StevenThis morning I got an early start around 5:30am (the sunrise is at 5:41am) to grab some breakfast then head out to Mormon Row. Unfortunately the only place open was McDonald’s. I grabbed 2 sausage biscuits and headed on my way.
When I got to Mormon Row, it was cloudy and started sprinkling. The wind was picking up and it was quite cold out. There go my sunrise pictures I had envisioned. I still took some pictures anyway and decided I’d try again tomorrow morning.
Mormon Row was an area settled by Mormons from Idaho in the 1890s. To read more about it, click here.
Next I headed to Taggart Lake for a trailhead that loops around the lake and wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I parked, the clouds parted and the sun came out…
I got here early enough that I was around the 5th car in the parking lot. This is a very popular hike, so I wanted to beat the crowds. When I drove back after I was done for the day, there was nowhere to park and people were even parking on the side of the road.
A little shorter than half-way, you reach Taggart Lake. I wish the wind had been more calm so there would be better reflections in the water.
From here, you can either go back, take another trail that goes who-knows-where, or continue with the loop by crossing the bridge.
This side of the trail goes through forests and meadows, so it’d a good idea to keep an eye out for bears. Thankfully I didn’t see any (the one from yesterday was enough!).
After this hike, it was 15 minutes to my next hike. I stopped at Cascade Canyon Turnout to get a picture of the waterfalls on the side of the mountain.
Next up was the hike at the String Lake Loop / Jenny Lake Trailhead. I took the String Lake Loop trail. This was another fairly easy hike with great views.
About halfway through, you get a great view of String Lake.
My last stop from here was the Jenny Lake Overlook. By this time, Jenny Lake was so crowded, I didn’t even feel like looking for a spot. People were parked on the road a quarter mile from the entrance and walking in. No thanks, I just hiked 8 miles.
I got back to the hotel and was able to do some laundry (for free!). It’s so much easier packing for a week than packing for two weeks, and your suitcase isn’t as heavy.
Tomorrow I plan on returning to Jenny Lake in the morning, taking the boat shuttle across the lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. There’s also a 10 mile hike that goes through those areas, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow!