Some lovely day hikes

These photos are some highlights from several different day hikes in May. We had a lot less snow this past winter which opened up the backcountry earlier than usual and I'm okay with a longer hiking season! 

This photo was taken June 3rd. All north facing slopes hang onto winter snow the longest.

Green Mountain Lakes Trail

We hiked this trail a week ago on what was the hottest day of the summer. The thermostat reached a high of 92 degrees that day. I used to live in Tennessee where the temps stay in the (always humid) upper 90's and go into triple digits throughout the summer. So a high of 92 degrees is NOTHING compared to the South! However, when hiking 16+ miles at 7-10,000 ft, 92 degrees runs pretty hot! Luckily, a dip in a newly thawed mountain lake was our reward at the end of the trail!

The Fall Squeeze

Every fall I have an extreme urgency to get as much hiking, backpacking, biking, camping, floating, in before the snow flies. Because once that snow blower turns on it usually doesn't stop until May. Sometimes June! So, it's been "crunch time," here in the Tetons cramming in as much outdoor activity as possible. I want to be satisfied from my summer & and fall and not dread the impending winter like I always do. So, now I question myself. Am I ever really satisfied that I'm getting in as much outdoor activity as I want? Never! Haha! I always want to hike and be in the woods at all times! Solitude = pure bliss...

Upper Palisades Lake

Lower Palisades Lake

MOOSE!

inside the cabin

Cool abandoned cabin

Charlotte taking a dip

my sweet girls

Upper Palisades Lake and it's island

Oh My Fall!

More of the Winds

Can't stop the Winds

The always stunning and extremely rugged Wind River Mountains... I can't get enough of this mountain range. I crave these mountains. They consume my thoughts and day dreams--from exploring every trail, finding a new lake, new route to hike, sleeping in them, fishing in them and swimming in them. I'm grateful for the few times I had with them this summer but I am sad to see this season of backpacking come to a close. The short summer and even shorter fall allows just a few months to explore these hills. On this last trek, after tossing and turning all night in my sleeping bag trying to get warm I got up the next morning to my water in my camelback being frozen solid. That's when I realized I was on my final trip of the season in the Winds. So, now I have all winter and spring to plan my next Wind River adventure and hopefully I find some new recruits to join me.

Beartooth Mountains

There are a lot of really cool places within a 4-5 hour drive from where we live. For example, the Beartooth Mountains. This mountain range sits upon the larger Beartooth Plateau, the largest true high elevation plateau in the United States. Almost 400 species of plants have been discovered and the Beartooths are considered to be the most biologically unique mountain range in North America. The region is also one of the few remaining with sizable populations of Grizzly Bears outside of Alaska and Canada. Black Bears, mountain goats, Bighorn Sheep, elk, moose, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx are also found here. The Beartooth's are composed of Precambrian granite and crystalline metamorphic rocks dated at approximately 4 billion years old, making these rocks some of the oldest on Earth!

South Leigh Lakes