Grand Tetons

Tuesday - September 18, 2018

 The Grand Tetons are one of my favorite places mainly because of the massive mountains that are visible from miles around. This morning they are covered by a light haze that is due to smoke from a fairly large forest fire about 50 miles south of Jackson. I had to drive through some heavy smoke yesterday on my trip into the area but didn’t see any actual fire.

I stopped at the visitors center to check out some trail options and potential bear issues. The ranger said that bears are everywhere in the park at this time of the year as they are foraging to put on weight before their winter hibernation. He said that bears had even been in the parking lot the last 3 days. So I purchased a canister of bear repellent. The ranger demonstrated how to properly use it and discussed other bear protection encounter procedures. 

Being trained and ready for some adventure, I headed out for my hike. I chose a trail that went through a valley before going up the mountain to Granite Canyon.

I love the sound and beauty of mountain streams.

The valley portion of the trail was easy going. 

A dry creek bed

There was a nice bridge across the stream. Portions of the trail is also used for horses.

As I started up the mountain the trail became a little more challenging but still easy to hike.

You can see why this area is called Granite Canyon. There are some massive boulders.

The bears are foraging on berries located throughout the park.

My bear repellent is hanging on my belt on the right side. It is basically a super strong pepper spray. To use it, you wait until the bear starts coming toward you and gets within 30 feet. Then you spray toward the ground in front of it and the spray creates a fog that the bear walks through and hopefully turns and goes away. Thankfully I didn’t have to test the effectiveness of the spray. 

More of the berries 

There were a few flowers still in bloom. 

This is a nest made from pine needles. I’m not sure what had built it.

Later in the afternoon the winds cleared away most of the haze and the mountains were more visible. 

Jenny Lake offers a beautiful setting. The rest of the afternoon I drove along the scenic route to take in the beauty and serenity of the area.

I was able to hike 6.5 miles today. Tomorrow morning I go to Yellowstone.