In Grand Tetons National Park: Enjoying the Thrills of the 42-Mile Loop

Thursday, August 15, 2024

In Grand Tetons National Park: Enjoying the Thrills of the 42-Mile Loop

We made the most of our first full day in Grand Tetons National Park. Determined to see wildlife today, we set our alarms to wake up at 6.00 am with the idea of getting out on the road early. By 6.30 am, we were in our car and driving off towards Antelope Flats where, apparently, bison and elk can be seen. It was already very bright in the mountains and there were some cars on the road. We entered the Park at Moose Junction and drove north. Alas, we did not see very much and although I scoured the road, there was not a single sighting to be had.

Driving the 42-Mile Loop in Grand Tetons National Park:

I have to say that although we did not see any wildlife up to this point, the drives were just heavenly. There is nothing more exhilarating than to be in the warm embrace of Nature, surrounded by mountains, some still snow-streaked, as they stand solid and stable, looking down gently upon the rest of the world. The cloudscapes were always stunning as they were a constantly changing panorama on offer. Eventually, after driving several miles—and stopping frequently to take in the beautiful vistas or to take photographs--we arrived at Jackson Lake in the north. Here, thick fog flooded the lake making visibility very poor. As a result, we did not get good pictures, but we enjoyed the mist swirling all around us, despite the fact that it was chilly. We were very warmed dressed indeed and were far from uncomfortable as both of us had carried our Uniqlo down jackets.

As we were really close to it, we decided to drive a little further north to arrive at Jackson Lake Lodge. These lodges are interesting architectural aspects of the US National Parks—we had seen and visited them in the Canadian Rockies too. Meant to provide luxury accommodation to the Park’s earliest visitors, these lodges (made primarily from local woods), have retained their late 19th century-early 20th century charm and appeal. They are beautifully maintained and still remain high-end hotels that need to be booked at least a year in advance (if not longer). Ideally located to offer the most stunning vistas of mountains and woods, they usually have large public lobbies where one can stop for a coffee and a snack, even if one is not resident in them.

We did just that. After parking our car, we entered Jackson Lake Lodge and, in the lobby, sat down to enjoy the view of the Tetons from the large picture window that flooded the place with light, with warming hot chocolate and croissants in our hand. This light breakfast would see us through the morning as we had a special lunch in store at yet another lodge.

Breakfast stop done, we continued our 42-Mile Drive. The Park has a clearly-marked loop that makes it very easy to drive around. If one does not stop anywhere, it can be circled in under two hours. But, of course, such a plan of action makes little sense as it is the vistas available at every need that need to be stopped and admired.

Our next aim was to get to the Roman Catholic Chapel of the Transfiguration where we needed to say a special prayer for two friends who had passed away within a week of each other. One of them had died in Canada just yesterday while another had expired a week ago in Austria. We found the Chapel in a secluded part of the Park where we saw one couple leave just as we entered. It is a beautiful wooden structure, more like a small cottage than a chapel. But inside, it is very serene and it made the perfect venue in which to remember our friends with affection and pray for the repose of their souls. Situated on the banks of vast Jackson Lake, the Chapel and its surroundings offer the perfect backdrop for silent contemplation of Nature or indeed for silent prayer.

Boating on Jenny Lake:

Leaving the Chapel behind us, we continued our 42-Mile Drive. We were headed next to Jenny Lake, the most popular site in the Park. Guidebooks tell us to arrive there early to beat the rush for the Jenny Lake Boat that takes visitors across the Lake to the other side where there are wonderful attractions at the end of another hike: Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

After leaving the car park (and we were truly lucky to find parking really close as one car was just leaving), the stroll to the boat jetty was just lovely. There were wildflowers everywhere and they made bold dashes of color against the grey granite of the mountains that soared around us. We joined the line to obtain our tickets (it was a 20 minute wait) before we boarded the boat to get ourselves to the opposite bank. Once there, we found the pathway clearly signposted and we joined it with an exhilarating feeling of being out in the open air and breathing its therapeutic energy. The hike itself was easier than the one we did yesterday at Taggart Lake, but it did also involve some climbing over gentle slopes and across rushing streams. In total, it was about two miles back and forth. Sadly, we did not spy any wildlife at all and had begun to despair of ever seeing anything.

In about 30 minutes, we arrived at Hidden Falls, a popular site where a lot of people posed for pictures against the gushing cascade of foam behind them. We joined the queue for pictures and when those were done, we hurried off. We had to take a call about continuing our hike—another half an hour--to Inspiration Point. But then we decided against it as we did not want to be late for our lunch appointment. Our friend Virginia had made a reservation for us at 12.30pm at Jenny Lake Lodge but we clearly would be late for it. On the boat back, I called the Lodge and postponed our reservation to 1.15 pm—which was easily done. This would give us ample time to walk back to the parking lot and then drive to Jenny Lake Lodge. We took many pictures of the two of us on the boat as this was the only boating we would do while in the Parks and the majesty of the mountains behind us was just irresistible.

Lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge:

Jenny Lake Lodge is a smaller, cozier version of Jackson Lake Lodge (where we’d picked up hot chocolate in the morning). There is a large lobby, all clad in wood paneling and filled with paintings and photographs of the mountains. We found the entrance to the restaurant very easily and announced our arrival before we were led to a table for two right beside a massive picture window that offered us our own private magnificent view of the mountains just outside. It was simply spectacular!

