All Good Things Must Come To An End

"For the Joy, The Laughs, The Lessons, The Adventure of a Lifetime"

Oprah Winfrey

It has been seven months since I made the decision to live in Jackson Hole for the summer.  It is a decision that will be remembered by me as one of my best decisions EVER.  It has been four and a half months of pure fun, excitement and pleasure.  I really did not know what to expect from actually "living" here as opposed to visiting for a week, like I have done for the previous four years.  My summer life here has been wonderful and the experience is very tough to put into words.  There is a beauty to the land and a calmness in the air that is like no other place I have ever been.  Life is simple here and simple is good.  The majestic nature of the land actually calls to you each and every day.  You are pulled to the plentiful outdoor activities that exist in and around Jackson Hole.  I stayed active every day and yet did not have enough time to experience everything the area has to offer.  I can already see that I will be back for more fun next summer.

Morning view on my last full day in paradise

"No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain can not be denied.  It speaks in silence to the core of your being."

Ansel Adams

What I will always remember and cherish about this experience is that I was able to share it with many good friends.  I spent 123 days here in Jackson Hole and I shared my home during 80 of those days with visiting friends.  Being able to share the experience with friends was one of the motivating factors when I made the decision to venture here for the summer.  My time here in Jackson Hole allowed me to reconnect with friends from all over the US and the many different chapters of my life.

"Traveling has been my greatest teacher.  It has offered me the gift of seeing and experiencing other points of view and other realities."

Shirley Mc Clain

My friends mean the world to me and spending time with each of them and sharing this experience was both refreshing and rewarding.  There is no better feeling in the world then to connect with true friends and share deep laughter together.  I had friends visit from all of the crazy chapters of my life.  Two different visitors (Katherine and Nancy) have known me since I was 9 years old when me met at summer camp in Mentone, Alabama.  Another visitor was one of my best friends from the San Diego chapter of my life.  Kate and I met in 1992 and became roommates in 1994.  Another visitor (Heather) popped in from Salt Lake City and we had a blast catching up and also reminiscing about the fun we had working together for a few years in San Diego.  My Dallas friend (Elaine) spent 10 days here and now we have Jackson Hole to add to the long list of places we have traveled together since meeting in 1986.  My New Jersey years were also well represented.  Five New Jersey buddies (Lil, Sara, Cheryl, Mary Ellen and Ranait) made the long journey west and memories were added to those we have created together since becoming friends in 2001.  Our Pingry connection will always keep us in touch.  I also loved hosting Sarasota friends (Dick, Betsy,Dave, Seyken, Susan, Alli, Chris, Tiffany, Adele, Dianne, Lorraine ans Cathy) and getting to know them even better since moving to Sarasota in 2005.  It was wonderful to spend time with all of them outside of our regular routine in Sarasota.  Experiencing the wedding of Sarasota friends Vicky and Kevin was a definite highlight of the summer.  They are both the best of the best of the human race and it is wonderful that they have found each other.  Like me, they also have a love of Jackson Hole and it was great to spend time with them here.  Some of my most special days were those spent with my sister Stacy and her friend Tricia.  They traveled from New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi to enjoy the relaxation of Jackson Hole.  I do not get to see my sister as often as I would like, but as soon as we got together it was just like the old times when she was challenging me to see how many cheese balls I could fit in my mouth at one time (43).  I enjoyed showing my friend from Chicago around and watching the awe that appeared in their eyes when they saw the beauty of the Grand Tetons for the first time.  And of course, having Rashawn visit for a week was like icing on a cake.  I loved watching him turn back into his younger self when he went paragliding and whitewater rafting for the first time ever.  I love that I can still share such experiences 
with him.

Dave and Susie Luebbe - me - Carol and Craig Schwender

My time here in Jackson Hole was not all about old friends.  I was fortunate enough to meet some new friends who helped make the "adventure" such a positive experience.  I was lucky to meet Carol Schwender during my first week in Jackson Hole.  I had participated in "Open Tennis" at Teton Pines tennis club the first Saturday I was in town.  Carol is a regular player in 'open tennis' and was friendly and gracious from the moment we took the court.  A few days later at "Thirsty Thursday" ladies tennis, Carol's husband Craig dropped by to watch and then invited us all back to the club's restaurant for a glass of wine.  Both Craig and Carol are super outgoing and were happy to have the "new kid in town" tag along with them to many activities.  Craig organized numerous hikes and I even ended up playing a bit of golf (ok .... a pitch and putt outing) with them.  Through Teton Pines tennis club, I was also lucky to meet Susie and Dave Luebbe.  Years ago Dave was the Tennis Director at Teton Pines and his wife Susie is an excellent player.  Teton Pines gave my phone number to Susie and she called often to set up some very good tennis matches for us.  I did not play much tennis out here, but the best and most fun tennis I did play was mixed doubles with Susie and Dave.  Dave also took Vicky and I out for an afternoon of fly fishing!  Meeting both the Schwender's and Luebbe's at the start of the summer set a wonderfully positive tone for my adventure.  I learned from these new friends that the locals of Jackson Hole are as wonderful as the beauty of the Grand Tetons!


