Wyoming’s High Country Brook Trout

By Jeff McDonald

It was not until well into July when winter finally loosened its grip on the high country of Wyoming’s Snowy Range, located about 30 miles west of Laramie.  The snow finally receded and reveled familiar meandering streams teaming with hungry brook trout.

The window for fly fishing for brook trout above 10,000 feet is small; winter will again begin to set in as early as mid-September.  This gives the resident brook trout a short time to eat anything and everything that they can … and this makes for exciting fly fishing.

My tool of choice for these small high alpine streams is a 7-foot, 6-inch, 3-weight rod, 6X tippet, and big bushy dry flies that present a meal opportunity that is too good to pass up.

The cold mountain water is gin-clear, making it easy to sight trout. This also means the trout can see me, so a certain level of stealth is required to approach each deep pool that can hold dozens of trout.  Approaching a pool from the downstream side and making short to moderate cast that places the fly at the head of the pool is sure to produce a strike.

While these fish are generally small, ranging from 6 to 12 inches, they hit the fly deliberately and with purpose. Hooking these trout with light tackle is some of the most fun I have ever had trout fishing.

Romance is in the Air ... Kind Of

By Dina Mishev

Not nearly so fearsome looking as bison nor as cute as moose, elk are one of Grand Teton National Park's often under-appreciated animals ... until about now when their mating season begins.

If you've never heard a male elk bugle, you've never heard one of the eeriest, most piercing vocals in the animal kingdom. Until you actually see a bull elk bare its ivories (elk have four ivory teeth) and bugle, it's difficult to imagine the noise actually comes from a living creature. Bull elk are bugling to attract the attention of the ladies.

Several thousand elk call Grand Teton National Park home during the summer. Once the snow starts, they migrate to the National ElkRefuge, which abuts the park's southeastern border. Between now and then, their main missions are to bulk up for the winter and to mate.

Jackson Hole’s Tram — Not Just for Winter

By Dina Mishev

Yes, the tram at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is one of Wyoming’s most iconic winter sights. Skiers flock here from around the world to take the JHMR tram 4,139 feet up to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain and then ski the resort’s expert slopes.

The JHMR tram has a summer season, too. Starting Memorial Day weekend and going into October, the tram whisks sightseers and hikers up the same terrain. Of course, sightseers and hikers can always hike the 7.2-mile Summit Trail from the resort base to Rendezvous’ summit. Do you know how long it takes the average person to hike 7.2 miles up 4,139 vertical feet? A hint: you could have a mini Harry Potter marathon in the same amount of time.

The tram covers the distance in nine minutes and doesn’t leave you sore and sweaty — it does leave you with energy to do a hike from Rendezvous’ summit though.

Read on for three of my favorite hikes off the tram, in order from shortest to longest: