First Tetons Visit

We were very anxious to take our first drive through the Teton National Park this year. There was rain in the forecast for later in the day, so we took a chance that we might get some good views of the mountains before the clouds rolled in. At about 8 AM we left the rig and stopped at the lodge to pick up a newspaper and to greet some of the folks we missed on Monday when we arrived. It was a chilly 40 degrees, but we continued on to the Park.

The excitement was there as we approached the entrance to the Park. The snow capped mountains were gorgeous and there wasn't a lot of traffic. It was a great morning for pictures and we'll start with these of the mountains:

Our first real stop was at the South Jenny Lake Visitor Center and Store where we wanted to get a look at the new merchandise for this year. There was still lots of snow in the area and we took these shots of each other in front of the huge snow bank in the parking lot:

It is going to be a big year for snow runoff into the Snake River which, in turn, will make for some terrific white water rafting in June.

On our way to the Jackson Lake Lodge, we pulled off the road to get this shot of the Lake with the snow capped mountains in the background, and the ice that was still present around the edge of the Jackson Lake:

The lake was lower than we have ever seen it, but will fill rapidly as the temperatures rise.

We stopped at the Jackson Lake Lodge and walked around those shops and also took a couple pictures. This first one that Josie took from inside:

and this one that I took from outside on the patio:

It is always a nice stop to make in the Park.

Our morning continued with a drive around some of our favorite locations where we spotted some animals. We first spotted this lone elk:

and a herd of elk along the main road south heading back to Jackson:

That was the same field where last year we took shots of elk, antelope and bison, all together in the same location.

Our first bison of the year were spotted a bit south of that location along the same road:

 

We spotted hundreds of bison in the usual areas along the Antelope Flats Road and along the road to Kelly.

Our first day in the Tetons was rewarding and we returned in the afternoon before the rains came.

It sure is nice to be here again and enjoy the wonders and sights of this spectacular area. We expect to pay a visit to Yellowstone - probably tomorrow - but we would like to make sure that the weather forecast will be better for the whole day. We will try to get some shots today of the slide area that is just up the road from the lodge. We have passed it several times already, and it is something to see. The city has a plan to shore up the hillside, so it should be interesting to watch the progress...