Yellowstone and the Tetons

Today is the Day - May 21 - Yellowstone and the Tetons

I have been dreaming of seeing a Grizzly Bear in the wild since we started planning this trip. Not up close, but close enough to see his eyelashes with a set of high powered binoculars or the spotting scope Charlie got as a retirement gift. I can't believe that today is the day I get my chance! 

The drive into Yellowstone was absolutely beautiful! Charlie says the drive in was all uphill. Lol I imagine Lilah would agree with him. The mountains were amazing and the views like nothing we had seen so far!

We got lucky and as we came around a bend, there are three bison walking down the middle of the road. We slowly follow them for a bit and they eventually move to the side of the road. Wow, this is like something out of a You tube video! What fun!

We stop at several places to take pictures and just soak it all in. 

Eventually, we head to the Fishing Bridge were we hear there is a mama grizz and her two cubs hanging out. The binoculars spot her way in the back of the plateau, but all you can see is the fur on her back and she meanders slowly through the tall grass. We never do get a clear view of her or sight the cubs. Bummer…I want eyelashes! I was too busy looking through the binoculars to remember to get pictures...hee hee. Enjoy these pictures instead.

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We decide to leave there and head to the Lower and Upper Falls. We see more bison, antelope and even an elk as we drive. The Falls are amazing! The roar is so loud and the amount of water coming over them is almost unbelievable! 

Once we filled our soulful cup, we decide to move on. Still on our mission to see a Grizzly Bear, we head back to the Fishing Bridge in hopes that mama has moved closer to the road or is at least in an open area. When we arrive, there is no sign of bears. We decide to take some time and have lunch while parked there (Love our Road Trek!!) and see if any bears might wander into the valley while we eat. No bears show up so we move on.

We make a quick stop at the Souvenior Shop for the typical gifts and then head south. While we drive we take several opportunities to pull over and search for the elusive Grizzly Bear. I look up the mountains, down the valleys, behind the rocks, under the trees…where are these bears?!?!

The Big Mountains

We leave Yellowstone and the enter Grand Teton National Park! Let me just say: there are no words for this kind of beauty!! I have only seen these kind of mountains in pictures and dreamed of seeing them for real. When planning this trip one of my first thoughts was I want to “stand in awe of something”. Goal met!! 

The Tetons literally took my breath away (and not just because of the Altitude Adjustment). I could have stood there for a lifetime just looking at what was before me!  We take pictures of Lilah, after all, she has worked so hard to get here. She is a real workhorse and she was in her glory getting here! 

It is so hard to pull ourselves away, but it is getting late and we do not want to be driving on the mountain roads after dark. We come across several campgrounds but they are all closed. We are too early in the season. Finally, we see and OPEN sign. 

We pull into the Signal Mountain Lodge. The young man, Andrew, talks to us about the campground and the sites with the best views (hint - #10). The campground has both primitive and electric sites. We choose primitive as campgrounds in this prime neck of the woods are expensive. The site costs $22 and with electric the cost is $43. Love our Lilah and her ability to support herself in woods. The campground has hot showers and laundry. They are a bit expensive but we decide to enjoy a hot shower and carry the dirty laundry a bit longer.

Jenny Lake

The next morning we get up and head to Jenny Lake. Words just cannot describe the beauty of this place. The pristine mountains, the blue sky, the white clouds. 

We hear the roar of a waterfall from across the lake. Through the binoculars the waterfall is amazing!! It spans the whole height of the mountain and the water tumbles over many rock outcroppings. I could watch the water flowing down the mountain side forever. 

If you ever get through here, Jenny Lake is a must see!! Thank you, Dennis, for the recommendation…it was indeed everything you said it was!! We continued to pull over from time to time and look for the elusive Grizzly Bear…still to no avail. Well, there is always Glacier!

We leave the Tetons and continue on south of Jackson, when...all of a sudden we hear a loud pop. 

Uh oh!

Stay Tuned,

Charlie and Tammy