Yesterday SH and I arrived in the West for a vacation in Yellowstone but we started yesterday day with an overnight at Lake Jenny in Grand Teton National Park.

The Tetons resemble the Alps in Grindelwald. Both raise straight up. The Tetons have their roots in the plains and the Alps in a deep valley. They both have angles cut by glaciers. Fewer and smaller glaciers before global warming. Each mountain has a distinctive face so no wonder each is named.

What I also love is how the temperature drops precipitously as the sun goes down in the mountains. The sun in quite strong during the day. I noticed that in both the Tetons and the Alps the flowers grow profusely with all the sunlight. Huge baskets overflowing with blossoms.

Twilight and early morning are best in the mountains because the angled light is not so harsh and glaring.

When I come to mountains, I feel my spirit expanding and opening up. It’s like I am pulling all the space and height and majesty of those mountains inward and losing myself. It’s an ecstatic experience unique to coming to only this type of landscape.

Maybe it stems from my parents taking us to the West and these parks — and Glacier. Maybe it was the two week Outward Bound experience in the Maroon Bells. Or occasional forays to the Swiss Alps. But mountains enlarge and revitalize me.

I am so happy and grateful to be here today with my darling SH in this place — the Grand Tetons.