SPOTLIGHT ON SPRINGAfternoon storms forming over the Teton Range create quickly changeable - and dramatic - skies. A few rays of light break through, highlighting the lush springtime foliage.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming I live in the shadow of two of the crown jewels of the national park service: Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The amount of time it takes to travel from my front door to the nearest entrance of each park is nearly the same.

Given that, you might assume I spend roughly equal amounts of time working in both YNP and GTNP.

Au contraire!

Meaning no disrespect to Yellowstone, but give me the Tetons any day of the week. 

The two parks are, of course, entirely different - which is perhaps unexpected since they're situated next to one another. Each contains distinct scenery and has a unique personality. There's no denying Yellowstone gets the lion's share of the attention, though.

A lot of people zip through Grand Teton, barely giving it a second glance. Their sights are set on the land of Yogi, Boo Boo, and geysers. 

If crowds prefer pouring into Yellowstone, thereby leaving Grand Teton with a little more breathing room, you won't find me complaining about it. But the Tetons as an afterthought? That defies logic.

[Side note: Recently I told a local friend - who, like me, spends a lot of time in the Tetons - about my brother's comment regarding a folio of images featuring GTNP which I'd given him as a gift. "These photos make the Tetons look better than Yellowstone!" My friend's reaction: "Well, DUH!" We both had a laugh about it.]

I'm not throwing shade at Yellowstone. It's great, but (to me) the Tetons are...better. 

"The Teton Mountains are, to my way of thinking, quite the grandest and most spectacular mountains I have ever seen...When viewed over the vast expanse of sagebrush which covers the valley, or with Jackson Lake and the marshes in the foreground, they present a picture of ever-changing beauty which is to me beyond compare."

John D. Rockefeller Jr.

I don't see how it's possible to encounter the grandeur of the Teton Range and not be awestruck. I'm not just talking about the first viewing, either. I've spent countless hours around those mountains; the sight of them never fails to inspire me.

Camping in their shadow feels like sleeping near enormous, imposing - yet benevolent - sentries. Watching their expansive outlines begin to appear out of the darkness before dawn isn't just dramatic. It's deeply moving.

Teddy Roosevelt described those spectacular rugged peaks as "what mountains are supposed to look like." Who's to argue? PICTURE FRAMEGrand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The Tetons are very young as far as mountain ranges go: one of the youngest ranges in North America and the youngest in the Rockies. However, they contain some of the oldest rocks on the continent. Hmmm....

(Geology lesson for another time.)

We can thank tectonics for the unmatched view of the Teton Range from the east, with the majestic mountains extending abruptly from the valley floor. There are no foothills. With each earthquake along the 40-mile long Teton Fault, the valley drops further while the mountains continue to grow taller.

I'm fortunate to live near the Tetons. Proximity - which enables relatively easy access to both the park and the Teton Valley - and my emotional connection to the place, combine to provide wonderful opportunities to make photographs. Across all seasons, in its many moods, I've learned what to expect from it. I've come to understand its personality. This is one of the areas I consider home.

When I make photographs in and around the park, I'm trying to convey what the Tetons mean to me. 

You don't need a national park in which to do this, of course. Nearby places you often visit may have stolen your heart, too. Geographic accessibility is an asset. Take advantage of it. 

In Local News

Last call for skiing!

Jackson Hole's last day is this Sunday; Grand Targhee will close the curtain on winter operations after Easter Sunday. 

It was a pretty good season as far as snow totals go. Grand Targhee didn't make it to its signature "500 inches of champagne powder," though. (435 inches at Grand Targhee and 445 on the other side at Jackson Hole.)

The west entrance at Yellowstone National Park via West Yellowstone, Montana is scheduled to open to vehicle traffic on April 18th. From there you'll be able to drive as far as Old Faithful to the south, Mammoth to the North, and Canyon to the east.

Teton Park Road (the inner loop) will re-open to vehicle traffic on May 1st.

Grand Targhee's bike trails will be open in mid-June.