We slept so well in Sarah and Thomas’s driveway and woke up to a cool but clear morning. We hung out with Sarah and Thomas in their living room (along with super friendly Frank the Tank’s head in our laps) drinking delicious coffee and Earl Grey tea. By 9 we said our goodbyes and headed back into Jackson to meet another friend, Natalie Moore, for breakfast at Snake River Roasters. Natalie was the third Country Walkers guide for the Georgia tour, and I also hadn’t seen her since 2019. What a treat to catch up and spend time with her! The older I get the more I realize the value of these precious friend connections, even those who we haven’t seen in years. Absolutely a highlight of our road trip.
After breakfast we said our goodbyes to Natalie and moved on into Grand Teton National Park. Patricia, Sarah, and Natalie had all given us some ideas about park walks and highlights, and we wanted to go on a hike. We decided to hike into Taggart Lake, a route that the women thought might be open and free of snow. As we drove to the trailhead, a grizzly mama and 3 cubs darted across the road about a half mile before our parking spot. The parking lot was packed and so many people were on the trail. We later learned that this trail was one of the few in the park that was actually open, since there was an incredibly high snow cover this year. We started out on a nice gravel path, but the closer to the lake we got the more snow in the trail. An obliging moose happened to be
laying down just off the trail, posing for photos. The experience (snow, not moose) reminded me a bit of those spring days in Vermont when you just wanted to get out on a trail but there was still snow pack. Anyway, we made it and found lovely Taggart Lake still iced over, a great 3 mile roundtrip hike.
We then continued on the park road, stopping frequently for jaw dropping views. A car was stopped ahead of us at one point and we pulled over to see a wolf in the field. All in all, a pretty exciting wildlife viewing day. On to Jenny Lake Visitor Center, only to learn that it doesn’t open until tomorrow. Back on the road to the Colter Bay Village, where we learned that there were lots of open campsites in the RV Park, so
we booked a site. Full hookup and water was the only option, since the Colter Bay tenting and dry camping campground hasn’t opened yet for the season. Way too expensive, but Milo’s senior pass gave us a bit of a discount and we have to remember that the National Park Service can charge premium prices for their in-park services. Headed on down the road to the Colter Bay Visitor Center, which was open, to stamp our park passport and check out the info there. Back to the campground to catch up on the blog, hardboil eggs while we have full hook up, and make dinner.
Great day once again!
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