Blogs from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States, North America - page 11

Wednesday, July 9, 2008, Driggs, ID Grant Teton National Park Thursday, July 10, 2008, Driggs, ID Grand Teton National Park Yellowstone National Park South Entrance and West Thumb We crossed Teton Pass at more than 9,000 foot elevation and twisted and turned our way down to Wilson WY. Wilson is a very small town at the base of the Grand Tetons and just south of the famous Jackson Hole and Teton Village. These are very commercialized areas we are not used to seeing so far on this trip. The Grand Tetons, unlike Yellowstone, is a range of mountains that is only accessible to rock climbers. The Range runs approximately north and south. Grand Teton National Park includes the Grant Teton Mountain Range and the valley from the base of the range east for several miles. The ... read more

Wed, 25 June, 2008- Along both sides of Hwy 191 north from Rock Springs is all wide open sage prairie; a vast open area ranging from flat to gently rolling. Here and there are ranches or farms with long sprinkler arms watering great green circular hay fields. About 40 miles north of Rock Springs we started to see snowy mountains far to the NE. After the town of Pinedale, we began to see greener valleys chock full of wildflowers. Their sweet scent filled the air. In Bridger-Teton National Forest the wildflowers covered the sides of the mountains, mostly yellow, but pink, purple, white and orange, too. We crossed and recrossed (several times) the Hoback River, which was swollen, muddy and in a hurry to get where it was going. The Snake River was pretty much the ... read more

Back to fresh alpine scenery! The Grand Teton Range is a magnificent collection of snow-covered peaks, pine forests, sagebrush flats, wet meadows and beautiful lakes. The peaks rise abruptly from the broad, flat valley of Jackson Hole. The park is surrounded by two national forests, the Caribou-Targhee and the Bridger-Teton, in Wyoming State. Jackson Hole is a really pleasant modern town amid breathtaking mountain scenery, complete with a ski resort and a western, fun-filled cowboy atmosphere. I felt I was in Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kids country alright! It was great fun to spend a few days there, drive on the beautiful road to Teton Village, cycle around Aspen and go up the Aerial Tramway a couple of times to enjoy the views and a short walk on the snow-covered grounds. My first hike in the ... read more

There was ice on the car top carrier, the temperature fell below freezing overnight. I was a little chilly under our sleeping bag. We got out our wool hats to wear on these cold nights to keep the body heat in. We took all our food and stoves out of the bear box, tied all the containers down on our cargo carrier and left for the Grand Tetons. Heading out of Yellowstone we passed the Lewis Falls and followed the Lewis River which gradually worked it’s way down into a gorge several hundred feet down. As we were riding through the forest we got our first glimpse of the mighty Tetons. The closer we got the more impressive the mountains became. The Teton Mountains are massive rock formations over 12,000 feet. We got several nice pictures ... read more

070728 Grand Teton National Park I really can’t explain the impact that the Grand Tetons had on me. From afar they looked small, but as I drove closer mile after mile the slowly grew to mammoth proportions. After 40 miles they stood before me…or rather, I stood before them in awe. Cloud cover obscured some parts of the range, which only stood to highlight other parts. Glaciers were scattered over the behemoth peaks and I pulled off the road several times to take pictures in the turnouts and learn things…such as the fact that the Teton Valley floor is sinking at a faster rate than the mountains are rising, four times faster. After driving for miles at the base of the mountains I stopped at the Jenny Lake recreation area to get a hike in. I ... read more