Grand Teton National Park is not a very big park, but it is huge on scenery! This park is easily accessible and it is not hard to see the beauty of the Teton mountains. Jackson Hole is a popular gateway town for Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. When you fly into Jackson Hole you are left in awe with the amazing sight of these enormous mountains. You get a great view from the plane as you land. There is a highway that goes right in front of the mountains where you have great panoramic views of the Tetons. If you want to get up close and personal you have several options. There are many lakes at the base of the mountains where you can go swimming, canoeing, or kayaking just to name a few. This is one of the easier ways to enjoy the scenery. The other option is to head upward into the mountains. This allows you to experience the great alpine areas of the park. We chose to head up to Paintbrush Divide through the String lake trailhead. This backpacking trip took us 3,800 feet straight up with a total length of about 19 miles. This was a pretty tough hike, so you should be in pretty good shape to attempt this. On your way up you will be greeted with streams, waterfalls, snow fields, and scenic views of the valley. We chose to backpack and camp in the Upper Paintbrush canyon area. We slept with the soothing noise of running water in the background. Be sure to bring Mosquito repellent, as you will need it.
The next day we finished the hike to Paintbrush Divide. This was probably the toughest part of the trip. The snow fields get larger and the views get better the higher you go. The last stretch of the trail is really not a trail at all, you are hiking on small rocks and at times it does get touchy. Once you get to the top hang on to your hat! I have never experienced winds like this before. I was afraid I was going to get blown off so I sat down to enjoy the views. You could see well into Idaho and into the valley from here. Now its back down! All I can say is, my knees weren’t happy with me that day. This was a 8 mile trip or so back down the 3,800 feet we just climbed. It is possible for you to take a loop. I heard it was a little easier trip going in through Cascade Canyon. For this, you take a boat across Jenny Lake, and the hike is around 10 miles. This climb is more gradual than the climb from String Lake so it is easier on the way up.
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Clint Pollock President, Adventure-Crew Inc. http://www.adventure-crew.com http://www.adventure-space.com