18. Day 13 – Our first day in the Grand Teton National Park
Sunday 21 May 2006
We had our showers in the campground facilities and after breakfast we spent time working on the web site. The sun was shining, 56 degrees F as we left at 11am. It wasn’t long before we entered the Grand Teton National Park.
We stopped beside Jackson Lake looking across to the Teton Mountain Range.
Looking across Jackson Lake to the Grand Teton Mountain RangePip, happy to be here
We drove onto Colter Bay and visited the Information Centre. The Park was established in 1929. We walked down to the lake where an empty marina was waiting for the summer tourists to arrive with their boats.
The marina at Colter Bay waiting for the tourist’s boats to comeView across Jackson Lake to The Grand Teton
We drove out along the dirt 4WD track to the parking area of Two Ocean Lake Trailhead.
We drove out along a dirt 4WD road to Two Ocean Lake
As we parked the Earthroamer, the right back wheel sank into the mud and we were bogged.
We got bogged in the car park of Two Ocean Lake Trailhead
This was a test for our vehicle. Dick got out the winch and set it up around a nearby tree. After some digging around the wheel we managed to get the vehicle (all seven tons of it) out of the hole by Pip driving the vehicle in 4WD and Dick using the winch.
Dick used the winch to get the vehicle back on firm ground
We made a quick lunch and set off on the track that was 10km long and ran right around Two Ocean Lake. It was magnificent in sunshine.
Beautiful view as we headed off around Two Ocean LakeDick on the track on a beautiful sunny day
We saw a cute little squirrel running up a tree and managed to get a photo of him with our flash.
A little squirrel we managed to photograph as he ran up a nearby tree
There was quite a lot of snow on the track on the southern side of the Lake.
We had to walk in snow drifts on the southern side of the LakeIs it a UFO? No it is two jet trails in the sky above us
It took us 2 hours 45 minutes to walk around and as we drove back to Jackson Lake a coyote ran across the road in front of us.
A coyote ran out across the road in front of us
We stopped at the viewing spot for Mt Moran and had a cup of tea and made a few phone calls on the mobile phone.
Mt Moran
It was 7.20pm when we drove to Jenny Lake and looked across to the Teton Mountains.
Jenny Lake
It was still light but overcast and 68 degrees F. The camping area was for tents only here so we drove onto Moose, called into Jackson Airport as Dick was here in 1983 in his helicopter and then drove onto Jackson Hole.
Driving down the main street of Jackson Hole
It was now nightfall and we managed to find a very friendly RV Park right in the middle of town, called the Wagon Wheel. We booked a site for $37 and drove down the main street and parked right outside Teton Steakhouse. We enjoyed one of our few eat out meals in a real American Western Restaurant, full of atmosphere. We returned to the RV park for a good night’s sleep.
