adventure

Grand Tetons Part 2: Cascade Canyon – Paintbrush Canyon Loop

/ Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / Leave a comment
Trip dates: Thursday, July 30 – Friday, July 31, 2015
Trip Details: 
Cascade Canyon – Paintbrush Canyon Loop: 2 days 18.1 miles
Laurie and I couldn’t secure permits for this loop when we arrived at the Grand Teton National Park visitor center 3 days ago. But the way the permit system works, we were able to add this loop to our existing itinerary. Having completed a three day, two night loop from of Death Canyon via Alaska Basin and Death Canyon shelf, we set out to hike through Cascade Canyon from the String Lake Parking lot. 
We chose String Lake for two reasons: Jenny Lake trailhead was full by the time we got there, and it meant a shorter hike the following day. It also meant a longer hike today. But no matter. Having already hiked 5 miles, we were warmed up and ready to go! 
The day was hot. We started hiking around 11:30am and found ourselves overwhelmed by the crowds. Day hiking from Jenny Lake to Inspiration Point is a popular day hike. It’s not easy as the trail goes uphill from the first step. The steep trail, coupled with the heat and amount of people on the trail caused many bottlenecks. 

We constantly reminded ourselves to breathe and enjoy being in the mountains. We couldn’t do anything about the number of people on the trail. We were in the Tetons during the busiest week of the season – after the snow has melted and before kids go back to school. 
Deep down we knew we could hike the 12.6 miles (with roughly 4,000ft of elevation gain) to camp, we simply needed to remind ourselves of this from time to time. 
We had no intention of going to Inspiration Point, but we received word from other hikers of a black mama bear and her two cubs very close to the trail, so we followed the masses hoping to catch a glimpse. 

We vaguely saw the cubs in the distance as they climbed trees and foraged. But as the sow came closer and closer to the trail, Laurie and I turned around. 
Once on the Cascade Canyon trail, the crowds thinned tremendously. The trail was exposed and hot, but the views opened up with every step. 

Shortly after we were back under the shade of trees until the South Fork Cascade Junction. We veered right and kept climbing. Soon after we were out of the trees once more. As we climbed higher, the canyon opened up and the views were breathtaking. The Tetons towered behind us as we gradually gained elevation. We couldn’t help but stop many, many times for photos.

The reward for the long climb through Cascade Canyon is Lake Solitude – a wonderful treat situated in a glacial basin. Camping is not allowed here but it is a great place for a rest and a soak before the long climb to Paintbrush Divide.  
While Laurie went for a swim, I made her mac n cheese – her favorite backpacking meal. For added nutrition, we added dehydrated veggies. We also spread our Tarptent and ground sheet out to dry under the hot sun. 

After an hour or so, we packed up and were ready to go. But we weren’t getting far because we kept stopping and taking photos of the majestic Tetons. 

We continued climbing and noticed a lake above Lake Solitude. It was stunning. The water was bright green and it sat in a bowl surrounded by glaciers. 
Simply. Beautiful. 
We couldn’t help but smile as we huffed and puffed up the trail. We were loving this hike. The pikas were calling out, there was a slight breeze in the air and the sky remained a perfect blue. And the views were intoxicating.
After a few long switchbacks we made it to Paintbrush Divide at 10,700 feet. Or so we thought. 
It was a false summit. There was more climbing to be had but we still had plenty of daylight and were fueled by outrageously beautiful scenery. 
We saw only two hikers heading in the opposite direction as we climbed. It was late in the afternoon and most people had probably made camp at the designated Upper Paintbrush or Holly Lake camping areas. Secretly I was worried that Holly Lake – our destination for the night – would be filled with hikers, but I didn’t voice this to Laurie. 
We had to concentrate to get down from the Divide first. The descent was sketchy due to parts of the trail being washed out by rock slides. It was a very steep and exposed downhill back into the trees and meandering streams. As we passed backpackers scattered all over the Upper Paintbrush camping zone, my fears of Holly Lake being full worsened. 
Much to my surprise however, once we reached Holly Lake, there were no people to be found. We had the place to ourselves! 
We chose a campsite with great views of the alpenglow, ate dinner, and went to bed. Another magnificent day in the Tetons. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lqs3VjHTYM0?feature=player_embedded

