I try not to play favorites with the seasons because they’ve all got something wonderful to offer, but I must admit I’m partial to spring. Unlike T.S. Eliot, who didn’t write kindly about April, I’m rather fond of it. June, too – because in the mountains, June is still 100% springtime. May, though, is in a class by itself: the pièce de resistance.
Firmly occupying the top spot on my hit parade, May never seems to last long enough. I’ll be sorry to bid it farewell.
In May, the Tetons are at their loveliest. Still dressed in winter white, they create a striking backdrop for the various shades of green decorating the valley beneath them: a spectacularly beautiful clash of the seasons.
Lime, chartreuse, jade, mint – it's easy to run out of words when describing spectacular springtime greens. New leaves on the aspens and cottonwoods – leaflets – are brighter and lighter than they will be later after they mature. Juxtaposed with the dark greens of the conifers, this watercolor wash creates quite a lovely tapestry.
In its own way, this second “foliage season” (or green season, as I refer to it) is as much of a showstopper as the production we’ll enjoy when autumn rolls around.
Sometimes the mountains are part of the narrative. In other cases, the trees stand on their own merit and it's just about the verdant valley.
I had a little bit of fun with the abstract below. On first glance you might think I created it by employing intentional camera movement, but that's not the case: the camera was stationary.
Now that Memorial Day has passed, much of the country is now fully in a summer state of mind (even though the calendar says summer won't begin until the latter part of June). Fortunately though, in the mountains, spring blissfully continues on.
Because it was a dryer than normal winter, I don't expect green season to linger this time around, but it'll carry on at least for at least a few more weeks.
The next "microseason" is on deck and raring to get going: wildflowers. It will overlap with green season.
A stretch of unusually warm weather two weeks ago coaxed many of the Arrowleaf Balsamroot - one of the first flower varieties to decorate the valley each year - to pop out of the ground earlier than usual. Some had already begun blooming when I was working in Grand Teton National Park last week: they were no doubt surprised by snowfall and a few days with overnight temperatures dipping into the low 20s. Oops.
The plants are fine and will return next year, but the hard freeze killed their early flowers. Not to worry; there will still be lots of color. Many more blooms are ready to open up.
I'll be heading back over to the park in a few days to photograph more of the glorious greens along with the wildflowers.
Best time of the year!
In Local News
In Yellowstone National Park, Dunraven Pass is now open, which means all park roads are now driveable for the season. Beartooth Highway has opened as well, but as always at this time of year, weather can be a factor. Before heading out, check current conditions on the MDT 511 map.
In Grand Teton National Park, be advised that above 9,000 feet there's still a great deal of snow. It's winter up there. Many "summer" trails are impassable currently without crampons, an ice axe, and experience with deep snow.
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