The history of how Grand Tetons became a national park is quite interesting. After Yellowstone was created in 1879, there were many efforts to either add to it, or create a separate park. These were all defeated in congress however, due to local opposition. At that time the locals just could not see the benefits of another park. From 1897 to 1929 there were many who stood up for park protection but the real hero was John D. Rockefeller Jr. He quietly purchased 35,000 acres of land for park use. It was not until 1950 that the land was finally added to the park as we know it today.
Today we decide to take it easy so we drive up to the top of Signal Mountain which is about eight miles from here. It’s a nice drive through alpine forests and once at the top you can see the whole Jackson Hole area. The geological forces that created the landscape are readily visible from here – you can see kettles, moraines, glacial melts, etc. Elevation at the top is about 7600 feet. We chatted with some hikers who came up the hard way – offered them a ride down but they declined! The name of Signal Mountain comes from a rescue effort back in the late 1800’s when a search party went looking for a well known explorer only to find him dead. They lit a fire at the top of this mountain to signal that the search was over…
We had lunch back at the campground as the leftovers are starting to stack up! Hey we are finally starting to get the hang of this RV thing! Lights still don’t work very well in the dark, but we are usually too tired to do much anyway since it gets dark at 10 pm. The place is incredibly quiet at night too – I guess everyone else is tired too.
In the PM, Sharon and I take a hike down to Swan Lake which is just a couple of miles from the camp. To our surprise the late is at least half covered with pond lilies. This is completely different than the other lakes around here! It’s a nice walk for just the two of us and we stop on the way back to ponder the rocks at Jackson Lake.
We picked up some local brews at the camp store on the way back. There is quiet a bit of good beer here, although it is spendy due to the transport costs. One interesting thing we have learned is that nearly all the seasonal employees here at GT operations are retired folks who work here for the season. We chatted with one of the camp hosts and he was telling us all about it. The work about 5 months here and come from all over, as we discovered by reading their name tags. Seems like a great way to travel and have fun in the parks!
For our last night here we decide to go out for dinner at the Signal Mountain Lodge. This lodge was established in the late 1920’s to provide Jackson Lake accommodations for wealthy fishermen. Now it is one of many historical destinations in the park and is moderately priced for rooms. The eatery is nice as well with a great view of Jackson Lake and the Teton range. I have an elk chili burger for my big meal – quiet tasty! The boys are real tired after this day, so they and I hang out at the campsite while Gene, Judy, and Sharon go to the ranger program.
Well, tomorrow we pack up and move it out – seems like we just got here!
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