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Grand Tetons

NPS photo snowy Tetons:

2007 misty clouds and tetons: Cathedral group big NPS photo:

landstat Grand Teton park 280 pixls: tetons geology image archive Winona:

Tetons NPS photo:

Teton range above sagebrush flats:

The photos above (4th is a landstat image, 1st, 3rd, 5th courtesy of NPS), give you an idea of why the Tetons are so majestic and awe-inspiring. And why the word magnificent is used so much to describe them.

Sailboat photo below © E J Peiker http://www.ejphoto.com/grand_teton_page.htm

Note the size of a sailboat's sails (with sunset color) and Jeep on the road in relation to the peaks:

e j peiker photo sailing at sunset on Jackson Lake.: Jeep and tetons:

Unlike most mountain ranges, which have foothills, the 40 mile long Grand Tetons are fronted by vast expanses of land then the mountains abruptly rise 3,000 to more than 7,000 feet above the 6,500 to 6,800 feet elevation plain. They are rugged and craggy with some snow and over a dozen glaciers and perennial ice fields on top year 'round. There are eight peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation. The highest peaks are: Grand Teton (13,770 feet), Mount Owen (12,928 feet), Middle Teton (12,804 feet) and Mount Moran, at the center of the photo below, (12,605 or 12,594 feet, depending on the source).

For a close-to-home comparison, De Anza College sits at 274 feet elevation. Montebello Ridge above us is at 1,800 to 2,400 feet. Castle Rock Ridge above Saratoga runs at about 2,800 to 2,500 feet with Summit Rock and Castle Rock at 3,076 and 3,214 feet above sea level.

Lakes:

paddler and pink sunrise grand tetons:

The edge of the Tetons are dotted with lakes: intimate-easy-to-swim-across-sized like ten feet deep String Lake, mid-sized lakes like Jenny Lake, (2 miles by 1 1/4 mile, 226 feet deep), or massive lakes like Jackson Lake, almost 14 miles long, 445 feet deep. Along the base of the range there are 7 moranial lakes. Among the peaks and canyons there are over 100 alpine and backcountry lakes. Almost all the lakes do not allow motorboats and jet skis are not allowed on any park waters.

Below, a photo of a visitor center raised relief map. Jackson lake is the biggest one, with Jenny Lake and Leigh Lake to the upper left of it.

all ofJackson Lake raised relief map:

The next De Anza Outdoor Club trip to Grand Teton National Park is planned for September 6 or 7 to 13 or 14, 2008.

Participants can stay for a shorter, longer or much longer trip. Often people go to Yellowstone National Park, just north of Grand Teton, as well. Some couples/groups have visited many states on the way to or from the trip.

Where you stay, (camp, cabin, or even a hotel suite)

how you get to the Tetons, (fly, drive by yourself or in a small or huge carpool)

meals, (cookout, restaurant)

etc. are up to individuals on the trip, but each of these is usually coordinated somewhat with most of the group staying at the same place and a few meals, or some years, most meals, taken as a small or large group at a restaurant or as a cookout.

Our plans include:

(people can join us for just one planned activity, or if they have the time, everything we do)

    We will have five, six or seven official kayaking or canoeing mornings/days suitable for beginners. If we can't transport the kayaks your trip fee will not cover rentals for that many days.

    We plan to do a short to quite long (your choice of distance, with or without a Ranger Naturalist), hike into Cascade Canyon.

    People usually do some sightseeing together.

    We often get a wilderness permit for an optional kayaking overnight camp. 2008, limited to 12 people by the size of the permit and the number of kayaks we think we will be able to bring. If we can't transport the kayaks your trip fee will not cover rentals.

    Many people on the trip work towards getting their park Young Naturalist certification and go to Ranger programs together.

Signal Mountain Lodge sailboat photo used with permission:

    We might take a short excursion on a sailboat on Jackson Lake, subject to availability, date and time to be decided when we know who/when is going. (If we use a guided tour, limited to the first 5 students signed up; if we can transport a sailboat from home, limited to 6 people at a time.)

moose and mom 6:

    A previous trip participant wrote:

    "Thank you for the entire Teton trip. I have never done so many activities in such a short amount of time in my life."

