“Not all that wander are lost.” One cloudy day this summer, artist Kelly Halpin and I went for a little adventure to find the fabled Lake of the Crags.
Nestled in a valley nearly 3000 vertical feet up from the Jackson Hole valley, Lake of the Crags sits directly below the southern edge of St Johns mountain. Rain was in the forecast, but that didn’t stop us from charging ahead into the mountains.
The adventure began when we turned off the main trail on to an obscure, unmarked path that seemed to lead straight up into the mountains. If anything is to be said for this hike, it is steep. Wildflowers and waterfalls are were abundant as we slowly made the trek up the rocky trail.
Thankfully the rain held off most of the way. We did have to wait out a small, powerful squall at the first lake that we came to, and once it subsided we basically ran up the boulder filled scree fields to reach our goal. Dark clouds hung above our heads as we took in the beauty and mystery of this powerful place, sheer rock walls surrounding us on all sides.
One of the highlights was to stand underneath the Rock of the Ages- a massive spire that juts out from the western side of the lake. After taking a few moments to enjoy the place it was time to go. The dark clouds continued to build, getting darker and darker, signaling us to return to the valley before the rain and lightening should return.
If you ever get the chance to make the journey to Lake of the Crags, I highly recommend it! -Rob Kingwill
Click on the photos below to see them in slideshow mode. Photos by Rob Kingwill and Kelly Halpin
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