Fall Photography in the National Parks - Day 4

September 15th, 2025

The day started slowly yesterday.
I drove out of the campground and stayed on the forest road for a few KMs. It surely was a great view, and a lot of mud on the ground.

A view from the forest road that leads to Atherton campground

Eventually, I turned around and went towards the park.
I did not have a clear target for the day, so I decided I would explore.
I decided to take another forest road. At some point, a “Grizzly Bear Area” sign showed up, and I kept going. The road became more difficult and muddy with big washouts.

The sign showing entering the Grizzly Bear Area

The RV did great, but eventually I got stuck in a deeper mud hole that tilted the whole rig, preventing me from having any traction.
When I saw the road ahead of me, I knew it would happen. There was nowhere to turn around, and with a bit of rig, you are really limited in the kind of maneuvers you can do.
Having some experience and a bunch of recovery gear, I proceeded - and got stuck.

In the end, I had to use the winch to get the RV out of there. Thankfully, it worked great, and it didn’t have any problem pulling the rig out.
My winch is rated at 12000lbs, and the rig is about 5000lbs, so there is plenty of room.
I managed to get to the end of the road, where there was a camping area (by then I was already outside of the park boundary), near a stream.

The camping area on the forest road

I stayed there for a bit, nothing in sight.
So I drove back, disappointed for not seeing any bears.

As I was driving out of the campground, I heard a squeaking noise coming from the steering column rubber bushing, so I decided I would fix it also because I hate noises when driving, and in an RV, there are plenty, already.
I inspected the bushing and noticed there was dust in there, probably from my previous trip to the Arctic Circle.
It needed cleaning and lubrication, but I didn't have the right tool in my toolbox: no, the standard WD-40 doesn’t do it. I have noticed people making this mistake often. The oils in WD-40 are bad for rubber, and it will dry out the bushing, causing cracks.
What you need is silicone lube. So I went to ACE Hardware in Jackson and bought a can of WD-40 Specialty Silicon.
Cleaned up the bushing with some dish soap and water, then alcohol. Finally, I sprayed some silicon lube on it and made sure it stayed nice in there.
No more noise. Success!

It was about lunch time as well, so I decided to take a break and fill up with gas.
The afternoon was quiet, and I went exploring on a couple of dirt roads within the park.
Saw a few lovely birds, a couple of hawks and even a peregrine falcon. They are tiny and difficult to approach, especially in open fields like the one he was in. Also, it was raining pretty badly at that point. I got out of the RV, tried to get as close as possible and took some shots (if you want to see the final shots, follow my Instagram account @eyesofthewildca; I post the edited shots there, once I get them done).

Later in the afternoon, I decided I would go check out Jenny Lake. I had seen Moose there before, and it is a nice place.
As I am driving, I see a bull moose eating in the bushes. Pretty far away, tried to get closer, but he moved in deeper.
I couldn't leave the RV parked there because many areas in these parks have “No parking on the side of the road” restrictions, which are incredibly annoying.
So I had to find a place to park, and then I hiked into the forest. I followed the tracks, the poops, and everything that could help, and finally I found him—a young bull moose right there in front of me.
He was not startled, but it took a bit for him to get used to me. He kept coming closer to me as well, as I tried to keep the distance.
It was a very special moment, and nobody else was there. 
I only had the 400mm 2.8 TC VR S with me, as I wanted to be light on my feet and not spend too much time preparing the backpack.
I literally got the camera in my hand and went exploring.
I surely did not think I would get that close, and in the end, I got a bunch of close-up shots and enjoyed the moment.
It was genuinely great.

A shot of “Peter the moose” through my Z9 and the 400mm 2.8 TC VR S

I named him Peter. He seemed like a Peter to me.
I like to give names to the animals I meet because they have a special place in my heart. 

We kept looking at each other, and I was talking to him to make him feel at ease. He kept eating and doing his thing and didn’t mind me at all.

Eventually, he decided he had had enough of me, and he moved up in the forest, crossed the trail and disappeared.

Some days are slow, but sometimes, just like life, they have surprises for you when you least expect them. 
That encounter surely made the day special.