HIKING TO PHELPS LAKE FOR ANOTHER VIEW OF THE TETONS

The Rockefeller Preserve opened in the fall of 2008 and is the lasting legacy of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Trust.  Prior to that time, it was the private ranch of the Rockefeller family.  Ann and I took our first hike in the Preserve last September when we were in Jackson and wanted to come back again.  The Preserve is very well done in terms of a nice visitors' center and well marked trails.  No buses or motorhomes are permitted along the road that leads to the Preserve so the area is less crowded compared to other parts of Grand Teton National Park.  

We hiked in the Rockefeller Preserve on our first day off this week.  The trails from the visitors center wind through forests and rocky meadows along a fast-flowing creek toward Phelps Lake - a great atmosphere for taking a walk through nature.  However, the only wildlife we saw was this chipmunk along the lake shore.

We stopped early in the hike to view a mini waterfall brought about by the increasing snow melt.  The temperature was in the 60's during this morning hike of about 4 1/2 miles.

After hiking about 2 miles to the shore of Phelps Lake we were treated to these views of Tetons.

Parts of this hike felt like we were experiencing these views during Christmas as the smell of pine and evergreen trees was very noticeable.  We then continued around Phelps Lake to Huckleberry Point.  Here the view is a little more majestic.  Yes, I know we post lots of photos of mountain peaks.  But that is what the Grand Tetons are all about.  There are no foothills in the Tetons, just mountains springing up from the valley floor.

Non-native plant eradication was a requirement of the agreement between the Rockefeller Foundation and the Park Service when they took over the Preserve.  Here are two different types of over-the-trail methods of killing the unnatural Lupine flowers (as told to us by a member of the National Park Service).  How's that for plant control Teton style!

The trail we chose to follow from the lake back to the visitor's center followed this stream, with the onrushing snow melt cascading down the creek to eventually flow into the Snake River.

Up until this point, we had seen all the usual wildlife in Grand Teton National Park except either a grizzly or black bear.  On our drive from the Rockefeller Preserve, we came across this grizzly cub sitting up in a large pine tree.  Knowing the mother bear was probably nearby, we didn't venture too close but were able to get this photo.  One of the things you don't do when hiking is to get between a mother and her offspring which causes a defensive reaction by the mother.