After a great time photographing bison in Yellowstone -- and an adequate night's sleep in my tent at the Gros Ventre campground -- I turned my sights the next day to righting a 16-year-old wrong: hiking Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.
Calling my previous hike a "wrong" might be a bit harsh. I covered six miles in five hours and saw a mother moose with two calves. This time I wanted to make it the full 10+ miles to where the trail forks. So as I had back in 2010, I grabbed the shuttle across Jenny Lake at 7 a.m. and started off.
Being one of the first on the trail meant I had fairly uninterrupted shots from the first bridge across Cascade Creek...
...and at Hidden Falls.
By Inspiration Point, though, the trail was already getting crowded. But people in shots can add helpful context and scale. At least that's what I always tell myself when there are people in my shot. :)
The morning was humid, and wispy clouds clung to the peaks flanking the trail.
But roughly a mile and a half in, blue skies appeared just as the trail emerges from the trees and offers these stunning views up the canyon.
One of my favorite things to do with my new 10-24 lens is to shoot a scene at 10mm...
The middle section of the trail provides a seemingly endless string of breathtaking views along the creek
Wildflowers blooming, waterfalls flowing, clouds drifting by. The morning was truly idyllic.
Good news: I made it to the fork this time. And back, in a little more than six hours. Four more miles in just one more hour had me feeling pretty good about my fitness level compared to 41-year-old me, too.
Teaser time: As good as the scenery in Cascade Canyon is, the wildlife is easily its equal. Proof in an upcoming post!
