25/50: Wyoming

We flew back from Michigan, where we went for my sister’s wedding, and picked up our recently-repaired Airstream from the dealership in Boise, Idaho, ready to conquer Wyoming. Similar to Idaho, this was going to be our first time in Wyoming, but unlike Idaho, we had some preconceived expectations for the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone national parks waiting for us.

We will admit, the 6-hour drive from Boise to Jackson was not the most exciting, at least not until we reached the Teton Range, which is technically part of the Rocky Mountains. But once we drove into Jackson Hole and on our way to our campsite at Colter Bay, we fully realized how beautiful and unique the Tetons are. On our left, nearly the entire drive, was a wall of spiked mountaintops that seemed to shoot straight up.

Once we set-up camp, we ventured out around the park to get a lay of the land and soak up some of the views on such a beautiful day.

Not having hookups at the campsite meant we needed to go into Jackson to get a charge and use wi-fi. Thankfully, Jackson is a beautiful town with great gems, including the Anvil hotel and coffee shop.

After a few hours of computer work, we embarked on a self-guided walking tour of downtown Jackson Hole. Its character is unlike any other we’ve encountered — it has a unique mixture of cultures as the wild west meets an alpine mountain town.

Another result of not having hookups was our battery power. We learned the hard way at about 3 AM that the carbon monoxide detector will beep when the batteries get low. Loudly. And nonstop.

No pillow over our heads could cushion the shreak, and poor Noel was freaking out. Finally, after struggling for over an hour of combing through the manual without finding any helpful solution, we decided we just needed to get out of there and take Noel with us. It was like Idaho all over again, except this time, there was no Starbucks we could smuggle Noel into, so we took the opportunity to show Noel the Grand Tetons at sunrise.

She was speechless, well… meowless.

As beautiful as the Tetons were, we couldn’t completely enjoy them because with just a couple of days before our STATE 25: WY project, we still needed a Veteran participant. Kendra discovered the local organization, Honoring Our Veterans, which hosts week-long retreats for wounded Veterans.

We met their executive director at a local coffee shop serving our hometown Grand Rapids-based Madcap Coffee, which was a pleasant taste of home for us. Thankfully, she was able to not only secure a great Veteran to work with but also put us in touch with a local donor that wanted to sponsor the Wyoming project for [HAS HEART].

Over a breakfast meeting with the project sponsor, he made a local suggestion for us to drive off the main roads to a lookout spot. He gave us a few written directions on how to get there and what dirt roads and two-wheel paths to take.

He warned us that the road might have been impassable if the creek was running high. Thankfully we had enough clearance to get through the water and over the rocky riverbed.

There were no signs or clear paths to where we were supposed to go, but we could hear that we were getting closer.

He suggested that as dawn approaches, you can see a wolf den start to come alive as the wolfpack begins to stir and prepare for an evening hunt. We didn’t know what to expect, but as we walked up the hill he suggested we view from, we could hear some howling in the distance.

Thankfully for us, a couple of locals knew what they were doing and came adequately prepared with a telescopic lens, which worked just a bit better than our dinky binoculars.

In the distance, we could see an area of bushes in a small valley that has been home to generations of the wolfpack, and we were lucky enough to see quite a few wolves stretching, walking around, and even some teenage pups wrestling.

It was a bucket-list experience for us.

The first ever National Park was established in 1872 and is a mere 30 miles north of Grand Tetons, which was founded decades later in 1929.

Yellowstone is one of the most visited and well-known National Parks in the country that is known around the world. Yellowstone is where families go with packed station wagons and camping trailers on summer road trips. It’s easily one of the most well-known natural American icons, and it’s like being on a different planet in parts of it.

Exploding geysers, toxic-colored “ponds” that looked like they’d dissolve your shoes instantly, and gurgling mud pits make Yellowstone seem like a foreign, violent planet.

Old Faithful ran a few minutes later than expected, but she was worth the wait. If you ever want to watch her blow, there is a live webcam on the NPS website.

After a full day of driving and hiking around Yellowstone, we returned to the Tetons within the last few moments of the sunset to catch the last daylight cast on the mountains.

Our last great experience in Jackson Hole was being invited to the Bar J Chuckwagon dinner and show. Our veteran participant’s family has owned and operated the Bar J Ranch since 1977. Their western show is part comedy and cowboy music full of yodeling, fiddling, and more. To our surprise, Kendra and I both loved it. We were also amazed to learn that they host up to 650 guests 7 nights a week all summer long, with many families returning year after year. It’s a must-see for as much as a cowboy supper can be.

We had a great time in Wyoming, met and worked with great people, and gained a deeper appreciation for the land and our need to protect it.

We can’t wait to come back someday soon.