Jackson Lake Hikes......

So, I bought a little hiking book in the national park gift shop. I usually like to research the hike prior on the internet, to be sure I can handle it, but since there is such spotty service, I decided to get the book. Its so handy!! The weather was bad, so we decided to take a scouting trip to check out where some of the trailheads were. We stopped at Jenny Lake, and also the Moose Visitor Center, where we caught a ranger program on moose!! Hahaha. It was really good. I am very impressed with all of the rangers we have dealt with along the way, with only one exception:)

still beautiful, in spite of the weather

or because of it

nice 

Moose Visitor Center

okay....here's our moose!

ranger program on....moose

so nice!

The weather started to break a bit, so I pulled out my handy dandy hiking book and we decided to go to the lunch tree hill loop trail at Jackson Lodge. Its only about a mile, and you can tack on a little bit more to make it a longer hike, which we did. If the bad weather moved from the mountains to us, we were close to shelter, since the trail is only up the hill. The view was pretty good and we decided we would check that out again early one morning. It might be easier to spot moose from higher up!!

at Jackson Lodge

goes up!

wildflowers are really nice, but different from earlier in the summer

hoping to avoid that weather behind us!

the skies are really threatening!

heading back

we extended the hike a bit...but the weather was a little too close

pretty

The weather was threatening over the mountains, but it seemed a bit better over the meadows and we really wanted to hike a bit. We decided to live life on the edge and start a 3 mile hike to Christian Pond and Oxbow Trail. The trail was over hill and dale, but they were gently rolling hills so it was kind of nice! 

starting the trail

come on....let's go...there is weather coming in!

Christian Pond...

we saw ducks! ahhaha....no trumpeter swans though

more hills up!!

not as bad as it looks

view from the top of the hill

pretty flowers everywhere

nice "centerpiece"

these trails were well marked, but we couldn't linger

The views at Oxbow were really good, and we were able to see much more than what we see at street level so it was really worth the view! We did not want to head out too too far being that the weather was threatening, though we did have our rain gear with us. Also, I am now locked and loaded with bear spray too. Hopefully, we will never need it, but there are so many bears here. Also, hopefully if we do need it, I don't panic!! I did practice with empty containers at the ranger station, so I should be ok. Haha.

heading out to Oxbow

there's the view of the mountains

cairn

still heading out

Oxbow Bend area

scanning the landscape with my binocs

we are sharing the trail with horses!! (We noticed earlier...watching where we step!!)

Oxbow Bend

white pelicans and "those brown things" (ducks??? we don't know!)

let's head back now...weather is coming!

ok...this was a good hike....too bad we couldn't add more to it...another day?

one more shot of Christian Pond

We were happy to get some of this hiking in, it was a bonus to our day! Too bad we couldn't extend the hike a bit more, but as it was we just made it back before the storm. Lucky!