The following blog is written by Trev about the gorgeous Grand Teton Mountain Range in the National Park.
We’d heard a lot about this special National Park from people we have met on our travels. They all said that if you go to Yellowstone, then you must visit the Tetons. I had images of thick forests and glaziers. However; the park was quite different and it exceeded my expectation!
On our way to the Grand Tetons.
See the mountains in the distance. Topography's changing!
As we headed towards the Tetons, the landscape became more and more barren, yet in the distance we could see towering mountains with thick clouds hovering above them. The mountains crept up on us as we began our climb. They were spectacular! Very high with splotches of ice /snow cupped in their crevices. Pine trees clung desperately in scattered groves on their slopes with splashes of yellow leaved deciduous trees in amongst them.
Mountains are rising above us as we drive.
The Teton Mountains form part of the Rocky Mountain Range that stretches from Canada, right through to Mexico. The peaks reach as high as 17000 feet above sea level.
See the mountain range in the background
Remember Smokey Bear, a cartoon series created to promote safety with fires in Nationa parks.
As we clambered through major mountain road works and into the National Park we felt the air and landscape change from hot, dry and barren to cool and forested, with running rivers, large lakes and open grasslands. Everywhere we went towering mountain peaks peered down upon us.
Love this shot with the clouds above the mountains.
The "Fall" colours are just awesome.
We journeyed along past the dam, then lake and found a little church used for Sunday services, weddings etc.
A quaint little Catholic church near the dam.
Gorgeous stained glass window
Lovely woodwork inside the church.
Trev and Akaisha appreciating the view.
The view from the church.
We booked into a camping ground sitting alongside a beautiful lake in the forest. The sun was heading down and we decided to walk to the lake shore to watch it disappear behind the mountains. The sight was spectacular!
Beautiful sunset at the lake.
Silhouetted against a gorgeous backdrop.
Akaisha and Cathy enjoying the evening
Kaitlin's fine photography again.
Making rock sculptures.
After our fun animal spotting in North Dakota’s National Park last week, we decided to get up before dawn and see what we could find in the Tetons. We departed camp in complete darkness and began the circuit around the park. Flynn had jumped in the front seat with Cathy getting things sorted in the back. Everyone else was still snoring! Our first animal spotted was a huge bull elk with a massive set of horns. He stood much taller than me! Apparently, at this time of year during the rut, bull Elk have very bad tempers. This fella was right alongside the road. As we headed over a river and round a bend we noted a bunch of other early morning animal spotters and photographers pulled up at a siding. We pulled in to see what was going on and I climbed out to face the chilly air. Standing there in the eerie morning glow you could hear bull elks bugling all over the place. From behind us a herd of elks and their calves moved along the road side. These shy animals are usually a rare sight in America and we were very privileged to experience seeing and hearing them.
Early morning pictures of the mountains.
Early morning view.
On we travelled as the dawn approached. The kids gradually awoke and lay in their beds watching outside their windows. Our dream was to see a huge grizzly bear, wolf or moose. We spotted scattered bison mowing the dry grass and a herd of pronghorn. The river meandered along with lots of oxbow bends and green swampy wetlands along its edges. We took a turnoff to have a better look at this part of the river. There was a siding which required a small walk to see over the ledge to the wetland. The walk was well worth it, as on peering out over the wetland we saw several moose. There were three bulls and a cow. The bulls were all fired up (it is their rut time) and put on a great show for us all by clashing their horns! The female moose just sat down and watched the boys carry on!
At the lookout where we saw moose.
The kids can see the moose from their vantage point.
Two males locking horns over a female moose.
Moose against a beautiful morning backdrop.
Finally we found a nice spot to have breakfast by a beaver river. Couldn’t see the beaver, but could see his dam. Walking along the river edge you could see many pine trees that had large strips of bark torn off and some fallen trunks had been ripped apart. We think bears were responsible for this. They like to eat the grubs that feed on the wood. Bears in the area kept us all very vigilant!
Glaciers in the background
Going for a brisk early morning walk.
Heaps of logs in the river.
What a great way to wake up.
The beautiful Tetons.
As the sun rose the animals seemed to go into hiding and we were left only with the beautiful scenery. So onwards we travelled towards Yellowstone, the most famous National Park in the world…
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