WESTERN JOURNEY--SEPTEMBER, 2011--DAY 2

Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming

September 8, 2011

Grand Teton National Park is part of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the continental United States. It is home to a variety of plants and animals that live in diverse but also connected habitats. The Teton Mountains provide spectacular vistas from many different areas of the park.

We photographed lovely views of Jackson Lake on our way to Jackson Lake Lodge. From the 60 foot panoramic picture windows in the lodge, we could see the Tetons from yet another vantage point. At the lodge we planned to meet with our friends, Tom and Sallie (Miller) Luebbe, who live in Florida and were on a bus tour of several national parks. Sallie and Judy have known each other since they were friends in high school. We enjoyed a remarkable buffet brunch together in the lodge.

In 1950, the 500 square mile wilderness area in and around Jackson Hole was officially designated by Congress as Grand Teton National Park. This corner of Wyoming is one of the few places left where the wild west is still very much alive in the rugged landscape and in the hearts of the people.

Although the Tetons' arid climate and porous soil make farming difficult, wildflowers and trees enhance the beauty of this valley.

The historic Chapel of the Transfiguration, built in 1925, is situated in a prime location in Grand Teton National Park. Inside this small Episcopal chapel, where services are held in the summer, a picture window frames a fantastic view of the Teton Range.

Inside the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, we found the following quotation from 1879 that still describes what we found in this lovely place. Another spectacular vantage point through the picture window in the visitor center impressed us once again.

For many many years all over the world Judy has wanted to see some moose. In Glacier National Park two years ago we finally got to see one moose, but the particular one in the picture below is not what she had in mind! As it turned out, though, we later were able to see three moose in the Tetons across a river and in a forest.  Although they were far away, it was exciting to see them.

From time to time we are reminded that we are truly in the old West. Settlers came to this area by pack horses and wagon trains after the Homestead Act of 1862 granted 160 acres of land to anyone who promised to live and build on it for five years. They found survival in this area of poor grazing and farming conditions to be extremely difficult. Below is a reminder of how these settlers came to settle this land.

Visiting Mormon Row (below) offers a glimpse into the past while enjoying the present. Mormon Row was originally homesteads within what is now Grand Teton National Park. The Mormon homesteaders began to arrive in the 1890's from Idaho, creating a vibrant community with a total of 33 homesteads. Now the rural landscape contains only six vacant buildings which were once part of the early homesteads. Mormon Row was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Teton Mountains rise in the background, with spectacular beauty.