Grand Teton National Park
Personal Notes: Cascade Canyon Trip
This page contains our personal notes on our Cascade Canyon Hike and other activities while in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Teton Village KOA Campground
We arrived in the Teton Village KOA at about 1:30 p.m. They gave us Site 148. The four nights there cost us $42.00 each night. The campground is about six miles south of Teton Village on Highway 390. It has lots of grass and shade, if you're lucky enough to get a shaded site. They also allow some tent camping, and they have several little cabins to lease. There is a laundry, a small store, a game room, and showers.
We pulled the Coleman pop-up trailer on this trip, so, for the first time this year, we got full hookups. That means electricity, water, and sewer. And we know, it's not like really camping. We consider it to be more of a nice, familiar place to stay while we explore the area, a little less expensive than a motel.
Moose-Wilson Road
After getting set up and eating lunch, we took a drive up toward Teton Village and then along the Moose-Wilson Road. About 1.5 miles of this road is unpaved. The road is narrow, down to one lane in some areas, and has many twists and turns. It passes along some forested areas, over several streams, past several trailheads, and along a marshy area where we spotted a female moose and her calf standing in the water. As you might expect in a national park, there were several cars pulled to the side of the road and their occupants were out along the banks of the marsh taking photos.
Moose Junction
As usual, the Visitor Centers in the parks are well worth the time to stop and look around. They have lots of great information on the park and the area, and the Rangers are (almost) always interested in answering your questions. The Visitor Centers also have lots of books on the human and natural history of the area, plus maps and videos and music and a few souvenirs to take back with you.
There is also fresh water and rest rooms available.
Jenny Lake
We drove north along the Teton Park Road, into the South Jenny Lake parking area to check out the Cascade Canyon trailhead there. There seemed to be plenty of parking on this day. There is a small Visitor Center, a store, rest rooms, and some other facilities. It seems to be a very popular part of the park.
Jackson Lake
On our drive north to the Jackson Lake area we caught many spectacular views of the Tetons, their canyons and glaciers and lakes. We noticed that Jackson Lake (which is really a reservoir) is down considerably from its obvious high mark. No doubt a result of the drought and late summer draw down.
We stopped at the Jackson Lake Dam, on the Snake River side, and watched several Osprey scout for fish, and even got to see one dive into the water and catch one. They are amazing birds and were lucky to see them up close.
Colter Bay Village and Campground
Along Jackson Lake we stopped at Colter Bay Village and went into the Visitor Center there. It's a little smaller than the one at Moose Junction, but they still have quite a bit of information available there. They also have rest rooms and fresh water. Out the back of the building, through the pines, you can see the lake and the mountains behind them.
Colter Bay is a busy area, with lodging, a gas station, camping, boating, and other activities.
Jackson, Wyoming
From Jackson Lake we headed back south along Highway 26/89/191 toward Jackson. Along this route we spotted a large number of buffalo and got different views of the Tetons. The Teton Park Road travels along below the level of the glacial moraine that parallels the Snake River, and is much closer to the mountains. The Highway is farther away and, for the most part, travels along above the flood plane of the Snake River, allowing views down into the river valley, and across to the moraine and the mountains behind it.
On the way to Jackson we passed near the National Elk Refuge and the Jackson National Fish Hatchery.
As we drove through Jackson we noted, as expected, the number of tourists crowding the boardwalks around the central part of town. Jackson is interesting in that they have fixed up the touristy areas to look like old western buildings of sandstone and granite and timber. Even though the area is directed toward separating the tourist from his or her money, it is a visually interesting area. Unfortunately, we were unable to spend any time looking around. We drove through Jackson and returned to our camp for dinner.
Friday, August 29, 2003
Teton Village KOA Campground
It was quite cold overnight. Anne was even cold with an extra sleeping bag opened up and thrown across us like a comforter. At 7:25 a.m. we turned on the heater to take the chilly edge off of the damp air. The temp on my little pack thermometer read 48 degrees F. inside. Outside there were some thin, strange looking clouds covering the mountains to the south. It looked like rain was inevitable.
The campground seems to be full, and mostly with the large RVs and fifth-wheel trailers. There are a few pop-ups, but they are scattered here and there among the big rigs. The tent area is not too far from our site, and the dog walk area is just around the corner from where we sit. We see a lot of pooches and their owners as they walk by.
