Paintbrush Canyon

Tessa, Matt, Dad, and I took an 8 mile hike up Paintbrush Canyon. This was Tessa's most ambitious hike to date as we gained over 2,500 feet in altitude, ending at about 9,400 feet.

Starting along the shores of String Lake, we had beautiful views of Mt. Moran (12,605 ft). The flat lake hike soon turned to switchbacks as we moved over the ridge seen in the picture and into Paintbrush Canyon.

The trail then proceeded up the canyon with Mt. Moran soon hiding behind Mt. Woodridge. To the south we could see dramatic cliffs and snowfields.

The high point of the hike was Tessa spotting a moose cow and her baby. Luckily the moose was across the stream and pretty much ignored us. Matt spotted the same moose on the way back down.

This photo shows the trail as it nears the high point of the hike at Holly Lake. The small cloud seen over the mountain turned into a thunderstorm the minute we arrived at Holly Lake. Holly Lake (below right) is in a glacial cirque with cliffs on all side. The trail continues over the Paintbrush Divide and then along the Teton Crest to Cascade Canyon, where you can return to your starting point if you have the time, strong legs, and a backpack.

The hike back was long as we were fleeing the thunderstorm and my feet were killing me. As we got down to String Lake the skies opened and we got a little wet. All in all it was a great hike. Tessa has a goal of climbing Mt. Washington in New Hampshire and this was her 'qualifying' hike.

email: wilsonbike@aol.com