Grand Teton National Park Hike 1: Taggart Lake/Bradley Lake

 This evening I am enjoying sitting in Starbucks using their wifi, drinking hot chocolate, and staying out of the rain that has been falling all day.  This exact scenario has been playing in my mind since approximately 2.5 miles before my hike was finished this morning.  It was a great hike, don't get me wrong!  But I was cold and muddy by the end and had been walking in the rain for the past 2 hours.  While rejuvenating for the spirit and body, I was also ready for a hot shower when I finished. 

 Almost immediately after I started walking the trail, I heard a noise that sounded like a waterfall close by.  This was a surprise because there wasn't one marked on the map and nobody had mentioned one to me when they were describing the hike before I went!  But sure enough, I walked around a corner and the trail went right over top of the river/mini waterfall I have pictured above.  I also found it to be a perfect photo op because right at the top, peaking above the river between the trees was the summit of a mountain! It was the first beautiful thing I saw in a series of beautiful scenes throughout the hike.

 The next really cool thing was seeing my first pine marten (martin?)!!  I'm not sure how to spell it but this super cute, ferret-like animal suddenly appeared on the trail in front of me.  When it saw me, it froze, unsure of what to do next and certainly frightened that it had been spotted.  After a moment, it squeaked and darted off into the plants.  The cutest part was that it then darted up the tree next to me until it was at about eye level and turned to look at me again!  This whole time it was squeaking and making pine marten type noises which I realized were communications with its friend around the corner.  After I took a picture, I decided to leave them alone and continue down the trail.   





My path took me around two separate lakes.  The first was Taggart Lake and the second was Bradley Lake.  As I came up the trail near Bradley Lake and took out my map to check my location, a man came out of the trees above me and said hello!  It startled me but he turned out to be friendly.  He began telling me (without me asking, by the way) all about mushrooms in the park and how he was hunting for a certain species that grows out here in the west that work very well in cooking.  I learned that all mushrooms with a sponge-like pattern underneath, NOT an accordion fold like in portabella mushrooms, are edible.  After he finished his mushroom lecture, he gave me some good suggestions for other trails to hike later.

 

There are so many trails located very close to my house!  I want to hike them all.  The small amount of time I have to hike them in, though, is a bit frustrating.  But I shall try my very best!  Today was a refreshing day in nature.  I don't miss Georgia one BIT!  Only the people that shared it with me.....