Jenny Lake trail

Backblipping our trip out West

Thursday September 17th
Today we did the trail around Jenny Lake. Glacially-carved Jenny Lake is the second largest lake in Grand Teton National Park. At 423 feet it's also one of the deepest. The lake was named for a Shoshone Indian named Jenny who assisted with camp logistics during the Hayden Geological Survey of 1872. Nearby Leigh Lake is named for her husband, Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh, an itinerant trapper and early tour guide who helped guide the Hayden Expedition through the area. In 1876 Jenny and their six children died of smallpox. The trail around the lake is about 7 1/2 miles long, though there is a boat that crosses to the other side if you just want to walk half way, or if you want to explore Cascade Canyon on the other side. We did the full loop plus explored the lower portion of Cascade Canyon up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, normally affording aN extensive view over Jenny Lake, Jackson Hole and the Gros Ventre range to the east, but as I mentioned yesterday long distance viewing is curtailed due to the smoke in the atmosphere - it’s not that it smells Smokey, but is very hazy. On our way back to the apartment in the early evening, traveling along a minor road, which turned out to be a good road for viewing wildlife, we stopped at a viewpoint which is obviously a great place for seeing moose, since we saw them at this spot on several days. Today we also saw a beaver. We were at a fair distance so my camera was at full zoom. I have put in an extra of a young moose swimming across a stream! Another 10-11 mile long hike, today, and another welcome visit to the hot tub after dinner!