“When you’re alone you should call this condition tranquility and freedom, and think of yourself like the gods; and when you are with many, you shouldn’t call it a crowd, or trouble, or uneasiness, but festival and company, and contentedly accept it.”
Epictetus
The Valley trail traverses the lower section of the Park from Teton Village to String Lake for about 24 miles total. By doing the other hikes in the Park, I have hit most of it, but wanted to do the section from Taggart Lake to Teton Village. I tried to hike this trail earlier in the season, but it was closed for “human protection.” It turns out that there was a nesting hawk along the trail which kept dive-bombing people as they passed it. Getting assaulted by a raptor is definitely near the top of my list of things I hope I never get to experience, so I was grateful that it’s apparently moved on.
My parents decided to join for the first few miles of the trail beginning at Taggart Lake. This was great for me because not only did I have their company, but they could also give me a ride since this is a point-to-point hike. I didn’t leave a car at Teton Village, but instead planned to take the bus back to town when I was finished. They actually picked me up at the end, so that was an added bonus.
We (as usual) arrived early, and we essentially had the trailhead to ourselves. The first few miles were nice and mellow along the valley floor, and we had a nice time hiking and visiting. After about three miles, they headed back to Taggart Lake and I continued on to the Village.
At this point, as the hike continues south, the trail begins to climb a little to the Phelps Lake overlook. This overlook is really beautiful, and provided a nice view of the lake and some views up Death Canyon. It was here that I saw two of the seven people that I saw along the entire trail. It was very quiet and I felt like I had the place mostly to myself.
As I made my way away from Phelps Lake the trail got quieter and quieter, and more and more overgrown. I get the feeling that this trail isn’t traveled too regularly, and I made sure to create some noise to keep the animals away. I allowed myself to think about solitude and being alone. Being alone is not the same as being lonely. I think that as long as you are able to enjoy your own company, you aren’t lonely. Solitude is a gift, and while it can be uncomfortable with no one else around, it can also be fulfilling just to be with your own thoughts. I really enjoyed the solitude and the time to myself on this hike to let my mind wander.
I finally arrived at Teton Village back to the hustle and bustle of tourist time in Jackson Hole, and was surprised at how crowded the Village was. It seemed like there were people everywhere, but it didn’t bother me. I had a few great hours of solitude and now I actually enjoyed watching everyone on their vacations. They were hiking, biking, taking the tram, doing the ropes course, and spending time with their families having fun. I get to enjoy living in the Tetons daily, but for many of these people this might be the only time in their lives that they are here, and it’s fun to watch them make the most of it. I was happy for them, and for me.
Mileage – 12.8 miles
Time – 4 hours, 18 minutes
Big animals – none
People – seven