Jenny Lake
It was a beautiful sunny day today. Though the morning was cold, below freezing, by afternoon it warmed up to a comfortable temperature. It was one of the nicest days we’ve had since arriving in the Yellowstone area.
We drove up the five mile road to Signal Summit and took pictures of both the Tetons in the west, and the Snake River Valley to the south. The best views were from the Jackson Lookout, though the road continues on to a higher point about one mile farther. There was a cell phone tower at the top of the hill, so sitting right under it, it was no problem to post yesterday’s blog, and catch up on our email. We haven’t had very strong cell signals anywhere in the Yellowstone and Teton areas.
Cascade Canyon
Our plan for the day was to take the boat across Jenny Lake, and we arrived at the dock about 11 am. Tickets are reasonable, $20 for the two of us round trip, and cut off a total of four miles of walking. The trip on the boat took about fifteen minutes across the lake, and there were some very nice views of the Teton mountains, and Cascade Canyon. It is about a 200 foot climb up to Hidden Falls, and the trail is wide, and very busy. After the falls we continued on to Inspiration Point, another 200 foot climb, but this time on a much narrower rocky trail that switchbacks up the side of the cliff. We stopped and ate our lunch about half way up at a spot with a very nice view into Cascade Canyon.
Cascade Canyon from Inspiration Point
Continuing on after lunch, not far from the top we met a man who asked if we had been up before. He was carrying a tripod and suggested that it wasn’t worth it, the trail being narrow and exposed. That didn’t do much for Enid’s confidence, but we made it to the top, and it wasn’t really too bad. On the way down I commented to Enid that we’d met someone who was more afraid of heights than she is!
After taking pictures at the top which has a very good view out over the lake we started back down. The trail is rough, with a lot of steps carved into the rock, and it wasn’t easy on Enid’s knees. As we arrived at the dock one of the boats was just unloading passengers, and we thought we would get on right away. However, the boat didn’t pick anyone up, but instead headed up the lake with only a couple of people on board. We had to wait another twenty minutes for the next boat.
From Jenny Lake we headed south to the Moose visitor center, where we used the WiFi to check on where we go after leaving this park. We decided not to make a reservation at one of the Utah State Parks, since there seemed to be lots of vacant sites. We will see where we end up on Sunday when we leave, and will just stop wherever it seems convenient and we find a good campsite.
Heading back to our campsite at Colter Bay we stopped at the Menor Ferry site which is just north of the visitor center at Moose. There are a few historic buildings here, including one cabin belonging to Maud Noble which was where the organizing meeting to set up Grand Teton National Park took place.