Time for more mountains! We left the campground at about 9 this morning, not too shabby, and headed south to the Grand Teton National Park which butts up against the southern end of Yellowstone. We’re pretty much ready to start our mission east across the prairies to Thunder Bay, but can’t miss the Tetons as we’re right next door, and who knows when or if we’re going to be coming this way ever again. We decided to swing by and spend a day in the park. Yesterday I mentioned we’re feeling a little blasé about mountains and forests and beautiful views – but coming up to the Teton Range blew all that away, as every new mountain range appears to do. These peaks are stunning, rising more than 3,000 feet directly from the flat valley floor, with no foothills. They look amazing for climbing. I’ll definitely be coming back here with a climbing buddy someday.
Wanting some exercise but not an epic lung-buster up the side of a Teton, we walked a few miles around Jenny Lake, the scenic centre of the park. A passing ranger told us there was a grizzly bear just a quarter mile down the trail, so we kept our eyes peeled and ears pricked for any furry action, but didn’t end up seeing anything. Shame, it would have been awesome to see one up close in the wild.
As we were getting ready to walk around the lake, we had a quick chat with a lady that was touring America with a young lad in tow, maybe ten years old. We reckon it was probably her grandson. She, like us, didn’t have much of a plan. Each time they got to a junction she’d ask him “which way?” – he’d make a decision, and off they went. What an adventure!
Spent the rest of the afternoon sat in the sun, drawing mountains, and sewing up the umpteenth tear in my shorts. Gonna see if I can get another two months out of them. The fabric is so thin, I’m not sure I want to put them in the laundry in case they can’t handle the spin cycle. I don’t think Rose is going to let me wear the same shorts without washing them for 8 more weeks though. Watch this space.
Not having had a shower for three long, hot days, it was time to freshen up – we found some pay showers in Colter Bay village in the centre of the park, stocked up on a few cold treats at the general store next door, and then rustled up a feast of vegetable fajitas in a car park overlooking the mountains. I don’t think the Americans are used to seeing people cooking in car parks, squatting on the floor with a wok sizzling away. Doing the same in France I remember plenty of friendly “bon appetites”, but here everyone pretends not to notice us as they climb out of their cars, wander a few yards, take a snap with their iPhone, get back in the car and drive on to the next spot on the map.
I’m now sitting in the van at Togwotee pass, watching the sun go down behind the peaks of the Tetons in the distance. We’re on the Continental Divide, again. We’ve been back and forth over this line maybe twenty times over the last couple of weeks. On the west side all water flows down into the Pacific, and on the east side it has more of a journey ahead of it – flowing either into the Atlantic, into Hudson Bay or the Arctic. A ridge dividing two watersheds isn’t a strange concept, but for some reason I’m captivated by this line that traces a path all the way from the top of Canada down to Mexico, a single continuous line meandering over the peaks and crests of the Rocky Mountains. We don’t have anything like it in Europe – sure there are some huge rivers like the Rhine and the Rhone – but not like America which is such a clearly defined north-south continent, holding apart two oceans.
We’re sealed up against a plague of mosquitoes (again), but up here at over 9,000 feet it’s cool enough to have the van closed all night. It’s a clear sky, I think the weather pattern has changed. If it’s a clear dawn it’s going to be a stunning light show on the Tetons over on the other side of Jackson Hole, so I’m setting an alarm to see if I can catch it.
Road and Ocean 
…..like the route map, – and superb full moon photo!
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