The next morning, we were up early once again to tackle the 6 mile downhill stretch of trail from Holly Lake to the String Lake parking lot. The views are less spectacular in this section. Oh how spoiled we’ve become by great views. 
Near String Lake, we saw a doe with her two fawns on the trail. One of the fawns was very jumpy and nervous. It would get close to us, then scurry off down the trail. As we approached, it would investigate, then take off in the opposite direction once more. I was worried that her behavior would lead the doe to protect it from us, but it couldn’t be bothered. 
Other hikers also told us of a black bear and her cub down the trail but we did not see them. Once back at the car, we changed into our cotton clothes and played tourists in the Park before leaving for Colorado. Goodbye Tetons. Thanks for the memories.

Tips for hiking the Cascade Canyon – Paintbrush Canyon Loop
Laurie and I agree that while the climb is a lot steeper out of Paintbrush Canyon, we would prefer to do this loop counterclockwise to enjoy the views of the Tetons on the descent from Paintbrush Divide and through Cascade Canyon. Camping at North Fork Cascade Canyon would be a spectacular place to watch the alpenglow on the Tetons as well.

Yosemite!! – Part 2 – Half Dome Night Hike

/ Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / Leave a comment

Note: this write up is from our hike in June, 2015

We drove to Olmstead Point with permits in hand feeling excited and tired. We had already hiked 15 miles today, and in a few short hours we would hike another 16 miles.

Around 8pm we made our way to the Happy Isles trail head parking lot. With the windows cracked open slightly for ventilation, we tried to sleep. Laurie – being the champion sleeper that she is – was out like a light in 10 minutes. But with a steering wheel between my legs and constantly worrying about rangers patrolling the parking lot I had a difficult time turning off my brain.

With cars constantly entering and leaving the parking lot, and the rangers checking for people sleeping in their cars every half hour, I didn’t sleep even for a moment.

By 10:30pm I’d had it. Laurie woke up yet again from my fidgeting and we decided to get our gear together and start hiking.

We were on the trail by 11:30, feeling wired with excitement.

The critters really do come out at night. I saw many insects I never do during the day – like this scorpion.

We turned right onto the John Muir Trail and soon realized that although there was a full moon out tonight, it wasn’t going to light our way. We would need our headlamps.

The first few miles came easy. We enjoyed walking in solitude, hearing only our breaths as we climbed.

The temperature was wonderful too. Upper 60s to low 70s.

Half way up the switchbacks on the JMT I began to feel really tired. I could have taken off my pack and napped on the trail. But instead, I ate a bar (or two) and kept walking.

Laurie was feeling great and enjoying herself too.

Around 2am we reached the bridge near the intersection of the JMT and the Mist Trail. Feeling good and with the moon finally above us, we enjoyed a few miles of headlamp free hiking. Once in tree cover again, we turned on our headlamps as we turned left towards Half Dome at the trail junction.

Around 4:30am we neared the base of Sub Dome. We were tired and wanted to wait for day break before heading up, so we took a 30 minute nap. We found flat ground to the left of the trail and laid out our deflated air pads on top of our Tyvek ground sheet. With our dirty, sweaty hiking clothes we got into our sleeping bags and were fast asleep.

Laurie’s alarm woke her up. But I didn’t hear it. When Laurie woke me up, I had no idea where I was and what I was doing. Feeling cold, Laurie threatened to leave without me if I didn’t get up asap.

After coming to, I got up, packed up and we were on the trail 5 minutes later.

We reached the cables as day broke. Another spectacular day in Yosemite was upon us.

I’ve hiked Half Dome twice before and I still got the butterflies standing there gazing up the cables. This piece of granite scares me. The cables scare me. The exposure scares me. The height scares me. But I still do it. I love taking deep breaths, telling myself I can do this, and then doing it!

Laurie had hiked Half Dome three times before – two of those being night hikes. Half Dome does not scare her.

The bright orange sun and the claps of three women greeted us at the top of Half Dome. My forearms were burning and I was panting, but I didn’t care. I had overcome my fears once again.

