I did my homework before this road trip, and one hike kept coming up as the "must-do" hike in Grand Teton National Park -- Delta Lake. So that was my plan for my only full day in the park.
I hit the trailhead before 8 a.m., and was met with comfortable temperatures and picturesque cascades.
Skies were definitely overcast, but the forecast only called for a 20% chance of rain before 11:00. I was willing to gamble that I'd make it to the lake and be on my way back down by then.
The last stretch of maintained trail is a series of switchbacks which provided a great view of Bradley Lake ...
... and were simply covered in blooming Northern Mule's Ears.
The final route to Delta Lake is steep and unmaintained. When I hit it, the 20% chance of rain had turned into a 100% chance. A steady, cold drizzle was falling, threatening my camera equipment and making the terrain either muddy or slippery or both. I first put away my D750 to protect it, then my new D5300. Going was slow, but I'd read enough reviews from other folks who said the lake is worth it. So I persevered.
And, well, the reviews were correct. The lake is stunning. Strong winds were driving freezing rain right in my face when I got here, and I wasn't comfortable getting my DSLR back out. So I was only able to capture the scene with my phone.
I've got to say I'm not terribly disappointed with my phone pics. They're not quite as good as I could have gotten with my D5300, but they do convey the scene and conditions fairly accurately.
"Inhospitable" would probably be the best word I could use to describe those conditions. I stayed huddled in a small copse of trees hoping for some improvement, but when it became apparent that wasn't happening I headed back down. The rain was my constant companion on the way, which dampened my spirits slightly but not enough to make me regret my decision to do the hike in the first place.
It took me 4:51:19 to cover the 7.84 miles -- a slower pace than normal for me, partly due to the weather and partly due to the 2,452 feet of elevation gain. But I wholeheartedly agree with all the reviews I read saying that this hike is awesome!
2 comments:
A stunning vista at the lake!
It really is!
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