Day 11 Pinedale to Tetons National Park to Jackson Hole
After a 6 hour nap at the lake, I was ready to head to the first of the national parks along the route. I purchased an annual pass before the trip so I could visit all 3 of them.
Upon first glimpse, the Grand Tetons were awe inspiring. This was my first time seeing the grandeur.
But there was a fly in the ointment. Somewhere between Pinedale and Tetons, my clutch started slipping. I noticed it on the pavement during a transition between dirt tracks. Bummer!!! It wasn't as bad off the pavement, or at least it wasn't as perceptively bad.
The last dirt section after here was a bit gnarly. First, there was the sign that said High Clearance Vehicles and 4X4 recommended and to avoid if muddy. Oh noes, New Mexico flashbacks. The roads so far were dry so I wasn't too concerned. The route turned into a 2 track going up hill and was deeply rutted, with mud in some of the rutts. I tried to stay to the right of the road next to the mountainside but sometimes found myself on the left next to the drop off. Luckily the few muddy patches I went through were regular mud, not New Mexico mud. I got bounced a little close to the edge a couple times but never had any real close calls
Unfortunately, the smoke was really bad and virtually obstructing all the views. Damn California ruins everything
You could barely see the Tetons even when relatively close and could just barely make out some glaciers when the sun glinted off the ice.
From this spot it felt like the base of the mountains were about a half a mile away, but they were almost completely obscured by smoke.
I took the 40 mile scenic loop around the park before heading to Jackson Hole.
I wanted to get a hotel room and some real food and figure out my next steps.
I went to Snake River Brewing and had Bison chili with corn bread and a couple porters. Along the way, I saw a hotel that looks decent called the Anvil and made note of the name so I could call them from the brewery.
When I made my room inquiry, I had some sticker shock at the price. They told me a room would be $250 per night. I was too tired to care or try to find a better deal. I wanted a place to recover and figure out what to do about the rest of my trip.
Mortally injured, and a bit burnt out, this is the only hotel room pic I took
