The Grand Tetons
Yes, they were named for exactly what you are thinking, you with the dirty mind. French trappers said that they looked like boobs and it stuck. “Tetons” is “breasts” in French.
Connecting Yellowstone National Park to the town of Jackson, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park hosts a lovely stretch of road that runs along the base of the Teton Mountains. The Snake River parallels to this road. There are many pull-off lots that showcase amazing views. The park contains excellent hiking trails, gorgeous lakes, and many picturesque spots to photograph. The shadow of the mountains shelters many horse ranches.
I have been going full-out for the last few weeks, wanting to see and experience everything near my path. That energy expenditure leaves me lacking here. I don’t have the energy to give this park the intense attention it deserves.
My happiest moment is when Abby and I sit shoulder to shoulder in the back of the car with the hatch up. We are backed up to Jackson Lake and the 14,000 feet of Grand Teton is hulking over it. We share lemonade, Ritz crackers, and Cooper cheese, watching the cerulean water, exhausted, but completely at peace.
In the city center of Jackson are arches made from elk antlers. At first, the carnage appalls me. Mouth agape, I read the sign and learn that elk from the Refuge shed their antlers every spring. There is a National Elk Refuge at the southernmost part of the Grand Teton Park that houses 7500 elk deer. Boy Scouts collected the antlers and the Rotary built the arches. These arches have been a part of Jackson’s square since 1960.
People often and erroneously confuse Jackson and Jackson Hole. Jackson is the name of the town; Jackson Hole is the name of the valley and the ski resort. The town is quaint and picturesque. Jackson Hole, the ski resort, has a wonderful gondola that you can ride even if you aren’t skiing. In 12 minutes, the Aerial Tram glides skyward 4,139 vertical feet to one of the highest vertical drops in North America. The summit (10,450 feet) offers staggering 360-degree views of the Tetons, Jackson Hole Valley, and surrounding mountain ranges. Just before I arrive, three feet of snow falls on the mountain top.
The “Top of the World” hike is a path that follows the ridge line between peaks. It’s a difficult half hour of heavy trekking through snow up to my knees. At the end of the trail, where there are no more footprints, and a cliff drop off below me, I stop. I pause for a few moments to let my labored breathing subside. Silence. The kind of silence that settles in an ancient cathedral. The silence encapsulated in an igloo, the silence heard in the depths of a cave, or the silence that hums in a sound-proof room with foam lined walls. Pure quiet. Waiting until hunger overwhelms my quest for silence, I turn and follow the scent of maple syrup, retracing my steps back to the top of the tram.
Corbet’s Cabin boasts some world-famous gourmet waffles. Choices include brown sugar, lemon glaze, Nutella, and peanut butter and bacon. I get the Traditional, which is simple but sweet old-fashioned brown sugar butter waffle. It doesn’t disappoint and is hot and filling- satisfying two areas I am lacking.
