Near Alta in Teton County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Jenny Lake
Photographed By Beverly Pfingsten, June 10, 2011
1. Jenny Lake Marker
Inscription.
Jenny Lake. . Running water initially cut V-shaped canyons throughout the range. Mountain glaciers later filled these canyons. Rocks of all sizes, falling onto and plucked by these glaciers, enhanced their grinding power. The broad U-shape of Cascade Canyon typifies the reshaping force of masses of flowing ice.
Upon leaving the confining canyon, the most recent mountain glacier spread onto and pressed deeply into the valley floor. Where flow equalled melting, the glacier acted like a giant conveyor belt, forming glacial moraines by depositing rock material at its sides and front. When the glacier retreated, meltwaters filled the depression surrounded by morainal ridges to form Jenny Lake. More than 200 feet deep, Jenny Lake is one in a chain of similar glacial lakes at the base of the range.
Photo , Jenny Lake was named for Jenny, the Shoshone wife of Beaver Dick Leigh, a trapper who served as a guide for the U.S. Territorial Survey expedition which explored and mapped the area in 1872.
Running water initially cut V-shaped canyons throughout the range. Mountain glaciers later filled these canyons. Rocks of all sizes, falling onto and plucked by these glaciers, enhanced their grinding power. The broad U-shape of Cascade Canyon typifies the reshaping force of masses of flowing ice.
Upon leaving the confining canyon, the most recent mountain glacier spread onto and pressed deeply into the valley floor. Where flow equalled melting, the glacier acted like a giant conveyor belt, forming glacial moraines by depositing rock material at its sides and front. When the glacier retreated, meltwaters filled the depression surrounded by morainal ridges to form Jenny Lake. More than 200 feet deep, Jenny Lake is one in a chain of similar glacial lakes at the base of the range.
Photo Jenny Lake was named for Jenny, the Shoshone wife of Beaver Dick Leigh, a trapper who served as a guide for the U.S. Territorial Survey expedition which explored and mapped the area in 1872.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1872.
Location. 43° 46.079′ N, 110° 43.048′ W. Marker is near Alta, Wyoming, in Teton County. Marker is on Jenny Lake Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alta WY 83414, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2018. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 685 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on September 15, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 22, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
