Park 25: Grand Teton National Park, WY:  What better time to see the majesty of the Tetons for the first time than at sunset?  The short drive from Yellowstone to bed down in Jackson, WY, just south of Grand Teton NP, took twice as long as we kept stopping to admire the “grand” view which changed with every mile as the brilliant colors of sunset faded into evening.



Sunset - first view of Teton Range

The peaks of the Teton Range have no foothills to gradually build to their impressive height as other mountain ranges.  Instead, they just rise dramatically up to 7,000 feet from the valley floor dominating the whole landscape!   The highest of the peaks, Grand Teton, rises to 13,775 feet and can only be accessed via mountain climbing.  The base of the mountain range runs along a fault line of two overlapping tectonic plates, causing the drastic uplifting of the ground to form the relatively young Tetons. 

Grand Teton in its majesty

A string of sparkling lakes and several rivers, most notably the Snake, back up against the snowcapped mountains and provide countless activities for visitors of all ages.  We availed ourselves of short hikes and picnics along the lakes.  Peggy’s clapping as we hiked the wooded trails must have worked because we never saw a bear while hiking.  What we don’t know is how many bears saw us because they were certainly out there! 



Looking at Grand Teton from
top of Jackson Hole Ski Resort

In addition to enjoying the charming western town of Jackson, reminiscent of Santa Fe with its grassy town square, we visited Teton Village, home of Jackson Hole Mountain Ski Resort and rode the tram to the top of its highest mountain at 10,450 feet!  The tram rises over 4,100 feet, the most of any tram in the world, and transports 100 skiers to the top in just 10 minutes.  We left the sunny valley floor at 70 degrees, and arrived at the top at a cold and very windy 48 degrees!  

Local elk wildlife

From here, we continue our travels eastward in earnest with stops in South and North Dakota for our final group of National Parks.  Stay tuned . . . .we’ll be home in a week!

Odometer:  11,001 miles.