Grand Teton National Park
Almost fifteen years ago, Eli and our friend Jeff hatched a plan and proposed to Jeni and me while cross-country skiing in Grand Teton National Park. That New Year’s trip – and this place – hold a tremendous amount of warm and nostalgic memories for us.
This was my first time back in the Tetons since then – and it was our first chance to show the kids a place that we think holds just a little bit of magic.
Our first day here, we traversed the scenic Teton loop which basically consisted of stopping at a series of viewpoints to take in the splendor of the range from different spots, like the Moulton Barn…
And Schwabacher Landing Viewpoint …
And the Snake River Overlook, which you may recognize from Ansel Adams’ famous images of the Tetons…
The kids hung in well for this and tolerated my oohing and aahing and “just one more spot” requests of them. As a sort of change of pace, but actually not really, we drove up Signal Mountain for a picnic lunch with a view.
Norah found this spot especially great as they have installed a cell tower there and she found the best signal in weeks while sitting at the top of the hill.
We finished off the day by taking a hike to Taggart Lake, about four miles round trip, on a relatively flat loop trail.
We leaned in to relaxing at camp that afternoon, which was a pretty easy thing to do.
Our second day, we returned to Jenny Lake and tried to find the exact spot where Eli proposed to me. We weren’t exactly successful because the area has changed a lot and they have built significant infrastructure to support the crowds of people who flock here. The little warming hut I remember has been replaced by an enormous visitor center and book store, for example. Still, the boat dock remains where we had a champagne toast post-proposal, before skiing back to our starting point.
The kids and I took the ferry from the Jenny Lake dock and hiked to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, while Eli took the opportunity to run the trail around the lake to meet up with us, continuing on to explore some nearby areas.
The skies turned ominous, so we called it a day just before it began to rain. This was the first rain we’ve had since being in Canyonlands more than a month ago, and it was a welcome sight.
The kids and I went to town in search of a shower and ended up swimming at the Jackson Community Recreation Center where a few dollars bought us admission to the pool and waterslide (along with a hot shower afterwards). Both kids were so happy to have an activity that didn’t involve walking on a mountain.
I also took the opportunity to return to Mormon Row at sunset to try to try my skills with the more serious photographers. I hear that sunrise is the better time for photography, but I couldn’t figure out a way to get out of the trailer at the crack of dawn without waking Toby, who, in turn, would wake everyone else. So…sunset it was. Not too bad, anyway.
Tetons, I love you so.
