06/12/02:
Drove the 150+ miles from Riverton to Jackson this morning. Passed through the Shoshone National Forest into the Bridger-Teton National Forest at almost 10,000 feet. Lots of snow everywhere. Just about the time I entered Bridger-Teton National Forest it started and there were the Grand Tetons off in the the distance.
Ragged, jagged, snow covered peaks rising, I dunno, 1000, 1500, 2000 feet in the air. In any case, they're impressive. Stopped off at a ranger station and got some good hiking information on the Teton National Forest and the Grand Teton National Park. The main thing the ranger stressed is this is Grizzly country. Continued downhill towards Jackson and the views just kept getting better and I kept taking more pictures.
Spent two hours looking for a free camping spot but couldn't find anything. Decided to take the scenic tour and then head back to the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Believe it or not the views kept getting better. Then I turned into the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive and knew I wasn't going back to the forest.
Jenny Lake isn't long nor does the fantastic scenery extend the entire lake. But what there is ranks as one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen. Directly across the lake from me were two 1000+ snow capped peaks rising up out of the lake with a deep V between them. Wow, absolutely gorgeous! I knew I just had to paddle that lake, especially after watching a double kayak go by. Hopefully tomorrow.
The southern end of Lake Jackson is quite similar and is definately on my list. That combined with the many, many wonderful hikes described by the ranger filled with great scenery and wildlife made me sign on for 5 days at $12/night. Hey, you only go 'round once in life, why not live a little, right?
06/13/02 Hiking Jenny Lake, String Lake & Leigh Lake Trails(15 miles round trip):
30's last night at the Signal Mountain Campground. On the way to Jenny Lake I came to a road to the summit of Signal Mountain so took it. A few miles of twisting and turning road brought me to the top. Nice view of valleys and forests. On the way back down I came to Jackson Point Overlook. This was more like it. A short trail led to a steep slope. I followed a narrow trail down a ways to get a view without some large pines in the way... and great views they were. Different channels of Jackson Lake backed by the Teton Range. Wow! Well worth the trip up.
Got to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center early and walked around looking for a put in but found squat. Nothing but a 1/4 mile lug to a boat dock. So, if I couldn't paddle Jenny Lake, I could at least follow the trail along the east side. This is almost as good as paddling although some views are obscured by trees.
Jenny Lake is only 3 miles long and I doubt if it reaches 1/2 mile across, at least not in the lower part. The Teton Range is quite visible and quite dramatic along this section with photo opportunities everywhere and I took advantage of it. I have enough pictures to think about going in to the picture postcard business.
Above Jenny Lake is String Lake, so named because it is only 100 yards or so wide and about a mile or so long. More dramatic views the entire way and String Lake is quite beautiful in its own right. A windless calm left the waters mirror clear. Surrounded by forests of tall, skinny, Lodge Pole Pines and backed by the Teton peaks and range give off a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility.
Above String Lake is Leigh Lake. All three are glacial lakes, carved out during the retreat of the glaciers during the ice age. Mosquitoes became an issue along the trail here, swarming around looking for lunch. Leigh Lake is about 3 miles long with more of the Teton Range for backdrop. Many back country camp sites are available up here and farther on.
I continued to the Trapper Lake & Bear Paw Lake Trail junctions and called it a day. Three hours and the GPS only showed 5.4 miles. I counted 7 official miles and know I was doing somewhere between 3.0 and 3.5 miles an hour on this mostly flat trail.
On the way back I spotted hundreds of black and gold fish about 14 inches long. From where I was they looked like trout but what a strange color. Closer up I could see the sucker mouths. Sucker fish spawning. 5-10 would follow a slightly larger brown female around. When they cornered her against a rock two of the males, one on each side would shimmy and shake, presumably in ecstasy.
After bathing and eating it was off to Oxbow Bend to check out the evening wildlife. Emma Matilda Lake required a walkin and I was all walked out for the day so I continued to Two Ocean Lake. Very pretty even without the Teton Range for a backdrop. Will make a nice day trip but no wildlife on that day.
On the way back I saw a couple cars pulled off and stopped to investigate and found a young bull moose laying down. What a lazy bugger, just lay there stretching its neck out to grab succulent grasses nearby. Eventually he got up and he had some really long legs, more like a giraffe. He only had little stubby horns though.
After taking a couple of pictures I continued on. More cars had pulled to the roadside and there was a female moose grazing nearby. Another couple of pictures and I went back to find the cab of my truck full of mosquitoes. New rule, don't leave the truck with the windows open.
06/14/02 Hiking Hidden Falls Trail (5 miles round trip - from String Lake):
Another night in the 30's but the day got off to a wobbly start. It didn't start very well and ended about the same. Stock market slump continues, I started out on the trail with my pants and shorts on backwards, and I had to retrace my steps for a mile because I thought I lost my map and then I got lost.
