Amazement, Awe & Ankles - Grand Teton National Park - Sep 3rd, 2010

"Pssssst......Pass it on - Jenny Lake is a bitch".

 This might be the subject of a third grade game of "Telephone" in most circles, but in mine??? Jenny Lake HAS to be a person, not a place because no mere place could be so cruel to someone on vacation.

But I digress....To the magic first......

This entry could essentially write itself with one word - WOOOOOOOWWWWW. No place in our travels, made us utter this single exclamation more in a shorter period of time. One hears of the Tetons described as "majestic", "awe-inspiring" "glorious" and the like. The Cale's live at 666 Pessimistic Place so we approach all superlatives cautiously.

With sky a lovely blue and only fleeting clouds framing each peak, we were, for few times in our travels rendered almost speechless. All the pictures, postcards and television specials could not prepare for seeing the jagged peaks of the Tetons in person.

September was the suggested month to visit the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone due to the diminished crowds departing to send the kids back to school, we ditched the Telluride Film Festival (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

"Karma"???
"Bad Karma, Party of two"??????

Okay - I'll admit it......we made up a story about a dead grandmother to get us out of the festival and postpone the tickets to next year to go to Yellowstone. Surely Grandma wouldn't reach out from the grave and smack me down for besmirching her name, would she??

Uh-huh. Grandma and Jenny Lake are apparently BFF's......and they are pissed.

Walking by the first lake, smelling the pine trees, seeing the reflection of the peaks on the water left us amazed. There are no words:

Boat rides????? There are boat rides in the Tetons?? Drive on, Jeeves.....Along the way, the scenery unbelievably improved with each turn of the road.

Upon approaching Jenny Lake (which is far smaller, than one would believe), we proudly paid our $10 each to ferry across the Lake to Cascade Canyon for a view of a waterfall.

The jaunt over was lovely and relaxing. But upon exiting the boat, a small dock with stairs leading up to the trailhead was all that was before us. The sound of the waterfall could be heard through the trees, so Chinese silk flats be damned.......we were hiking our way to the top.

The trail got worse and worse as it climbed through the trees. Exposed boulders, hidden rock shards and uneven footing proved tough going. Thinking about our next day trip to Yellowstone National Park and chatting back and forth as we climbed was making us giddy.......coupling this day with the promise of tomorrow was just too much to......

SNAP

"Down Goes Frazier! Down Goes Frazier!!"

Brooke hit a rock the wrong way and her "made for hiking" silk flats and Kate Spade purse went down with a TKO. The snap was audible enough for a woman to immediately rush to her side with water saying "Oh Gawd...I heard that".

Somehow I hobbled down the mountain with Matt's arm around my shoulders...Visions of missed Yellowstone opportunities danced in my head and the chant of "YOU RUINED YELLOWSTONE!!!" being thrown at me for years to come by Matt. I decided to suck it up.

What was unknown at the time was that I completely tore the TibioTalur Ligament in my ankle, and am forever barred from wearing heels due to the lack of stability now that the ligament is gone.

"Pssssst....Pass it on....Sorry, Grandma........"

In general, Grand Teton National Park proved to be everything we expected (and didn't expect for that matter) and more. Jackson Hole, WY (the town) was a bit disappointing however....Being yearly sojourners to Telluride, CO, we expected Jackson to eclipse the tiny town. Sadly - this did not come to pass. The hotel we stayed in however - perfection. The Hotel Terra in Teton Village was luxurious and came equipped with a jacuzzi tub - a nice way to soak the ankle at the end of the day.

When all was said and done, our trip to the Tetons was shorter than we would have liked as every plan for the rest of the day was scrapped. We had planned to rent a wheelchair at Yellowstone if I couldn't walk throughout the park....but THAT is a story for another day......

FINAL RATING

Grand Teton National Park - 10/10