Jenny Lake, Wyoming // 24 September
Top on our Grand Teton to-do list was Jenny Lake. Turns out it’s one of the most popular areas in the park! After three unsuccessful loops of the car park we gave up and headed for the scenic loop. We stopped in a the Visitor Center at the south entrance to the park, then took in the views at the various look-out stops on the scenic loop. We were lucky that the mountain-top snowfall from the last few night was hanging around. From the viewpoints we could see little boat trips doing the float down the pretty Snake River.
Second time lucky at Jenny Lake we managed to luck a park and were just in time to hire canoes and do some paddling. The lake is so gorgeous, and even though much smaller than Jackson Lake still a good way for paddling! We headed across the lake taking in the views. We stopped at a little beach spot on the other side for a hot choc/tea and snack, then started our paddle back. The prettiest was paddling along the shoreline with the huge boulders underneath us and the towering mountains above.
After we finished our canoeing we headed back to our campsite. We hadn’t had much luck spotting wildlife in the area on our sightseeing so far so we decided to head out at dusk hoping to have more luck. There were lot of people out doing the same making it easy, we just pulled over with everyone else and asked where to look. We spotted a moose in the far far distance, some elk a little closer, then got super lucky and spotted a grizzly! All at different spots. Then on our way back to our campground we spotted lots of small deer. It was super exciting spotting the grizzly, we got lucky as the Rangers were already there and talking about closing the road (it was a dirt road on the way to a trailhead). The Rangers kept the cars moving and ensured everyone kept their distance. This time of year the grizzlies come down from the mountains to graze on sagebrush roots as their final foraging before hibernation.
