Memoirs part 7: Hike #4 - Jackson Hole!!!

Sunday evening I arrived at my favorite place on earth - Jackson Hole, Wyoming!!! I love Estes to death, but there's something about the Grand Tetons that can never be compared to anything else. It might be the sheer power and majesty desplayed by the flat plane that runs smack into a wall of mountain as far as the eye can see. I've never seen anything as beautiful.

This pic is after a pizza dinner: Uncle King, Aunt Glenna, Dad, Mom, and me. The sun is washing out the peaks of the mountains. There are better pictures below.

The next morning, Sunday, Mom informed me that I was the only one that had not hiked to Lake Solitude. I replied, "I feel so alone!" but she didn't note the humor as it was 6 am. Such began my trek to become 'one of the guys'. [Fill in: Dad took Asher and the Nelson boys to Lake Solitude NINE years ago and I couldn't go because the day before one of them had pushed me off a rock and sprained my ankle.] I can't believe it's been that long since we were here!!!

Dad and I took off on our overnight hike through the Tetons. We started off with a much-too-large breakfast at the Moose Lodge (which you see here). We're thinking about photo-shopping Asher and Chris into this picture for Mom and Dad's Christmas card! :)

Then, from the trailhead, we took a ferry across Jenny Lake and Mom and Aunt Glenna joined us up to Inspiration Point.

Dad's pointing out our 10 mi hike to Lake Solitude, were we camped overnight and then hiked back.



Behind us is Hidden Falls, a beautiful photo-op about 3/4 a mile and 300' up the trail.












Here I am at Inspiration Point. It's about a mile and and some up the trail, but I think getting there is the steepest part of the hike. It inspires those who stop to admire the view of Jenny Lake.




Eight or so miles later: Lake Solitude. We saw a few moose, marmots, and waterfalls on the way, but the most captivating views were of the cliffs and peaks surrounding us. You almost feel like you are trapped with no way out as you gaze up at 11,000 foot tall rocks in every direction. We arrived here about 3:15 in the after noon, and since we were going to spend the night up here, we took it easy - Dad took a nap on the 'beach' and I explored around the other side of the lake.

I figured out how to put more pictures on a single blog (by myself!), but I think it's reached its max at six. Go here for more pics, and I'll finish the hike on the Memoirs, part 8!