I prefer mountains to beaches, driving to flying. So when the idea of taking a roadtrip to Grand Teton National Park came up, I anticipated it like no other vacation before. Although 15 hours is a significant amount of time to spend in a car, it was worth seeing the Teton range jutting out from the horizon on the final leg of our drive. Like a metropolis skyline, the prominent peaks towered over the surrounding landscape. All of our travel weariness dissipated as the mountains grew bigger and bigger, and we knew that an exciting adventure was waiting for us.
Our main event in Grand Teton was a hike along the Cascade Canyon trail to Lake Solitude. We initially planned for a roundtrip trail that didn't require us to double-back, but we were definitely glad that we did not take the longer route as we were a tad out of shape.
After a couple of miles, we arrived at the heart of the Cascade Canyon. Flanked by mountains on both sides, we felt as if we were in our own little world.
As we neared the top, the landscape around us quickly transitioned from a summer green to a winter brown. The further we walked, the more patches of snow we saw alongside the trail. This continued until finally, a full-blown snowfield greeted us. The ground was blindingly white as far as my eyes could see, and right in the center of it all was our intended destination, Lake Solitude. As if suspended in time, the still-frozen lake seemed to have embraced its own name and decided to sit back and watch the rest of the world move on.
The wind was fierce at the lake. The sky constantly changed colors as clouds raced overhead. I feared for my camera and tripod setup falling over the entire time, but the hook attachment on my tripod came in handy and I was able to successfully weigh it down with my pack. Needless to say, I would've stayed a bit longer if not for the wind. It was not the leisurely photoshoot I expected.
At the end of the trail, our legs were starting to give out from underneath us. We had the choice of hiking two more miles around Jenny Lake to get back to our car or to take a ferry directly across the lake. We opted for the latter. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else had the same idea and there was a huge line waiting for the ferry. It was not the triumphant "we conquered the mountain" ending we had hoped for, but we reluctantly agreed to wait for the sake of our legs.
Over the next two days that we spent in Grand Teton, we were able to let our legs recover by letting our car do all the work. There were some fantastic lookout spots and areas of historical significance, all easily accessible with a car.
This national park is definitely something special. It exudes a natural beauty that matches some of the best in this country. It makes me want to wake up at 4 am for the sunrise and bear the mosquito bites for the sunset. Not to mention, the Cascade Canyon trail was one of the best hikes I've done in a while. After these couple of days on the road, I'm still a driving-over-flying, mountains-over-beaches kind of guy.