Today was spent exploring Grand Teton National Park. We were slow getting going this morning because it was raining outside and we were waiting for it to clear so we could go on our boat ride and hike. Unfortunately, we’ve learned that slow mornings in a hotel/AirBnB leads to everyone being on edge by the time we leave. However, as we all grumpily left, we were instantly greeted by a mama Moose and her calf. They were crossing the road and then ran off into the woods (we were too slow for photos!). That certainly reset everyone’s moods!
We drove up Moose road and eventually to the Jenny Lake visitor center. On our drive we crossed a ton of very remote areas that we thought would be loaded with wildlife but the best we got was a really far away moose/elk in a field. As we approached Jenny Lake, Jaclyn mentioned she was sad that she hasn’t been able to run much and I then pretty much kicked her out of the car. There was a great bike path that paralleled the road and we were only two miles from Jenny Lake. So, Jaclyn set off running…in her hiking boots and hiking pants…lol.
We watched Jaclyn run and then I’d drive ahead of her and let Brooke out to run back to her. Brooke was super excited to do this. Brooke was also very cute with her camera and binoculars looking for animals. Eventually, we all reunited at Jenny Lake.
From there we took a short boat road across Jenny Lake to a hiking trail. We hiked to hidden falls, then hiked up a little further towards Inspiration point and had lunch on the side of the trail with a beautiful view of the mountains and lake.
Since Brooke was getting a little tired, we decided to turn around and we had her read the signs and be our navigator. About 3/4 of the way down Beckett started making randomly making growling noises in the backpack and we joked that he must’ve spotted a bear. About 30 seconds later we saw that people were on the side of the trail looking at a black bear cub. We’re really curious if he did indeed spot it first…
After watching the bear cub for a while, and concerningly trying to find the mama bear we decided to finish our hike. As we approached the boat dock a stranger told us there was a moose about 200 yds past the boat dock. So, we went and checked it out and found a moose eating its lunch. Pretty crazy that we saw a bear and a moose within 10 minutes of each other!
We then took the boat ride back across the lake and headed back to Teton Village (where we’re staying). We walked around the Jackson Hole Resort shops and at some Mexican food at the Tin Can Cantina food truck at the bottom of the gondola. It was perfect weather and we just enjoyed sitting outsides afterwards.
As rain started to encroach on us we headed back to the AirBnB and began organizing and packing for Yellowstone. I would say that today definitely exceeded expectations in many ways and we’re very excited for what Yellowstone might bring…
-Jay
Super pictures! Super fun! I can almost feel the fresh, clean air.
Wow, great pictures. So cool that you all got to see bear and moose. Love how Brooke and Beckett are experiencing the country so young and are having a blast. This blog will help them to re-live it too in the future.
I’m finally caught up on this blog. So awesome! Love all the great pics! What a great adventure!!