Today we actually make it to Two Ocean Lake. At last the sky is mostly clear and the Tetons are visible. It’s hard to believe they could ever be obscured by anything. These mountains are so majestic they look almost unreal, overdone. They trap your eye and mind into an entranced stare, scanning for some detail that will reveal the peaks as a giant painting in the sky, or a shimmering dream. It’s no surprise that many vehicles weave and slow to a crawl on the long stretch of highway at the foot of this range. Herds of bison and elk enhance the effect.

Our six mile loop around the lake is blissful. My body still protests the activity, but it’s getting better. Ann spots two white dots across the lake – more trumpeter swans. There are very few people on this trail. We agree it would be a good lake for canoeing as well as hiking. The only downer is that the new insoles have not saved Ann’s shoes. They still make her feet ache painfully after only a mile or two. She finishes the hike in her sandals.