String and Leigh Lakes

We launched at String Lake mid-morning in calm clear waters under the stunning peaks of the Tetons.  The Grand Tetons are teenagers in mountain years still rising a couple inches per year.  String lake forms a connector between Jenny and Leigh Lakes with all three lying at the base of the mountains.  String is very shallow mostly between 1 -3 feet deep. Most of the tracks on the bottom were made by moose and I suspect an evening paddle would be an opportune time to see moose feeding.

String Lake Below Teton Peaks

Mid Teton, Grand Teton, and South Teton Reflected

So Clear and Shallow

Sun's Reflection in Wake Lines

End of the 1/4-mile Portage to Leigh Lake

String Lake is pond size at the launch and stream width for the remaining mile north to the 1/4-mile portage to Leigh Lake.  The trail is well marked and suitable for my kayak wheels that of course were back in the RV.  Back into our kayaks, we heard a Bull Elk bugling nearby....tis the season.  Around each point, the views were spectacular.  We came upon a campsite with 3 canoes on a sandy shoreline, 3 tents, and 5 chairs.  The campers were here on the lake for 4 nights and made their reservations in January.

Mt Moran with Active Glacier Doubled

First of Several Campsites on Leigh Lake

Leigh Lake is L-shaped with 1-mile to the point and 2.5 more miles west to the base of Mt Moran.  Rounding that point, 12,605-foot Mt Moran fills the view.  At the peak is a vertical strip of black magma that disappears under the active glacier then reappears below. In another campsite at the western shore, we sat on a log and finished left over pizza from Leeks.  Still excellent.

Rounding the Point 

U Shaped Canyons Carved by Glaciers

Mountains Come Down to the Lake

So Blue

Rock Slide from Active Glacier

Rock Posing 

Lunch Spot at Another Campsite

I liked the submerged tree Sheila got a photo of as we were starting out again.  Along the shore, I saw moose prints more than 10 feet under water.  At one of the visitors centers, we read that moose can swim and forage on plants with their entire bodies submerged.  There was a gentle down slope breeze as we headed back helping our progress.  Once around the point it was barely a factor.  Back at the portage, the toughest part was getting up over the stairs.  We took one loaded kayak to the top, talked with some folks that had walked up the trail, then returned for the second.  From there the portage was downhill and seemed much easier than the other direction.

Submerged

Heading Back

Back into String Lake after an Easier Downhill Portage

The surface of String Lake was now rippled, but it was easy to see the channels with enough water to navigate.  Scaling the park map, I figure we paddled 9 miles and portaged 1/2 mile round trip.  What a great paddle.

Beam Me Up