Saturday, July 22nd, Day 2. What a beautiful morning. We started our day meeting Stella’s parents at the Jackson Hole Campground at Fireside Resort to rendezvous for our morning ride along the Moose – Wilson Pathway to Teton Village, about 5 miles out. Unlike the Grand Teton Multi-use Pathway the Moose, Wilson Pathway to Teton Village is gently rolling in its entirety. As we approached Teton Village we notice several paragliders soaring off the mountain with their colorful canopies careening toward tera firma. I know Stella would do love to do. Myself however, I compare it to jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Not going to happen.
Arriving in Teton Village, we stumbled upon a craft show taking place in a small open space. We spend a bit of time meandering in and out their booths, and noticed one artist whose craft stood out from the rest. He had burnt/etched the wild life design into the wood and then painted it in great detail. It was truly unique.
Afterward, we jumped back on our bikes and reversed course. I stopped along the way to attempt to photograph an eagle perched high atop a telephone pole running along side the road. However, I was unable to capture the moment in great detail; an epic fail. Riding the like wind, I caught up to them just before crossing the road and back to the campground. What a great way to start the day!
Next, we all headed into Grand Teton National Park to hike around Jenny Lake. Driving into the park from the Moose Junction entrance, we had to make a slight detour to have our kayak inspected for Aquatic Invasive Species before entering. Gathering our gear, including bear spray, we made our way to the trailhead.
We began our trek at the Jenny Lake Ferry site, which scoots those not wanting to make the journey around the lake to Cascade Canyon near Hidden Falls. A bit further into our trek, we discovered that a portion of the trail was closed for repairs and we needed to detour to the Hidden Falls trail. The diversion changed the hike from a relatively easy trek to more of a moderate hike around the lake. Climbing a series of switchbacks, we reached the top of the trail, which provided an overlook point of Jenny Lake from the East. On the descent, we began to hear the roar of Hidden Falls as we approached Cascade Canyon.
Cascade Creek begins as an outflow from Lake Solitude perched at 9035 feet and traveling 8 miles and falling 100 feet at Hidden Falls before meandering its way through Cascade Canyon and entering Jenny Lake. After spending time admiring the falls and its cooling effect, continued our trek and stopped briefly at Ribbon Cascade where we placed our hands into the cold mountain stream.
At the North end of the lake, we crossed over the outflow from String Lake; the view is amazing as is cascades over the many boulders strewn about left behind from a time long ago as glaciers carved its path thousands of years before. At this point, the trail heads south and back in the direction of the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Along the trail there is a section that has been carved out to allow stunning views of the lake and the Tetons.
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