After the Wind River Peak fail it seemed like a good time to take a step back, pay the $35 entrance fee and join the throngs of tourists for a safe and easy day hike in the Teton National Park. The popular 3.9-mile Taggart Lake Loop was selected for the views offered of the Teton Range. Well maintained and below 7,000’ this is an easy trail for everyone.

The trail starts off crossing a small bridge over a rushing stream.

After the bridge the trail offers many open views of the range.

It also winds through some intriguing Aspen stands. Aspen stands are considered to be a single organism with a shallow root system that is entirely interconnected. Each tree shares the same roots.

Taggart Lake provides a great location to relax, soak in the views and take a short swim.

On the way back to the trailhead the hike got interesting. With so many other hikers circling the loop the last thing I expected was a wildlife encounter. But these things always seem to happen when least expected. Heading down a hill, in the last mile back to the trailhead, I became aware of a young black bear heading straight up the trail.

Thinking about this later, my guess is that it was a yearling who had recently set out on its own. But my first thought was, “Where’s the Mama”? So, it was a tense moment.

Generally speaking, black bears are timid of humans. Make a lot of noise to let them know you are there and they will take off. But the “Hey Bears” weren’t working this time. The bear was not being aggressive but it was persistent in its direction up the trail. The next thing you’re supposed to do is back away while continuing to face it. But walking backwards uphill with roots and rocks to trip on is easier said than done. So, instead I walked briskly back up the hill while keeping an eye over my shoulder.

It didn’t take long before meeting up with a family of hikers also heading back to the trailhead. Knowing that I could outrun them (ha, ha) I felt comfortable enough to try for a picture. Unfortunately, I was still full of adrenaline so I forgot to use the zoom feature. So, the shot is very grainy.

After that, I decided to head back the way I came and let the other tourists deal with the bear. Meeting a park ranger on the way back, she said that she had become aware of the bear earlier in the day. However, it was not being aggressive so the plan was to let it be. She also stated that noise did not deter it, as it probably had a food source in mind. Maybe a nice berry patch. And at this time of the year food is all they think about.