While still camped in West Yellowstone, we took a day trip to Grand Teton National Park. When Staffan took a solo trip out west more than 10 years ago, one of his most memorable moments was when he first saw the Tetons as he drove to Grand Teton from Yellowstone. He describes pulling over and sitting on the hood of the car just to take it all in for a while. After all these years of hearing this story, I was looking forward to finally seeing this view for myself.
But the wildfires burning across the west, particularly the one about 15 miles from the Grand Teton range, had other plans. A haze of smoke obscured the view almost entirely until we were right up at the base of them. The occasional glimpse of hidden majesty taunted us. We knew we were there and suspected that it would be a magnificent view, if only we could see it fully.
Smokey Tetons in the background
With some advice from a ranger, we found a hike that would be a good length and climb for the whole family that would have some good views. We hiked up to a waterfall and enjoyed some great scenery along the way. There were different kinds of plants and animals, the Tetons on one side and a lake on the other for much of our walk. Round trip, we hiked about 4.5 miles, and Emelie walked at least half of it by herself. As she started to get a little tired on the way back down, she tripped over a rock and scraped her arms up a lot. We thought for sure she would want to be carried the rest of the way after that, but she refused. She cried just a little, then went right back to hiking.
Ready for a hike!
Bridge over the creek
Fearless!
“Isn’t it beautiful!?”
Family photo at the waterfall
It turned into a long day with the drive back to West Yellowstone and a stop for some groceries and dinner along the way, and it was a little disappointing not to see the Grand Tetons in their full glory after hearing so much about them for so many years. But it was a great day on the trail with my family in a beautiful location. What more can you ask for really?
Experiencing one of the joys of hiking: dipping your hot, tired feet in icy cold water
Napping in the backpack while we dip our feet in the water