Ah...Grand Teton National Park in autumn. Just look at those aspens showing off their seasonal finery!
But wait – I didn’t make that photograph this year. Nobody made photographs featuring the aspens looking like that this year. Those who came to the Tetons a few weeks ago expecting to find the place filled with fiery color were bitterly disappointed.
I anticipated a lackluster foliage show: going all the way back to last November, the necessary ingredients for good autumnal color have been missing in action. In a nutshell, a snow drought over the winter produced a truncated spring season and ushered in warm temperatures much earlier than normal. This, in turn, triggered a “feedback loop” which amplified and prolonged hot, dry conditions over the course of the summer.
The trees are stressed. Not a winning recipe for good color.
Though I didn’t expect much, I was surprised by just how poor the foliage situation was. While many of the cottonwoods hugging the Snake and Gros Ventre Rivers were colorful, the aspens in the north end of the park – typically boasting the most vivid oranges and yellows – were completely bare when they should have been peaking. It looked more like mid-November than late September. For the most part, those aspens skipped turning color altogether, dropping their leaves early and en masse.
Sensible behavior, doing what they must to survive - but oh what a sorry sight.
I’ve encountered more than a few muted foliage seasons (haven't we all?) - but there’s muted and then there’s completely missing in action. Never have I experienced anything quite like this autumn in the Tetons.
You can’t always get what you want. As if any landscape photographer didn’t already know that…
Because scheduling conflicts precluded a trip back to New England this year for the big show (truly unfortunate as the extravaganza has been over the top in terms of quality), and since I absolutely cannot go through foliage season without seeing decent color, I hung my hopes on Palisades, Idaho.
Bingo.
All I can say is thank goodness for mountain maples.
Just 40 straight-line miles from the park, Palisades was on fire with seasonal color. In spite of the fact that a lot of the aspens there were also clearly struggling, the maples were busy showing off, painting the steep hillsides with deep oranges and reds.
Unlike their eastern cousins, mountain maples (Acer spicatum) are more shrub than tree: short, scraggly, and relatively inconspicuous for much of the year – but when autumn rolls around, watch out. These are seasonal scene stealers.
They’re also tough - built to thrive in challenging conditions. Clinging to steep, rocky slopes in harsh high-altitude climates with poor soil, they’ve adapted to survive. Not even heavy wildlife browsing phases them.
It’s precisely these challenging conditions which prompt western maples to display such vivid color.
LONER
The plants actively produce red pigments in early autumn as a form of self-defense. Dramatic overnight temperature drops cause chlorophyll in the leaves to begin to degrade, but most days remain warm with intense daytime sunlight. Left unprotected, this excess light energy could quickly damage the plant tissue.
In response, the maples rapidly produce anthocyanins – the intense red hues – which shield vulnerable leaves, enabling them to stay attached to the branches a while longer. This creates a necessary window for the trees to harvest nutrients for winter storage.
The maples buy time, and we get a nice show.
GOLDEN OBLIQUE
Are these New England reds? Of course not. But they're showy and you've got to appreciate these tenacious mountain dwellers. In a year when good color in the national park was difficult to find, there's been even more to admire about these dogged little maples.
Note: Palisades is just a short drive from Grand Teton National Park. Head south out of Jackson and proceed through the Snake River Canyon. Upon reaching Alpine Junction, make a right turn onto State Highway 26, crossing into Idaho. The roadway runs alongside the Palisades Reservoir.
Photographing the foliage in this area can be challenging. There are limited options in terms of getting off the road, people tend to zip through at high speed so you've got to be very careful, and composition obstacles such as power lines sometimes get in the way. That said, if you're ever in Western Wyoming or Eastern Idaho during foliage season, stop by, pull out a long lens and give it a try. There are interesting things to see.
In Local News
All campgrounds are now closed for the season within Grand Teton National Park. After this Sunday the 18th, the only campground remaining open inside Yellowstone will be Mammoth (open all year for those hardy souls).
Roads will close to vehicle traffic in YNP on November 1st in preparation for the winter season.
Likewise, the Inner Loop Road in GTNP closes on the same date. You can still drive as far as the Taggart Lake parking area over the winter. Coming from the north, you can drive as far as Signal Mountain Lodge.
The Tetons desperately need to have a good snowy winter. In spite of the super El Niño, I'm hoping for the best. This does not mean I'm looking to be endlessly shoveling my driveway, however. Snow in the mountains. :)
Miss last week's post?