After Bechler falls we headed south (maybe south east) towards Driggs ID. Why you could rightfully ask!. Renee had heard there was a decent restaurant at the airport (I am always a sucker for a $100 hamburger) and a chance to see some WW2 vintage aircraft. The airport is remarkably big and busy with big hangars and good facilities including a 7000 ft runway. Someone explained that it is a less expensive alternaitve to Jackson WY (Jackson Hole) on the other side of the range.
Lunch was excellent and there were 4 or 5 airplanes of interest so the trip was a success.
To get there we traveled through wheat and barley fields on grid roads that ran 180 degrees and either 90 or 270 degrees down to a highway and on to Driggs. I saw a sign for Kaufman Tire in Driggs. My son Alistair works for a Kauffman Tire Co in Atlanta. Not the same outfit in any way but worth a photo to generate comment!.
I am not sure what defines remote and compared to some places like the Dakotas but it is a long way from a big town. Driggs is on the western side of the Grand Tetons and in this pleasant agricultural valley.
The drive from Driggs and Victor is up across a pass that is steep and short (in western terms). Numerous warnings about hot brakes on trucks, and the consequences are dire. The truck runaway ramps are a LONG way away and you just do not want to do that.
Jackson is a nice town I am sure , but is crowded and full of the sort of people I do not like and I am sure they would rather I moved on as quickly as possible. The Grand Teton (AKA The large boobs) National Park is to the north and adjacent to Yellowstone. It is just north of the Jackson Hole Airport that looks like it would have a challenging and interesting approach, although not as much as Lukla in Nepal or Courcevel in France. (both are still on my list to experience)
Grand Teton Park is not as extensive as Yellowstone, but the sights are majestic (the eternal search for superlatives!).
The highest peak is 13,770 ft and that puts it approx 6450 ft ft above the valley where I was taking the photos. There is still some snow in the very protected areas of the mountain. I wonder if you looked at photos from say the '60s whether you would see more snow, and maybe some visual evidence of global warming. Just a thought.
We looped around on a short road that took us to Jenny Lake in the park and it provided some great views as well.
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| Last view of the Grand Tetons from the north end across the Jackson Lake |
The road north is a 2 lane road and the strictly enforced speed limit in National Parks is 45mph. There is a short gap between the parks, but it is a part of a National Forest.
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| Renee and me at the WY entrance. Photo courtesy of a couple from Virginia. |
We re-entered Yellowstone, this time from the Wyoming side and headed up past Lewis Lake (after the Lewis and Clark expedition member) and the edge of Yellowstone Lakethe largest in the park.
On this road you will cross the Continental Divide three times, once at 7988 ft (2435m) once at 8391 ft (2558m) and again at 8262 ft (2518m). At some point (and I am not certain where) we came across temporary signs that stated "No Stopping for next mile" and of course around the curve there were cars stopped, some in the middle of the road.
There was a lot of animal activity, but the star of the show was a wolf who was wading around in the river. He was on his own and probably a couple of hundred yards away.
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| Looks almost like a bear. He was wearing a tracking collar (Renee's photo) |
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| Headed up the creek (Renee's photo) |
We saw other animals, particularly some bison that were wandering along the roadside at dusk. Not an encounter you want to have with a vehicle as they are LARGE.
The final event of the day was my joining the CDPC. For the Caterpillar folks who are reading, no this is not some random distribution center (in the Cat sense anyway) but the Continental Divide Peeing Club. Started by Renee a couple of months ago and I became the second member (as it were!) at the 8262 ft location.
Clearly the photos is an "after" shot as I look distinctly relaxed!
We drove out of the park around 9pm and had been through entrances to the park in all three states. I suspect few know of the entrance from Idaho.
We reckon that we drove around 350 miles that day. It was tiring but totally worth it and we gained a day to visit "The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" That will be the next post.
I am hoping to get current over this glorious Labor Day weekend.