I do realize how lucky I am to be fortunate enough to simply "take off" and live in Jackson Hole for over four months.  Every day, I thank my lucky stars and those who have made my life posssible.  My goal is to never simply sit back and watch life happen.  I will continue to push myself to grab life by the tail, hang on and experience all that I can.

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

After the First Snow Fall

The view after the first snow fall of the season.

The view after the first snow fall of the season.

Fall Becomes Winter

Loving Fall in Jackson Hole

My time here in Jackson Hole has come full circle.  As of today, I have experienced all four seasons during my four and a half months of living in beautiful Jackson Hole.  When I first arrived on June 2nd, the weather in Jackson was considered late spring.  It was a bit gray and still chilly.  There was even a day in early June when a few snow flakes fell while I was working at the ranch.  By July, summer had arrived with tons of sunshine and warm weather.  Mid September saw the beautiful arrival of fall colors and crisp temperatures. And today winter arrived!  There is now a layer of snow covering the area.  I guess it is time to go home!

Winter has arrived

Early winter view from my back deck


I have loved my time in Jackson Hole.

Adele and I on our own.

Adele and I had to sadly say goodbye to Dianne and Lorraine early Tuesday morning.  They were headed back to Sarasota leaving Adele and I on our own to continue exploring Jackson Hole.  A bit of rainy fall weather has rolled into town, so Adele and I enjoyed a few hours in the Craig Thomas Visitor Center of the Grand Teton National Park.  The visitor center is relatively new and does a great job of educating visitors as to the history of the park and surrounding area.  When the rain cleared, Adele and I headed off to hike the Black Butte Trail.

Adele and I head out to conquer Blacktail Butte

The trail starts and ends through beautiful willows

Views from the Blacktail Butte Trail

More views from the trail

Looking up towards the summit of Blacktail Butte

Adele at the summit of Blacktail Butte

View of the Tetons from the summit of Blacktail Butte

After completing the hike, Adele and I did a bit of driving around in search of Jackson Hole wildlife.  Now that the fall temperatures have started to drop the animals are moving around more and starting their  migration to the valley.  There is a lot of animal activity right now.

Bull moose sitting in a field about a mile from my house

Momma and baby moose eating my neighbors trees

Momma moose in the hood

Looking for a snack

After a full day of Jackson Hole life ........  sit back and enjoy the fire!

Oxbow Bend and Jackson Lake with the Sisters

View of Oxbow Bend and Mount Moran

On Monday, we headed to the north side of the Grand Teton National Park.  We stopped to enjoy the view of Mount Moran at Oxbow Bend.  The colors were perfect and the above picture does not do the real beauty justice.  After enjoying the view, we continued on to Jackson Lake Lodge.

View at Jackson Lake Lodge

Another view at Jackson Lake Lodge

From the back entrance of Jackson Lake Lodge we hiked up to the Rockefeller Tree.  It was from this spot that JD Rockfeller first fell in love with the area.  He later secretively purchased 35,000 acres and gave it to the government to create Grand Teton National Park.  It was a quick hike that we all enjoyed.

Views from our hike above Jackson Lake

One of the many views that JD Rockefeller enjoyed

Another beautiful view

A Fall Hike at Jenny Lake with Adele, Cathy, Dianne and Lorraine

At the start of the hike at Jenny Lake 

Sunday was a beautiful fall day as we headed out to hike Jenny Lake.  Jenny Lake is located on the southern side of the Grand Teton National Park.  As we set out, we were not sure  how much of the hike we would make, but we set our goal on the entire 7 mile trail around the lake as well as the half mile climb up to Inspiration Point.  The "season" here in Jackson Hole has ended and many of the park facilities (visitor centers, gift stores, concessions, and bathrooms) are closed.  Bad news about the bathrooms, but great news resulting in less people on the trails.  We headed out early at 8:30am.  With the early start, we encountered brisk temperatures for the first few hours.  The colors along the trail were amazing.  The reds, oranges and yellows seemed to be on fire.

Enjoying the colors on the trail

More fun on the trail

Should have kept my sunglasses on!

Fall beauty along the trail

Along the trail and on the way to Inspiration Point, we took a break at Hidden Falls.

Hidden Falls at Jenny Lake

Inspiration Point is at an elevation of 7200 ft.  Looking in one direction, you have a beautiful view of Jenny Lake.  Looking in the other direction, you have a beautiful view of the Tetons.  The hike to Inspiration point is about 4 miles with the last half mile being straight up.  Once at the top, it is a great place to sit and take in the view while eating a nice snack.

