SD/ND/MT/WY Tuesday June 18, 2019

This morning we had breakfast in the room.  Nick got us coffee from the restaurant because our cabin has no fridge, microwave, coffee maker, blow dryer or anything.  The coffee was great.  Then we hit the road for a long hike around Jenny Lake.  

Nick had read to go counterclockwise.  It was a beautiful hike and about half way around we came upon a full-grown moose 20 feet away just minding his own business and eating bushes.  It was spectacular – the highlight of the trip.  

We hiked around to hidden falls – they were beautiful, then up a very steep little spot to Inspiration Point where we had a trail lunch and a beautiful view.  

We got back to our parking spot about four hours and 8.2 miles later.  It was a great hike and Jenny Lake is very pretty.

 

We drove back up towards our cabin and stopped at the Signal Mountain Lodge for some snacks and a drink on the outdoor patio of the restaurant in the lodge and it was so beautiful.  We had a fun time.  Ryan and I each got hats in the gift shop – Ryan a beanie and I a ball cap. 

Then we drove back to Colter’s Bay (where our cabin is) and went into the Visitor Center/Ranger Station and went on a free-for-all since it was our 40^th national park.  

Ryan got a stuffed moose and Grant got a stuffed fox (which made no sense to me whatsoever) and we got a Christmas ornament of a moose. 

We swung back into the general store to get a few things for dinner then Ry and I went over to the adjoining gift shop and Grant headed to the car.  As we approached, he showed me a picture of a fox he’d just seen running down the middle of the parking lot.  He told me that we he saw it, all he was thinking was, “Holy S.  That’s a fox and Mom’s going down for giving me grief about buying a stuffed fox.”  So he named it Karma.  Ryan named her Moose Nose. 

We went back to the room and went into the adjoining lounge and the kids played on their phones while I researched hikes.  An old lady was giving a talk about the park and we learned that our cabin had been built in the 1930s and had been the dining room on a ranch down the road.

We ate dinner in the room then went on a long drive to see if we could spot any wildlife.  The first thing we saw was a marmot/gopher.  Not exactly sure but I think it was a Marmot. 

Then we drove onto a dirt road and spotted a black bear cub.  I got a pretty crappy picture of him because he ran off but we could at least check it off our list.  WE SAW A BEAR.

Now it’s time for bed.