Beginning Biking in Jackson Hole Beginner-friendly outfitters can help the whole family cycle together By Kurt Repanshek, Member, American Society of Journalists and Authors
Biking near Jackson Hole
Despite the astonishing rise of the Teton Range, which practically jumps 7,000 feet straight up from the floor of Jackson Hole, cycling about the valley is not entirely built around hill climbs. True, the valley’s 6,200-foot elevation can initially test you if you’re coming from sea level. But as the pavement rolls behind your bike it’s the ruggedly beautiful panorama that’s breathtaking, not the pedaling.
Framing the western horizon are the Tetons themselves, snow-streaked walls of granite that earthquakes have ratcheted up to an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet, while the less imposing Gros Ventre Range, which tops out just below 12,000 feet, marks the eastern edge of the valley. Between these rugged bulwarks sprawl sagebrush-covered flats, aspen glades with their fluttering leaves, and fingers of conifer forest that make forays into the flats near river and creek bottoms.
Neither the spectacular mountain ridgelines nor the pungent smell of sage can be avoided as I pedal along the Antelope Flats Road, a less-trafficked route through Grand Teton National Park than either U.S. 191 or the Teton Park Road, parallel roads that cut north and south through the valley. Pay attention as you pedal and you’ll be able to glimpse the fleet pronghorn antelope that lent their name to the road, hulking bison content to alternate between grazing and snoozing, and the occasional coyote on the prowl for a meal. Overhead, bald and golden eagles wheel on rising thermals while ospreys cruise above the Snake River looking for fat trout they can jerk out of the water with their talons.
David Hunger has built his Teton Mountain Bike Tours guide service on 15 years’ of pedaling about the national park and through the surrounding national forests. Not surprisingly, he knows where the secret cycling stashes lie, where the automobile traffic can be too uncomfortable for cycling, and where the wildlife lurks. His “Snake River Tour,” for instance, not only leads you away from the Teton Park Road and closer to the river along an old dirt road once used by film crews shooting Westerns in the park but also reveals moose, antelope, bison,
Trail riding near Jackson Hole
elk, eagles and osprey. Timing is everything, and for a lucky few the rides provide views of fox, badgers and even bears.
I quickly discover that mountain bikes are the preferred cycle for this park, as their suspension systems take some of the bite out of washboard roads and lend some confidence when a car or truck crowds the shoulder and forces some unplanned off-roading. Plus, the inviting single- and double-track routes in the national forests often offer the best views of the craggy Tetons.
When families show up with youngsters, David prefers to head to Antelope Flats, where he cobbles together a fairly level eight-to-ten-mile loop tour that swings close to the Gros Ventre River, past Blacktail Butte, and down Mormon Row where the well-weathered and weary homesteads of late-19th century settlers dot the landscape. Got kids between the ages of 1 and 4 years old? David will attach a Burley Child Trailer to your bike. For kids 5-to-7 he’ll turn to an Adams Trail-A-Bike that fastens to your mountain bike so the youngsters can contribute some pedaling while you do most of the work.
Single-track enthusiasts seeking more of a workout or cyclists interested in an introduction to trail riding often are led out of the valley and up into the alpine meadows and thick pine forests atop Togwotee Pass, where they can rip across rolling terrain for 18 miles.
While most of Hunger’s tours revolve around half-day and full-day outings, he doesn’t mind setting out for multi-day treks that tour both Grand Teton National Park and nearby Yellowstone National Park. These rides take advantage of dirt service roads with an occasional single-track option and show off not only the Tetons but some of Yellowstone’s geysers. Accommodations are in bed-and-breakfast establishments and lodges.
For now, though, a day spent cycling about the valley floor is enough for me. Not only does the ride bring me closer to the park’s wildlife, but it provides some off-the-beaten-path explorations that reveal some of the human history of Grand Teton National Park. And it’s that mix of wildlife, history and exercise that makes mountain biking a perfect addition to a Grand Teton visit.
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