Stabbing Westward

I can't stop going west. There's is so much to do, so much to see. Everything looks and feels so different than it does out here. Park's are the size of small states instead of the area between two housing developments. The people are more laid back (sometimes too much so). The scenery is constantly a 10 out of 10 and changes after every 30 minutes of driving. You can go from mountains, to plains, and back to mountains again in less than two hours. Here you can drive ten hours without seeing any sort of change. Don't get me wrong, I love the east coast. It's where I grew up, where I gained my love for the outdoors. It's home. The White Mountains and Acadia are beautiful, but they are nothing like the staggering landscapes of the West, and I was once again privileged enough to spend some time out there (11 days to be exact). This time in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park.
It's easy to visit a National Park, to drive the main road, stop at the sights, buy a T-shirt, and more than 279 million people did so in 2011 alone, but to really understand what they have to offer, and to really see them, you need to get out of your car and explore. Which means hiking. Lots and lots of hiking. Because everyone has the picture of the Buffalo with the bottom rim of a car window in the frame, or Old faithful with the Cheeseburger restaurant in the background. But to actually experience these places you have to get off the road, a place where 90% of people who go there don't see (that % is based on absolutely nothing at all, but it sounds solid enough). And I can assure you, I did lots and lots of hiking.
So after a white knuckled 3 hour turbulance filled flight into Salt Lake City I was eager for some exploring. After consuming a large Memphis BBQ chicken pizza at 2 am and something called a Machine Gun sandwich, we were ready to start FartFest 2013 off on a brown note.
We arrived in Grand Teton National Park around 3pm after a short (for this trip at least) 5 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake City. Knowing we didn't have enough time for a longer hike, but still wanting to get into the thick of it we talked to some rangers and decided on the 3.2 Mile Taggart Lake hike. This short hike took us to a lake at the base of the Tetons with some pretty kick ass views. The trail was mostly open, crossing some high spring melt streams and open meadows to the shore of a glacial lake. It was a good taste of what we were to experience in the coming days and by the time we got back to the car, all the traveling and planning to date had been worth it. That night we stayed in a swanky hotel, The Jackson Lake Lodge. Stay tuned for more updates from this trip!

Mileage: 3.2 Miles

Trail to the Lake.

Aspens in the sunlight.

Taggart Lake.

Classic Self Shot.