View of Jenny Lake from Inspiration Point

Adele and Cathy at Inspiration Point with a great view of the Tetons behind them.

After taking a break at Inspiration Point, we hiked back down for a half mile and then finished the remaining 4 miles of the Jenny Lake Loop.  A few brief rain showers hit us on the remaining miles, but they did not last long and Adele was prepared!  Who knew I would be hiking with a friend who carried a rainbow umbrella!

Adele - always prepared!

It was a great day of hiking with good friends.  When we finished the Jenny Lake Loop and made it back to the closed visitor center, the only other hiker we could find to snap our picture was a shy female visiting from Japan.  She spoke no English but had no problem working the camera.

Enjoying a sit down after finishing the hike

On our drive home from Jenny Lake, we headed to Moose Junction just in time to catch a female moose enjoying the Snake River.

Ms. Moose at Moose Junction

Departing Moose Junction, we dared to take a few "private" roads to check out the houses.  We saw beautiful homes and quite a few for sale.  If you have a few extra millions, many of them can be yours.  While meandering down the "private" roads we ran stumbled across a beautiful elk crossing on the side of the road.

Letting his friends and neighbors know that there were intruders on the "private" road

After a great day of hiking and wildlife sightings, we cleaned ourselves up and headed to Jenny Lake Lodge for a very tasty dinner.

After dinner at Jenny Lake Lodge

Hiking with the Sisters and Cathy

At the top of Rendezvous Mountain

View from Pass Ridge Trail

Pass Ridge Trail

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

After hiking near the Teton Pass, the next stop has to be in Victor, Idaho for the world famous HUCKLEBERRY shake!  Yum, Yum, Yum !

Lorraine, Adele and Cathy outside the Victor Emporium

"Sarasota Sisters" and Cathy hit the streets of Jackson Hole

Cathy, Adele, Lorraine, Dianne, Me

The McDevitt sisters (Adele, Lorraine, and Dianne) and Cathy Kobren arrived in Jackson Hole on Wednesday.  Any time the "sistas" are together, you know there will be a lot of laughter.  It is easy to refer to them as the "Golden Girls", not because of their age, but because of the hilarious way that they interact whenever they are together.  I am so happy that they convinced Cathy to join them on their visit out to Jackson Hole because she adds so much to the group.  Having Cathy here also means that I am not the only one laughing at and with the "Golden Girls."

Since their arrival in Jackson Hole on Wednesday, the girls have been kicking up their heels and having a blast.  Their first afternoon, they spent a few hours driving around and taking in all the beautiful fall colors.

It seems as if the fall colors are changing every minute of every day.  It is simply beautiful here in
September!


On their first outing of their stay here in Jackson Hole, I was working at the ranch and the girls took a driving tour on their own.  They enjoyed themselves a lot but had many stories to tell.  Imagine my surprise when they pulled into the garage and started painting the bumper of their rental car!  It seems that while driving the roads of the Grand Teton National Park, a log had jumped into their path causing the bumper to hang off just a
bit.  It turns out that a fair amount of paint was also missing from the bumper.  They were able to pound the bumper back in place and decided that a can of spray paint would cover the damage.

Dianne and Cathy checking the bumper

Cathy the artist painting the bumper

On Thursday, the girls enjoyed the historical walking tour of the Town Square and enjoyed a few galleries and shops.  When I finished work, we enjoyed catching up on their adventures of the day and we prepared to attend "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at the western playhouse in downtown Jackson.

We enjoyed all the fun of the playhouse and the actors/actress who also served as our singing waitress.

Our singing waitress

Cathy and Dianne enjoying the saddle bar

The Sarasota Sisters practicing their Cowgirl moves

This morning (Friday) the girls headed out to hike and I had my final day of work at the ranch.  My job has been fun and I can honestly say I am glad I took the job.  It was fun to meet my co-workers at the ranch and to get to know them these last 4 months.  I also enjoyed meeting the ranch guest and being constantly surprised at the "six degrees of separation" that really does exist in the world.

View from the Float office at the ranch on my last day of work

After work today (Friday), I joined up with the girls and we enjoyed a beautiful scenic float down the Snake River.  The beautiful fall colors made this float trip different from the others that I have taken during my time here in Jackson.

Float trip view

Float trip view

Cathy and Dianne enjoying the float trip

Lorraine and Adele enjoying the float trip

Float trip view

Float trip view

Float trip view

A tree that the beavers almost have down

Beautiful Tetons

We all worked up a good appetite with our busy day and were eager to enjoy a wonderful dinner at The Snake River Grill in downtown Jackson.   The atmosphere at The Snake River Grill is my favorite in town.  It is designed and decorated like a cozy ski lodge and the food is mouth watering good.  I enjoyed the best Bison ribs I have ever eaten in my life.  It is also fair to say that they were the first Bison ribs I had ever eaten in my life.  The girls also enjoyed their dinners!

Near the entrance of the Snake River Grill