Day 3 - Grand Teton NP - A Wild Day

You know that old saying “you wait ages for one moose and then two come along at once”? Well, more of that later. This was a day of activity (mostly) and some great wildlife encounters along the way. We were supposed to start the day really early for a high level sunrise walk to see the mountains in their full glory but the weather stopped that; rain and really heavy cloud, which comes almost to ground level here, which is already over 6000 feet. Anyway, the mountains were completely obscured. So we had a relaxing breakfast and the rain eased and we reached Dornan’s at about 8:30am for the first of our activities – cycling.

There’s an interesting history about Dornan’s, which I won’t bore you with here. Suffice to say that it’s a family affair going back to the late 19^th century; they now own lots of shops, restaurants and activity/hire establishments – it’s an obvious choice when you come here. We hired a couple of hybrids and set off in search of Mormon Row; a Mormon settlement dating back to the 1890’s. But first we had to find Antelope Flats Road, which meant cycling along the edge of the highway for a mile or so, but this turned out to be very easy as the roads are generally wide and have wide verges perfect for cycling. Antelope Flats Road is a long narrow (by American standards) road, which led us out across the flat landscape containing a collection of scenic ranches and barns all set against a backdrop of rolling hills on one side and the towering Tetons on the other. It wasn’t long before we found Mormon Row; a dirt track off to the right, which continued as far as the eye could see. We chose to continue straight and return via Mormon Row to see it with the Tetons behind, although this would significantly increase the length of the route.

Soon we were rewarded with our first wildlife encounter of the day – Bison. It’s a peculiar feeling seeing these creatures in the flesh and knowing that they are completely wild. The herd was off to the right about half a mile away, easily seen through our binoculars:

 

 

We had been warned by locals not to approach these creatures (as if we would!) and that if they crossed the road to be patient and just wait for them to pass. They are generally placid and uncaring but if you anger them you are likely to end up in hospital or worse –they tend to try to trample you with their front legs and won’t give up easily. So with that cheery thought we moved on.

We came to a very small town called Kelly sporting only a deli and a Post Office (a barn). Apparently, this town was to be the main town in these parts - as big as Jackson Hole – but was almost completely destroyed in 1927 when a natural dam burst and the Gros Ventre River washed the town away.

Cycling here is a real pleasure; there are very few cars and the roads go on forever through a vast wilderness of pasture, rivers and mountains. There’s a wonderful feeling of space and the air is noticeably fresh with the smell of pine.

 

 

We reached the other end of Mormon Row on the return journey and headed out across Bison country once again. It’s a stony dirt track more suited to a 4x4 than a bike so it was uncomfortable riding. But we were rewarded by the old abandoned Mormon settlements dotted about along the road. It felt like a ghost town; the fences, barns and homes standing in a glorious state of dilapidation, just as they were left all those years ago. We stopped for a rest.

 

 

We had seen photographs of one particular barn-like structure in magazines before we came here and we found it. It has become a bit of an icon in these parts over the years and appears as if a stiff wind would bring it down. We spent a long time soaking in the intense atmosphere in this almost silent place. We will always remember this moment.

 

 

By lunchtime the storm clouds were rolling in across the mountains. This seems to happen most days here and we increased our pace to arrive back at Dornan’s by one o’clock in the afternoon; a little saddle sore but contented, having had a great time.

We went into Jackson Hole, the main town here, for lunch; enormous salads as only the Americans know how to make. What a great place! Everything here is in pristine condition and it has the feel of a Wild West town from the movies. A lot of very rich people live in Jackson, which is reflected in the prices in the shops. We loved the shops selling everything a cowboy or cowgirl might need while out on the ranch!

We headed for the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Wow, what an amazing place! It just hits you in the face when you walk in – country music, dark, carved woodwork and the bars; one on each side of the large room were huge timber affairs where you can sit in a real saddle to drink. Rachel mounted one with all the elegance she could muster (and failed), her laughter filling the whole place, turning a number of heads in our direction. She opted for the full on mount rather than the dainty side saddle as you might expect! “Give me a beer and make it quick cowboy” she shrieked and caught it as it slid down from the other end of the bar. Actually, I made that bit up – she only wanted coffee! I ordered a Bud and left a big tip to keep our pride intact.

 

 

We spent a few hours in Jackson and were reluctant to leave but we had to get to the meeting place for our next adventure – rafting down the Snake River.

Ansel Adams immortalized the Snake River as a ‘luminous ribbon’ retreating from sharp snow-bound peaks. He was right – the evening light glowed blue against the hazy mountains and the river flowed quickly but gently towards Jackson. There were about twelve of us in the bus as we dragged the large inflatable raft to the launch point higher up the river. Once in the water we floated the ten miles back down river at approx 5mph.

This is where we saw most of the wildlife today. Beavers walked the banks and played in the water. We saw a whole family at one point. And to our amazement a Bald Eagle flew directly towards us and over our heads before soaring up into the trees. Ospreys, Herons and other birds lined the route and then we saw our first moose – a bull – rummaging around at the side of the river; its impressive antlers poking up above the long grass. I nearly fell out of the boat trying to use the binoculars and camera at the same time, while Rachel screamed instructions in my general direction! And in moments it was gone.

On the drive back home we chatted about the moose, feeling very pleased with ourselves, when off to our right, just a few feet away stood another couple of moose – a cow and its offspring feeding at the roadside. We couldn’t believe our luck and jumped out of the car to take photos. It was getting quite dark so the photos are not great but it was a great experience. Then they slowly wandered off into the trees. It was a wonderful end to an exciting day and after pizza and drinks at the Mangy Moose we fell into bed exhausted.

Tomorrow we head north towards Glacier National Park near the Canada border.