Great Hiking Destinations in Grand Teton National Park

In my last post I wrote about the challenges and joys of climbing Mt. Moran in Grand Teton National Park. Fortunately, climbing is not the only way to enjoy this magnificent park. Reasonably fit hikers can reach many interesting and scenic destinations in a day or less. In this post I'll detail three options -- Delta Lake, Lake of the Crags, and Static Peak -- that I have visited in the last month.  

Delta Lake (8 miles roundtrip, 2,370 feet elevation gain)

Start this hike at Lupine Meadows trailhead and follow the trail towards Amphitheater Lake. You may well see wildlife along the way, like this elk.

At the first switchback after the junction to Garnet Canyon, turn off onto an unofficial and unmaintained but clear path on the right. You are now in Glacier Gulch and will need to be more careful since the route has some steep and meandering sections and crosses a boulder field.

Delta Lake is a dramatic milky aqua, due to rock flour from the Teton Glacier above it. In clear weather you can see the Grand Teton looming in the distance but we were there in a surprise late August storm and instead found the lake socked in with snow and fog. It was magical.

This used to be one of the less visited high lakes, but social media has changed that. It is quite a popular spot now and I would only ask that visitors respect others' enjoyment of this beautiful lake by not playing loud music and trying to stay on the existing path instead of trampling down new ones. 

Lake of the Crags (5 miles roundtrip, 2,690 feet elevation gain)

Begin this hike at the west shore dock of Jenny Lake -- you can take the boat across (for a fee) or hike around from the Jenny Lake parking area -- and head north, going towards String Lake. In about a quarter mile, look for a well worn, but unmarked, trail on the left. This unofficial and unmaintained trail up Hanging Canyon climbs more steeply than official park trails so you may want to have hiking poles, especially for the descent. As you're walking look up for close-up views of the Cathedral Group,

and down for a great view of Jenny Lake.

Towards the top you will need to navigate across a small boulder field adjacent to Arrowhead Pool, then scramble up a short, rocky defile which will bring you out near Ramshead Lake. 

Continue along the path on the north side of Ramshead and then climb up the boulder field to reach Lake of the Crags. 

Surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides, it is a stunning place. On warm days you may enjoy a refreshing swim, or just lounge at the edge of the lake and take in the spectacular views.

Static Peak (16 miles roundtrip, 4,500+ feet elevation gain)

Start this hike at Whitegrass trailhead, accessed from the Moose-Wilson Road. Be prepared for rough going -- enormous potholes and large rocks abound -- on the last mile of road to the trailhead. Follow the Death Canyon trail for 3.7 miles, hiking up and over a moraine and passing the Phelps Lake overlook, to a patrol cabin. 

Turn right onto Alaska Basin Trail towards Static Peak Divide. 

This lovely trail begins in aspen, winds across evergreen forest and narrow cliffside paths, and finally brings you to the open and rocky Static Peak Divide at 10,790 feet of elevation. 

Now look for an obvious path on your right, 

and follow this along the right side of the ridge line all the way to the top of Static Peak. It is wise to keep an eye on the weather in this area as the name Static Peak derives from the peak's propensity to attract lightning.

From the summit you will have sweeping views of the trail you just traversed,

of Idaho to the west, and of the Grand Teton range, including the Grand itself in the distance. 

Looming up just to the north is the impressive edifice of Buck Mountain.

Like all the Grand Teton canyons, Death Canyon hosts abundant wildlife, such as this moose family we encountered on our return trip, so it is an interesting and worthy outing even if you don't reach the summit.  Also remember that near the end of the hike you will have to climb back up the moraine to the Phelps Lake overlook before the final stretch to your car. It can be disheartening to unexpectedly face that climb at the end of a long day.

If all of these hikes are beyond your comfort zone or simply require more time than you have, I'll write another post soon with suggestions for easier and shorter hikes in the area. 

In Praise of Good Boots and Wool Socks

I am a hiking wimp when it comes to my feet. If I expect to hike more than a couple of miles, I wear boots. Not just any boots, but real old-fashioned leather hiking boots with Vibram soles. When I purchased my current pair a couple of years ago the salesman kept asking if I was sure I wanted this particular pair of boots and insisted on showing me a number of light weight pairs, mostly with some sort of woven fabric top. I dismissed them all, and I'm glad of it. Yes, these boots are heavier than newer types of boots, but they have many advantages that easily make up for the weight.

Vibram soles protect my feet from all the rocks on the trail and offer really good traction for boulder-hopping, even when wet. The hard toes of the boots, rather than my own toes, take the beating when I inevitably, and surprisingly frequently, hit my toes on rocks. The leather uppers keep water and dust out. I've noticed on boots with woven uppers that dust eventually sifts through. Ugh! I hate the feeling of dirt in between my toes!

