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Published: July 27th 2008
On July 8, 2008, we left Red Rock RV Park at Island Park, Idaho, and arrived at The Grand Teton National Park (Gros Ventre Campground - pronounced Grow Vaunt). We were dry camping here as this national park had no facilities other than a dump station for your black and gray water and a spigot with fresh water so you could fill your fresh water tank. For most Rvers wanting to fill their water tank that meant hauling their RV up to where the fresh water spigot was located at the very front of the campground. However, we do have a 45 gallon water bladder we put in the back of the truck and take up to the water spigot and fill, then bring that back to the RV and transfer the water into our water tank.
At first we thought we may stay three or four days, but because it was such a beautiful place, we wound up staying 14 days. Every where you go in this area you see the snow-capped Tetons, which, of course, are majestic and breathtakingly beautiful. The tallest mountain, Grand Teton, is 13,770 feet. There are five other mountains over 12,000 feet -- Mt.
Camp Site
Tetons in the background.Owen, 12,928 feet; Middle Teton, 12,804 feet; Mt. Moran, 12,605 feet; South Teton, 12,514 feet; Teewinot, 12,325 feet. Even when we were in the RV we could see them out of our large rear window, so consequently, our rear curtains were always open. Gros Ventre was a large campground with over 300 sites, but because it has been left in its natural state and with the sites being spread apart, it did not seem like there were a lot of campers around you and you had privacy when you were sitting outside. Because the campground is left natural there are many cottonwood trees, and while we were there, it was, apparently, the season for them to pollinate. There were many days when it almost looked as if it was snowing by the amount of white, fuzzy pollen coming down out of the trees. However, even though most days the temperature was sunny and mild, once the sun went behind the mountains, the temperature would almost immediately drop 10 degrees and would continue to drop throughout the late afternoon and night. Most nights it would get down into the low 40s and one night it got down to 31, this was
July 10. Being from Florida, my body does not compute 30 and 40 degree temperatures in July. By this time, we were both getting tired of cold weather. It seems as if we had been cold to one degree or another almost since we left home on April 2.
Not only was the campground and surrounding area beautiful, there were also many animals. We saw buffalo, moose and elk, sometimes quite close to the campground, as well as in the entire area. We did not get to see any bears. Again, at this campground, as at Rex Hale, and in the entire Teton National Park, there was the potential for bears. As badly as we wanted to see bears, we did not want to meet one up close and personal in our campsite. I must mention, while in this area and most of the states we have been in since South Dakota, we have seen many birds, some we are not familiar with in Florida. The most striking bird we have seen is the Mountain Blue Bird. Of course, we do have the Eastern Blue Bird in Florida, but the Mountain Blue Bird is even more striking. The eastern
Elk Horn Arch
Jackson, Wyoming variety has a goldish/reddish color on it's chest, whereas the mountain variety is entirely blue. I wish we had been able to get a photo of one, but they were never still long enough.
Gros Ventre Campground was only about four miles from Jackson, Wyoming, which is definitely a tourist town, although charming nonetheless. As mentioned in a previous blog, the city of Jackson is located in the beautiful Jackson Hole Valley. One day we drove into Jackson, which has 8,500 permanent residents and is a popular ski destination in the winter and has a thriving arts center as well as being the jumping-off point for the surrounding areas of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. On the drive into Jackson we could see the ski slopes, although at this time of the year, naturally, there is no snow, but plenty of green grass. We had breakfast at the Village Inn then walked around and did the tourist thing. We also wanted to look for walking shoes to use when we hike. There is a new type out now that are not entirely closed in like most walking and running shoes. They look like regular walking shoes, but
with areas left open so your feet do not get so hot and sweaty. I find them much more comfortable, especially since I do not like closed-in shoes. In the summer months I live in sandals. On the drive into and out of Jackson we passed the National Elk Refuge which is a 23,754-acre refuge and serves as the annual winter range for 5,000 to 10,000 elk. At the end of the winter season, local Boy Scout troops gather and auction off the elk antlers that are naturally shed every spring, donating 80 percent of their profits to buy supplemental feed for the elk. The top buyers usually come from Asia, where antlers are considered to have medicinal value.
