Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Cascade Canyon, Part I

Our last full day in Grand Teton I got a hall pass to go on a solo hike. A little research and brief discussion with our Snake River float guide led me to Cascade Canyon. I got up before dawn to catch the first trip of the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake at 7 a.m.

An early-rising pika chirped at me from the safety of some rocks.

The trail up to Inspiration Point got interesting towards the end. Danelle unfortunately probably couldn't have made it with her knee.

I was initially disappointed about the overcast morning, but then the sun breaking through the clouds in just a few spots yielded an interesting shot.

The trail into the canyon leveled out, and Teewinot Mountain became a constant companion on my left.

I had aspirations of making it all the way to the fork at the end of the canyon, but it was four and a half miles in and I didn't have time to go quite that far.

I spotted a bull moose hanging out by Cascade Creek. After a few minutes of waiting for him to show more than his antlers it became pretty obvious that he had no intentions of going anywhere.

There was plenty of fireweed still in bloom here, too.

Teewinot again, all 12,325 feet of it. That was roughly 5,000 feet higher than the trail.

Farther down the trail I got a brief glimpse of something big and brown by the water. I got to a good vantage point and waited and was rewarded by a moose cow with two calves! The calves wanted to take a closer look at me but mama grunted and walked them wide around.

Click here for Part II
Click here for Part III

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