Jackson Favorites

Fondest memory: After a shower in town, we made the familiar trek to the small brewery that is tops in the region, having garnered many awards for their beer. We had, after all, been there twice in the last ten days and we promised ourselves this would be the last time. We grabbed a spot on the terrace as the weather was fine but our friend was nowhere to be seen. We ordered a couple home-made soft pretzels and nachos from the happy hour menu. By now, we were old pros. I went in to use the restroom and our friend was at the bar but gladly joined us outside when I told him we were there.

We had a fun afternoon reliving the hike, the small pika who entertained us, and all the great beers we had tried on our trips as well as were in the process of trying. He told us about mycouch.com, a site he was using to find free places to sleep while traveling around. It sounded pretty wild but we preferred our tent and couldn't imagine going his route as a couple. I was pretty frugal but then again I wasn't driving a Mercedes like him which we noticed on leaving the brewpub together. He drove off and despite swapping e-mails, we never heard from him again. Hope his couches worked out alright and he's still enjoying hiking, drinking different beers and of course, using the same sunscreen as us.

Favorite thing: Jackson would be a nice enough National Park gateway town without Snake River Brewing but with Snake River Brewing, it's a place I can't wait to get back to. So, I guess I'd have to say: Snake River Brewing, especially at happy hour!

Fondest memory: The hike up to Amphitheater Lake was grueling. By most people's accounts we should have driven out of the Grand Teton National Park after our second backpacking trip in its amazing backcountry. Ok, the smart idea would have been to drive to Jackson, get a room and head over the Snake River Brewing but the weather remained fine and I had done this day hike my first time in the park in 1994. It was the only thing remaining from that previous trip that had not been obliterated by the recent one. Despite our weary legs, we decided to stick around in the park, squeeze in another early morning photo shoot, and yes, do the Amphitheater Lake hike. Of course, deciding and doing are two different things and we were not exactly thrilled with the exertion. It didn't help that some guy blew right by us and remained in front of us the entire way till he decided to take a breather. We eventually caught up and we had a breathless small chat before he said he was starting back up. We just had to join him and we breathed even heavier as we maintained his pace up to the admitted alpine jewel that is Amphitheater Lake.

We sat enjoyed lunch together with a small pika entertaining us with his foraging. It turned out that we had a lot in common with Peter. It was crazy just how much. He even had the same sunblock as us and really swore by it, just as we did. More interestingly he was very into trying different beers as he traveled around the US, just as we had been doing. We told him we were going to Snake River Brewing later that afternoon and made a tentative plan to meet him there. The hike down was much easier but we let him leave us in his dust as we were not in a hurry. (concluded below in Fondest Memory)

Favorite thing: To me some of the hot pools at Yellowstone are the most beautiful sights of the whole national park. The boiling water is absolutely clean. You can look far down into the holes that lead deep into the volcanic ground. The water is just blue. Only some kind of bacteria are able to survive in the hot water. Those bacteria are the reason for the different colors of soil edging the water.

Favorite thing: Take your time and keep your eyes open to observe animals. The best time to see a lot of animals is winter, because when its cold, they come down to the tourist spots in the valley and to the hot pools to find food and warm places. You can see buffaloes, coyotes, wolves, eagles, deers, mooses and others... Most of those animals mentioned can be seen close to Jackson and especially at Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. But still you need to have some luck and patience.

Favorite thing: Jackson is the quintissential ski town. With a Western Cowboy flavor, this town also is home to the likes of Harrison Ford and others who enjoy the rustic nature and beautiful vistas the area has to offer.

Fondest memory: Skiing the Steep and Deep. Jackson has three quality ski areas: Snowking - Good for night skiing and warmup. Pretty Steep for being right in town; Grand Targhee - Worth the Drive. It takes about an hour to get through the pass, but Grand Targhee gets dumped on and has some of the best powder skiing around; Teton Village - The main mountain. Home to Corbett's Couloir. Great all around mountain with solid advanced terrain.

Favorite thing: As you can see this is a crow on a tree. Just a reminder to take your time and take a good look at the wildlife of Yellowstone. There are so many amazing and beautiful animals...