Some of the things we did while in the Grand Teton National Park:
Signal Mountain - which is 7,593 feet at the summit affording a beautiful view and a great place to take photos. The drive to the summit was a little bit of a heart-in-throat drive in some areas, but we have been on much worse roads in mountains. It was a five-mile drive with some areas of the road being quite heavily wooded on either side and
Wildflowers
Yellow Mules Ears growing on the side of the summit at Signal Mountain. some areas where the road was carved out of the side of the mountain (those were the heart-in-throat areas). Again, we saw many wildflowers growing on the side of the road and at the summit. The most prominent variety was yellow mule's ears which we have seen a lot of all over the areas we have traveled since Idaho. At the summit, there is a panoramic view of the entire Teton Range, Jackson Lake and most of Jackson Hole valley. On this day, we also drove the Antelope Flats Valley Loop Road where we saw many abandoned early settlements, hay fields, and ranches; we were lucky enough to see a herd of buffalo. At the town of Kelly we turned onto the Bridger-Teton National Forest access road which takes you out of Grand Teton National Park 4.5 miles to see the Gros Ventre slide which occured in 1925 when earthquakes and rain caused the north end of Sheep Mountain to slide and dam the Gros Ventre River, forming Lower Slide Lake. Two years later, the natural dam collapsed, causing a flood that killed six people downstream in Kelly. On the drive back to the campground, we stopped at the Craig
Bronze Elk Sculpture
On road into Jackson. Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. We spent well over an hour there looking at the many natural and cultural history exhibits pertaining to the Tetons. There is also a very nice store where you can shop for gifts, educational books and postcards. It is one of the nicest and most informative visitor centers we have been ever visited.
Menor's Ferry National Historic District - which affords a look at homesteading and pioneer life in Jackson Hole in the early days. Just getting the basics of modern life to Jackson Hole was difficult. Pack horses and wagon trains struggled over Teton Pass. Once in the valley, they had to deal with the swift Snake River. William Menor started Menor's Ferry in 1894 to cross the Snake River at Moose, Wyoming, which was a major accomplishment in helping with the difficult task of packing in supplies to the area. Nearby is the Maud Noble Cabin where in 1923 a group of citizens met with Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Horace Albright to discuss the creation of Grand Teton National Park. The cabin houses many exhibits, artifacts and photos of life in Jackson Hole. Also in this area is the historic Episcopalian Chapel
of the Transfiguration, built in 1925, and services are still held there today during the summer.
Jenny Lake - We took a 10-minute boat ride across beautiful Jenny Lake to the mouth of Cascade Canyon Trail where you can hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. After we got off the boat and started on the hike to the falls, we were only about 15 minutes into the hike when I tripped over a rock and tore my shin wide open. There was a couple and their children behind us. She was very helpful and had bandages with her and bandaged my leg. After this mishap, we continued with our hike to the falls which for the most part was uphill. The trail afforded beautiful scenery and the falls were impressive. After leaving the falls we continued on to Inspiration Point, still hiking mostly uphill. About half way between the falls and Inspiration Point, I decided I had hiked all I could uphill, and since at this point we came to a place where there was a great view of Jenny Lake below and the mountain vistas beyond, I decided to wait at this spot for Dee since he
Trish and Dee
In Jackson, Wyoming wanted to continue on to Inspiration Point. He was gone probably about 45 minutes to a hour and when he returned we then hiked back to the boat, which thank goodness, was a downhill trek. This is another beautiful spot in the Tetons.
Float trip down the Snake River - Due to the beauty and lack of whitewater on certain parts of the Snake River many companies offer float boat trips. It is best to float down this river with an experienced guide, unless you are very familiar with the river, because of the tangle of channels and constant shifting of logjams. The river can change overnight and water flow varies greatly throughout the summer. We were taken by bus to where the boat puts in and the trip itself took about two hours. It was a relaxing, beautiful and informative trip. We saw eight bald eagles along the river, two bald eagle nests and even one mating pair together in a tree. We had considered taking a whitewater trip, but because the water is very cold, you had to wear wet suits. I did not want to have to get into a wet suit, so we decided to
Menor's Ferry
During the peak season tourists can take a ride across the Snake River on this ferry. However, the day we were there it was not yet in use. wait until we got further south on our trip and maybe at that point take a whitewater trip.
On our last day at Grand Teton National Forest we took another sightseeing drive, through Buffalo Valley, a drive we were told not to miss because of its beauty. We were also told there was a small cafe in the valley where you could get a good buffalo burger. The drive was absolutely gorgeous, but we were disappointed in the buffalo burger. We have definitely had better. That evening after taking our showers and since it does not get dark this time of the year here until after 10:00 p.m., we decided to take one last drive to see if we could see any animals, especially moose. We had seen many moose, but had not been able to get close to one. We were lucky and did come across a young bull and got some good photos of him.
