River, mountains, animals

Today the day started early because we treated ourselves to something special: a rafting trip on the Snake River. Normally, you get a great view of the magnificent mountains from there. Unfortunately, not really today, because the fog hung over the river for quite a while. We didn't expect that, because at the lodge we woke up with glorious sunshine and a clear view of the mountains. Anyway, into the raft with two other fearless adventurers and off we went on the wild ride. The river has a lot of water and the raft went pretty fast, and our raft guide, Kriss, had a hard time finding the passage between all the driftwood and gravel bars. The company rides the river every morning before the first guests arrive to check if there is a safe passage. Unfortunately, we didn't see any bears or moose, but we did see a few pronghorns, pelicans, and 3 eagles 🦅. In the picture with the two birds, the larger eagle is the female. It must be bigger because the egg is apparently very large. Kriss told us that the female eagle's partner died 2 years ago. She mourned for a year until she found a new partner with whom she is now building a nest again.

At the end of the trip, the weather cleared up. After warming up with a cup of coffee, we went on a little hike. The hikes here are always marked on the visitor center maps with their difficulty level. For us unsporty car travelers, moderate - a little above easy - is enough. The classification of the trails here is a bit more generous than ours, easy also includes inclines, etc. But it must be said that even the seemingly unsporty Americans always make it to the end of the trail. The pioneer spirit and determination still shine through.

What can we say: the hike was fantastic. The lakes were wonderful, the mountains were clearly visible, and the weather was consistently good. Even though the park got busier at the beginning of the holiday weekend (Memorial Day), it was never crowded. We mostly walked the trail alone.

And then our highlights. First, a wolverine sunbathing. And then finally our first American elk! The young lady was enjoying the fresh greenery right next to the trail and didn't care about the tourists. We stood there for at least 20 minutes watching the animal, simply wonderful. And the other small animals and birds that populate the park are simply great and fun to watch.

This park is definitely worth coming back to!