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Day 5 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Today marks our final day in Yellowstone National Park. I planned it to be a bit of a “cleanup” day, if you will. We visited Old Faithful, the Upper Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, the Lower Geyser Basin, Fountain Paint Pots, and the Firehole Canyon. In the afternoon, Faith and I hiked to Fairy Falls via Grand Prismatic Overlook.

Breakfast // Old Faithful

Another early start took us from Island Park to West Yellowstone, and then to the west entrance of the park. From the entrance we followed the Madison River to Madison Junction, and then turned south on the Grand Loop Road to go to Old Faithful. The Old Faithful area is definitely tourist central for Yellowstone. There are several hotels, a cafeteria, many gift shops, an art and photography shop, and a large visitor center.

Driving into the steam of Grand Prismatic Spring

Driving past the Lower Geyser Basin

Lower Geyser Basin

The first order of business was to find something to eat. All the dining in the parks was take-out only for the summer (not because of COVID, we learned, but because they couldn’t find staff to hire). First, we tried the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, but were unimpressed with their offering of cold breakfast sandwiches and a single microwave in which to heat them up. After much deliberation, we settled on the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria, which had some limited hot offerings, and most importantly, coffee. I wound up getting a very delicious lemon poppyseed muffin (as did Faith), and Mom and Dad got a bit larger breakfast. Mom got a blueberry muffin and mandarin oranges, and Dad got a lemon-poppyseed muffin and biscuits and gravy.

Lemon poppyseed muffin - Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria

It couldn’t have been more perfect timing to see Old Faithful erupt. We took our breakfast to a bench outside and ate, then watched the eruption. It was definitely neat to see, but the crowds and commercialization definitely detracted from the experience. In the distance, we could see Daisy Geyser and a couple others erupting.

Daisy Geyser erupting in the distance

Old Faithful

Old Faithful Inn // Lunch

Post eruption, it was almost time for the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center to open. We decided to wait in line to enter, and perused the exhibits for a while. The center has many fascinating displays and is highly informative; it’s definitely worth a stop.

After our educational experience, we decided to visit the historic Old Faithful Inn. The lobby is timber-framed, and has an impressive 85-foot tall fireplace. There’s also a nice gift shop and usually a couple dining options open.

Old Faithful Inn

While the opportunity presented itself, we decided to grab some to-go sandwiches and chips for lunch. Faith and I hadn’t eaten a big breakfast, so we decided to eat our sandwiches on a bench outside the inn while we all watched Old Faithful erupt once again.

Lunch at Old Faithful

Upper Geyser basin

Mom and Dad decided to take their lunch somewhere for a picnic while Faith and I explored the Upper Geyser Basin. There’s a trail that runs from Old Faithful to Biscuit Basin, which would be our designated meeting point. The first destination was Geyser Hill, just up the hill above Old Faithful. This plan was quickly derailed when a bison grazing close to the path prompted a National Park Ranger to close down the area. Personally, I thought it was far enough down the hill that it didn’t pose any real danger (plus it was much farther away than the bison we saw at Mud Volcano). But, I’m not the expert on the matter, and I’m sure they wanted to be extra cautious since there were dense crowds. While we waited to see if the bison would leave, we were able to enjoy some nice views of the Firehole River.

Bison on Geyser Hill

Firehole River

Forced to take the long way around, we backtracked and restarted our journey to Biscuit Basin, bypassing Geyser Hill via another path to the south. We determined it wasn’t worth backtracking to revisit the top of the hill. We quickly came upon Blue Star Spring and East Chinaman Spring, and then had a long walk before we reached any other hydrothermal features.

Blue Star Spring

East Chinaman Spring

Next, we arrived at Castle Geyser, Tortoise Shell Spring, Shield Spring, and the Crested Pool.

Castle Geyser and Tortoise Shell Spring

Shield Spring

Crested Pool

As we crossed the Firehole River by South Scalloped Spring, we could look back and see Old Faithful erupting a third time.

Firehole River and Old Faithful

Firehole River

South Scalloped Spring

Firehole River and Old Faithful

We passed several other minor, but beautiful features, and walked past Grand Geyser (the eruption time was too long to wait on), soon arriving at Giant, Bijou, and Turtle Geysers.

Next, we arrived at Grotto Geyser, and then passed the “Bottomless Pit” on our way to Morning Glory Pool.

