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Grand Teton National Park

I know I’m from the flat lands of the Midwest, but I’ve seen mountains before. Matt and I always tried to vacation somewhere that has mountains. We love them. We even got engaged on a mountain in Colorado! So, I guess what I’m saying is that I know what a mountain looks like. However, I was not prepared for the mountains in Grand Teton National Park. Driving into the park, you suddenly see the mountains and it is startling. They are giant and magnificent. I actually teared up when I saw them for the first time. True, I was also on my period and already hypersensitive, BUT STILL, they are amazing, people!!

I kept asking myself, “You’ve seen mountains before. Why is this so different than any other mountain range?” Even three weeks after seeing them, I have no idea. Maybe because the landscape surrounding the range is so flat that it provides a striking contrast against the monstrous mountains. These mountains demand your attention. They invoke a visceral sense of wonder. You can’t help but pull the car over in a trance to just stare at them. There’s probably a poet out there that can do a better job describing the experience… All I know is that seeing them is magical.

The Teton Range
Hiking to Lake Solitude

Another delightful experience I wasn’t anticipating was catching the fall foliage. The bright colors of autumn were in full fledged making the landscapes sensational.

Hiking around Lake Jenny
Hiking to Lake Solitude
Deer at our campground

We camped at Signal Mountain Campground which is along Jackson Lake. The campsites were so small though that we had to block the one-way road for fifteen painful minutes as Matt and I furiously unhitched our trailer from the truck. Thank God it wasn’t our first rodeo or else it would have taken us twice as long. We had to perform in front of three cars that were waiting for us to finish so they could continue driving. It was really stressful, er I mean fun 🙂

Phelps Lake

The next day, we met up again with our friends Julia and Brendan at the trail head to hike to Lake Solitude. It was a killer hike – 17 miles long with 2600 feet of elevation! The views though were *chef’s kiss* beautiful.

Lake Solitude
Hike to Hidden Falls

Julia and Brendan stayed with us that night in the RV and left the next morning. Matt and I decided to stay in the Tetons for a few more days. We did some other hikes: Death Canyon, Hidden Falls, Phelps Lake, and Amphitheater Lake. While there, the weather took a cold turn dropping the night temperatures to below freezing. During our hike to Amphitheater Lake, we were greeted by a foot of snow at the top which provided us unique views of the lakes.

Lake Jenny
Hiking to Amphitheater and Surprise Lakes. It was a really hard hike. Don’t let the picture fool you – I was panting a lot during the climb.
Matt hiking around Surprise Lake
Amphitheater Lake

Our last morning in Teton, we woke up to snow on the ground at our campsite. As lovely as it was, we were ready for some warmer weather. We brushed the snow off our truck and headed to Idaho.

Morning snow at our campsite
The Teton range at sunset. This was at our campground on Jackson Lake.
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Published by TheHungryCamper

Traveling the US with my husband in an RV in hopes of finding a place to put down our roots. I'm completely new to RVing so join me as I learn to cook in the elements and out of my comfort zone. Some hot messes are likely, but also delicious food too. I'll also be sharing stories about our travel experiences beyond cooking.

4 thoughts on “Grand Teton National Park

  1. Your adventures are inspiring–fear I’m kind of old for a lot of your hikes. If you’re panting, I might be collapsed!!!! Keep on truckin’, my friends!!! xo, Maggie

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