Grand Tetons, Jackson Wy & An ATV Adventure! We finally made it to our westernmost location on our 2019 summer schedule! The tiny mountain town of Alpine that is located just south of the Grand Teton National Park. Pat had one main goal for our summer schedule and that was to get back to the Teton Mountains again. We made it!
Our last adventure this far west was back in 1979 as a young childless married couple who were tent camping from the Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park to the Tetons and finally to Yellowstone. We had a great and memorable two-week vacation and were camping along with family Mike and Lorna.
That was before cell phones, GPS navigation, and the internet. How we did it, who knows. 🙂 Cooking on an open fire and camp stoves was an adventure. And the temps got down to the 30’s at night. Not great sleeping due to the poor 1970’s sleeping bag technology. Freezing.
Well, things have surely come a long way with our 41 mobile condo on wheels with its king sized bed, full kitchen, propane furnace, and recliners in front of the 55″ television. And we are living in it and not on a rushed vacation anymore. Feel very blessed to be living this life!
Grand Teton National Park
The Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwest part of Wyoming and encompasses 310,000 acres. The history goes back many hundreds of years as indians made it their summer hunting grounds. Around 1810, fur traders moved in to trap lucrative beaver pelts.
The first permanent white settlers arrived in 1880’s and it became a park in 1929, led by JD Rockefeller. At 13,775 feet, Grand Teton abruptly rises more than 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole making it an awe inspiring moment when you drive around a corner and clear the foothills and it appears!
Boading the ferry boat 
From the hike
Taking the ferry boat across Jenny Lake, we hiked three miles up to the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Some wonderful views every time the trail came upon a clearing. The park service provides constant warnings about bears, but with the large crowds hiking and making noise, I did not worry about that. The main worry was all the Europeans carrying cans of bear spray and ready to use it!
Inspiration point 
I could live in that cabin! 
An Episcopal church in the park. They still have a weekly service.
View from inside the church. 
Jackson, Wyoming
Let me start by saying that people from other parts of the state claim that Jackson is not really Wyoming. Jackson (pop 10,500 and 6,200 ft elevation) is a very popular tourist spot and a favorite for wealthy people. So, I can see why they may look upon it the way they do.
Like many old towns, it is built around a town park with a grass square. Unlike the others, Jackson has an elk antler arch over all four corners providing for the visitors photo moment.
Several friends told us we needed to stop in here. 
Inside the Cowboy Bar they use saddles as barstools. Not Pat’s favorite barstool.
We ended up coming into town and couple of times to walk through the very high priced shops, eat some lunch, and find a happy hour. Speaking of prices, just for an example, in many small towns a mid-sized oil painting might be $500. The Jackson average was probably $10,000+. Not in my price range, but I was just there to get painting ideas anyway.
Also, Jackson Wyoming is commonly called Jackson Hole, but the locals will quickly correct you. Jackson Hole is a geographic area north of the town that forms a valley. Jackson is the town itself.
All Terrain Vehicle Adventure!
Riding an ATV is now very popular out west in the mountain states. You see them everywhere. Many towns have you just register them and can ride on the streets.
We rode ATV’s when we were in Durango Colorado and brother Robert’s place last month. So, we were now experienced riders!
Our RV Park in Alpine also rents out these 4-wheelers to ride on the US forest service land directly behind the park. We chose the two-seat, roll-cage enclosed model, the Polaris Razor 570. What a blast! I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Ready to go!
They rent for $150 for half a day, but the owner gives a little discount for his RVers. He also leads you for about ten minutes back to a small lane and opens the gate up. From there, you are on your own.
Opening the gate 
Hang on!
The very small path is filled with deep ruts, mud bogs, streams, and steep slopes as we gave the little 4-wheel drive Razor a workout. Through wildflower fields, mountain switchbacks, some incredible views, and even a shepherd on horseback guiding his flock of sheep over the mountain. It was quite the experience.
Finally, here is a video that Trish took of the sheep crossing.
Wrap Up
That’s it for this installment. Thanks for following along! Next up is the very popular Wyoming town of Cody. Some of you may have seen our posts on Facebook from Cody this week followed by this blog about the Teton area. That is due to the blog is usually a week or more behind and Facebook updates are real time. It can be confusing, but that is the reason.
Leave a comment, we love to hear from you!
Wow looks like a great time. That is a great part of our nation. Glad to see you guys explore the countryside. The ATV ride looked like a blast. Hope the remainder of the summer is just as good.
Robert
Thanks to the ATV lessons at your place we kept it on all 4 wheels!
Hey Randy, GREAT pics! Love that area of the country.
Thanks Rick. Hope your summer travels are going well.
Yep this post and pics really bring back memories of this beautiful place and the first time we visited with you guys. We have been back once or twice since but I am always struck by the beauty of the place. I really wish we could have joined you in the Tetons but timing wasn’t right. So glad you can recapture it all and share it in your blog. Thanks Randy. Luv Lorna