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Published: April 3rd 2012
A new day
Grand Teton in morning light, from my campsite!I awoke this morning in a wintry wonderland.
The coulee is even prettier after sunrise than close to sunset.
Mountains stretched everywhere, with the jagged peaks of Grand Teton dominating the view to the south.
The northern end of the valley was clearer in the morning light, a bowl of snow.
This campsite has one of the best views in existence.
I met my camp companions.
Their plan is to cross the Paintbrush Divide ridge at the end of the valley, a difficult climb that at this time of the year requires technical equipment.
We swapped notes on breakfast.
Theirs is much better than the instant crud I brought.
I got some good ideas for Burning Man, where I will need to eat out of my backpack for a week.
I’ll need to try some of them while camping out later this month.
Cascade Canyon
The hike out is pretty much the reverse of the hike in.
The first stretch has a perfect view of Grand Teton the whole way, until I passed the avalanche fields.
After that it is back to
Teton Wonderland
Upper Cascade Canyon in morning light pine trees.
The next stretch is open valley alternating with more pine trees.
The views of the surrounding peaks with cascading waterfalls are tremendous; as noted yesterday, it takes significant effort to get a bad picture in this valley.
Eventually, the trail reaches the open landslide next to the lake.
The coulee at the end is the prettiest part of the hike, but this comes in a close second.
Pictures simply don’t do it justice (and I took plenty).
I ate lunch here.
After the lake are more pine trees, and then the open area with the grass.
The moose was still there, and people were still taking pictures of it.
On the way up the valley yesterday, a mountain at the end grew closer and closer through the hike.
On the way back, what grows closer is a U shaped opening in the peaks.
It grows and grows until it covered at least half the view.
By this point I was back at the drop on the creek with the rooster tails.
From here, I was in pine trees until the end
The Most Refreshing Drink in the Tetons
Snowmelt fed North Cascade Creek, with the canyon behind it. Drinking this water was cold and refreshing. of the valley suddenly appeared, Inspiration Point.
The lake glitters in the distance, with civilization on the far side.
The climb down from the point was just as nasty as the climb up yesterday.
Rocky, narrow, steep, and crowded.
The views were just as good.
The stream grew ever closer until I was once again at the closed bridge, and then the boat dock.
Back at Jenny Lake Village, I had a bit of readjustment to make.
The green pieces of paper in my wallet now had meaning again, if nothing else.
People were everywhere.
Jenny Lake is still an outpost in a park, so it was less jarring than it could have been.
I bought snacks and non-carbonated soda to refuel.
I also had to empty a defective stove canister and dispose of it.
So many hikers come through here that the store porch has a recycling bin for these!
Jackson Wyoming
After the hike, I drove to the southern end of Jackson Hole.
The view was every bit as good for most of the
Mountainside Waterfall
One of many waterfalls running down the side of Cascade Canyon. trip; open valley with mountains all around.
The southern end of the park has a jarring transition,
Jackson.
Jackson is an expensive resort town, with
million dollar condos tucked in the hills and
pricy boutiques downtown.
I’m almost shocked to find the area has a
K-Mart, which is tucked in a discreet shopping area on the far end of town.
Every building downtown is designed to look like either a hunting lodge or mining shed (the only hunting done here is for new ways to use a credit card).
The town is noted for its
antler gateways at the downtown square.
The
National Elk Refuge is just north of town.
Every year, local Boy Scout troops collect the shed antlers in the reserve, and the town turns them into a gateway.
Look very carefully through the pile, and one can see the steel structure that actually holds them up.
At the end of the year, the antlers are
auctioned off for charity.
I spent the night in Jackson, mostly because it has the only lodging for miles around and I was too tired from the hike to spend another night in a tent.
Antler Gateway
The famous elk antler gateway in downtown Jackson Most motels are designed to look rustic and beautiful, although they are still motels at heart.
I stayed at the
Ranch Inn based on internet reviews.
The price was high; almost three times the cost of staying in a resort town on the other end of the scale, Pigeon Forge (see
The Majesty of Trees).
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