Grand Targhee and the South Leigh Lakes, Jedediah Smith Wilderness

Above: South Leigh Lakes basin. To get to this point, just continue on past the intersection of the Beards Wheatfield trail and the Mill Creek trail. Though a faint path is visible beyond the intersection, it fades away by the time that you reach the ridge between the lake basin and the deep North Fork of Teton Canyon. Just stay on top of the ridge and keep heading east until you see the lakes below you on the north side of the ridge. You can continue on past the lakes, climbing until you reach a point where you can peer down into the Grand Teton National Park, near Lake Solitude.
There are several of the small lakes scattered through the high rocky basin. Each one is a blue jewel, seldom visited. If you plan to camp at the lakes, it would be a good idea to take a bear canister to store your food in. The trees are small and offer few places to hang a pack. I sometimes hang my pack from a huge boulder or cliff when camping near timberline, but during the short time that I spent at the lakes, I didn't notice any suitable spots.
The long tilted ridge against the skyline in the lower photo is Beard Mountain. Granite Lakes Basin, which is often called the most beautiful lake basin in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, lies across the canyon from South Leigh Lakes and offers a great destination for a two day trip in the Wilderness.
Most of the literature that you see about the Jedediah Smith Wilderness will point out that from Targhee northward, you'll be treading through Griz country. I feel that all of the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, all the way down to Teton Pass, is now Griz country, and even south of the Pass, I'd keep an eye peeled for sign. However, it is true that South Leigh Canyon and points north get a lot less human traffic than the canyons from Teton on south to the Pass. The further north you travel in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, the more likely you are to have an encounter. Carry spray, watch for sign, and keep a clean camp wherever you travel in the wilderness.