Good Friends, Good Food, Good Fun...and boy are we tired!

Tuesday, late afternoon, we pulled into the "Best's Western"--Ken and Sally Best's Star Valley Ranch cabin--what a treat! We were greeted with familiar faces, kind hearts, a home-cooked meal, and a love for what I would now, from experience, truly consider "God's country"--the Grand Tetons.

There is nothing like a local tour guide. While both Sally and Ken grew up in Cheyenne, the cabin, where for the past two years they have spent their summers, has been in the Best family for many years. When we arrived, we got a tour of the cabin and the ranch and a home-cooked meal. Ken called it this "chicken and noodle thing," Tim and I just called it good.

Wednesday morning we got up for pancakes and some serious (well, serious for me anyway) hiking. First, we stopped for a scenic view of the Snake River at the Lunch Counter. It's a outcropping of rock that overlooks the Big Kahuna, a place in the river that backflows and potentially dumps whitewater rafters upside-down if they aren't moving faster than the water. (Yikes!) While Tim and I would both like to do that, we are quickly running out of time! The more things we see and the more people we talk to, the more we seem to add to the trip.

Again, having the advantage of local tour guides, Ken and Sally took us back to Grand Teton National Park for a whole different (and better) perspective from the "drive-bys" we did on the way in and out of Jackson.

We took the back way into the park along a scenic route to see if we could spy a moose. Ken knew all the places to look for them, but alas, the giant animal eluded us. We saw views of the mountains from all around Jenny Lake. They were absolutely breath-taking. The Jenny Lake Lodge is unbelievable. As you walk up the stairs to a grand, open hall, a picture begins to unfold. Ascending step by step, the blue sky, the mountain snowcaps, the sparkling water, and the lush green meadow come into view. The wide-open room gave us a wide-open view of Jenny Lake and Mt. Moran. The picture of Tim and I on Day 9 is on the patio of the lodge.

We took a water taxi across the lake (another different and awesome perspective) to a trail that led to Hidden Falls. It was a steep, half-mile hike up for me, but Ken knew just when to stop for a rest. He and Tim led the way; Sally and I took our time at the back of the pack. The climb up the mountain, although a bit strenuous, was well worth the huffing and puffing. Once again, pictures do not capture the beauty and grandeur of God's creation. (For just a peek, see the picture in the Day 9 album).

After enjoying the falls, we headed back down the mountain and around the lake. While the walk up to the falls was tiring, this leg of the hike kept us the most alert. At the water taxi boarding area, there was a list of wildlife that had been spotted that day. Several bears had made an appearance. (By the way, before we left the cabin, Ken made Tim recite from a Teton trail guide about what to do in case of an encounter with a bear--safety first!) Thank goodness for me, running from them is never an option--I would be the first eaten if that were the case. : )

While we saw much evidence of bears (torn up trees--see pictures, and bear poop--no pictures), we did not encounter a bear on our hike. The possibility of being up close and personal with a bear was enough to make me pay pretty close attention to our surroundings. The good thing about that is that I also saw things I would never have seen if I had not been paying such close attention (again, see pictures).

After our hike, Ken and Sally took us back down to Jackson. There we enjoyed a delicious meal at Burke's Chophouse. I had a buffalo tenderloin with carmelize onions, Dijon-sour cream mashed potatoes, and haricot verts. Tim had a filet mignon with the same sides. It was wonderful. Afterwards we strolled around the town square admiring several art galleries and the locals. We ended our time in Jackson at the Mangy Moose--a store with all things moose--very cute.

This morning at 8:47, we left the Best's cabin and headed to Craters of the Moon National Monument. Tim and I have been to Hawaii, so the lava wasn't new to us; however, it looked quite out of place in the middle of Idaho. (Ken and Sally, I think it might be worth the trip if you're looking for something to do.)

We ended our evening in Pendleton, Oregon, home of Pendleton wool. We got into town around nine and are comfortably resting at the Best Western. Tomorrow, we will try to get an early start so we can start exploring Seattle.