Skateparcation Across the Nation: Saturday July 10, 2021

Grand Teton NP is about 2 1/2 hours away from us. We decided that we must go there;)))

We got up early this morning and drove through Yellowstone to Grand Teton!!

We crossed the continental divide three times on our way to the Tetons!!

Here we are. National Park number 33. This is our last new National Park for our trip. 33 National Parks in a year is crazy!!!! I don't even know how many NP's there are now because they keep adding new ones. I will forever be grateful to Theodore Roosevelt for implementing the National Park system!!

Jackson Lake is a huge lake in the Tetons. We decided to play there for the day. But first, lunch!

Then guess what we did in the lake?? Yup. SUP!! Oh man!! Today was perfect!! The sun was warm. The water was warm. There was no wind and our SUP's were the best activity to do!! Everyone enjoyed it today!!

First Graham, Pepper and Taj took off. Asher was just going to wait for them. But. . . . .

After the kids went out, Scotty and I had to run to the truck real fast to get a few things. While we were at the truck, Asher decided to go and swim out to an island that was about a mile out. The other kids were on their way there on the SUP's. Asher didn't tell me where he was going. He just went. When Scotty and I got back to the towels, he was gone and I had no idea where he was. I couldn't see him in the water and after about 30 minutes I started to freak out.

At 45 minuets, I was about to go find a park ranger. Where was Asher??? I thought for sure he had drowned and all the horrible scenarios were playing out in my mind. It was at this point, that I saw this girl in the green shorts, walking down the beach with about 6 park rangers. I heard her talking to them and explaining that her friend went out swimming, and disappeared and hasn't come back.

Oh shoot!!

The same thing was happening to me. I watched and listened for about 5 minutes, then as I looked over at the water, there he was. Asher was on a SUP with Pepper coming back to shore. Phew!! He was alive and it was all OK.

When he got back, I let him have it. Then he explained that he went out swimming, crossed paths with a girl and they both decided to swim out to the island together. Guess who that girl was?? Yes, the one that the green shorts girl was looking for. Asher and Graham went over to the park rangers to explain to them what had happened and that the girl was swimming back and was safe. They walked out and found her and yes, indeed, she was the girl they were looking for.

So. ..

Asher did a bad thing by going out without telling me and freaking me out, but he "saved" the day because he stayed with this girl until she made it back and was able to tell the rangers where she was.

These are pictures of him coming back to me after I was scared that he died.

This is the ranger boat that they sent out to look for the girl.

Here they are. . . Asher and the lost swimming girl. Back safe and sound. He better not ever do that again without telling me. I aged like 30 years through that.

When all was calm, Scotty and I went out to explore the lake.

We had to buy this book :)) It's awesome!!

After the lake, we started driving back to Homie. As we drove through Yellowstone, we stopped at places that we hadn't hit yet.

Smoke from the fires was coming our way. The sun looked so cool through the smoke.

According to Taj, you are allowed to skateboard on these walk ways. He looked at this sign and said, "Oh man, I should have brought my skateboard". Hahahahaha

We walked on this trail up to an overlook. We were very bear aware:)). Taj carried a rock and a stick to protect me:)) He said that he was my protector. If a bear came, he was going to, "Do his best to save me". Oh man, he is the cutest. We didn't see a bear;) Scotty had our bear spray just incase!