Even on a short trip you can expect to see moose, elk and bison. Fall trips have more chances to see animals than in the summer. The moose calves will be about 2 1/2 months old, the elk calves about 3 to 3 1/2 months old and the cows (mothers) will not be hiding them as much. It will be elk mating season and the bulls will be bugling and gathering harems.

canoeists see moose on island: young male moose browsing 2004:

early morning small elk herd 2007 tetons:

If you are lucky and spend enough time in the park you may see Bald Eagles, otters, grizzlies and see or at least hear coyotes and wolves. More details about flora and fauna are below.

The club has previously gone in September 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and June 2003.

De Anza owns ten tandem (two-person) kayaks. These are not the kind of kayaks with spray skirts that your legs are stuck in, they are more like small canoes. The total number of people who can sign up for this trip and expect to kayak regularly is 20 unless we take turns or rent extra boats. The club owns three sit-on-top ocean kayaks so if someone were really brave and had a wetsuit, they might get by, but those of us on the trip in previous fall trips wouldn't try it.

Some could bring their own craft. (The club would like students who will bring their own craft to sign up with us and do proper Risk Management paperwork even though they are not using De Anza owned kayaks. There are how-to pictures at: loading a kayak on a car.)

Club members worked fundraising to subsidize this huge adventure. If all goes as planned, the kayaks and gear will be transported to the park and the club will pay the park boating permit fees. (2007 canoe or kayak rentals were $50 for 24 hours, or as much as $13 an hour. If we kayak only part of four days we save $200 per boat.)

Our typical day

with an early morning kayak starts by getting up early enough to really see lots of animals. By the afternoon moose and elk are usually napping somewhere cool and hidden. Getting up early can be 5 a.m. or even earlier if we want to see the sunrise. We eat a little (juice, power bar, fruit), get coffee into people who can't function without it and try be on the road quickly, getting to

NPS photo oxbow bend: 2005 mist sunrise oxbow bend kayak100 pixels:

Oxbow Bend and launching shortly after, often paddling into the mist. We spend so much time out watching ducks, birds and animals we usually miss the last of breakfast seatings at the fancy buffet at Jackson Lake Lodge (until 9:30) and end up eating at the Colter Bay Chuck Wagon, or missing breakfast altogether. Then we finally get a shower and sometimes a nap to make up for lack of sleep the night before, or we start on mid-day activities.

If you want to go kayaking or canoeing with us on this trip you MUST read Grand Tetons kayaking. The page has lots of pictures of the animals we can expect to see.

Mid-day

GRTE ranger hike NPS photo: it's Ranger walks, museums, hikes (we will skip the early morning kayaking on the day of the all day Cascade Canyon hike), other driving and/or kayak tours. We usually plan to bring trail snacks/picnic food rather than take the time to go to restaurants, but the take-out window at Jackson Lake Lodge sometimes has burgers that call to people.

Each year people have planned time to make a half day or longer caravan trip around the main park loop road for general sightseeing. Pictures and info about visitor centers, Cunningham Cabin, Menor's Ferry, Chapel of the Transfiguration, Cascade Canyon, Signal Mountain summit road, Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum, and Morman Row are at: Grand Tetons sightseeing The page has a link to details about Cascade Canyon, our intended all day hike, the date of which will be chosen when we know who is coming and when.

GRTE floattrip NPS photo: Horseback by GTL company: NPS photo horseback ride:

Parts of previous groups have gone bike riding, driven a four-wheel drive road (one of which we named "we're gonna bottom out road"), whitewater rafting or horseback riding, but these are not official college events. There's a nearby stable (at Jackson Lake Lodge, the stable at Colter Bay closes before we get there on our fall trips) with various lengths of guided horseback trail rides and some people try a commercial river float trip. See also: Grand Tetons whitewater rafting.

Grand Tetons biking has rules, advice and suggested routes in and out of the park for mountain and road bikes. It includes warnings and statistics about cyclist (or trail runners) encounters with grizzly bears.

