Grand Teton Diary

10th June 2023:

Checked out at 10:15 after checking cricket score near registration desk area. 300 odd with 7 wickets in hand. Smart money has to be on Australia. Setting out for Grand Teton National Park clockwise along the lower loop. We pass many of the spots we have seen and the GuideAlong uncle is sounding repetitive. We exit Yellowstone at around 12:45 and halt at Flagg Ranch to fill gas, buy water and bread. There is a dining place and we try our luck here. To our surprise, they have vegan and vegetarian options. Shonu and Kamu order black bean burger with curvy fries. I order vegetable sandwich with fries. Food is all good quality and quantity wise. The servers are all super friendly and nice - elderly lady who seats us and elderly gent server who knows all about vegan and vegetarian options. It is a pleasant surprise after the Yellowstone fiasco.

We arrive at the park entrance around 2pm. The GuideAlong uncle insists we stop to take a photo and we oblige. There is a friendly ranger who takes a photo of all 3 of us (which isn’t so good) and gives us a map and newsletter. There is a survey on whether dead trees should be cleaned up or left as-is. Shonu votes for the latter. Good thing we stopped.

The first stop we make is at Jackson Lake overlook by a lake with the snow covered bluish Tetons range visible in the distance. The frogs are croaking and there are mosquitoes but it is a lovely sight. The uncle informs us that the Tetons don’t have any foothills and rise straight up from the valley floor because they are formed by one plate sliding over another.

Grand Teton National Park

We see taller mountains on Willow Flats, the next overlook. I can recognize the familiar shapes from a famous Ansel Adams photograph. It is a breathtaking sight. As we are setting up for photos, it starts raining and it turns into a downpour. We scramble into the car and try to wait for it to end. It doesn’t seem like it will stop soon, so we leave.

Next we take a drive to check out Leeks eatery and pizzeria by the marina. It has a lovely view of the mountains.

Next stop is Coulter village where our cabin is. We buy mosquito spray from the store and check in. Our cabin number is 641 and is towards the end of the 600 row. There are lots of cabins. The log cabin is rustic and has a low ceiling. It has a miniature dresser, a table and chair and another regular sized cupboard. The bathroom is small but clean. There is a flyer which warns about bats and rodents in the cabins and Shonu is petrified.

It is only 4 so we decide to explore the park. We first head to Jackson Lake Lodge to check out a spectacular view of the Tetons from massive rectangular glass windows.

Next we stop at a dam with a panoramic view of the Tetons. After a few photos here, we move on to Signal Mountain Summit. It is a long drive up a winding and narrow road. After 20 minutes we are at the first overlook. Another magnificent view of the Tetons from a high vantage point unfurls after a mini hike.

The next viewpoint at the top of the hill has more expansive and panoramic views of the entire valley floor with a part of the Tetons visible as well, the rest covered by pines. There are brilliant yellow flowers in abundance which provide a nice foreground for photos. Kamini spots some moose in the far distance through binoculars. We take several photos and then start the descent.

Back at Colter Bay village, we check the store timings - 7am to 9pm and the restaurant menu and timings for tomorrow. There is a marina too that we briefly check out before returning to the cabin. Our neighbor, an older American helpfully offers to move his car forward so I can park closer to our cabin. We have leftover sandwich and fries and turn in after viewing photos. Shonu is terrified that a bat will enter the cabin and can’t sleep. I squeeze into the bed beside her to help her sleep even though it is only a double bed. Have to avoid this type of overly rustic accommodation in future.

11th June 2023:

We start off after coffee - Shonu has parfait and hot chocolate.

Along the way we stop for moose sightings and mountain viewpoints. Next stop is at Jenny Lake visitor center and marina. There is a short boat ride across the lake where there are short hikes to more viewpoints. There is massive pollen floating around near the visitor center. Shonu is reluctant to go on the boat. It is not. We decide to have lunch - cheese and chips sandwich, melon, parfait and chocolate. After lunch, Shonu is cajoled into the boat ride.

It is a short walk to the marina. Ticket is $20 per person round trip. Shonu is classified as child and charged $12. The ride starts slowly and picks up speed although the water is calm. 15 minutes later we are on the other bank.

We start hiking towards the falls. It’s a half mile hike. We quickly reach the falls. The water is flowing with good force and is clear. Shonu wants to turn back but we convince her to press ahead. After some time we see nobody behind or ahead of us on the trail. The boat captain said there is a bear here and Shonu and Kamu are scared that nobody is around. Then we see some hikers coming up which boosts our morale. We proceed towards Inspiration point which is a further half mile away. It feels like a lot longer than that. We encounter a couple of bridges with rapids underneath. It feels as cool as an AC over one of them. The final few yards is a steep ascent over stone steps. At the top, we are greeted by a wide panoramic view of the lake and mountains in the distance. There is another trail leading to a much higher viewpoint but there is no chance of our going on that. We take some photos and trudge back down through a different route.

At the marina there is a line for the return boat. Our turn arrives shortly and we arrive back at the far bank where we started. The weather has turned cooler and there are clouds in the distance. We decide to return to the cabin before it rains. It starts raining on the way.

We have seen most of the park and we decide to return a day early - Shonu is happy since she doesn’t have to worry about bats.

On the way we sight a bear and 3 cubs not very far away. Many cars are stopped on the road to take a look. Someone remarks that this is a very rare sighting. Shonu and Kamu alight from the car to take a look with binoculars. The cubs start sprinting and disappear into the bushes. A remarkable sighting to cap off the trip.

Kamu takes the wheel. I decide to take a route that takes us through hilly terrain and some small towns - Jackson, Wyoming the biggest. In Jackson there is a gondola ride up a steep mountain along what looks like a road that goes straight up the mountain at an impossible angle. It is probably just a firebreak. We look for fast food but find nothing here.

The drive continues through difficult hilly terrain and the sun is acting like a pest. This continues for a couple of hours after which it flattens out and passes through a valley of impeccably manicured fields extending a long way towards the hills. They look like zen gardens with raked sand - replaced with raked grass in various shapes and patterns.

We stop in Idaho Falls right after joining I-15 interstate for dinner at Subway. The Italian herb and cheese bread is tasty. I take the wheel to give Kamu a break. Rest of the drive is uneventful except for some rain. We reach home at 12:30am and hit the sack.