Continued From The Previous Page The last 1/4 mile was indeed rather challenging, especially since the previous 11 mile were all going up!:   One happy hiker at the “Paintbrush Divide”, elevation 10,700!  WOO-HOO!!: A view of Lake Solitude (right) and Mica Lake (left): Hard to believe I just came from up there!: Spring flowers during the end of August: Another stop to filter water: Thought I heard something “plop” just beyond the trail beside the creek (which is “Cascade Creek”).  My investigation turned up this: The area where Mr Bull Moose was taking a rest in the weeds:   As I was hiking along thinking about how cool it was cool to see at least part of a bull moose in the wilderness, I turned a corner to find this view DIRECTLY in front of me: Yes, for a more than a brief moment I was thinking the Bear Spray in my hip was about to become moose spray!: I slowly backed away to give big boy all the space he needed: He took his time enjoying his lunch, and I certainly enjoyed watching him for 20 minutes until he decided to move on: After my encounter with the enormous bull moose in my path as well as knowing I was less than a few miles from the start of the trailhead and would indeed complete this hike, I got a super charge burst of energy.  The excitement and sense of accomplishment was just indescribable!!  Those that know me and all the challenges and rehab I've overcome in regards to my twice-repaired Achilles tendon, I have no doubt will completely understand.  WIFT, baby!!! Hidden Falls: The closer I got to the bottom of the trail (which intersects other popular trails), the more this became the view...yuk!: ...which made it difficult to enjoy a snack in peace and quiet beside the rushing creek...: Beside the Jenny Lake Campground is a park store, which offers a few grocery items.  I walked over to, well, reload:  I returned to my campsite exactly 9 hours and 22.6 miles later.  This was one incredible hike, which included countless stops along the way (I did take 369 photos ya know!), twice pausing to refill my Camelbak (thanks to my MSR water filter), 20 minutes with the moose, and a 15 minute conversation with 2 backcountry hikers (which mainly centered around me doing this as a day hike, solo, and being female).  I feel like I got lucky – the weather was perfect, the trail darn near empty (I saw maybe 8 people the entire time sans the base area which is a zoo of tourons), and everything I planned (timing, food, water supply, gear, etc) worked perfectly.  It's been a great day to SEIZE THE JOURNEY!!!  AGirl   If you wish to receive direct emails from me whenever a new Journey Report has been posted than simply click: This Link Copyright © 2006-2012, All Rights Reserved.