We were hiking along a fast-flowing stream with waterfalls when we came to a clearing and saw one of the prettiest lakes we have ever seen: Lake Phelps. And that was just our first hike at Grand Teton.
The air is so fresh here, and the scenery is so beautiful. Even in late-June, it was cool, but very pleasant. As we checked into our tent cabin at Colter Bay, a lady told us there was snow in the forecast and convinced us to get extra firewood to keep warm during the night. This was the first time we stayed in a tent cabin, and we highly recommend it. The cabin had two wooden walls, two canvas walls, four skinny bunk beds, and a wood-burning stove for warmth, not cooking. You must keep all of your food - even your toothpaste and soap - in a bear box so as not to attract them to your site. A mama bear and three cubs live nearby, we were told. (We did not see them at our campsite, but we did see the mama walking near the main road.)
No phone service. No electricity. No internet. No problem.
Before bed, we went on an evening hike around Colter Bay. There we spotted two beavers swimming and gathering their dinner. After a short but chilly rain, we saw a rainbow: God's promise to us in this stunningly beautiful world He created. His majesty is all around us. Especially in the mountains.
The next day, we woke early so the boys could fish on Jackson Lake. We chartered a two-hour trip through Signal Mountain Lodge, and they caught seven trout, throwing four back as three was plenty for us to eat. Damien, who led the fishing trip, was great with the kids and knew just where to take them to catch fish.
Then we went on our favorite hike at Teton, the less-traveled Moose Ponds, off the more-traveled Jenny Lake trails. Our guidebook promised wildlife at Moose Ponds. When we asked a park ranger about that trail, she seemed surprised that we were hiking it. "You better have bear spray," she warned.
At first, we didn't see much wildlife. But then...
"Look to your right. There's a bear," my husband warned us as we were the only humans in sight on the Moose Ponds Trail.
We had just watched a moose strolling through the woods munching on grass and moss and maybe even huckleberries. But now there was a bear staring us down, about 25 yards away. We did just what you are supposed to do: Walk together, adults on the ends, and make non-threatening noises. We sang - of all things - "Elmo's World" because that was the first song that popped into L's head (he says now to annoy the bear away). We had bear spray, but no need to use it. This bear - either a brown black bear or a young grizzly - was fine with us as long as we kept moving along.
My heart beat fast for several minutes until we reached another section of the trail, where a young deer looked us in the eyes before running off. We also saw some elk far away.
We drove up Signal Mountain for some fabulous views before going back to our campsite. We cooked the trout on our campfire with lemon, butter, salt and pepper. We served it with asparagus and a bagged Caesar salad, making it the best camping meal we've ever had.
The next day, we packed up camp and said good-bye to Teton, promising to return one day. Even after our two-week trip, we agreed that Teton is one of our absolute favorite national parks.
G says: I really loved catching the trout from the lake.
L says: I just loved the beautiful mountain ranges and all of the wildlife we saw on the hikes.
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