So This was actually one of my first backpacking trips and boy was it an amazing one. I went with two other buddies one of which is my friend and veteran backpacker, Joe. I was certainly not as prepared as I should have been for this trip nor was I in the best shape but nonetheless, it was a breathtaking journey.
So let us get down to it, for this backpacking trip we elected to do a 4 day 3 night in and out route. We wound up parking at the beginning of our trek and hitchhiked ourselves out of there!
My Grand Teton Backpacking Itinerary:
Our Itinerary was as follows:
Day 1: Car to Death Canyon Shelf.
- Distance: ~14 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~4,173ft
- Via Ski Lake Trail>Phillips Pass Trail>Teton Crest Trail>Teton Crest South Trail>Death Canyon Shelf Trail
Day 2: Death Canyon Shelf to Cascade South Fork Cascade.
- Distance: ~10.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~1,860ft
- Via Teton Crest South Trail>Hurricane Pass Trail>South Fork Cascade Canyon Trail
Day 3: South Fork Cascade to Paintbrush Upper.
- Distance: ~9.3 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~2,828ft
- Via South Fork Cascade Canyon Trail>North Fork Cascade Canyon Trail>Paintbrush Canyon Trail
Day 4: Upper Paintbrush to Jenny Lake Visitor Center.
- Distance: ~4.9 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~109ft
- Via Paintbrush Canyon Trail>String Lake Trail>Jenny Lake Loop Trail
Day 1: Ski Lake Trail to Death Canyon Shelf
So right off the bat I made a fatal flaw in hiking, I was hiking out of shape. Prior to this hike I never did a day of cardio I was strictly lifting weights and boy did it show. I want to say after the first mile I asked Joe how much further we have and he said “a lot”.
We saw some amazing views on day one though hiking through beautiful meadows seeing with wildflowers blooming was amazing. Not to mention the weather was perfect.
When we finally made it to Death Canyon Shelf I realized I made second, third, and fourth rookie hiking mistakes. They were no sleeping pad, no camp shoes, and no rain fly for my tent. Fortunately for me (unfortunately for my buddy), Tom had room in his tent with a rainfly so we just cozied up there. But in terms of my sleeping pad and camp shoes, I was SOL. For the remainder of my trip I would be uncomfortable at camp, have a sore back and get very little sleep. Do not be like me when you go hiking be prepare! You can check out my backpacking checklist to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes I have.
Day 2 Death Shelf to Cascade South Fork:
So I will not lie this was a tough day only due to the weather. The day started and ended in the rain with a bunch of snowfall in the middle! Thank goodness one of the things I did not forget was my down and rain jackets. we were still able to catch some gorgeous views despite the conditions but we did have one scare. as we were gaining altitude on a mountain the snow began to fall harder and harder. As we were making our way the trail slowly disappeared underneath the snow. We were stuck on top of this mountain for 45 minutes in the middle of a snow storm trying to find the trail. It almost came to the point where we were going to set up camp in the snow. Thankfully with our map and compass we eventually found our way and let me tell you, it had to be one of the most relieving moments of my life!
Day 3 Cascade South Fork to Upper Paintbrush:
This section of the hike was pure beauty. Not only was the weather perfect but the views were remarkable! We hiked through the wooded forest and once we got out of it this beautiful valley emerges and when you turn around you see the mammoth of a snow-capped mountain that we nearly got lost on just the night before. The crazy thing about it was I had no idea until my buddies yelled and had me look around.
we had a nice break on lake solitude where we enjoyed some granola bars and trail mix. After this we made our climb up to the Paintbrush Divide. This was quite an ascent, especially for my out-of-shape butt! But the views from the top were very much worth every drop of sweat. We ended on Upper Paint Brush where we slept under the stars on a large rock which thanks to my sleeping pad situation left me awake to enjoy the night sky.
Day 4 Upper Paintbrush to Jenny Lake Visitor Center
At the end of this great adventure, I was left with two things. First a deep love and admiration for being out in the wilderness. Second some sore legs and a great reason to not skip doing cardio! I hope my mishaps did not scare you off from going on your first backpacking trip but rather helped you not make the same mistakes I have. Trust me you can do it just make sure you are prepared and in decent shape before you get out there. Happy Hiking!
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