I hope you will have a great trip! I have been to Yellowstone and the Tetons as a teen , as a newly-wed, a parent of school kids and a near-retiree. All different and all very enjoyable trips.

I would vote for a 70-200 mm zoom as just right for some landscape and thermal features.
Whirligig Geyser by dfwatsoneuro, on Flickr

No need for f/2.8 there, but at 200 mm f/2.8 you have a good substitute for a macro lens for interesting wildflowers.


I would love to see your shots of birds and wildlife with the 500 mm lens. If you are trekking the Lamar Valley to seek out wildlife, the 500 mm would be THE lens. On the other hand, I recall many occasions when wildlife got close just by chance, for example a moose grazing on shrubs in the parking lot of the Jackson Lodge about 3 feet from our car. So I think an extender for the 70-200 on the M6 II would handle some shots of birds and wildlife and be much lighter to pack.

For views of the Snake River Valley from the Tetons, I can recommend the Amphitheater Lake Trail. The trail requires only walking uphill, no technical skills. Good views of lakes and the valley start halfway up (about 2.5 miles and 1500 feet gain in elevation) if you don’t want to go to the top.

I liked the “big sky” of a wide angle for such shots, but a panorama with some compression (say about 100 mm focal length) could also be a great idea.
Snake River Valley by dfwatsoneuro, on Flickr



In any case, have a wonderful trip, and stay safe!

Danny