G.A.S.P.

(Great Adventures to Scenic Places)

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July 19, 1999

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I spent the next day exploring Grand Teton National Park. I rode 80 miles, and saw it pretty darn well – from all angles, up close and at some distance. My only regret is that I would like to have spent a little more time at Jenny Lake, one of the beautiful glacier carved lakes right at the base of the mountains. (Photo 117) However, by the time I got there late afternoon, the sky was so dark and the wind was blowing so hard that I was convinced Hurricane Alice was on her way, so I turned tail and hurried back (22 miles) to my campground.

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The Teton Range is the youngest part of the Rocky Mountains and one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world. Interestingly, the core rock of the range is among the oldest on Earth – granite and gneiss from 2.5 billion years ago. The Teton Range began only about nine million years ago when the Earth’s crust fractured along the 40 mile Teton Fault. The west block then lifted over time to become the Teton Range while the east block sunk to become Jackson Hole. This lifting and sinking has happened over the past nine million years as earthquakes have occurred on the fault line. Let’s do math: Grand Teton Mountain is right at 7000’ higher than Jackson Lake (13,770’ versus 6772’). If an average earthquake caused a 10’ change in relative elevation between the two, then it would have taken 700 earthquakes to have reached the current condition. Over nine million years, that’s one earthquake every 12,500 years or so. I conclude it’s safe to go visit this summer.

Just 250,000 years ago, Jackson Hole was covered with over 3000 feet of glacial ice. Local newspapers reported that "only the highest of the Teton Peaks stuck out above the ice." Through erosion, this glacial ice, along with wind and water, has shaped the Teton Peaks into what we see today. The process is ongoing. The range is still rising, the valley is still settling and the forces of erosion are still shaping the mountain tops.

Grand Teton National Park was established by Congress in 1929 and enlarged in 1950 to encompass most of Jackson Hole. In addition to simply gazing at the mountains, visitors can actually climb the mountains (high level skill required, however), hike many trails, raft on the Snake River, fish or boat on Jackson Lake or check out the abundance of wildlife. The National Elk Refuge, where 12 – 15 thousand elk spend their winters, is adjacent to Grand Teton NP. There are also many moose, deer, antelope, bison, mountain goats and sheep. The moose have it much easier here than at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. Reportedly, there are only three wolves in the Park, including a male named Houdini for his miraculous escape from a holding pen at Yellowstone.

Conclusion: Go see these beautiful mountains. Grand Teton National Park may not be a destination in itself for many families, but it’s just an hour drive from Yellowstone, so give it one or two full days while you’re visiting Yellowstone NP next time. You’ll be glad you did.