Though Rich had visited Grand Teton National Park before, this was my first time experiencing it. I had seen countless photographs over the years, but nothing prepared me for seeing the Tetons in person. There is something almost surreal about how suddenly the mountains rise from the valley floor. Towering peaks, rugged ridgelines, and endless views made it easy to understand why this is considered one of America’s most spectacular national parks.
We were fortunate to spend our rest day staying at a lodge in Moran, right inside the park. After so many days of packing our bicycles and moving from place to place, it was wonderful to simply slow down and soak it all in. Today, we scheduled a car tour through the park.
We were hoping to get a little more sleep, but the tour operator recommended we start at 6:00 AM to maximize our chance to see wildlife and to minimize the crowds. Starting early also afforded a special treat. We got to see the Tetons in a beautiful pink hue from the early morning sun.
We drove around looking for animals until we came across a large group of cars pulled over and we could see everyone out in the grass with their binoculars. We parked and joined the group to discover a female and male moose grazing in the field in front of us. The male moose had a large set of antlers that were just amazing to see as the rut — the annual mating season — is just a few weeks away.
Next, we drove to String Lake. Getting there early, the water was so still that the reflections looked almost like a second mountain range beneath the surface. With the quiet morning and towering peaks all around us, it was hard to imagine a more beautiful setting. We lingered for a while, simply taking it all in.
We then headed towards Signal Mountain that provides a panorama of the entire park. But on the way, we saw more cars parked in front of a field. We joined the onlookers to find two elk, each with their own massive set of antlers. The antlers almost look too big for the elk’s head to support. There is something very special about seeing such a large animal in their natural habitat.
We headed up to Signal Mountain. We had a great view of the entire park. We could see the bison herd from above that we had been trying to find all morning. When we went to leave, several people asked us if we had seen the bear on the way up. Bear?? We had gone to several spots this morning where bears frequent with no luck. Maybe we would find the bear on the way down. Alas, we descended Signal Mountain very slowly but were unable to find the bear. I was fine with that as I really didn’t want to be too close to a bear!
Our last stop for the morning was Jackson Lake. We could see a large part of the Teton mountain range reflected in the water, including Grand Teton the largest mountain in the range at 13,775 feet. It was surprising to learn that the top 33 feet of this Wyoming lake is managed as a reservoir for Idaho farmers.
In the afternoon, we took a rafting tour, floating down the Snake River from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Landing. While we did encounter a few rapids, our stretch of the river was much more “lazy river” than whitewater, which suited me just fine. Surrounded by the Tetons, drifting peacefully downstream gave us a different perspective on this remarkable landscape. As an added bonus, we spotted several bald eagles and osprey soaring overhead.
When we got back to the lodge, we were treated to about a dozen elk walking in the fields in front of the lodge. They were a bit far away so we could barely see them with the naked eye, but they were fun to watch through our binoculars. We saw the young elk running about and their parents trying to keep up. What a great way to end a wonderful day.