So Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is the very first adventure for my GRP blog. I ordered a GoPro camera and loaded up my car and headed for GTNP for the day. The drive from my house to the Park is about 4 hours and through Yellowstone National Park , so the drive was not a hardship.
So, like a dork, I walked around the Park with my GoPro camera, using a Selfie Stick, and doing videos. It was a beautiful day, and I got great info from the visitor center on how active the bears were and where to hike.
Turns out the bears were pretty active (being early in the year, they were very hungry), so I hiked the trails close to the visitor center and other popular trails. I often hike alone, so have to think through my choice of trails. I’d rather not have a bear encounter so hiking where there are other groups of people is the safest trails for me to take.
Even though I hiked the more popular trails, I felt like I had the place to myself. I visited in May, which is a great time to be there, very few visitors, compared to full summer.
This trip, with the goal of a blog post, was really important because it did exactly what I wanted it to. The idea/challenge of putting it together got my lazy butt outside, and off to this incredibly beautiful place. It was an amazing day.
So, this trip was to experiment with the technology I might want to use for this blog, and I quickly realized, I’ll be doing it the old fashioned way for a while, just text and photos. Like an idiot, I inserted the Selfie Stick jack into the head phone jack on my phone, and did not realize until I got home that NONE OF THE AUDIO was recorded. How obvious once I realized the problem. Chalk that one up to learning the process. I did get some great photos though.
Thanks for letting me share this great experience with you. Hopefully you will create a great adventure for yourself. You don’t have to go somewhere far, or to an iconic place like a National Park. There so may great places, close to where you live; State and County Parks, National Forests, bike trails, paved walking trails, monuments, etc. Choose something to do and just get out there.
What I learned about the Park:
I drove/hiked to the top of Signal Mountain that looks out over the valley of the park. It is called Signal Mountain, because back in the 1800’s someone was lost and there was a bunch of people out searching for him, the plan was when he was found, a fire would be started on top of the highest mountain to let everyone know to call off the search. That became Signal Mountain. I read that on one of the interpretive signs.
What I learned about myself:
I like when I take the time to find out stuff about the park. Often it’s easy to drive through or just put your head down and hike. I took this great nature hike with interpretive signs along the way, and they were really interesting, it’s nice to learn that stuff.
My advice for you:
Remember to visit the parks/trails off season as well. They are often at their best with fewer visitors and insects. Also, once Fall has stripped the leaves, the views open up and it can feel like a whole new experience. Hike in the winter too, and what about winter camping? Not your thing, just try to extend the seasons. Buy good outer and foot wear so you can be comfortable in all kinds of weather. It will do your body and spirit good to keep hiking/biking, etc. all year long.
Share your thoughts:
What would the topic of YOUR blog be?
Some more info on Grand Teton National Park:
Grand Teton National Park was established in 1929; Jackson Hole National Monument was created in 1943. The two units were combined to become the present Grand Teton National Park in 1950. The park is 45 miles in length from north to south, 26 miles maximum width. Grand Teton is famous for spectacular mountain scenery and wildlife. Park boundaries include approximately 310,000 acres, 485 square miles.
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Grandma Rocks the Park (GRP) 