Blogs from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States, North America - page 6

We were still pretty tired after a really cold nights sleep (elevation nearly 8000 ft!!) and yesterday’s long day was still taking its toll but we dragged ourselves to Teton National park! It is so close to Yellowstone that we had to come and pay a visit…and we were so glad that we did…the relatively small park was stunning. We stopped at the visitors centre, got a quick wash and then did a 2 mile walk around the marina taking in various views of the lake and the mountain range. A 2 mile walk to us at the moment is nothing but our legs were hurting from all the walking we have been doing, so to rest our weary feet we decided to do the 32 mile driving tour of the park. We stopped off at ... read more

Rising up almost directly from the plains, the Tetons present some of the most picturesque mountain views in the world. There is no crawl upward through ever higher foothills - it is just a straight shot up to the summit of Grand Teton at 13,775', rising 7000' above Jackson Hole. However, this is partly illusory, since Jackson Hole is depressed below the surrounding plains. Although containing some of the oldest rocks in North America ) 2.5 billion years old), the Tetons are one of the youngest mountain ranges on earth, their formation having started some 6-9 million years ago. The were created by a graben fault that resulted in the mountains being pushed up while Jackson Hole fell. The parks was created in 1929, and expanded with the addition of the previous Jackson Hole National Monument ... read more

Today, I backpack into the scenic heart of Grand Teton National Park, Cascade Canyon. The canyon starts on the far side of Jenny Lake. The first part of the trail is incredibly popular. It’s so popular, the park runs a shuttle across the lake to the trailhead. Unfortunately, the popularity meant I would be tripping over people on the first part of the hike. I figured this problem would diminish as I went up the canyon. Hidden Falls The boat shuttle is very quick, and the view is beautiful. Grand Teton and its neighbors tower over the lake, and grow as the boat crosses. It ends at a wooden dock next to a wooded cliff. A trail climbs the... read more

Lewis and Moose Falls Today is the day for Wyoming’s other national park, Grand Teton. Before going there, I had to drive out of Yellowstone. Since all Yellowstone roads are scenic, it provided one last taste of Wonderland. First up, I crossed the Continental Divide again, this time for the last time in a while. Other than the sign, I would not have even noticed the pass. From there, the road ran along the shore of Lewis Lake. In many ways, the lake appears like a much smaller version of Lake Yellowstone, blue water surrounded by pine trees with mountains in the background. Finally, the road passed Lewis Falls, another wide curtain waterfall. Lewis Fal... read more

Friday 8th October Yellowstone (Wyoming) - through Utah to Grand Junction (Colorado) - 524 miles We checked out the hotel and did a quick stop at the post office here to buy stamps for postcards. I asked for stamps at the counter and the elderly gentleman goes 'ah, scottish' yes i replied, before i could say anything else he says ' i bet you are from somewhere between Aberdeen and Inverness'. Aye i was speechless, turns out he had friends from Banchory and placed my accent easily. A nice start to the day i guess. Well ten miles south out of Yellowstone the inevitable happened.....Snow!!!! We drove through a blizzard for about another ten miles and then it stopped as quick as it started leaving a slight covering on the hills and roadside before us. Its ... read more