Exiting Gracefully: Wyoming 2021: Still Working on the Selfie Game

In case you've missed the memo at any point along the way, I really love Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A lot. And I love taking other people there to experience it, to see it fresh through someone else's eyes. Much like the rest of the world, I had a hankering to travel, particularly back to Wyoming. I rustled up some traveling companions in the form of my mother and cousin, and off we went last week.

It turns out I still love the place as much as ever. I typically only ever go out in September, but had been wanting to experience the Tetons and Yellowstone in a different season. I think I will forever be more partial to the Tetons over Yellowstone, so we spent the bulk of our time in Grand Teton and spent only two days up in Yellowstone.

And it's probably for the better that we only spent two days there. While it was hotter than hades back in Ohio, I was wearing 3 layers of clothing, gloves, a winter hat and using a kitchen knife to scrape snow off the car windshield up in Yellowstone. Hey, when you don't have an ice scraper in your rental, you work with what you've got. Kitchen knife it is. We woke up early our first morning to get into the park before the rest of the world woke up, making a beeline straight for the Canyon area, but it was snowing so hard and the roads were just getting worse the farther north we went, so we aborted that mission. Doesn't matter how beautiful the waterfall is if you can't see it through blinding, blowing snow. And when we were leaving Yellowstone to head back to Jackson, it was nearly whiteout conditions, with visibility maybe less than a quarter of a mile. I'm all for cold but I do have my limits.

Our time in the Tetons, however, involved far less snow, and was spent exploring some new areas I hadn't been to before, while still revisiting some tried-and-true favorites. While browsing the maps, I stumbled across a lookout point called the Wedding Tree, about 30 minutes east of Jackson that most people don't know about, on a gravel road through the Bridger-Teton National Forest. How the heck did I not find this place sooner? It was stunning, and for a brief time we had it all to ourselves because no one else was around, so you better believe I sat and admired the view and the silence for a bit while keeping my bear spray close.

Hidden Falls was another winner, but that place is fairly well-known and an easy hike into the backcountry, so by the time we were hiking out, the crowds were growing in size. Y'all - I cannot say this enough - if you ever visit the Tetons or Yellowstone, get your tookus out of bed early. This tactic pays dividends, and you will be so glad you gave up those few minutes of extra sleep.

Other highlights included:

Seeing Bear 399 within hours of arriving. If you're not familiar with her, she's literally the famous famous grizzly bear in the country, if not the world. My mother is enamored with this fellow mother, and nearly did a happy dance when we came across 399 and her four cubs. Between seeing her and another grizzly, it's the most grizzlies I've ever seen. And to say it's the most I've ever seen, it's to say they are the only grizzlies I've ever seen out there, despite this being my fourth trip.

Watched paragliders literally jump off the side of the mountain. My cousin and I took the Bridger Gondola up to the top of the mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and while up there, we were treated to a front-row seat of several people thinking it was a good idea to fling themselves into the wind off the side of a mountain. Tip: Don't buy the blueberry muffins at Off Piste. You'll wind up with sticker shock when you shell out $7 for a muffin that is somewhat of a letdown.

The hunt for the world's perfect baseball cap. I bought a baseball cap the last time I was out to JH and it has proven to be my very favorite hat ever. I was determined to find another one just like it. Y'all. I practically scoured that town and could not find one in that exact style, by that exact brand. They had every other style, just not.that.one. It was maddening. I practically spent more time hunting for that baseball hat than I did for wildlife. Why is it that companies always feel the need to stop carrying the ONE product you absolutely love?

Weddings. So many weddings! I can't tell you the number of brides and grooms we crossed paths with or saw from afar, getting their wedding photos. We even saw one bride in her gown, hoofing it up the path to Inspiration Point, on the far side of Jenny Lake in the Tetons. It's one thing to do that trail in hiking boots and regular attire, let alone in a wedding dress. The things we do for the perfect photo.

I realized on this trip that every time I've been out to JH, I've been the one driving, which I don't mind, but it means I don't always get to take a good look at the scenery. Next time I go out, I need to find someone else who will drive. And I need to find someone who legit wants to hike. Not camp, just hike. I like a comfy bed, a warm shower and clean clothes, and I like those things on a daily basis. So no camping. And I can assure you I have zero interest in pitching a tent anywhere out in bear country, but there's so much hiking yet to do!

I got mistaken for a boy. AGAIN. This time by a 5-year old on the plane. "Mommy, is that a boy or a girl?" I'm starting to lose track of the number of times I get mistaken for a boy. And it's always when I have a ball cap on, so I can't say that I entirely blame people, but seriously. It gets old. And discouraging. But not enough to make me swear off wearing my favorite ball cap.

Gros Ventre Slide. I hadn't ever ventured over to Kelly, Wyoming, but one of it's more notable features is the landslide that occurred there back in the 1920s. It wiped out the town, killing 6 people and leaving a newly-formed lake in its wake. There's a trail that takes you to the base of the slide and literally looked like a bomb went off, even after nearly one hundred years have passed.

Lots of baby buffalo! It's calving season, so it seemed there were just bundles of baby buffalo scattered all over the place, mainly up in Yellowstone. This was the first time, however, that I saw exactly ZERO elk in Yellowstone. Not a single one.

Webcams. These can be your new best friend when traveling, and here's why: There are some mornings you'd really love to watch the sunrise, but you're also not sure if the view will be worth the effort to crawl out of your snuggly warm bed. Is it rainy? Is it cloudy? Can I even see the mountains? Enter webcams. There were several mornings I thought about checking out the sunrise but was also feeling mildly lazy. So, I would just check out a select few webcams, see if the view was worth it or not. If not, I rolled over and stayed in bed. If it was, I flung back the covers, grabbed my trusty ball cap, car keys and jetted out the door. #YoureWelcome.

As for the rest of the highlights, I'll let my camera lens do the talking. If you ever make plans to visit the Tetons or Yellowstone yourself, I will gladly serve as your trip advisor. And the first thing I will tell you is don't go to Yellowstone before June. And yes, you need to buy and carry your bear spray if you go hiking. And yes, you need to get your fanny out of bed at o-dark-thirty.