The Teton Range undeniably commands the skyline in Jackson Hole. Many mountain ranges are rough and uneven, with rolling foothills which obscure views of the mountain tops. Not here.

Forty miles of jagged peaks cast 7,000 ft tall shadows above the flat, sagebrush valley. Eight peaks rise more than 12,000 ft tall. Measuring a towering 13,770 feet, the highest of these is Grand Teton.

The Tetons are actually one of the youngest ranges in North America and the world.

Since this range has only been uplifting for 10 million years, geologists consider the Tetons to be a bit of a “teenager” as far as mountains go. 

In contrast, the “elderly” Appalachian Mountains are 300 million years old and the “middle-aged” Rocky Mountains are 50-80 million years old, according to the NPS.

Over time, erosion will gradually soften the harsh lines and sharp majesty of the Tetons. But the forces of wind and water cannot diminish the peaks’ pull on the hearts of hundreds of intrepid climbers.   

EXPLORING GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK-

Like many others before us, Adam and I were captivated by the alluring heights of the Teton Range. We set a new personal record hiking up to 10,000 feet above sea level on the Amphitheater Lake trail.

We hiked 11.6 miles with 3,304 feet of elevation gain and 13+ agonizing switchbacks. The thinner air was tough for us lowlander Floridians... our lungs strained to work with ~1/3 less oxygen than normal.

The good thing about RV life and driving here, is that we’ve gotten to more gradually acclimatize to higher altitudes by building up to this climb with more gradual hikes. 

By far, my favorite wildlife moment was seeing adorable pika scurrying around the boulder fields at the alpine level! These rabbit-like mammals exclusively live in cold, high-elevation areas and are sometimes called “whistling hares” due to the high-pitched sound of their alarm barks.

While hiking up to Amphitheater & Surprise Lakes, we even saw a mama black bear and her cub chowing down on some huckleberries. She was a safe distance from the trail, but it’s important to ALWAYS be alert, make noise, and carry bear spray! Particularly in grizzly bear country. It is vital to wear bear spray in an easily-accessible location on your belt or shoulder and to conduct test drills so you don’t freeze during a sudden encounter. 

On the trip, we also met up with an old friend to do a socially distanced hike and a masked-up trailer breakfast. French toast with warm strawberries and dark chocolate COVID-style! She showed us the best secret lookouts and most scenic trails. Watching the sun set over the Grand Teton range was worth fighting the cloud of skeeters.

We also enjoyed skipping rocks at Colter Bay, admiring the picturesque Moulton Barn homestead, and taking a leisurely bike ride to Jenny Lake.

OUR FAVORITE PLACES-

#1: Amphitheater & Surprise Lakes (difficult, strenuous hike to two alpine lakes with magnificent views)

#2: Jenny Lake (beautiful bike ride along Grand Teton road, with attractive shoreline pullouts)

#3: Phelps Lake (pleasant hike to a large lake with stream and meadow views)

MISADVENTURES-

Camping wasn’t so much a misadventure as it was a gamble. It is always challenging to book overnight lodging and camping in national parks, particularly in peak season. Many sites book up months and sometimes years in advance. To avoid the hassle of managing reservations (and to give more impulsive travelers a chance), many campgrounds offer a certain number of “first come, first served” campsites. The lines for these coveted spots start quite early. To get a site within Grand Teton, we woke up at 5:30am to drive to the park. By the time we got to the Moran entrance gate, it was 8am and two of the campgrounds were already full.

We drove to one of the larger sites, Gros Ventre, where a queue of trucks and RV’s had already formed. Luck was with us though--after a 90 minute wait, we were able to snag a great spot.

Most national park campsites are dry (no water, electric, or sewer hook-ups), so they require some planning. When our freshwater tank started to run low, Adam created a makeshift water tower. We walked to a potable water spigot, filled a large jug with water, placed it on a ladder, and used gravity to pipe a hose of water into our fresh tank. (P.S. The water bandit is a great silicon attachment tool for connecting to various water outlets, which may not have the correct spigot threads.)

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GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK STATS:

Established: February 1929      /      Size: 309,995 acres

Annual Visitors: 3.1 million     /       Location: Wyoming

~Safe Travels, Nathalie

3,450 miles traveled and 7 national parks explored