Jackson Hole, Wyoming

American NorthwestHikingTravel Photography
Written By Gina Dominguez

About once a year, I get to go on a big trip with my five best girlfriends from high school. We try to go somewhere that is new and exciting for the majority of our group (significant others included). In January, we decided on Jackson Hole, Wyoming; flights and lodging were booked for the second to last weekend in July. But then, of course, the world was impacted by a global pandemic. 

American Bison by Gina Psallidas with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens.

For this and a few other reasons, half of our group decided they would not be attending. We had to rebook our lodging, and although there seemed to be limited availability due to social distancing practices and establishment closings, we were able to find a condominium unit via VRBO that fit our group of five in Teton Village two weeks before our trip.

The unit was managed by Outpost, which was a bit confusing at first because communications came directly through them instead of VRBO, but it worked out well enough and was actually cheaper than booking directly through the Outpost website. The unit had 2 bedrooms (one with twin beds and its own bathroom & the other with a queen bed and a bathroom in the hallway). The couch in the living room also had a pullout bed. There was no AC, but we never needed it. Every evening when we were home, we would just open the window and let the wonderful mountain air cool the place. Having a kitchen was important to us, as we knew we wanted to cook all our meals; the grill on the patio also came in clutch for burger night. There was a fireplace - which we never used - but I’m sure it would be wonderful during the winter. 

Staying in Teton Village proved perfect for our group because we are explorers, and it seemed the perfect distance from Jackson (the city) and the entrances to the National Parks.

First Day: Thursday, July 23

There were no direct flights from Washington, DC to Jackson, Wyoming; I flew with American Airlines and had one layover each way. I was originally scheduled to arrive at 3:30PM MDT on Thursday, but when I checked my flight details a few days before my flight, I had the opportunity to change my flight to an earlier time (for free!), so that was a no-brainer decision. I arrived at 10:15AM MDT and took the free 20-minute shuttle to pick up my rental car at the Avis location in Jackson. There are on-location rental car options at the airport, but the off-site locations were cheaper. It was recommended to me to rent an SUV, and I agree that is the best option to get around since roads can get bumpy and you never know where you might need to park. 

Since my friend, Nora, and her boyfriend, Sam, were scheduled to land shortly after me, I spent some time in town and grabbed lunch to-go (lamb chops and manchego cheese) at Bin 22 right when they opened. I then picked up Nora and Sam from the airport, and they grabbed some yummy looking pulled pork sliders from Moe’s Original BBQ, and we all ate together on a bench in the park away from everyone.

We spent our first day settling into the condo unit and becoming acquainted with Teton Village. There were shops, restaurants, a hostel, and a great little grocer (Bodega) that also had a gas station. We knew we wanted to make sandwiches for our day trips and dinner every night, so we prepared a list and then headed back into Jackson to get groceries at Albertsons.

***My hot take on places like Bodega and Albertsons is to sign up for their rewards programs if you are going to be staying for more than 3 days - you’ll save some money on your purchases, and it’s a harmless process.***  

Second Day: Friday, July 24

Our friend, Kaile, and her husband, Brett, were driving into Wyoming from Utah, but they were not scheduled to arrive until later in the day, so we took the opportunity to go on an early morning hike. Despite the pandemic, there were quite a few people in Jackson Hole, and we wanted to make sure we could have relatively safe hikes whenever we could, so we woke up at 6:00AM to drive to Cascade Canyon Trail. 

Since we stayed in Teton Village, we always took Moose Wilson Road to Teton Park Road instead of US Highway 191. From my experience, Google Maps was the only map app that recognized this road as a quicker way (perhaps because the road is only open for a limited time during the year). We also did not have to pay to get into the park this day since we went so early, but be prepared to pay the Grand Teton Entrance Fee of $35/vehicle (good for 7 days)

***If you plan on going to Yellowstone National Park as well, I highly recommend you buy the Annual:America the Beautiful pass ($80) - it is good for a year and grants you access to all National Parks.***

The Cascade Canyon Trail is wonderful! It is an out and back trail that is rated as ‘moderate’ per AllTrails. When we arrived at the Jenny Lake campground parking lot, there was the option to hike 2 miles to the trail entrance, but we opted for the Jenny Lake Boating shuttle service across the lake ($18 for a round-trip ticket). We waited for about 15 minutes since the boats were not filled to capacity due to social distancing, but it was worth it.

Hidden Falls by Gina Psallidas with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

We saw the Hidden Falls, then stopped to take some photos at Inspiration Point, and finally continued into the canyon. We saw a moose on the way up and another on the way down, but they were both lying down, so we only saw their antlers - such a bummer because they looked huge. On the way up, we were warned twice by other hikers of bear sightings; thankfully we had our bear spray (and by we, I mean Sam - he was holstered and ready). Although you will likely not need to use your bear spray, it is highly recommended you purchase a canister. They are found in almost all stores in the area and cost around $50. 

Inspiration Point. Photo taken by Sam.

