Grand Teton National Park

Trip Start May 06, 2010

137

Trip End Oct 14, 2010

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Where I stayed

Kudar Motel Jackson

Flag of United States Jackson, Wyoming
Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I went to Grand Teton National Park today. My first stop was the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitors Center toward the south end of the park. I watched a movie about the park, looked at the displays on the history of the park and talked to a ranger about possible hikes. When I went back outside the weather had deteriorated.

I understand it's morel season around here so I walked over to the Snake River and looked around for a while but I didn't find anything. I read that they grow along the river, which is a totally different habitat from where we find them in the east so I didn't really know where to look.

I went back to the car and started driving around the park. I stopped at a lot of the overlooks and took a few short hikes. The weather was threatening all day. There were sometimes thunderstorms visible in the distance and the mountains sometimes disappeared into clouds. It wasn't a good day for enjoying the scenery, which is a shame since the scenery is so spectacular. It didn't do so well spotting wildlife either although I did see a couple elk.

Late in the afternoon I stopped at the Colter Bay Visitor Center toward the northern end of the park. I hiked a three or four mile loop to Heron Pond and Swan Lake. I didn't see any herons or swans but I did see some ducks and geese. As I was walking back to the car it started to drizzle a little. Soon after getting in the car and heading south I drove into a thunderstorm. The rain continued all the way back to Jackson so I didn't make any more stops.

I leave Jackson tomorrow and head north to Helena, Montana. I'll spend a little more time in the park as I pass through on my way north.