A shaggy Saint Bernard trotted over to us. The lower half of his body was caked in mud, his face an expression of that classic Saint Bernard droop which turned hopeful as he neared us, leaning against our legs for cuddles. A few paces away, rows of horses in varying shades of browns, golds, speckles, and palamino, swatted flies with their tales and stomped their hooves.

It was my first official day back in Grand Teton National Park. I’d visited once before during the winter, when the ground was frosted white and the trees were bare and naked. This was the first time I’d visited during the summer (if I could still call it that while the leaves threatened autumn by showing off fantastic shades of yellow and orange). 

Day 1 in Grand Teton National Park

1. Start the Morning with Cowboy Coffee & Views of the Tetons

I woke early that morning, determined to make the most of my first full day. I was staying at my cousin’s house for the weekend. She’d recently taken a full-time position with the park and was able to live within its boundaries. This made for the perfect set-up to optimize my time over the next two days.

The only problem?

She doesn’t drink coffee…

Luckily, we had some pour-over pouches of Cowboy Coffee instant coffee. Pulling open the top and attaching the pouch handles to the rim of one of two coffee mugs that were found in her house, I heated some water in a Walmart fifty-cent plastic tumbler in the microwave then made the pourover.

I took the mug of coffee, which was tasty for instant coffee, and walked back over to the large U-shaped gray sofa that functioned as both a communal gathering place during the day and my bed at night. From my position against the back corner, I could look out of the rectangular windows to my left to see the Tetons set against the sky. 

The view, knowing that I was surrounded by trees and mountains and beasts of all kinds, and the warm aroma of coffee brought a smile to face.

2. Horseback Ride with a Teenager

Our first activity for the weekend was a horseback trail ride. I’d requested it as soon as I’d discovered it was an option. After paying (cash only) and signing the paperwork placed in front of us (as true kooks we skimmed rather than read), and with unfettered confidence knew we were ready for the ride!

We waited in a patch of sun and gave pets to the mud-caked Saint Bernard until a cowboy in a big white cowboy hat and sun-bleached jeans sauntered over. He casually asked if we were ready to go, and when we nodded, he called over the man who would be our guide. This new coybow had shoulder-length brown hair, wore a long-sleeved cowboy shirt, and was slouched on his large brown horse named Hogan.

He seemed like the strong silent type at first, as we sauntered in silence—only the breath of wind across the Grand Teton National park’s valley—moving in time to that signature sideways lean of a horse’s gait. After exiting the ranch and moving deeper into the valley, however, it soon became clear that our guide had a lot to say.

My cousin let slip that she’d been on an elk hunting trip before, and he eagerly regaled us with his own hunting experiences, his dreams of learning to taxidermy, and how much he wanted a “cool-lookin’ dog.”

His eagerness and dream-filled soliloquy were quickly made reasonable when he told us that he’d just turned nineteen. I blinked a few times as I let the fact that he was over two decades younger me sink in. I also tried not to think about how idiotic I had been at nineteen, and that a teenager was leading us into the mountains.

I do have to say teen guides can make for entertaining trail rides. I’ve done a similar horseback trail ride led by teenagers before.

The full recap of this Grand Tetons trail ride can be found here >

3. Explore General Stores & Observe Dragonfly Orgies

After dismounting from our horses, walking with the signature bow-legged saunter that results from years off a horse, we tipped our guide and got back into our rental car. My stomach had started growling on the way back from the viewpoint and continued in the car all the way to Colter Bay. 

There, as my cousin had promised, we found a General Store, a gift shop, bathrooms, and expansive views of the water. 

We arrived and parked in the lot which was fairly full with other visitors, then we made our way into the general store. It was a wooden building that looked like something out of an old Western. Inside, a small coffee shop made good use of the front real estate and offered brews and espresso drinks. I ordered a cold brew to stave off the tiredness that was seeping in. I’d landed late the night before and hadn’t wanted to miss an early start to my first real day in the park.

Beyond the coffee shop was a fairly simple offering of packaged foods, drinks, and supplies. It was as one might expect for a store that promised a generalized offering of goods.

What I purchased
My choice for staving off hunger for the remainder of the afternoon was a protein pack consisting of one hardboiled egg, a block of cheese, and chocolate-covered almonds. I also bought a new water bottle (I had lost mine) and a veggie wrap. Oh, and a box of tampons, the last mile of trotting on our trail ride had felt risky and sure enough, a trip to the park bathroom confirmed that aunt flow had arrived.  

We filled our water bottles from the spigot attached to the exterior wall between the general store and a gift shop on top of a painted moose head then took our food outside to eat at one of the picnic tables in a small forested area.

Once rejuvenated with food in our bellies and hydrated with refilled water bottles, we walked down the sidewalk and onto a dirt path lined with trees to the shoreline of Colter Bay. 