Get your fishing license at the Wyoming State Information Center as you drive through Jackson Hole, Wyoming on the way to the park.

We sometimes end the day with a fancy or simple restaurant dinner, or burgers or cook-out at the picnic area at the beach down the road from the cabins most of us stay at, or a sunset dinner at Lunch Tree Hill or ...

Most meals on these trips have been picnic or cookouts, but on each trip most people have eaten out at least a breakfast and a dinner. Restaurants in Grand Teton National Park are non-smoking, most others in Wyoming and Montana allow smoking. There are dozens of restaurants in the town of Jackson. They vary from burgers, Chinese, Mexican, sushi, pasta, Italian, steakhouse to four-stars with "an award-winning wine list". Most lean towards family or casual atmosphere. The drive from Colter Bay to the edge of Jackson is about 42 miles. A climbing school warns its customers: "It is very important that you arrive on time, so please allow enough time for travel from wherever you are staying. Speed limits in the Park are low to protect wildlife and visitors, and rangers ticket offenders regularly. We want your entire experience here to be positive, so please do not speed."

See: Grand Tetons restaurants

The photo below shows only part of Jackson Lake. The main Jackson Lake Lodge building is the tan rectangle at the top of the section of forest at the bottom of the picture, with the hotel cottages, parking lots and swimming pools below it. Lunch Tree Hill rises to the right just above the forested area. We've watched most sunsets (occasionally with thunderstorms and rainbows) from Lunch Tree Hill.

When we have sunset dinners there we've had the top of Lunch Tree Hill almost to ourselves, most of the tourists being crowded on the back deck of the lodge. Pilgrim Creek, Third Creek and Second Creek flow through the broad expanse of Willow Flats, (the center third of the photo) an extensive freshwater marsh with streams dammed by beavers. We've always seen elk and moose with our binoculars and telephotos. Mount Moran is the peak to the right. It's not the highest peak, it just looks like it in this picture. Colter Bay, where most of us have stayed previously on this trip, is just out of the photo to the right.

aerial photo of Jackson Lake Lodge:

Photographers should remember that the maximum intensity of sunset colors is often a while after the sun sets, so bring warm clothes/rain gear and stick around even if the weather is interesting. (We have never had a mediocre sunset, and no, these photos were not touched up, the colors really were that brilliant.)

sunset lunch tree hill Grand Tetons: lt hill rainbow:

Teton brilliant sunset: Lunch Tree Hill sunset dinner:

2004 sunset two lunch tree hill: 2004 sunset one Lunch Tree Hill:

tetons sunset 2007 with beams thru clouds: lunch tree hill sunset 2005 mt moran:

moonset over the tetons 2007 as steady as I could get it:

More potential activities:

Yellowstone National Park, with Old Faithful Geyser, is just north of Grand Teton National Park.

Since your trip can start and end when people traveling together mutually want it to, you could add in an overnight visit in Yellowstone before or after our official trip. Info about the hotels and cabins in Yellowstone is at: http://www.ynp-lodges.com/

Most previous trip members have at least done a one or two day sightseeing drive into Yellowstone. The south border of Yellowstone is only 8 miles from the north border of Grand Teton. It's 56 miles from Colter Bay to Old Faithful. (Old Faithful erupts about every hour to an hour and a half.) I put lots of links to Yellowstone info at Yellowstone, including a link to a mini-video of an elk redoing the paint job on a Cadillac that you should watch.

NPS photo of an elk ramming a car:

Don't be one of the people who puts their fingers in the boiling pools in Yellowstone to see if the water really is that hot.

Every year people are badly burned when they fall into thermal features in Yellowstone. Most of this is due to not staying on the boardwalks, or playing/running on the board walks. A park news release said: "Yellowstone park visitors are reminded that for their own safety it is important to stay on boardwalks and designated trails while viewing all thermal features in the park. Scalding water underlies thin, breakable crusts; many geyser eruptions are unpredictable, and many thermal features are near or above boiling temperatures. Boardwalks and trails help protect park visitors and prevent damage to delicate formations."

read details at: fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering

NPS photo teton crest backpack: GRTEtcmeadow NPS photo:

Backpacking will not be an official part of this trip, but you could get a permit for a backpack adventure if you plan ahead and bring appropriate gear. A few details about permits, etc. are at Grand Tetons backpacking.