Moose-Wilson Road
On the way out we saw Canadian Geese and two Osprey. One sitting on a telephone pole and another nearby sitting on a nest, which is on top of a pole and made of sticks. Also, along the Moose-Wilson Road we spotted a single female Moose in the water, near the area where we had seen one the previous afternoon.
In the evening, after dinner, we drove back up the Moose-Wilson Road, into the area where it is mostly a dirt road, and then up toward the Death Canyon Trailhead. It was dusk, and we had the headlights on, and suddenly a bull elk dashed out onto the road. We were far enough away that Anne was able to stop the Trooper safely. This was a full sized fellow, with a huge rack and a powerful stance. As he dashed across the road he was followed by a large female, and what seemed to be a yearling. The young one was about half the size of the female, but seemed to have little antler buds. The trio easily climbed up the side of the moraine and stood up in the trees, watching us. They were an amazing site.
Then, back on the main Moose-Wilson Road, we came upon a cluster of cars and trucks stopped along the side. There was a large group of elk high above us, along the top of the moraine. There were several bulls, with large racks, and several others that seemed smaller, or were bedded down in the brush.
Jenny Lake
We stopped at the South Jenny Lake parking area and visited the Ranger in the small Visitor Center there. He was a young guy who was not very friendly. He seemed impatient with my questions about the possibility of rain and about the local Black Bears. He acted like he thought I was some sort of idiot for even asking. Most Rangers that we meet are very friendly and helpful, but every once in a while we run across one that isn't very accommodating. I suppose they have to face stupid questions every day, but all I was looking for was a bit of his personal intuition, as a person living in the area, as to what we might expect from the weather and the local critters.
String Lake / Leigh Lake / Bear Paw Lake Overview
Because it really did look like it would rain, we decided to postpone our hike up into Cascade Canyon and opted for an easier hike along String Lake, up to Bear Paw lake. That hike turned out to be 10.1 miles total, over mostly level ground. We averaged 2.8 mph walking. We left the trailhead at 10:00 a.m. and returned about 3:00 p.m.
String Lake Trailhead
The trailhead is near the North Jenny Lake Junction, and is marked as the String Lake Trailhead. There are a good number of parking spots in this paved area, with a picnic area and rest rooms. The trail is well marked and we took the portion north along the east shore of String Lake, then along the east shore of Leigh Lake and up to the east side of Bear Paw Lake. From there we returned along the same route to a trail junction just north of String Lake, where we crossed a wooden bridge and climbed west to the junction with the Paintbrush Canyon Trail. There we turned south and climbed a bit more along the slope below Rockchuck Peak, then the trail gradually began a descent toward the southern end of String Lake, where we crossed another wooden bridge and headed back north toward the trailhead parking area.
North End of String Lake
Near the north end of String Lake we spotted two young mule deer, still sporting white spots, and their mother. The young ones were wandering around in the shallow water while mom fed along the shore. We were able to get some nice photos before mom got spooked by too many tourists stopping to view them. The trio walked away from us toward the west bank.
North End of Leigh Lake
Near the north end of Leigh Lake, across from Arrowhead Island, we spotted an Osprey flying across the water toward the island. Upon looking closer, and with our binoculars, we were able to see an Osprey nest at the top of a dead tree. All of the branches had fallen away, and it was quite obviously a nest made of sticks. Several dead trees to the south, we spotted a large bird sitting at the top. We assume it was an Osprey, but it could have been an eagle.
In this area we noted a large number of downed trees, and an amazing number of young pine trees, all of about the same height. Then I remembered that back in the mid to late 70s there had been some sort of high velocity wind blow through this area. It had knocked down whole stands of the forest, just like matchsticks. I had visited the area shortly after it had happened, and it was an amazing sight. What we were seeing now was the outcome of that natural disaster. The new uniform growth was the result of about 30 years of natural forest recovery. All of the trees had sprouted around the same time because there was little or no competition from the parent trees that had been knocked down.
Bear Paw Lake
Once we reached Bear Paw Lake we settled in for a rest and some trail food. While sitting there we spotted a critter swimming across the pond. It would move out maybe a hundred feet, then dive down under the water. After 30 to 60 seconds it would resurface and head back to shore. At first I thought that perhaps it was a muskrat, because it seemed to enter an opening in the bank, beneath some logs.
