Destination today was Lake of the Crags, a glacier-fed alpine lake nestled in a cup surrounded by some of the most imposing peaks in the Teton mountains of Wyoming (The Jaw, Rock of Ages, Symmetry Spire, Mount S. John). There is no official maintained trail. Backpacker magazine ranks this hike as 9/10 difficulty. It features a 3,000+ foot elevation gain in one mile. The canyon is called Hanging Canyon and is strewn with scree/debris and tree fall collected by avalanches. This was the most “epic” hike I could find that could be done as a day hike without camping (my idea of camping is staying in a house or hotel…”roughing it” means no hot water).
We decided to cut it short for safety reasons – descending can be more treacherous and you definitely want strength left for that. We also considered splitting up so I could attempt to finish the ascent solo and meet back on my way down. We decided against splitting up and shook hands on an agreement to come back and try again (perhaps with friends next time so we have more options).
Just a few scrapes and bruises – it started raining on the descent and Erin slipped on a rock. No Grizzlies to be seen. But after hours of jingle belling on the mountain, I can still hear those damn jingle bells in my head!