Tempted to climb a peak or two? Mountain climbing is not an official part of the trip, but here are a couple of links:

Commercial Climbing Guides

Exum Mountain Guides (307) 733-2297 http://www.exumguides.com/

Jackson Hole Mountain Guides (307) 733-4979 http://www.jhmg.com/

Even if you have no interest in climbing, check out the spectacular 360 degree view from the summit of the Middle Teton:

http://www.virtualjacksonhole.com/SceneViewer.aspx?VRLN=middle_teton_summit

Each of the local climbing guide companies will require that you do a lesson or two with them before any peak bagging to prove that you are capable. They also give advice, for example about the Grand Teton climb:

"Climbers should be in good physical condition before attempting this climb. We recommend scheduling some days of hiking in the Tetons to acclimate to the altitude. You may take the schools and make the climb on consecutive days, or even better, insert a day after the schools to rest and hydrate."

"Altitude: the high elevations in the Tetons have stopped otherwise fit people who didn’t take the time to acclimate. We strongly encourage our participants, especially those coming from sea level, to arrive a few days early in Jackson...To help one’s body adjust to the thinner and drier air, first of all HYDRATE. Exertion at altitude demands hydration. Drinking enough water markedly improves athletic performance and helps to prevent altitude mountain sickness. Before and during your climb, aim for 4-5 quarts of fluid a day...In the days before your Grand Teton ascent, assist the acclimation process by going to some higher elevations, above 9000 feet, and get some moderate exercise...Some people simply acclimatize more slowly; they often find that allotting a few extra days to acclimate is helpful for performance."

This advice for climbs to 10,000 or even 13,000 plus feet also applies to our stay. We are mostly staying at 6,800 feet elevation. On hikes we can go much higher (up to 9,000 feet in Cascade Canyon). You will probably feel out of breath at first and may even get a headache and lose appetite. You can get more sunburned. Read At altitude for advice. It includes why your tent mate might seem to stop breathing.

Art gallery tours

There are 35+ galleries in town that you can visit on your own or during our fall trips we can attend parts of the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. Go to: http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/fall_arts_festival/fall-arts-festival.php for details, including (2008) historic ranch tours Sunday, Sept. 7, cowboy jubilee concert Thursday, Sept. 11, a galleries walk Friday, Sept. 12 &/or Thursday Sept. 18 and the Taste of the Tetons sampling (taste tickets $1) from valley chefs, restaurants and caterers, (and a juried art fair as well), in the town square, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008.

The gallery walks are free and have much more to see (including oil and watercolor paintings, prints, outdoor sculptures, furniture, pottery, quilting, jewelry, rugs) than the local (fee) museum our group was disappointed with on the 2007 trip.

The Jackson Center for the Arts (dancer's workshops, recitals, theatre company, art exhibits, touring ballet/bands/choir/dancers/guitarists/pianists/blues/blues rock/funk/jazz/western swing/bluegrass/cowboy balladeer/hootennany/puppeteer) is at 265 S Cache, 2 blocks south of the town square. http://www.jhcenterforthearts.org/

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Where will we stay overnight or camp?

Where people stay is up to each person. It can be difficult to coordinate timing of activities if we don't all stay in the same area, so we've all stayed at Colter Bay for at least part of the time on previous trips. Cabins and campsites are available at Colter Bay.

Colter Bay cabins: bearoutsidecabinatColterbay66 pixels: If you will be staying in a Colter bay cabin, go directly to Grand Tetons trip equipment for details about the cabins and the logistics of sharing one.

If you want to get a better room, or even a suite with fabulous view, fireplace, fridge, etc, read more at: Grand Tetons hotels, cabins, lodging

For our fall trips, no reservations for campsites are needed. We know the best campsites to ask for at Colter Bay.

At Colter Bay there is a picnic area with tables, firepits and restrooms at lakeside just down the road from the cabins and campground, hang a right at the Visitor Center parking lot.

Look for the black and white aerial photo at: Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park to find the picnic area, cabins, Visitor Center, grocery, campground, etc.

Many years we get an overnight backcountry permit and kayak in to a remote lake. If you want to go on the kayak overnight you MUST read String Lake to Leigh Lake, Grand Teton National park (If we can use the college trailer and it's not full, we can probably bring some camping gear for a few people along with the kayaks. The club and/or the drivers will not be responsible for the safety of items we transport for you.)

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Flora and Fauna

Fall trips (mid-September)

Mount Moran and aspen: The first aspen will be turning yellow, enough for some great pictures, with other shrubs and trees turning yellow, gold, red or orange. (The peak fall color will be later than when we are there, but most of us can't miss the first week of classes.) Last of or the start of the crop of lots of kinds of ripe berries for birds and animals.

more fall wildflowers tetons roadside: There will still be some wildflowers.

like a floating pink mist on water: close up of Lady's Thumb Knotweed: The Lady's thumb knotweed (an aquatic plant) will be blooming on the edges of some waterways giving the impression, in the early morning low angled light, of a pink mist floating on the water.

Probable sightings of bison, a shaggy, dark brown cow-like mammal, (10 to 12 foot long, 5-6 feet at the shoulder); elk (5 feet tall, 9 feet long), moose (7 feet tall, 9 feet long with 5 feet wide antlers, eat 40 pounds of plants a day).

If you have never seen any of these before, a size comparison is at

NPS photo Yellowstone wildlife montage Robert Hynes 180 pxls: Rocky Mountain mammal size comparisons

Hawk migrations going through (with some Cooper's, Sharpshinned and Marsh Hawks as well as a few kestrels, merlins or peregrin falcons). Possible sightings of Canada geese "v"s by mid September, great blue herons, osprey (sometimes hover 30-100 feet above water before diving for a fish, then arranges the fish with it's head pointed forward to reduce resistance while flying),

trumpeter swans and nest. photo by Richard Lake: trumpeter swans (8' wingspan; mate for life), American white pelicans (their huge yellow beak and throat pouch distinguish them from swans), peregrine falcons (dive at up to 200 mph and strike prey in mid-air), Bald Eagles, deer, beavers and muskrats.

When the Bald Eagle was taken off the Endangered Species List on June 28, 2007, there were 12 nests in Grand Teton, 18 on private land in teton County, six in Bridger-Teton National Forest and one in Bureau of Land Management territory. Most were close to the Snake River.

NPS photo otter: We saw 4 to 7 northern river otters while out kayaking in 2002, 2003 and 2004. One source says they are able to stay underwater for up to eight minutes, another says 2-3 minutes while swimming at 6 miles per hour. Fast humans who can do a 100 meter freestyle in 1 minute are swimming at 3 miles per hour.

From a distance it can be hard to tell which small animal you see swimming. But each swims differently. River otters undulate through the water. When a beaver swims, only his head shows above the water; muskrats show both their head and part of their back.

We might see coyotes and will probably hear them if we are out in the morning or evening. On the 2006 trip we heard wolves early one morning. Coyotes sing in more of a yip, wolves have the deeper howl.

wolfhowling NPS photo: Hear a wolf howl at http://www.nature.nps.gov/naturalsounds/ NPS photo gray wolf:

A total of eight wolf packs were believed to have used parts of the Teton Valley in 2006. You don't need to be afraid if you are lucky enough to hear wolves howling or see wolves. In Rocky Mountain Natural History, by Daniel Mathews, we read: "wolves don't hurt people. I'm not saying never ever not even once, but it's so rare, we could have fun listing housepets and house hold objects that pose more danger. Um, pit bulls, bobby pins..."

In areas where wolves dominate instead of coyotes, Pronghorn (antelope) fawns are three times more likely to survive, because the wolves favor larger prey.

NPS photo pronghorn: Pronghorn (can run 30 mph for 15 miles with spurts up to 70 mph, from the Smithsonian "communicate with each other visually by raising the mane on the back of the neck into a stiff brush and erecting the white hairs on their rump") haven't been seen on our trips as often as moose or elk.

sign watch for migrating wildlife:

Bears may start digging their winter dens that they will occupy from November until (males) March or (females) April, but they will still be foraging for food to put on their needed fat layer to make it through the over half-year winter. From the Smithsonian "Grizzly bears are omnivorous, consuming everything from mosses, fungi, herbs, grasses, fruits, berries, small vertebrates, insects, birds, and fish—especially salmon during their spawning run. " They will be trying to eat 20,000 calories a day; picture yourself eating 35 Big Macs.

Grizzlies are seen more frequently in the Tetons than in previous years, and not just up in the high mountains, but occasionally down in the flatlands where we camp or cabin overnight and do most of our sightseeing and kayaking. The odds are will not see any, but you must read your safety in grizzly bear territory. One trip member saw a mom and three young grizzlies on the 2007 trip.

From a 2007 Grand Teton National Park press release:

"Despite the fact that visitors to neighboring Yellowstone National Park have typically had many opportunities to see grizzly bears, the visible presence of grizzlies in Grand Teton National Park has not been as common until recently. Researchers have increasingly radio-collared and tracked grizzly bears in the park since the 1990s. Although some local residents, and park visitors believe there are few if any grizzlies in Jackson Hole, current research indicates that grizzlies can be found anywhere in Grand Teton."

NPS photo Griz and cubs cross road:

"In May 2006, a ten-year-old female grizzly bear emerged from her winter den somewhere in the Bridger-Teton Wilderness with three newborn cubs in tow. This bear family living in the heart of Grand Teton National Park has become a highlight attraction for park visitors and local residents alike. Glimpses of the young family bring out cameras, smiles, and exclamations of delight. The female and her offspring serve as one of the most visible examples of grizzly bear recovery efforts that have been underway for several decades throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. These bears are also a vivid reminder of the need for park managers, staff, and visitors to be continually vigilant in ensuring conservation of these grizzlies and other park wildlife...

The primary concern is that people remain mindful of wildlife-watching behavior, and respect an animal's need for space by keeping a safe distance 100 yards from bears, and 25 yards from other wild animals."

To visualize 25 yards, picture four car lengths or six kayak lengths.

Elk graze near the streets of Mammoth and the Albright Visitor Center in Yellowstone. An Oct. 2007 report said that ten cars in Yellowstone had been gored that fall by rutting bull elk who "are prone to take their frustration and hormones out on anything that stands in the way of their cows." Another report said a bull elk charged a big yellow dump truck. A ranger who works in the fall at keeping people away from the elk said "We try to create as safe of an environment as we can, but we can't make the park risk free. But every time you get off your sofa, you have an elevated risk."

Elk bugling (a low bellow followed by a higher-note-than-the-first-soprano-faculty-advisor-can-reach whistle that carries a long distance) will be at its peak, with the largest bulls amassing harems of up to 60 cows and the younger ones trying to. (From the Smithsonian: Elk "herds can include 200 or more animals. Males and females usually congregate in separate herds until the breeding season, in late September or early October. Then adult males use a variety of ostentatious behaviors to distinguish themselves and compete for access to reproducing females. They use their elaborate six-tined antlers, which may measure nearly 2 m in length along the main shaft, to clash with one another, they call loudly, and they spray urine." The Yellowstone Park website said "Bulls bugle to announce their availability and fitness to cows and challenge other bulls. When answered, bulls move towards one another and sometimes engage in battle for access to the cows. They crash their antlers together, push each other intensely, and wrestle for dominance. While loud and extremely strenuous, fights rarely cause serious injury. The weaker bull ultimately gives up and wanders off."

photos below of bison, moose and elk courtesy of NPS

NPS photo bison on ridge: NPS two bull moose sparring 220 pxls: NPS two elk sparring 220 pxls:

To see elk in the spring, summer or fall, don't head for the National Elk Refuge, near the town of Jackson. You may have seen pictures of 10,000 plus (one year the estimate was 17,000) animals who are only fed there in the winter from around December to March.

