A DAY IN THE TETONS

 

 

Christy teaches high school online, and she had to do some work to prepare for the Fall semester.  We knew this when we planned the trip, so I had booked two nights at the Trail Creek Campground near Jackson.  On that Saturday I would do a solo dayhike while Christy spent the day working at a coffee shop in town.  The campground is just west of Teton Pass but just east of the Idaho state line.  It was a pretty decent place, except that it is located just below the highway.  As a result, it was loud, particularly early in the morning when we were trying to sleep in a little.  At least it was convenient.  After breakfast, Christy dropped me off in Grand Teton National Park before heading into Jackson. 

 

My plan was to hike to Amphitheater Lake and Surprise Lake.  It’s a moderately difficult but popular dayhike to two alpine lakes and a viewpoint.  She dropped me off late on Saturday morning.  The trailhead parking lot was full, and there were cars parked along the entrance road for nearly a mile.  I guess I picked the right hike to be dropped off!  The hike was a steady climb on switchbacks.  There was a lot of traffic, both coming and going, but that wasn’t surprising given the number of cars we’d seen.  On the way up I passed a number of views of the Tetons above and Jackson Hole to the east.  Jackson Hole was nearly impossible to see due to smoke from a wildfire burning near Yellowstone.  The smoke had filled the valley.  It was so bad that I had debated whether it was even worth doing the hike.  Ultimately, I decided that a hike to a pair of alpine lakes would still be enjoyable.  I was just hoping that the smoke wouldn’t ruin the views.

 

After a couple of hours of hiking I reached Surprise Lake.  I had a late lunch there and enjoyed the view before continuing up to Amphitheater Lake.  That one also offered some nice scenery.  From there, I followed a beaten path beyond the lake and up to the top of the ridge above.  This was the real gem of the hike.  There I had a great view of Disappointment Peak and the Grand Teton above and the beautiful green waters of Delta Lake far below.  The smoke had dissipated some, and I could even see some of Jackson Hole.  There were two couples at the overlook with me, which wasn’t too bad given the incredible number of people I’d seen during the hike.  It’s a good thing it wasn’t more crowded, as there isn’t room for many more people on that cliff.  The one couple asked me if I’d been to Delta Lake.  I hadn’t, and in fact, I wasn’t even aware that there was a route to it.  That’s probably because I hadn’t done any real research on this hike prior to our trip.  They gave me directions for accessing it, and I decided to check it out on the way back.

 

I descended many switchbacks before I reached the one with the route to Delta Lake.  There is no official trail, but a series of beaten paths leads to it.  This was by far the most difficult part the hike. The route is steep and rugged in places, with lots of talus and scree.  It’s worth it though.  Delta Lake is prettier than Surprise or Amphitheater Lake.  Unfortunately my timing was terrible.  When I reached the lakeshore, I found myself looking directly into the sun, and the light was terrible for photos.  If you decide to do this hike, go to Delta Lake first, preferably in the morning.  That way you’ll have good light there and later on at the upper lakes and the overlook.

 

The views of Jackson Hole were pretty clear on the way back down.  I reached the trailhead a few minutes after our designated meeting time.  Christy rolled in a few minutes later.  She had been delayed briefly on the way by an antelope in the road.  On the way out we stopped to watch some elk.  Then we headed into Jackson for dinner and drinks at the Snake River Brewery.  The food and beer were both excellent, and the brewery was a great way to end a fine day in the Tetons.

Continue reading about our trip as we visit Upper Mesa Falls in Idaho before driving the Beartooth Highway on our way to Billings, Montana.

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