Days 50-52 Grand Teton National Park

[Kalon]  Leaving Mt. Rushmore we drove to Grand Teton National Park.  This has been - possibly second only to our beloved Sierra Nevada - a favorite spot.  This trip is our 4th to the park, and the memories of trips from long ago flood back.  There is the infamous "Mommy's crying rock" where we were hiking up Paintbrush Canyon and left the trail and started scrambling up to a peak.  When after a while we got to a somewhat exposed climb across a rock Karen said, through tears, that she could not get across but with Kalon providing support behind her and Lonnie cheering her on she made it.  Another trip was with the boys when they climbed Mt. Woodring (their first real mountain climb) and were rewarded with climbing pins from their proud parents.  On that trip I, my brother Ken, and friend Jack climbed (in two days) the Grand Teton, definitely one of my more memorable climbs.  And more recently we had a lovely family backpack/canoe with both boys and families on Leigh Lake.  So we love this place.


The Grand Teton (center) with top in clouds.

We stayed in Teton Village and not Jackson Lake Lodge as there was nothing available there.



Our lodge in Teton Village.

The next day Karen and I drove to Jackson Lake Lodge and had lunch there with the Teton Range a majestic backdrop.

 

 

This day was very nostalgic for both of us.  It was probably about 40 years ago that I climbed the Grand Teton.

 

Grand Teton from the east.




The next day after a leisurely morning I went off for a hike of Phelps Lake. 


Trail to Phelps Lake

Phelps Lake





This lake has three designated campsites (like Leigh Lake some years before) and would be a nice family destination.

After a very relaxing and memory-filled several days, we leave tomorrow for a couple of days drive to Ashland, Oregon.

[Karen]  Teton Village is a new explosion of lodges and private condos and it was quite filled as was Jackson Lake Lodge area  As every bit of the U.S. which has any beauty or interest to recommend it, it was chocabloc with Americans, Europeans and Asians. We stayed in a resort area called Snake River Lodge and Spa. I was about out of clean clothes so Kalon and I laid out a strategy of getting to the laundry room early.  I had sorted the clothes and bagged them before breakfast and Kalon and I sprinted to the laundry room and loaded all three washing machines and started them up. Washing and drying five loads of dirty clothes ate up the morning but Kalon caught up on our blog. Once the laundry was done I felt I could turn to other pursuits. I think I have stocked enough clean clothes to last the rest of the journey home but Kalon teases me by pointing out the guest laundry in every place we stay.  I was happy Kalon could get up into the mountains although he did not do as long a hike as he would have liked.

As we drove around in Jackson Hole we and everyone else had their eye out for wild life. We did see bison and deer but never a moose which we were hoping to see. I think the moose are not so anxious to see people. There were lots of wood cut outs depicting moose in order to slow traffic down and even a traffic sign flashing that there was a mother bear with two cubs in the area so slow down! Lots and lots of dead deer who had been hit usually with their back legs cut off. I think Karen Christensen clued me in that quite possibly this was the work of off season poachers rather than real accidents.

Kalon and I  talked about perhaps another three family vacation in the area staying in perhaps a rental cabin or in a lodge like the Snake River Lodge where we can get meals. Spending time with our family is always our idea of heaven.