Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Aug 7-17, 2007.

While in the Tetons we stayed at two of the National Park Campgrounds: Colter Bay and Gros Ventre. Both are dry camping sites and are rarely full. Both are $17 per-night to "dry camp" with central water and dump site of course if you have the "geezer-pass" the rate will be half that. There are several hundred sites in each of the campgrounds. We spent most of our time in Gros Ventre because it is located only 10-miles from Jackson and we love Jackson and all it has to offer.

We have been in Teton National Park for over a week now. We haven't been taking as many pictures as we normally do but we have been here so many times that we are getting sensitized. What I have put together here is a smorgasbord of pictures that I thought would be interesting, especially to people who have not visited the Tetons.

Mount Moran in the Teton Range

This is a picture of Mount Moran. While this picture was taken in mid-August you can still see snow packed in the glaciers. Look closely at the black dike that can be seen coming out of the glacier on the left. Long, long ago as in 765-million years ago molten lava oozed into a crack in the overlying rock (that just happened to be nearly 3-billion years old).

Dates like that blow my mind.

That black dike is about 150-feet thick at the summit and can be traced all the way down to the tree line. This picture was taken looking west so you are seeing the eastern side of Mount Moran as well as the eastern side of that black dike. Geologist have traced that black dike more than 7-miles to the west where the dike is still over 100 feet wide.

Keep in mind that dikes are created when molten rock (lava) under tremendous pressure forces its way into cracks in existing rock layers deep within the earth. Once entering the crack the molten rock cools thus forming a dike. In this case it was a huge dike.

Other dikes can be seen in the Tetons but this one is so easy to see that it is probably the most often discussed.

Mount Moran & Teton Range

This is another picture of Mount Moran. You can clearly see that black dike in this picture also. The pasture in this picture had a lot of tender green grass and hundreds of Canadian geese were feeding on it. If you look hard you can see some of the geese as dots in the green patch to the right of the picture.

We are seeing many more Canada geese this year than past years. There must have been a bumper crop of goslings.

Deadmans Bar Grade

You do not often see a 19% grade sign. This one was on a gravel road used to access a raft launching site on the Snake River. Thankfully, the grade was short. It only went down the side of a large moraine, possibly a 150' drop in elevation.

Rafters on Snake River

We stopped at the raft launch site and watched the operation. I think these are 3.5 hour raft trips down the Snake River here in Teton National Park. The operators load everyone in a large 15-passenger van that is towing the raft on a flat bed trailer like the one you see in this picture.

The raft company has two employees in the van. One is going down the river in the raft. He is the man in the raft with the white visor. The other employee, the one in the orange jacket in this picture, drives the van and trailer back to the take out spot.

It is a pretty slick operation. The employees unload the passengers from the van and get them into life jackets. While the other employee backs the trailer and raft down the ramp. Next the employees position the raft next to the rear of the trailer that is still in the water on the ramp.

Steps are placed in position so that customers can climb the steps onto the trailer without getting their feet wet. Pretty slick. After the customers are seated in the raft all there is to do is cast off and they are on their way down the river.

The other employee throws the steps into the van and heads back to the take out point.

Rafters on Snake River

Less than a minute after the customers are loaded the raft is headed down the Snake River.

There were 10 or more vans in line patiently waiting their turn to put their rafts in the river and head out.

Rafters on Snake River

Joyce took this picture of one of the rafts from a view point high above the Snake River several miles downstream from where we watched the rafts being launched.

Snake River

That is another raft from another view point.

I hope that you remember that 19% grade sign a few pictures back. That 19% grade was negotiating that bank of glacial moraine you see in this picture (the bank on top). The bank on the bottom was created by the Snake River.

Grand Tetons

This is Grand Teton and the other two "Tetons".

Horseback riding out of Jackson Lodge

The people on the bridge are trying to spot a moose. This bridge is located near Jackson Lodge and moose are frequently sighted in this willow flat area.

A large group of people on a trail ride out of Jackson Lodge passed by while we were watching the moose.

Sunset over the Tetons

Sunset over the Tetons.

Grand Teton Sunset

Buffalo, the Tetons and sunset. This picture was taken on Gros Ventre Road not far from the campground.

Sunset over Tetons

Smoke from wildfire

This is smoke from a wild fire 30 to 40 miles to the east of us near Thermopolis, Wyoming. The helicopter that is helping to fight this fire flies back to the Jackson, Wyoming every two hours or so to refuel. The Jackson airport is to the west of the Gros Ventre Campground and the fire is to the east of us so we get to see the helicopter coming and going on a routine basis.

Old Barn on Mormon Row

This is one of the old houses and barns on Mormon Row, not far from the Gros Ventre Campground.

Old Barn on Mormon Row

This is another of the old barns located on Mormon Row.

Poker Flats

We have seen this "Gate sign" many times. I wonder if anyone has any information on this place. I was not aware that people were still homesteading in 1963.

This ranch is located on the west side of the Wilson to Moose Junction Road about 4-miles north of the Teton Village complex.

There must be a story to go along with the name also.

Jackson Hole Aerial Tram

For those of you familiar with the Tram at Teton Village you might take interest in the upgrade being made.

A 100 passenger $25-million tram is going to be some kind of nice tram. Of course Teton Village is a "NICE" place so this tram will only be fitting.

Grand Tetons

For purple mountains majesty comes to mind.

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Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix