Grand Teton
The Tetons were worth all the time and energy it took to get here.
Justin pushed it hard and drove two solid 12 hour days so that we’d have a short drive into the Tetons the first day.
He woke up early and set out before the kids were even awake so he could stop at Walmart and grab some items for a quick repair job to the sink.
Good thing Avett woke up since he is the one who noticed we didn’t have any power going to the back of the camper, ie. no brake lights. Avett joyfully helped Justin inspect underneath and they were able to fix it so we could get back on the road.
Only to be stopped a few hours later…for speeding…oops!
Sorry City of Dubois, WY officer!
Pulling into the Grand Teton National Park was nothing short of breathtaking.
The mountains were everything and then some, but it was the buffalo that took my breath away.
I don’t know if it was watching Dances with Wolves as a kid, but I have always had an affection for the silent and strong buffalo.
So lets just say the little girl in me was overjoyed at seeing these mighty beasts standing feet away from our rv.
We found an amazing campsite at the top of a hill on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands and the views from our site were like nothing we’ve experienced before.
I mean, can you imagine waking up to this view every morning?
After setting up camp, we drove through the park and went straight to Jackson.
Adorable town and makes sense why it’s a tourist hotspot!
Unfortunately, we were not there to sightsee but to go straight to Target.
Turns out, whatever went haywire on the camper that morning fried our fridge. All of the meals prepared in advance were now slowly thawing.
Nothing says welcome to the Tetons like a Target run! Very rustic and western of us, right?
After getting our food situated, we hiked around a little and made friends with our camping neighbors before watching the sunset behind the Tetons.
I feel like I’ll be saying this a lot, but it truly was a sight to see.
Day 2 was full of hiking and our kids were champs.
We hopped on the Jenny Lake ferry first thing to hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
We weren’t sure about going to Cascade Canyon because we didn’t think the kids could make it, but I’m so glad others encouraged us to push on and go because it was worth all the extra steps.
The forest opened up and we were in a canyon full of fall colors. A little ways in, we saw multiple moose by and in the creek. Such beautiful creatures to watch.
We made out way back down the mountains, ferried back, and headed over to Jackson Lake and Signal Mountain for dinner and panoramic views.
Poor Edley got a nose bleed, but not a single tear. We cleaned her up and she was out jumping on rocks and playing in the dirt like nothing ever happened.
My favorite part of the day? With all the beauty that we saw?
Coming down Signal Mountain with the windows down, playing worship music, and singing at the top of our lungs.
It fills my heart with such joy to hear the kids request certain worship songs, some that we haven’t listened to in a while and others that are brand new releases, and give it all they’ve got.
The song Aubyn picked out captured the moment…”I see the work of your hands. Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance, oh God. All that you are is so overwhelming…I delight myself in you. Captivated by your beauty. I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by you.”
And we are. We are overwhelmed by His beauty.
For our last morning, we woke up at 5:30 (all but Edley) and headed to Schwabacher Landing to catch the sunrise on the mountains, and hopefully some wildlife.
Edley says we saw wildlife, which technically not wrong, none of us were excited about a duck.
We do have some new dance moves though…
After another breathtaking view watching the rocks go from shaded and grey to bathed in sunlight and full of color, we said goodbye to the Tetons and headed out.
But first…a moose standing 100 feet in front of our camper!
The kids have never seen Justin move so fast! He jumped out of the RV to grab a picture and I less hurriedly followed behind through the sagebrush.
It’s just humbling that these creatures just walk around minding their own business and we drop everything to stand still and watch them.
Watching the moose in the canyon or at Schwabacher Landing, there was an almost reverence to the atmosphere. Only hushed tones and no fidgeting or fooling around. No one wanted mess up the moment. We all sat in eager anticipation for what was about to happen.
And it came to mind that I don’t do that enough with God. I hurry and do…I don’t sit quietly and wait to eagerly see how or where He’s going to show up.
Sometimes I do, when I remember that I’ve done it before and it was incredible, but not here recently.
So that’s my take away from the Tetons. Sit quietly, eagerly watch for what God is bringing or doing next, and don’t chase it away by making a racket (which I find myself doing more than I wish).
And what a great way to remember the Tetons…eager anticipation full of quiet waiting and watching.
We did go to church before leaving Jackson. Right behind the stage were floor to ceiling windows with a full view of the mountain range. At first I didn’t think I’d be able to pay attention with such a backdrop, but somehow I did.
And then to Target to get another cooler, because one wasn’t enough.
And now, we’re saying our last goodbyes to the Tetons and heading further west…
