2012 Grand Tetons May/June
May 22 2012 Tuesday After spending a week in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, we arrived in Jackson, Wyoming on Tuesday afternoon. Our first stop was at Albertson’s to get bearspray, supplies and food items including our picnic cooler.
May 23 2012 Wednesday
We were very comfortable in our little cabin at Signal Mountain Lodge. The staff was helpful, the food at the restaurant was wonderful and the scenery was magnificent. We greatly enjoyed sitting in front of the stone fireplace this morning while it was snowing and blowing outside. If you ever have a chance to visit or stay here, I highly recommend it. 
We returned to our cabin and checked the weather for our drive to Yellowstone tomorrow. It did not sound good, so we formulated a Plan B. In the evening we drove up to Oxbow Bend. Along the way we spotted another smallcinammon colored black bear. At the Willow Flats overlook, we spied a coyote trotting along a path in the distance. All in all, a great day!
June 1 2012 Friday It’s always sad to leave Yellowstone and make that last drive through the Lamar Valley and over Dunraven Pass.
It was a little dreary and rainy this morning as we packed up to leave Yellowstone. As we drove into the park the sun came out and a rainbow greeted us on our last day in the park. After a wonderful week in Yellowstone, we arrived back in the Grand Tetons to explore for a few more days.
We stayed at a condo in the Aspens area off Moose-Wilson Road. This was our first experience staying at the condos, and it was a good one. We had plenty of room, a very nice view, and all the furnishings of home. In the evening we took a drive into the park and spotted a moose on the Moose-Wilson Road. Further up the road, we stopped at the Taggart Lake Trailhead. There were 2 momma moose here with their babies. Fun to watch!
June 2 2012 Saturday
We started the day with a drive on Moose-Wilson Road. 
Along this road is the turn-off for the Rockefeller Preserve. Visiting the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve was definitely a trip highlight. The Preserve is a gift from Laurance Rockefeller…he envisioned a place where visitors could experience a spiritual and emotional connection to the beauty of Phelps Lake and the Teton Range. The Preserve has sagebrush meadows, forest, wetlands, creeks, and beautiful trails which lead to Phelps Lake. Bears are common in this area. We hiked the 3 mile loop trail enjoying nature but also carrying our bear spray.The Phelps Lake Trailhead is most easily accessed from the Rockefeller Preserve. If you go, be sure to get there in the early morning, as parking is limited and after 10AM, it is likely that you will have to wait for a parking space.
June 3 2012 Sunday 
In 2009, Lance hiked to Hidden Falls on his own, since I has a foot injury. Ever since then, we kept trying to get this hike scheduled again since Lance raved about it. Finally, this year, we did it!
The trail to Hidden Falls is about 1/2 mile and is not too difficult. There are a lot of rocks and tree roots, so there are loaner hiking poles for those who want a little more balance. Along the hiking trail are lovely wildflowers and fast flowing creeks surrounded by majestic mountains. Hidden Falls in the spring is really beautiful. When Lance did this hike in September, the water was not running so fast and furiously. 
“The thrill of tramping alone and unafraid through a wilderness of lakes, creeks, alpine meadows, and glaciers is not known to many. A civilization can be built around the machine but it is doubtful that a meaningful life can be produced by it.… When man worships at the feet of avalanche lilies or discovers the delicacies of the pasque flower or finds the faint perfume of the phlox on rocky ridges, he will come to know that the real glories are God’s creations. When he feels the wind blowing through him on a high peak or sleeps under a closely matted white bark pine in an exposed basin, he is apt to find his relationship to the universe.” WILLIAM O. DOUGLAS, Supreme Court Justice and avid hiker, 1898—1980
In Grand TetonNational Park, the moose is the most seen animal. In the springtime, the males are just starting to regrow their antlers.
We made a stop at the Church of the Transfiguration. This small church has to be in the most scenic location ever! I took a picture from inside at the altar with the window view of the Tetons. Then I walked around the back of the church and took a picture of the reflection in the window.
The chapel itself is built of logs and is only 22 feet by 50 feet. The most striking feature of the chapel is at the front of the sanctuary behind the altar. A clear glass window gives worshipers a glorious view of the Teton Mountains. If there is any question about the unspoken message of the chapel and its location, the view of the mountains “speaks” of a majestic Lord who has given us a majestic world in which to live.
Grand Teton National Park…it renews the spirit and refreshes the soul!!June 5 2012 Tuesday Last morning in the Grand Tetons. Our drive southwest thru parts of Idaho and into Utah took us through canyons and small towns. We left early to get into Salt Lake City before the major afterwork rush. What we never anitcipated was a power outage at our hotel! We had planned on eating at the hotel restaurant when we arrived.
It’s so sad to leave. Lance and I both love to read. Leaving the west is like finishing a good book. It lingers in your mind and heart and brings melancholy feelings. The trip photos help and then the happy travelling memories take over and you start planning the next trip.
To see more photos of our 2012 Grand Tetons trip, click here
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