Schneider - Hiking Grand Teton National Park: a guide to the parks greatest hiking adventures

Most guidebooks, including this one, result from a combination of effort, not the work of one person.

I would like to thank the National Park Service (NPS) for helping me research and review this book, especially Katy Duffy, Don Burgette, Mark Mangleson, Larry Castle-Ferricks, and Sara Petsch. Also, Sharlene Milligan and Jan Lynch from the Grand Teton Association were most helpful with their review and guidance.

I also extend my gratitude to the editors, cartographers, designers, and proofreaders at Falcon Publishing and Globe Pequot for putting up with a difficult author.

And, of course, what would I do without Marnie, Greg, and Heidi, my Schneider family hiking companions, who kept me company on many long days and big hills while hiking all the trails of Grand Teton? Thanks all.

Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, facilities come under new management, and so forth.

We welcome your comments concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart, and well also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

Globe Pequot Press

Reader Response/Editorial Department

246 Goose Lane

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at:

editorial@falcon.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

FALCON GUIDES

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Copyright 2018 The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

TOPO! Maps copyright 2018 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Maps 2018 The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

Photos by Bill Schneider unless otherwise noted

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 978-1-4930-3003-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-3004-0 (e-book)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

The author and The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book..

WILDERNESS is...

The FREEDOM to experience true wildness... to hear only natures music... to study the little secrets of the natural world... and to enjoy the quiet and solitude so rare in the stressful life we now live.

The CHALLENGE to learn and respect wild country... to be self-reliant... to take your time... to test your physical abilities... to courteously share the last blank spots on the map with others... and to fully enjoy your experience while leaving no trace of your passing.

The OPPORTUNITY to discover why wilderness is priceless... to see the threats to your wilderness... to decide to devote part of yourself to preserving more of it... and to encourage others to do the same.

Bill Schneider

Grand Teton National Park probably has the most famous natural skyline in the country. This prominent horizon shows up every year on millions of postcards, calendars, magazine and book covers, and television ads. But just looking at it is not enough. You need to go there and hike through the deep canyons gouged out by glaciers and over the big divides to feel the true essence of these mountains.

For outstanding mountain scenery, Grand Teton ranks, quite simply, as the best. You would have to really try hard not to have a memorable hike. As you plan your trip, here are a few things you might want to know about hiking in Grand Teton National Park.

Prime season: The best time to hike Grand Teton is August and September. Snow buries the high peaks each winter and grips the high trails such as Hurricane Pass, Paint-brush Divide, and Moose Basin Divide until at least mid-July, sometimes into August.

Weather: It can snow any day of the year in Grand Teton, so always be prepared for it. The normal summer weather pattern (if there is such a thing) is clear mornings with thundershowers in the mid-afternoon, followed by clear, cool evenings. This means early-morning hikers usually enjoy better weather, and they more often get their tents set up before it rains. June can frequently (but not always) be a fairly wet month in Grand Teton.

Sharing: Hikers dont have the trails of Grand Teton to themselves. They share those trails not only with a growing number of hikers and climbers but also with backcountry horse riders. If you meet a stock party on the trail, yield by moving off the trail on the downhill side and quietly let the stock animals pass.

Moose country: This is definitely moose country. In fact, its difficult to go hiking all day in Grand Teton without seeing a moose. Enjoy watching them, but stay out of the way. Moose do not yield to hikers.

Bears: Grand Teton has bears, both the black bear and its larger, more cantankerous cousin, the grizzly. Black bears have always been common throughout the park, and now, grizzlies are often seen, not only in the northern and less frequently used sections of the park, but also in the more heavily used southern sections. All bearsblack and grizzly are dangerous, so take all the standard precautions.

The canyons: Many hikes, such as Holly Lake, Cascade Canyon, Paintbrush Divide and others, leave the valley floor and penetrate the Teton Range via deep, glacier-scoured canyons. The canyons serve as pathways into the high peaks. Theyre usually steep in the first few miles, then they level out, and suddenly, youre surrounded by steep-walled majesty on your way up a spectacular pass or divide.

Finding solitude: Grand Teton is so heavily used by hikers and climbers that on some trails, they seem to be everywhere. You can find solitude, however, especially in the North Trails area, as well as in a few other areas, but probably not at Lake Solitude, a very popular hiking destination. If you want to be lonely for a change, check through the hike descriptions until you find a lightly used route.

Bugs: Perhaps the two seasons I hiked Grand Teton were off years for the mosquito, but it sure seems like the park has fewer mosquitoes than most places in the Rocky Mountains. In Montanas Beartooths or in Yellowstone, the mosquitoes can block out the sun on a clear day, but in Grand Teton, I took out the repellent only once (in Glade Creek), which is unusual to say the least.