LAST DAY at GRAND TARGHEE

It was a gorgeous day in Alta Wyoming.  A. Paul & I caught the early morning light  in a clear blue sky reflecting off the mountain precipice adjacent to the ski run we were skiing.  The conditions were fabulous and, by midday, the resort plaza was filled with skiers and attendees of the Targhee K9 Avalanche Dog Fundraiser.



Char



Several colorful individuals added their own whimsy to the scene.  Kids tucked away in mandmade igloos simulating avalanche victims were rescued by trained avalanche dogs while onlookers watched the demonstration.

After watching the K9 rescue demonstration, I strolled over to Grand Targhee's Nordic Naturalist  center where I met resort naturalist Mike Lillrose who introduced me to the snowshoe animal tracking adventure offered at the resort.

Naturalist Mike Lillrose

The guided outing is complimentary with the rental of snowshoes and offered Thursday through Sundays twice a day.  The snowshoe adventure has been in effect for 12 years and operates year round when the resort is opened.  The naturalist guided tour not only educates its attendees about the wildlife of the area but also the ecology and geology of the surrounding environment. Mike informed me of two bears on the property that will come out after the resort closes, a resident red fox (who is most likely responsible for the tracks I see outside my window in the morning) and his capture and relocation of weasal critters who found their way into the lodge.  The nauralist adventure is also a great opportunity for photographing wildlife and mountain & valley vistas.

If you are adventurous and plan to be in this area during the winter or summer (when bear tracking is active), you may want to contact the resort for further details.  If we were staying longer, I would most definitely be taking advantage of this oppotunity.  Thanks, Mike, for your time and for the information.

Overall, our stay in Alta has been wonderful.  The weather held out for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the day activity and low key nights at this resort tucked away in the Tetons. Tomorrow, we head out to Utah.

 

DAY IN TARGHEE