It was pouring rain when I left Chicago so I skipped the idea of public transportation and grabbed a taxi to O’Hare. Despite the thunderstorms the flight was only delayed about half an hour, and the trip was uneventful otherwise. Landing at Jackson Hole is awesome. The view of the mountains is amazing, and they actually have signs up asking you to refrain from taking photos while you’re outside since you have to exit the plane onto the ground to go inside. After picking up my rental car I didn’t even have to drive half a mile before getting a glorious view of the Grand Tetons. I pulled over at the park entry sign and started a photo carousel that was still going by the time I left, then headed into the park. Thank goodness for buying the National Park Pass in advance, I’ve already gotten my money’s worth out of it just on this trip. The drive to Headwaters Lodge & Cabins at Flagg Ranch only showed as an hour and a half from Jackson, but it took me about 3 hours to get there because I stopped at nearly every turnout/observation point along the way. It was a gorgeous, clear day, so the views were spectacular!
By the time I got to the campground it was about an hour to sunset, and I had a bit of a surprise when I checked in. The “basic cabin” I booked was actually a camper cabin, which is a huge difference. A camper cabin means no electricity, no heat, no linens…just a plywood 10×10’ box with windows, a bunk-bed with mattresses, a small table, and three small drawers. Now, that’s not a huge problem, I’ve camped many times before in the cold and I was looking to get away; however, I just flew with a carry-on/personal item so of course I didn’t have things like sheets, blankets, towels, or a pillow. Fortunately the staff at the campground were fabulous, apparently this happens a lot, and they let me borrow some blankets, a sleeping bag, pillow and a towel for free.
After getting settled I drove back over to the nearest Grand Teton observation point to watch the sunset and chat with folks, then headed back to the campground to join in a stargazing event with an aspiring astronomer who pointed out constellations in the absolutely clear night sky. Just FYI, Flagg Ranch does fun little events daily and keeps the info posted on their board in the Lodge. It was nearly midnight by the time I got back inside, so I went to bed. It got chilly that night, and I am ashamed to say that living in the City has made me soft! I survived though 🙂
