The Teton Crest Trail: Will the Second Time Be a Charm?

Five years ago in October of 2016, I flew from Seoul, South Korea (where I lived for a year) to Salt Lake City. From there I rented a car and drove to Jackson, Wyoming where I was speaking at a conference. I got there a few days early, planning to meetup with another thru-hiker traveling from Germany. Our goal? To hike the Teton Crest Trail in three days.

That attempt was thwarted by an early snow storm that meant winter mountaineering. We weren't equipped for that, and because it was shoulder season, the gear wasn't available to rent or purchase. We hiked up Granite Canyon to an elevation of about 9,000 feet when it because obvious we needed a new plan.

So we camped on the snow for the night, and in the morning made our way back down to the valley trail which skirts the eastern flank of the range. It was still a pretty spectacular trip.

This year, I'm finally getting another crack at the Teton Crest Trail, and it's coming up soon.