Day Fourteen – Fencing

Spent a good part of today as middle-schoolers joking about horny French trappers and the etymology of “The Tetons”. And I mean all of us. It’s that part of the trip.

Our giggling safari crew had but a single destination today: Jenny Lake, the stunning thank you card the glaciers left at the foot of the range give-or-take 10,000 years ago. Ludicrously photogenic. We hiked a bit but mostly just frolicked at the lakeside. At one point I practiced steep slope bailout procedures with a makeshift Runaway Dad Ramp. I also learned about the concept of Frost Heaves. It was a fulfilling morning to say the least.

Our departure from the park was an extended search for the location of this photo, taken in 1978 on one of our motorhome trips of yore. (Those few of you who have followed this travelogue from the start know this search has been an ongoing sidequest.) Problem is that of the two defining features in this photo only one is basically immutable. The park service began removing and/or replacing the buck rail fencing about a decade ago. We think we found the place — or at least very near it. Whether this is the actual fence is up for debate. My sis and I are calling this mission accomplished. Thanks for the little game all these decades later, dad!

We spent the afternoon in a bustling Jackson, WY, a delightful mountain town that exists somewhere on the spectrum of tastefulness between Deadwood and Aspen. Not too cheesy, not too pretentious. Just go easy on the Huckleberry products and don’t Zillow any home. Mostly I was reminded that I’d like to return for dedicated fly fishing and ski trips here.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the trusty camper trailer sits forlorn and unused on its RV hookup pad at the cabin resort. Seems like years ago that we crammed ourselves into it. I should probably empty the septic tanks. She’s got one last run in her, of course, but that’s a few days from now.

Attempted some amateur astronomy with the ‘scope I hauled all the way out here. Good skies except for the waxing gibbous moon that shines like a flashlight, blotting out the good stuff. Hoping for better viewing conditions in a few days.

Next up: a college reunion.