For fall wildlife viewing, the park recommends: "Since so much wildlife is active (and often aggressive) in the fall, please enjoy viewing them from your car, or a safe distance away (25 yards at least for most wildlife, and 100 yards for bears)."

Read more at http://www.nps.gov/grte/trip/fallcolor.htm

Flora and Fauna

Summer trips (late June)

Tetons and river: See the description for fall above, with these notes:

The trees and shrubs will be leafed out in their new bright green or dark green. Mid June is the fullest flush of wildflower bloom. June is birthing time for many animals.

Most of the migrating birds will have moved back into the park and will be building nests, sitting on eggs or hatching eggs. (some nesting started as early as March.) As we remind people on our ocean kayak trips, keep the noise down. Any unnecessary expenditure of energy can harm a feeding or nesting bird or animal. Nesting birds may fly away from the nest exposing unprotected eggs and hatchlings to the sun's heat or predators.

mom duck and ducklings: There will be some kinds of baby ducks and they really do swim behind mom in a line and even try to climb up on her back for a ride. The adult Canada Geese we saw flying in "V"s in fall will still be molting and will be flightless.

The large hoofed mammals, such as elk, deer, moose, bison and pronghorns, give birth in June and by early July will be letting their babies out of hiding a little more, but they will still be very protective and dangerous. These mammals will have shed their heavy winter coats.

By early August most of the bird nesting activity is over. By mid August the Unita ground squirrels go back into their winter burrows for hibernation.

In summer many elk migrate into Yellowstone and the biggest free-ranging herds of bison are in Yellowstone. (In 2004, 719 bison in the Jackson herd, over 4,000 in Yellowstone. 1,000 were counted in the Teton winter range in 2007.)

binoculars: drawing of binoculars

You will really want your own binoculars.

The club has a few pairs of waterproof binoculars, but not enough for everyone on a trip with large attendance.

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What kind of weather should we plan for?

Click for Jackson, Wyoming Forecast

We usually have some sunny days warm enough to swim in the lakes. It will probably rain part of the trip and we could even a have a light dusting of snow. In 2007 we had a couple of huge thunderstorms. It can be cold at night. Grand Tetons Weather has the details.

During a thunderstorm, don't take a shower or use a sink, including washing dishes. Don't talk on a land line phone. Don't use your I pod. Please read Thunderstorm and lightning safety

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GEAR TO BRING:

You'll need warm weather gear, including your swim suit, and cold weather gear, especially for early morning paddling and any overnight camping.

Grand Tetons trip equipment has details and advice based on previous trips.

You will really want your own binoculars.

TOTAL COST???

Since different people will have different budgets: drive or fly; some may camp, some may get a hotel room / suite, (most usually get a cheap cabin), the trip cost will vary.

Think you can't afford this trip? Think again, and read Grand Tetons trip cost, it has examples of

The cheap trip,

The not-so cheap trip,

The slightly more costly trip, but less driving time,

also known as the I-can't-get-much-time-off-work trip,

and The expensive trip.

bullwinkle at Idaho border: photo by Wendy Sato

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photos below by Quang-Tuan Luong/terragalleria.com, all rights reserved.

Teton range QTL: Dusk Tetons Range QTL:

terragalleria peaks and light pink sunset: terragalleria Schwabacher landing:

aspen sunflowers and lupine terragalleria: terragalleria tetons Cascade creek afternoon storm:

More details, info:

Jackson Hole, Wyoming has a description of the main streets and how to find the Albertson's, K Mart, Ace hardware, Teton County library, St John's Medical Center and more.

St John's Medical Center (24 hour) is at 625 E. Broadway at Redmond in Jackson. ( 733-3636)

In an emergency in the park, call 911 as usual. But your cell phone would get to park dispatch faster if you dial 1 (307) 739-3301 (2007).

