Crossing Togwotee pass and the long drive to GTNP and Hamilton, Montana

We left Grand Isle, Louisiana and started a five day marathon drive to Grand Teton National Park and then Hamilton, Montana. Last year we hit it just right and got great pictures of Grizzly 399 and her four cubs. Now if the snow would just melt.

Our plan was to make it in four days and we did, by having two long days of driving over five hundred miles. Spending the last night in Dubois, Wyoming we headed over Togwotee Pass for Grand Teton National Park. The roads were at first dry but soon there was quite a bit of snow and by the time we reached Togwotee Pass the roads were slick and snow covered. The amount of snow, on the sides of the road were in some places over six feet deep.

The orange plastic piece is attached to the metal reflectors so the snowplow drivers can see the edge of the pavement. Our Subaru worked fine, we do have Michelin Mud and Snow tires on it, and the only spooky part was when we started sliding on a downhill stretch. The car quickly recovered, and it was really just a minor skid.

Reaching the park we saw snow, deep snow everywhere. Jackson Lake was frozen! The entire park was snow covered, with the exception of the Elk Refuge.

We never saw a set of tracks and the only animals we saw were several moose and elk, feeding on the refuge.

Canceling our plans to spend several days in Jackson, we instead drove to Idaho Falls. From there we drove a new route through Big Hole, Montana and on to our Jen and Erics place in Hamilton Montana. Our plan is to spend eight days here and then to head back to Wyoming. Now if it will only heat up and melt the snow so our rv park can reopen for the season……. By the way we ended up driving about 3047 miles before reaching Hamilton. That is farther than the drive to Anchorage Alaska. Clear skies