Grand Teton Shakedown Request
Hey all! I got a great deal of value out of my last shakedown request. Wanted to get some feedback on my packing list for a Grand Tetons trip next month. I haven't done much hiking in the Mountain West besides two Philmont, NM treks. Am I overpacking clothes for the season?
Thanks in advance!
Location/temp range/specific trip description: Grand Tetons, September. Grand Teton Crest Trail. 4 days, 4 nights.
Goal Baseweight (BPW): Lighter. Sub 13 would be great
Budget: Would entertain upgrades to smaller items.
Non-negotiable Items: Not looking to change my big three. What smaller items might I be missing or need to remove?
Solo or with another person?: I am going with two others. They have stoves and fuel. I still need to add bear spray.
Additional Information:https://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/weather.htm
Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/lg2nr
Posted Aug 19, 2017, 10:54 PM UTC · edited
I just finished the Teton Crest trail. It's gorgeous, and I hope you enjoy it as much as my group did. Obviously conditions will be a little different in a month, but here's a few notes based on my hike. Happy to answer any specific questions.
There are very few dry stretches, and most campsites are close to a water source. I never needed more than 1L of water capacity.
There was almost no bug pressure, and it'll only get better in September. I didn't use my deet at all. You might consider cutting your bug spray.
I didn't bring bear spray. Opinions differ on this, of course, but it's something to consider. Also, the park allows ursacks, which would be quite a bit lighter and more convenient than the bear can.
I brought and used a power grid fleece, which was great for insulation while moving. It didn't rain, but if it had the fleece would have been clutch to keep warm while hiking wet. I don't think a base layer short would be as effective.
The rangers told us no fires were allowed. You could trim fire starting supplies to what you feel you need in an emergency.
Coming down the divide onto Paintbrush Canyon was the sketchiest hiking we encountered. It's kind of steep with some snow and scree, requiring careful footing. We did it without traction aids or ice axes. I'd research the conditions when you go to see if you need either or both, depending on your experience and comfort level.
Leaving tomorrow! I think I'm all set! Been looking forward to this trip for months!
Have fun!
What were the campsites like? I'm debating between my Tarptent Motrail and my REI Quarter Dome. The motrail can be hard to pitch if the ground is hard or if the spots of tents are small. Any insight into the campsites and the tent pads?
My campsites had hard ground. A little dished. I used my Cirriform SW, very similar to the Motrail. It worked well with some extra effort to get the stakes in (groundhogs and zpacks sonics).
Cool. What bear canister did you use? How long was your trip?
Ursack. Four days, three nights. We did quite a few side hikes along the way.
I'm going to Teton, too, next week. Does a loop like this bypass the sketchy part? http://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MTExMDY3
Also, was the temperature more or less accurate to what the forecast said up in the mountains?
Nice, enjoy! Yes, it looks like you're taking Cascade Canyon, which avoids Paintbrush Divide. Paintbrush is beautiful, btw, but I'm sure Cascade Canyon is too.
The forecast was pretty good. Lows were mid 30s rather than the forecast 40. No rain when none was forecast.
We ended up doing a 40-mile loop over 3 days from Jenny Lake to Phelps Lake and Alaska Basin, and return through Cascade Canyon. We were going to do Paintbrush Divide because the rangers said that the snow totally melted. However, weaker members of our group were too wiped out on the 2nd day by the tough climb from Phelps Lake to Static Peak so we took the Cascade Canyon shortcut back to Jenny Lake.
There was a lot of bugs near lakes and campsites.
Actually, the park allows you to not carry bear cans at all because every campsite is equipped with food lockers. However, it ended up being helpful that half of us carried our bear cans anyway. We didn't make it to the campsite before sunset on the 2nd day, and we were forced to camp outside of the park in Alaska Basin. We had enough bear cans so we didn't have to worry about rodents.
Interesting. We must have camped in pretty different areas, since we had neither bugs or bear lockers. Glad to hear it went well.