A ranger in the Tetons told me my planned route was a 'crowd magnet' and suggested a better way

I was set on hiking the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon loop next month, thinking it was the classic must-do. At the Jenny Lake visitor center, I showed a ranger my map and he just shook his head. He said, 'You're following the herd. After 10 AM, that trail is a conga line.' He took a pen and drew a line on my paper map, suggesting I start at String Lake, go up Paintbrush, but then cut over the less-traveled Hurricane Pass instead of staying low. He said the view of the Grand from there is better and I'd maybe see three people all afternoon. I changed my whole plan right then. It adds about two miles and some extra climb, but avoiding that packed trail sounds worth it. Has anyone else taken that Hurricane Pass alternate and was it really that quiet?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea2461mo ago

That extra climb over Hurricane Pass, is it mostly switchbacks or just a steady tough grade? The ranger sold you on the quiet, but I'm curious about the actual leg work.

the_miles5d ago

Oh man, I saw a trip report on that exact section last week. Dude said it's a brutal mix of both, like a few mean switchbacks that just dump you onto a long, straight grind. The quiet part is legit, but you'll definitely earn it with some serious quad burning. Honestly sounds like the kind of trail that makes you question your life choices halfway up.

the_amy1mo ago

That "conga line" comment is why I always end up on the worst crowded trails, my own fault for not asking.