Back in the Mountains

When we visited Grand Teton in 2009, we barely saw the Tetons. In early June, it was cloudy and rainy for much of our visit. Many of the classic hikes were not possible because of ice and snow, so we planned this trip in the hopes of great late season hiking weather. So far so good.

To get to Grand Teton, we took the scenic route from Salt Lake City through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Caribou National Forests, which took us by Bear Lake and through the Star Valley and Snake River Canyon. 

Views from Mt. Glory

Upon arrival, we took our host's advice and drove up to Teton Pass to hike up Mt. Glory. Pretty much straight up, we got nice late afternoon light and views of the valley and mountains in all directions.

After our hike, we stopped at Q Roadhouse and Brewing Co -- great outdoor seating with heat lamps. We enjoyed the rhombus IPA for Frank and farmhouse ale for me, quinoa hush puppies (hipster or what?), and a burger with pretty amazing house-made bacon. 

View from Amphitheater Lake Trail, GTNP

On Tuesday, we roller bladed on the valley floor from Gros Ventre Junction toward Jenny Lake. We got in about 6 miles one way, and battled a fierce head wind on our way back. We arrived at Snake River Brewing Co. in time for happy hour and recovered from our blading in the beautiful late afternoon sun with their Stout, Sahti, and the artichoke dip - amazingly delicious! We attempted a lecture on the Gros Ventre Wilderness at the library, but found it to be standing room only, so we perused a Yellowstone exhibit comparing historic post card and photographs.

Cheeky Marmot, Garnet Canyon, GTNP

Wednesday brought us our first big hike (~12 miles). We joined quite a crowd of hikers, picas, marmots, and at least one bear on the trail to Amphitheater Lake and Garnet Canyon. Hiking bonus: we found a pristine Snickers bar on the trail, and after asking 5 hikers if they'd lost it, we claimed it for our own!