We decided to head to Jenny Lake and take the boat shuttle across the lake. The photo at the left was taken from the boat. There are several trails there, and we opted for one that goes into a canyon between the mountains (Cascade Canyon trail). The trail followed a rushing stream, then headed uphill for the first mile to an expansive view of the Teton valley across Jenny Lake. From there the trail leveled out as it headed between the mountains. The photo below is from the Canyon trail.What fabulous views of the sheer walls on both sides of the canyon!On the trail, we decided that after the trip, we would have to compile a list of "bad parenting" behaviors that we were privileged to witness during these 3 weeks. This trail hike offered us a great one. As we were descending the trail, we noted a little girl, no more than 3 or 4 years old, with reddened face, struggling to keep up with her dad and older brother (maybe 11 or 12). You could clearly see that she was at her breaking point (the trail was getting a lot steeper), as she finally started to cry that she wanted to be with her mommy. We continued down the trail as they ascended. Soon after we had passed them, we saw the little girl, father and brother descending, the little girl ahead and smiling broadly as she returned to her mother waiting below. I smiled when I saw her, and commented to the father how happy she looked to be going back. Clearly exasperated, and upset with his daughter, he snapped that HE'D "be back tomorrow". He was mostly concerned with his own entertainment, and not with the physical or emotional needs of his child. This was one case of many we saw, where the parents were dragging toddlers (and babies!) up a steep incline. On the first part of this same trail, we heard a baby wailing. Hey people! Figure out what are appropriate activities for your children, and things that you will enjoy too! Don't just drag the kids to the stuff you are bound and determined to do, with no concern for their well-being and contentment.
At any rate, after this walk, we drove up to Signal Mountain, a narrow, winding road that takes you up to a fantastic viewpoint of the Teton valley. We walked a bit to the viewpoint, and stood to admire the awesome view, when, unbelievably, the only other person there whipped out her cell phone and called someone. She proceeded to have a lengthy conversation, discussing where she was, and what she done today. In the face of that quiet beauty, her foremost thought was to call someone. Yikes!
After a few more stops at viewpoints, and a lot of picture-taking, we opted for a restaurant dinner tonight. Back to our cabin to relax and enjoy the evening...
No comments:
Post a Comment