We did some investigating of our new neighborhood today. We went to Jackson Lodge which does not look like much from the outside, but really nice on the inside.
These are views from the back balcony of Jackson Lodge, with Jackson lake in the foreground. 
In the evening we walked back to Jackson Lake from our campground site which is a about a 1/4 mile a way. The water is so very clear. 
This is a first for Joe and I, as far as a lake with snow capped mountains in the background. Maybe there are more places like this, but we have never seen such a beautiful view. 
Just remember to bring your mosquito spray along, because if you stop to take a picture, they are on you in seconds.7/10/2010
Today we decided to do the Emma Matilda Lake Trail. 
The trail head starts behind the horse corals at the Jackson Lodge. 
Right away there is a sign warning that bears have been seen around this trail. Joe and I have our bear spray, so I feel much better, but I scan ahead of the trail at all times. 
We have reached a height where we can see Jackson Lake below. 
Joe has picked out this trail and said it was about a 2 mile hike. 
We are going down a hill and the Tetons are disappearing. We know if for some reason we get lost to head toward the Tetons. 
Our hike takes us high above the Snake River. 
We go down a hill and the Tetons are gone. 
Then start to go up again to Ox Bow Overlook. 
Down again through a sage brush trail now. When we first started the trail we saw several hikers. But after the first ten minutes, we have been alone on the trail for some time now. 
In the Grand Teton Trip planner, it tells you that while on the trails, hikers should talk loud and clap your hands off and on, to let bears know you are in the vicinity. Most all bear attacks are when people walk into a bears path unexpectedly. If a bear hears people, they will leave, because they do not want to be around you. Through out our hike I have been clapping off and on, blowing my whistle, and tapping my walking stick on rocks, besides talking to Joe loudly. 
This hike is becoming longer than Joe said it was suppose to be. We don't think the trail maps in the Tetons are very good. They are hard to follow, and they try to put to much information on such a small piece of paper, that you don't know what is what on the map. 
The trail signs are confusing also. You come to intersections of trails, and it is hard to tell which direction to go from the signs. So for some reason, our two miles trail has become much longer. 
At this point Joe asked if we should go on or turn back. I don't want to turn back because we haven't seen Emma Matilda Lake. So we continue on the trail. 
I am so glad to be in an open space again. The trail took us into a very deep woods area. I was clapping a lot, and blowing my whistle.I really didn't like that part of the trail! I needed to get my mind off bears for awhile, so I took a picture of the flowers and the mountains we can finally see again. I was too scare to take a picture during the deep woods part of the trail. 
Finally we reach Emma Matilda Lake. 
It is a beautiful lake, and it brings peace to my soul for a while. 
We have not seen any other people, since the beginning of the trail. I just had bears on the brain. 
We cross a field of wild flowers, after the lake. 
Looking back at the field of flowers and the direction, we just came from. 
We start to enter into another dark deep woods area, and Joe turns around and puts his finger to his lips and tells me to shoo ch! Then he points to the trail. My heart started pounding a hundred miles an hour, as I was sure he had seen a bear. Thank goodness it was a grouse. We go through another deep dark woods area again and I clap, tap and talking loud again. 
It seems the deep woods trails are very long, but now that I look at the time on the pictures, they really are not. 
I tell Joe that I am getting very sore, from all this walking. He stops so I can take a breather! 
We are finally back on the beginning of the trail, as we have looped back to the last 1/2 mile. I tell Joe, my hips and knees are aching so bad, I can hardly walk another step. 
We get to the horse corals, and I tell Joe I have to stop and sit down for awhile. This little guy pops out of his hole, and looks at us, and then goes back in the hole. Then he comes back out and looks at us again. So I grab my camera and take his picture. He put a smile on my face. I remember seeing is some prochure what this little animal is called, but can't find the information now. He is a cross from a chipmunk and something else. There are a lot more bigger ones running around the horse coral. 
I am so glad we are only a 1/4 a mile to the car!
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