On top of Half Dome we celebrated with hot soup thanks to our Jetboil 🙂

An hour and a half later we were ready to head down. I went first, facing Half Dome. For whatever reason, I feel more comfortable hiking down with my back toward Sub Dome. Laurie had lots of time to wait as I slowly made my way down and took a few photos capturing the steepness of the cables in some sections. I can’t believe some people hike this rock when the cables are down.

We passed many, many day hikers headed up as we made our way down the trail.

The John Muir Trail was the route of choice on our descent as well because of the gentle grade compared to the Mist Trail – which is shorter but steeper. The waterfalls are beautiful and we recommend the Mist Trail if you’ve never hiked it before, but we chose to save the pounding on our knees.

After a quick break to enjoy the views of spectacular Nevada Fall from the JMT, we continued down the trail.

We were exhausted by the time we made it back to the car. After changing into cotton t-shirts and flip flops, we went to Curry Village for the most disappointing burgers we’ve had. The chips and hummus though were delicious!

Eager to beat the Bay Area traffic, we hit the road shortly after. But we were really tired. A few miles past the 1,000 Trails campground junction, I pulled over on Highway 120 and we napped for 20 or 30 minutes before continuing on.

We love playing in Yosemite and look forward to returning soon – maybe for some winter activities…if we get any snow.

Mt. Evans Bike Ride

/ Andy, Laurie, Miles & Ani / Leave a comment

Date of bike ride: Sunday, August, 2, 2016

Trip Details: 
    Distance:               51.3 miles
    Elevation gain:     7,116 ft
    Moving time:        4:43:52

We woke up very early in Golden, Colorado. After a beautiful drive to Idaho Springs, the three of us were pedaling by 7:31am. The morning air was crisp and the sky free of clouds. Weather reports called for 20% chance of thunderstorms after 2pm but we hoped for dry weather through the afternoon.
 

 
Luckily for us, Mt. Evans Scenic Byway was under construction and the road was closed to cars past Echo Lake!
The climb up to Mt. Evans is very gradual, with an average grade of 4.5%. The clouds were building with every passing moment. As we reached Summit Lake, we felt raindrops. It was spittin’ on and off but luckily the clouds broke after 10 minutes. 
As we reached the switchbacks that lead to the top, we ran into a herd of mountain goats. I had never seen mountain goats before today. So great! 

Four hours and six minutes after leaving Idaho Springs, we reached the top of the road. We did it! After a few celebratory pictures and chasing mountain goats, we took off down the mountain. The clouds were building, the wind had picked up and the temperature was dropping.

Our friend Dan pictured above was much faster than us and took off downhill first. He was out of sight after a few corners. Unfortunately Laurie and I forgot to give him the keys to our car – the car we drove to Idaho Springs.
Soon after we headed down the hill too. Laurie and I didn’t think much of the clouds and thought the rain would hold off. 

Boy were we wrong.

First came the thunder and lightning.

Then, past Echo Lake, the clouds opened up and the rains came..hard.

The torrential downpour didn’t stop until we did. I had never ridden my bike in the rain. It was hard work. But I was also learning a lot about my bike in wet conditions – the level of grip, how much raindrops hurt past 30 mph, and how the responsiveness of the bike changes.

But after awhile, my research stopped. There was standing water on the road that upset the rear of my bike. Then the road had washed out. Nothing major, only a 3 foot wide stretch of dirt covering the asphalt.

But then, after turning a corner with only 5 miles left to Idaho Springs, another wash out. This time though, there were big rocks mixed in with the mountain side that now covered the road.

I stopped just short of the washout and thankfully Laurie did too.

Our ride was over.

Luckily, just as we stopped, Dan’s wife Jackie drove up in her car. We gave her the keys to our car, found shelter from the rain under a canopy, and tried to warm up while we waited for her to return.

Laurie’s lips were purple and she couldn’t stop shivering. After 20 minutes or so, Jackie returned with our car – the heater on full blast. We loaded the bikes as fast as we could and got in. The heater felt ah-mazing!

In Idaho Springs, we changed into our dry clothes in the parking lot and went to Beau Jo’s for pizza. Better than the pizza were the 3 cups of hot chocolate and tea Laurie and I drank to warm up.

What an experience. What a ride. One we will remember for a long time!