Gros Venture Area Grand Tetons
Gros Venture
On the way to the Gros Venture Slide, we passed a herd of buffalo. The range grass was so high, that the buffalo were almost hidden by it.
The view of the montains from the road to Gros Venture is beautiful. It highlights the fact that the mountains come right out of the valley.
Gros Venture Slide and Slide Lake
The Gros Venture area of Grand Tetons National Park is not as well visited as are the mountians and lakes in the park. The key feature of Gros Venture is the Gros Venture slide, one of the largest earth movements in the world.On June 23, 1925, in just three minutes, huge amounts of rock and debris cascaded down the north slope of Sheep Mountain and up the other side of the valley. The slide carried 50 million cubic yards of debris at about 50 miles per hour. The slide carried 300 feet up the opposite slope. The debris blocked the Gros Ventre River, and formed a five-mile long lake.
In 1927 the dam failed and the town of Kelly was destroyed. The flood killed six people and did an estimated $500,000 worth of damage. As a result of the flood, Jackson was awarded the county seat and not Kelly. If the flood hadn't happened Kelly would be the happening spot--not Jackson.
For more information about the slide and the flood visit Gros Venture Slide. This web site has the full story. You should find the whole story quite interesting.
View from the top of Grose Ventur debris field looking across valley to
where the slide occured.
Slide lake left behind after the flood.
Views of Grand Tetons from Gros Venture
There are excellent views of the Grand Tetons from Gros Venture slide area. Not quite as spectular as the view from Schwabacher Landing, but it is worth the trip.
Dudes riding in Gros Venture Grand Tetons
We also saw a group of dudes headed back to the ranch after a days ride. It looked like they got back just in time to avoid a serious afternoon thunderstorm.
