Day 11 - Jackson into Grand Teton and Yellowstone N Parks

We had always known that today would be an amazing day full of highlights and so it proved to be.  We awake to low mist over Jackson.  As we can see from the map the first hour of the journey will be through fabulous scenery so we delay departure, and fill up with propane and petrol before heading towards the Grand Teton NP entrance.  Shortly after we enter the park the mist clears and we have fabulous views of the snow-dusted Teton range away to our left against a brilliant blue sky!

Our first stop will be Jenny Lake and we have been warned that “you must arrive before 10.00 or won’t be able to park.”  We arrive around 10.30 and have a choice of parking slots!  We pop into the visitor centre and Mary buys a short guide to the park which shows walks and specially notable locations for best views, wildlife sighting locations etc.  It proves very useful throughout the day!

We take the boat across Jenny Lake and decide on two walks on the other side.  Normally these are linked into a single loop but the connecting section is closed for maintenance (it looked like a bridge had been washed away and was being rebuilt).  We climb through the trees, with snatched vies of the lake below and the mountains beyond until we reach a small series of waterfalls, however the hidden waterfall lies just a little higher and suddenly appears around a corner, though you do hear it before it is seen.

Next we head back to the landing stage and head up the trail to “Inspiration Point”.  This is quite a climb and in the high altitude for those used to living at 300 feet above sea level at times you need to pause for long deep breaths.  But the reward is worth it!  After a series of zig-zags on the trail you reach an open area with stunning views back across the lake to the mountain ranges that surround the open bowl before us.  It is so beautiful we can hardly drag ourselves away!

But as we are only a short distance into our journey and we have Yellowstone ahead of us today we must.  Back down the track, spot mule deer in the undergrowth, onto the boat and back across the lake.

We have spent such a long time here that we must press on for the scale of distances is greater than expected inside the parks.  We make a small detour to Horseshoe Bend and enjoy the view of he mountains, winding river and changing colour of the trees.  It is beautiful.

Then back on the road and before long we leave Grand Teton and arrive at Yellowstone.  Although devastated by fires many times over the forest recovers and the road is through young pine trees grown since the great fire of 1988.

We call at a visitor centre and collect information, intending to watch a film of the regeneration of Yellowstone, but realise that we need to hurry on to see Old Faithful do its thing!  And this we do and it really is spectacular.  Arriving in time to get a good viewpoint with the setting sun behind us.

From here we press on to the Madison Campground but our route is further delayed by bison on the road, lots of them, including one mother feeding a calf in the middle of the carriageway.  We are the last to arrive!