But later, when I observed it with the binoculars, I could see that it actually climbed up on shore. At that point I realized that it was probably a large otter. It seemed to have a cream colored chest and face, and was eating something; probably a fish.
Along the trail we spotted numerous ground squirrels and chipmunks. Along the west shore of Leigh Lake, on our return trip, up in the pines, we spotted two slate gray birds who seemed to be as curious about us as we were of them. They were probably jays of some sort, but we have been unable to identify them from our bird books.
West Side of Leigh Lake
A bit farther along the trail, along the west side of Leigh Lake, we came to a clearing, where the trees had either been burned out or knocked down by an avalanche of some sort. As we approached the clearing we heard a loud screech and then saw a very large, dark brown bird take flight from the top of a pine. It glided across the clearing and landed in a tree several hundred yards down the trail. As we approached its new location I pulled out the binoculars and confirmed that it was, indeed, an eagle. We know for sure that it was not a mature male bald eagle, but it might have been an adult female bald eagle, or an immature bald eagle. I don't believe it was a golden eagle, because when it flew again, I noted that it seemed to have a white spread of feathers under its tail, and Anne thought that there were lighter colored feathers under its wings.
Now that we have heard that screech in the wild we find it easy to recognize. When we hiked Cascade Canyon we also heard that sound, but were unable to locate its source. But we suspect that there was an eagle present among the tall pines.
West Side of String Lake
Along the trail on the west side of String Lake we found some scat on the trail that seemed too large for any critter we had encountered previously, and it looked different. It's possible that it came from a Black Bear, but we can't be sure. That might be the closest that we came to a bear during the entire trip.
Just as we were finishing our lunch, near Bear Paw Lake, it began to sprinkle. By the time we got back into our packs it was raining. We slipped on our rain gear and headed down the trail. It never rained heavily, but it was pretty constant, more along the lines of a steady mist.
One of the interesting things that I noticed while looking across Leigh Lake was the very large igneous dike in the major peak in that area. I think it might be Mount Moran, but I am not sure. The dark column is very prominent, cutting the peak and then disappearing beneath a large glacier. A portion of it is visible below the glacier, but seems to be offset, indicating a probable fault running beneath the glacier.
There were a good number of hikers along this trail, especially along the String Lake portion of the hike, but only on the east side. We encountered a group of climbers heading out toward Trapper Lake, and also noted several canoes out on String Lake, especially in its southern sector. At least until the rains came.
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Teton Village KOA Campground
We woke up this morning to rain. In fact, it had rained almost steadily all night long. Not a downpour, but enough to dampen our enthusiasm for a long hike. We decided to skip the day's hike and drive up to Yellowstone, since we hadn't been up there in about seven years. We had breakfast along the way, in Teton Village, at the Vertical Restaurant, and later we stopped at the Visitor Center at Flagg Ranch, in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. From there we drove through the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Sunday, August 31, 2003
Teton Village KOA Campground
We woke up to a heavy fog. We couldn't even tell where the sun was, even at 8:00 a.m. But we decided to make the Cascade Canyon hike anyway.
Cascade Canyon Trail Overview
We woke up to a heavy fog. We couldn't even tell where the sun was, even at 8:00 a.m. But we decided to make the Cascade Canyon hike anyway. We drove from camp toward South Jenny Lake. Along the way we spotted three mule deer, a young male, with a small rack, a female, and a young one that still had spots.
Elk Crossing
South of the lake we saw a herd of about 50 elk cross the road. There were representatives off both sexes and all ages. A bit farther up the road we spotted several pronghorns bedded down in a field.
Cascade Canyon Trailhead
We found a good parking spot near the Cascade Canyon Trailhead and got ready. The fog lifted just a bit, but not enough to see the mountains.
Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
We took the trail around the south end of the lake and stopped briefly to see Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. But there were just too many people in that area. There is a boat shuttle that takes tourists across the lake for $4.00 per person. Most people just visit the falls and if they feel ambitious they climb up to Inspiration Point, which looks over the lake.