In a not quite emergency, there is a medical clinic on the grounds of Jackson Lake Lodge,(307) 543-2514, (open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May to early October), which is closer to places in the park. To find it, look for the black and white aerial photo at: Jackson Lake Lodge vicinity.

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Grand Tetons September 2004 has pictures from that trip, including two bull moose head-to-head.

Christian Pond mom and calf moose:

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Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park photos

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The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce site is at:

http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/chamber/index.php

Another big site of info is at: http://www.jacksonholenet.com/

and yet another is at: http://www.jacksonholewy.net/

Be careful when you request info from these as some require that you give them your email address and they will give it out to lots of their advertisers.

The Jackson Hole News and Guide (newspaper site) is: http://www.jhguide.com/

We found Wyoming public radio with the usual Morning Edition, All Things Considered, BBC Newshour, Fresh Air and late evening classical music or jazz at 90.3(Jackson) and 91.3(Dubois).

NPS photobullmoosealumcrk:

Park Service maps of Grand Tetons are at:

http://www.nps.gov/grte/pphtml/maps.html

Black and white aerial photo/maps are at:

Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park

Jackson Lake Lodge vicinity

Moose, Wyoming

Signal Mountain, Wyoming

The park publications page is at: http://www.nps.gov/grte/pubs/pubs.htm

especially check out the flowering times of flowers and shrubs at http://www.nps.gov/grte/pubs/brochures/plants.pdf

NPS photo Grand teton trail thick with wildflowers:

Geology of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A, at: http://www.winona.msus.edu/geology/travels/tetons/travel.html has a geologic map and cross-section of the rocks of Grand Teton, and discussions of the geologic structure and glaciation.

NPS Teton geology lesson:

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/

Teewinot, the park newspaper, is at: http://www.nps.gov/grte/pubs/newspaper/teewinot.htm

moose silhouetted by water:

My page of: Grand Tetons recommended reading

includes links to on-line bird and mammal field guides and The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Clark: "...bison were so numerous and loud that the men had difficulty sleeping."

A live shot of Old Faithful geyser (in Yellowstone) is at: http://www.nps.gov/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm

Old Faithfull erupts on an average of every 79 minutes, with a huge jet of hot water up to 204 ° F and up to 180 feet high.

A map of Grand Teton and Yellowstone webcams with links is at: http://www.jacksonholenet.com/webcams/

Also try:

http://www.jhnsyn.com/webcams/grandteton/index.php

__________________________________________

The trip is open only to De Anza students/staff. Answers to most questions about how the club works are at: Outdoor Club Basic Info The main rules common to most of our trips, including who is eligible to go, are at: Outdoor Club trip rules.

For details about club events and on how to find us to pay for a membership, sign up for events or volunteer, go to:

Outdoor Club Coming Attractions

We can expect sunny days and rain, or possibly even a little overnight snow. Interesting weather does not cancel club events. Club activity areas, and all park restrooms or other buildings are non-smoking. Even though there is smoking allowed in Wyoming restaurants, all National Park restaurants, etc. are non-smoking. No alcohol or drug use is allowed during club activities. This is not just a rule written to make the College happy, it is a trip rule.

The trip will only be an official club event while we are kayaking (or canoeing), and possibly a hike or some other sightseeing or a group meal at a restaurant.

How you get to Grand Teton National Park, where you stay overnight, most meals, most sightseeing, any bike riding, whitewater rafting or horseback riding, going to a movie in town, etc. will not be official club business.

The faculty advisor must be along for all kayak/canoe use, and all safety recommendations by the advisor, park and De Anza rules must be followed.

For any early fall trip, if you were a student during spring quarter you don't have to take summer quarter classes to go on our summer quarter trips. (Early/Mid September before fall quarter starts is considered a part of summer quarter.) Likewise, faculty don't have to teach summer quarter.

Grand Tetons trip pages index has brief descriptions of most of the pages about this trip.

Photo below by Fred Hanselmann http://www.hanselmannphotography.com/Pictures_of_the_tetons.html)

Fred Hanselmann photoTeton Dawn:

 Updated Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 7:47:01 PM by Mary Donahue - donahuemary@fhda.edu
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