Grotto Geyser

Bottomless Pit

Morning Glory Pool

From here, we headed downhill through the last stretch of features between us and Biscuit Basin. We stopped for a while at the Artemisia Geyser, thinking it was about to erupt, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Artemesia Geyser

Gem Pool

Mirror Pool

Finally, we reached Biscuit Basin. While we’d been walking through the geysers, Mom and Dad had eaten their lunch by a lake somewhere, and Dad had explored a bit of the Black Spring Basin.

Midway Geyser Basin // Grand Prismatic Spring

By this point in our Yellowstone travels, I was getting pretty tired of boardwalks and crowds. So, we decided it was time for one last hike before we left the park this evening. Inconveniently, our next stop was the Midway Geyser Basin, where the crowds are bested only by Old Faithful. Thankfully, there’s a nice hike that allows you to bypass most of the boardwalk crowds and see the primary features of the basin at the same time.

The Fairy Falls Trailhead first takes you to the Grand Prismatic Overlook, which has a full view of the Grand Prismatic Spring. It’s a short climb up the hill to the overlook. From there, you can also see the other main features of the Midway Geyser Basin in the background (from L to R): Opal Pool, Turquoise Pool, and Excelsior Geyser Crater. The overlook was extremely crowded, mainly with people who only wanted to take selfies rather than appreciate the view.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Fairy Falls

Quickly leaving the crowded overlook, we continued on the same trail to Fairy Falls. The falls is a 5.4mi round trip, which is thankfully lengthy enough that it deters the masses. The falls are 197ft high, and the water scatters as it drops, giving the water its dainty appearance. There was some other great scenery along the way, and we also saw some tiny wildlife.

Because some storm clouds were on the horizon and we could hear some distant thunder, we didn’t stay long at the falls. On the return trip, we took the low road trail bypassing the Grand Prismatic Overlook, which offered a different perspective of the pool.

Grand Prismatic Spring

This was a fairly easy, flat hike, but was extremely dusty. If I’d had a mask on me, I would’ve put it on just to avoid getting dust in my nose and mouth. By the end, we were both coughing a lot and had to drink extra water. Just off the parking lot, we observed Steel Bridge Pool and another section of the Firehole River.

Dusty shoes

Steel Bridge Pool

Firehole River

Lower Geyser Basin // Great Fountain Geyser

Worn out and dust-choked from our hike, we briefly rested in the car, and decided to finish up with some less involved activities. So, we drove north to the Lower Geyser Basin, and turned onto Firehole Lake Drive. There are a variety of thermal features just off the road, including several geysers.

White Dome Geyser

It was now around 14:00, and we noticed that the sign at Great Fountain Geyser predicted that it would erupt sometime between 14:30 and 16:00. Since we were drained, we elected to stick around and wait. In the meantime, we could see White Dome Geyser erupting in the distance.

Fountain Paint Pots

Great Fountain Geyser

Near the bottom of this post, there’s a video of the eruption.

After Great Fountain’s eruption, we had two more stops before we’d leave Yellowstone for good. The first was Fountain Paint Pots, a collection of boiling mud and fumaroles.

Firehole Canyon

For the finale of our Yellowstone visit, we drove the one-way Firehole Canyon Drive, which passes by the river and a waterfall. It was a lovely close to our time there.

Firehole Falls, slightly out of focus because Dad kept moving the camera

Dinner // West Yellowstone

As we followed the Madison River on our way out of Yellowstone, we saw some more wildlife, including a herd of elk, a lone bison, and a canine of some sort (probably a coyote, but I couldn’t get a clear picture because it was moving so quickly).

Bison by the Madison River

Coyote, probably

About a 30 minute drive later, we arrived back in West Yellowstone just before 18:00. We stopped at Las Palmitas, a Mexican restaurant in an old school bus, for dinner. We all got quesadillas: chicken for Mom, steak for Dad and Faith, and carnitas (pork) for me. The quesadillas came with beans, rice, pickled vegetables, and sour cream. It was wonderful, and the restaurant-in-a-bus-thing is neat. This was probably our most surprising meal of the trip so far, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Las Palmitas

Las Palmitas quesadillas

Las Palmitas

West Yellowstone, MT

Not at all what I expected out of an old bus! Amazing Mexican food in a quirky setting.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

After dinner, we stopped at Espresso West to get some a decaf huckleberry iced white mocha (coffee is too complicated nowadays) for Faith, and Montana-made Wilcoxson’s ice cream for the rest of us. Mom got huckleberry and maple nut, and Dad and I got huckleberry and Graham Slam!, which is cookie butter ice cream with chocolate-covered honeycomb pieces. I liked the Graham Slam! better than Dad, but the huckleberry was excellent.

