Hiking in Jackson Hole

Hiking in Jackson Hole is breathtaking, literally. Had we thought this through a little more, we probably would have saved hiking around the summit of Rendevous Mountain for our second hike of the day, after we were better acclimated to the altitude. But we didn't.

Some of you may remember that I have an almost paralytic fear of heights, so just riding the tram to the top was enough to get my heart racing and my palms sweating. The best part was when our tram operator received a walkie-talkie communique about the 50 mph winds and the need for caution. (This, thankfully, was on the ride back down). I had 12 minutes each direction to ponder why the mountain is named Rendevous, and all I kept coming up with was time to meet your maker.

We made it to the top, still covered in snow. One guy said that they have 800 times the amount of snow that is normal for this time of year. (Of course!) And the winds were gusting 20-30 mph. So it was a bit freaky for me. But the views are undeniably gorgeous and
amazing, and I was happy to be up there!

We started hiking on the only accessible trail (other than the tiny loop at the top) and were descending the mountain at a very steep angle. The trail was wide (thankfully!) so I was OK. At some point, we realized if we kept going, we were going to have to commit to hiking all the way to the base, which I didn't want to do because the trail was completely covered in snow and difficult to find and follow. Plus, one of the big draws is to eat fun-flavored waffles at the little cabin at the top of the mountain. So we turned around and proceeded to hike back up. Straight up. My calves were screaming at one point and we were breathing very laboredly. (OK, I was. I'm sure Eric would have had no problem sprinting to the top).

After enjoying our waffle, we took the tram back down, survived the 50 mph wind, and decided we wanted to explore some more. So we followed a beautiful trail up through the trees, across rushing streams of melting snow, and through some grass lands. The trail was steep, but we were hiking at a lower elevation, and the vertical climb was spread out more than at the top! Doh! We should have done this hike first! Oh well, next time!

I will tell you that Jackson Hole and the town of Jackson are beautiful, fun, and must-see. On our drive back to Jackson, we saw giant birds' nests at the tops of the street poles with one juvenile bird in each nest. I think they were eagles. It was completely surprising to see this, and made the day even more magical!