The Sun Never Sets in Wyoming
Ok, it does but not until after 9pm in June, and it’s up again at 5am. The days are long, but oh were they fun-filled. I’d always wanted to go to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks and after hearing about a friend’s trip. I knew I had to go, it just took a few years getting there. When I heard about Vacation Races half marathons by both parks, I immediately signed up. No big deal running two half marathons a week apart, especially if it got me out to the wild west, right? Not to mention this is the centennial year of the national park service – I was being called.
Runners on the race route.
Well, 12 hours after landing in Jackson, WY, I ran my fourth half marathon on the most beautiful race course ever. With the Tetons in view, and a friend at my side I was praising God for his creation! And the week kept getting better. The next day, my motorcycle-riding husband took me on my longest motorcycle ride ever. Previously I’d ridden maybe five miles in the neighborhood, so he was pretty proud of me at mile 175. We rented a sport touring BMW to drive by the Targhee National Forest in Idaho and back through the Teton pass. As we arrived back into GTNP we even spotted a black bear near a stream!
We spent our days, hiking to geysers and waterfalls, kayaking on Colter Bay and mountain biking in Montana. We met a few people around Jackson that may have been tired of tourists, but everyone we encountered after leaving Jackson was wonderful. And I have a new appreciation for the National Park Rangers because the second time we saw a bear, it was a Grizzly! And the second time, like the first, there was a ranger there making sure everyone stayed a safe distance, while reprimanding three people who decided to tromp through the woods to get a better view. I couldn’t believe the stupidity, but shouldn’t be so surprised after the article a few weeks ago about the guy who put a bison calf in his car because he thought it was cold! My husband and I could hike for hours without ever saying a word – which is the worst thing to do in bear country – so I was always looking over my shoulder.
The guy who invented bear spray was a genius, I must say! That stuff sells for $50 a pop, and probably 99% of the tourists who buy it never use it – but I get it, its like insurance.
The National Parks are built around accessibility. They even have a program called Every Kid in a Park which allows all 4th graders and their families free entry. However, it took very little effort – just stepping off the main trail to find lovely solitude. Old Faithful hosts thousands of visitors for its 90 second display. Being from Texas, we walked a flat five mile round trip to the Lone Star Geyer and watched its splendor for 20 minutes with only a dozen other people.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the bison. They cross the roads at their leisure, causing traffic jams on the one lane park roads. The parks are teeming with wildlife. Big horn sheep live at the top of the still snowy and incredibly windy Mt. Washburn, the big antlered moose – that is plural and not to be confused with meese, which is not a thing – and the elk, including the one that ran in front of us while we were on the motorcycle. We also saw lot of chipmunks, marmots, geese, and a mouse that ran across the floor of our cabin.
Be prepared to spend lots of money. Ok, hiking is free and camping is cheaper than cabins and motels. But I camped when I ran the Yosemite half marathon and knew I needed a real bed this time. We also decided to try all the local beers along the way, and didn’t find any happy hours!
We spent the last day in Montana. I completed the Yellowstone half marathon (while we probably walked that every day) and we wrapped it up with a five mile hike to Storm Castle. I called it quits after that, so we headed to Bozeman for our last night. They say you only regret the things you didn’t do – we will have no such regrets. After 3 states, 2 half marathons, 2 bears, many mountains, and 1 motorcycle ride it was time to head home.
Tips:
- Take t
he Aerial Tram in Teton village or hike to the top of Rendezvous Mt. There was still snow, and it’s windy (like Mt. Washburn) but we watched about ten paragliders take off from the top in spectacular form. - Step off the very well beaten sidewalk path if you are physically able – it’s worth it.
- Breath. The air and smell of pine is lovely.
- Get on the water. The area has many lakes. You can take a scenic cruise, kayak, canoe or fishing trip to get a new perspective.
- Eat bison burgers!
- Visit the Grand Prismatic Spring – pictures don’t do it justice.
- See the stars – no, seriously. Someone please do it and report back, I was always too tired!
