We left Oregon on Sunday morning and drove two days to get here. We could have done it in one, but as much as I like driving after 200-250 or so RV miles, driving gets a bit old so we try keep it under that.
Sharon found us a very cool little county park in Heyburn, Idaho to split up the trip. Super nice and well run. We met a great couple, Prissy and Dave from Georgia that were staying there for a few days. What luck…they are serious race fans so we spent some time watching the NASCAR race from Kansas, playing cornhole and eating dinner together. It was so nice out, first warm sunny non rainy day we had in a few weeks. Felt good to be in shorts!!
Both days of driving were filled with great landscapes; Eastern Oregon with is everchanging terrain, Idaho with it’s vast green farms and sweeping cattle ranches and Wyoming with it’s mountains and deep valleys. Around every corner the views did not disappoint. As we rolled into Jackson Wyoming just shy of the Tetons I could see why the area is so popular and has been for many years. The area is old and new all at the same time. Lots of history and well established ranches combined with the needs of todays world.
Trivia (useless): Forever I thought the town was actually called Jackson Hole; but it’s not, it’s just Jackson.
Jackson Hole refers to a 48-mile long valley surrounded by mountain peaks
and includes the towns of Jackson, Kelly, Moose, Moran, Wilson, and Teton Village.
As we drove north of Jackson and got closer to our goal…parking the Mirada in a national park, we could see the majestic mountains coming into view. The anticipation of hiking trails that would take us up close and personal to the Tetons had us so excited.
Today 5/17, was our first full day in the Park. We made our way to Jenny Lake for a 7.5 mile hike around the lake. It was not what I would call an easy hike. The average elevation was 6800 ft and there were a lot of rocks and snow to navigate, not mention the inclines and declines. It was all worth it for the views we were treated to. During the hike we also took a side hike up to Hidden Falls. Wow is all I can say. The amount of water that flows over the falls and makes it’s way into Jenny Lake is phenomenal. The total time on the hike was 5.5 hours; we were whooped for sure.
More trivia (not useless): The name Jenny Lake dates back to the Hayden Expedition of 1872 when
Jenny Leigh, Shoshone Indian wife of Richard “Beaver Dick” Leigh, assisted the
expedition survey crew with her knowledge of the area. So for her help, the
leaders of the Hayden Expedition name the lake Jenny Lake in her honor.
The lake was formed approximately 12,000 years ago from glacier melt
and Jenny Shoshone’s ancestors lived in the area approximately 11,000
years ago.
Hope you enjoy the pictures and videos below….
