Grand Teton Car Camp 2009

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We arrived at the Jenny Lake Campground at 12:15 and found lots of campsites empty. We picked a good one, got camp set up and walked over the edge of the glacial morraine on which the campground sits and took an "exercise walk" along the trail on the east side of the lake.

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Looking at the mouth of Cascade Canyon across Jenny Lake.

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Ok, so we got a bit carried away with a little walk, and pretty soon were at one of the inlets to the lake on its north side. Mt. Owen has the snowfields on it and the Grand sits behind it. A bit hazy, due to some small wildfires in the area.

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This is looking along the east side of the lake. The fire in the distance was a controlled burn in the Nat'l Forest on the other side of the Snake River.

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After a dip in the lake that passes for a bath, it is cooling off. Looks like we have pretty luxurious accomodations, compared with backpacking.

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Next morning, the plan is to hike up Death Canyon. You drive to near the Whitegrass Ranger station, IF you have a high clearance vehicle. The road in is nasty and sharp rocks. Here we have hiked up to a nice overlook of Phelps Lake.

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As we DESCEND - arrgghhhh!!! - losing 400 feet (which we will have to regain), there is some nice fall color showing up in the ground cover.

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Looking up into Death Canyon.

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We were moving quickly because you could feel the day warming up.

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Some more nice fall color.

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We ran into part of a family heading up into the canyon, including Ross, an attorney from Central Ohio. His nephews (one of whom had the biggest knife I have ever seen) were going to leave the trail and hack their way up a moutain side. Hmmmmm.....

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Prospectors Mountain with some fall color below.

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It is about a thousand foot climb to where the canyon floor flattens. Aspen are turning up here.

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The canyon floor levels out.

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A closer view up the talus slope.

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OK, time for a stop for lunch. We decided to turn around after going just a tad further, It looked like the views would not improve too much and it was getting hot.

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Susie and lunch.

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Looking up at a formation called the Death Canyon Shelf. The peak in the distance is likely Mt. Bannon, right on the western border of the park.

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More fall color.

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Looking back down the canyon, with Phelps Lake and the Snake River Plain in the distance.

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Heading down the south facing slope, which had been roasting in the sun all day, was not as much fun as it sounds.

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Next morning, after the heat of yesterday, we decided to flatten our hiking plans. We got up as the sun was rising and photographed the color on the peaks.

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Susie taking a photo of Mt Teewinot.

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We decided to head north, up to the Colter Bay area after checking out some view spots.

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This is the view part of the way up Signal Mountain drive.

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Our goal for today is to hike out to Hermitage Point, supposed good for wildlife viewing (but probably not in the heat of the day). At least Jackson lake surrounds much of the route. It could be hotter.

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There was a photo shoot for a catalog or something going on across this little inlet from us.

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We hiked up to a view spot, supposedly of Jackson lake, but could not see much of the lake. Mt Moran is to the right.