Biking in the Tetons

This fall has been very mild, so we ventured back to the Tetons last weekend to get in a family bike ride.  It was fun, and the scenery was gorgeous!  We are just getting into the fall colors in town, and we had already missed it in the mountains, but we did see a little in between.  We have too many evergreens to make it truly spectacular, but it's a nice change.

Anyway, we drove in on a Saturday morning and stopped to eat lunch on the patio of the Moose Visitor Center so we could finish listening to the Longhorns victory over Oklahoma! Great start to a great day with that unexpected gem!

Plus, Owen had to prove to a doubting friend that there really is a Mount Owen in the Tetons!  Every time I visit here, I can't help but remember our first trip when Owen stroked the bison fur and sucked his thumb.  :)

All right... Full tummies, a football win, and we're ready for adventure!  We parked at Windy Point and biked all the way to Jenny Lake, which was nearly 6 miles.  Owen did get tired about halfway through, but he was a trooper and made it to the end!  Hadley snoozed in the bike trailer the whole ride.  :)  I think this is the least snow I've seen on these mountains since we've been here.

Once we reached the end of the road at the Jenny Lake parking area, the only way back was on bike.  Daddy took one for the team and biked back to get the truck to pick us up. (Thanks for the pink boots, Aunt Kathy!)

While he was gone, the kids and I did the short hike to Jenny Lake to take in the views, play with sticks, wade in the water, and soak up the sun.

I have to mention that while we were in the middle of a national park with nothing but our bikes and some water bottles, Hadley informed me that she had to poop.  It should also be noted that all of the bathrooms, ranger stations, etc. were already closed up tight for winter.  As I was going over my options and mustering my courage to find some comfortable leaves, a clean tissue blew in on the wind right at our feet.  I kid you not! So, does a bear poop in the woods?  I don't know, but Hadley does!  This picture was taken before the request, but now I think I know what she was thinking about...

Ahem... Once our ride arrived, we sanitized our hands and headed to our hotel in Jackson.  I highly recommend the Parkway Inn, which was tucked away between a mountain and downtown with a city park and playground just across the street.

From there it was a short walk to downtown with all of its eateries and amusements. We love this town!

The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and packed back into the truck for a hike. This hike was in the Rockefeller Preserve, which has a little-known separate entrance into the park. We had forgotten the hiking backpack at home, and it was cooler and windier that morning, but the hike was only 1.4 miles each way, so we had our fingers crossed.

The terrain was varied and the hike was fairly easy, so with a little encouragement Hadley hiked the whole 1.4 miles to the lake.  Lots of pretty scenery to take in, including a deer at close range, and the trail followed this peaceful creek most of the way.  The kids even held hands for a while (see below) totally unprompted!

The hike ended at a pristine mountain lake (Phelps Lake) that was well worth the journey.

All this boy needs for fun is a big stick though!

And this bold, little chipmunk was very hopeful that we'd drop some of our trail mix for him.  Unfortunately for him, we didn't learn from yesterday and packed very light since we didn't have the backpack, leaving our lunch back in the truck. Therefore, every bit of the trail mix was quickly scarfed down by humans.

The loop back was more wooded, and Hadley traveled on Dad's shoulders for about a mile of the return trip.

After a picnic lunch by the truck, it was homeward bound for us!  I think the kids did not sleep well sharing a pull-out couch, because they both zonked on the way home, some more than others.