After the initial climb through some potentially slippery rock outcrops and narrow cuts, the trail seems to level off for the most part. There is over a 1,000 foot climb to the head of the canyon, near the junction, but it seems negligible because it is spread over several miles. The trail varies from rocky to packed earth, and it traverses several rock slides and, for most of its distance, parallels Cascade Creek. There are trees and brush and spectacular views of this glacial canyon.
We spotted a marmot on the way around the lake, and several pika back in the canyon, near the rock slide areas. We also spotted a crane or heron sitting on a sand bar along the stream. There were also lots of chipmunks scampering about.
Lake Solitude Trail Junction
The hike, from the trailhead to the junction with the Lake Solitude trail, and back, was 13.8 miles, based on our GPS reading. The trail signs indicate that it would be 13 miles round trip. We averaged 2.8 mph walking. The GPS indicated that the elevation at the junction is 7,880 feet, but I suspect that is incorrect.
While resting at the junction, Anne ventured up the trail toward Solitude Lake and saw a young male moose. His antlers were very small, but prominent none the less.
Just before we reached the junction, the fog began to burn away. The peaks, especially Table Mountain, Grand Teton, and Mount Owen poked through the thin clouds and gave us some spectacular and unusual photo opportunities. We were finally able to see what we were hiking through. That included several wonderful cascades and water falls, especially coming from the south wall of the canyon, where the main peaks soared overhead, and were covered with fresh snow from the resent storms.
Return Trip
On the way in we met two pairs of women hikers, and another couple, each headed in. On the way back out we encountered many more coming in, many who didn't seem to realize that they were in the backcountry. Some were wearing only tennis shoes, had little or no water with them, obviously no food, and some of the women were wearing colon or perfume. We wondered if they realized that they were in bear country and that they had to turn around and hike back out. Or maybe we're not as tough as we would like to think we are. At least these people are getting out of their cars and looking close at the scenery.
Upon our return to Inspiration Point we found a family busily feeding the ground squirrels and chipmunks. At least they were giving them peanuts and cashews, but it is against the law in the national parks to feed, or even approach, wild animals. I wanted to say something to them, but Anne discouraged me, observing that there were a large number of people around who may or may not agree with any statement I might make.
Our return trip to the trailhead was hampered by the number of tourists making their way around the lake to the falls. Most do not know trail etiquette and don't bother to stop for others when the trail narrows, barging ahead and making others wait for them. They also won't stop for those coming up a slope, or for those with packs. There are some things that should just be common sense, but it seems that Americans, and maybe everyone in the world, have lost any sense of courtesy.
Monday, September 1, 2003
Teton Village KOA Campground
It was a very cold night, and we woke up this morning to more fog, but this time it wasn't as thick. We could see the blue sky above, so knew it would burn off quickly. But … it was enough to collect dew on everything plastic or metal. So our tent was wet and there was nothing we could do about it. We either would have to wait until the air warmed up and the canvas dried, or we would have to pack it wet and let it dry back in Sandy. We chose the later.
Even in these commercial campgrounds you have to fight the damn idiots who don't pay attention to the quiet hour rules. The tent campers decided to build a fire sometime after 10:00 p.m. They were pounding on a big log or some other large chunk of wood with a hatchet. The sound seemed to reverberate through the otherwise quiet night air. And, of course, there were the voices of the large group of some organized camping trip. They were having a good time at the expense of the rest of us. At one point I thought I heard the sound of a truck pass by and stop in their area. I didn't hear any voices, but the pounding stopped after that. So maybe the management got wind of the noise and did something about it.
Anne was going to cook breakfast this morning, but as she was heating water for tea the propane cylinder ran out of gas. We knew we were close, so it wasn't too great of a surprise. We could have waited until the store opened and had them fill it for us, but we opted to find something to eat along the road home.
We dried and packed everything the best we could and headed south out of Jackson on 26/89/191 at about 9:00 a.m. By the time we left the skies were clear. This time we took the eastern route, which followed 191 to Evanston, Wyoming. We stopped there for gas and lunch. The place was packed with returning adventurers.
Along the way we saw more antelope, the Wind River Range to the east, historical markers concerning the Astorians and a fellow named Hobart. South of Big Piney we spotted several prairie dogs along the side of the road, and near La Barge we spotted a pelican along the lake, and several ducks and another crane or heron.
