Further Adventures in the Tetons, Part II

When last you heard from this intrepid hiker and knitter, I was with a group of geologists in the upper part of Teton Canyon. After two nights at beautiful Basin Lakes, we packed up camp and moved on, heading north on the Teton Crest Trail. After a short climb, we rested at Sunset Lake,

before continuing on through magnificent flower filled meadows

towards Hurricane Pass. Here the Grand Teton is just coming into view.

From Hurricane Pass we took in stunning views of South Cascade Canyon and the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons. On the righthand side of the photo you can see Schoolroom glacier and its moraines and stream outlet. I'm not sure it is actually even still a glacier, but may simply be a permanent snow field.

We continued on,

down into lush Cascade Canyon, heading for Avalanche Divide, the rightmost saddle in this image.

I stopped countless times to snap photos, running afterwards to catch up with the group.

From Avalanche Divide we looked down at Kit Lake,

in which a few of our party cooled off after a hot day of hiking, 

and adjacent to which we set up camp.

In the morning we had time for a geology lesson in front of "The Wall",

admiring more wildflowers,

and a last look at Kit Lake,

before climbing back over Avalanche Divide.

The windswept beauty of the divide

quickly gave way to the gurgling streams and green meadows of South Cascade Canyon.

As we continued down, those in turn gave way to dense stands of evergreens. Avalanche debris from this past winter meant a bit of scrambling around and over logs and branches. In the process we nearly ran into this bull moose.

We ended our hike at the Jenny Lake west boat dock and took the fast and comfortable way across the lake.

Though one could do this hike in two or three days, I'm glad I had four days to savor the beauty of the high country, visit some new places, and to truly be away from it all.

Travelers tips:

Here is a map, courtesy of Steve, showing our route.

Be sure to get a permit if you will be camping within Grand Teton National Park. It gives you an extra measure of security because park rangers will know your intended route and destination. Also, they do check permits and can fine you if you don't have one.

In my last post I promised to show progress on my sweater, which I thought was almost finished. Turns out I made a mistake in shaping the front pieces and have had a lot of un-knitting to do. And nobody needs to see pictures of that! But the fact that I haven't just abandoned the whole project makes me feel like an intrepid knitter indeed. Maybe next time it will be far enough along for me not to be embarrassed to show photos.

Further Adventures in the Tetons, Part I

One advantage of being married to a field geologist is getting to tag along on field trips to beautiful places. This summer it was four days in the back country of the Tetons.

We started at first light from the Teton Canyon trailhead on the west side of the range, warming up our legs on the gently graded trail as sunlight began to creep down the surrounding slopes.

At the first junction we turned right towards the Devil's Stair and immediately began to gain elevation.

Before long we were in the sun,

and had reached the top of the Devil's Stair. The stair part of the name refers to the natural stairs formed by fractures in the limestone; perhaps the devil part refers to the dark color, or maybe to the devilishly steep gradient. 

Once above the Devil's Stair, we were again on gentle slopes and could really take in the impressive cliffs and colorful wildflowers.

At the next junction, we turned left onto the Teton Crest Trail towards the Sheep Steps and then down to Basin Lakes, where we set up camp for a two-night stay. The Basin Lakes are incredibly scenic, especially in the late evening as the setting sun intensifies all the colors. Here you can see Buck Mountain.

The following morning, as the students went to explore one outcrop of the Flathead Sandstone, Steve and I went in the opposite direction to check out a different outcrop of the same formation. Along the way we spotted the unconformity between granitic basement rock and overlying sedimentary rocks (unconformities are always exciting for geologists!),

contemplated the origin of "the Wedge" on the opposite side of the canyon, 

and delighted in the abundant wildflowers.

Our destination was the little peak in the top right of this photo. With no currently maintained trail, we had a bit of an adventure reaching the top. First we trudged up this snow slope,

and discovered this lovely little moraine from what was once a glacier.

Farther up the slope we arrived on a portion of the abandoned Skyline Trail. We weren't surprised to find the trail - we had read about it and examined images on Google Earth - but we were surprised to find some sections in excellent condition. Of course, other sections were completely covered by rockfall, one of the reasons it was abandoned in 1951. In fact, we watched as an enormous boulder came tumbling down right on top of the trail, thankfully a long way from where we were.

The trail led us right up to the saddle at the base of the outcrop.

From there it was a short scramble to the top,

and panoramic views. Looking to the northwest you see the Wall.

Our map didn't have a name for this little peak, so we dubbed it "Eagle's Rest" for the eagle leg and talon we found at the top.

We retraced the Skyline Trail back down, this time following it until it joined up with Alaska Basin Shelf Trail. I have to concur with the park rangers who advised against using the Skyline Trail. One of the sections that was completely covered with rockfall started a very disconcerting downward slide when we walked across it. Steve went first and was swept off his feet. I followed gingerly, but quickly, and managed to stay on my feet.

The rest of the day was pure enjoyment: dramatic skies,

big views,

and gentle trails.

We made it back to camp in time for a dip in one of the lakes.

and a few rows of knitting before dinner.

It's hard to imagine a better break from the day to day world. I  love the quiet open space, big bright sky, sparkling alpine lakes and flower-filled meadows. I love the well-earned fatigue and hearty appetite at the end of each day of hiking. I love taking off my boots at the end of the day...and putting them back on in the morning.

I'll be back soon with details from the second half of this trip, and an update of the sweater I worked on along the way. It's almost finished!