Day 16 - Have Bear Spray, WIll Travel

The day began with a visit to the Colter Bay Visitor Center in the Grand Tetons National Park.

Our first real view of the mountains over Jackson Lake

We picked up our Junior Ranger books and got some info on area hikes. The kids and grandparents entertained themselves while I talked to the ranger.

Photo by Mom

Photo by Mom

Twice that morning we ran into a couple from Australia that was traveling around the west. They were heading to South Dakota to the area that we just left, so we were the ones giving travel advice for a change. We exchanged email addresses and we hope they don't mind if we pop on over to visit them someday! We were discussing wildlife and they told us how the kangaroos can be pests in their yard, but they are nasty and have to be given a wide berth.

On the ranger's recommendation, we set out for the Lakeshore Trail that skirts Jackson Lake and has great views of the mountains.

When we arrived at the start of the trail, this sign greeted us.

Photo by Gavin

The last bear sighting in the area had been a week earlier. Hmmmm. Okay, cool. Maybe we'll see some tracks!

We came across a land bridge that goes out to a peninsula in Colter Bay. Talk about a view! The water was crystal clear and the weather was perfect.

So, of course we had to test the water!!

Here's what you don't see in the pictures:
When I said to the kids, "Hey, do you want to put your feet in?" Gabriella proceeded to walk right in. With her sneakers on. Luckily, she doesn't mind squishy shoes. She's kind of used to it because she manages to get her feet wet on every single hike we go on.

Shortly after the above pictures were taken, the kids were skipping rocks. In searching for the perfect flat rock under the water, Gavin squatted down to get a better look. And sat right down in the water. About thirty seconds later, Gabriella did exactly the same thing. Sigh. At least we still had a bit of a hike ahead of us so they would have a chance to dry out.
During all this fun, Bob had a nice long chat with a couple from Switzerland that were here on vacation. 

And the other thing we don't have a picture of - after we crossed the land bridge, we headed into the woods with Don in the lead. A few minutes in, Don says, "Oh, s**t, a bear!" and he whirls around and starts pushing us back down the trail. So, naturally Gabriella runs past him and tries to get a look at said bear. We caught her and dragged her back with us. She claims to have seen the bear's backside as it ran away, but we're not sure how much truth is in it. By this time, I think that Grandma P. had already made it back to the car :-) Though Gavin and I were supremely bummed that we didn't get to see the bear, we decided the best move was to head back and try a new spot for hiking. Just because we bought the bear spray doesn't mean we want to have to use it!

Mount Moran turnoff from Teton Park Road

We enjoyed a scenic drive down to Moose, where we had lunch at the Pizza Pasta Company. Food was decent, and we had a great view. After a little exploration around Moose and checking out the old ferry that used to cross the Snake River, we headed to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve in the park. It was a little out of the way, but a great stop. They had some beautiful exhibits with photos and video of wildlife in the park and a sound chamber that replicated all of the sounds you could hear in the Grand Tetons. The kids especially loved the rainfall and thunder and lightning storms. I think we sat through the whole cycle three times. To earn their Jr. Ranger badges, Gavin and Gabriella needed to attend a ranger-led program, so we went to a "Critter Corner" program at the visitor center.

Conga line with Grandpa while waiting for program to begin

During the program - Bob found it very interesting

We ventured down the beginning of a path outside the visitor center to follow the sound of rushing water. We were rewarded with this...

Yes, Gabriella got all wet. Again.

We would have liked to continue the walk, but the trail was several miles long, and we still needed to get to Jackson to refuel and find an auto parts store. When we got to the store, we realized that they were not open on Sunday and Don had to make a return trip anyway. I found Jackson to be way too commercial and crowded. I was happy to head back into the park for the night.