2014-22 Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming & Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Idaho
Hello All,
After spending four days exploring Yellowstone National Park we followed the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway into the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The late conservationist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. made significant contributions to several national parks including Grand Teton, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, and Virgin Islands. In 1972 Congress dedicated a 24,000-acre parcel of land as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway to recognize his generosity and foresight.
Grand Teton National Park offers hiking, camping, climbing, boating, kayaking, and numerous photography opportunities. These photography opportunities are what have drawn us back to the park numerous times. A road winds through the park, but the best way to experience the park is to take short hikes on its many trails.
We didn’t plan on spending time in the park other than the day’s drive through it. We stopped here and there checking out various sites and taking advantage of photo opportunities.
This evergreen tree was unlike any we have come across in our travels. It caught our eye and we had to photograph it. It was most unusual to say the least!
After spending four days exploring Yellowstone National Park we followed the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway into the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The late conservationist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. made significant contributions to several national parks including Grand Teton, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, and Virgin Islands. In 1972 Congress dedicated a 24,000-acre parcel of land as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway to recognize his generosity and foresight.
Grand Teton National Park offers hiking, camping, climbing, boating, kayaking, and numerous photography opportunities. These photography opportunities are what have drawn us back to the park numerous times. A road winds through the park, but the best way to experience the park is to take short hikes on its many trails.
We didn’t plan on spending time in the park other than the day’s drive through it. We stopped here and there checking out various sites and taking advantage of photo opportunities.
This evergreen tree was unlike any we have come across in our travels. It caught our eye and we had to photograph it. It was most unusual to say the least!
Heck, it even had a hole in one of the main branches! You just never know what Mother Nature is going to come up with!
Jenny Lake is a spot we always try to visit when visiting Grand Teton National Park. It is a wonderful place to snap a few photos. Looking across the lake with the rugged Teton Range in the background is pretty awesome.
Here is a shot of Sir Richard and Lady Carrie that were riding along with us on this adventure. For those of you that don’t know them already, they are Miss Barb’s sister and brother-in-law.
After touring Grand Teton we dropped down into Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the ladies did a bit of shopping. The town displays a western facade and is a popular tourist destination throughout the year. The nearby national parks are the summer draw, while skiing is king during winter months.
Lovely baskets of petunias were in bloom. These fragrant flowers are wonderful for the senses.
A highlight of Jackson Hole is George Washington Memorial Park. More generally known as "Town Square," the park is notable for its elk-antler arches at each corner of the park. Antlers are collected from the nearby National Elk Refuge by Boy Scouts and periodically rebuilt. We would like to have a dollar for every photo that has been taken of the arches since the first was incepted in 1953.
After spending the night in Idaho Falls, Idaho, we continued our trek west towards Craters of the Moon National Monument. Arriving in Arco, Idaho, at midday we stopped for a bit of lunch at Pickles Place--a well known eating establishment in this little town. They’re known for their great cheeseburgers. Here’s a shot of Sir Richard and Lady Carrie on their throne—well maybe that’s just a giant rocking chair!
We find Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, in south central Idaho, to be a unique destination. We know of no other place quite like it. While there are numerous lava flows throughout the world, none compare with it. At Craters of the Moon there is a vast ocean of lava with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. You won’t see volcanic mountains here that are typically associated with lava flows. These lava flows formed during eight major eruptive periods between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago. Lava erupted from the Great Rift, a series of deep cracks that stretch for 52 miles. During this time the lava field grew to cover 618 square miles.
Over the past 30 million years, this region has experienced extensive stretching of the earth’s crust. On the Eastern Snake River Plain, rather than producing mountain ranges, these tensional forces have triggered volcanic activity. The stretching of the crust releases pressure on the hot rocks below causing them to melt. The magma can then travel to the surface along the planes of weakness of the Great Rift. As long as these forces continue to act, more eruptions will eventually occur. The time between eruptive periods in the Craters of the Moon Lava Field averages 2,000 years and it has been more than 2,000 years since the last eruption. Hope we are around to photograph the next series of eruptions—they better hurry up!
Driving the roads through the lava flows introduces you to this harsh landscape. Summer weather brings sizzling heat with little rain. Temperature on the black ground can reach 150F. Winter brings cold and snow. Strong wind blows year around.
Over the past 30 million years, this region has experienced extensive stretching of the earth’s crust. On the Eastern Snake River Plain, rather than producing mountain ranges, these tensional forces have triggered volcanic activity. The stretching of the crust releases pressure on the hot rocks below causing them to melt. The magma can then travel to the surface along the planes of weakness of the Great Rift. As long as these forces continue to act, more eruptions will eventually occur. The time between eruptive periods in the Craters of the Moon Lava Field averages 2,000 years and it has been more than 2,000 years since the last eruption. Hope we are around to photograph the next series of eruptions—they better hurry up!
Driving the roads through the lava flows introduces you to this harsh landscape. Summer weather brings sizzling heat with little rain. Temperature on the black ground can reach 150F. Winter brings cold and snow. Strong wind blows year around.
The National Park Service has done a wonderful job of building roads in this rugged terrain.
In some areas there are single lane one-way roads that loop through areas of interest.
They have also constructed many paved trails. A hat, sun glasses, and bottled water are highly recommended when hiking the longer trails.
Lava flows are unbelievably rugged with many perils for hikers. To get across the lava flow in the following photo to the mountain in the background would take many weeks by an experienced hiker.
Flows can be anything from jagged, crumbly, sharp, smooth, and fine and a hundred other adjectives. Some lava is rock hard while other areas will crumble under your feet. Should you fall while walking on it you are going to get hurt. At a minimum a few scraps and cuts--at worst broken bones.
Lava tubes are also contained within the flows. Some lava tubes are large, extending for miles, while others are quite small. There are trails down into some of the larger tubes. Here is a shot of a very small tube opening.
There are a number of cinder cones within the monument where you can hike to the top for a panoramic view.
Plants that grow on volcanic cinders triumph over adversity. They earned their winning edge by adapting to these harsh conditions. A good example is the dwarf buckwheat in the following photo. Each of the small plants is attached to a root system that can be over three feet in diameter. Mother Nature has regularly spaced the plants for efficiently tapping available water.
Dwarf buckwheat leaves are white for a reason. They reflect rather than absorb most of the sun’s rays.
Another jewel of adaptation on the lava flows is the limber pine. Its flexible branches move and twist with the wind instead of fighting it. Some old trees are gnarled and twisted—but very much alive.
Those that have succumbed mark the landscapes. Blooming sagebrush adds a bit of color to the bleak environment.
Looking like miniature volcanoes these splatter cones were actually formed when blobs of molten lava were lobbed into the air during the last gasp of an eruption sequence.
Within the lava field the park service has constructed a campground that will accommodate tents and large or small recreation vehicles. With water and electricity available on the sites it would be an awesome place to stay for a couple of days while exploring the monument.
Our next adventure will take us to jail—well sort of. We will be visiting the Old Idaho Penitentiary that was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870. Hope you will consider joining us for some “hard time” at this historic site.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns