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Published: April 5th 2008
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Distance: 13.2 miles to trail fork
Rating: Difficult
When my parents first took my sister and me up to Wyoming about twenty years ago, they made a point of taking us past the Grand Tetons. I remember being in absolute awe of the imposing wall of rock that towered over the valley floor. The Teton Range is nothing like what we see in Colorado. The Front Range mountains gradually climb, starting first with the foothills and eventually rising up to the highest fourteen thousand foot peaks. The Tetons, on the other hand, are “fault block mountains” that jut out of the valley floor like jagged teeth. There are no foothills, just steep slopes. Grand Teton National Park is a region of stark contrasts. The flat, glacially-carved valley of Jackson Hole gives way suddenly to the alpine crags of the Teton Range, which climbs to well over thirteen thousand feet at its highest point. My fascination with these mountains has never really subsided; and as I become a more avid hiker over the last several years, my desire to return went up substantially. So, when Christy, Robbie, and I were planning our trip up to Yellowstone, I suggested that we take
some time to explore the Tetons as well.
Violent geological activity and climate change helped to shape the landscape of Grand Teton National Park. Millions of years ago, a series of massive earthquakes caused the land on either side of the Teton Fault to rise (western side) and fall (eastern side). The uplifted side of the land towered nearly twenty-nine thousand feet above the newly-formed valley below. During the Ice Age, immense glaciers covered the land and gradually dragged and deposited layers of sediment over the valley floor while carving out the craggy peaks. When the process was finally completed, the original valley floor was covered by thousands of feet of rock and the mountains had taken on their jagged shape. Over the years, more glaciers have come and gone, leaving deep canyons and impressive lakes as evidence of their existence.
Cascade Canyon, the destination of our one full day in the park, is one of the best examples of the geological processes that shaped the region. This large U-shaped gap between the towering Cathedral Group to the south and St. John Group of mountains to the north was carved out by the same glacier that created Jenny
Lake at the canyon’s mouth. The trail running along the canyon floor offers some of the most impressive views of the park’s highest peaks as well as the sweeping views of the valley to the east. Cascade Creek, which is fed by far off lakes, glaciers, and nearly year-round runoff, is a constant companion along the hike. Moose, pika, pine martens, and black and grizzly bears are just some of the wild life that visitors may encounter in this area.
The Cascade Canyon Trail is part of a larger series of trails that wind their way between the imposing peaks of the park. From the Jenny Lake Visitor Center and East Boat Dock, the trail arcs for 2.4 miles around the south and west sides of the lake. During the summer, wild flowers flourish along Jenny Lake’s shores. Near the West Boat Dock, there is a short and worthwhile detour to Hidden Falls. This is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the park, so it tends to see a lot of slow foot traffic. The trail then begins its fairly steep climb up to Inspiration Point. This is the steepest part of the Cascade Canyon trail and it
tends to also see a lot of tourist traffic. This beautiful overlook provides visitors with impressive views of Jenny Lake in the valley below as well Teewinot Mountain, Mt. Owen, and Grand Teton (the highest mountain in the range) to the west. After the steep switchbacks up to Inspiration Point, most of the casual tourists turn around and head back to the Jenny Lake ferry. Even so, the Cascade Canyon trail is one of the most popular hikes in the park. The trail continues west through the canyon, offering increasingly better views of the jagged peaks on either side. Year-round snow patches in the higher elevations create numerous waterfalls that cascade down into the creek. For most of the 4.5 miles from Inspiration Point to the Cascade Canyon Trail fork, the trail only climbs gradually and enters several sections of pine forest. Another impressive set of falls can be seen along the South Fork Trail, just beyond the trail junction.
The total mileage from the South Jenny Lake area to the Cascade Canyon Trail fork is a little over 13 miles round-trip. To cut out about five miles from this hike, use the ferry from the East to West
Boat Dock. From the fork in the trail, hikers can either head south and west to Hurricane Pass (an additional 5.1 miles one way) or north to Lake Solitude (2.8 miles one way). For a strenuous 20 mile loop, hikers can continue east from Lake Solitude along the Paintbrush Canyon Trail.
As with any other higher altitude hike, weather can move in very quickly here. The high mountain walls of the canyon can block views of approaching storms. Although the trail does pass through several thick copses of trees, the majority of the hike is exposed. During the summer months, sun screen and rain gear are essential. This was the single longest hike that I’ve ever been on, and I did not pack enough water. I would advise bringing double the amount of water you think you will need. One minor annoyance near the trail junction was a tremendous amount of black flies, which made our stop for lunch a bit less relaxing. Make sure you have a strong bug spray handy if you do this hike during the hot summer months.
Directions: From Jackson Lake Junction, follow Teton Park Rd south for 12 miles. There are several
nice turnouts along the way that will provide great photo opportunities. At the North Jenny Lake Junction, consider taking the one-way scenic detour that passes by Jenny Lake Lodge. Follow the signs to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. This area is extremely popular and parking spaces fill up quickly.
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