Binoculars, a beaver and Buffalo Bill

Grand Tetons National Park
May 23, 2018

Buffalo Bill guided me and Mom through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park from the center console of our rental car. He told us of the parks’ geology, history both political and natural, and interesting facts of the resident wildlife. Without him, our visit would not have felt half as fulfilling. A friend of mine told me about the GyPSy guide app and as two avid Disney fans, we quickly recognized the voice-over guy as the narrator from Walt’s Carousel of Progress. I lovingly named our new friend Buffalo Bill.

I couldn’t believe the terrible overcast weather that loomed over the Grand Tetons on our first day. It almost made it hard to believe that mountains could surround a valley like this. Buffalo Bill explained to us the uniqueness of the Grand Tetons formation. Since the mountain ranges here have no prominent foothills, the clash of the mountain ranges against the seemingly dead flat valley would lead one to believe of a past volcanic eruption. However, that is not what happened here. The slow collision of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates over millions of years shaped the Grand Tetons, a creation unlike any other.

Thanks to a tip from a couple we chatted with at a brewery in Jackson, we made stopping by K-Mart for binoculars a priority. Without them, we would have missed a lot of wildlife sightings, especially when we visited Jackson Lake Lodge for afternoon drinks. Despite the weather, we still managed to spot a few fellow critters.

Today’s wildlife sightings:
pelican, elk, buffalo, beaver, cow moose

Route:
Jackson, WY → clockwise around the Grand Teton loop

Next up: Grand Tetons: Day #2