"Irrespective of hour or season, whether viewed on clear days or stormy, the Tetons are so surpassingly beautiful that one is likely to gaze silently upon them, conscious of the futility of speech." -Fritiof Fryxell
When my family and I traveled to Yellowstone in August, we had the choice of spending another day in Yellowstone or going to the Grand Teton mountains.
We chose the mountains, and I’m so glad we did! Because the Grand Tetons are grander than grand. They are gasp-worthy.
Grand Teton National Park was only about 15 miles from Yellowstone. The scenery on the drive inside both parks has become a favorite sight of mine: tall, dark green evergreens beneath a clear blue summer sky.
Shortly after entering Grand Teton National Park, we could see the outline of mountains in the distance.
As we got further in, we began to get glimpses of grandeur.
And I began to say “wow.”
As we got closer, we pulled over at several lookouts to take photos.
The mountains stunned us. I couldn’t think of much more to say than “that’s amazing.” And even now, words fail me.
The mountains are so majestic, the evergreens look almost like grass lining the bottoms.
Sagebrush, the shrubs in the foreground, add a muted silver-gray-green to the landscape. A hot, dry wind made them dance and sway.
At the next lookout, I took a short video.
See what I mean? And we were still miles away.
With lunchtime well past, we looked for a place to picnic. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center to get more information and found the perfect spot to eat: on the back patio, in the shade, with a front-row view of the mountains. For most of that time, it was just us, a few bees on the purple thistle and a chipmunk scurrying through the sagebrush.
The afternoon seemed to slip by quickly, so we started heading back the way we came. But we stopped at the lake we had seen coming into the park for one last view.
This is perhaps my favorite photo of the year. This is Mt Moran, the most spectacular of the Tetons and the easiest to identify. What looks like snow nestled in the crags are actually glaciers.
Moran’s ancient face makes one stop and stare.
In the photo, just below the glaciers on the mountain is a small glimpse of white in the lake. A sailboat, its sailors no doubt gazing up at the mountain as they glide along the water beneath it.
Glimpses and gazes of beauty, of glory, like this leave me awe-struck and wonder-filled. All my most descriptive words leave me, and I surrender to the futility of speech. But I can’t help but whisper, “Thank You, God.”
For more information and photos, check out the National Park Service website here. We were only in the mountains for an afternoon, but there’s so much to explore.
At Glimsen, I share glimpses of the beauty around us in nature, the arts, and the unexpected. Click the green button below to get my posts delivered to your inbox once a week, and you'll also get a little printable gift of beauty just for signing up.
