Peak Experience: Snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Sierra Club Outings Trip | Lodge
Highlights
- Snowshoe the wonderland of Grand Teton National Park
- Watch for a foraging moose or bounding coyotes
- Find inspiration staying at Triangle X Guest Ranch
Includes
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All snowshoeing equipment
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Three days of professional biologist/naturalist guiding
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An all-day dog sled trip to Granite Hot Springs
Overview
The Trip
Warning: you may experience signs of scenic overload on this peaceful snowshoe trip at the base of the Grand Teton mountains. You don’t need to know how to snowshoe to enjoy this trip. If you can walk, you can snowshoe! Instruction and equipment will be provided by experienced guides from Hole Hiking Experience, based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to snowshoeing, we will sled dog mush to a hot springs south of Jackson Hole, enjoy a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge, and visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art
The Trip
Warning: you may experience signs of scenic overload on this peaceful snowshoe trip at the base of the Grand Teton mountains. You don’t need to know how to snowshoe to enjoy this trip. If you can walk, you can snowshoe! Instruction and equipment will be provided by experienced guides from Hole Hiking Experience, based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to snowshoeing, we will sled dog mush to a hot springs south of Jackson Hole, enjoy a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge, and visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
There is nothing quite as overwhelming as first seeing the landscape of the Grand Tetons in winter. The park’s contours and geological makeup have created the perfect venue for snowcoach enthusiasts, dog mushers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers. As Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer at Grand Teton National Park, told ABC News a few years ago, "The Tetons are so iconic and so dramatic because you have this flat plane, the valley of Jackson Hole, and you have this abrupt vertical rise of these granite peaks. Few places have the solitude and serenity that Grand Teton National Park has during the winter." Over eight peaks are higher than 12,000 feet, with Grand Teton standing at 13,770 feet. The peak was given the name Grand Teton, or "large breast" in French by Iroquois or French-Canadian settlers.
February is the perfect time of year to enjoy sunshine, warming temperatures, wildlife, and the snow-covered Tetons. The winter season, with its peaceful quiet, offers a sharp contrast to the busy summer season. In winter, much of the Teton Park Road (also called the inner park road) is closed to vehicles. The unplowed section of the road (15 miles from Taggart Lake parking area to Signal Mountain) is open only to skiers and snowshoers. Snowshoeing is one of the best ways to experience the exhilaration of winter travel and to see wildlife and/or signs of wildlife in the snow. Our snowshoeing tours will be through open meadows, aspen groves, and coniferous forests, where moose, wolves, bears, weasels, coyotes, snowshoe hare, and many other forest inhabitants share the winter environment.
Triangle X Ranch, where we will be staying for the week, has been in operation since 1925. The Triangle X Ranch experience will give you a most unforgettable vacation. This authentic working dude ranch offers unsurpassed snowshoeing, photography, and wildlife viewing right out your front door. After each full day of snowshoeing or dog mushing, we will return to the comfortable lodge and relax western-style with a warm fire and large outdoor jacuzzi. Triangle X Ranch is ideally located to enjoy winter activities in both the southern and northern ends of Grand Teton National Park. Jackson Hole provides numerous opportunities to enjoy winter recreation, and Triangle X is the perfect place to stay while you discover winter in this amazing valley.
Itinerary
Day 1: You will be picked up at the Jackson Hole Airport and transported to the Triangle X Ranch just north of Moose, Wyoming. We will check into the Triangle X Ranch accommodations (private rooms in historic cabins with full bathrooms). There will be a welcoming orientation meeting after a delicious dinner at the Triangle X Ranch.
Day 2: After breakfast, we will receive snowshoeing gear and instruction from Hole Hiking Guides. Today we will head to the north end of the park, where we will look for signs of coyote, fox, and snowshoe hare in the Emma Matilda and Two Ocean Lakes area of the park. If the sun is out, expect beautiful views of the northern Tetons. Field topics will include mammals and winter ecology. You will receive a box lunch (made to your specifications) that will be eaten “in the field." The use of binoculars are included on all snowshoeing days
Day 1: You will be picked up at the Jackson Hole Airport and transported to the Triangle X Ranch just north of Moose, Wyoming. We will check into the Triangle X Ranch accommodations (private rooms in historic cabins with full bathrooms). There will be a welcoming orientation meeting after a delicious dinner at the Triangle X Ranch.
Day 2: After breakfast, we will receive snowshoeing gear and instruction from Hole Hiking Guides. Today we will head to the north end of the park, where we will look for signs of coyote, fox, and snowshoe hare in the Emma Matilda and Two Ocean Lakes area of the park. If the sun is out, expect beautiful views of the northern Tetons. Field topics will include mammals and winter ecology. You will receive a box lunch (made to your specifications) that will be eaten “in the field." The use of binoculars are included on all snowshoeing days. We’ll return to a lovely homemade dinner that's followed by lively conservation discussion, a dip in the Jacuzzi, and maybe a moonlight walk.
Day 3: Today we will spend a relaxing day at the Triangle X Ranch. You will have the option of snowshoeing or skiing on the trails around the ranch or just sitting by the fire and relaxing.
Day 4: After breakfast, we will arrive at a nearby trailhead and explore the Taggert/Bradley Lake area, where majestic granite peaks tower above us as sentinels of the wild. You will again receive a box lunch to be eaten “in the field." We’ll return to a lovely homemade dinner, a dip in the Jacuzzi, and maybe a moonlight walk.
