TC Sees America: September 5, 2010

Leaving Yellowstone through the South entrance and heading to Grand Teton National Park is a short skip and a hop. Basically the two parks are on a contiguous road straight into the Teton Mountain Range and the park, perhaps a 50 mile ride. Along the way, I stopped at Lewis Falls for a few photos. You travel on the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Highway, such named because of his donation of a huge amount of the parks land. The government was reluctant to take his offer and it was not for many years that they finally accepted. What were they thinking? A highway was the least that they could do for his generous gift.
You witness the mountain range as you approach the park, but do not really appreciate their splendor until you have the opportunity of seeing them up close. The park has many sights, such as Jenny Lake, Oxbow Bend, Willow Flats, many Bison herds, and various hikes that get you closer to the beauty of the mountains. Despite the weather, which brought cold mornings and nights, and rain which was intermittent, I found the park amazing. The evening Ranger programs, when it was not raining were fun and informative. Colter Bay, one of several campgrounds, was complete with general store, showers, laundry, several eating establishments, visitor center and more.
Bears seem to be a major concern at the park, but I did not see any nor did I hear of any problem with them as a nuisance. I did have my Bear spray at the ready, that my daughter Lisa insisted I purchase. It did give me peace of mind. Some fellow campers that I spoke with were privileged to see a few Grizzly Bears and Black Bears, but again, they remain elusive to me. I did see a Moose from a distance and the photo below shows a glimpse of her, no antlers. I met two great camping families that shared their outdoor adventures and were equally interested in mine. New friends around the campfire makes for a perfectt end of the day.
The many streams and lakes in the park is a natural calling for fly fisherman. I was bitten by the bug, or should I say the fly, and now have a new hobby I fear. I tried my cast on the Snake River and I have come to the conclusion that fly fishing is like golf, many play it, but few play it well. I do find it very relaxing and a little frustrating, but like my search for the Bear, I will continue to search for that perfect cast.