Thursday, October 1, 2015

Grand Tetons Day 2



Today started with an Elk sighting on our way to our hike.  There were 2 of them and they they were both huge!  After a sandhill crane sighting (I wasn't able to get a picture) we started our hike to Bradley and Taggart Lakes with about 500 of our closest tourist friends (this is one of the prettiest trails I have ever hiked and it was also one of the busiest).
Bradley Lake
Taggart Lake
During the hike we had lots of mountain views.  There were also lots of huge granite boulders that scattered the landscape.
From there we headed north for some paddleboarding on String Lake.  Unfortunately we realized when we arrived that we needed a boat inspection and a permit before we could put our paddleboard into the water.  So we took some pictures and headed to Jenny Lake.  The color of Jenny Lake was amazing-it was light blue on the edges and deep blue in the middle.  We had planned on taking a boat shuttle to inspiration point and doing a short hike but we decided to save that for next time because we were sick of dealing with tourists and there was a big crowd with the same plan.
On our way back to camp we passed one of my favorite views of the week-the three Tetons.  Grand Teton is 13,770 feet, Middle Teton is 12,804 feet, and South Teton is 12,504 feet.  Early French trappers used the name Les Trois Tetons, meaning ”the three breasts.”
We have had an amazing time in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons but I am ready to leave the hustle and bustle of the National Park System. There are so many rules and so many tourists!!