Pretty peaks. Sexy summits. Romantic ridges. I fell in love with these mountains, the Tetons, and I am counting the days until my return.
I was born and raised in North Carolina. We have the Appalachian Mountains and they are gorgeous in their own way. The rolling Blue Ridge goes on for miles in every direction. The mountains roll into the foothills which roll into the Piedmont and eventually onto the Sandhills and Atlantic Ocean.
One glance at the towering Teton Range in Wyoming sent goosebumps of excitement onto my arms.
A flat landscape filled with wildflowers framed by snow-capped peaks makes my heart do cartwheels.
It is not something I had seen anywhere else but pictures.
Had I known how marvelous the Tetons would be, I would have petitioned my travel mate for more Teton time. We were at the tail end of a near two-week long road trip. I was excited to see where the day would take us.
Picking Our Poison
We grabbed a simple pamphlet provided at the Visitors Center and set out for our day of hiking. The pamphlet offered about 15 or so hikes. Approximate times for hiking the trails along with length, difficulty and location were given making it easy to pick the one that fits your needs.
We wanted to spend the whole day hiking, while taking in some sweeping vistas from high view points. The Garnet Canyon trail in the Lupine Meadows section of the Park seemed to be the best fit for our adventurous souls on that day.
The trail was to be a strenuous 8.4 miles round trip with 2650 total feet of climbing. It would climb above Garnet Canyon and offer spectacular views of the Middle Teton.
We set out a little after 1:00pm. A little later in the day but we had headlamps and bear spray so were not concerned if it got dark. We quite enjoy sunsets and the weather was perfect that day - sunny, clear and no chance of rain.
It was mid July and the wildflowers were in full bloom. I love that quote by Emerson that "The Earth laughs in flowers."
As we climbed up the trail the views got better and better (as they tend to ) and eventually the path flattened out.
As the path ascended we came across snow. We carefully crossed these areas as a slip could have ended in a injury. I don't want to have to be medi-vacked out of anywhere. I have a healthy fear of slipping - being a little on the not-so-graceful-list. We grabbed a couple of sticks we could use as hiking poles to aid in steadying ourselves and marched forward.
The hike was worth it.
Our view of Garnet Canyon from the turn around point. There were several climbers setting up camp for the night at this spot.
The trail was not crowded but we did see several groups taking rest stops at a few areas on the way up. We were treated to a pleasant sunset. Dusk is my favorite time of the day.
We spent a mere 12 hours in the Tetons. Long enough to know I have to travel back to these magnificent mountains. An extended trip back is in order with days and nights filled with camping, exploring, hiking, relaxing and enjoying life.
Have you traveled to the Tetons before? What was your favorite part? If you haven't traveled here, do you have plans to go?
Thanks for reading and peeking!
Kiristin
All pictures are my own.