Trying to answer a call of nature I couldn't find the appropriate access. Fooled around for a minute then realized my pajama type pants were on backwards. A mile down the trail I couldn't find my trail map. It had been in my right pocket and I backtracked a mile to where I had turned my pants around thinking it might have fallen out of my pocket. No map. Then I realized after turning the pants around the right pocket became the left one. Sure enough, there it was in my left pocket. Such are the tribulations of an enfeebled old man.
Temperature up to the low 50's at 8:30am and into the upper 60's during the morning. I started the Hidden Falls at the String Lake Trailheads and followed the west side of Jenny Lake for a couple of miles. The broad lake is pretty but the views are nothing like those from the east side looking west. From the west side you see heavily forested and fairly flat shoreline.
Two miles along the trail I came face to face with a young bull moose coming towards me on the trail. He had a larger rack than the one I saw last night but still a youngin'. By the time I finished fumbling with the camera he decided he'd rather not have his picture taken and went wandering off. All I got was a butt shot,
Got to Hidden Falls and went to take a picture. Something got moved on the camera and all I could see was the butt of the moose I'd seen earlier. Took me a minute to get out of playback mode. The trail up to Hidden Falls turned upwards from the lake along a cascading series of falls. Hidden Falls itself cascades 200 feet or so down and over a series of ledges back dropped by a craggy top several hundred feet farther up.
Feeling a bit frisky yet I followed the Cascades Canyon Trail another couple of miles before turning back. This trail slopes moderately or not at all as it follows more cascading rapids upward. Some nice views of snow covered peaks and forested slopes.
Paddling Lake Jackson(Colter Bay Area):
After writing this morning's report I went north to Colter Bay for the $5 non-motorized boating permit required for any of the park's waters. I could see more of the Teton Mountain Range nearby so, since I was already there I launched the sea kayak. It was quite appreciative having been denied water for quite some time.
Lake Jackson is somewhere around 40-50 miles long with the Grand Teton Mountain Range rising up from the west shore most of the way. I met two sea kayakers from Chicago just returning from a three day camping trip on the lake. Apparently there are quite a few camp sites on the shores. Passed a dozen canoes paddling around in the sheltered bay, some going in circles, some zig zagging around and one or two going straight, more or less.
Out on the lake proper I was faced with 1/2 mile of the ragged, jagged, snow covered Teton Range peaks. They seemed to be tapering off though. They seemed to be fading off into the north. To the east are more mountain ranges, much farther away, more rounded and less interesting with heavily forested and flatter shorelines.
My plan was to just paddle around for an hour or so, enjoying the wonderful views and then head back. That was when I remembered I hadn't gotten a GPS setting. No problem, just turn around and paddle back. Wrong!
I started back apparently 60 degrees or so off course. The eastern shore is all coves and small bays and Colter Bay cannot be seen from the lake. My first indication I was heading in the wrong direction was when I had paddled 20 minutes longer on the way back than on the way out, even though I had dawdled on the way out.
Even worse than not setting the GPS was not looking back to see what the shoreline looked like on the way out so now I had no idea what to look for. To make a long story short, I paddled back and forth for almost 3 hours, investigating every nook and cranny searching for the channel back to Colter Bay. Of course there were no fishing boats roaring back and forth on which to key.
Eventually I found it, just as the sun was setting behind the range and was greeted by a swarm of mosquitoes. I met a guy on the ramp who said in May, Colter Bay was bone dry. Fortunately the winter snowfall was heavy enough that the melt was filling it back up.
1 osprey, 1 blue heron, a couple flocks of white pelicans and several elk.
06/15/02 Paddling String Lake & Leigh Lake:
Happy anniversary to me. Today marks three years on the road.
40's last night, 60's and overcast and some black clouds much of the morning. Lots of fishing boats on the road at 6:30am as I head back to the String Lake Trailheads.
String Lake is as pretty under gray skies as blue. Not a lot of water though, mostly 1-3 feet after the snow melt. Wouldn't be surprised if it dries up in late summer and eliminating a truly great day trip. 100's of sucker fish in there though and they must survive during dry spells some how.
With the wonderful Teton peaks as background the Spring Lake paddle ends after just a mile at the foot of the Leigh Lake outflow rapids. A 200-300 yard portage is required to get to Leigh Lake from here. I walked it first and met a young guy camped there who helped me out with the portage.
A swarm of mosquitoes saw me off. Once on Leigh Lake I turned left around a fair size island right at the south end of the lake. The far end of the island held a pair of nesting Canadian Geese. Dad tried to draw me away while mom led 1/2 dozen little fuzz balls to safety as I paddled away from them.
Following the western shore where the peaks are, all I could see was snow capped mountain tops peaking over the tops of the pine trees along the shore. I soon came to a deep cove with a gorgeous view of three peaks, one in the middle and one on each side... the stuff postcards are made of. The water was almost perfectly smooth so I got not only the three peaks but their reflection in the water all around me. Cool stuff.
