“The fool, with all his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.”
Seneca
Hermitage Point is a great Teton classic that leaves from the Colter Bay area of Jackson Lake. It’s a bit long, but flat, and offers outstanding views of the Teton Range across Jackson Lake. It’s a nice option for those wanting to get on a trail with nice views without a tremendous effort. There is currently some construction going on at the trailhead, and the Swan Lake Trail is still closed for nesting swans, so there is a mile or two of hiking that isn’t available.
The morning was cool and clear – perfect for a hike, and it’s always nice when Aimee and I can find a way to be together at least for a few hours. As it was early, almost no one was out, and we saw only a few people out on the trail. Almost immediatey, we had views of the Tetons and before long, we reached Heron Pond. The views from here are pretty incredible, and I always feel like we’ll see some wildlife at this point, but we never do.
The trail continued though the lush forest and we had plenty of time to chat and catch up on kids, life, work stuff, and so many things that we never have time to talk about during the day. The only downside was the mosquitos. It seems unbelievable that I haven’t learned my lesson yet, but apparently I haven’t. The mosquitos have been awful this year, but I still fail to bring bug spray / repellant, and I continue to suffer. Even though I had warmed up, I zipped up my pullover all the way to cover as much skin as possible. It helped, but was still fairly uncomfortable getting bit constantly.
We made it to Hermitage point and enjoyed the great views across the lake, but only for a short time. The mosquitos drove us away after a few minutes, so we continued the loop back to the trailhead. Dodging bugs the whole way, we motored quickly and made it back to the car easily.
On the way up and back to the hike we listened to The Daily Stoic Podcast interview with Garland Robinette. I had never heard of him, but this was definitely one of the best podcasts I have ever heard. He has lived an impossibly fantastic life, and it was a really enjoyable listen. One of the main themes that I took from it was to be open to life’s possibilities and to say yes to opportunities when they arrive. You never know what’s around the corner, but you have to be available for things to happen. Sitting on the couch watching Netflix will rarely, if ever, open doors to adventure or meaningful life experiences. Simply by being present and open to the whims of the universe will create opportunities for us to live fuller more exciting lives. So, don’t waste time and be prepared for fate to come knocking.
Mileage – 9.9 miles
Time – 3 hours, 21 minutes
Animals – one deer
PS – few
“be prepared for fate to come knocking” …and then say ‘Yes’ – Love this thought