The Grand Tetons

Happenings

The Grand Tetons have to be one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Located just below Yellowstone park, they soar abruptly from Jackson Lake at 6,772 feet to 13,770 feet on the Grand Teton (picture, left). Unlike most of the Rockies, there are no foothills to obstruct the view.

We camped at the north end of Jackson Lake at Colter Bay campground. The only downside was that they wanted $3 for a shower. I took most of my showers in Mom and Dad's camper (its about 1' x 1' x 6' high). There were fires burning across the lake from us but other than some occasional smoke, and closing the Yellowstone Park south entrance they didn't really effect us. At night we could watch pine trees torch on the far side of the lake. The fire probably burned about 5 miles south during the week.

Major hikes during the week were Paintbrush Canyon, Static Peak, and Bradley Lake.(Click to view each of these).

The northern route out of the park was empty due to the fires. This picture shows a large clearing in which we saw an elk one day. We also watched a large black bear and a mule buck deer alongside the road.

Michael and Matt did some fishing but didn't get a nibble. We did see several people with stringers of fish so I guess there is a way to catch them. If you look very closely you can see fish Matt FOUND along the shore.

Tessa and Lisa did a very nice horseback ride from Jackson Lodge. They saw a coyote and a moose on the ride. I think Tessa would have ridden every day if given the chance. It was easy to see why they call it the Cowboy State as there were horses everywhere.

We took bicycles along and I did on long ride to the top of Signal Mt. The 700 foot climb at this altitude was a real eye opener, but my goal was to get in shape for the longer hike to the top of Static Peak. I hit rain on the way down and with the 55°F temperatures and fast descent, my legs, hands, and feet froze (yes, I had a raincoat on).

Colter Bay Area Mt. Moran, smoke from fire

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