Tetons & Jenny Lake 07/08-07/09

Well I had to say goodbye to my last sunset at Mt Rushmore and head to my next destination of Yellowstone/Tetons area. I left at 6:20 so I could get there by mid-afternoon. The trip should only take 8 hours. I decided to take the scenic rout through and over the mountains and I'm glad I did. The snow capped mountains and the canyon I drove through were a joy to behold. I wanted to pull off in the canyon and ride the bike because it was so nice but I had to keep moving. I took some pictures from the car as I drove. I arrived in Cody, WY and stopped for lunch. I got a picture of a little girl leading her pony across main street (although I missed most of the girl as I was driving by. I guess this is one of the few places where a little girl can ask for a pony for Christmas or her birthday and actually get one. Cody is a happening town and the rodeo capital of the world. I plan to go there Friday and spend the afternoon and then watch the rodeo. As I left Cody, the scenery started to change for the better. I didn't take any pictures but I will on my return trip tomorrow. I arrived at the east entrance to Yellowstone and got a pass for all the parks which saved me money. This part of Yellowstone was very amazing. I had no idea how big the lakes were. The wind was strong so the waves were washing on shore as though it was an ocean with the water splashing up to the road in some places. The canyons were also incredible but the joy soon ended as I ran into road construction being done in and out of the park. The delays were long and the roads were horrible. It took me an extra 2 hours to get to my campsite and I was tired already. Once through the construction I soon could see Lake Jackson and the Tetons. My mood lifted at their beauty. When I got set up at camp, I met my neighbors who were from Tampa, FL. They had come here many times and said it was their favorite place. We talked for a long while and told our stories and they told me things to do in the park and places to see. One of the things they suggested was a horseback ride into the wilderness with an outfitter they use. Unfortunately, they were leaving the next day but at least I was able to get some valuable information from them. The next day I slept in a little later. The temperature had dropped into the mid 30's during the night but it warmed up quickly once the sun rose above the mountains. I have a great view of the mountains from my campsite so that is nice. I headed out for the horse outfitter and made a reservation for a ride on Friday morning. Then I headed to Jenny Lake for a planned 7.6 mile hike around the lake including a short detour to see Hidden Falls. I arrived at this pristine clear lake excited about the unknown adventure ahead of me. The trail started off easy and I thought this would be a piece of cake but the trail started uphill on its way to the falls. The falls were great as was the fast moving creek below the falls. I moved on and soon realized I was on the trail to the canyon so I decided this might be better than the rest of the hike around the lake. I was right as the trail opened up into the canyon with magnificent vies of the Tetons on either side. There was a mountain stream also running down along side the trail made you feel like you had gone to a paradise. I walked a long way up the canyon and came upon a group of people who were looking at a moose cow and her baby. I took videos first and then pictures. Unfortunately, most of the pictures were blurry do to operator error but they were walking across the stream away from us by then anyway. One of the teenagers in the group had run into the moose on the trail and got a picture of the moose staring at him from a close distance. That's when someone told me that moose kill more people in the park than bears. Great, now there is something else here that can end my life. It's becoming like that show "A thousand ways to die" around here. Oh well, I'll just keep saying my prayers and leave it up to God. I trudged on up the canyon enjoying the waterfall way up on the hill along with the rest of the scenery. The one picture(at the top of the page) I got of me in the canyon was one of those mystery places on the earth. This particular one is where you can actually see how the earth tilts on its axis. It was a strange feeling but it energized me. I was so charged up that I felt like I could hike all the way to the end which was still several miles away but I knew I had to head back because I had already traveled a long way and it was starting to get late. I made my way back and the trail back was now mostly downhill and I was grateful because my old muscles and bones were letting me know I had gone the limit. I stopped at Inspiration Point, which looks out over the lake and valleys beyond and rested. I finally forced myself to get up and walk the rest of the way to my bike. I was really struggling at the end but I made it. I calculated that I had hiked around 10 miles which is my furthest hike yet. I still have a long way to go if I am going to be able to hike the 17 miles at Yosemite. I stopped at the store at the trail head and got a Butterfinger ice cream bar and a Powerade and rested a bit before heading back to my camper. I was totally exhausted but thrilled with how the day turned out. Tomorrow I will do the horse ride and then I plan to ride to Cody for the rodeo and to explore the town.