I started out early, enjoying the drive from Salt Lake City into the mountains. My goal was to head up to Jackson, Wyoming to find Grand Teton, National Park. My first rest stop, east of SLC, I found people feeding Cheetos to squirrels and groundhogs. Outside of this distraction, I found the surrounding red rocks to be beautiful.
I made my way into Wyoming, then Idaho, then Wyoming…the road (US 89) I was on kind of zigged and zagged across the state line. I knew I was getting back into the Rocky Mountains when I came across Salt River Pass, a historic part of the Oregon Trail.
Eventually, I arrived in the small town of Afton, WY. I like the old western towns near the mountains. This one had an elk antler arch. I did a little shopping and then headed onward.
About 90 miles later I found Jackson, WY. Sometimes people call this place Jackson Hole. The key difference is that Jackson Hole is the name of the entire valley vs just the town. I honestly could care less about this town as I am not into skiing. But recent episodes of my favorite HBO series, Silicon Valley making fun of J-Hole, have piqued my curiosity. Here is one such example:
It started to rain, but I was determined to enjoy some of Grand Teton. I got a photo of the south sign and then headed for the visitor center. Sadly it was closed. Using my park pass I entered the park and headed north. The weather cleared and I randomly selected a parking lot near Taggert Lake. This gave me a lovely 3-mile hike and some nice views.
