Bull Elk in Grand Teton

It was our last day in Grand Teton National Park and we decided to take it easy and drive around the area, instead of going up all the way to Yellowstone. 

For the whole trip we hadn't seen large mammals that often: just a deer, a couple of encounters with elk, and bison... yeah... bison are indeed large and actually I saw quite a good number all together, but when I saw them it was a very bad photographic situation, in back light, almost at noon, one of the worst possible conditions... Sometimes I don't realize I grade everything from a photo opportunity point of view... sorry. I actually was happy to see them, but it wasn't in the beautiful Hayden valley in Yellowstone, it was in another, less attractive, location, not far from the road in a plain area – and Denise was not with me (I had got up before dawn to go and photograph the beavers... but that is another story). Anyway, back to the point, up to that moment we hadn't been able to take good pictures of large mammals. OK, I said it.

But while driving along one of the main roads, we saw one large animal resting in the shade of some trees. At first we thought of a moose, but getting closer we saw it was a large male elk.

              381mm f/6.3 1/500sec ISO 1250 +0.33

                            200mm f/6.3 1/500sec ISO 1000 +0.33

At least 6 years old, as we could see from the big antlers. The animal had recently stripped the velvet off them and a few signs could still be seen on the antlers surface. The rut time was close and the male were getting ready "to perform".

After staying some time in the shade, the animal decided to stand up and move so I followed slowly – actually I was walking backwards as he was walking towards me – always maintaining a distance larger than what recommended by the park rules, not only to be safe, but not to bother the animal, that in fact was peacefully eating grass and plants in the sagebrush prairie. The telephoto helped getting close ups without disturbing him.

              225mm f/5.0 1/1000sec ISO 125

              88mm f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 125

              400mm f/7.1 1/1000sec ISO 200

It was indeed a beautiful bull, with great antlers. It's incredible to think that they shed every year and then grow back larger and larger every time. Basically, they are too heavy to be carried around the whole time so after the mating rituals, the antlers are abandoned until they are needed again.

The Majestic Alpine Ibex

I still remember the first time I visited Valnontey and the whole family hiked up to the Vittorio Sella shelter. The beautiful view of the glaciers around and the river streaming down the deep groove in the valley. I was very excited to be in a national park. That was the closest thing to the dream of, one day, visiting the big national parks that I was seeing in documentaries on TV or reading about in books – dream that actually became true many years later.

              EOS 5D Mark III – 400mm f/10 1/1000 sec ISO 400

It was a memorable day. We saw many animals, in a wonderful natural environment: fat cute marmots, the elegant and fast chamois and the regal ibex. I remember how my Dad saw this huge male from such a distance and ran up to the ridge of the mountain to take a video with his 8mm videocamera: it was worth it, the big animal hadn't moved and my Dad took a great shot (I can see myself doing that now).

Since then, I have visited the park many times and I have been lucky to see steinbocks and chamois pasturing among the high mountain peaks or running like dare-devils on steep rocks.

But during the most recent visits, I hadn't been that lucky, maybe also because I hadn't that much time to walk around the valley or really look for the animals. While I was planning another trip to the national park, however, during a walk to a pass between Val d'Aosta and Piemonte, we were lucky to encounter a couple of beautiful male steinbocks.

              EOS 5D Mark III – 380mm f/8 1/500 sec ISO 800

I wouldn't have seen them, but I kept looking around me because I knew there might be animals in the area, and I was hoping to spot them. And in fact, while we were walking on a trail, higher on the side of the mountain we saw a first male approaching. Low clouds were at times obstructing the view with a thin fog, but we were pretty close to the animal to seee him well.

              EOS 5D Mark III – 375mm f/8 1/500 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 400mm f/8 1/500 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 400mm f/7.1 1/500 sec ISO 800

After a minute we spotted a second male, larger than the first one, with huge curved horns, coming after him. We looked at him walking and jumping on the steep rocks, but also posing for a classic shot, as if he was saying: "Yes, it's me, the king of the Alps."

                                      EOS 5D Mark III – 380mm f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 400mm f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 275mm f/7.1 1/500 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 260mm f/7.1 1/500 sec ISO 800

I kept shooting, until they both went past the ridge and we let them go, without running after them, happy with the wonderful view that these majestic animals had given us.

              EOS 5D Mark III – 360mm f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – 400mm f/9 1/640 sec ISO 800

Paradise, part 2

The Fauna of the Alps is very unique, and the National Park is a protected area where many wonderful animals can live safely. It is possible to see different species, and since I started coming here to hike when I was a kid, I have always enjoyed the beauty of such alpine mammals like the chamois. I remember being at awe, watching them running chasing each other on such steep slopes, that I would have needed ropes and harness to reach.
During our last visit, we have been lucky to spot them again.

            400mm f/5.6 1/30 sec ISO 125

            365mm f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 200

During this part of the year, these elegant animals stay low in the valley, where they can more easily find food and stay safer from the avalanches. As the temperature is warming, they start losing their winter fur for something more appropriate for the weather to come.

            365mm f/10 1/800 sec ISO 200

            400mm f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 200

We encountered many animals, both in the woods, when they appeared almost magically through the trees and branches and others more in the open, pasturing in meadows, in larger groups.

            400mm f/6.3 1/320 sec ISO 125

            400mm f/6.3 1/320 sec ISO 125

This baby was a surprise: Probably one of the first ones born in March, it seemed to be the only little one in the group.

            400mm f/5.6 1/100 sec ISO 125

            400mm f/5.6 1/250 sec ISO 125

            400mm f/5.6 1/80 sec ISO 125

            400mm f/5.6 1/50 sec ISO 125

The most interesting photos I think are the ones I took at sunset. I particularly like some shots taken in front of the dark side of the mountain, against the woods, while the animals where still lit by the last light of the day coming from the edge of the mountain ridge.