Teton and Yellowstone

This is an exciting day! My sister gave birth to a little boy this afternoon. Congratulations to John and Katie and the three big sisters!  I have now been blessed with 21 nieces and nephews! 

So… I have fallen behind in blogging. We had a wonderfully busy weekend and then Monday I had a terrible headache all day, so I will try to get a little caught up now. And I am sorry this post is so long. Friday we were back in Teton to hike a trail that skirted beautiful Jenny Lake. Saturday, Nick and George had a wonderful adventure exploring a wind cave in Targhee National Forest (hopefully he’ll blog about that tomorrow). Sunday we spent the day in Yellowstone National Park. I should say we spent *most* of the day in Yellowstone, because we were actually in two national parks, 3 states (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho), 3 national forests and a wilderness area before the day was done. It was quite a day!

Hiking around Jenny Lake on Friday

Sunday we drove through Teton, making a few stops, to get to Yellowstone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting the AMAZING Yellowstone National Park

A picnic lunch at Lewis Lake (Luckily, we did not encounter Yogi Bear!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw Old Faithful and other geysers erupt. Very cool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lewis River and Nez Perce Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildlife! We saw a lot of really awesome things in Yellowstone, but the wildlife was definitely the highlight!  Most of the creatures we saw in the park were along the Nez Perce Creek (coyote, elk, and buffalo).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I would have gotten more pictures of Idaho, but we were all tired by the end of the day and a storm was approaching so we just wanted to get home.  In any case, the farm land was so lovely and I have never seen so many wildflowers. It was absolutely delightful! Here are a couple of pictures of the the Tetons from the Idaho side.

The Tetons have loomed up grandly against the sky. From this point it is perhaps the finest pictorial range in the United States or even North America. -Thomas Moran, while painting the Tetons from the Idaho side, 1879

Grand Teton National Park

There are no foothills to the Tetons. They rise suddenly in rugged majesty from the rock strewn plain… the soft light floods the great expanse of the valley, the winding silvery river and the resplendent deeply carved mountain walls. -Lieutenant Gustavus Cheney Doane, 1876

(As always, click on a picture to view it larger)

For most of the trip from Pinedale to the park, the road follows alongside the Hoback River.  The drive begins in the enchanting, open prairie lands of Sublette County and ends with the majestic beauty of Teton County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Teton National Park was a wonderful place to celebrate the 4th of July. It is definitely America the beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cathedral Group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Jenny Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view of the valley from Signal Mountain’s summit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wildflowers are plentiful and oh so lovely!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Snake River at Oxbow Bend Overlook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so awesome to see buffalo roam across the prairie. It conjures up images of another time in this place and stirs the imagination with visions of the old west.

Happy 4th of July from Wyoming

One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One Nation evermore! -Oliver Wendell Holmes

Happy 4th of July from beautiful Pinedale, Wyoming!  We are staying in a great little rv park that borders on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. I love Wyoming! It is spacious and empty and wonderfully serene. In the midst of this crazy, busy world, I truly appreciate the peaceful solitude of this place.

Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.  -Theodore Roosevelt

The beautiful rv park where we are staying. Most of the land you see in this picture is actually national forest.

We heard a strange squeaking sound coming from the grass just outside our rv. We discovered countless burrows and saw at least a dozen prairie dogs scampering about. Here is one of our little neighbors.

This forest is just beautiful!

We will be spending our day in the Grand Teton National Park appreciating this beautiful country and the blessing it is to live here.