June 16th - Day 4
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are use to seeing large magnificent mountains on a regular basis (with the exception of the rainy/cloudy days that often out number the clear days) and we begin to take them for granted. Being up close to the Tetons, made us want to sit and stare at the mountains all day with a cup of coffee in our hands. Unfortunately, with 4 kids in tow and places to be, this was not an option.
After packing up our campsite, we drove the Grand Teton Scenic Loop, stopping at many pullouts along the side of the road to enjoy the various vantage points. We finished the loop at the park’s visitor center, followed by a late lunch in Jackson Hole.
Tonight was to be our first night in Yellowstone. However, since the park is closed indefinitely, we had to make alternative plans. We decided to begin our journey east towards South Dakota and drove Hwy 26 over the Wind River Mountain Range, ending the day in a campsite in Dubois, WY, that backs up to the Wind River.
A few highlights of the day:
Ilena and Obadiah officially become Grand Teton Junior Rangers (with the help of their older sister) and have the badges to prove it. How many times this summer they will become junior rangers is TBD but they are all ready making plans for something to pin all of their badges on.
Driving along the Scenic Loop, we came across a large bull elk that was standing about 15 yards off the road. We pulled the RV over and everyone got out to take pictures. The elk did not move, which allowed for a great picture. In fact, other people taking pictures were literally posing for selfies with this elk (no, I did not take a selfie with the elk).
Stopping at a number of pullouts along the side of the road, I saw numerous people with bear spray cannisters attached to their belt. Given there were no bears to be found anywhere near these pullouts, just herds of tourists, I question the intent of carrying these. If a bear comes while there, I am pretty sure I would just get back in the car. If they would rather stand there and try to spray the bear, I guess that is their prerogative.
We had planned on doing another small hike today in the National Park, but each place that was an option for a hike, the parking lots were full and cars had parked on the side of the road for what seemed to be about a mile long. We decided not to join the herd for a hike today as we would have probably just made it to the trailhead before the kids became tired of hiking.
Leaving the Grand Tetons, we drove east on Hwy 26, across the Wind River Mountain Range. This certainly made the RV work hard as the top of the mountain pass was over 9600 ft. in elevation. The top of this pass was also the Continental Divide. We were able to pull over at the monument and have an educational lesson about this, followed by a few snowballs.
A few pictures from the day:
