Today, we finished up the Tetons and then headed west into Idaho. We did more moose watching, rode a gondola to the top of the Tetons, ate some sky-high waffles, and then saw an incredible sunset on the Snake River.
Schwabacher Landing
As usual, we started our day long before sunrise, and headed into Grand Teton National Park to look for wildlife.
Once again, we had no luck on Moose Wilson Road, so we rejoined US-89 and headed to Schwabacher Landing to check for moose at this popular Snake River overlook. No ungulates in sight, but we did catch the sunrise there – one of best I’ve ever seen, despite a large crowd at the trailhead.
Double Moose
In the shadow of Blacktail Butte, right off the main highway, we saw a bull and cow moose together, eating in the sagebrush. This was not the same pair we saw at Antelope Flats yesterday; you can see the antlers are significantly larger on this bull. I don’t believe it’s the bull we saw by the river, either. Many cars were driving right by the pair, because it was difficult to see them in the dim lighting where they were standing. We managed to get a few decent pictures, and then headed on to check the river area for others.
Single Moose
Driving over to the Gros Ventre River area again, we hoped to see another moose by the water. At one overlook, we ran into a clearly [semi-]professional photographer walking back to his car. I asked him if he had seen anything, and he replied that there was a very large cow moose that had headed upstream on the opposite side of the river, but we could probably walk 4-5 minutes and catch up with her.
Of course, Dad and I jumped on the opportunity to see another moose, so we started heading downstream, looking across the water for any signs of her. A few minutes later, I heard a loud twig snap, and thought something might be nearby. Dad said, “I think I see something moving behind that bush.” Still peering over to the other side of the river, I decided to investigate. I rounded the bush, and was greeted with the hindquarters of an extremely large cow moose, not but a couple feet in front of me. I came running out from behind the bush, saying, “Way too close! Way too close!”. We backed a safe distance away, and found a better vantage point. The moose stared us down for what seemed like forever, but then apparently decided we weren’t a threat and went right back to eating her way through the foliage.
Soon, she was on the move again, and we tracked her down the river. Then suddenly…she vanished. It’s amazing how a creature that big can disappear behind a tree or in a field of sagebrush. It took us a minute to spot her again; she had bedded down in some grass. She was nearing 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and all you could see was her head above the grass. Her breath steamed and glistened around her in the frigid morning air.
Persephone Westbank
More than satisfied with our moose-seeking success, we drove back to Wilson to Persephone Westbank, a bakery we have visited during all of our trips to Jackson Hole. If your memory is decent, you’ll remember we went to the downtown Jackson location yesterday. For breakfast, we ordered a piece of pumpkin bread (it was so good we went back to the counter and waited in line for a second piece), two cortados, and two ham and cheese croissant sandwiches (with Dijon mustard aioli). We also grabbed a few more pastries to go. All was excellent, and we will keep coming back when we’re in the area.
Persephone Westbank
Wilson, Wy
A very good bakery with a good variety, and more to eat than just pastries. We have been multiple times, and will continue to visit on future trips.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Jackson Hole Aerial Tram
On somewhat of a whim, Dad and I decided to ride the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram to the top of the Tetons. The idea sparked because we were looking at the top activities in Jackson Hole, trying to find something we hadn’t done before to cap off our time there. Both my guidebooks and every website said the Tram was one of the best things to do, so we decided to give it a shot.
During ski season, the Tram serves as a lift for skiers looking to take on the highest and most challenging runs at the famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but in the off season, it’s a popular sightseeing excursion. We rode the tram up to the top of the mountains, beholding spectacular views in every direction.
We braved the Grand Teton Skywalk (see the metal overlook pictured down below), and walked around to the other viewing platforms, learning more about the history of the tram and the ski resort.
Rendezvous Mountain Trail
After reviewing our options, we selected a trail route to hike, mostly on the Rendezvous Mountain Trail. We took it slowly, since we were at such a high altitude (many people around us were gasping for breath), and enjoyed the views towards the west side of the Tetons, something you can’t see from anywhere down in the Jackson Hole Valley. We even saw a handful of paragliders sailing down the mountain and into the valley below. The hike really gave us a good perspective of the enormity of the Teton Range and the “hole”.
Top of the World Waffles
Done with our hike, and now back near the tram station, we visited the other big attraction (other than the views): Corbet’s Cabin. This establishment is named after Corbet’s Couloir (pronounced coo-laar), widely considered one of the most challenging and dangerous ski runs in the lower 48 states. I’ll post a video from the resort below showing some of the drops.
Corbet’s Cabin serves made-to-order waffles, and they really crank them out. The line was long, but moved very quickly. I was in line next to a family from Romania, and we became temporary friends. They had actually visited the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock before, and also loved looking for moose and grizzlies in Yellowstone and the Beartooths. Dad and I ordered Corbet’s signature (brown sugar and butter), and “The Cobbler” (berry compote and whipped cream. We ate at a picnic table, sitting with some other App State fans and the Romanian family. The waffles were great, but made even better by the view and unexpected camaraderie.
Corbet's Cabin
Jackson HOle, WY
The waffles are great, but it’s the overall experience that really makes this special. If you are in the area, the view and the waffles make riding the tram up the mountain worth it.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Descent and Drop-Off
Soon we made our way back down on the tram, enjoying views of the aspens on the way down. The tram operator told an interesting story… In the winters, they use explosives to cause controlled avalanches, preventing dangerous slides from happening. They occasionally toss these off the trams. One time, an explosive went off too close to the tram, and shattered all the windows from the shockwave of the blast. Not an encouraging story if you’re riding the tram, but it happened back in the “Wild West” days of skiing safety.
Back down in the Jackson Hole village, we located a hotel that had a drop-off counter for the bear spray rentals we had picked up in Big Sky several days earlier. We also learned that because our Jeep was apparently a hybrid (with a very lousy battery life, might I add), we could park and charge in the EV spots, right up front. A handy thing to learn for the parking convenience, but it didn’t accomplish much in the way of gas mileage for the vehicle. I wouldn’t trust the battery to get us from one end of the parking lot to the other.
To the Teton Pass...and Beyond!
Leaving Jackson Hole, we drove back across the Teton Pass and eventually joined I-15, heading west across the bottom of Idaho. We followed the Snake River most of the way.
Idaho Falls
Soon we arrived in Idaho Falls, and decided to stop briefly to see the “falls”. Turns out, they dammed up the Snake River over the top of the falls, so there was no water flow during the dry season. Despite this disappointment, we enjoyed a blueberry muffin, ham and cheese croissant, and another sea salt chocolate chip walnut cookie from Persephone for our “lunch”.
Pocatello
Continuing down the interstate, we turned off in Pocatello to drive through the town. The NCAA I-AA football championship game used to be played here, so we were curious what the town was like. By the time App State played in our three national championships, the game had been moved to Chattanooga.
After a drive through Idaho State University’s campus, we were back on the interstate again.
Twin Falls
Finally, we reached Twin Falls about 45 minutes before sunset, and checked into our rental home. For the final leg of the trip, Cody and Morgan McKinney will be joining us. If you’re a blog-reading regular around here, you probably remember them from our trips to West Virginia, Colonial VA, Texas, etc. I found this National Parks-themed rental house online, and we got a fantastic deal on it. It’ll be home base for the remainder of the trip.
Cody and Morgan were driving up from the SLC airport, and we’d arranged to meet at a park to see the sunset, and then would grab some dinner afterwards. Dad and I unloaded some of our luggage and then started driving to the rendezvous point.
Shoshone Falls
Arriving just in time for the sunset, we met up with Cody and Morgan at Shoshone Falls Park. These falls were also slightly dry, but still an amazing sight to behold. Faith’s mother grew up in Twin Falls, and she had told us that we needed to make time to come by even if the water level was low; she was right.
We saw an amazing sunset, hung around until it seemed to be getting dark, decided on a spot for dinner in Twin Falls, and left the park.
Sunset and Dinner
Little did we realize, one of the strangest sunset phenomenons I’ve ever seen was about to happen. Even though it was well past sunset (at least according to my phone), and seemed to be getting dark, the sky was lit on fire as we were leaving the park. We didn’t turn around to go back to the falls, but I wish I’d been able to get a picture with my camera from down there. It was an incredible sunset. Almost everyone was pulling off the side of the road to take pictures. I couldn’t get to my camera, so here are a few phone pictures that don’t really do it justice.
In downtown Twin Falls, we went to 2nd South Market, a food hall with a variety of options. All of us opted for The Smokey Bone BBQ, mostly because it smelled good. It was indeed very good. Dad and I split a platter, as did the McKinneys. We got smoked turkey, pulled pork, and pulled chicken, with macaroni and cheese, bacon braised cabbage, and a yeast roll. It was definitely not a contender for being one of the top 10 barbecue meals I’ve ever had, but it was very good and filling, and reasonably priced.
After dinner, we drove back to the rental house and headed to bed. We were all fairly exhausted from being in cars and planes, so we decided to get a little later start in the morning.
Video
Here’s a video from today’s adventures.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “the sunset at and around Shoshone Falls”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.
Jerry
The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between Isaac running from the north end of a south-bound moose, and the views from the tram and the top of the Tetons”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the pumpkin bread at Persephone“.
Conclusion
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Tomorrow, we’ll head to an “other-worldly” National Monument in Idaho, possibly go see Sun Valley and the Sawtooths, and explore more of southern Idaho.
– Isaac & Jerry
3 Responses
The antlers on that first moose were HUGE! Wow!
Gorgeous sunrise and sunset pictures!!!
So many pastries!
I would have enjoyed seeing Shoshone Falls! Beautiful!
We also did the tram and waffles. Great views but since I’m afraid of heights it wasn’t the most fun I had all week. Good waffles though.
I too don’t enjoy heights; but managed to tolerate it. It thought it was very “mild” compared to the gondolas I’ve ridden in the Alps. I would say it’s also milder than Sea to Sky up near Vancouver/Squamish, BC.