Today I planned a day to hike in Grand Teton, I didn’t get on the bike at all. Last night when I got back to the campsite I met Tobi who is doing the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (aka the GDMBR) and he invited me to join him on the loop he had planned from the campsite the next day, so I took him up on his offer.

In the morning we set off around Jenny Lake and up Paintbrush Canyon. As we climbed deeper into the canyon the Tetons towered above us on either side, and the views back to Jackson Lake got more impressive but bluer through the haze.

As we started to get nearer to the pass that would take us to the next canyon we had to walk through some snow patches that covered the trail, and the forest opened up to give us wide views of the back of the canyon which is right up against the divide. There was one place right at the end where we had to scramble up the rock to the pass due to snow, but it was worth it, the view from the pass was incredible and it really felt like we were inside the Tetons.

From the pass we descended to Solitude Lake at the top of Cascade Canyon and ate lunch. From the lake we followed Cascade Canyon all the way back to the south of the lake, and a final, and what felt like a very long, hike round the lake back to the campsite.

In the end it took all day, and while I travelled no trail miles it definitely wasn’t a rest day. I’m looking forward to a hot shower and lying down tonight. I think tomorrow I’ll probably continue on through Wyoming.