Grand Teton National Park,Wyoming

People first ventured into this valley as glaciers receded. The earliest evidence of humans in this area dates back at least 11,000 years. By the time Europeans arrived, tribes such as the Shoshone, Bannock, Blackfoot, Crow, Flathead, Gros Ventre, Nez Perce and others were harvesting the valley’s seasonal riches. Native people came to hunt animals, gather plants and collect rocks and minerals. These mountains also held spiritual meaning for American Indians, a connection that endures today.

Indians camped near rivers and lakes to hunt wildlife and harvest roots and berries, often roasting camas root in underground pits. Both wildlife and plants were essential to their diet. With the coming winter, Indians often left the valley for milder locales as did most of their prey.

American Indians - Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately 310,000 acres (480 sq mi; 130,000 ha; 1,300 km2), the park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile-long (64 km) Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. It is only 10 miles (16 km) south of Yellowstone National Park, to which it is connected by the National Park Service-managed John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Along with surrounding National Forests, these three protected areas constitute the almost 18,000,000-acre (7,300,000 ha) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact mid-latitude temperate ecosystems in the world.

Grand Teton National Park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. The naming of the mountains is attributed to early 19th-century French-speaking trappers—les trois tétons (the three teats) was later anglicized and shortened to Tetons. At 13,775 feet (4,199 m), Grand Teton abruptly rises more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above Jackson Hole, almost 850 feet (260 m) higher than Mount Owen, the second-highest summit in the range. The park has numerous lakes, including 15-mile-long (24 km) Jackson Lake as well as streams of varying length and the upper main stem of the Snake River. Though in a state of recession, a dozen small glaciers persist at the higher elevations near the highest peaks in the range. Some of the rocks in the park are the oldest found in any U.S. National Park and have been dated at nearly 2.7 billion years.


Grand Teton National Park - Wikipedia


So winter camping is allowed at this one,at the plowed out visitor center parking lot.During the night,I half awaken with dreams and worries of grizzly bears attacking my tent! Knowing they live here,early in the morning before sunrise I become a nervous wreck,not quite able to wake myself so I can think rationally and tell myself that it's winter and they are hibernating.Once the sun comes up and I wake up,I'm able to calm down and laugh at myself when I recall it's winter and nothing is coming to eat me so I finally get some more rest haha.I will forever remember that restless night.
The next day however,what a reward with such a scenic snow shoe hike! Holy crap! Yeah.Pretty darn cool place.Only a small section was open during the winter but enough to appreciate and admire.A visit I'll never forget.