Travelogue - Wyoming: Day 2 - The Grand Tetons

To get to the Grand Teton National Park from Rock Springs, WY, involves driving north for about 3 hours until you reach Jackson, WY. The road meanders its way through little towns and farmlands that stretch all the way to the far mountains.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

Along the way, such views are dime a dozen, bubbly brooks and cheerful creeks merrily bouncing along in obscurity while visitors chase more famous destinations.

(C.S Manish 2010)

And then suddenly, the heart misses a beat!  There!  A center-pivot irrigation system manufactured in Valley, NE, less than 10 miles from where one lives.  Small world, indeed.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

I had to stop on the road (fret not, there was no traffic for miles on end) and take this picture.  After all, it was the 4th of July and it seemed to be the perfect representation for the state of Wyoming on Independence Day.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

 But that was not the only time I stopped on the way.  The previous day, the whole evening was spent in chasing elusive wild horses, but at least some domesticated ones were kind enough to pose the next day.  (For some reason the words proud, haughty, and indifferent spring to mind).

(C.S. Manish 2010)

A little harder to capture on camera were the fast-moving pronghorn antelopes that fearlessly grazed by the roadside.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

 Driving through Jackson gives no indication of the sudden change in view that the visitor is about to experience.  You drive around a bend in the hillside and this is what greets the eye:

(C.S. Manish 2010)

Yes, more than a 1000 miles of driving had finally brought the destination within tantalizing reach. The Grand Tetons are bereft of view-blocking foothills, so they rise about 7,000 feet above the Snake River valley floor and right in the middle of them is the big daddy - the Grand Teton (13,775 feet high, seen to the right in the photo below).

(C.S. Manish 2010)

The next few photos do not need descriptions.  They were taken during the course of the rest of the afternoon in and around the area.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

(C.S. Manish 2010)

(C.S. Manish 2010)

(C.S. Manish 2010)

(C.S. Manish 2010)

Then it was time to try to re-create an iconic photograph by Ansel Adams, taken from the east side of the Snake River.  Here's the original photo taken by him:

(Ansel Adams 1942)

And here's my attempt at recreating it.  Any differences you may observe are due to a lack of skill, taller trees blocking some of the view, and inferior equipment.  Otherwise, I think the two photos are identical (My Cousin Vinny-style!).

(C.S. Manish 2010)

After that it was time to head back to Rock Springs, but not before taking one last snap as the mountains receded in the distance.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

Along the way, I noticed that the town of Eden had presumably had a major population spurt from the original two that lived in it.

(C.S. Manish 2010)

But good, old Rock Springs was right where it had been all day - to the south and in the sun.  A place to rest before the long drive of the next day.  Do come back soon for a description of Day 3 of the trip.

(C.S. Manish 2010)