Inspired by my fellow Cen Res-ers, my boyfriend and I headed into the Tetons for some quality fall time in the backcountry. We started early Saturday morning at the Death Canyon Trailhead and then headed West toward Open Canyon. The hike took us about 13 miles above Phelps Lake and past Granite Canyon--host to some of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's most famous backcountry skiing in the winter. We got a brief glimpse of the new tram towers and cables before heading further back behind the Mountain Resort, ending Saturday's hike at Marion Lake.

The lake is small, but beautiful and indicative of the geological history of Grand Teton National Park. I know this because we arrived much earlier than expected on Saturday and, having left all other reading materials at home, we were left with the GTNP map, full of colorful park history. Although I hadn't expected to spend my evening "learning," the map provided a lot of interesting information about the geological history of the area, including the glaciers that carved out much of the natural peak-and-valley architecture.

We woke up Sunday morning just in time to see the sun rise and be greeted by two big-eared whitetail deer--a mother and her baby buck. We started up toward the divide before dropping down into Death Canyon--one of the park's most drastic and pronounced canyons. We dropped over 2,000 feet to the valley floor, where we hobbled to the car and dropped our packs. The two-day, 25-mile adventure had left us both a little sore. But the golden leaves, quiet camp sites, and sensational views were well worth the trek. There's nothing quite like a trip into the backcountry, complete with starry skies, deep mountain lakes and curious deer to soothe the soul.