Hike 17 – Granite Canyon – Open Canyon Loop

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.”

Epictetus

I’ve had this hike on my list for quite some time.  I was going to do it earlier in the season, but was concerned about the snow, so put it off until later in the summer.  This trail begins at the Granite Canyon Trailhead off the Moose-Wilson Road,  but due to road construction it turns out that the Granite Canyon Trailhead is closed all summer and fall this year.  That means, I would have to start this trail from Teton Village instead which adds about 2 miles on top of an already-long hike.  I continue to be surprised by how many hikes, trails, and trailheads are closed in the Park at various times.

I had a random Wednesday off from work, and the weather looked favorable, so I decided to hit this trail mid-week.  The downside of that was that I didn’t have a partner to join me, so I would be going solo.  I honestly didn’t really look too hard for a companion because I wanted the challenge and the experience of doing a long hike by myself.

I set out from Teton Village around 6:45 on a crisp cool morning and quickly started walking the Valley Trail north from JHMR.  There was no one around, and the woods seemed eerily quiet.  I was in my usual habit of making some noise, as I didn’t want to sneak up on any bears or moose, and was talking and singing to myself to pass the time.  I did surprise a fox who ran about 15 yards in front of me, but I saw nothing else (including people) on this part of the trail. 

At this point, I started signing “Gin and Juice”  – not the Snoop version, but the Gourds version which for some reason, I know pretty well.  To keep my mind occupied I decided to write my own lyrics to the song, and came up with this:

With such dense vegetation in GTNP, 

It’s kind of hard being a solo hiker like me.

But, somehow someway,

I keep stacking up miles nearly every single day.

May I kick a little something for the G’s?

Seeing a bear is a breeze.

You know it’s 6 in the morning and my heart is still thumping, 

Cause there’s bears out here.

I got mooses in the river gettin’ it on, 

And they ain’t leaving until winter comes.

So, what you want to do?

I got a holster full of bear spray and my homeboys do too.

So, lace up your boots and forget your cares,

But, (but what?).  We don’t love them bears

So, we’re going for a hike today

G’s up, bears down 

While you motherf****** hike to this

I’ll be rollin’ up the trail with my bear spray

Sippin’ on electrolytes, freaked out.

With my mind on the bears,

And the bears on my mind.

I’ll be rollin’ up the trail with my bear spray

Sippin’ on electrolytes, freaked out.

With my mind on the bears,

And the bears on my mind.

The trail from here was mostly downhill, and I cruised absentmindedly for a few miles until I startled something large in the woods just off the trail.  It was a cow moose and her calf, and the cow was not happy about my presence.  She and the calf moved away from me into the woods, but then she stopped and began snorting at me.  She definitely let me know that she was pissed before continuing to move away.  I had unholstered my bear spray, but luckily didn’t need it, and we parted ways as friends.

Open Canyon was lovely, and offered nice views of Jackson Hole, Phelps Lake, and the Gros Ventre Mountains in the distance.  I eventually rejoined the Valley Trail and walked about four miles back to the Village.  I only passed one other group of three hikers making the grand total of people I saw six.  That’s not very many for a 20+ mile hike, and if you are looking for some solitude, these trails are a good place to find it.

During the early part of the hike, I was actually pretty worried and anxious about running into a bear.  I think it’s normal and healthy to be cautious and aware, but the worry doesn’t really help.  The vast majority of the things we worry about never actually come to pass.  Further, most of the things that happen to us are out of our control anyway, so what’s the point of worrying about it.  The fact is, I was prepared by having bear spray, I was aware of my surroundings, and I was appropriately addressing the risk by creating new lyrics to a rap classic.  I decided that there was no need to be anxious.  No need for worry.  I just focused on my behavior and let whatever was going to happen, happen.  I decided that I need to definitely do that more in my life in general.  Good things, bad things, and every other “thing” in life is going to occur no matter how much anxiety or worry we allow ourselves.  There’s no reason to suffer more than we have to, worrying about stuff that probably won’t happen anyway.

Mileage – 22 miles

Time – 8 hours, 24 minutes

Big animals – one fox, two moose

People – six