This hike was serene and quite beautiful! We stopped multiple times to take in the views with our eyes and cameras. It eventually led to a fork, where you can continue to a few destinations. We decided to stop and enjoy our lunch at the fork and then head back down. My Apple Watch tracked the hike as being 4 hours and 35 minutes, in which we walked a distance of 9.45 miles and elevated 1,151 feet. I highly recommend this hike!

We arrived back into town right as Kaile and Brett arrived. Since we were only allowed one parking pass per vehicle, they kept their car parked down in the village (which is free! - one simply cannot camp/sleep in their car overnight). We had a relatively low-key night - spent some time in the village, and then Sam grilled up some burgers at the condo. We all prepared our sandwiches for the following day and played some Oh Hell!, the card game (thanks for the intro to this, Nor and Sam!). 

Third Day: Saturday, July 24

Another early day! The gang got up a little after 6:00AM, and we once again headed into Grand Teton National Park to hike to Delta Lake via the Amphitheater Trail, per Kaile’s suggestion! Since we got out of the house a little later, we did need to pay the entrance fee.

***Before continuing on about this hike, I want to warn you that the portion of the hike to Delta Lake is NOT maintained by the park. It is an unofficial hike, as it requires you to ‘off-road’ from the Amphitheater Trail. This hike is quite hard - between the altitude and elevation gain, I do not recommend this hike for beginners***

Elk in velvet taken by Gina Psallidas with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens

We started this hike a little later than the previous day’s, but since it is a harder trail, not as many people seemed to be there as early. Two minutes into the hike, our group and some hikers in front of us encountered a mama bear and her cub. Unfortunately, I stayed back to try and quietly take out my camera and missed them!

***ALWAYS HAVE YOUR CAMERA READY TO GO OR YOU WILL MISS ANIMAL PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES***

About a mile in though, we did get to see a sole elk right along the trail (no more than 7 yards away). He was in velvet, meaning his antlers were still developing, and they were fuzzy looking. 

This trail offered beautiful views in all directions at certain points. There were also spectacular views of the valley from the switchbacks. I personally needed to stop quite a few times on the way up because I needed to catch my breath (and probably because my bag was a little heavy - thank you to my friends for bearing with me and to Nora for literally ripping the bag off my back to carry it for a while for me). 

Once we got past the main switchbacks, there was a fork in the trail, and we went towards the Amphitheater Lake. Before turning up that next switchback, we decided to take a little break. I ate half my sandwich and a banana that I packed earlier in the morning (it was probably 10AM, but I was starving and am glad I fueled myself before the real trek began). There was an unmarked opening that dropped with some steep steps into a path. We were told to look for the cairns (pronounced ‘karen’), those little man-made rock piles to guide us the rest of the way to Delta Lake (and boy were they the most useful Karens of 2020 ;)). This path was quite scary at parts, and we all took our time, especially when we had to boulder in the last half mile or so. NOTE: when at the second set of boulders, stay more to the left -  there is a path up to the last part to get to Delta Lake. We missed it and bouldered halfway up, which I don’t recommend if you’re not already an experienced hiker. That last segment up to the lake was tough - my heart was racing, but that final view was worth it! Quite a few people were already there taking their pics for the ‘gram. The wind was a little chillier as it is a glacial lake but it felt nice after all the sweating we did. We stayed at the lake for over an hour and enjoyed our lunches, the view, and took lots of photos. My Apple Watch clocked the hike as 8.5 miles (this included the walk to/from the car), an elevation gain of 2,215 feet and a total of 4 and a half hours (not including the time we spent hanging out at the lake).

We headed back home and I cooked us a nice Greek dinner consisting of marinated lamb chops, a Greek village salad, and some french fries. We ate, hung out, and played some more Oh Hell!.


Fourth Day: Sunday, July 24

As this was Kaile and Brett’s last day of the trip, they had all their stuff packed, and we decided to caravan to Yellowstone National Park. We made a list the night before of all our ‘must sees’ and planned accordingly. Yellowstone is MASSIVE, and one cannot possibly see it all in one trip, especially if they are staying in Jackson Hole. It is also recommended that you download an offline map of the area - there is NO cell service.

Our first stop was at Mud Volcano. It is a thermal area that smells strongly of sulfur and has a .6-mile loop trail that allows for visitors to see the various mud features in the area. Upon parking, we watched a bison make its way from a hill above the Mud Caldron down to Mud Volcano. The bison was extremely close to the boardwalk, and everyone was a bit too close to it. I felt uncomfortable and waited in the parking lot after taking a few photos from a safe distance.

We then proceeded to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which was created by a huge volcanic eruption centuries ago. This area of the park was extremely packed, and most people were not wearing masks. We did the short, but fairly steep .6-mile out and back trek to Red Rock Point via the Red Point Trail to see the falls from a distance (the Lower Falls trail was closed to visitors while we were there). If someone doesn’t want to take the trail down, they can get an equally stunning view from Lookout Point, which is located right before the trail begins. 

