Elk Island Colter Bay Breakfast Cruise

The second morning we woke up in the Tetons, we scooted out the door for an adventure out of Colter Bay, titled “Jackson Lake Scenic Breakfast Cruise“, Dee Dee’s treat. I shot the picture below as we waited for the group to gather. I love the contrast of the warm color of the sea kayaks against the cool water and an mountains. There were two boats to transport our small crowd. Captain Ron took us on his boat “Rondezvous” to Elk Island where there were picnic tables, a large bonfire, grill station for pancakes, hash browns, scrambled eggs and trout, continental breakfast buffet, cowboy coffee and drink station. On the boat ride, the history of the Tetons and Elk Island along with the geological features of the mountains were narrated by park staff. I believe it was Scoops that commented that our family was answering all the quiz questions. It’s true. The grandparents were answering all the questions and the guide offered on more than one occasion for them to tell the stories. I think if Scoops had been two or three years older, there would have been eye-rolling rather than amusement. I’m holding my breath for this last short season of sweetness before I have full-blown teenragers.

We were able to see a waterfall and get a closer view of the snowy peaks and glaciers through our binoculars. This ride was one that epitomized everything that is wrong with “kids these days”. Just kidding, there is nothing wrong with them, only they have the luxury of not yet feeling the effects of age and time and therefore don’t feel the need to soak up all views and experiences. Joe snapped a picture of them with their heads huddled town over a screen with the grandiose mountains out the window. We were soaking up the view, they were looking at a screen. Let’s be real though, sometimes letting the kids veg out on devices saves everyone’s sanity. Later on the trip, the day of the drive through Lamar Valley and the chuckwagon ride, we banned the Kindles.

I googled this cruise, and I found there are much more glamorous shots of the this experience on the world wide web. Just know that despite the cold, misty weather, the food was delicious. The hosts were hospitable, and the views were amazing.

My only disappointment this far into the trip was the lack of wildlife sitings. We drove through Moose, and I didn’t see a single moose. We were on Elk Island, and the only elk we saw was a headless carcass of an elk that had died of natural causes one year prior. The poor beast was headless with the hips down separated from the ribs and vertebrate up, because when the cruise folks notified the Park Service that there was a dead elk, they came and took to head off to stuff and hang in a museum. The gentleman telling me the story regretted that they reported it because a full skeleton would have been quite a draw for the tourists. This was just outside the $80,000 ecologically friendly pit-toilets, and he’s right. A complete elk skeleton would have absolutely completed the trip. Dee Dee said that later a woman on the cruise said, “Oh yeah, I spotted an Elk on the shore…” AND SHE DIDN’T BOTHER TO TELL US. Who does that?