It was beautiful, though murky where the boats were docked. The still water reflected the pines and the trail was crisp through our jackets.

And then there was a Dragonfly orgy…

Despite the beauty that surrounded us, I’m embarrassed to admit it what really caught my eye was the swarm of dragonflies buzzing above the grass. 

I’d seen a pair earlier in the parking lot and had instantly noticed they were mating. Now, down by the water, there was an entire swarm of insects, each buzzing together in a cloud of sex. They were thinner than the dragonflies we have back home and seemed almost entangled in an acrobatic tumble versus carnal delights, but there was no denying what was happening.

Despite shocking Google with my search query, I am still baffled why this was taking place as a group activity rather than stand-alone act. So, if anyone knows why dragonflies seem to mate in groups, I’d love to know!

4. Use Bear Spray for Some Weighted Cardio

Despite the coffee, my energy was fading as we drove back to my cousin’s house. We had a dinner reservation in Jackson and had about an hour to kill before it was time to head to town.

If I was skilled in the art of napping, I would have napped. Unfortunately, I struggle to fall asleep mid-day, and when I do, I often wake up groggy and unable to function. So instead of sinking into the couch for some Z’s, I decided to try to wake up with a run.

After a gentle warning from my cousin that I should not be going anywhere without bear spray, I clutched a can in my hand and took off through her neighborhood and out into the park. There was no running path, so I had to jog along the bicycle path. At first, there weren’t any cyclists to avoid but eventually, a few whisked by.

I huffed and puffed on my jog, switching the bear spray between my hands to try to even out its weight between my two arms. Though it wasn’t my most productive run, I certainly felt more awake than I had prior.

5. Indulge with Dinner & Ice Cream in Jackson, Wyoming

The reservation I’d made for dinner was at Glorietta. I’d gone there with friends the last time I’d been in Jackson.

We had opted for the first seating at 5pm. I’m a true kook and love an early bird special.

Arriving in town at 4:40pm, we spent some time walking around various stores, and debating whether we needed to buy the Huckleberry candies that were sold at every store in town. Glorietta opened right at five, and we waited for a few minutes in the outdoor patio area until they opened their doors.

We ordered a few items for the table, a white bean puree with toasted bread, a salad topped with pine nuts, quinoa, and fennel, and an eggplant dish to share. Each of us then ordered our mains. 

As the lone vegetarian, I had the pesto pasta (delicious) and washed it down with a cold Lambrusco. My parents ordered the elk pasta and my cousin got a bison steak. The bison steak was a fan favorite, my parents sneaking bites whenever my cousin offered. 

Overall, the meal was so delicious and surprisingly affordable!

After dinner, we needed dessert. We walked across the square to Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream where we waited in line for the young men behind the counter to call us over.

The Yelp reviews had made it seem that the ice cream was going to be “overpriced for the quantity.”

Due to these reviews, my dad and cousin both ordered two scoops (to make sure they were getting enough ice cream). This turned out to be the wrong decision because the portions were NOT small.

I had ordered a kids’ size scoop of the huckleberry ice cream, and it was the perfect size, a creamy sweet scoop. The ice cream was obviously homemade, thick and creamy and rich.

6. Get Aggressive with Board Games

Returning to my cousin’s house in Grand Teton National park, we decided to work off the sugar with a game of “Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza, ” a game involving slapping cards, pretending to be a gorilla, a narwhal, or a gopher. It can get pretty aggressive, so after a few rounds, we felt like we’d worked hard enough to go to bed.

Day 2 in Grand Teton National Park

1. Start Off with More Cowboy Coffee

The next morning, we started another day with Cowboy Coffee. Once again, we used the plastic cups to heat water and pour it over the little pouches of coffee that we attached to our mugs. 

After a cup and a half of coffee and spending some time reading as the sun rose steady into the sky, it was time to get one last activity in before we drove up to Bozeman, Montana. 

2. Float Down the Snake River

My cousin had mentioned that one of her favorite things to do was to float down the Snake River. How was I supposed to resist the call of the river, riding tandem on a stand-up paddleboard? I eagerly (in true Kook fashion) begged to get to tag along before my family and I drove up to Montana.

It turned into a wonderful adventure with beaver houses, trout, and bald eagle sightings. See the full recap here.

At the end of the float, we deflated the paddleboard, loaded everything back up into my cousin’s truck, and said our goodbyes. We’d be driving directly through Grand Teton National Park and then through Yosemite to Montana, where we would be staying for the next four days.

It had been a short but eventful two days in Grand Teton National Park and I had a new appreciation for this smaller, but just as remarkable, place. I knew I’d visit again soon, and so said goodbye with no regret.