Before I close this blog on the Tetons, I would like to give a little history of the area:
Humans started visiting the Jackson Hole area about 10,000 years ago following trails across the land that were created eons before
by migrating wildlife. This area was used as a seasonal hunting ground. Winters were too severe for long-term residency. It wasn't until about 120 years ago that there were year-round residents. Many early Paleo-Indians made this their summer camp, but for causes still unknown left the area between 1000 and 1600 years ago to be replaced by today's more commonly known tribes of Shoshone, Crow, Gros Ventre and Blackfeet who also used this area mostly for their summer camps.
In 1806 Lewis and Clark passed near Jackson Hole heading eastward. John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, stayed in the West to join some hunters and fur trappers in the upper Yellowstone River. Fur trapping was a hazardous occupation, requiring survival alone for months against treacherous weather, steep mountains, and swift rivers. A fur trapper also had to watch out for other unscrupulous trappers and fierce animals. That spring Colter decided to return alone to civilization, but he met up at the mouth of the Platte River with Manuel Lisa's expedition, which was there to establish a fur trade on the Upper Missouri River. Because of Colter's vast trapping experience and his ability to communicate with
the Indians, Lisa convinced him to help with their venture. After Lisa's party established Fort Raymond, near the Bighorn and Yellowstone rivers in the fall of 1807, Colter traveled widely to invite local tribes to the fort to trade beaver furs. Many Indians shared in the beaver business, but eventually tensions grew between them and the trappers and escalated as more and more settlers started making permanent claims to Indian lands. When beaver hats fell from fashion in the 1840s, so did the interest in the Tetons. Almost 50 years passed before more newcomers found the valley promising enough to settle.
In 1840, mountain man Jim Bridger led Army Captain William Raynolds' survey party through the valley. They also collected information about the native tribes, farming and mining possibilities, and railroad routes. Geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden made several trips into Jackson hole. Jenny, Leigh, Bradley and Taggert lakes are named after members of this 1872 survey expedition. Jenny was the Shoshone wife of mountain man and guide "Beaver" Dick Leigh, Frank Bradley was the chief geologist and W. R. Taggart was his assistant. Another member who helped make the Tetons famous was William H. Jackson, team photographer, who produced
Stained Glass Window
In the Chapel of the Transfiguration. some of the first photographs ever made of the Tetons.
That same year, in 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant declared neighboring Yellowstone the world's first national park, which was the start of a new industry in the region -- tourism. The Homestead Act of 1862 granted 160 acres of land to anyone who promised to live and build on it for five years. This offer of free land convinced many ranchers and farmers to settle in this area even though Jackson Hole provided poor grazing and farming lands.
In 1903, hunting guide Ben Sheffield started bringing wealthy clients to his camp at Moran. Four years later the first dude ranch was established in the valley by Louis Joy.
The Tetons first received government protection in 1897 when Congress created the Teton Forest Reserve out of land not included in Yellowstone National Park. In 1918, some congressmen were trying to create a larger park sanctuary by expanding Yellowstone's boundary southward to include the Teton Range and northern portions of Jackson Hole. However, local residents fought and defeated three attempts to federalize land in Jackson Hole. In 1929, the central peaks of the Teton Range and a half a
dozen lakes officially became Grand Teton National Park, which was only a third of its present-day size; but work continued to expand the original boundaries.
In 1926, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , one of the richest men in the world at that time, also started working towards expanding the boundaries of Teton National Park. Since Congress appeared deadlocked on the issue of park expansion, Rockefeller, through the Snake River Land Company, quietly bought 35,000 acres of farm and ranch land between 1927 and the mid-1930s at a cost of $1.4 million. His goal was to donate the property for an expanded park. Congressional and local opposition kept the government from accepting the gift for 15 years. In 1943, Rockefeller forced the issue by threatening to sell his holdings on the open market. President Franklin D. Roosevelt used presidential proclamation to create the Jackson Hole National Monument, a 221,000-acre tract of land around the Snake River. This move took advantage of the fact that creating a monument did not require congressional approval the way a national park would. However, Wyoming residents and Congress passed a bill in an attempt to abolish the monument, which Roosevelt vetoed. The State of Wyoming
next filed a lawsuit to overturn the proclamation, but the suit failed in the court system. In a final effort to show disapproval, Congress withheld monument maintenance money from the Interior Department's budget.
By 1950, a compromise was finally reached. The original 1929 park was united with the 1943 Jackson Hole National Monument, establishing the Grand Teton National Park with its present-day boundaries. Today, most people agree that this national park is a valuable asset for both Jackson Hole and the nation as a whole. Since the establishment of the park, tourism has surpassed cattle ranching to become the main economy of the region. With the development of the skiing attractions in 1965, Jackson Hole now has a year-round economy.
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pat white
non-member comment
grand tetons
hey you two, thanks for the update, beautiul place, let us know when you get back down our way.