GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK (Day 2)

I set out to do some exploring.

My campsite

Grand Teton National Park, created in 1929, protects most of the peaks of the 40-mile-long Teton Range, the youngest range in the Rocky Mountains. They began forming between 6 and 9 million years ago.

I drove south on the park road toward Jenny Lake, making use of a few of the turnouts.

The Mt. Moran Turnout:

Cathedral Group (A), Mt. St. John (B), Mt Woodring (C), Mt Moran (D)

Mt. St. John (elevation 11,430 feet) and Rockchuck Peak (11,145 feet)... and Mt. Moran (12,605 feet)

Mt Moran has 5 glaciers and a 150-foot thick black dike (the distinct vertical line at the top). Long before the rise of the Teton Range, the dike was formed when magma was forced upward into a large crack. This molten rock solidified, becoming the dark igneous rock. Erosion then made it visible. Falling Ice glacier sits just below it.

The Cathedral Group Turnout:

Teewinot Mountain (A), Grand Teton (B) and Mt Owen (C) which are part of the Cathedral Group, Storm Point (D), Mt. St. John (E), Rockchuck Peak (F)

The Cathedral Group... and Mt. St. John

The park is named for Grand Teton (13,775 feet), the tallest mountain in the Cathedral group and the Teton Range. Mount Owen next to it is the second-highest.

I stopped at the String Lake Trailhead and decided to do the Cascade Canyon hike. The weather was gorgeous as I made my way along a river, around the edge of Jenny Lake, past Hidden Falls, up to Inspiration Point and into Cascade Canyon.

Map of the area (click for a larger view)

A river leads to Jenny Lake.

The trail around the lake

Jenny Lake was formed some 12,000 years ago by the same glaciers which carved Cascade Canyon. The lake is about 2 miles long, 1 mile wide and estimated to be 423 feet deep.

Hidden Falls

The view of Jenny Lake from Inspiration Point ... A white columbine

Snow covered portions of the trail.

Glimpses of the peaks

The lovely Cascade Canyon!

I wasn't there very long, however, before giant storm clouds began to furiously push their way down the valley. I decided it best if I didn't linger, so I headed back down quickly... the storm in hot pursuit! I literally jumped in the car right as the heavens unleashed.

The storm blew in very quickly!

Jenny Lake under clouds

The storm is almost upon me!

I drove to the Jenny Lake Visitor Center in the pouring rain. There wasn't much of a view.

It didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon so I headed back toward the campsite but decided to continue on to the end of Signal Mountain Road. At the top was Jackson Viewpoint. It wasn't as spectacular as it could have been, but it was still lovely.

The glacier-scraped valley... Jackson Lake and Mt. Moran in the cloudy distance

I returned to the tent for a nap while the rain continued to fall outside. For dinner, I parked at the nearby Chapel of Sacred Heart Lookout, enjoying what there was of the view as I rummaged through my bag of snacks.

Jackson Lake

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