Grand Tetons National Park

 June 14, 2021 

Today we drove from Estes Park, Colorado to Lander, Wyoming.

The views were vast for most of the ride broken up by some red rocks here

And a line of white mesas here, tomorrow we continue on to the Tetons.

It is hot here 96 degrees and sunny.

Sunset in Lander, Wyoming

June 15, 2021

We drove to Grand Teton National Park

View on Highway 26 in Wyoming of multicolored sweeping hills.

And two minutes later we are weaving between these red rocks.

This craggy rock also stood out on our way here.

And then our first glimpse at the Tetons, magnificent.

Grand Teton, the parks namesake.

We are staying inside the national park at Gros Ventre Campground.

Our site has the picnic table and fire ring off to the right in the sagebrush.

We stopped off at Craig Discovery and Visitor Center to get the lay of the land and determine which hikes to do this week.

It just a short walk from our campsite to the Snake River.

It felt good to step in the cool water as the temperature today got up to 87 degrees.

We have no electricity hook-up here so Jim has hooked up our solar panel.  We also have a generator if the solar panel does not keep up with our usage.

June 16, 2021

We have no internet at the campsite, can’t hotspot, limited phone service.  It's a nice break but it also means blogging up at the Visitor Center.

Today we hiked to Bradley Lake starting along a rushing creek.

Of course it had beautiful views of the Tetons.

And we sae Lake Taggart from afar.

The reflection in Bradley Lake was stunning.

As always we are enjoying our hike.

We enjoyed Bradley Lake and then went to Lake Taggart.

Lake Taggart was clear enough to see all the trees lying inside it.

After our hike to the lakes we went to Menor's Ferry and saw this replica ferry used to cross the snake river in the early 1900s

This is Bill Menor's Homestead, the original section is on the far left and he kept building on to the right.  "Store owner Bill Menor, prone to swearing and a surly attitude, ran this general store in the early 1900s. Menor and his brother, Holiday, painted this building with whitewash from Holiday's lime kiln. Referring to Bill, Holiday was known to say: "My partner's Mean, but I'm Menor."

THE EPISCOPAL CHAPEL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

With a sweeping view of the Tetons.

The pews are made from local Aspen trees.

We had a great day in the park today.

June 17, 2021

Here is today's plan, hike the left side along Jenny Lake, procced up to Hidden Falls, continue climbing up to Inspiration Point, once up there check out Cascade Canyon.

Our first look along side Jenny Lake.

Raging waters let us know we are nearing the Falls.

Feeling good up at Hidden Falls

Long shot of Hidden Falls

Here is a video of the Falls so you can almost feel like you are here.

We climbed up and stopped where several hikers were gathered but it was not yet Inspiration Point.

We had more climbing to do.

Here we are at 7,200 feet at Inspiration Point.

Jenny Lake

Now we are up in Cascade Canyon.

We feel no like we are IN the Tetons

The canyon walls are stunning.

Jim is a happy hiker 

How can you not love this?

Who knew rocks could be so pretty?

We did hear of a Moose ahead, and sure enough he was chewing on some leaves surrounded by blue flowers across the water.

After 7 miles of hiking we waited our turn to get on a boat back.

Good bye Cascade Canyon.

Still masking up on occasion.  The National Park required masks on the boat ride.

The boat ride was a pleasant way to get back.

Mount Moran with Falling Ice Glacier on the left.

"Mt. Moran reflects all the geologic forces shaping the Teton Range. Formed of a massive block of metamorphic gneiss; cut by dikes of igneous granite and diabase; capped by sedimentary sandstone; and flanked by glaciers, this formidable peak dominates the park's northern skyline. The gneiss and granite are among the oldest rocks in North America, 2.7 and 2.5 billion years old respectively. These resistant rocks form the core of the Teton Range. The vertical "Black Dike" of 775 million year old diabase is about 150 feet wide and juts from the mountain's face because the surrounding gneiss has eroded away."

The Tetons with yellow wildflowers in the foreground.  It is the perfect time of year to see the wildflowers here at the park.

We drove up to the top of Signal Mountain which had a beautiful view of Jackson Lake.

Happy to be here on a clear day.

Munching along the roadside this elk feeds himself.

The Cathedral Group

"These peaks have been called the Cathedral Group. . .more evident here than in many of the great cathedrals of men is the gothic note. It is seen in the profiles of the countless firs and spruces congregated like worshippers on the lower slopes; it reappears higher in the converging lines of spire rising beyond spire; it attains supreme expression in the figures of the peaks themselves that, towering above all else, with pointed summits direct one's vision and thoughts yet higher."

Fritiof Fryxell

Fritiof Fryxell served as Grand Teton National Park's first park naturalist.

Cascade Canyon from across the lake, we hiked in there earlier today.

Here is the rescue helicopter that is searching for a local man who went for a hike last Tuesday, didn't show up for work the following day, work called the NPS on the weekend and they have been looking for the hiker ever since.

June 18, 2021

Jim and I are indulging ourselves with a 10 mile float trip down the Snake River.

Our boatman Jim Vance did a great job navigating the Snake River.

The river has multiple channels and is constantly reshaping itself.

Here is a very short video so you can hear and see the river was flowing well.

Gorgeous views of the Tetons from the Snake River.

Here the river is ready to take down this tree on the shoreline.

We enjoyed our lazy ride on the Snake.  And knowing that there is no escaping the sun while on the river, we had hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and long-sleeved shirts.

After the boat ride we took a gravel road down to Ox Bow Bend and had some lunch.

Ox Bow Bend was a quiet respite in the busy park.

We drove north to see Colter Bay.

And then stopped at Jackson Lake Lodge to see the view from there.

Another great day at Grand Teton National Park.

June 19, 2021

Today we headed to the Laurence Rockefeller Center to start a  hike around Phelps Lake.

The trail started along Lake Creek.

Phelps Lake with a gorgeous reflection.

"Geologists estimate that Phelps Lake formed 14,000-50,000 years ago."

"Today, Phelps Lake has surface elevation of 6,633 feet, depth of 1561 feet and circumference of 4 miles." 

"In the summer months, the water averages around 50° F."

At the end of the lake is Death Canyon.

Inviting to go hike in, but not on the schedule for today.

The snow melt creates an impromptu waterfall.

"Phelps Lake home to 6 species of fish. Native: Snake River cutthroat (left), Utah sucker, red side shiner, and mountain whitefish. Non-native: lake trout, brook trout."

Other hikers mentioned 2 bear cubs and their mom ahead but we did not see them.

We stopped in a shady spot for a mid hike snack.

We took Lake Creek Trail on the way back.  This creek was running strong.

Just a torrent of snow melt coming down the mountain.

We like to play a game called "Pooh Sticks" from Winne the Pooh where you each drop a stick off one side of the bridge and see which one comes under the bridge first.  Here Mother Nature has dropped 2 trees off, the top one got under the bridge first but both are stuck in place.

In the evening we spied a family of moose, 1 bull moose, a calf and its mom.

Here is a picture of the adult female.

June 20, 2021

Today we went into Jackson for church and a Fathers Day meal.

This mountain lion caught my attention in one of the art galleries in town.

As well as this white buffalo.

Neither at a price of $1,400 each left the store.

Grand Tetons were a grand adventure. 

On to Yellowstone.