Several camp sites around the lake were occupied but no one seemed to be paddling. All morning I only saw 3 canoes until the very end when four canoes were returning from at least an overnight stay. The Tetons are famous for rock climbing. Earlier I met a young couple who were going to canoe to a rendezvous with others to climb one of the mountain peaks.
Each time I drifted too closeto shore a swarm of mosquitoes came out looking for a free meal. Near the north end of the lake is an island a couple acres covered with scrubby pines and taller dead trees. One of the dead trees had a nest and on the way back I could see two things perched on protruding branches. I thought they were bald eaglets but on closer inspection with the binoculars I thought them adult osprey. When one flew away there was little doubt.
Turning away I thought I did see a bald eagle flying and gliding by. He was gone by the time I got the binoculars out and focused. Much larger than an osprey, white head and chest. Meanwhile 1/2 dozen Canadian Geese voiced their disapproval of my encroaching on their private domain.
I got back to the Lake Leigh portage trail and ended up dragging the kayak back to String Lake. Here I found a woman with a rather frail 8-9 year old boy. I helped her get her canoe to Leigh Lake and paddled the rest of the way back to the put in under brightening skies.
06/16/02 Hiking Paintbrush Canyon Trail (Holly Lake = 12 miles round trip):
Heard wolves howling for the second night and turkeys gobbling in the morning.
Tried to launch from Signal Mountain boat ramp yesterday afternoon but couldn't get near it with all the cars and trucks and boat trailers so didn't even bother looking today. I'll try that again early tomorrow (Monday).
Decided instead to do the Paintbrush Canyon Trail. I'd paddled up that way yesterday and everything on that side of String Lake and Leigh Lake is beautiful so I thought I had a good chance at a good hike. I was also hoping to get away from the crowds I expected on this Sunday.
Started from the String Lake Trailheads, crossed the bridge and turned south along the west side of String Lake. Very pretty but not as good as from the east shore viewing the Teton Range beyond. Lots of yellow dandelions, a yellow Lazy Susan type flower and a Laurel type bush with white flowers. Nice views of different sections of String Lake from a couple hundred feet and 1/2 mile distance.
1.3 miles to the Paintbrush Canyon Trail junction. Holly Lake 4.7 miles so it became my goal. The first mile has a moderate incline through thick pine forests. I didn't have to stop but did have to pace myself. Then a 1/2 mile flat section before it turned up again. By then I was at the base of a mountain with patches of snow and forests all the way up to its summit 1000 feet above me.
A backpacker on the way down said Holly Lake still had a lot of snow. I began passing a few small patches and they got larger and more frequent. The sound of water finally penetrated my consciousness and soon became a roar... and there was an unexpected treat, a medium size cascading waterfall. The trail approached it 3/4 of the way up. I could see 200 feet of it tumbling down over rocks and ledges with fairly high volume from the melting snow,
Another 100 yards or so is the Lower Paintbrush camping area with several camp sites. Here you get an open view of the mountain right in your face... and great views of Leigh Lake and Jackson Lake farther off. I could also see the deep cove on Leigh Lake I had paddled into yesterday so had a vague idea where I was.
The camping area stretches about 3/4 mile and then bursts out of the forest. Here the three peaks I photographed yesterday become visible for some impressive scenery. A good size stream tumbles down over rocks and the trail follows it.
Snow patches turn into snow fields, 1/4 mile wide and 1/2 mile long. Others had been across them so no problem there. A mild traction problem on the way up and a little slippery on the way down. OK, I fell on my butt. Streams run across the trail in many places and along the trail in others making for some wet feet too.
I gave up after the third snow field. Lungs were good but heart rate was to high and legs were complaining. It would have been nice to get to Holly Lake but I'm not goal oriented (much) any more. When its time to stop, its time to stop.
This is an excellent hike, maybe in my top 5. Seeing a grizzly bear or an elk with a huge rack crossing one of the snow fields would have made it outstanding (a good looking, naked lady would've been OK too).
I had lunch back at the waterfalls and ran into the first of a hoard of people coming up the trail, somewhere between 50 and 75. I can imagine what more accessible trails are like.
06/16/02 Paddling Jackson Lake (Spalding Bay Area):
Last night was the last of my stay. The first night here I walked down to the beach and was treated with a great view of seven peaks in a row. That didn't count peaks farther on nor those behind the frontline peaks. So, today before heading for parts unknown, I wanted to get out on the water one last time.
Low 60's and overcast at 8:30am when I dunked the kayak into the water from the Signal Mountain Campground boat ramp. Snow on the peaks has been melting since I've been here but there's still enough to add even more character to an already beautiful scene.
No goals or objectives today, just a couple of hours of nice, quiet paddling. Just a slight breeze as I chugged aimlessly along. Swarms of some little flying critters rose up off the water as I passed. If no breeze they just flew around, if the breeze was blowing they usually flew right into my face.
Several large islands occupy this end of the lake. I had a good view of them from the Paintbrush Canyon Trail yesterday. So I just paddled around for 2+ hours, relaxing, enjoying the scenery and trying not to inhale too many bugs.