Driving into Idaho from Bear Lake's East Lake Rd I was passing through Peg Leg Ditch and connected to US30 heading north. Montpelier was just ahead as the clouds started to gather. My turn off was Stringtown Rd to FR095 also known as Left Hand Georgetown Canyon Rd. Climbing in elevation the weather was deteriorating into wet cold rain.
Caribou-Targhee NF is stunning with beautiful vistas and dense forest canopies. Bands of sheep under the watchful eyes of their escorts the Great Pyrenees, resting on alert and scattered about. It was a joy to watch as they protect their herd from a lone traveler passing through. I'm on a 8 week overlanding tour, this is the 5th installment of that series (see previous post; Summer Expedition SLC, 2021 series). Traveling through the lower part of Idaho, was cold and wet but scenic just the same.
Pressing on the weather seem to get worse as I ventured deeper north, hoping it would break on the other side. At the Herman Ranger Station I decided to turn right through the Caribou-Targhee NF towards Palisades Reservoir and Wyoming's western border.
Entering
WY the weather did not change actually it got colder.
US26 heading north I was leaving the
Caribou-Tarhgee NF and entering
Bridger-Teton NF while driving along the
Snake River. With no break in the weather I soon found myself entering
Jackson WY. At this point my poor planning of the weather and my location I was at the mercy of a tourist driven, upscale popular destination. Cold dark wet and windy I knew I had to find a room, I was in no mood to camp. Searching for a room I was in a heck of a situation, $350 per night for Motel 6. WHAT!! Holy heck, that was not an option, looking for inexpensive accommodations was just about futile.
Then at the edge of town I spied a little motel, biting the bullet and what seemed to be the cheapest place around I got a tiny log cabin for $230 per night. Kicking myself in the arse for not planning in case of inclement weather were I'd be for the night. I cranked the heater on high and schlepped my gear inside during a cold-ass down pour, summer I thought, got it! I have to say it was a cozy tiny cabin but was way-more than I needed. Hitting up a local burger joint I enjoyed a delicious burger made from
Wyoming beef in my tiny warm dry cabin, super tasty!
Leaving Jackson WY I was headed to my first stop, the Grand Tetons NP (310,000-acer park), on SR22 aka Moose Wilson Rd to the Granite Canyon entrance. A sloppy muddy dirt track with tons of rain filled potholes, the entrance road was a cluster-f_ck of passenger cars bottoming out as they slammed up and down following the leader hitting every water soaked pothole, rentals right!!
Wide spread large puffy clouds hanging low with promising blue skies behind them, I got my first look at the
Grand Tetons. Striking, magnificent, jaw dropping, two thumbs up, truly a grandiose landscape as I rubber-necked in all directions. Enormous scenic beauty is in massive scale at every turn. Ten million year old jagged rocky towering mountains (
el. 13,770 ft) so high that most of them were obscured in the remaining clouds.
The landscape was born out of 100 million years of ancient past with 5 different natural communities, Alpine, Forests, Sagebrush Flats, Wet Meadows and Lakes and Ponds. Undoubtedly the air was pristine, clear clean and crisp as the sun was coming in and out struggling to warm up the day. Ancient melting glaciers re-leveled the sinking valley floor and deposited moraines that damned GTNF idyllic lakes from Jenny Lake to Leigh Lake to mammoth Jackson Lake sporting picturesque islands, Donoho Pt and Elk Island.
It is no doubt some of the most incredible panoramic scenery I've ever seen. Every side road or turn off I came across I was hoping there was another adventure deeper into the Tetons, but
NPS had it button down for any off-the-main-road exploration. By the looks of it there is a huge number of visitors traveling through
GTNP and herding them on only a few roads is in the best interest of this off-the-chart
NP.
As the morning wore on the temps and clouds started to rise next up
Yellowstone NP, "hello Ole Faithful!"
Hope to see you on the Trail!!..
🚙.......
Driving into Idaho from Bear Lake's East Lake Rd I was passing through Peg Leg Ditch and connected to US30 heading north. Montpelier was just ahead as the clouds started to gather. My turn off was Stringtown Rd to FR095 also known as Left Hand Georgetown Canyon Rd. Climbing in elevation the weather was deteriorating into wet cold rain. 
Pressing on the weather seem to get worse as I ventured deeper north, hoping it would break on the other side. At the Herman Ranger Station I decided to turn right through the Caribou-Targhee NF towards Palisades Reservoir and Wyoming's western border. 