Espresso West ice cream

Madison River Valley

After finishing up our ice cream and finding a restroom in a downtown gift shop, we began our journey north towards Glacier National Park. In total, it’s about a 6-7 hour drive north to the closest entrance of Glacier National Park. I knew we wouldn’t been able to do that in one day when planning this trip, so I booked us a hotel in Butte, MT, roughly halfway. The drive to Butte took us through the Madison River Valley, which provided some of the most stunning landscapes of the trip so far. As we drove up US-287, we were flanked by two thunderstorms, each presenting a flickering lightning show while we rode into a sunset-painted sky. It was a surreal experience, like something out of a movie.

Driving the Madison River Valley

Yellowstone Closing Thoughts

I meant to take us by Quake Lake and Hebgen Lake on the way out of West Yellowstone (it’s a negligible short detour), but I completely forgot.
We had to skip several things in Yellowstone, including everything on the road where it’s closed from Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon. Among the things on my list: Tower Falls, Mt. Washburn, Calcite Springs, and the Dunraven Pass.
I found the Upper/Middle/Lower Geyser basin names confusing at first. They’re not in order from north to south, but rather, are ordered by going uphill or downhill. Lower Geyser Basin is the northernmost, and Upper Geyser Basin is the southernmost.
Some bear safety tips: Always carry bear spray, and know how and when to use it! Yes, it’s expensive, and no, you can’t fly home with it (even in your checked bag) – but, it’s not worth risking your life. Bear spray is incredibly (almost perfectly) effective at preventing bear attacks. Also be sure to make noise on trails, especially when coming up to dense forest or when you approach a blind corner. Yell, use the safety whistle on your backpack, etc. – whatever works for you, do it.
Side note: those little jingly bear bells are basically worthless. Bears have roughly the same sense of hearing as a human, so the next time you’re around someone with bear bells, notice how close you have to be to hear them. For me, it was nearer than 10 feet.
Finally, a word of advice if you ever visit: don’t be stupid. We saw many people doing incredibly dangerous things. A woman was walking on very fragile ground off the boardwalks at Norris Geyser Basin; a man with a double stroller blew right past the park ranger stopping traffic for a bison on Geyser Hill; many others were generally inconsiderate, bumping into other people on the boardwalks while trying to take a selfie or get a picture. Yellowstone can be a dangerous area, and the boardwalks and guard rails are there for a reason. Every so often, someone falls into a hot spring and is scalded to death. That’s no one’s ideal vacation.
All this [above] is no reason to be freaked out about visiting Yellowstone. We had a wonderful visit, and never once did we feel unsafe. Just be aware of your surroundings, follow the guidelines made by the experts, and you’ll have a great time!

The Best Things We Saw Today

Great Fountain Geyser was probably the highlight of the day for all of us, so some of these answers might actually be second place.

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Morning Glory pool and the sunset drive through the Madison River Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “my carnitas quesadilla at dinner”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “Grand Prismatic Spring”.

The best thing I ate today was… “my huckleberry iced mocha after dinner”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Great Fountain Geyser and Old Faithful, and our drive after dinner”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the steak quesadilla from the Mexican food bus”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Great Fountain Geyser and Old Faithful”.

The best thing I ate today was… “our lunch, because we ate by the lake”.

Note that Mom and Faith did *not* list the drive after dinner, because they were sound asleep in the backseat.

Video

There’s a rather long sequence in here of Great Fountain Geyser erupting, so feel free to skip it if you think you’ve seen enough. It erupts for about an hour, but I cut the video off long before that.

Conclusion

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– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Firehole Falls

The post Day 5 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2, Part 2 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Last night and this morning, we explored Grand Teton National Park, and then headed up to Yellowstone after a late lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge. I’m picking up where we left off on Part 1 of this post.

Yellowstone National Park

After driving the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, we arrived at Yellowstone’s south entrance, and began our journey along the park loop road. I’ll save my Yellowstone fun facts for a later post.

Yellowstone National Park

Lewis River Canyon // Lewis Falls

We drove alongside the Lewis River Canyon for a while, finally arriving at Lewis Falls, which is viewable just off the main road. We would quickly learn that most of Yellowstone’s main highlights (and crowds) are but a quick stop off the main drag.

