Did The Egyptians Get Inspiration From The Tetons?

It was cold enough to freeze the nuts off a brass monkey when I left Yellowstone. I togged up in all the warm gear I have and looked like I was ready to rob a bank....

Soon I crossed the Continental Divide, which for those like me that had never heard of this, it is a hydrological divide that separates the US and Canada into two halves. It essentially runs down the Rockies and rain that falls on the west side of the Continental Divide drains into the Pacific, while rain falling on the east side drains into the Atlantic / Gulf of Mexico. Anyway, it seemed like a good place to take a photo of the Leading Ladies....

I stopped and took one last look at Yellowstone....

Then rode a few miles and zap..... there were the Tetons. Right in front of me. These are a most impressive mountain range and this was almost my first view of them....

The shape of some of the peaks immediately made me think of pyramids.

They are so big, I wanted to find something in the foreground to put the mountains in context. Happily, along came a marina....

The Leading Ladies soon let me know (with the slightest of subtle hints of course) that they were a little put out that they hadn’t been chosen to be put in the foreground, so I had to put this right.... they were happy then....

Usually something big and made of steel or concrete gets my attention, as did the Jackson Lake Dam, which I stopped and took some pictures of. Just like a waterfall, there is something mesmerising about water passing through a dam especially if it makes a big whoosh!....

I arrived in Jackson and decided that I liked it enough to stay there. The motel was basic, but I had had the bedroom over the rather large hot tub and the plant and equipment for this was located right next to my room. I decided at 1130pm it was time they turned the blasted thing off, which to be fair, they did as soon as I asked. I wouldn’t have normally minded the noise so much, but I had decided to get up really early and go back to the Tetons to re-photograph them. The earlier pictures I had taken were a bit milky due to looking into the sun and I thought the early morning sun’s rays coming from the east would look good on the mountain.

So, the alarm went off at 5am. I had seen the weather forecast the evening before and 29F was expected. Jeepers it was cold riding the 26 miles needed to get to Jenny Lake, where I thought a good view could be found. It was dark as I started riding and I passed a few signs warning of the potential for animals in the road. Not this morning, please!

I set up next to the lake edge right next to a sign saying “Bears – special precautions needed”. As I blew into my hands to try to warm them, I wondered how far that blowing noise would travel in the perfect quiet of the landscape at this early hour. Hmmmn. What do they mean by special precautions? The only three I could think that I could do was to use the tripod to fend off a bear, climb a tree, or give it the candy bar I had in my pocket when I found I could no longer climb trees. Over the next 45 minutes or so, as I watched the sun rise and light up the mountains, I kept looking sideways for bears....

Yogi didn’t show up.

I consider myself to be a reasonably accomplished photographer, but that is all. When I looked back on the photos I took this morning I kept wondering what I had to do to become better. I want to be good enough that I am happy with my pictures, but today I wasn’t. Here are just two that I was pleased with out of the many I took....

Personally I blame the cold. Plus I worried about any potential Yogi’s that might have showed up.

After taking the photos I headed back to the motel in the cold, except it was even colder. I was riding into the wind in this direction. Even with my winter gloves on, it hurt my hands. I was going to take a few more pictures of the mountains from different places, but I didn’t want to because it felt my thumbs were about to fall off. I have lost a few things, especially keys, on this trip and I didn’t want to go back home without my thumbs....

However, I did ride through a town called Moose and thought of my step-daughter, Mishy Moo, who adores anything to do with moose (mooses?). Today she will go by the amended nickname of Mishy Moose! I don’t know why I haven’t thought of that before. Anyway, for her benefit, I took this picture....

Just outside Jackson is the National Museum of Wildlife Art. It was closed, so I couldn’t go in, but I love the building it is located in. This is a great example of how a building can fit into the environment. I read the design was inspired by a ruined castle in Scotland and I really like the building....

Jackson is a fun town. It is full of shops that cater for the many visitors that come to the area, but it isn’t at all tacky. Even the t-shirt shops have a good feel to them. Here are a few views of around the town square area....

A stagecoach you can go for a ride in (I resisted)....

An arch made from Elk antlers....

The sign for the Million Dollar Cowboy bar. Don’t bother going in as the service is dreadful and the seats (which are saddles) are really uncomfortable....

Main Street....

I couldn’t work out what this sign in the back window of a car was trying to tell me. There is no ocean in Wyoming, so I am at a loss to understand how one would surf....

I have been playing a game with people who look at the pictures on my bike. I tell them that if they can name all 10 of the actresses, then they will win a prize. Normally people get 3 or 4. One guy got 9 and this couple, George and Jeanne from Carmel, came very close. They also got 9 but were stumped when it came to the last picture on the rear fender. They were having to look under my luggage to properly see the picture and they said they knew who the 10th actress was, but just couldn’t remember her name. They gave me their phone number and said to come and see them in Carmel, which I will do if I can. By then, they may remember who the 10th actress is.... they were very nice people....

How about this for a piece of great work. This is a trailer being pulled by a Honda Gold Wing and the roof opens to allow storage of clothes etc... This is excellent!.....

As I headed south today, I rode alongside the Snake River, I saw many people white water rafting and I became jealous – it looked like great fun.... click on the first photo and take a closer look....

You know the nets you see on steep slopes at the side of the road to try to prevent rocks from falling down. Have you ever wondered how they fix them? Well, here is the answer, by abseiling up and down the slopes....

I have been in Wyoming for a long while now. Today as I got near to its southern border, the landscape changed to gentle rolling hills.... I have decided I like Wyoming....

Soon I was to enter yet another state. This time Idaho, the 21st state I have ridden in....

This is for my brother, Tim..... Geneva has gone a bit downhill since you left there!.....

I have stopped for the night next to Bear Lake. I rode past this house just before I found a hotel and I will try to go back there tomorrow to just ask one question. Why did they do this?......