{"id":317,"date":"2013-07-22T22:27:51","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T04:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/?p=317"},"modified":"2013-10-20T21:21:42","modified_gmt":"2013-10-21T03:21:42","slug":"crystal-butte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/?p=317","title":{"rendered":"Crystal Butte"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the best things in the world is a great after-work hike. The criteria? You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to drive far to get to the trailhead, you get a serious workout, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re rewarded with an awesome view \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and you can start after 5 p.m. and be done by dusk. Somehow, it gives you the energy to return to the salt mines the next day.<\/p>\n<p>In Jackson, Crystal Butte fits that description perfectly. In 1.7 miles, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll gain 1,500 feet, be treated to a view of the Tetons and the town of Jackson, and give your lung capacity a rigorous test.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"mapmyfitness_route\" src=\"http:\/\/snippets.mapmycdn.com\/routes\/view\/embedded\/243817991?width=560&#038;height=400&#038;&#038;line_color=E60f0bdb&#038;rgbhex=DB0B0E&#038;distance_markers=0&#038;unit_type=imperial&#038;map_mode=SATELLITE&#038;last_updated=2013-07-23T10:29:10-05:00\" height=\"420px\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: right; padding-right: 20px;\">\n                    <a href=\"http:\/\/mapmyhike.com\/routes\/create\/\" target=\"_blank\">Create Maps<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/mapmyhike.com\/routes\/\" target=\"_blank\">search<\/a> from 80 million at <a href=\"http:\/\/mapmyhike.com\">MapMyHike<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n<p>Crystal Butte looms directly east of Jackson, northeast of Snow King Mountain and just north of Cache Creek. A trail switchbacks up the steepest sections before petering out, and interconnections are available with trails in the Cache Creek area. Much of the butte lies in the Gros Ventre Wilderness, so wilderness regulations apply.<\/p>\n<p><center><div id=\"attachment_358\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Crystal-Butte-6-5-11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-358\" src=\"http:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Crystal-Butte-6-5-11-300x179.jpg\" alt=\"Crystal Butte. Photographed June 5, 2011.\" width=\"300\" height=\"179\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Crystal-Butte-6-5-11-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Crystal-Butte-6-5-11.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-358\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crystal Butte. Photographed June 5, 2011.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n<p>To find the trailhead, look for a short dirt road behind some houses on the east side of Nelson Drive near East Hansen Avenue. After a short drive, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll arrive at a small parking area. The trailhead is marked with a large sign on the south side.<\/p>\n<p>After .3 miles, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll come to a marked junction. This trail leads up Crystal Butte, but the sign notes that the Crystal Butte trail has been rerouted, presumably to keep the entire butte from eroding into Cache Creek. Obey the sign and follow the main trail for another two-tenths of a mile. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll quickly arrive at a marked junction with the new trail up Crystal Butte. Turn left here; this is where your workout really begins.<\/p>\n<p>You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll follow a long series of switchbacks as you climb up the unforested face of Crystal Butte. Be forewarned \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the next 0.8 miles are steep. When you hike back down, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll want to make sure that you aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t carrying a phone or iPod because there is a very real possibility that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll slip and fall on your butt. But as you climb, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be treated to views of Jackson, Rendezvous Mountain, Cache Creek, the entire Teton Range and much of Jackson Hole. At .9 miles from the trailhead, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see wilderness boundary signs. Then you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll cross a small gulch where wildflowers may be seen into July. After 1.3 miles, the grade moderates, then at 1.6 miles, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll arrive at a point directly above Woods Canyon with perfect views up Cache Creek. The trail jogs to the north, and within a tenth of a mile, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be treated to views of the Tetons towering over Jackson Hole. (Note that for the best views, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to step below the trail.)<\/p>\n<p><center><div id=\"attachment_359\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Tetons-from-Crystal-Butte-9-13-10.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-359\" src=\"http:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Tetons-from-Crystal-Butte-9-13-10-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"The Tetons seen from Crystal Butte. Photographed September 13, 2010.\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Tetons-from-Crystal-Butte-9-13-10-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Tetons-from-Crystal-Butte-9-13-10.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-359\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tetons seen from Crystal Butte. Photographed September 13, 2010.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Most likely, you won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to go any farther, even though you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not at the top of Crystal Butte. The trail continues for a few more minutes, but gradually peters out after entering a forest before getting to the actual summit. Bring a snack and enjoy the view of the Tetons (and, if your timing is good, the wildflowers) from the hillside. When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re done, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.<\/p>\n<p>Notes: Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be surprised if you encounter a few mosquitoes, particularly early in the season. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 During the first half mile, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be on trails that are popular with cyclists, so be alert. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Although the exposed face means that snow burns off much of Crystal Butte early in the season, be aware that spring closures are usually in effect in April to protect wildlife. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 It is possible to hike up Woods Canyon and hike down Crystal Butte (or vice versa), but the trails do not connect, so you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to blaze your own route. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do this if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not familiar with the area and aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t confident in your route-finding ability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the best things in the world is a great after-work hike. The criteria? You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to drive far to get to the trailhead, you get a serious workout, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re rewarded with an awesome view \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and you can start after 5 p.m. and be done by dusk. Somehow, it gives you the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-around-town"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=317"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":387,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317\/revisions\/387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themountaingoat.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}