 cubs. She was tolerant of humans and proved that peaceful co-existence is achievable. As one of the local papers here wrote, 399 opened a portal that allowed humans to come to know and appreciate grizzlies in a way that had never before occurred. She taught. She inspired. Untold numbers of people became wildlife and nature conservation advocates because of 399. With her death, that portal is now closed; another is unlikely to open in a similar way ever again.

One of the speakers at the vigil was renowned nature photographer Tom Mangelsen, who lives here in Jackson Hole and has documented 399's life for the past 18 years. I highly recommend his books about her: Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, and Grizzly 399: The World's Most Famous Mother Bear. While honoring her, he also took the opportunity to advocate for the continued protection of grizzlies and wolves. 

Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are actively seeking to remove protected status from grizzlies, which would pave the way for them to be hunted. As for gray wolves, there are far too many gruesome reports of them being brutally abused in Wyoming. 

This cannot continue.

We will honor 399 by persevering in our efforts to protect both grizzly bears and wolves. If you feel so inclined, please join us.

Protecting Grizzly Bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Protecting Wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Below are some photos from last weekend.