Here is what my Asolo's looked like before my first hike, all nice and shiny.

Here is what they look like after a year and a half worth of hikes, including a number this past summer on dry and dusty trails in Grand Teton National Park.

I pair them with wool socks, which is absolutely critical to the health and comfort of my feet. For shorter hikes I sometimes wear socks of my own making, such as these orange ones, which I posted about here back in 2012 .

Tuscany socks, pattern by Melissa Morgan-Oakes

For longer hikes I swear by Smartwool socks, which have a finer gauge than anything I could knit myself. I have tried other brands of wool socks, but only Smartwool keeps my feet blister-free on fifteen plus mile hikes. Definitely worth the extra expense.

If you've never been to Grand Teton National Park, I highly recommend a visit. It was unusual this year due to forest fires (mostly caused by lightning strikes) which made the air smoky at times, depending on how the wind was blowing. Here is a photo of one of the early season fires east of Jackson Hole.

The Sleeping Indian, the moon, and smoke at sunset

And here is view of the Teton range on a particularly smoky evening.

Smoky sunset in Grand Teton National Park

In spite of the fires, we enjoyed some spectacular hikes. One day we made a loop from the top of the tram down to Marion Lake, to the Teton Crest Trail and over Fox Creek Pass, and eventually down Death Canyon to the Lawrence Rockefeller Preserve. I love the gentle slopes on the west side of the range and the expansive views of the high peaks to the north.

Along the Teton Crest Trail

For a shorter hike we went to Taggert Lake. With the Grand looming up in the background, it is a popular destination for swimmers and picnickers on hot summer days.

Taggert Lake

If you're looking for a greater challenge and a place to get away from other hikers, you can head up Hanging Canyon to Ramshead Lake and Lake of the Crags. Though the trail is not marked on official park maps and is not maintained by the park service, it is well-developed, albeit steep in places, and easily followed. Interested hikers can find directions here. The appropriately named Rock of Ages dominates the west end of the canyon, giving it a cathedral-like quality.

Lake of the Crags on a smoky afternoon

To get back to the knitting theme, here is a lace tank that I recently completed using a pattern by Mari Tobita from the Spring/Summer 2016 edition of VogueKnitting. I couldn't find the cashmere/linen blend called for so chose hand-dyed Euroflax Sportweight Linen Layers by Prism Yarn. It's been a great piece to wear in the still-warm September days here in Texas.

Lace tank

I'll be back soon with images from several quilting projects that I've been working on lately.

The Gentle Side of the Tetons

The Tetons are probably America's most easily recognized mountains, a row of peaks shaped like shark's teeth. (Note that the Tetons were named for their resemblance to something else, but that is because it was men, no doubt starved for female companionship, who did the naming.) Bounded by steep faults in the rock, the mountains rise sharply along the western edge of Wyoming's Jackson Hole valley.

Teton sunset from Mormon Row

Hikers who venture into Paintbrush, Cascade, Garnet, Avalanche, and Death Canyons, the main routes into Grand Teton National Park's back country, quickly find themselves amid enormous boulder fields with canyon walls towering up on both sides.  Although some of the hikes are daunting, gaining thousands of feet of elevation over only a few miles, spectacular scenery and easy proximity to the road naturally draw many hikers.

Hanging Canyon

The west side of the range is a very different story.  Most of the trailheads are miles beyond the highway, at the ends of poorly maintained gravel roads.  The trails themselves tend to be much gentler, climbing open slopes that reflect the underlying westward dipping rocks.

Along the trail towards Grizzly Creek

Last month I spent five days on this gentle side of the Tetons as part of a geology field trip. Beginning at Coyote Meadows trailhead we hiked up Bitch Creek to the uppermost reaches of Grizzly Creek, just outside Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). It was a lovely spot, though thankfully it didn't live up to its name.  No bears, grizzly or black.

Our second camp, about five miles south of the first, was a greater challenge to reach as the trail crossed over two steep ridges and several times disappeared entirely in lush meadows.  Picking it up again took sharp eyes and good map skills.

The difficulty in finding the trail reflects just how little frequented this area is. Not counting a few people very close to the trailhead, I didn't see a single person outside of our group for the entire five days.

Another advantage of being on the west side of the range is seeing dramatic sunsets over the plains of Idaho.

But best of all are the enormous high meadows that, even in late summer, are filled with wildflowers.

For an even tamer side to the Tetons, here is my now completed quilt made with vintage blocks that I acquired at a Jackson Hole garage sale years ago.  I finished piecing it last summer, but waited until I was a little more sure of my skills with a long arm machine before attempting to quilt it.

The blocks were foundation pieced (by hand and by machine) so the finished quilt has a little more heft to it than most quilts. As I mentioned last summer, I used vintage scraps to complete the blocks.  The funny thing now is that I can't positively identify all of the pieces I added.