Cascade/Paintbrush Loop with Anna

The Cascade/Paintbrush trail is a 20 mile loop through the heart of the Tetons and home to some of the most scenic views and perfect single-track I've been on. I had been wanting check out this area for years now, and when Anna suggested we do the loop I jumped at the chance.

Thursday night we loaded our running vests with gels, a camelback and some soft flasks and jumped into bed (or in my case, my sleeping bag and paco pad combo). We woke up Friday morning around 5:00 and began the drive into the park. Right as we got to the TH the sun began rising over the elk refuge. We were psyched and ready to get running!

We began at a brisk pace on the east side of String Lake, running south to the north side of Jenny. As Anna bombed one of the first corners I had to yell out to her, "Anna - hold up! Moose!"

It seems entirely possible (if not probable) that she would have ran right into him had I never given my warning shout. Your welcome, Anna.

We continued onto Jenny Lake Loop Trail, past Inspiration Point and then finally onto Cascade Canyon Trail. The views of the Tetons were stunning, and the only downside to doing the loop clockwise is the constant temptation of looking behind yourself to see the views and subsequent tripping danger you put yourself in.

We kept chugging along the trail, stopping often for pictures. I kept thinking I was surprised by how much I was sweating. My legs and lungs felt good, but my back was soaked in (what I thought) was sweat. Finally I took my pack off, unzipped it and realized what the issue was: my camelback was punctured and leaking water, drenching my back and all my snacks in the process. Anna and I jerry-rigged a solution with some duct tape, to mild success...

We got to our halfway point - Solitude Lake - feeling fresh and deeply enjoying our time. Every few minutes one of us would exclaim in awe "Oh my God, look back at the Tetons from here!"

Solitude Lake was beautiful, but as much as it represented the halfway point, it also represents the beginning of the biggest climb of the loop. North Fork Cascade Canyon Trail winds its way up around 2k feet of scree and switchbacks. It was a little much to run for Anna and I, so we opted to speed hike it. On top of that, we started to notice the altitude and the air being a bit thinner. We put our heads down and continued to charge up, soaking in the spectacular views of the Grand from the trail.

We hit the top, tossed back a gel, a few energy bloks, and started descening down Holly Trail, finally jumping on Paintbrush Canyon Trail towards the end. The last 8 or so miles are incredibly nice. Lots of single-track, a runner-friendly pitch, and the promise of proper sandwhiches and a cold beer upon completion. With this in mind, we made good time as we opened up the legs and descended down back towards String Lake.

Once back we were met with enormous crowds, but also cold water in the car and a brisk dip in the crystal clear water of String Lake.

This was a fantastic loop and definitely one I would do again to see how fast I could link it. Being able to do it with Anna was a treat, though, as it's always more fun to go with someone and enjoy the views and experience together.

Once we got back to Anna's I crawled in my sleeping bag and took a long nap after devouring a sandwich from NYC Subs. The next morning I would be waking up to run up the grand, and I'd need all the rest I could get.

Stats:

Distance: 19.61 miles

Moving Time: 5:29

Vert: 3,944ft

Calories: 2,853