Majestic Beauty, Unmarred
Afterward we headed to the beach by both the restaurant and marina we were at yesterday. The rock beach wasn't very deep, but it was enough for the amount of people there. For the most part the kids had no problem getting in the water even though it was cold!
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| Benny, tested out his GoPro by diving into the cold water! |
You couldn't ask for a better setting. The mountains were amazing, and in addition the water was clear and the rocks that made up the shore had such a wide range of colors.
The kids had a blast not only swimming, but probably more so making little pools of water, castles, and forts. Eventually they had a battle to see whose structures could stand up better. It was such a peaceful morning and I could have sat there all day.
This was in stark contrast to Yellowstone. Everything in that park needed to be sought out. Mark made a good point in that the main attraction--the mountain range-- was always in view, we just needed to decide how we were going to see it.
After lunch we headed south to Jenny Lake where we had reservations to go on a boat tour. We had some time to kill before our scheduled tour. Originally we thought we could hike up to String Lake, like Ranger Linda from Loveland suggested, but decided we didn't have enough time.
We stopped in the visitor center where they had a Please Touch sign, something you don't see often. Found out how heavy a moose's paddle (antler) is!
Later we went to the general store for a treat on this hot day. The kids mostly got slushies that were either peach or huckleberry flavored. We walked around the park that was being remodeled so even though there wasn't a lot to do it was still nice. It has a paved trail that winds its way around the lake and we watched swimmers, waterfalls, and the creatures that lived in these clear waters.
Finally our boat was ready to head out and Terry was our well-informed tour guide and captain. He came to Jackson Hole in 1972 to ski and never left. He owned four restaurants in Jackson over 30 years and giving boat tours was his retirement job.
He told us of the Shoshone woman the lake was named for. Jenny was the name she and her British husband, Richard (Beaver Dick) Leigh, came up with. She was instrumental in helping the Hayden Expedition to survey the land and find safe passage through the mountains.
Terry also talked about how this area got 700 inches of snow this past winter and the kids there finally got one snow day (they will typically get off for the cold). Previously,though, it wouldn't get cold enough or hot enough, and the pine mountain beetles that burrow in the trees to lay their eggs would over populate in the tree, killing it. There was a lot of devastation of the trees from what we could see. This is an insect that it not native to the area, or to British Columbia all the way to Mexico, where it has destroyed trees.
He showed us all the different peaks of the mountain range and gave their names. One of the more interesting ones was Howling Wolf, which really looks like a wolf's head tipped up to the sky howling away.
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| Inspiration Point |
My favorite, though, was Inspiration Point. It all is amazing, and we were told that Jenny Lake was the best way to see the Teton Range although we have really enjoyed Jackson Lake.
On one of the hillsides you could see the remnants of a forest fire that occurred in 1998. I had no idea how long it took for a forest to recover from a fire! Terry said that the upside of this was that lots of shrubs and bushes were able to grow, providing the wildlife berries (specifically, huckleberries). He said that bears love huckleberries so much that they'll fill their bellies and then fall asleep, surprising the human berry-picker when he comes by!
There are moose in the area of Jenny Lake and Terry said the biggest one they know of has a six-foot paddle span! We did not get to see him on our tour, but as we waited to pull up to the dock Terry recounted the story of a pack of wolves chasing some moose through the woods. One broke away from the bunch--a female--and charged at the wolves, scaring them off and saving the group of moose. He informed us that male or bull moose are only concerned for themselves and you'll only see the female or cow moose protect the rest. They typically are loner creatures, but in the winter they'll form groups. If only we could see one before we left the Grand Tetons!
Leaving Jenny Lake we stopped at Signal Mountain Lodge for dinner. This was a great decision! The dining room overlooks Jackson Lake with the mountain range behind it. The sun was setting and they pulled down the blinds but you could still see gorgeous scene through it.
They sat us all-kids table and adults table, and after we were finished a woman at a neighboring table told Michelle how impressed she was with our kids. She couldn't believe how well they behaved at a table by themselves. What she wasn't there for was when we first sat down and they were putting salt and hot sauce in each other's water glasses!
Signal Mountain Lounge served local beers and we each tried a different one. Mark had a flight, which is probably the way we all should have gone although I really enjoyed my Teton Range IPA and Kevin his Snake River Brewing Pako. When we left the restaurant we went next door to the store to pick up ice and they were selling many of these beers. We left with some to have around the fire and Jiffy Pop for the kids.
Sadly, we should have known that when the directions instruct you to use a stove top or a camp stove to make the popcorn, it would end in disaster over a fire. Even though it tasted horribly burnt, the kids were excited to be "pioneers" and cook popcorn over the fire!
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