Hints and Tips:

Here are some things I learned planning and taking this trip. Your experience my differ under different circumstances, so take these for what they are worth.

  1. The early reservation system at Grand Teton works a little different than I was used to. Backcountry camp reservations are accepted beginning Jan 1 until May 15. After May 15 no early backcountry reservations can be made. I was unable to obtain a reservation for the route I wanted, but we were able walk in and get it. Of course I had to be at the ranger station @ 8:15 AM the morning before we wanted to head out.

  2. If money is a little tight, and time is a little less important, investigate flying into Salt Lake City,UT or Missoula,MT and driving to Grand Teton. I was able to fly into SLC for $250, when tickets to Jackson were $420. The 5 hour drive wasn't bad at all.

  3. There is no charge for backcountry campsites, none, zero, zip, nada. This shocked me. I was at least expecting the $4 or $5 per person per night charged by other parks. But it's free.

  4. The hike from the tram to Marion Lake is no gimmie. All sources I read idicated it wasn't too bad, and overall it probably wasn't, but, the last half has a couple descent climbs. Just be prepared to need some energy at the end of day. Note: it's probably easier than the alternatives, it's just not EASY.

  5. We saw very little wildlife on the Teton Crest trail with the exception of mamorts and pika. But we encountered an abundance of it in the Leigh lake area, including 2 bears, a couple ptarmingan, 19 elk, and a beaver. We also talked to a gentleman who saw a ton of beasties in Death Canyon.

  6. Overall I struggled the most I ever have on any hike doing the Teton Crest trail. This includes my hike out of the Grand Canyon with a cold and in the snow. Of course, I was more out of shape this time and combating the effects of altitude-sickness, so take that statement with a grain of salt.

 

Information Sources:

Here are the sources I used to plan our trip. The following sources were an immense help.

 

Books:
Maps:
Web Sites: