Its In The Hole

Leaving Yellowstone was tough. The place I had camped was all the way on the north side of the park. It was a far drive down to the southern exit and to Jackson Hole, but it would prove to be worth it. For a park that likes to label and post signs for everything, it really sucks at posting directional signs. Some how I took a wrong turn down a mountain pass and ended up at the 45 parallel (it was labeled with a sign) and entered Montana! At least now I can say I was in Montana even if it was only for a few minutes!  Back tracking would be a bitch, because I would have to drive all the way back up a mountain. Once I found my way and was on the rite path all was worth it. The view from 7000 feet is amazing as you look down into a valley and see a herd of elk below. It can also be a bit nerve racking in the same sense. The unforgiving mountain passes, that just a twist of the wheel could send you hurtling down the side to your doom. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times that happens to people?  It would be easy to be distracted by the beauty and find your self traveling over the side.

I officially saw most of what’s on the path at Yellowstone, and admired her beauty as much as I could. After a wile it gets a little repetitive. Stop, get out of car, look at bubbling stuff, take picture, get back in car and repeat. Still it is some very cool looking bubbling stuff and worth the effort. I figured I had seen all there was to see and couldn’t bare the thought of another night in the unforgiving cold spent in my casa de Ford, and took for the main pass to Jackson.

Leaving Yellowstone through the south revealed the scars from a blaze that ravaged this park not to long ago. The landscape looked as if someone had emptied out a box of tooth picks be the sight the millions of fallen trees scattered about the land.  

Down into the valley I forged passing into Grand Teton neighborhood. Let me just say this majestic mountain range was something to see. I was taken away by there picturesque formation. It was like something you would see in a movie. You could even make out the giant glaciers that loomed on the mountain top. As I made my way down the road, I couldn’t help but stop at every junction that offered an ever increasing and better view of the mountain rang. Truly a site that will stay with me forever! I met a couple one of the junctions that coincidentally had sat near me, just two days before at Old Faithful. I recognized them from their hippy inspired attire. We exchanged a few words on our travels and offered to take one another’s pictures standing in front of the mountains. It seems the friendlier I try to become on this trip, the more awkward I am.

Onward down the road I traveled in search of Jackson Hole, but the whole time (pun intended) I was looking for it I couldn’t find it on any map, or any signs directing me to where it was. I was perplexed, I found the Jackson Hole airport, and golf club, but the only city listed on my map was Jackson? I thought perhaps I had a bad map and this was going to be one of those towns so small it doesn’t reserve the right to be on map, I had passed through many similar towns on my way thus far. I knew it must be around here somewhere, but where? Debating over weather of not I was going the right way, I finally pulled over at a visitor center in Jackson and asked. Boy did I feel stupid, turns out Jackson, is Jackson Hole, named after this Jackson guy that used to hunt in the valley at the base of the Teton’s, known as “The Hole.” The guy at the help desk was very….….helpful in explaining this and told me it was a common question. So when you’re in Jackson, you’re in “The Hole,” but when you’re in “The Hole,” you’re not in Jackson.