Wild Horses!

Nicki and I were so excited to drive the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour, which runs between Green River and Rock Springs. The 23-mile road offers access to beautifully barren land where herds of horses run wild. I have never been to a place where you can see so far in every direction. It was almost humbling.

We started in Green River, and it didn't take long until we were treated to some stunning vistas of distant mountains and, of course, lonely Pilot Butte — that's Nicki on the car roof photographing the striking butte. Not long after, we spotted some wild horses! Well, sort of. They were on a ridge in the distance, but unfortunately too far away to snap a photo. We tried to get closer, but they ran off and we didn't see them again. Still, it was exciting, and it really hit home how truly untouched Wyoming is. We got out of the car at one point and walked a hundred yards or so down a trail. When we looked back, we couldn't believe how tiny and out of place our car looked in the vastness.

Next time, I hope to see some wild horses up close, but the drive was still well worth the trip!

Gorgeous Star Valley

We headed south to Star Valley after we left Jackson, and I’m telling you: anyone who doesn’t venture this way is really missing out. In the space of 150 or so miles, we stopped in Alpine, Thayne and Afton, met so many welcoming people and saw an immeasurable amount of beautiful scenery. The area is so lush, with Highway 89 snaking along the valley floor next to the Snake and Salt rivers for much of the drive. We finally had a chance to explore some of the wilderness near Afton at the Intermittent Spring, which runs for 18 minutes and then abruptly stops for another 18. It’s one of only three such periodic springs in the world, and the short hike through the canyon along Swift Creek is absolutely stunning. To get there, take Second Avenue east out of Afton for five miles until you reach a dead end. Continue on foot for about 10–15 minutes until you reach the end of the trail and look for the spring bursting out of the rock wall across the creek. It’s an easy hike; we even saw a family with toddlers on the trail!

Top of the World

Nicki and I rode the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort aerial tram (4,139 feet!) up Rendezvous Mountain yesterday morning, and we were amazed by the spectacular views of Jackson Hole as well as the diversity of people enjoying the high-altitude access — there were families lining up for the famous "top-of-the-world" waffles at Corbet’s Cabin, an elderly couple taking in the vistas and group of young women about to embark on a three-day backpacking trip through the Tetons. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen people so excited to sleep under the stars, but it was infectious. Nicki and I wished them well as they marched off down a trail, but we both admitted that we also wished we were going with them! I am already thinking it sounds like the perfect adventure for next summer...

A Jackson Hole Welcome

What a beautiful day in Wyoming! My photographer partner, Nicki, and I arrived in Jackson to explore and do research for the Wyoming Official Travelers Journal (disclosure: I’m the editor). We checked in at Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa in Teton Village, and the first thing I noticed was the clean, alpine smell that I always LOVE about luxury mountain hotels (there are plenty of ’em at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort). We were tempted to simply relax by the big lobby fireplace, but we had reservations down the road at Bar J Chuckwagon Suppers, a dinner and music experience that takes inspiration from the chuckwagons that used to feed cowboys on long cattle drives. We ate our delicious chow at one of the long wooden tables with a family from Utah who told us the Bar J is their first stop every time they’re in Jackson. After the live cowboy music show, we headed back to the hotel completely tuckered out but excited for the next day’s adventure. Well...almost! We couldn’t pass up heading next door for a cold beer at the Mangy Moose Saloon, a Teton Village institution that didn’t disappoint.