The drive continues, leaving the ancient lakes behind, we follow the rivers nestled in lush green valleys. At first, the landscape is flat; then gentle hills begin to appear, the road winding its way through them. The hills grow higher, the valleys deeper. Spring has only just awoken. The first wildflowers are sprouting along the roadside, and the last of the snow is only slowly melting. Rushing rivers taper off into gentle streams before they become freshwater springs.
Then, sudden calm: a vast plain opens up before us, the Snake River flows leisurely southwards, and behind it—there—towering mountain peaks rise abruptly into the sky. The rock glints grey in the last rays of sunlight against a pitch-black sky: a thunderstorm is brewing. It is the calm before the storm in the Grand Tetons.
KM 810, 10 million years ago
We arrive in Jackson Hole. This little cowboy town in Wyoming is far from an insider secret these days. High season has just kicked off; all the roads have been cleared of snow and are fully open again. On top of that, the first rodeo of the season is taking place (completely sold out).
We stroll through the town centre and window-shop at the luxury boutiques: cowboy hats, furs, and boots. What was once an important hunting ground for the indigenous population has transformed into a jet-set destination for both summer and winter. Here, the Rocky Mountains are accessible to everyone. And as soon as you drive out of Jackson Hole, the Tetons show off their absolute best side.
The Rocky Mountains were formed by tectonic shifts around 80 to 50 million years ago. However, as we know, the Earth kept moving—and continues to do so—and it wasn’t until barely 10 million years ago that the Teton Range began to take shape.
Along the roughly 60-kilometre-long Teton Fault, the mountain range lifts up bit by bit with every earthquake, whilst the basin of Jackson Hole sinks on the eastern side. Geologically speaking, because the Teton Range is extremely young, it has almost no foothills. What’s more, erosion simply hasn’t had enough time to round off its jagged, dramatic peaks.
KM 830, 2.15 million years ago
The region’s rock was profoundly shaped by volcanic activity, especially colossal eruptions as right next door lies the Yellowstone hotspot system. Roughly 2.1 million years ago, one of the most violent supervolcano eruptions in Earth’s history occurred there (the Huckleberry Ridge eruption). Its ash clouds and volcanic deposits covered and reshaped the entire region, stretching far into the Teton area.
You can actually still feel this geological activity in the rivers, which are often nowhere near as cold as you’d expect—or you can visit the thermal hot springs directly. We, on the other hand, spend our first few days around the national park feeling the chilly remnants of winter. Though, luckily, the weather is slowly shifting. The first heavy thunderstorm clears quickly. The meltwater in the rivers recedes, and the sun shines more frequently. It’s time to venture out onto the hiking trails.
KM 860, 15 000 years ago
After the Yellowstone eruption, the valley was still far from taking its final shape. Around 15 000 years ago, the Snake River Valley was at the peak of the last Ice Age. Massive glaciers poured down from the Yellowstone Plateau and the Teton canyons, filling the valley. As the ice gradually retreated, the glaciers left behind enormous debris moraines and raging torrents of meltwater. The Snake River carved its path through the gravel plains, whilst today’s deep-blue lakes—such as Jenny and Jackson Lake—were dammed up behind the glacial moraines.
With the melting ice sheets and green returning to the valleys, life returned to the Jackson Hole basin. Herds of elk (wapiti) and bighorn sheep followed the receding glacial margins up into the rocky slopes of the Tetons. The steep, barren cliffs offered perfect protection from predators for the bighorn sheep, while the lush valley meadows shaped the migration routes of the deer. Together with mega-herbivores like mammoths and bison, they formed a rich ecosystem. It wasn’t long before the very first Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherers followed the tracks of these animal migrations, using the Snake River Valley as a seasonal hunting ground.
The valley north of Jackson Hole remains the wintering ground for elk to this day, as there is plenty of food hidden beneath the snow. In spring, the herds embark on massive migrations back up to higher elevations. Now that we’re here, the animals are hiding on the forested mountain slopes. We spot just a single elk stag lying in the roadside ditch—though thankfully he’s only taking a break, hidden under the foliage. He doesn’t even seem bothered by the tourists taking photos.
KM 900, present
Today, we hike right over the moraines left behind by the ice. Our first hike in Grand Teton National Park is enchanting: taking a longer route around Emma Matilda Lake, we find ourselves scrambling over rocks, stones, and fallen tree trunks. The less-trodden paths receive very little maintenance here. There are bear tracks everywhere, though we only spot the creature itself once we are safely back in the car. A black bear pops up for a brief second, standing on its hind legs to get its bearings. But before we can even process it, he’s vanished back into the brush.
The other hike around Jenny Lake is much busier. People pass us constantly, and apart from birds, we hardly see any wildlife. Yet the shimmering blue of the lake practically begs for a swim on our first warm, sunny day in the US. We certainly aren’t going to pass that up.
We really enjoy the more secluded corners of the Grand Tetons; the rest of the park suffers from the usual hustle and bustle typical of US national parks. During our first few days, we notice that even in the middle of severe thunderstorms and pouring rain, people still ignore the danger and walk out onto the viewing platforms.
On the way to Yellowstone
The storm quickly passed after another few days in Grand Teton. It’s time for us to move on, leaving the peace and quiet of the more remote areas behind. The road slowly climbs steeper up the mountainside. We head further north along the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains.
A bustling modern highlight awaits us. What exploded into existence 2.1 million years ago is today even called the Serengeti of North America. We are entering the active volcano of Yellowstone National Park, where not only wild animals await, but also crowds of visitors on the hunt for the perfect experience.