Kayaking Jackson Lake

Today we kayaked Grand Teton National Park’s Jackson Lake, which is close to our campground.  At 15 miles long and in some places five miles wide, it's the largest lake in the park. It’s also one of the largest lakes in the USA at high altitude -- we're at 6,772 feet.   

We haven’t kayaked together since April -- and it showed.  We forgot drinking water plus paper towels to wipe down our boats, so we made a last minute dash to the Coulter Bay grocery store for supplies.  Boats have to be inspected for invasive species and we’d done that, but we also needed a separate Grand Teton sticker -- and to get that we needed not just our invasive species sticker (which we had) but the paper work needed to get the invasive species stickers (which we'd left in the rig).  So we had to get the boats inspected a second time and make another dash to Coulter Bay.  Fortunately for us, the Coulter Bay stores are very close to the lake.

By the time we got on the water it was 11 a.m. But it was beautiful and so worth it. 

The boats waiting for us. The weather was great when we put in at 11 a.m.  When we got out at 2:30, it was  pretty threatening with thunder and dark clouds, but the threats were mostly verbal.

That's Jim in the distance.  Jackson Lake is a natural lake enlarged by a dam originally built in 1911.  The lake is fed by the Snake River.

Some sort of water flowers -- we've never seen anything like them.

More water, more mountains. This view was everywhere.

This deer almost doesn't look real, but he was standing along side the road to our campsite.  Every time Jim whistled the buck would look at us and I'd take a photo.

And another campsite neighbor.

Finally on the road: Grand Teton National Park

After three months in Salt Lake City, we finally took off in our motor home on Monday.  Jim outlined the trip since he’s the “big picture guy."  Our first stop was going to be in Victor, Idaho, until the detail person (that's Bev) read that between Victor and Grand Teton National Park, (our next planned stop) was a mountain pass with a 10 percent grade. We probably could have done it. But instead of worrying, we planned a different route and spent last night at Rim Station, a small RV park just north of Pinedale, Wyoming, where I had the nicest RV park welcome I’ve ever had when the manager’s four-year-old grandson greeted me with a big hug.

Today we got up early and drove to the Tetons.  I’ve only been here once before a long, long time ago.  I don’t remember much about the trip except it was Fourth of July weekend and I was tent camping while wearing a down parka. Jim once drove through but has never camped here before.  It’s only a five-hour car drive from Salt Lake, so we must be crazy.

Today's weather was lovely.  We hiked near Jackson Lake, checked out the marina, drove around the other campsites at Coulter Bay Campground where we are staying, and then -- because this is bear country -- reread the directions of the bear spray we always carry with us. It expired in 2011.  Maybe we’ll buy a new can tomorrow.

Jaywalking geese in Jackson, Wyoming (as seen through a very dirty rig window.)

There was a lot of highway construction north of Jackson.  We actually served as the "pilot car" for this long line of vehicles and lead the group to the next stop.

Our first view of the Tetons. Early French explorers named the three largest peaks les trios tétons, or "the three breasts." (Crazy French guys.) The tallest peak rises 13,770 feet.

Shortly before we got to our campsite, we saw our first bison.

Our camping spot at Coulter Bay. We were surprised at how many campsites are empty.

Getting ready for a road trip

Wow.  It's hard to believe (because the time had flown by) but except for a June/July trip to Oregon for Jim and to Ohio for me, we've been home in Salt Lake City since mid May.  That's the longest we've been home since we started full timing three years ago.

We've done a lot:  Spent time with friends (but even then not with everyone we wanted to see); went to Capitol Reef National Park; got to be with our daughter, SIL and our Utah grand children; worked on our yard; got the rig and car in shape, and generally had a great visit home.

But Monday we're headed north and will be posting more regularly.  So check back soon.

Tonight's full moon rising over the Wasatch Mountains.

Raining kittens and puppies

It’s raining like we're somewhere other than Utah.  

Although the mountains get a lot of snow, here in the Salt Lake Valley we average about 16 inches of precipitation a year. In Ohio, where I grew up, and in Oregon where Jim lived for about 30 years, if you plan an outdoor summer event a "Plan B" location is a must, because it just might rain.  

Here you rarely need a Plan B. When it does rain, however, it seems to come down in torrents, causing mini flash floods along street gutters.

Yesterday it started raining hard, then tapered off to a soft rain most of the evening.  Last night it rained softly and it's been raining off and on all day.  More rain is predicted for next week.

Soft, warm rain.  Unusual and kind of nice.

Rain clouds coming over and next to the Wasatch Mountains' Mt. Olympus, as seen from our front yard in Salt Lake City.

Pie and Beer Day

Last night we got back to Salt Lake City, where we have a house. For the last three weeks I've been visiting my Mom in Ohio; I also went to my high school reunion and got to see my son who lives near Cleveland.  While I was in Ohio, Jim took a two-week trip to Oregon and Washington in the motor home (First ever solo trip! Although when you've got the dog, you're never alone) then flew to Ohio and we spent a week there together. 

As we were waiting for our connecting flight from Denver yesterday, our son-in-law texted this photo of our car’s outdoor temperature reading with the message “Welcome Home.” 

If you can't read that, it says "104F." When the plane landed at 8:30 it had cooled off to 102.  Like they say, it’s a dry heat.

Today we are celebrating “Pioneer Day," a state holiday commemorating the arrival of the Mormon pioneers.  As the story goes, on July 24, 1847, Mormon leader Brigham Young (who was ill with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) peeked out of the wagon in which he was riding, got a glimpse of the Salt Lake Valley, and said something along the lines of ‘This is the place.”   

A few years ago I first heard someone jokingly call the celebration “Pie and Beer Day."

Apparently the sloppy enunciation caught on, and along with the official Pioneer Day parade, fireworks, 10K et al, there are several Pie and Beer Day celebrations. The simply named “Beer Bar" -- which is exactly what its name says and is partially owned by the Modern Family Actor Ty Burrell -- is having one, and daughter Ashley took me and the kids to a different Pie and Beer Day party this evening. Ours had key lime pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie, pizza pie, and a variety of home made beer including root beer.

If your relatives didn't push a hand cart across the plains and up and down the mountains, then celebrate Pie and Beer Day.  It's the festivus for the rest of us.