Day Five – May 31, 2021 10:33 Mountain Time
Today my body took a beating in Grand Teton National Park, and it was a blast. We left our hotel in Pinedale around 5:30 AM and arrived at the Lupine Meadows Trailhead in Grand Teton around 7:30 AM.
We began our hike up to Delta Lake at 7:50 AM. This hike was wild. It ended up being a mix of hiking, bushwhacking, and amateur mountaineering. There were numerous marmots along the trail which I captured plenty of videos and photos. The trail featured yellow flowers and commanding views of the lakes and meadows below.
The last half-mile was pretty dicey. I had to traverse a boulder field with melting snow. Then, at the end of the boulder field, was a twenty foot vertical wall of snow I had to climb with Tom and Alex to get to the lake. We had another person that joined us on the way up. His name was also Tom, from Kansas City. The twenty foot wall of snow was tough to get up. We didn’t use on our microspikes on the way up it. I lead by kicking into the snow and clawing into the snow with my hands.
Delta Lake was unbelievable with her emerald-colored water and the Grand Teton towering over. We all went in the lake (where it wasn’t frozen). I rolled up my pants and went in about as deep as just above my knees. The water was the coldest I have ever been in and the sand was so cold it felt like a thick clay. It was a surreal experience I won’t soon forget.
A lot of people turned back due to the slippery and difficult snowy terrain. I understand the feeling of turning around, but due to snowstorms rolling in. We were NOT missing out on that lake. It was also tough because the trail is not maintained and is not shown as a trail on the map given out by the park services so it is definitely more of a hidden gem. I certainly hope it stays that way.
We did end up a little lost on the way down and found ourselves on a steep embankment. My buddy Tom’s foot slipped and sent a decent sized rock hurling towards me. He yelled, “BOULDER,” giving me enough time to react and move. He felt really bad, but I assured him that it is part of the dangerous game of playing in the mountains. We were able to get back on trail, talk with a family of four about our travel plans, and made it back to the trailhead in one piece.
We hit Signal Lodge after and I ordered an iced Americano with almond milk. We ordered food to go and ate it at a picnic table along the marina of Jackson Lake. I had a veggie burger called, “The Trailhead,” and a side of French fries. We shot a bunch of photos of the boats at the marina with the Tetons as a backdrop. We then took more pictures of each other. We then went to Jenny Lake Road to shoot photos of us riding Tom’s penny board.
The photos of the road with the trees and Tetons turned out fantastic. I had a hard wipeout and lost most of the skin on my right elbow. It was totally worth it. All these events make great stories. Our last two stops were The Chapel of Transfiguration and Jackson Hole, WY. The wooden chapel made for some cool photos with the Tetons as a backdrop.
Jackson Hole is a beautiful ski town with tons of restaurants, shops, and art galleries. There is definitely many well-to-do people that hang out in that town. My favorite store that was open when we went at 7:30 PM was Jackson Mercantile. I bought some stickers and almost bought a small knife made from a railway spike. I then drove back to Pinedale.
Currently waiting for laundry to finish drying and tomorrow will be a full day at Yellowstone National Park. I’m excited to get better pictures of wildlife with my new lens and new vantage points for capturing the landscapes!
Stats for 5/31/2021:
- 21,063 total steps
- 10.65 miles total distance
- 147 flights climbed
- 2,106 calories burned
RTW Note
Thank you for taking the time to read this my fellow Road Trip Warriors! I appreciate the continued support! If you enjoyed this post, found it informative, or liked the pictures, please share it and leave a comment. There will be plenty more posts about this trip, hiking trails and more! Keep on adventuring!
–Ant
Prior Road Trip Day Four Post – West Coast Road Trip Day Four: Fort Collins, CO to Pinedale, WY May 30th, 2021
Signal Mountain Lodge – Website Link Here