Lewis River Canyon

Lewis River

Lewis Falls

Yellowstone Lake // West Thumb Geyser Basin

Yet another short drive later, we pulled into West Thumb Geyser Basin, which sits on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. As you may know, Yellowstone was once a giant volcano that erupted, leaving a depression called a caldera, ringed by mountains. The “West Thumb” of Yellowstone Lake is a smaller caldera within the larger Yellowstone Caldera. Yellowstone Lake is absolutely massive, even compared to Bear Lake which we’d gawked at the day before.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

This was our first* experience with hydrothermal geological activity within the park, and it was a bit mind-blowing for me. We were surrounded by putrid sulfuric smells, vibrant colors, and strange sounds. It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before. Some of the pools boiled and churned, while some were incredibly deep, deeper than the eye could see. Some features were violent, and some were calm and almost soothing to watch.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

*Faith has been to Yellowstone before, but didn’t really get to explore much beyond Old Faithful and a few other features.

While at the Geyser Basin, we also got some nice views of Yellowstone Lake.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

Elk // LeHardys Rapids

Leaving West Thumb, we swung around the NE side of Yellowstone Lake, making a brief stop at LeHardys rapids. We saw a massive bull elk with huge antlers making its way through one of the roadside campground, but were only able to snap a picture of its rear end.

Bull Elk

LeHardys Rapids

Bison // Pelican // Mud Volcano

Continuing north, we spotted our first bison on the side of the road. There would be many more to come, but we stopped to take some pictures; this was special because it was our first sighting. We also noticed a beautiful white, orange-billed pelican gliding in the river across the road. Soon, a second bison emerged out of the woods and began grazing.

Bison

Pelican

It was now time for our second geothermal area of the day, Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano. This area is known for its bubbling mud pots, extremely acidic lakes, and some other water features. We spent some time walking around the boardwalk, interrupted by a brief dash back to the car to escape a sudden but fleeting hailstorm. This was also our first spotting of a mule deer, named for their floppy, mule-like ears.

Mud Volcano - Yellowstone National Park

As we headed over to the left side of the basin, we saw a bison playfully rolling in the dirt extremely close to the path. We were able to get some great pictures [somewhat] safely behind the fence. A park ranger had arrived to monitor the situation and make sure no one was too close or in danger of any kind. According to the ranger, bison roll around both to cool off (the dirt acts like sunscreen), and to attract females.

Bison at Mud Vocano

Hayden Valley

After finishing up at Mud Volcano, we drove north again to arrive in the Hayden Valley, one of the park’s two common homes for grazing bison herds. Sure enough, we saw bison dotting the near and distant hillsides. This was one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever seen; the lighting, river, clouds, hills, grassy plains, distant hailstorm, and wildlife created a surreal atmosphere. We also spotted two trumpeter swans in the Hayden River.

Elk, Part 2

It was getting late, but there was so much too see. We decided we’d better head to our hotel (still a good distance away on the north side of the park) before it got dark and all the beautiful wildlife transformed into road hazards. Still, there were many quick stops along the way, and being near the 45th parallel, we had plenty of daylight left, though it was dimming quickly. On hillsides beside the road, we saw one cow and two more bull elk with majestic antlers. The second bull sat down, so you could only see his antlers sticking up above the hillside. It was quite the humorous sight, like he was trying to hide but was oblivious of the protruding headgear.

Elk cow

Bull elk

Bull elk - Yellowstone National Park

Brink of the Upper Falls // Roaring MOuntain

We couldn’t help but stop at yet a couple more places on the journey to our hotel. We made a quick pull-in to Brink of the Upper Falls overlook, which takes you right to the drop of the Upper Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There was no one at the overlook (except another handful of mule deer), and the isolation made the experience even more enjoyable. We left the falls and headed up to Roaring Mountain, a fumarole-laden hillside. Fumaroles are more-or-less steam vents that are also part of the active volcano.

Mule deer

Brink of the Upper Falls

Roaring Mountain

Mammoth

Finally, we decided we couldn’t take any more stops due to impending darkness, so we headed straight to our hotel in Gardiner, MT, which is at the NW end of the park. There was a gorgeous sunset to enjoy along the way, and we ran across a herd of elk in Mammoth, the village which holds the park headquarters. From Mammoth, the road descends steeply to Gardiner, crossing the state line out of Wyoming into Montana. We finally arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel (which was surprisingly nice for a motor inn) just before 22:00, and crashed in bed, anticipating another early start in the morning.

