Jackson and the Tetons

In the morning when we woke up in Livingston, Montana we were excited to see if we had caught the intruder that was living in our van. We rushed out to the car like children on Christmas morning. As I slowly opened the back door Kristen peered inside...nothing. All of the bait had been taken, but none of the traps had gone off. This was a blow to our already floundering spirit. Without taking too much time to think on it we hit the local market for supplies and headed on down the road.

We drove I90 across to Bozeman, Montana and then headed south towards the west entrance of Yellowstone and the Tetons. The drive was spectacular again. We went through some short passes and some high plains. We drove by Big Sky ski resort, my buddy Matt's old stomping grounds. We entered Idaho for a short time and then we turned east and headed towards the Teton pass. As we approached the signs for the pass Kristen commented on the one that displayed a 10% grade symbol. At this point I had her pull over and I took the wheel. We hadn't been down anything steep since Rushmore, and even though the brakes were deemed fine I didn't want to find out the hard way.

We went up and up and up, the van was in second gear most of the way. Although laboring heavily it didn't miss a beat and got us all the way to the top without worry. As we eased into the downhill it felt like we were starting down the tracks on a roller coaster. Even in third gear (which is about 25 mph in the van) it was apparent that we were going to be out of control. The brakes had already returned to their noise making, although not nearly as much vibration was coming from them. I eased the van into second and slowed even more, the brakes moaned in protest. As we were coming to the first turn out I swung off the road and could barely get the rig stopped. This was obviously a bad idea coming this way but at this point it was either up or down, and down eventually. So with no other options I put the van in first gear and drove down the next 3 miles at 5 mph. The brakes were effective at this speed, thank god, and we got down safely into the town of Jackson, Wyoming. That, unfortunately, will be the last big pass we see on the trip. I believe the van's brakes are not adequate to tow a load down this kind of grade, even the small load we have. So from now on we will find our way around the high passes.

Jackson is a busling little western town with a good vibe and endless things to do. Sitting on the edge of the Tetons and at the bottom of the local ski resort, it has everything that two adventure seekers could want. We quickly found the Jackson Hole Lodge with room rates of $55 / night. Parking the van and heading in we found our room to be small, comfortable and very cozy. Kristen grabbed onto the bed and told me that she wasn't leaving...ever. After unpacking we once again set the traps in the van. With some luck we would be able to sleep there again in the future. We walked from our room, into town and down to the local brewery. Probably my favorite meal since we got on the road and the beer was excellent and plentiful. After the brewery we were a five minute walk back to the hotel room.

The next morning I could not contain my excitement. I wanted to know if the mouse was taken care of, or if we needed to seek another method of removal. I had to wait for Kristen to get out of bed, make coffee and go through her morning routine. I was practically jumping to get out of the room. We had decided to stay a second night in Jackson because we like it so much and Kris went around to pay. I backed the trailer into a spot where we would leave it for the day while we explored the Tetons. After I dropped the trailer I pulled forward to open the rear hatch. Kris and I stood there not knowing what to expect. I slowly lifted the rear hatch and saw Kristen's face twist in disgust, that must be a good sign. Opening the hatch fully I noticed the object of my hatred for the past three days. He was a tiny white mouse, and he had eaten through two of the baits, but on the third trap he got what he deserved. Don't get me wrong, I hate killing things, but the van isn't big enough to share with a mouse. I quickly disposed of the body and we celebrated our victory with a cup of coffee.

We headed down the road and got some pics of the elk antler arches that can be found throughout Jackson. Then we headed towards the towering cliffs that were the Grand Tetons. About five miles down the road we stopped into visitors center. The place must have been brand new and was by far the nicest of its kind I've ever seen. The beams and supports were hewn from gigantic logs and connected by huge steel bolts. The wood and steel seemed to form a union of sorts that made the eye think they were created as one. One entire wall of the building was giant glass panes that looked out on the Tetons. In the far corner of the building was a display dedicated to the history of mounaineering in the Tetons. It displayed climbing artifacts from the late 1800s. One of my favorites were the K2 skis used on the first descent of one of the Tetons in 1979 along with the "ultralight" poles.

Kristen got some info on the road closures from the local ranger and we headed out. It would not be an adventurous trip. Everything in the Tetons was either covered in snow and ice or covered in mud. The ranger told us that if we wanted to hike we were SOL unless we wanted to deal with the snow and I wasn't about to go up high in the Tetons without knowing the area at all. These mountains are serious, and we would be crazy to think it a good idea to be in them while the snow is still in. We settled for driving what roads were open this early in the year and we did get to take a small walk down a dirt road which lead to the river. On the drive we did see a moose, an average size cow, but a moose. Mostly the drive was dominated by views of the Tetons.

After driving everything that was open we headed back into town and went for a bike ride around town. I can't say enough that this town is really a great little place and I think that it would be a great place to visit for pretty much anyone. After the bike ride we had a soak in the hot tub. We headed out to have some mexican for dinner and then we came back to the room and rested up for the remainder of the journey.

Three nights in hotels has me ready to get back out there, especially now that the van is clear of rodents.

It is Tuesday morning at 9:15 and Kristen has just crawled out of bed. We are heading to Idaho city and possibly to the Craters of the Moon National Monument today. After that we don't know, but I'll keep you guys posted.

Hope all is well. BTW I haven't been able to find my phone for a few days, so that is why I'm not answering. It is in the van somewhere, I'll find it today.