Jul 18, 2022
Despite being the peak season for travel to national parks, we secured camping permits for one of the park's most sought-after areas- Paintbrush Canyon. Having family in the area, I've visited Grand Teton National Park multiple times. However, this would be my inaugural experience of spending a night in the backcountry. The grey skies that loomed over our route did little to dampen my spirits. After all, I was on the brink of exploring such a stunning area.
From the outset, as we worked our way around the lake from the parking area at the Jenny Lake Visitor's Center, the entire trail lit up with wildflowers and spectacular views across Jenny Lake toward our destination. I was lost in taking photos and constantly had to catch back up to Trail Cutter and Pasha. But I did not mind the solitude while I was snapping pictures.
Just as we were about to round the final bend of Jenny Lake, I lagged behind, capturing the beauty around me. So, when I turned the corner to find my companions staring at me, I knew something was up. They gestured towards a bush and mouthed 'bear' to me. I had assumed the bear would be at a safe distance, so imagine my surprise when I found it merely 20-30 feet away, casually feasting on berries.
The bear was relatively small, so I snapped a picture of it and quickly backed away, hoping that Momma was nowhere nearby. I couldn't ask for a better start to a backcountry trip with fields of wildflowers and a bear sighting.
The first hill heading up into the canyon was surprisingly easy. It was slightly overgrown in some areas, but as with most National Park trails in the United States, it is well cut and maintained.
The trail in Paintbrush Canyon only gets better with each step. The canyon is a spectacle of waterfalls, creeks, and towering rock walls. As you delve deeper into Paintbrush Canyon, the views back towards Leigh Lake are a visual treat, with the deep blue lake set against the backdrop of rolling hills stretching into the distance. Within the first mile or two into the canyon, it becomes clear why it's named Paintbrush.
Overall, the walk up Paintbrush Canyon felt easy for us three hikers. Elevation gain before climbing to Paintbrush divide is spread evenly along the approach, and I remember seeing people in a wide age range working their way through the area.
For me, the most 'exciting' part of the day was the climb up the Paintbrush divide. As we began to ascend, the wind increased with each step. Since the divide sits at the top of the canyon and splits with a second one around the other side of Grand Teton, I was a bit concerned that the wind at the top could be extreme.
Sure enough, as we continued to ascend, we could spot rocks the size of a bowling ball being tossed downhill by the gusts. Since I lacked my climbing helmet, I was unsettled by the sight of them flying around. As we approached the final push to the top of the divide, a family of four descended towards us. As they got closer, I saw a look of disdain on their faces and quickly stopped them for a chat about conditions at the top.
According to the dad (I presume), the wind at the summit of the divide was extreme, and he warned us to wait a bit before crossing over to the other side. He also relayed that the youngest in the group, a girl who looked under ten years old, had been picked up by the wind at one point and nearly thrown off the hill. He told us that he had to grab her arm and force her back down to the ground to keep her safe. Despite this interaction, my group mates were eager to continue, so we headed for the top.
At the summit of Paintbrush Divide, the wind was blowing so hard that it was difficult to stand. The gusts had so much power coming up and over the divide that I could hear them approaching. The only way to work over the top was to lean forward into the wind whenever I heard another gust whistling up the hill. The experience was uncomfortable and not something I would want to attempt again. If you are walking this route, consider any wind forecast before heading out.
The descent down the other side of the divide was uneventful. The surroundings were once again stunning. Expansive views of the Grand Teton, a still-frozen Mica Lake, and lake solitude below the divide are all awe-inspiring as the trail descends toward Cascade Canyon.
Despite looking extremely inviting, I chose to skip taking a dip in Lake Solitude and continued along the trail toward our campsite. I had only known Trail Cutter for about four months and sheepishly avoided telling her that her mountaineer boyfriend fears water. I tried to get her to indulge so I could meet them both in camp, but she also chose to skip and walk with me.
The rest of the day was spent setting up camp and settling for the night. Other than a deer that chose to wander past our camp, the evening was uneventful, at least until after we went to our tents for the night.
The rest of the day was spent setting up camp and settling for the night. Other than a deer that chose to wander past our camp, the evening was uneventful, at least until after we went to our tents for the night.
Around midnight, I woke up to a strange noise outside our tent. At first, it sounded like Pasha had exited his tent and was walking around. Until I heard a sniffing noise and chose to look out of the bug netting inside the tent; after peering out, I could see a large figure down on all fours sniffing around the area just above our two tents. I never made out a clear image, but I could swear it was a large brown bear. I settled back down into my bag and kept as quiet as possible until the creature, whatever it was, faded off into the distance. Be sure to use your bear can.
Jul 19, 2022
Day two was slated to be an easy walk back out to the car so we could continue our journey by heading back to Yellowstone National Park. The trail from our camp in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon immediately headed into the woods. To my dismay, the views of day one were not to be for our walkout. From about a half mile out of camp, the trail enters tree cover in trees, and while I do fancy myself a tree hugger, it was far less distracting than the walk-up Paintbrush Canyon.
While walking down the trail, we encountered several other hikers frozen in place. One of them had their DSLR out and was staring into the brush. They pointed us to a thicket of trees and a giant moose grazing on some brush. It seemed to care little for us, so we all stood and snapped as many photos as possible. After posing for all of us, it eventually scampered up the hill and vanished into the woods.
Other than the views walking up Paintbrush Canyon, the plethora of wildlife we encountered was the second-best highlight of the entire trip.
The only section of the trail I was not fond of was after Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. These areas are close enough to the Jenny Lake Visitors Center that the trail is very crowded. While I am all for others enjoying the trail as much as possible, walking amongst them with overnight packs was a chore.
06:16 | 
20:23
TEMP: 36 ℉
WIND: 5 mph
RAIN: 0 mm
SNOW: 0 mm
