Tetons

The drive from Thermopolis to the Tetons was about 5 hours and is very scenic.  

Looking in the opposite direction at the park entrance, you could see a large forest fire, just outside of the park.  As we drove past this we were glad the the wind was blowing East, away from the Tetons.

Bart and Alex went Kayaking on Jackson lake.

They went across the lake.  They are the small spot in lower left corner.

They had a great time.

What a beautiful place to paddle.

Our room at the Signal Mountain Lodge was fantastic.  We spent a lot of time on the balcony.

You could see the alpine glow from our seats on the balcony.

The original plan was to see July 4th fireworks in Jackson Hole.  They were cancelled due to dry conditions and fire danger.  The day ended with a beautiful sunset that was an excellent alternative  Tomorrow was our planned hike up Cascade Canyon and we were excited to take our first big hike of the trip.

Alas, we woke the next morning to discover that the wind had changed and the smoke from the nearby forest fire now covered the park.

Still, morning coffee on the balcony tasted great!

Because of the smoke we went with plan B.  A trip to Jackson Hole and sushi for lunch.

Turned out to be a good choice, since rain rolled in and soaked the area.  We would have gotten soaked on the hike.  Here is one of the famous Elk antler arches in the town square.

The rain washed the sky getting rid of the smoke.  That night we had a spectacular sunset.  No hike, but it was still a great day.