October 8, 2009. The Grand Tetons. National Park #3 in our Trek thru the Parks. A bit out of sequence...however, its 108 here in Phoenix today and I needed something to cool me off!
Teewinot Mountain stands tall in the background of Jenny Lake, one lake in a string of six glacially formed lakes within the bounds of the Grand Teton National Park.
We holed up at Dornan's during our stay at the Tetons. Great little family owned operation which includes 8 one bedroom and 4 two bedroom cabins. The property also has two restaurants, a grocery store, a fabulous deli and a world renown wine shop! We're set! Vino and cheese if you please!
A shot of our unit just before the evening snow began to fall.
In search of Moose...we came across this herd of Bison moseying across the prairie...and all over the road. Silly buggers just hung out on the asphalt looking at us as if to be saying..."What the hell are you folks doing in our yard?"
After the Bison finally allowed us to move on, we came across this famous old Barn on Mormon Row where historic old homestead sites of rustic wooden buildings are surrounded by snow in the winter months and golden fields of prairie grasses in the summer.
We may be staying in Moose...however, the Moose don't hang around Dornan's much. To find these oversized cud-chewing members of the deer family, we were told to patiently drive up and down the Gros Ventre River (we didn't actually drive in the river...but along the road that parallels it)
Ah ha! Down an embankment off of a small tributary of the Gros Ventre River, we find our Moose. Not one...but two of these beautiful beasts! Mom and her calf enjoying some soggy grasses!
The morning we are to depart The Tetons, the clouds all disappear leaving us a Grand view of the Tetons.
Elk Antler dumping ground in Jackson Hole
For those of you needing a sleeping pill...here is the rest of the story....
October 8, 2009
The storybook sawtooth peaks of the Tetons is destination #3 on or Trek thru the Parks. One problem, unlike Denali, the Teets are shrouded with cloud cover this October morning as is all of Yellowstone. It’s snowing as we depart the Old Faithful Inn. Snowing hard enough that they closed Yellowstone’s South exit meaning we’ll have to backtrack and depart via the West Entrance.
Our new exit plan takes us back west through Montana and south into Idaho with the goal of summiting the 8,431foot Teton Pass before the storm closes it down too. This detour will cost us about 2 hours out of our precious time budget…but what the heck, we did not come equipped to deal with even the mildest of storms. So out the West Entrance we go. Once we exit the Park, the weather changes for the better. Blue sky occasionally peaks through the clouds giving me hope that we will be able to make it over the Teton Pass a good 110 miles south of our current location. If we are to visit the Tetons, we will need to get down into Jackson before the Teton Pass is shut down.
Just outside of Ashton, ID it begins to snow again. This time it’s not a gentle snow. It’s more like a blizzard! Phoenicians are not accustomed to driving in weather conditions like this! Silently, I begin to get concerned that the very steep Teton Pass will be locked down soon if the snow continues to fall. As we approach Driggs, the blizzard calms down a bit. Ahead I see blue sky! We’re actually outpacing the storm front! The road sign lets us know that the Pass is currently open! We make it over and down the Pass and into Jackson an hour before the storm shuts it down tight for the night!
Next stop…the rustic cabin we have rented in Moose, WY at a place called Dornans Spur Ranch Cabins. Dornan’s is a family run operation consisting of 8 one bedroom and 4 two bedroom duplex cabins. The facility is right on the bank of the Snake River about a mile from The Grand Teton National Park entrance. Dornan’s comes complete with 2 restaurants, a grocery store, a very fine deli…and most importantly, one of the finest wine shops in the country!
The snow begins to fall as we check into our Cabin. We drop our bags and head up to Dornan’s General Store to check out the wine and cheese shop. Colleen…Todd…you were right! What a bonanza! A couple of winos find paradise in Moose, WY! Terry and I load up on several bottles of red grape juice and some exotic cheeses. Looks like dinner to me!
While browsing the store, we also stumble across whole bean coffee made locally by the Snake River Roasting Company. We purchase a one-pound bag of their Kirby’s First Tram roast. Heaven! Now I’ve been a Starbucks junky for as long as I can remember…however, once I tasted the smooth, yet rich flavor of Kirby’s…I threw my Starbucks card into the fireplace!
Well, not really…but I felt like it. Sorry Howard…but this fellow has fallen off the Mermaid’s wagon. We’re now buying our coffee online at www.snakeriverroastingco.com! Try it. Better yet. Go to Moose, WY, check into a cabin at Dornan’s and buy some provisions for your stay in Grand Teton National Park. You will not be disappointed.
