Despite getting plenty of exercise yesterday, I had a real problem falling asleep in our Jackson Lake Lodge Cabin (planned as a break from our RV). I actually wonder whether I am now completely adjusted to the RV and have a hard time sleeping elsewhere. Or maybe it’s just the altitude. In any case, I really didn’t fall asleep until the sun came up at 5:30am, which made for a groggy day.
To make matters worse, today was a day where I was supposed to be the one calling the shots. After aborted attempts at horseback riding (the bumpy 5-mile offroad trek to get there seemed too much for our RV) and brunch at the Mural Room at the Jackson Lodge, I took the crew to Jenny Lake thinking that we should do at least a little hiking at Teton while we’re in the neighborhood. This is the lake that lies right in front of the majestic 13k+ ft Grand Teton. We took a boat across and hiked to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Both were impressive.
Hilariously and memorably, what began as a cloudless day quickly turned ominous. We hustled back to the boats in time to avoid the rain but we failed to beat the crowd. We were first in line for the next boat, which meant we were quasi-inside, but the rain and hail came and we were unprepared. We had a very cold 10-minute run through the rain, wind and hail back to the RV. Once inside and inhabiting a warm change of clothes, we felt refreshed and exhausted as though we had just taken a swim in a cold mountain lake. The boys snuggled under their blankets. Eva made a delicious Ramen soup—the closest thing we had to chicken noodle.
This adventure made us tired. Which made the drive through the pine tunnels of southern Yellowstone somewhat tedious, until the scenery evened out around the West Yellowstone / Madison river area—near our campground. I was immediately struck by how lazy and beautiful the Madison river looked in comparison to the other rivers we’ve seen thus far. More than any other park, Yellowstone just feels like wilderness. I was rejuvenated by looking out of the RV window in all directions and not seeing a single sign of humans (aside from the occasional fly-fisher)—plus the smell and feel of the air reminded us of warm clothes right out of the dryer.
We arrived at our KOA in West Yellowstone well before sundown. Unlike other KOA’s we’ve stayed at, this one has a crowded, oh-the-humanity feel. But the kids loved checking out the amenities—swimming, mini-golfing, bike-riding, playing in the park, barbecue, RV cleaning and a movie (Shawshank Redemption), all before bedtime. A memorable day, in spite of the lack of sleep.
BaresNation 
I like the pictures
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