I had never been to the western U.S. in the fall.  Browsing online got me to thinking about such a trip. After much discussion Debra and I, along with Rich and Betsy Riter made plans to travel to Wyoming and Montana.

I was interested in visiting the eastern flanks of the Absaroka Mountains and the Beartooth Mountains.  The Riters had never been to the Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Parks. We decided to combine the two destinations in a 9/26/2023 -10/7/2023 excursion.

We flew From Dulles Airport, near D.C. to Jackson Hole, Wy. I had high hopes of getting some great western photographs. All did not go well. I managed to trip, stumble and fall several times, damaging not only my body but also my camera and a lens. My photography efforts were hindered for most of the trip. Thankfully Rich Riter's photography was there and provided many of the photos for this webpage.

Weather played a big part in the trip. We had beautiful sunny days in the Tetons and in Yellowstone.  We had chilly drizzly weather in the Absorkas which provided some very scenic fresh snow on the high peaks. Unfortunately it snowed shut most access to the Beartooth mountains. One plus was at this time of year the Aspen and Willow trees were showing brilliant fall colors.

Despite the many challenges it was a great trip.  Can't wait to return (maybe twice) in 2024. I hope you enjoy the photographs and feel free to ask questions.  Dan