Thursday, June 7, 2018
Today we said our goodbyes to Yellowstone and headed out to Grand Teton National Park. Once more we were buffaloed, but the delay wasn’t for too long this time. With the windows down, we sat in the car and enjoyed the delicious pine fragrance and the birds singing all around us.
We made a few quick stops along the way toward the South entrance of Park, including Lewis Lake and Falls. From there we entered Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). There were no lines to enter the Tetons, but there was a long line going into Yellowstone from the Tetons. At the information center we picked up a map as well as lunch. A short distance away we had a picnic with a view overlooking Jackson Lake and the mountains.
To break up the ride to Jackson (Jackson Hole) we decided to take a hike. The Lake Trail was located at Colter Bay near the Jackson Lake marina and looped around a small island in the Lake. It was lovely walking in the dense pine woods and we spent some time just sitting on a log on the edge of the lake admiring the scenery.
The route we took toward Jackson was the Teton Park Road. Just like in Yellowstone, there were plenty of turnoffs that allowed us to admire the mountains. While most of the other turnoffs provided different views of the Tetons, we did stop at a few places of special interest. One stop was the Jackson Lake Dam that provides electricity and protects the area from flooding. The Chapel of the Sacred Heart was log structure built during the 1930’s to service the growing Catholic population. It was in that parking lot that Dan spotted a black bear and her THREE playful cubs. Adorable!! Earlier in the day we saw an eagle sitting atop a dead tree and a coyote that pranced alongside our car for a short time.
With a little persuasion Dan took a side trip up a narrow winding road to the top of Signal Mountain. It had been recommended to us by a forest ranger. The view from the mountain top was quite inspiring with the valley and lakes stretching far below us. What I liked best, however, was the abundance of white, purple, pink and yellow wild flowers.
The Tetons are considered young geologically and have very little growing on them – at least that we can see. Instead of the usual foothills there is simply either a lake or plains and then abruptly, there are the mountains. They are dark, rocky, jagged (especially Mt. Teton) and frosted with snow giving them a very dramatic appearance.
Our hotel, The Flat Creek Inn, sits just outside the town. Directly across the street is the National Elk Refuge. It is a vast open area, but not a single elk could be spotted. Some of the signage on the shops were quirky and fun. One showed a family of bears on raft. Hopefully we’ll get back to town to take a few more photos. Tomorrow we will return and explore more of the Grand Teton National Park.
BY THE WAY WITH WENDY & DAN 