The one great thing about traveling in October is the crowds of tourists have virtually all gone home. Too early for Ski season. Summer’s over and school’s back in session. The Park, covered with a fresh blanket of snow is virtually deserted. Unfortunately, the majestic peaks which we traveled to get a peek at are currently hidden behind a thick layer of cumulonimbus cloud cover. Ah hell, we have vino and cheese and each other. Terry and I are virtually alone with these majestic mountains…and the local moose population!
Being that we are in Moose, WY, we’ve decided that our main mammalian mission will be to shoot some Moose…with the camera! We ask the locals where the best Moose hunting is and they give us directions to a couple of local haunts. You’d think the Moose would hang out in Moose. Not so say the locals. Too many tourists!
We begin our daily Moose Hunt by brewing up a pot of Kirby’s First Tram. If you are a coffee drinker, you’ve got to give this stuff a try! The snow has ceased and the roads seem to have been plowed so we venture out to our car and head out on our Moose Hunt.
On our way to the first Moose lodge, we encounter a herd of Bison crossing the road. At least a hundred in this herd…bulls, cows, calves all moseying thru the pasture…across our path. These big bruisers got up close and personal! So close that when two of the males began jousting, they literally bumped horns on our front bumper!
The Bison move on allowing us to continue to the sagebrush flats north of the Gros Ventre River where we are told the Moose hunting is good. As advertised, we find a Momma Moose and her baby munching on the sweet grasses alongside the creek. Awesome sight! First the Bison head butting…now the Moose a munching!
We’ve succeeded in shooting Bison and Moose this morning…now its time to tour the Park. As we approach the Entrance Booth, I proudly pull out my newly purchased National Park Annual Pass…only to find nobody tending the stall! Crap! We paid 80 scoots for this card when we entered Yellowstone a few days ago and I want to show it off! Alas…nobody home.
The Grand Tetons were named by a couple of French guys. The English translation is “grand breasts”. It’s a guy thing. However, these Frenchies must have been a bit odd as there are actually three Teets in this mountain range. And as mountain ranges go, the Tetons are rather puny. The range is but a mere 40-mile stretch of rugged metamorphic rock peaks compared to the 2700 mile long Rocky Mountains. The tallest peak in the Park, the Grand Teton, stands at13,770’. Colorado alone has 56 peaks exceeding 14,000 ft.
But it’s not the height or the length of this mountain range that makes it special. It’s a rather young range having been created only 9 million years ago whereas the Rockies were born 50 million years B.C.
The youth and splendor of this region is the grand combination of the mountains, the rivers, the lakes the valleys and the wildlife within its bounds. Each element overlaps to stimulate your senses. While we still could not see the mountains, the view of the Bison roaming and the moose alongside the creek was incredible!
The main road thru the Park had been plowed but the road to Jenny Lake was still covered with a good 6” of fresh powder. We couldn’t resist! And we were well rewarded for our efforts! The snow had ceased and the clouds had cleared providing us with a muffled mirror image of the Teewinot Mountain reflecting off Jenny! The air, cold and crisp and the sunlight reflecting off the snow covered peaks renders up a brain full of superlatives. It is difficult for me to accurately describe what we experienced in either words or photos. This is a Park that is best seen with your own eyes! Ours were treated majestically with the effervescent essence that is the Tetons.
It’s autumn here in the Tetons and I’m realizing as I look across the waters of Jenny Lake that I am most likely many moons into the autumn of my life. I’m now becoming more and more convinced of the need to downshift. Yes it is true that for many of my years here on Earth…I’ve ground the gears of High Activity in search for the holy grail of financial freedom. Ground those gears so fiercely that on several occasions have almost lost my most precious gifts…that being my wife…and my kids.
Pulling a lesson from Lee Eisenburg’s book, The Number, I realize the need to learn how to become a proficient downshifter. During this quiet moment here at Jenny, I find the stimulus to research, learn and then practice the fine art of Downshifting!
Where does downshifting begin? Start with contemplating the deeper significance of human existence. What’s it all about Alphie? What do you do with the Rest of your Life…beginning today? For me…the first phase was to get out of High Gear and slow the heck down! Take the curves of life at a comfortable pace….not breakneck speed.
Downshifting means filling your lungs with the purified air of a high mountain trail. Letting your eyeballs bug out at golden sight of the Tetons in the early morning. Filling your nostrils with the bittersweet aroma of Kirby’s First Tram…while huddled around a campfire! Touching the rich red earth with your Keens! Awakening to the sound of a concerto of birds welcoming the morning sun! Tasting the salty brine of sweat from your brow having just completed your trek up Mt Healy! Enjoying the wild solitude of nature with those you love!
Welcome to my new reality!
