TR: Summer in Grand Teton National Park, 2023

[al_in_al]

String Lake and Leigh Lake

These feel like mostly unknown destinations, especially Leigh Lake (even though it has it's own parking area and trailhead). I mean, plenty of people know that String Lake is a great place for swimming, so parking mid-day is tough, but the trails aren't as crowded as they could be.

I hiked all or part of these trails on May 27th, June 8th, June 15th, July 6th, July 23rd, August 8th, August 24th, September 9th, September 25th, September 30th, and October 12th. I just went through * A LOT * of photos.

I tried to catch a nice sunset at String Lake, but never quite got what I wanted. I'm not sure why I didn't try for a sunrise.

The reflections on these lakes are nuts. I took lots of photos of just the reflection.

I tried to group the photos by section and in order of the dates, but

(I think this one is actually from the parking lot)




String Lake Outlet (i.e, the bridge view)



String Lake































































These flower pictures are the only ones that made the cut from the west side of the String Lake Loop.







Leigh Lake Outlet (lots of water in May, not so much in September)





Waves on Leigh Lake, near the boat launch.



Animals











Leigh Lake















































There's a nice large beach on Leigh Lake near the campsites (fyi, the re-routed the trail this year - it used to go right through the middle of the backcountry sites right on the lake, now it goes through a forested area behind them, and you have to take a path to the lake).









Possibly my favorite spot in the park? Definitely my favorite spot on this hike - basically the "end" of Leigh Lake.















I sat on a log and made these ripples. So fun!

[al_in_al]

So, I believe that ends the trail journey through Grand Teton National Park!

But wait, there's more! I still have a couple of posts planned for the next few days.

[FuzzySideDown]

That was awesome! That lone tree on that small island was especially cool. … Thanks for all of those! Looking forward to what you may have the next couple days.

Thanks!
Cheers!

Kyle.

[al_in_al]

Marmot Appreciation

Did you perhaps notice a lack of marmot photos so far? There are definitely a ton of marmots living in the Tetons, and I decided to share my favorite shots together. I love marmots because I am convinced that they enjoy the view as much as I do. I very often follow a marmot to a great viewpoint - thanks guys!







Enjoying the view near Inspiration Point.


Spot the marmot enjoying the North Fork of Cascade Canyon.


A marmot enjoying my favorite boulder.


Overlooking Bradley Lake.


Enjoying the Teton Crest trail.


Marmot leading me to my lunch view over Alaska Basin.

[al_in_al]

Outside the park - Dubois Badlands

I had heard about the Badlands (and I suppose I noticed them when I drove through town once), but it was hard to find details about exactly where any trailheads were. I found the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study area on my map, and drove to where there was a concentration of trails and started hiking. There are probably other access points and other trails, but it was hard to find more information.

On August 22nd, I drove out to Dubois and wandered around the Badlands until I had hiked 7 miles. It was a well-needed change in scenery.

[orin]

I enjoyed the marmot pix but my experience around them is mixed. Most of the time they pose for pictures and look cute. But on one occasion a few years ago a really large marmot tried to eat my leather boot while I was wearing it. Another time I left a pole unattended for too long on Pitamakin Pass and a marmot gnawed several chunks out of the salty but otherwise inedible foam handle before I could rescue it.

[paul]

Did you go visit some of the trails in the Wind River range? It's really not that far from the Tetons. Maybe an hour and half drive or so. There are some really nice hiking options there.

[FuzzySideDown]

Oh I second Paul there…. LikeToHike and I did the Cirque of the Towers loop from Big Sandy in Wind River Range a few years ago. Only saw a couple people on trail the whole time we were there. It was a nice place indeed. . My only suggestion would be to be sure and take your sunglasses off when driving out of there after the sun goes down.

[al_in_al]

I enjoyed the marmot pix but my experience around them is mixed. Most of the time they pose for pictures and look cute. But on one occasion a few years ago a really large marmot tried to eat my leather boot while I was wearing it. Another time I left a pole unattended for too long on Pitamakin Pass and a marmot gnawed several chunks out of the salty but otherwise inedible foam handle before I could rescue it.

I haven't had such a close encounter yet. I do try to guard my pack pretty well while taking breaks - I'm paranoid a chipmunk or ground squirrel will sneak in at particularly popular rest spots. And I always keep my eye on especially fat marmots (saw a big one while on a break at Siyeh Pass a few years ago) - I figure they're good at stealing from humans.

I did see a band called 'A Marmot Ate My Boots' at the Murie Ranch over the summer. Lots of fun, and a good warning.

Did you go visit some of the trails in the Wind River range? It's really not that far from the Tetons. Maybe an hour and half drive or so. There are some really nice hiking options there.

I did hike to Lake Louise and Bomber Basin (see my next post), but that was it. Again, it was hard to find good information on day hikes and road conditions outside of the national park - I only considered hikes where I could verify that the road was suitable for my small car. I saw lots of backpacking recommendations, but those weren't too helpful. I looked up some trails originating near Pinedale, but I couldn't convince myself to drive that far (over 2 hours to the trailheads).

I did consider a stayover in Pinedale on my drive home to do some hiking, but I was pushing the limit on my apartment lease start date, so I ended up driving directly home at the end of my contract.

[al_in_al]

Outside the park - Lake Louise and Bomber Basin

In an effort to "find dirt" in early May (the Teton trails were still holding lots of snow), I headed out past Dubois to Lake Louise (the one in Wyoming, not the famous Canadian one) and Bomber Basin in the Shoshone National Forest. They were snow-free on May 5th, but the lake was still partially frozen.

Some free-range horses blocking the road on the way in (unpaved, but well graded).


A nice view from the road on the way out.










Lake Louise










Nice bridge just past the Bomber Basin trail junction.


It's worth it to take the short detour to see these nice cascades.










Bomber Basin

[paul]

One of my WindRiver backpacking options I was thinking about was a hike to Gannet Glacier which is on the same trail system as Bomber Basin. Never made it there though.

If you do go down to Pinedale someday, There's good day hiking options at the Green River lakes trailhead about 45 minutes away on decent roads.

[al_in_al]

Outside the park - Brooks Lake

As a day hiking destination, I found Brooks Lake in the Shoshone National Forest a little underwhelming based on the rave reviews I'd seen (one of my coworkers was gushing about the flowers after she hiked there). There were definitely some nice flowers blooming, but nothing I would rave about. It did seem like a really nice spot to camp, though.

On July 11th, I hiked more or less of a loop around Brooks Lake, Jade Lakes, Rainbow Lake, and Upper Brooks Lake. There was a lot of solitude, if that's your main goal (until heading back to the trailhead in the afternoon, where it was dog city). I enjoyed the section around Upper Brooks Lake the most.

Brooks Lake




Upper Jade Lake






Upper Brooks Lake


From Upper Brooks Lake I hike north a short distance on the CDT, but it was mostly just trees in that section.

[al_in_al]

Outside the park - Coal Creek and Taylor Mountain

The Coal Creek trailhead in Targhee National Forest is easy to access off the Teton Pass Highway. I absolutely loved this hike - it was a nice surprise.

I hiked it on July 12th, the day after my Brooks Lake hike, and I felt this one actually delivered on the flowers.



Heading up Coal Creek.









Starting to climb up towards Taylor Mountain.











Popping over a ridge to a view of the Tetons.






Viewpoint at the minor summit.








I think that's the actual peak of Taylor Mountain. Everyone appeared to be turning around at the minor summit. I tried to go further, but turned around at this large scree field that I wasn't completely comfortable crossing.

[al_in_al]

Sunrise, Sunset


Sunrises

May 1st "time lapse" on Jackson Lake



May 25th on Jackson Lake - smokey sunrise.






A big jump here to August ... when sunrise started to be back at a respectable hour.


August 22nd on Jackson Lake





August 30th on Jackson Lake



September 27th on Jackson Lake







September 30th from the Mt. Moran pullout



One issue in October was that it was frequently too foggy to see the sunrise, which was a real bummer because it was late enough to get to a lot of different viewpoints in the park without having to wake up early.

October 8th from Signal Mountain Summit - had to get above the fog.







October 13th at the Snake River Overlook



October 14th on Jackson Lake



October 15th on Jackson Lake



October 16th at the Cascade Canyon pullout - last sunrise in the park!




Sunsets

April 28th, first night in the park was nice





May 17th on Jackson Lake





May 18th on Jackson Lake - smokey sunset



May 25th on Jackson Lake





June 1st at Schwabacher Landing



June 11th at the Mt. Moran pullout



June 14th on Jackson Lake



July 16th on the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive





July 23rd - stormy night at the Mt. Moran pullout



August 10th on Jackson Lake



August 26th on Jackson Lake



September 8th on Jackson Lake



October 9th from Signal Mountain Summit

[al_in_al]

That's a wrap! I think I've covered everything that I wanted to, but I'm more than happy to answer any questions about the Tetons (now, or in the future).

My last photo as I was driving out of the park.