Thanksgiving in Jackson Hole, 2017
My partner and I made her first trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, shortly after Thanksgiving, 2017. We have established the tradition of going on a short trip out of town around this holiday, using it as our chance to spend time together. The holidays are hectic, our lives are hectic, but we can have a few days of togetherness that allow us to recenter with each other.
We spent a majority of our time on the eastern side of the Teton Mountains, going to the Winter Elk Range and out to Mormon Row. One day, we went skiing at Grand Targhee, where I had not been in at least ten years. Standing on its slopes, looking into the west face of the Tetons was like coming home.
Wind River Backpacking, 2014
The second trip in as many years into the Wind River Mountains. This time, we decided to go for the high country. Now we had an understanding of the Upper Green River side of the range, and we knew that obtaining the plateau country would be a significant undertaking via the trail system of that drainage. We elected to go into the range from Palmer Creek, from the New Fork Lakes Trailhead. This meant significant elevation gain early in our hike, but we anticipated being in the high country with relative ease after the initial pull onto the plateau.
We didn’t get into the high country we envisioned, given troubles with my knee. However we found an amazing, secluded lake on the shores of which we made camp. We did a day trip to Section Corner Lake, and fished numerous streams and lakes in our vicinity. The weather was perfect, with clouds and sprinkling rain for most of the trip. I am a strange one. I prefer misty rain and cooler temperatures to the blistering heat we experienced in 2018.
Wind River Backpacking, 2013
These photos were taken during the first backpacking trip my friend and I made into the Wind River Mountains. I had just graduated with my English degree from University of Montana, and was trying to come up with a solution to remain in Missoula. We met at the Daniel, Wyoming gas station, and went to the Upper Green River Lakes from there.
We hiked into some meadows about nine miles up the trail. We camped along the river, trying to tuck ourselves far enough back that we wouldn’t have people walking through our camp all night. Our initial plan was to hike to some lakes to the east of the Upper Green River, but a fire closed the trail. We watched it burn the ridge line we wanted to hike the night we arrived at the trailhead. The valley was enjoyable, with lightning and thunder bouncing off the granite parapets high above us.