Thanks to the extra miles we piled on yesterday, the elevation gain on this lovely fourth day of our hike would be fairly negligible. Our starting point at Sunset Lake clocked in at 9,659 feet, and we would top out for the day and the trip at Hurricane Pass, a mere 800 feet higher. Still, … More Teton Crest Trail Day 4, in which I find a glacier!
Not a bear, I thought, but it’s something big. Do moose graze at 3am? In any case, I was sure it was rooting around in the vegetation several yards from the tent, and not rooting around in my backpack, stored just outside my tent flap. I shifted around, making a little noise, hoping to scare it off. The one thing I was definitely not going to do was look outside, as doing so was a surefire way to turn the creature into a bear. … More Day 3 on the Teton Crest Trail, in which marmots attack!
The first night in a tent is the absolute worst. If one is not accustomed to sleeping in a tent, there is no way to focus on anything other than how inadequate your sleeping pad is, how clammy your feet feel, and all the noises the definitely-a-bear is making. Is it raining? Is a marmot stealing my boots? No really, what IS that bear doing?? … More How to sleep in the Tetons backcountry
“Hello, we’d like to get a permit for a four-night backpacking trip starting tonight, please. We know it’s noon on a Friday in the July after COVID, so we understand that all the permits were probably gone by 8:03. We know we’re idiots, but we’re experienced, well-prepared, super-flexible idiots and we have a backup plan!” … More How not to start a five-day hike in the Tetons
The great thing about playing it loose with your travel plans is that you have all the flexibility in the world to adjust your schedule to spend more or less time at places that interest you more or less than you expected. The downside is when you find out that doing the really cool things in those places required you to make a reservation. Six months ago. … More Laura’s Journal: Grand Canyon – Going Down
Thither & Yon 