Yellowstone sunset

Elk in Mammoth

Elk at the Post office in Mammoth

Elk - Mammoth - Yellowstone

The Best Things We Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the Hayden Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant at Persephone”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bison at Mud Volcano and Rendezvous Park”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chocolate and ham croissants at Persephone”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the elk sitting down on the hill with his antlers sticking up”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the lemon scone at Persephone”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Jenny Lake Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the blueberry muffin at Persephone”.

Video

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll head east to the Beartooth Mountains and spend more time exploring the NE corner of Yellowstone.

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

The post Day 2, Part 2 – Yellowstone National Park // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2, Part 1 – Grand Teton National Park // Church Trip 2021

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Today we visited Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding area, and then headed to Yellowstone after lunch. We packed so much into today that I’ve opted to split this day into two posts.

Moose Watching

Sunrise at our Airbnb in Victor, ID

Driving across the Teton Pass

Today started very early. We left our Airbnb townhome in Victor, ID around 04:30 and drove back across the Teton Pass to Wilson, a small town situated on the Snake River just west of Jackson. We headed to Emily Stevens Park to begin the most important quest of the entire trip: to spot a moose. It was a beautiful area, and we were able to walk out on a pedestrian bridge and enjoy a beautiful view of the Snake River, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any moose.

Snake River and the Tetons

Next, we headed a short distance north to Rendezvous Park (another common place to spot moose), where we walked around several water areas, but didn’t see anything other than some moose droppings. However, I did manage to spot a bald eagle and what I think was an otter. It could’ve easily been a beaver, or something else…I’m clearly no wildlife expert.

Rendezvous Park

Otter (or beaver)

Bald eagle

As we were in our car and about to drive to our next destination, we spotted a moose cow and her calf through the trees. Even though we could only see them through the trees, the giant silhouette was unmistakable. By the time we realized what was happening, they quickly disappeared into the woods again. We left, feeling about 10% satisfied.

Dad moose watching

Rendezvous Park

Breakfast - Persephone Westbank

Now very hungry after our marginally-successful moose-seeking, we drove a short distance up to Persephone Westbank, a bakery and cafe whose main location is in Jackson. We got several baked goods to split, plus some much-needed coffee. Our samplings included a ham and cheese croissant, chocolate croissant, blueberry muffin, lemon scone, and a huckleberry-cream cheese danish. The ham and cheese croissant, muffin, and scone were especially delicious.

Huckleberry cream cheese danish, ham and cheese croissant, and chocolate croissant at Persephone Westbank

Lemon scone and blueberry muffin at Persephone Westbank

Persephone

Jackson, WY + Wilson, WY

A tasty levain bakery in a cozy, modern setting. Delicious pastries, coffee, and breakfast items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Grand Teton National Park

After finishing up breakfast, we officially entered Grand Teton National Park. The Park was established in 1929 by Calvin Coolidge, and was expanded an additional 114,000 acres by FDR in 1943.

By the numbers:

310,000 acres (480 sq mi)
10mi south of Yellowstone National Park, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
Named after the 13,775′ Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the 40mi-long Teton Range
8 peaks top 12,000′
Lowest elevation: 6,320′
Average elevation: 6,800′
242 mi of hiking trails
Jackson Lake is 15mi long
The average annual rainfall is 21.6″, and the average annual snowfall in the valley is 173″
~2,000 grizzlies reside in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Fun facts:

Home to both the smallest bird and largest waterfowl in North America: the calliope hummingbird and trumpeter swan, respectively.
Only National Park to have an airport inside it
Home to the fastest mammal in the western hemisphere: the pronghorn, which can run up to 70mph

The Tetons have loomed up grandly against the sky. From this point it is perhaps the finest pictorial range in the United States or even North America.

Thomas Moran, while painting the Tetons from the Idaho side, 1879

Grand Teton National Park

Moose-Wilson Road

Our first ambition in the park was to drive the Moose-Wilson road, a narrow, winding gravel road that connects the small towns of Wilson and Moose. We drove with the windows down, enjoying the cool mountain air and the sound of cascading creeks, freshly invigorated with the recent snow melt.

Moose-Wilson Road

Rounding one bend, we noticed a backup of a couple cars watching something. Moose! We were so excited we could hardly scramble to get our cameras out, but we finally were able to inch the car forward far enough to get a clear view. A mother and her calf were drinking out of a pond, undisturbed by the growing crowd of cars watching them (including some people who were impatiently honking because they didn’t realize what was going on). We watched the moose for a good 10 minutes, and then proceeded on to give those behind us a clearer view. Mission accomplished!

