Yellowstone to Jackson, ♫Yeah, I’m going to Jackson, Look out Jackson Town♫

  

A few days ago we arose before the sun to head through Yellowstone National Park one more time and on to Teton National Park. We drove back across the geothermal area and with very few people about this made the experience a little different. A herd of elk entertained us for a while however bears and mooses were what I was looking for. 

Grand Teton Park was the next stop. Teton I understand is French for breast, but then I know some reading this are far more fluent in French than I am, and yes, I do know some French,…..(about 6 words!) The early French fur trappers saw the towering mountains and decided that they looked like three breasts and so named them “Les Trois Tetons”. The Grand Teton literally means “the Big Tit”, so it was easy to like this place.

We took a drive on our first day into an area previously ravaged by fire.  All looked somewhat ruined however in reality fire in these parks is a natural phenomenon. At present there are two burning in Yellowstone and one in Glacier Nat. Park. We saw some deer and a Hoary Marmot but little else to get the blood rushing.

Then it was Down to Colter Bay Cabins in the middle of the Park and a bit of a disappointment catering wise. We have been managing to make our own breakfasts with fruit and muesli and sandwiches for lunch. All we need is a refrigerator and a coffee maker and we are pretty good. This expensive cabin had none of that and clearly steered all their patrons to their restaurant. We filled our chilly bin with ice (learned this trick from our Australian friends) and stuffed the beer and the perishables in there. Change the ice twice a day from the free ice dispenser and you have yourself a refrigerator. The Log Cabins were built in 1920’s haphazardly all over the Park but were moved to this site in the 1950’s to fit with John D Rockefeller’s vision of how the Park should be in the future.  Plumbing and electrics were added but otherwise they have the same quaint old feeling……..hence no fridge!

A walk into Trapper Lake in a sweltering 36° didn’t turn up any big animals but then only mad dogs and Englishmen would go out in that temperature. Nice walk though alongside the towering bosoms and little lakes at the foot. 

Our last day in Teton National Park after 3 weeks of walking, tramping, hunting, glassing, driving and searching for things unknown to us had arrived. Good friend Peri had recommended a walk in Cascade Canyon. We were on the first boat at 7.00am to ferry across Jenny Lake and begin our 7.2km walk up the canyon. Within 15 minutes of starting I spotted a black bear crossing a clearing 400 metres above us. He was too quick or I was to slow to get the lends cap off and get a photo but we were pleased that there were animals in this neck of the woods…more of a cleavage of the woods. We got hiking, (that’s what they do here, no tramping, they hike on trails) on up the valley. Crisp morning and everything seemed perfect for a sighting of the elusive moose.

And wouldn’t you know it! Yes, a lady moose and her calf. We watched her for 30 minutes, not more than 40 metres away, the calf still feeding from the Mum….I was happy. Had the lens cap off and took a couple of photos….probably 50 just in case one didn’t come out. That was a very happy moment for me, and for Diana as she knew I would keep grizzling if we didn’t get a picture of a moose…a very strange animal, so big and yet two steps into the vegetation and it is gone. 

So with that walk hike done we were on our way south…”♫ I’m goin’ to Jackson, I’m gonna mess around..♫” but June Carter was probably right, “they’ll laugh at you in Jackson..!’’. 

We booked in to “The Virginian” a reasonable size establishment hoping to see James Drury wander past with his black hat and spurs.

With two nights r&r here and another beer with Peri and Kevin we are now looking to head through Idaho northwards and across into Washington State.