Snake River Scenic Float
4 / 5
After some very busy days on the go, we took Day 4 in the Tetons nice and easy. That afternoon was a scenic float down the Snake River with Triangle X. Peaceful, serene, and downright beautiful, the river winds its way through the park with the Teton Range rising in the background. On the drive out, we passed a herd of bison grazing near the road, a pretty solid way to start the day.
We shared the raft with a nice couple from Alabama who ran a cow ranch. Wildlife-wise, we had a few special moments: a very close encounter with a beaver along the shoreline, and a distant but still majestic bald eagle perched high in the trees. We also spotted an American Avocet sporting its striking cinnamon head, which the guide said is rare for the Tetons. I had my hopes up for a moose sighting, but they didn’t show.
Partway through the float, a rainstorm rolled in. Luckily, we came prepared with rain jackets, and it ended up being a bonus. The rain cast a moody, dramatic veil over the Tetons, and just as quickly as it arrived, it moved on and left behind double rainbows. I’ve never seen that before, and it was a pretty incredible sight.
After the float, we hopped in the car for some evening wildlife scouting. We swung by an overlook along Moose-Wilson Road but didn’t see much there, aside from a deer on the way. At Mormon Row, we finally got a closer look at a pronghorn. Until then, they’d all been distant specks, so this felt like a win.
He was standing out in the road ahead, and I wasn’t sure how tolerant he’d be of us getting closer. So we did this slow, slightly ridiculous routine where I’d have Danny pull forward a bit, I’d hop out, brace the camera on the door, take a shot, then get back in and repeat. We probably did that five times. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too bothered by us, and I ended up getting some pretty solid photos.
We wrapped things up at Schwabacher’s Landing, where a variety of ducks were paddling through the calm water.
On the drive back to the campground, we spotted elk in the distance, their pale rumps easy to pick out against the landscape. All in, the day gave us sightings of a beaver, mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and a herd of bison. Not bad for what was supposed to be a lazy day.
Partway through the float, a rainstorm rolled in. Luckily, we came prepared with rain jackets, and it ended up being a bonus. The rain cast a moody, dramatic veil over the Tetons, and just as quickly as it arrived, it moved on and left behind double rainbows. I’ve never seen that before, and it was a pretty incredible sight.
After the float, we hopped in the car for some evening wildlife scouting. We swung by an overlook along Moose-Wilson Road but didn’t see much there, aside from a deer on the way. At Mormon Row, we finally got a closer look at a pronghorn. Until then, they’d all been distant specks, so this felt like a win.
He was standing out in the road ahead, and I wasn’t sure how tolerant he’d be of us getting closer. So we did this slow, slightly ridiculous routine where I’d have Danny pull forward a bit, I’d hop out, brace the camera on the door, take a shot, then get back in and repeat. We probably did that five times. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too bothered by us, and I ended up getting some pretty solid photos.
We wrapped things up at Schwabacher’s Landing, where a variety of ducks were paddling through the calm water.
On the drive back to the campground, we spotted elk in the distance, their pale rumps easy to pick out against the landscape. All in, the day gave us sightings of a beaver, mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and a herd of bison. Not bad for what was supposed to be a lazy day.