Tetons sure are Grand

Back to boring you with anecdotes about my trip from circa over a month ago. If I had it to do over again (which, theoretically, I will), I would alot an entire day to the Grand Tetons and about a day and a half or two days to Yellowstone. Though, I can see myself easily spending a week or month or summer at Yellowstone, sans bear attack.

As it was, I figured that if I really hauled ass, I would be able to drive into Wyoming, up Grand Teton National Park and all the way around Yellowstone in a day. I spent the night in the Old Faithful area, so if necessary, I could certainly see all of those park attractions the following morning.

The drive from my hotel in Idaho Falls to Jackson, Wyoming was spectacular. I will say it again: if I lived someplace where mountains were the constant backdrop, I would stare at them for my entire day. They would never get old for me.




This, coupled with the fact that I had a little economy class rental car, made the guys in the big trucks around me a little, shall we say "frustrated," with my driving. Of course, I am sure that they are used to large vans of Japanese tourists doing this, but they acted as though I was the single most aggrivating driver. Ever. But whatever. The road was filled with fun mountain-y signs, like "Howdy Stranger! Yonder is Jackson Hole" and "Elevation 8,431 feet" and "If you're in a semi, test your breaks now before you get to the top of that giant mountain and can't stop" and some guy trying to cross on a horse.



And then I saw a Moose!




Here I am on a snow covered mountain:



Here is some Teton magic!




At one point, a couple asked me to take their picture. As I handed the camera back, I said the semi-obligatory "Make sure that's okay--I can always take another one." To which the wife replied: "I don't think you can take a bad picture here."

Completely true. I have never been some place so gorgeous. And maybe it is just that I am not used to mountains-- tall mountains, at that-- but I think there is something more to it. Everyone is so nice...and it is just so damn famous. And, for being a famous place, so many visitors to Yellowstone skip the Grand Tetons, so I felt a bit privileged and set-apart from the normal crowd of Yellowstone flockers. In fact, later on when I was on the coast of Yellowstone Lake in YNP, many people were snapping pictures of pretty mountains on the other side of the lake--the Grand Teton Mountains. Superiority further established. Of course, it was quite possibly one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. And, yes Ralph, nature is a cordial.

Okay. So, Aussie could stare at these mountains all day, but does that really make GTNP so great? Yes. Yes it does. Of course, they also had some lovelies such as Lake Jenny, Signal Mountain, and Lake Jackson.



If that is still not enough, you know that mountain I was on earlier? That was totally on Teton Pass. It was only Mount Glory, one of the smaller peaks to the south that is only 8,431 feet in elevation. Unlike Grand Teton: 13,770. No big deal.