July 2, 2005
Day 46: Day Off in the Tetons
I got up before sunrise and cycled south on the park road for a few miles in the morning chill in order to see the rising sun illuminate the mountain faces. First a deep red glow - then the sun breaking through some clouds - and, finally, the entire range bathed in sunlight with the crevasses still in deep shadows.
I rode back to Jenny Lake, got some coffee and an overnight backcountry permit, then went back to the campsite. I offered my house in Buffalo to Andrew and Ryan if they were headed that way. Then I switched out to hiking mode. It was so nice just taking my time - pulling out my backpack - going through my panniers and transferring the few essentials I would need - and strapping on my tent and pad. Then I put all my stuff in the bear boxes at the campground and hopped on my bike to head for the Leigh Lake trailhead.
I stopped by Jenny Lake Lodge for lunch. Back in 1991, we took Dad there for Father's Day. He had a great time - enjoyed his lunch and met some other Red Cross folks. So it has good memories for me. I had crabcakes and fried green tomatoes - delicious, but a little heavy for a stomach used to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bananas.
The trailhead starts at String Lake where Dad had walked out to the footbridge with its incredible views of the clear, rushing stream and jagged mountains. The wind was really up so the hiking was cool and mosquito free. The hike was a cakewalk - the scenery breathtaking - and the campsite at Bearpaw Lake secluded. After I set up my tent, I hiked on up to Trapper Lake. There's a small waterfall at the inlet and Eagle's Rest Peak in the distance. Absolutely lovely. I sat on a rock and soaked in the sky and breeze and silence. After such a soft and serene evening, it was into my tent for a wilderness night. And when nature called in the middle of the night, I put on my glasses and saw the entire universe stretched out across the sky overhead.
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