Grand Tetons, grand indeed.

From Astonishing Jane

Friday, September 22nd.

We woke up, it was snowing, and the sky was grey and cold and miserable. But, with only one day left... We thought we'd at least drive to the Grand Teton National Park, to have a look and try to see a bear or a moose or something. Two hours later we made it through the gates. When the road sign said bumpy, wow it means off road, bounce, bump, huge pothole, and Jonty saying, go faster Dad!

Wondering if we picked the best way, all fears were allayed once we saw a long line of cars pulled up on either side of the road and two Rangers. What's going on? Bears!

So long as we could pull over with all wheels off the road we could have a look. We saw trees rustling and ears popped followed by a little black head. Bears!

  

One of the bear cubs in the tree!

Photos taken, memory card run out, back in the car, bounce, bounce and finally a real road appeared.

We joined a ranger to do the Taggart Lake walk. It was really awesome and a chance to reflect upon nature and a great reminder not to just be on a race to see that next thing you saw on a blog of ESSENTIAL things to see. It was an area carved by glaciers. Metamorphic rocks abounded. The colors of the trees, rocks, forest floor, the sky... Amazing.

Snowy covered tetons

This is the Grand Teton (the big one)

Glacier fed streams with HUGE weathered boulders

The colours were amazing.

As one of our tasks on the Ranger led walk, we were given a  different colour to try and find as we walked, and then name it in a Grand Teton way.
Jane - Hiker t-shirt Green
David - Autumnal ground cover
Eliza - Glacial Blue
Logan - Burnt rock Petunia
Jonty - Sunny blue skies

 The walk was great as it moved between stream to low grass land to mountain terrain. It was wet to flooded in some places, thanks to the recent snow. The rocks were beautifully weathered, and stunningly coloured and it was a delight to see so many metamorphic rocks - gneiss especially.

Taggart Lake

The mountains from which the glaciers came

Grace, our Ranger, signing the kids Junior Ranger books as doing a ranger lead programme was an essential part of getting the badge.

Me and Logan working on his Junior Ranger booklet.

Autumal leaves are spectacular and delightful.

More mountains, more lake.

 The walk was so lovely, and so breathtaking that we lost all track of time and made it helter, skelter into the next ranger station 15 minutes before they shut up shop, with Eliza and Jonty far from finished the essential items to complete the Junior Ranger work.  Extremely graciously, all were awarded their badges and/or patches.

We then went further up the park to try and spot wildlife. Another ranger (with spectacular eyesight, it appeared) was set up with a mighty telescope and binoculars, but it wasn't all that exciting with too many people all trying to spot the same two elk and one bald eagle.

Worried that the snow would mean more roads closed in Yellowstone, we headed home. No one had a real idea of what roads would be open, it was too isolated to get any internet info. When we checked as we left that morning you couldn't get from one side to the other.

The map we checked time and time again over the week at Yellowstone. 

The top of Grand Teton connects to the Southern Yellowstone gate, and we needed to get to the West entrance. Driving in Yellowstone at night involved snowy mountain passes and roads potentially harbouring large mammals such as bison and elk. One travels slowly, alert and carefully.