More of the Old Memories and Making Some New

Two people on this paraglider

We woke this morning to a completely blue sky and paragliders drifting slowly by between us and the beautiful snow covered mountains.  Going outside we found that they were landing in the grass just along side of our parking lot.  We watched as groups of them appeared over against the mountains and drifted along in our direction.  Most of them had two individuals – a guide and a student attached to each paraglider.

We ate breakfast at the picnic table entertained by these paragliders and the view of the beautiful range of mountains.

 

Our breakfast table just outside the hotel

We walked over to the aerial tramway and rode the tram up to the top of Rendezvous Peak.  In the tram car were groups who were riding up top with the large packs containing the paragliders.  On top we watched as the opened their packs and then slid down the snow slopes to their edge and were lifted upwards by the upslope winds.  We could watch them lifted high overhead and then drift slowly back down in to the valley.

Just as at Mt Rainier, the Tetons and Rendezvous Peak had record snowfalls this past winter.   Rendezvous Peak usually gets 500 inches of snow and this past winter got 800 inches.  There is much more snow on all of the mountains.  Many trails are not passable and bridges have been closed because of the high water levels.  At the top of the tram we used to hike a ways before being able to find a snowfield.  Today there was snow right there where we got off of the tram.  There were two couples that had packed in their skis and hiked to a snow filled bowl about 1 1/2 from the tram.

A snow bank in a place we haven't seen one before, and th southern Tetons in the background.

Our campsite in 1974, about the middle of the picture (I think)

It was a beautiful day to just sit up at the top and enjoy the sun and views in all directions.  We watched the paragliders take off from their snow slope.  We tried to pick out which area in the basins along the sides of Rendezvous Peak we had camped at back in 1974 with Michael.  Eb tried hiking over in that direction but turned back when he ran in to too much snow.  I sat in the sun on a bench and watched people playing in the snowfield right next to me.  One group made a small snowman and took a picture of it.  One woman took off her flip flops and had her husband take a picture of her bare feet in the snow.  We ate a picnic lunch up there on the top with the most amazing view - mountains all around us - northward toward the Tetons, including a view of the Grand;  out to the Gros Ventre Range and Gannett Peak;  and southward to the Wind River Range.  All of these mountains are places where we have backpacked in the past, usually with Doug and Hazel and other friends.

After coming back down to Teton Village we drove over the Wilson-Moose Road to go up to Jenny Lake in the Teton National Park.  This road is a back road that the map indicates is not maintained in the winter.  Part of the road is gravel.  It goes through forested areas as well as sage brush filled plains.  There are many trailheads along this road.

The Tetons - from the valley

It was a beautiful afternoon to get pictures of the Tetons.   Both Eb and I (both separately and together) have done many backpacking hikes, camping, and even rock climbing in the Tetons.  We came here on our honeymoon and happened to  be here on our 25th wedding anniversary.   There are many places here in the park that have many special memories.

Hidden Falls, much water

Neither of us remembered ever taking the boat ride across Jenny Lake, a much smaller lake than Jackson Lake but also right in front of the Teton Mountains.  We took the boat ride across the lake and did the hike to Hidden Falls.  Eb remembered hiking up to those falls and remembered just a thin stream of water coming over the falls.  Today the water was rushing over the edge, and all the way down the mountain, as we hiked, was a roaring cascade of white water.

Sat outside the restaurant for dinner tonight and I thought of Alana and how much she would have enjoyed this place.  The childrens playground for Teton Village was right there close to the outside deck of the restaurant.  There were the usual climbing structures and slides.  But there were also fountains of water that spouted out in random sequence.  Just to the side of the playground there was an organized campfire that we had also seen last night.  The children at the tables around us would get up to play on the playground while they were waited for their meals and when they were finished and their parents sat around. This village reminds me very much of Snowshoe with many elegant stores and expensive restaurants, condominiums, lots of organized activities and rentals (mountain bikes, paragliders, bungee trampoline, and a rock climbing wall).

As you can tell by these postings, we found out that the Hostel did have Internet (for a small fee).  Tonight we are in a room with two regular twin beds and one set of bunk beds.  They also have dormitory rooms where you share a bathroom and you share the four beds in the room with whoever else signs up for the space.