Two fathers connect with Mother Nature

Day 6
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Wyoming

We would like to set the record straight. Wyoming is cold. It was 29 degrees here overnight. It snowed here three days ago. Frank's brother, Jeff, told us that measureable snowfall has occured on every calendar day in Yellowstone National Park, a short distance to the north.  In the interest of safety, we decided not to light the lantern before bed, but Frank lit it at 4:30 this morning. At 5:30, he got up and lit the burners on the propane stove. We were in survival mode. When you travel to Wyoming, leave your Speedo at home.

We left the campsite at 7 AM in order to be at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station by 8 and register for a ranger-guided walk up to Inspiration Point. The day dawned completely clear and on the way from Colter Bay to Jenny Lake we stopped in a half dozen places to take photos. At one point we saw two moose cross the road and in another we saw a large herd of elk. We are pleased to report that we didn’t kill any of them.

The things that make Teton grand are the way the mountains jut up out of flat ground—they are a mile taller than the valley floor to their east, including Jenny Lake—and that the upper two thirds of their peaks are pure, snow-capped stone. We met a man from Silver Spring, Maryland, today who grew up in Switzerland and he said that nothing in his country of birth is any more dramatic or beautiful than the Grand Teton Range. That’s pretty high praise, huh?

We purchased a one-way ticket for a passenger ferry ride across the lake and hiked the mile up to Inspiration Point, which is 420 feet above Jenny. On the way we passed Hidden Falls on Cascade Creek where visitors from all over the world took turns snapping photos for each other.

We chose to hike back to the ranger station on a trail that skirted the south shore of Jenny Lake. Just when we thought we had taken the ultimate photo and could safely put our cameras away, we would walk another 100 yards and see another sight that couldn’t be left unphotographed. Bob shot more than 200 pictures today as we walked 4-plus miles; Frank was impressed by Grandpa Bob’s stamina although he did notice that Bob lost the spring in his step by evening. Another night sleeping without heat in the upper twenties should be just the cure for his stiff muscles!

After the hike we drove 30 miles south to Jackson and had an excellent, late lunch at the Snake River Brewing Company. While dining, we asked our waitress if she knew of a gym, YMCA or indoor pool that might allow two dirtball campers to shower for price (many national park campgrounds, including Colter Bay, don’t have bathhouses). She said that the only place she could think of was the White Buffalo Club located a few blocks away. She said she paid $10 each time she worked out. We figured that if worse came to worse we would each pay $10 and shower. Actually, although ten bucks seemed a little steep, Bob smelled so rank that Frank was willing to pay for both of them. Bob called and they said we could shower there. No mention of a price was made on the phone. To put it mildly, we struck pay dirt. It was the nicest shower facility either of us had seen. Each shower had its own master bathroom type set-up. It was beautiful and functional—one of the best things that happened to us on this trip!

We did a little shopping in the town square and then headed back to our Jackson Hole campground. Jackson is a moneyed town with high-end shops and picturesque streets surrounded on three sides by steep hills, some of which have ski slopes on them. Many of the sidewalks are wooden planks.

We were sitting in our campsite about two hours before dark when we heard a gust of wind coming through the trees from a distance. The sound became progressively louder for at least three minutes before the wind reached us. We soon discovered that it was a weak front passing through. No rain, just some low, fast-moving clouds followed shortly thereafter by clear skies and cooler temperatures. What a strange and unusual experience.

Early to bed tonight. We have an ambitious itinerary planned for tomorrow.