Hike #3- Table Rock in Grand Teton National Forest (our great BIG hike)

This was the great BIG hike of the 3 hikes.  The one that took us all summer to condition for.  It is on the border of Idaho and Wyoming.  It is kind of high, but not really as high as some mountains- it is 11,100 feet.  But the thing about Table Rock, is it can be diffucult because it has some challenge spots on the trail.  And it feels pretty long because every vantage point that you look at it from, it looks SO FAR away.  The shale, which is a long field of sharp jagged rocks that you have to cross, is right before you get to the top and is very challenging.

The view at the top is spectacular of course.  The Teton Range is so close it feels like you could just reach out and touch it.  Not the case, as it is sheer cliffs between Table Rock and those other mountains.

It was great fun for the family, as well as for my husband, who has great scouting memories climbing these mountains.  I think he said this was his 4th time for Table Rock, but it had been over 20 years since he had done it.  He got the ball rolling with this and picked a day that would work for us, then reached out to his siblings and invited them…. and the next thing you know, 4 out of 6 siblings were able to be there, along with Mom and Dad.  It was great family bonding to do it together!

Mom had the idea for making t-shirts, and she let my girls design them.  And here is the special part about our shirts- TEAM LIZ!  For our cousin who is fighting- and WINNING- the battle against breast cancer.  We can now join her other pictures of cool poeple and places who have taken this banner with them.  We are fighting and praying with and for her!  You can read about that here: http://www.profoundingfather.com/ and here Worldwide Logos

GO LIZ!!!!!

Now for the spectacular pictures…..

Here they are hiking....

 

The field of shard....

On top of the world at the 11,100 feet!



Here they are as they walked in the door.  Please note the dirt on everyone, especially my children!

 



Yes, Grandpa did it!  He is over 70 years old.  Look at him, young and spry and chipper.  I don't even think he has a hair out of place!  Remember, this is the "after" picture!  Can you believe it????

This is my nephew... he was the first one to the top- congrats!!!

Brother and Sister-in-law.

My little niece, such a trooper.  She did it with a broken arm!

My other brother and sister-in-law.  He is so funny when it comes to picture taking.

And another brother-in-law.

In the meantime, some of us stayed back to care for the little grandkids who couldn't go.  We took a little hike around the cabin, played games, watched movies, did a alphabet-nature scavenger hunt.

I am in love with these kids.  They are soooo soooo cute!

The next day each family did a skit.  Very fun.


And we had a family craft.... Grandpa taught us all how to do leather stamping.  He dusted those stamps off that he used many, many years ago when he was a teen.  Pretty cool stuff.

It was a wonderful trip that we will never forget.  Not just the hike, but being together and enjoying eachother and the beautiful cabin and scenery.  (And I think it is pretty safe to say all those little cousins sure seem to adore their teen cousins, and visa-verse).