Reader's Digest Yellowstone Itinerary

Above, Old Faithful Geyser in eruption. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It hardly seems possible that it has been five years since I was last in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks area. 

That trip was made possible as a friend and I went to Buhl, Idaho to visit an ailing friend. Since we were in the vicinity, we decided to go on to Jackson, Wyoming and the national parks.

Above, yours truly (white shirt) rafting the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming.

Reader's Digest has posted one family's one-week itinerary which looks pretty interesting that one should consider.

It starts off with:

Every time I told anyone—friends, family, people I had just met—that my family’s summer vacation plan was to visit Wyoming and Montana, they inevitably asked about our Yellowstone itinerary. I get it. As a lifelong East Coaster, planning a trip to a national park out West is intimidating, even for an experienced traveler like me, who, as an editor at Reader’s Digest online, has the advantage of being able to consult with tourism boards and other travel experts.

After a year-plus of research and planning, here is the one-week Yellowstone itinerary I followed with my husband and two elementary-school-age kids—along with the one thing I wish we had done differently.

To read more, go here. 

Group Stuck Overnight In Aerial Tram Car

Above, a tram car of the Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After having been on the Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway in Jackson, Wyoming in 2019, I can only imagine how miserable it must have been for 21 people stuck overnight in a similar tram car at Sandia Peak Tramway this weekend near Albuquerque.

According to KOAT:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Twenty-one Sandia Peak Tram and Ten 3 employees spent their New Year’s Eve and most of New Year’s Day trapped inside a Tram car.

Sandia Peak Tramway general manager Michael Donovan told KOAT the group was on the Tram’s last trip down Friday when operators had to stop the tram because of “severe icing due to the moisture and cold temperature that affected the emergency cable.”

“That cable actually dropped down within the system, and it was not safe to operate. So, we had to cease operations due to the high winds and the icing and unfortunately stranded,” he said.

Donovan said the group did have water, food and space blankets aboard the Tram.

Rescue crews were able to rescue most of the group Saturday afternoon, but had to cease operations around 1 p.m because of weather in the area. But by 4 p.m. everyone was off the Tram and safe on the base.

Nothing like starting the new year on a high note.

While it was good the stranded passengers had food, water and blankets, what about toilet needs? Wonder how that was dealt with?

To read more, go here. 

Horse Gentling At Wyoming's Diamond Cross Ranch

Above, a view of Jackson Hole from the Jackson Hole Tram. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever since I can remember, I've always liked horses to a certain extent.

But it wasn't until I moved into "horse country" in New Mexico did I develop a deeper appreciation for them. The annual rodeo season will have me in the grandstands enjoying the shows.

I received an email from Boot Barn this morning and while it advertises their goods (western and work wear), it featured a story of a horse rescue in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The ad has a link to Boot Barn's blog and I went there to check it out.

According to the blog:

Diamond Cross Ranch is a historical working ranch in Jackson Hole owned by the Golliher family, Horse Trainer Grant Golliher and Third Generation Rancher Jane Golliher. Jane’s grandparents were among the earliest settlers and homesteaders in Jackson Hole in 1912. As a family, they grew up caring for the land.

Over time, many ranching families departed the valley as property prices escalated and gave way to development. However, the family’s pioneering spirit and dedication to their Western heritage led them to conserve the open space as one of the few remaining historic family-owned ranches in Teton County.

In a day’s work, horse gentling—referred to as natural horsemanship—is among the many tasks that take place on their ranch.  

We teamed up with Diamond Cross Ranch to rescue and gentle horse Jazzy from a kill pen. Grant has made it his life mission to rescue and gentle horses for the better good of others and it is an honor to watch his process with Jazzy.

They found Jazzy at a kill pen the day before she was scheduled to get on the truck to the slaughterhouse. So they had to make a decision quick. Grant has since been working with Jazzy to gentle her. 

To read the full story, which includes many photographs and some videos of Jazzy, go here. 

Surging Tourism Straining Jackson, Wyoming

Above, yours truly under one of the elk antler arches in Jackson. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Jackson, Wyoming can be a destination itself. There are many cool things to see, nice restaurants and plenty of shops. It is a gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Since the parks have reopened following the pandemic lockdowns, Jackson is feeling the strain of surging tourism.

I visited Jackson last summer and had a great time there, despite the heavy traffic in town.

According to National Geographic:

A few months ago, residents of the valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, worried the summer tourism season might be a dud. 

Now 40,000 visitors a day stream through Jackson, a town in the valley and a gateway to neighboring Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. While that visitor count isn’t too different from previous years, July saw a string of days where the number of visitors was up over 2019 levels, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide—a far cry from earlier this year. Closed from March 24 to May 18, the parks are now seeing hundreds of thousands of tourists a month. 

Jackson is not alone. Mountain towns, beach communities, and vacation destinations throughout the country are facing an influx of visitors—many traveling from virus hotspots—in the middle of a rapidly worsening pandemic. Anecdotal accounts in Jackson suggest many tourists are surprised to hear COVID-19 exists in the area at all, having mistaken picturesque mountain vistas and wildflower-blanketed meadows for safety.

To read more, go here.

"Unplug" At Jackson Hole

Above, a view of Jackson Hole from the Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last summer, a friend and I headed into Jackson Hole, Wyoming for some camping, visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, shopping and whitewater rafting. It is a vacationer's paradise.

KSL.com has listed five reasons to "unplug" at Jackson Hole in a new article.

Above, inside the Jackson Mercantile store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

They begin with:

Long before the west was settled, a place called Jackson’s Hole was little more than a beautiful valley, appreciated only by the fur trappers and traders who made their way through the area. 

Now, Jackson Hole has become a popular destination for people from all walks of life. Flanked by a pair of the world’s most majestic mountain ranges, Jackson Hole is a place unlike any other and is a nostalgic throwback to the American West. 

While an obvious destination for winter adventures, Jackson boasts a variety of equally exciting and fun reasons to visit in the summer; here are five of them.

Above, yours truly rafting the Snake River. Photo by Float-o-Graphics.

To read more, go here. 

Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway

Above, a tram car. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, after breakfast and some shopping in Jackson, Wyoming, Mitch Geriminsky and I headed over to Teton Village to ride the Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway.

Luckily, we were able to buy discount tickets in Jackson, so the price was $30.00 each.

There is RV parking in the "ranch" area of Teton Village with a courtesy shuttle. After being shuttled to the tramway station, we proceeded to get in line for the ride. It is a 4,000 foot climb from the bottom station to the top station (around 10,000 feet in elevation at the top).

At the top, there's really not much to do, although there is a snack bar there. It was a bit cold there as well. But, the views of Jackson Hole were spectacular. Since it was cloudy out, we were unable to see the Grand Tetons.

The ride itself is about ten minutes long. Was it worth $30.00? I'd say no. Unless one goes there to ski during the winter months where there are skiing trails from the top, I don't feel it is worth $30.00, even though it was a discounted price. But, at least it was something to do and the views spectacular.

As the saying goes, "Your mileage may vary."

Some photos:

Above, a view of Teton Village as we were ascending. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of Jackson Hole area and the Snake River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the top station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Corbet's Cabin snack bar at the top. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the other car ascending as we were descending. Photo by Armand Vaquer.