We woke up early (6:00 am) and were packed and on the road to Grand Teton by 7:00. We went straight to the southern visitor’s center and were ready to get our hiking information. We walked the trail around the visitor’s center waiting for it to open – we didn’t see any bears, but did see a fox! After checking with the visitor’s desk and checking out the gift shop, we were ready.
We drove the 15 minutes up to the trail head and parked. Looking out of the parking lot we were able to see Disappointment Peak, which rises about 11,600 feet above sea level.
We set off on the trail head with intentions of seeing Surprise Lake which was 5 miles up the mountain, about a 3,000 foot gain. The trail was full of switchbacks and absolutely beautiful views. When we arrived at Surprise Lake, we found the prime Lunch Rock and dipped our feet in the glacial pool.
Surprise Lake was our intended terminus for the hike; once we arrived we realized that Amphitheater Lake was only a mere 0.2 miles ahead. Easy! We went for it – and struggled immensely the entire time. We were realizing that we were so not conditioned to the altitude. After a brief few pictures at Amphitheater Lake, we started our 5-mile descent.
Upon completion of the hike Lea and I were exhausted from the 10 miles we hiked and the high altitude. Our camper friend from the previous night suggested the Ranch Inn, so we checked in after visiting the Browse and Buy consignment shop and stopping for a quick appetizer snack. Showers were a welcomed sight to wash the day’s dirt and salt off our bodies and the Ranch Inn is within walking distance of every amenity Jackson had to offer. We had an excellent dinner and few beers at Snake River Brewing Company, ending our night packing up and preparing for tomorrow’s adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment