“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”
Marcus Aurelius
This is it. This is the last hike for the summer in Grand Teton National Park. It’s hard to believe that after a summer of adventure, hiking, and self-discovery the last one is here. And, it’s a big one. Once again, the northern tip of Jackson Lake separates me from the trailhead, so once again, I’ll start by paddling across the lake, and then walking a loop trail for about 20 miles or so. Luckily, I’ve convinced my favorite hiking partner, Aimee, to join me for this last one.
We arrived at Muddy Flats overlook around 7 AM to start the adventure. The sun was just rising, and luckily there was a blanket of clouds keeping it a bit warmer than I thought it would be. We prepped, walked down to the Muddy Flats, and squished our way down to the water. Since paddle boarding felt fairly unsafe last weekend, I decided to borrow my parents’ two-person inflatable kayak to get across the lake this time. I figured I’d be much less likely to fall in, and since Aimee and I are both going, we could be together.
We floated the boat and began the paddle. The lake was calmer than it was last week, and the wind was less intense as well. It was a nice 30 minute trip across the lake, and we made it without incident. On the other side, we decided to leave our boat close to the water, so we wouldn’t have to carry it too far. We changed out of our wet muddy gear and into our hiking shoes and headed to the trailhead.
This morning, I knew exactly where I was going, so had more confidence in the start of this hike. We arrived at the Lower Berry Creek Patrol cabin, signed into the register, and headed out on the Webb Canyon Trail. We were immediately greeted with our first obstacle – a wide stream to cross with no bridge. I was accustomed to the ruggedness of this trail system from last week, but it was more of a surprise to Aimee. She scouted a couple of logs that she could walk / crawl across while I just forded the stream in my running shoes knowing that my feet would be wet and cold several times today.
The trail from here continued up Webb Canyon through a mixture of forest and meadow, and offered some really beautiful terrain. The most surprising aspect of the hike was the number of waterfalls that we saw along the way. We passed several stunning cascades that if were closer to Jenny Lake, would be very popular attractions. However, since not many people come to this area of the Park, we had them all to ourselves.
Eventually, we left the forest and as we gained elevation, arrived at more of a high alpine environment. From here, the challenge was to get up Moose Basin Divide, and it was indeed a challenge. We gained about 2000 feet in the last couple of miles to get up to the divide, and the uphill felt never-ending. On the way up, we had incredible views that improved with each step, and we saw a huge buck bedded down in a stand of trees. Topping out on the divide was tough, but totally worth it.
We relaxed for a while, caught our breath, and enjoyed our lunch in a wind break at the top of Moose Basin Divide. We had long-range views of the Grand, Owl Peak, Forellen Peak, and other Tetons and it was truly spectacular up there. Aimee and I talked about how great of an area this would be for camping and exploring over a few days. I said that it would be awesome, but intense. She said “Yes. Intense. In tents,” once again confirming that we were meant for each other.
We cruised down the divide to join the Owl Creek Trail, and had some nice, but treacherous hiking. There was some snow up here from a recent storm, and the trail was steep, soggy, rocky with loose dirt. I half-slipped several times, but never went down, and was grateful when the trail leveled out a bit. I could see exactly where I had been the previous week when I hiked to Forellen Divide, and it was cool to see it from a different perspective. We descended quickly from the divide and joined the Owl Creek Trail.
From here, the hike was not great. For many miles, it was downright awful. The trail passed through forest and meadow at the bottom of a canyon with no views or anything very interesting. It was an afternoon of numerous streams to ford, boggy steps, and lost trails. Many times the trail disappeared completely and we had to search to find it again, backtrack, or overland through forests of burnt downed trees. With the ever-present signs of recent bear activity we made noise as we crawled through 6 foot high willow and dense forests.
The day wore on, our motivation dwindled, and our pace slowed. This part of the trail seemed to go on forever. We could feel the ebbing of the day, and we still six or so miles to go. The talking diminished as Aimee slipped into silent determination, and I alternated between singing and offering her snacks to keep her legs moving back to Jackson Lake. It was hard. I started to become concerned that we were going to be hiking the last few miles in the dark. Alone. On a trail that kept disappearing. With bears. Fun and adventure had left an hour ago, and resolve was getting ready to head out as well.
The last few miles were brutal. The closer we got, the further it seemed. The trail inexplicably continued to gain elevation and headed away from the lake. What…The…F. We were now 500 feet above the valley floor. We could see the lake, but I swear we were moving away from it. Aimee went fully mute. The sun set behind the mountains. I kept offering snacks.
Finally, at dusk. We descended and made it back to the beach and boat. All of our stuff was there, still muddy and wet. We donned life jackets and paddled in near-total darkness back across the lake. Since it was dark, we couldn’t tell exactly where we needed to go, and we couldn’t see our car. We aimed for where we thought we should be, and went for it. After about 25 minutes, we landed on the other shore. We slogged through the muck, up the beach, and essentially right to our car. We had made it. Hike over. Challenge complete. Summer finished. Headed home.
I kept the above quote in mind many times this summer. It is from Meditations, and is essentially Marcus Aurelius convincing himself to get out of bed in the morning. For me, rising early in the summer is easy. The sun is up, the birds are loud, the dogs need to go out and eat. As the summer wanes, the mornings are dark and cold, our bed is warm, and the dogs don’t budge. I love that 2000 years ago, the emperor of Rome, the most powerful person in the world, wrote about his own struggles to get out of bed and do his duty to humanity. He goes on to say “so you were born to feel nice? Instead of doing things and experiencing them?” Getting out of bed sets the stage for the day, and as tempting as it is to stay warm and cozy, I have much to do. Life to live. Adventures to have. It’s time to get up and get going.
Mileage – 26.7 miles
Time –12 hours, 14 minutes
Animals – one buck, one skunk, one enormous elk on the drive home
People – none
Congratulations!!!! Well done!!! Thoroughly enjoyed following your adventures this summer reaching your goal. I also loved being a part of the journey when I could. I know you must have many emotions at the end—relief, pride, and certainly grateful for the opportunity. Keep on hiking, setting goals and expanding your horizons. Love, Mom