In Jackson Hole

DAY EIGHTEEN:  Monday we took Max to a day camp called Camp Jackson, which is based at the Jackson Elementary School and Rec Center (although they make field trips to several other venues during the day). We dropped Max off at about 9:15am,  he got a Camp Jackson tee-shirt. WE hung about a bit while Max played in the LEGO room they had set up, and then said goodbye and had the rest of the day for ourselves before picking him up at 4:30pm. Max had no problem letting us go - he was into LEGO! By the way, Paul gave Max a haircut yesterday, so he looks a little different. He looks like his dad!

New haircut!

LEGO room

Camp Jackson Tee Shirt

We wanted to take a little hike up into the hills, and we did, but it was not the ideal day for hiking. It was showery all day long - rain and sun alternating most of the day. We started out going up the Cache Creek Trail - the trail head is right outside of the town of Jackson. The wildflowers were spectacular, small meadows carpeted with balsamroot, heartleaf arnica, lupine, little blue penstamon, blue flax, prairie smoke - a profusion of flowers. But it started to rain fairly steadily, and it was cold - in the low 50's. So we headed back to the car and into Jackson and went to the Bunnery for a latte and scone. We looked around a bit, went into the "Believe It Or Not Ripley Museum" where Ellen found some postcards (Ellen had lived in Jackson for several years about 15 years ago, but had never gone into that museum before), we checked out a bookstore and then got some soup at a new market and deli, and then went up the Curtis Canyon Road to a nice lookout spot where we ate the soup. Then, since little storms were still moving through, we kept driving up the Curtis Canyon Road, checked out a nice National Forest Campground, fantasized about camping there, continued on, stopped at a memorial plaque for nine service-men killed in a plane crash on August 17, 1996 on Sheep Mountain (also called The Sleeping Indian), and since the rain had stopped, climbed up a little hill and got some nice views, kept on driving (the road was getting rutty but we kept going), went past a large group of young people alongside the road who were shooting at clay pigeons (is that legal in a National Forest?), and kept going to the end and were rewarded by spectacular views of the Teton Range with wildflowers in the foreground. Everywhere we stopped there were wildflowers in profusion. Then we made the long trek back and were in plenty of time to pick up Max, who seemed to have had a good time at the camp, though the activities had been limited by the wet and cold weather. But the camp staff is resourceful. It was a nice day.

Rain is coming!

Wildflower meadow

A profusion of arnica

Balsamroot

Salsify - I love the structure of this flower

Sleeping Indian Mountain

What a sight!

Today, Tuesday,  Ellen has taken Max to Camp Jackson, and since it is still cold and wet (in the 40's), I've stayed home to blog, read, etc. Paul will pick up Max today, so Ellen can come home anytime she wants to.