A highly recommended stop is at the Fountain Paint Pot Trail. There are multiple hot springs and geysers at this location, to include Celestine Pool and Silex Spring, and is certainly worth the .5-mile loop. While we were there, Clepsydra Geyser was actively erupting, as did Jet Geyser for a shorter burst of time. After walking around and listening to Sam tell stories about dogs and men that had accidentally run into the hot springs (yes, these stories are true, and many people have died this way - stay on the boardwalk!), we then made our way to the Midway Geyser Basin. 

The Midway Geyser Basin was quite the hot spot, if you know what I mean. It houses one of the most iconic hot springs in the world - Grand Prismatic Spring. There is a one-way only trail one must follow to walk around to this spring. I found the Excelsior Geyser more impressive, only because I could really see it from the trail. It was quite difficult to capture and appreciate the size and beauty of the Grand Prismatic Spring from the ground. For anyone planning on seeing this spring, I recommend taking the 1.2 mile there-and-back hike from the Fairy Falls Trailhead to see the spring from above!

After saying our goodbyes to Kaile and Brett, Nora, Sam and I continued to Old Faithful Geyser. At this point, we were all pretty exhausted and a bit hungry. Thankfully, this location houses an area with a gas station, restaurants, gift shops, and a hotel. We grabbed some snacks, soda, and water and decided we were okay not parking to get out and see Old Faithful, as she was not set to erupt for another 45 minutes, so we decided to leave. On our way out of Yellowstone, we made one final stop at Isa Lake. This lake straddles the Continental Divide and is said to be one of the only natural lakes in the world which drains to two different oceans (quite fascinating to learn about!). 

On the way home, we made a few stops along the highway to take some photos. I clocked us on the road for 12 hours that day - we left the house at 7:30AM and did not get back until 7:30PM. Nora cooked us a delicious chicken thigh dish with kale and french fries. We played some more Oh Hell! and then called it a night. 

Fifth Day: Monday, July 25

Grand Teton Mountain Range

Teton Range taken by Gina Psallidas with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens.

Since this was Nora and Sam’s last day, they slept in, and I drove to Snake River Overlook for sunrise photos of the Teton Range. After getting home, packing up our stuff, and checking out of our condo, we spent some time in Teton Village, grabbed coffee at SouthCable Cafe and then made our way to Moulton Barn before I dropped them off at Jackson Hole Airport for their flight. I spent the rest of the day driving around aimlessly and taking pictures along Highway 191 whenever I could. I stopped at the barn again for sunset and then went and checked into a motel in Jackson for my last night in town, which I booked the night before (whoops). 

Moulton Barn taken by Gina Psallidas with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens.

Sixth Day: Tuesday, July 26

For my last day, I woke up once again before sunrise and went to Moulton Barn. I was really looking forward to getting some good sunrise photos, but it ended up being a rainy day. I took the long way back to Jackson (via Moose Wilson Road), made sure I had all my things together, took a nap, returned my rental car, and then took the free shuttle with Avis back to Jackson Hole Airport. My connecting flight to ORD was packed, but my flight to DCA was not.  

This was a trip of a lifetime for me, and I enjoyed every moment of it. By Tuesday, the exhaustion from waking up before the sun every morning had caught up with me, and I was ready to go home. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves being outdoors and hiking. 

friends hugging in front of Grand Teton Mountain range


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS/TLDR

  • What was it like traveling during COVID-19?

    • It was not only stressful leading up to the trip, but I also felt some guilt for domestically traveling. I hadn’t flown since the middle of March when everything first shut down. Thankfully, the airports and 3 of my 4 flights were quite empty (my connection from JAC to ORD was the most packed). While flying, we were required to always keep our masks on unless we were eating or drinking. American Airlines suspended its in-air beverage and food services and instead provided paper bags with water, hand sanitizer, and biscotti cookies. It is recommended that one gets food or snacks before boarding their flight, which I did, especially since I have dietary restrictions. The options at each airport are limited, but still available. The night before I left for my trip, DC extended its mandate for wearing masks. Wyoming also had approved a countywide mask mandate on July 21st. There were no issues at the airports, but things seemed a bit more lax while in Jackson and while at the National Parks, as in, not everyone was wearing masks when they were supposed to. Whenever our group felt uncomfortable due to the amount of people or lack of mask-wearers, we would ensure our masks were on and we would immediately remove ourselves from the area.

  • Where did you stay?

    • In a condominium unit in Teton Village, found via VRBO but managed by Outpost JH. 

  • What is the difference between Jackson and Jackson Hole?

    • Jackson is the city in Wyoming. And Jackson Hole refers to the entire valley (50-miles long), which includes Jackson and Teton Village.

  • What did you do?

    • Cascade Canyon Trail hike

    • Delta Lake Hike via the Amphitheater Trail

    • Yellowstone National Park (various stops, see above for details)

    • Moulton Barn

    • Explored the town of Jackson

    • I really wanted to go on a horse-back riding adventure, but we could not fit it in. I recommend looking into one of the many options.

  • What did you pack?

Gina Dominguez
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