Snake River and Sloshies!

 Thursday, July 28, 2022

We got an early start with breakfast at Dornan's Chuckwagon.  It's a famous spot right across from the visitor center in Teton National Park.  Nothing better than breakfast with a beautiful view!

A prarie dog was ready to join us for breakfast!

It was another day of scenic sights, this time from the water, as we rafted down the Snake River.  The views were stunning! 

A few from our group tested the water before we launched.  The water was shallow, but moving swiftly, and very rocky on the bottom.  It wasn't icy cold, since it was so shallow.

Our guide explained the rafts move much quicker in the spring with the snow melt from the mountain.  Our 10 mile trip took about two hours today.  He said the trip only takes about an hour in the spring due to the fast moving water!  Each raft had about 12 people, and we sat around the perimeter of the boat.  The bride and groom provided a cooler and snacks for each raft, and everyone loaded up with sunscreen and had cameras ready. 

There were 7 rafts in our group, but once we launched, there was never another raft in sight.  Our guide Shawn did a great job pointing out the mountains, the features along the shoreline, as well as wildlife along the way.

The wildlife inside the raft was pretty calm, in spite of the empty coolers at the end of the trip!  There was also a lot of snacking going on!

Shawn pointed out the glacial terraces along the bank of the river.  These terraces are formed by melting glaciers eroding the rocks.

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the views of the mountains. 

We saw several bald eagles, but the most exciting sighting was the huge bull moose, chomping on the foliage at the side of the river.  It's amazing how big it was.  Zoom in to see the antlers!

Afterwards we went back to Dornan's for a buffalo burger and for a famous Jackson Hole Sloshie!   I've been looking for a sloshie all week.   A sloshie is a frozen drink, made with fresh squeezed juice, corn syrup and a generous helping of vodka!  They make them in the big machines like Icees.  Today's flavor was Teton Lemonade (Cranberry)  and Greyhound (Grapefruit).  Can't wait to try tomorrow's flavor.  This adds a whole new meaning to getting sloshed!