Route: Grand Teton (Modern Route)

The Grand Teton – Modern Route

Starting from Lupine Meadows Trailhead (6,732 ft), follow the Valley Trail toward the Amphitheater Lake Trail. At the 1.7-mile Junction, continue straight toward Amphitheater, Surprise, and Delta Lakes, up a series of well-built switchbacks. At the 3-mile Junction, take a sharp left onto the Garnet Canyon Trail, leading to Garnet Canyon and the high peaks.

The trail climbs to the Boulder Field (4.0 mi / ~2,200 ft gain), a rugged section with great views of Garnet Canyon and the surrounding peaks. Then, navigate house-sized boulders to The Meadows (4.8 mi), where the designated trail ends.

From here, ascend Northwest toward the Petzoldt Caves (5.1 mi / ~3,200 ft gain), following a maintained (but undesignated) trail. Past the caves, the trail reaches The Moraines and disappears into a maze of braided climber trails and moraine ridges, requiring careful route selection amid endless options. Climb steeply and carefully through The Moraines toward the Lower Saddle (6.4 mi / ~5,000 ft gain), guarded by Fixed Lines, a short climbing section, and more braided climber trails. (Note: Please be careful of rockfall here, and be conscientious of guided groups and other users.)

From the Lower Saddle, the route becomes briefly "runnable" before the steep push to the Upper Saddle (7.2 mi / ~6,500 ft gain). This section rewards efficient line choice and prior scouting to avoid time-eating dead ends. Once again, be conscious of rockfall and practice good judgment.

The final ascent follows the Owen-Spalding Route (5.4 YDS), beginning with the exposed Belly Roll and Belly Crawl before scrambling and climbing to the 13,775 ft summit (7.4 mi / ~7,100 ft gain). This section sees heavy traffic as the bottleneck to and from the summit.

If you're not experiencing cardiac arrest, enjoy the breathtaking views and beautiful ambiance of the summit. Then, carefully reverse course the mere 7,100 feet to the Lupine Meadows Trailhead. Easy enough?

Note: This Modern Route differs from the Historical Route, which bypassed the Petzoldt Cave's maintained switchbacks via a drainage and used an old climber’s trail (a.k.a. Willi Unsoeld trail) linking the designated Garnet Canyon and Amphitheater Lake Trails.

The Jenny Lake Rangers now prefer that runners stick to designated and maintained trails (where available), which aligns with this Modern Route. FastestKnownTime indicated it will not accept future submissions using the Historical Route, though it remains an integral part of the mountain’s history and lore.