Friday, June 19, 2015

Grand Teton

After the craze and vastness of Yellowstone, Grand Teton and it's relative smallness were a welcome respite. Plus, you can't  really beat the view. Interestingly,  Grand Teton is a recent  addition to the NPS, having only become one in the 1950's due to some philanthropic  and also perhaps underhanded land grabbing by the Rockefellers.


First order of business, float trip down the Snake river to take in the view

Walk around the glacial cold Lake Jackson. The Teton themselves, while impacted by glacial movements  over the past thousands of years, we're actually formed by what's called a common fault block. But it's actually not that common, only occurring elsewhere in Italy. It's the reason the mountains rise so dramatically,  as opposed to gradually in a range.

Hiking to Inspiration point on Jenny Lake

Hidden Falls 

Completing my Jr. Ranger Badge, I've lost count. 

And the wildlife highliht, this guy. We saw bears and goats and big horn sheep and wolves and pronghorn and bison and marmots and western Tangers, but couldn't manage to find a moose. On our way out of the park, after  complaining to a ranger that we couldn't  seem to find them ( and we went on several dusk hours long searches), she said to try one last area, Gros Venture. We almost didn't do it, feeling like we just didn't have the luck. Not even 100 feet down the road, there he was. Chomping away. Finally, our first North American Moose sighting.

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