Grand Tetons

Daily Mileage=103; Total Trip= 7781

Today we went back into Grand Teton NP which is only about 3 miles from Jackson. I think a lot of people may think the city or ski resort is Jackson Hole but not really. The entire valley in between the mountain ranges is called Jackson Hole. It was created by plate tectonics pushing the mountains up with some glacier erosion over millions of years. As compared to Yellowstone which was formed mostly by glacier. When explorers first came to the area they called the valley a "hole" because it was literally surrounded by mountains. Inside Grand Teton NP, it's very easy to see why they called it a hole. Jackson was one of the first settlers and photographed the area. When you compare the range today to his photos in the late 1800's, they still look the same. Anyway, that's how Jackson('s) Hole was named. The Tetons are actually several individual mountains that collectively are called the Teton Range and are a part of the Rocky Mountains. The highest is Grand Teton peaking at 13,770 feet. The others follow with the smallest capping at about 10,825 feet, no small mole hills here!!!

It is very difficult to photograph this panoramic range but Rich has been trying to get it done without clouds covering the peaks. Here are South, Middle and Grand Teton in order. They certainly are grand in fact, they are spectacular! As you drive around the loop roads in the park you see the mountains from different perspectives. Each seems more beautiful than the last. I know we sound like we're repeating ourselves and some of it is the beauty of each new spot. However, this area is stupendous and a definite return trip.

The park is more than mountains although they are the dominating feature. There are several lakes the two bigger ones are Jenny and Jackson. We took a small boat across Jenny Lake this afternoon (thought of our Jenny) and did one of the best hikes of the trip although we are tired tonight. It went up to a cliff called Inspiration Point. All we can say is that it was correctly named. We continued into what is called the Cascade Canyon which is a canyon between two of the mountains. It was incredible but a moderately difficult climb. Here's what the trail looked like but also what the canyon floor looked like as well.
And, although this was a rough climb at points, the trail had great variety on it too. We saw sheer mountain walls, boulders, streams, of course waterfalls, deer, moose and birds. The wild flowers are also in bloom at this time of the year and are lovely. We didn't do the entire 9 miles because of time but we did about 5 miles and wish we had started earlier. Some folks ahead of us said they even saw bears in the distance playing (I didn't mind missing that piece!). The climb was almost 600 feet and we started at a base of 7,000 plus.

We also went to the top of a small mountain in the valley, Signal Mountain, which showed many of the beautiful geological features of the valley. (This time letting the Chevy do the climbing.) We saw alpine meadows and rolling green hills where of course the buffalo roam as d0 many other animals. Here we saw the mountains dropping to the lakes and the Snake River which meanders through the park. You can see the river here but it looks like a little piece of water, which it's not!!

Needless to say we had a very full day and ended by stopping by the local micro brewery to grab something quick. It's the Snake River Brewing Company and has won many awards for its beer. I had a Snake River Pale Ale which was very good along the lines of a German ale beer and then decided I had to try Snake River Zonker Stout (won many awards last year). It was exactly what you'd expect of a heavy stout, good but not by favorite. Rich of course, had wine. Anyway, we had a nice time and that leads me to my last comment for the night about the town of Jackson.

Jackson is a real cowboy town. They walk the streets(that have wooden sidewalks on them) wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats. They do ride real horses. It's a mix of the trendy shops with the mandatory tee-shirt shops and touristy places but also has a definite upscale side to it as well. (If anyone is interested in purchasing a magnificent moose head trophy for $35,000. we know just the place to go here.) Jackson has many historical places and buildings (real log cabins); there's even a horse drawn stagecoach you can take a ride in if you'd like. Jackson is not large and sits at the bottom of a small ski resort. The first photo we took of it shows an antler arch entry to the "town park" which was the original town meeting place back in the 1800's. There's a lot to do and just walking around makes you feel like a cowgirl/boy!!

So, happy trails to you until we meet again,

Love & Joy,

Mare and Rich