A quick review of the menu led us to experiment with unusual meats that we do not often get to taste in the outside world: we settled for Bison chilli with crackers for a starter which led us on to Elk Burgers served with a side Caesar Salad. The Elk Burgers were particularly delicious as they came with a large and very thick slice of bacon that lent saltiness and juiciness to the meal. Glasses of lager were the perfect accompaniment to our meal and we enjoyed it fully. Service was attentive and impeccable and we enjoyed looking at other visitors as they lunched quietly in pairs or at more active families that had young children with them. Overall, our meal was a lovely break in our wanderings in the Park and the perfect place to use posh restrooms and get a sense of what life was like for early visitors to the Park. Here too, accommodation is offered but must be booked at least a year in advance.

Our 42-Mile Loop Drive Continues—Visit to the National Museum of Wildlife:

Our meanderings in the Park continued after lunch as we drove south towards the Park entrance to arrive at the National Museum of Wild Life Art. Virginia had left passes for us on her kitchen counter and we had carried them in to get free entry. Otherwise, entry is $20 per head.

The museum is located in a really neat place. You drive up a slope and arrive on a hill that allows you to look down below at the plains of Antelope Flats. If you are lucky, you will spy wildlife here, but there was nothing for us to see, except the wonderfully sculpted wildlife that dotted the entrance area making for a really lovely sculpture garden. This is also beautifully landscaped with summer flowers at every turn bringing a touch of color to the place.

Inside, we picked up route maps, asked for highlights that we should not miss and were informed that every canvas was a masterpiece. I found this hard to believe until we were actually inside and I was gazing upon the quality of the artwork which was, in fat, just stunning. Almost every name was recognizable—from works by Georgia O’Keefe and Alfred Bierstadt to Edward Landseer, Auguste Rodin and Henri Rousseau. Since the museum displays depictions exclusively of wildlife, there is all manner of animal and bird to be seen—from solo depictions of a stunning wolf or a gigantic moose to mass migrations of bison running across the plains to herds of antelope fording a stream. It was simply amazing. We were, in particular, introduced to the work of a local artist called Carl Runius who did endless depictions of the Park and its wildlife. After spending more than two hours in the place, we were tired on our feet and, having covered it all, decided to leave. We were really happy we had made the time for this Art Break in the Park—what joy to see real-life Nature around us and then to view its representations in paintings and sculpture in the museum.

The famous Mormon Cabins:

Our next stop was at the famous Mormon Cabins, not too far away. These preserved cabins represent the lodgings of the earliest Mormon settlers of the region who had braved harsh travel conditions to arrive in Wyoming on their journey westwards. They had settled eventually in the neighboring state of Utah where, in Salt Lake City, they created their global headquarters—a place that has their main administrative buildings today. These little Mormon cabins are basic—just wooden structures sheltered by the mountains behind them, surrounded by wildflowers. They are, apparently, one of the most photographed sights in the park and they do attract a load of visitors. We walked right up to them to get the best pictures possible from every angle. One cannot go inside them as they are still being refurbished, but the exterior is very evocative of the hardships associated with family life in the 19th century.

Viewing the Snake River Outlook:

From this point on, we drove north to the Snake River Outlook. Our aim was to shoot a modern-day version of the iconic black and white photograph of the bend in the river that was shot by Ansel Adams, the famous American photographer, in 1927. It was this photograph that had brough the Grand Tetons National Park to the attention of the rest of the world. Of course, Adams had hoisted himself up on a crane in order to skim above the coniferous trees to arrive at the shot. A copy of this picture is on display at the Jenny Lake Lodge Visitors Center and I had taken a picture of it. It was hard to get a good shot ourselves but I was not unhappy with the one we took at this renowned spot where most people stop to take a picture.

Off to Teton Village for A Spot of Night Life:

By this point, we were fast losing light and we decided to end our day by driving to Teton Village—although we were not sure exactly what to expect there. Was it a shopping mall? Was it an area in which to eat a meal? We were unsure. We did know that there was a chair lift (or gondola) that took visitors to the top of the mountains to offer grand panoramic views of the plains below—but it was very likely that the gondola would have stopped operation by the time we got there.

We had the most horrendous traffic en route to Teton Village. In fact, Llew was driving and requested me to do the drive on the way back as he is simply insecure now about driving in the dark. While in the car, I realized that it was my friend, Delyse’s birthday, and so I called her in Connecticut, using the phone Chriselle had given us. It was good to hear her voice as we inched closer in bumper-to-bumper traffic along a narrow country road.

Eventually, we did get to Teton Village. It had been raining hard all day in the area and the place was very wet indeed. The gondola was not working and the shops that comprise the main mall area were well and truly closed by the time we arrived there. Luckily for us, ‘The Mangy Moose’, a pub with a good restaurant, was open and was hopping. We settled down at a table there, hoping just to have a quick drink but to skip dinner as we really did not want to be driving back in the pitch darkness. Two tall glasses of beer later and while being entertained with live music that we really enjoyed, we made our way back to our car. The rain had stopped, fortunately, and there was a bit of twilight to guide us out of the area and back on the main road. It took us less time (as there was less traffic) to get back—about 45 minutes. But we were so glad to get back to our home for the night.

Dinner was a make-shift meal of chicken soup and a steak sandwich during which time we checked our email and whatsapp messages, before we had hot showers and went straight to bed. We had covered so much ground in the Park and although we had seen no wildlife at all, those spots which are not to be missed, were well and truly seen by us. It had been a very fruitful day and we were very pleased to have done almost every item on our agenda.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…