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Published: September 28th 2008
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Jackson, WY
The central square in Jackson has these antler sculptures. The largest antler auction occurs here each year. Laura is back to writing the blog posts today (Greg is just typing them up).
Jackson, WY
Today we took a morning to relax. The hotel booked a scenic float through the park for us later in the evening (when the wildlife is out). Our first stop was Teton Mountaineering to resolve the air mattress problem. Greg was very impressed by all the gear that they carried... no low quality items. They had Arc Terex, the 'real' North Face, Patagonia, and other top mountaineering gear. Greg talked with the salesperson for awhile about the mattresses while I shopped in the 50%!o(MISSING)ff bin. It was the end of the summer season so they were closing out many of their items. I got a couple of head bands, shirts, and a Patagonia rain shell that Greg says is a very nice item ($65, originally $150). It's got enough room to fit insulated layers underneath and has the pit zips in case I get too warm. We ended up buying two new air mattresses meant for camping. They have down insulation and are 2.5" thick... they are 3-4 times warmer than the Therm-a-Rest Camp Rests and compact down to a fairly small size. Strangely
Teton Range
One of the views from the boat during the float. they use their stuff sack as a pump for inflation. Greg was very exited about the store and we got out of there before more money was spent 😊.
Elk Preserve
Across from our hotel is a large Elk Preserve. The Elk come down out of the mountains (Yellowstone area, etc.) to spend the winter in the Jackson Hole valley area (additional food is shipped into the preserve). Jackson is home to the largest annual antler auction in the world. The tips of Elk antlers are used as Asian Viagra and are quite popular. Antler furniture makers buy the rest of the antlers after the tips have been ground off. The Boy Scouts collect all the antlers from the preserve and get 50%!o(MISSING)f the profit (the preserve gets the other 50%!)(MISSING). I imagine that this is quite the fundraiser! Jackson is the highest income county in the entire U.S. (lots of Billionaires with ranches and mountain homes in the area). It's also a popular place for politicians to visit (raising money as well as vacation).
Rafting through the Tetons on the Snake River
We took a scenic rafting trip in the afternoon on the Snake river. We had a very good
Bald Eagle on the Snake
One of the Eagles that we saw along the river. guide who knew all sorts of stuff about the plants, animals, and geology of the region. We saw bald eagles, ospreys, a "council of ravens" and a number of beaver dams and downed trees in the river. The Snake river can drastically alter where it flows in the region in the matter of days. We passed one area that had been the main channel 2 weeks before and was now completely dry. These large dry river bed areas are prime areas to spot moose. Greg was impressed by how quickly the river shifted around. The guide mentioned that people die all the time on this class 1-2 stretch of water because they take the wrong channel and get caught up on the newly downed trees that block the river. The raft was kept completely dry the entire time and had a carpeted bottom. The guide did all the paddling so we just had to sit and take it all in. Very relaxing!
Moose Spotting
After rafting, we drove up another road because we had heard about a large bull moose sighting in that area. On the drive up, there were a few cars pulled over and we saw a juvenile male
Looking downstream
The sides of the river can quickly start carving a new channel and create a new path for the river. moose sitting down in the high grass near the river. A pro photographer had spotted him and was waiting for him to stand up so he could get a better shot. He said that he already got the big bull yesterday and that they were up in the middle of the local campground. We drove up there and looked around but did not see them (they were supposedly moving on earlier that day). We drove back to the younger moose and got to see him stand up and start eating. It was funny because sometimes he would be eating from the back of the vegetation and all you would see was teeth and tongue. Also on the drive we saw a pronghorn antelope (male and female) which are very rare in this region. They are the size of a deer but have a different horn shape and have a spotted 2-tone coat.
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