Moose cow and calf - Grand Teton National Park

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Our next stop was the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, the main information center for the park. We browsed the exhibits for a while, and purchased a few souvenirs from the gift shop, until deciding it was time to move on to other areas of the park.

Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center

Teton Park Road

We continued north on the Teton Park road, stopping periodically in pullouts to snap a picture of the views, or to read interpretive signage. Along the way, we spotted a few pronghorn antelope prancing in the sagebrush.

Grand Tetons

Pronghorn antelope

Glacier

Jenny Lake

Our next stop was Jenny Lake, one of the Park’s most popular areas. We’d originally (before we spotted the moose) planned to do the popular three-in-one hike (Cascade Canyon, Hidden Falls, and Inspiration Point), which involves taking a boat shuttle across the lake. Because we were running late because of the moose watching, the shuttle wait had already grown to two hours, so we opted to skip the hike. Maybe on another trip…

Jenny Lake

After giving up on the hike, we spent some time walking around the lake, both from the main parking lot, and from Jenny Lake Loop Road. The view of the Teton Range was spectacular, and the water in the lake was crystal clear. It was a beautiful spot, and I wish we could’ve spent more time there. In the parking lot sidewalk, we noticed some hoofprints where a moose had walked through before the concrete cured.

Jenny Lake

Moose tracks in concrete

Jenny Lake

It was about this time that I noticed Faith’s Trader Joe’s tortilla chip bag had blown up like a balloon from the change in elevation/pressure.

Jenny Lake

Trader Joe's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Signal Mountain

After briefly passing the southeast shore of Jackson Lake, we veered off the main road and headed up Signal Mountain Road, which provides access to two stunning overlooks. One looks towards Jackson Lake and the Tetons, while the other provides an excellent view back into the Jackson Hole Valley.

Signal Mountain

Signal Mountain - view of Jackson Hole

Signal Mountain - Grand Teton National Park

Jackson Lake

Now back on the main road, we continued our drive past Jackson Lake, and stopped at the Jackson Lake Dam and the corresponding spillway that releases the Snake River. The amount of fish at the upper side of the dam was unbelievable. It would’ve literally been shooting “fish in a barrel” if we’d so desired. There were probably millions of fish all in that relatively small area.

Fish in Jackson Lake

Jackson Lake Dam

Jackson Lake

Lunch // Jackson Lake Lodge

By now, it was 14:30, and we were quite famished after the morning’s activities. As we soon learned, it’s a bit of a struggle to find food in the National Parks during COVID times (and because they’re short-staffed). We ended up getting to-go food from the Pioneer Grill in Jackson Lake Lodge, stopping briefly on the way up to observe a herd of elk in a field far below the road.

Elk herd

Grand Teton National Park

Mom got a pulled pork sandwich, Dad got a bison burger, and Faith and I split a bison burger and a hot dog. We all got one of the Grill’s famous huckleberry milkshakes. Since the food was to-go only, we took it into the Blue Heron Lounge in the Lodge, and ate our food with a nice view of Jackson Lake. The food was sustaining, but definitely overpriced. At least the milkshakes were very good…

Hot dog and bison burger

Huckleberry milkshakes

Oxbow Bend

After lunch, we made one final stop before leaving the park: Oxbow Bend. This pullout offers excellent view of the Snake River and Teton range. We also saw plenty of waterfowl in this area, most of which I can’t identify (other than basic ducks/geese/etc.). Finally, we swung around the north side of Jackson Lake and began our exit from the park.

Oxbow Bend

Birds at Oxbow Bend

Heading North

Even though we certainly didn’t see everything in the park, we’d managed to get a grand overview of the park. Unfortunately, it was time for us to leave and begin the long drive north through Yellowstone National Park to our hotel in Gardiner, MT, just north of the park. If you’re in the Yellowstone area, be sure to include a tour of Grand Teton National Park as well. I’d recommend allocating at least one day, if not more, to explore this picturesque area.

This post gets us through around 15:00, so I’ll finish recording the day’s activities in a second part.

Jenny Lake

Video

Conclusion

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Part two of this post will be coming soon!

– Isaac, Faith, Jerry, and Amy

Grand Teton National Park

The post Day 2, Part 1 – Grand Teton National Park // Church Trip 2021 appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.