An unusually dry and warm winter limited the snow coverage across much of the Park. But that also meant that many of the elk that comprise North America's largest migrating herd of mammals remained in the open flats where they could still graze, which in turn led the Park's wolves to be much more active and visible. It also resulted in several dramatic displays of vibrant alpenglow.
Heavy hoarfrost has coated these aspen overnight in a glowing lace of white.
Overnight hoarfrost glitters in the morning light.
The Snake River remains unfrozen, helping create heavy hoarfrost as temperatures fall into the single digits.
Dozens of trout rise and thrash in this shrinking hole of open water.
Cloudveil Dome
The rut may be over but this moose was not at all happy at the arrival of another near his gal. A short, intense boxing match broke out on hind legs with the younger moose scampering away after a series of blows rained down on his head from his larger rival. Not your typical moose interaction!
A herd of elk graze on the dry dry grasses they can still access this winter evening. It is a gorgeous scene of natural wonder, with coyotes yipping in the distance.
The alpha female of the lower grow ventre wolf pack makes her way across a snowy field where she and her pack have been hunting.
A gray wolf crosses the flats to join his pack mates who have been feeding on a nearby carcass.
A gray wolf howls into the wind to his nearby pack mates.
Wolf sightings have been episodic at best over the past 20 years in the Tetons, but in 2026, they became almost a daily fixture on the winter landscape.
More than 1200 elk have been flushed from a nearby river bottom by a hungry pack of wolves, rushing, breathlessly, more than a mile across the flats where they will spend the day huddled and safe, at least until nightfall.
Hundreds of elks stream across the sage flats
Gray skies and the blues of early morning frame this large herd of elk that have gathered in these snowy flats.
A young moose follows mom across a snowy landscape.
Almost one year old, this moose calf knows that it remains critically important to stay close to mom's side.
A herd of elk races up a mountain butte to higher ground where they will spend the day before returning at night to the fields below that are still not fully snow covered this February.
Elk are among the most wary of wildlife and they were not anticipating finding me on their path to the river. Nor was I expecting them!
A large oak stands in shadow as the distant Teton Range glows gold in early sun.
This early morning alpenglow over the Teton range spurred me to run out in the snow and subfreezing dawn in some slippers and PJ's. At least for a few minutes I did not notice the bitter cold. At least until I could not feel the dials on the camera.
Winter often affords some of the most colorful sunrises and sunsets in the Tetons as a result of the lower angle of the sun and this dawn was especially dramatic with a long and lasting pink and purple alpenglow above the Teton Range.
Cloudveil Dome and South Teton
White aspen trunks and heavy hoarfrost.
A small herd of elk are startled at sundown, bolting across the snowy fields below the fading pink alpenglow.
The last light of day.
Sunset Panorama Over the Tetons
A cruising wolf pack has panicked this herd of some 1200 elk, stampeding from the river bottom and across the flats.
Hundreds of elk race across the winter flats.
A large herd of elk huddle on the winter flats after fleeing a pack of wolves that had checked them out moments earlier.