Rolling Along With The Reynolds

Jim and Cindy's Adventure Blog traveling all over the USA

Tag: Grand Tetons

The Grand Tetons

Majestic. Saturday, 9/2/2023; a perfect day and a perfect window of sunny weather in between rain days. We set off at 9 AM, crossed over the Continental Divide (at elevation 9,584), further higher still at Togwotee Pass (9,655 feet), arrived in the National Park and had an EPIC day that didn’t end until arriving back to camp just as the Cinderella pumpkin bell rang at midnight.

First up was the Elk Ranch Flats turnout. Bison were present, but too far away to really see well without binoculars. Closer up however were wild horses. The beautiful scene presents a vast panorama of Mt. Moran, Grand Teton and Rockchuck Peak. Low clouds kept the tips of these mounts hidden (yet their glory popped out later!).
Because of the recent rains and soggy trails, we decided to keep hikes to a minimum and enjoy the scenic drives. However I wanted to try one special hike up to Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point on the other side of Jenny Lake. We took the 15 minute boat shuttle across the water and the mile hike did not disappoint.
Our next stop was a quick visit to Colter Bay Marina & Campground. Last year the waters were so low, in fact the Marina was closed due to the bay being bone dry! It was so different this year to discover the water was back and the Marina was full of happy boaters. Amazing how nature can bounce back.
Knowing we only had this one day to experience this corner of Wyoming paradise, we made a rather hasty decision to drive another 1.5 hours north up to Yellowstone via the John Rockefeller Parkway. It was 5 PM by this time and the golden hour was approaching. It turned out to be the best decision of the day, because we arrived at Old Faithful at 7:00 just in time to snag a bench seat for the 7:20 eruption right at sunset! Spectacular!
After grabbing dinner at the Old Faithful Lodge, it was time to turn around and head home. So much to see, so little time. Sigh, Yellowstone will have to wait till next year.
But wait, there’s more to this day, or rather, night. Driving back south on the Parkway was a bit challenging in the dark. Road construction (or more accurately road re-building) is still underway from last years devastating floods, so the new asphalt was dark dark black and still awaiting center reflective paint. 30MpH though was a safe speed even though I had a chunk of cars behind me. Entering back into Grand Teton National Park, we pulled over on the first turnout by Jackson Lake to let ‘em all go by. Boy did they miss out by not stopping to smell the roses; the stars were out and twinkling in crystal clear cloudless skies. And all of a sudden we gasped at the sight silently floating overhead; a Starlink satellite train!
By this time of night as we left the Park for the final hour back to Dubois the moon rose. A godsend of natural light to complete the drive back through Togwotee Pass and the Continental divide. The sights here up high were just as stunning as they were during the day – but with the moon, stars, and the Milky Way!
And the final picture on this post features the Wind River highlighted by moonlight back at camp at 12:04 am on Sept 3rd. just 6 hours later was the sunrise birthday pic that I posted earlier.
We’re so blessed to have this RVLife and be in constant amazement of this country. God Bless the USA!

 

Grand Teton Pics (Album 2023-50)

 

 

 

 

A Grand Introduction

*  Coming from Dubois, WY, we traveled Hwy 26 westward over the Continental Divide (so much snow still here!) to the Moran Entrance. We headed south and followed the Snake River (side note: we spotted the first snake of this trip today) on the Teton Park Road down to swiftly cruise through the town of Jackson, WY.
* Then headed back northward back into the Park via the Moose entrance. There are 6 Visitor Centers in the park; we chose to stop at the Craig Thomas Discovery Center and enjoyed the exhibits there. Very nice theater and 23 minute film, and at the end of the movie, the screen rolled up into the ceiling and the blackout curtains behind it opened up to reveal a majestic window view of the Tetons. So cool!
* Jenny Lake.  Took the Scenic drive which was well worth it. Had a picnic lunch looking out onto the lake, watching the ferry boats take visitors to the other side at Cascade Canyon where one can do several hiking trail options ranging from 4 to 24 miles long.
* Continued Northward to Signal Mountain. Did the narrow windy 5 mile scenic Summit Road; it climbs almost 1,000 feet above the valley floor to the summit. The icing on this cake was that there was a prominent cell tower there and received a call from Caleb just as we arrived at the top! The panoramic views look out over the Teton Range and Jackson Lake.
*So impressed with Jackson Lake, we then meandered around to the water’s edge at the boat ramp and strolled the rocky beach. Sitting on an old fallen tree, we were treated to the warmth of a late sun and just as with any beach, we admired all of the round smooth rocks of various sizes.
* We go back tomorrow to finish seeing the remaining northerly portion of the Park.