"Jackson and Other Holes"

Travel post about going to Jackson, WY, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons with the HS friends group.

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+---
+title: Jackson and Other Holes
+date: 2024-10-28T16:16:28-06:00
+categories: Travel
+tags: [Friends, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, National Parks]
+resources:
+  - name: tetons-plane
+    src: tetons-plane.jpg
+    title: The view of the Grand Tetons on approach to JAC.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        Four craggy peaks rise into a low cloud layer. A streak of flow streaks
+        off of the tallest peak like smoke from a candle. The foothills around
+        these mountains are covered in trees.
+  - name: tetons-airbnb
+    src: tetons-airbnb.jpg
+    title: The Grand Tetons from the Teton Valley, where our Airbnb was.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        The four Teton peaks appear dramatically above a cluster of buildings in
+        the middle of a field.
+  - name: jackson-drug-co
+    src: jackson-drug-co.jpg
+    title: Jackson's town square is full of quaint shops and local color.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        The Jackson Drug Company storefront at the corner of Cache and Deloney
+        in Jackson, Wyoming. There are white benches out front and clusters of
+        Halloween pumpkins decorating the doorway. The windows advertise ice
+        cream, meals, and alcohol for purchase.
+  - src: cowboy-bar-group-photo.jpg
+    title: >
+      The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is quite a place. All the seats along the
+      bar are saddles!
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        Nine people sitting along a bar, smiling at the camera. The restaurant
+        is full of old-timey western decorations. Behind the group is a set of
+        pool tables with red felt.
+  - src: sunrise.jpg
+    title: >
+      The sunrise this morning was stunning, with the mountains lit from
+      behind.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        The Teton mountains lit from behind by the rising sun. The sky is
+        colored dramatically in blues, pinks, and purples. In front of the
+        mountains is a mist layer and sillouettes of several farm buildings.
+  - src: prismatic-spring.jpg
+    title: The Grand Prismatic Spring
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A large hot spring surrounded by flat barren fields. Around the rim are
+        dramatic orange, blue, and yellow rings. Steam billows from the surface.
+  - src: barry-profile.jpg
+    title: >
+      We spotted Barry the Bison grazing on the grasses along the Fairy Falls
+      trail, on the way up to the Grand Prismatic Spring observation point.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A bison in a field. In the background, steam rises from unknown sources.
+  - src: grand-canyon.jpg
+    title: >
+      The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A V-shaped canyon of solid yellow stone. A large waterfall pours water
+        into a river running along the bottom of the canyon. Trees cover the
+        canyon walls.
+  - src: buck.jpg
+    title: >
+      This guy kept circling back to the ditch on the far side of this road to
+      attack a traffic cone that, presumably, had committed some egregious
+      offense.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A young elk with a small set of antlers stands in the middle of a road.
+        Cars wait for him to pass.
+  - src: jenny-lake-panorama.jpg
+    title: A panorama of Jenny Lake. Photobomb by Alex.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A paraoramic photo of a clear, blue lake. Immediately behind it are
+        tree-covered mountains. On the far right of the frame, a person makes a
+        peace sign and sticks out their tongue at the camera.
+  - src: leigh-lake.jpg
+    title: Leigh Lake
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A still lake reflects the image of the mountains behind it. In the near
+        foreground are various water plants.
+  - src: signal-mountain-1.jpg
+    title: 
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A broad landscape perspective showing a river running through a thick
+        forest.
+  - src: signal-mountain-2.jpg
+    title: 
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A landscape perspective showing a wide flat plain, partially covered in
+        trees. Roughly in the middle is a lake.
+  - src: mormon-row-out-buildings.jpg
+    title: >
+      A couple of the farm buildings in the Mormon Row area. These were built in
+      the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, and lived in until the 1970s!
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        Two weathered cabin-style buildings. The Teton mountains are in the
+        background.
+  - src: mormon-row-barn.jpg
+    title: >
+      One of the barns at the farthest-out settlement along Mormon Row. Hard to
+      complain about the view, but the wind out here was brutal.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A two-story barn with a variety of siding on each level. The roof of the
+        main part is a traditional barn shape. On the left is a small
+        trapezoidal extension. The Teton mountains are visible in the
+        background.
+  - src: mormon-row-cow-path.jpg
+    title: Following the cow paths through the fields.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        In a dead field of short grasses a small path cuts through. Farther
+        along the path a person wearing a white shirt follows the cut. In the
+        background are a few buildings and one person.
+  - src: duck-butts.jpg
+    title: Butts. Lol.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        Five ducks in a pond. Four of them have bobbed down into the water, with
+        their tail feathers pointing up.
+  - src: schwabacher-group.jpg
+    title: Most of our group, minus Tess and me (taking the photo).
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        Seven people almost all wearing sunglasses standing on a fallen tree.
+        The tree has numerous branches off of the main trunk. 
+  - src: moose.jpg
+    title: Oh my god, there's a moose on the loose!
+    params:
+      alt: A moose stands in a field of sagebrush near a single tree.
+  - name: sunset-video
+    src: sunset.mov
+    title: The sunset from Schwabacher Landing
+  - src: genevieve.jpg
+    title: >
+      The Most Noble Pig, proprietor (I assume) of Cafe Genevieve in Jackson,
+      Wyoming.
+    params:
+      alt: >
+        A framed painting of a pig on a dark background. The pig looks sideways
+        at the viewer. The painting has a small caption plate saying "A Most
+        Noble Pig". The painting is mounted on a wall covered in a busy
+        wallpaper showing leaves, mushrooms, flowers, and pigs.
+---
+
+The fourth annual trip with a group of my high school friends took us to
+Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, October 23–28, 2024.
+
+## Day 1
+
+We arrived at [Jackson Hole Airport][jac] (JAC) on Wednesday afternoon. This
+airport is the only one [located in a national park][jacwp]. That fact coupled
+with a flight path that brings planes in from the north means we got a stunning
+first look at the Teton[^1] mountains from the plane.
+
+{{< figures/image name=tetons-plane >}}
+
+We stopped for beers at [Snake River Brewing][snakeriverbrew] in Jackson,
+Wyoming before heading over the [Teton Pass][tetonpass] to our AirBnb, about six
+miles outside of [Driggs, Idaho][driggs].
+
+{{< figures/image name=tetons-airbnb >}}
+
+The [Teton mountains][tetons] are quite striking. I couldn’t get enough photos
+of them, especially with the pastoral foregrounds of farm buildings and fields.
+The photo above is from the deck of our Airbnb, on the opposite side of the
+range from the one I took from the plane.
+
+
+## Day 2
+
+Our first full day was a relaxed tourist day in Jackson. We had lunch at [Grand
+Teton Brewing][gtbrew] in [Victor, Idaho][victor], then drove over the pass to
+Jackson. The town is situated around a central square that's surrounded by shops
+and restaurants.
+
+{{< figures/image name=jackson-drug-co >}}
+
+We spent the afternoon wandering in and out of the local stores, and stopped in
+the delightfully kitschy [Million Dollar Cowboy Bar][cowboy-bar] for drinks and
+a round of pool.
+
+{{< figures/image name=cowboy-bar-group-photo.jpg >}}
+
+Dinner was pizza from [Pinky G's][pinkyg] in Victor.
+
+
+## Day 3
+
+We were up early today to drive into [Yellowstone National Park][yellowstonenp].
+
+{{< figures/image name=sunrise.jpg >}}
+
+We opted to spend our day in the west and south side of the park, touring the
+[Grand Prismatic][prismaticnps] [Spring][prismaticwp] and [Old
+Faithful][oldfaithful]. I enjoyed reading about the geology of the area, and how
+the volcanic activity below the surface drives the geysers, mud pots, and hot
+springs the park is best known for.
+
+The Prismatic Spring was a bucket list item for me, so I was thrilled to get to
+see it.
+
+{{< figures/image name=prismatic-spring.jpg >}}
+
+We hiked along the Fairy Falls trail to the overlook and spotted our first
+megafauna of the trip: a bison! He was grazing along the trail. We named him
+Barry.
+
+{{< figures/image name=barry-profile.jpg >}}
+
+From there we drove down the road to the [Old Faithful Visitor Education
+Center][oldfaithfulvec]. We’d just missed an eruption, so we opted to hang out
+until the next one. Meanwhile we had some lunch and wandered the visitor
+center's exhibit on the various geothermal features in the geyser basin.
+
+Our last stops of the day were the [Grand Canyon of Yellowstone][grandcanyon] –
+a name this group of Arizonans found somewhat bewildering – and Hayden Valley.
+The Canyon didn’t disappoint; is indeed grand.
+
+{{< figures/image name=grand-canyon.jpg >}}
+
+On the way out of the park, we came across a group of elk, including a
+particularly feisty young male who was determined to put a traffic cone in its
+place.
+
+{{< figures/image name=buck.jpg >}}
+
+We stopped for dinner at the [Slippery Otter][slipperyotter] in West Yellowstone
+before heading home.
+
+
+## Day 4
+
+The first of two days at [Grand Teton National Park][gtnp] started with
+sandwiches from a small deli in [Moose, Wyoming][moosewy]. This town, along with
+the airport, also sits within the national park boundaries. A little ways down
+the road we came to [Jenny Lake][jennylake].
+
+{{< figures/image name=jenny-lake-panorama.jpg >}}
+
+We also hiked around [Leigh Lake][leighlake], the next in a chain of lakes at
+the immediate base of the mountains.
+
+{{< figures/image name=leigh-lake.jpg >}}
+
+We wrapped up this day with a drive up [Signal Mountain][signalmtn][^2] and an
+unsuccessful moose-spotting drive down the Moose-Wilson Road.
+
+{{< figures/image name=signal-mountain-1.jpg >}}
+
+{{< figures/image name=signal-mountain-2.jpg >}}
+
+Before bed, a bunch of us enjoyed the hot tub and beautifully clear night skies.
+We found Jupiter and Saturn, as well as several constellations. The Milky Way
+was overhead as well. I *always* enjoy stargazing, and don’t get to do it nearly
+enough under dark skies. This was a real treat.
+
+
+## Day 5
+
+Our first stop in the park was Mormon Row, a chain of houses and farm buildings
+constructed by Mormon homesteaders in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century.
+
+{{< figures/image name=mormon-row-out-buildings.jpg >}}
+
+{{< figures/image name=mormon-row-barn.jpg >}}
+
+Seeing how these people carved a living out of a relatively harsh
+environment[^3] is awe inspiring.
+
+{{< figures/image name=mormon-row-cow-path.jpg >}}
+
+We drove further down the road to [Lower Slide Lake][lowerslide] to spend a
+little time relaxing and waiting for sunset. We skipped rocks and built cairns
+at the lakeshore, and admired the scenic views of the farms across the lake.
+
+Our last scheduled stop was an attempt to catch the sun setting behind the
+peaks. We drove out to [Schwabacher Landing][schwabacher] and hiked a little
+ways in. This spot was a gorgeous place to wait for the sun. A bunch of the
+group climbed into a fallen tree for a particularly silly group photo.
+
+{{< figures/image name=schwabacher-group.jpg >}}
+
+We also caught some duck butts!
+
+{{< figures/image name=duck-butts.jpg >}}
+
+I managed to take a time lapse video of the sun setting. It was going great
+until the wind blew it off its jaunty perch on a branch.
+
+{{< figures/image name=sunset-video >}}
+
+On the way home we took another shot at catching a moose along the Moose-Wilson
+Road, and this time we were successful! A short way down the road, we came to a
+clearing where not one but two moose were grazing in the sagebrush.
+
+{{< figures/image name=moose.jpg >}}
+
+Given our prior unsuccessful attempt, several of us had tempered our
+expectations going into this drive. That made seeing two moose so quickly into
+the drive all the more exciting.
+
+
+## Day 6
+
+Time to head home. 😢 We broke camp at the Airbnb in the morning and said
+goodbyes to a few of our group with flights out of Bozeman, Montana. Due to a
+complication with our rental cars, I drove twice over Teton Pass to get everyone
+to JAC who needed to be there.
+
+{{< figures/image name=genevieve.jpg >}}
+
+Trent, Tess, and I had a last lunch at [Cafe Genevieve][genevieve] in Jackson.
+Then, we returned the rental car and caught our flights home.
+
+
+## Hasta Luego
+
+This group means a lot to me. We’ve hung together through the worst of the
+pandemic, and make time every year to spend a few days together. There are
+challenges and small conflicts every year, but we always make it through and
+continue to put in the work to make these trips happen. I’m so grateful for
+that.
+
+
+[^1]: Tess informed me shortly after landing of the meaning of the French word
+_téton_. A fact that delighted me for the entirety of the trip. Two lesbians
+traveling to the middle of the country to check out "the great tits" is about as
+on the nose as it gets, isn’t it?
+[^2]: The view from the top of signal mountain is breathtaking, however I
+couldn’t help notice one of the water features bears a certain phallic
+resemblance.
+[^3]: Some of the signage here explained that the homesteaders picked this spot
+because the nearby butte sheltered them from the wind. Several of us found
+this fact unbelievable considering how windy it was that day.
+
+[jac]: https://www.jacksonholeairport.com
+[jacwp]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Hole_Airport
+[snakeriverbrew]: https://www.snakeriverbrewing.com
+[tetons]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Range
+[tetonpass]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Pass
+[victor]: https://victoridaho.gov
+[gtbrew]: https://grandtetonbrewing.com
+[pinkyg]: https://pinkygs.com
+[driggs]: http://www.driggs.govoffice.com/
+[yellowstonenp]: https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
+[prismaticnps]: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/grand-prismatic-spring.htm
+[prismaticwp]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prismatic_Spring
+[oldfaithful]: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/exploreoldfaithful.htm
+[oldfaithfulvec]: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/oldfaithfulvec.htm
+[grandcanyon]: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/canyonplan.htm
+[slipperyotter]: https://www.yelp.com/biz/slippery-otter-pub-west-yellowstone
+[gtnp]: https://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm
+[moosewy]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose,_Wyoming
+[jennylake]: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/jennylakeplan.htm
+[leighlake]: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/stringleighplan.htm
+[signalmtn]: https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/signalmountainplan.htm
+[cowboy-bar]: https://www.milliondollarcowboybar.com/
+[lowerslide]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Slide_Lake
+[schwabacher]: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/schwabacher-landing.htm
+[genevieve]: https://genevievejh.com

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