Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Snake River Overlook


IMG_8529 Snake River Overlook
Figure 1. Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton National Park, WY.

Snake River Overlook is one of the hot spots in Grand Teton National Park. Snake River meanders with the Tetons as the backdrop. It looks great on the site as well as in the picture. Usually you can see photographers waiting here at sunrise for the signature scene of this park. In addition, Ansel Adam makes this one of his best known photograph. This photograph is also carried on NASA Voyager II to show the aliens, if they exist, what planet Early looks like.

If you have seen Ansel Adam's photograph from Snake River Overlook, you will find something has changed. The trees are much taller than his days and Snake River is not an entire curve now. The same happened in other parks, too. For example, taller trees obscure many scenes in Yosemite and you won't be able to get the same photo as before. Fortunately, Snake River Overlook still looks good enough for me even I can't get exactly the same photo as Ansel Adam.

If the trees keep growing and obscure the entire Snake River, what will the park do? I don't know. I'll just enjoy this scene now and leave the debate to the future.