Day 5: Today we are in for a real thrill -- dog sledding with Frank Teasley’s Iditarod Sled Dogs! For many visitors, this is the highlight of their winter trip to Jackson Hole. We will meet our Iditarod Sled Dog guides in Jackson Hole at 8:15 a.m. and be transported to the trailhead for Granite Hot Springs. The trek to Granite Hot Springs is 10 miles each way and you can drive your own dog team part of the way. Our tour features a soak in the 108-degree water of Granite Creek natural hot springs -- a relaxing interlude after driving your dog team. We will return to Jackson Hole around 4:00 p.m. and head back to the Ranch.
Day 6: We will journey into Death Canyon and discover the history of the area. The canyon was formed by glaciers that retreated at the end of the last glacial maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. The canyon has many Whitebark Pine stands, particularly near the tree line.
Day 7: Sadly, this will be our final full day together. After a leisurely breakfast, we will venture to Jackson Hole, where we will take a horse-drawn sleigh ride into an elk herd that numbers in the thousands on the National Elk Refuge. Before or after the sleigh ride, we will have lunch together at a restaurant in Jackson (included) and go to the National Museum of Wildlife Art (admission included). We will return to the Triangle X Ranch for our final goodbye dinner, followed by a conservation talk by a park ranger.
Day 8: After breakfast, we’ll depart to the Jackson Hole Airport. Expect to arrive at the airport no later than 10:30 a.m.
Logistics
Getting There
Trip participants will be picked up at the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and shuttled to the Triangle X Ranch in Grand Teton National Park at the start of the trip. Trip participants will be shuttled back to the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the conclusion of the trip. Shuttle services will also be provided throughout the trip. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader
Getting There
Trip participants will be picked up at the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and shuttled to the Triangle X Ranch in Grand Teton National Park at the start of the trip. Trip participants will be shuttled back to the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the conclusion of the trip. Shuttle services will also be provided throughout the trip. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.
Accommodations and Food
The trip includes seven nights’ lodging, all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. We will stay seven nights at the Triangle X Ranch (6,800 feet elevation), located 10 miles north of Moose, Wyoming near the south fork of the Snake River. This is the only accommodation open in the winter in Grand Teton National Park. Each of the distinct 20 log cabins originated in Jackson Hole. Perhaps your home for the week housed an early settler family in the late 1800s, and it was later moved to the ranch, where it eternally gazes out at the Tetons. Or maybe your log cottage took shape right above the hand-hewn soil at Triangle X. You will be served the finest of meals by Triangle X’s own four-star cooking staff in the dining room decorated with deer horn chandeliers and a spectacular view of the Tetons. The small occupancy will offer you intimacy. The large fireplace will give you a quiet retreat and a chance to pass on stories of the day's events. Standard arrangements are for single-occupancy rooms within the 1, 2, or 3-bedroom cabins with a full bath. All tips are already included in the trip price.
Trip Difficulty
A minimum snowshoeing ability of "beginner" is suggested. Snowshoers should be able to snowshoe on rolling terrain. Most of the terrain we’ll cover is not steep, but good balance and a familiarity with varied snow and trail conditions are necessary. Participants should be in good physical shape. We will generally travel three to five miles per day on snowshoes. Participants may also take non-snowshoe rest days on their own at the Triangle X Ranch.
Equipment and Clothing
All snowshoeing equipment will be provided by Hole Hiking. Other equipment & clothing needs (provided by participant) include:
- Day pack
- Small piece of closed-cell foam for sitting on the snow
- Water bottle
- Sunglasses and/or goggles
- Sunscreen/lip protector
- Camera
- Binoculars (unless you want to share those provided by Hole Hiking Experience)
- Pocket hand & foot warmers
- Insulating underwear
- Mid-weight insulating layer -- wool or fleece
- Waterproof & windproof outer layer -- jacket & pants
- Pants -- wool or fleece
- Hat
- Gloves
- Neck gaiter
- Socks
- Gaiters (unless you want to use those provided by Hole Hiking)
- Insulated boots
- Evening shoes and clothing
- Bathing suit for the Jacuzzi at Triangle X and Granite Hot Springs
References
- http://www.trianglex.com
- http://www.holehike.com
- http://www.jhsleddog.com
- http://www.wildlifeart.org
- http://www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge/NERSleighRides.htm
- http://www.nps.gov/grte/
- http://www.grand.teton.national-park.com/
Conservation
A number of activities that occur within Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) pre-date the park’s existence and may conflict with the National Park Service (NPS) mandate. In light of ongoing concerns about these activities and their possible ecological and social impacts, GTNP management has identified them as "critical issues" that need ongoing and active management.
These issues include:
- The Jackson Hole Airport, the only commercial airport in a national park in the contiguous United States and the busiest airport in Wyoming.
- The Jackson Lake Dam, which regulates the water level of Jackson Lake (which is a natural, not human-made, lake) for primarily agricultural purposes and some flood control.
- The grazing of cattle and horses.
- Inholdings in the park (private land owned within the park).
- Hunting: annual elk hunting is allowed within the park boundaries in the fall and early winter to reduce the number of elk to levels that federal and state wildlife managers believe the habitat can support.
While a number of national parks also have these types of activities or developments within them (and these generally pre-date the existence of the park), GTNP is perhaps unique in the extent to which these types of activities occur within its boundaries.
Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners