We are well on our way to Amangani when I see ‘WOAH’ on a red octagonal sign that would normally read ‘STOP’. We’d been in Jackson Hole for a total of 30 minutes. Little did we know that ‘Woah!’ would become the buzzword of this trip among the Teton mountains. Amangani, here we come.
Nerves of Steel, in Jackson Hole
There have been precious few trips where wildlife has played such a central role in our experience. Safari in Botswana was certainly one of them, and gorilla tracking in Uganda was another. Closer to home, but no less adventurous, was Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The impetus of the trip was three days of hiking in Jackson Hole’s Teton Mountain Range, planned by my husband, Daniel. I was nervous, I’ll admit now. Not only nervous the hiking would get the best of me physically, but the bears. I was nervous about the bears.
Those who have grown up in the West might find my fears amusing. As a former New Yorker, I was never afraid of being mugged, or subway rats—but bears were another story. Being born and raised in the metropolitan northeast, where my most grizzly encounters were with the squeegee guys at the Lincoln Tunnel, the West meant ‘wild’. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I was cut out for it.
Softening the blow, my husband cushioned the trip by booking Amangani. Having spent time at Amangiri, in Utah, a few years ago, we knew we were in for a decadent experience.
Bear Spray Rentals, in Jackson Hole
After touching down at Jackson Hole Airport, we headed to baggage claim. At the carousel, I spotted a kiosk called ‘Bear Spray Rentals’. What a clever name for a car rental service, I thought. It took another beat to register that the kiosk was actually renting bear spray. Did I mention that I spent all of my adult life in big cities?
According to the attendant, bear spray is rarely used in Jackson Hole, as the bears want to hang out with us about as much as we do with them. That said, I rented a can of bear insurance and went on my merry way.
As a barometer for the kind of scenery we were in for, I needed only to look out the car window. If it’s this scenic at the airport in Jackson Hole, we were in for something pretty spectacular. Apparently, the airport was named a national monument in 1943, and a few years later merged with Grand Teton National Park. I also discovered that the airport is ‘a popular mating ground for the sage grouse.’ Good local knowledge. I was fitting in already.
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At Amangani, it’s love at first WOAH!
Amangani is low-profile and high-impact, an architectural style we have noticed at many Aman properties. Perched upon a hilltop, with illustrative snow-capped mountain views in the distance (even in July) and green pastures of cows below, Amangani’s vibe is modern rustic lodge-chic. The exterior is a lovely combination of redwood and stone and sits ever-so-comfortably in its surroundings.
A small pond on the grounds, which later became a never-ending photo op, was a flourish on the bucolic scene. It acted as a backdrop to Jackson Hole’s glorious Grand Teton mountain range photos that changed with the light and mirrored the cloud formations that rolled past throughout the day. I was obsessively drawn to this spot, as is clearly evident from the absurd number of photos I took there.
Settling into Amangani
Upon entering Amangani, which means ‘peaceful home’, a grand, sweeping staircase welcomed us. The staircase led to a multi-level windowed wall that formally introduced us to the landscape. Hello, Tetons!
There were plenty of spaces to find quiet at Amangani. Comfy chairs were placed to maximize the panorama of the Snake River Valley, whether in the lounge, the airy central sitting area, or on our private room balcony. Native American touches, oversized sepia-tinted wildlife photography, painted cowhides, and textiles were on display. Everything was placed with a designer’s touch.
A room for all seasons at Amangani
As tempting as it was to spend all of our time outside in Jackson Hole, the rooms at Amangani encouraged us to stay in. Being an all-season destination, the rooms at Amangani had as much to offer comfort-wise as we could wish for.
A raw-cut stone fireplace sat in the corner. A low platform bed was the room’s centerpiece. Donned with crisp, white linens and a wooden headboard that went from floor to ceiling then continued its design onto the ceiling itself. Natural materials in varying shades of gray and ecru and soft faux fur accents completed the ambient scene.
Were it not for the showstopper of a pool, and the hiking ahead, I would have been hard-pressed to leave the walls of the lodge and head out into Jackson Hole at all.
To infinity and beyond, at Amangani
One of the hotel’s unique selling points was its nearly 400-square-foot heated outdoor infinity pool. The rectangular, blue-toned, mosaic-tiled pool spanned the entire length of the main lodge. It offered uninterrupted mountain views. The icing on the cake was the square, sunken hot tub that sat center stage along the top edge of the pool. Its idyllic location begged us to enjoy a bottle of champagne there.
The row of poolside loungers was a magical spot from which to watch the layers of blue sky evolve over the course of the afternoon. Jackson’s jagged Teton mountains cut into the sky in the distance, and puffy cloud formations floated effortlessly in the foreground.
In Jackson Hole, it’s all about the views
A rickety wooden fence edged the perimeter. Beyond that, a steep slope led towards green fields and cow pastures. From our aquatic perch, the cows looked no bigger than ants in the Snake River Valley, and we dreamily watched them migrate across the pasture each day post-hike. My legs were rendered useless by then, and I was very happy to not have to use them for the remainder of the day.
The air was cool and dry. I watched red-tailed hawks crisscross the sky over our heads. An idyllic scene.
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Hiking Jackson Hole’s Cascade Mountain
At 6am, our alarm sounded. This was not my idea of a vacation. Although I knew that once I got going and had some caffeine, I’d be happy to start the morning. Daniel is obsessed with avoiding crowds. He hates parades, auctions, big parties, and just about any situation where he might have to engage in conversations with strangers. Hence, the early start time. I, on the other hand, am obsessed with avoiding bears, and moose, which I’m told like to get a jump start on their day around the same time.
According to our guidebook, Jackson Hole’s Cascade Canyon hike is majestic, adorned with a canopy of Douglas firs, sheer canyon walls, and Teton mountain views. However, it warned of the huckleberry bushes along the way that attracts grizzlies. In this case, being first on the trail meant being first to greet the hungry huckleberry eaters. I took a long, deep breath, and we set off.
Grand Teton and Jenny Lake
Crossing Jenny Lake to get to the trailhead made the early wake-up worthwhile. The lake was flat and serene, mirroring the mountains and clouds, undulating ripples for as far as I could see. I quickly noticed that the few other passengers on the boat had bells, music, and whistles, to detract wildlife. We had nothing, so were told to keep up a steady, and loud conversation. Who has six hours of steady conversation after 17 years of marriage?
Noisy, gushing waterfalls, wooden footbridges, and enormous pines met us as we started our ascent. It couldn’t have been more beautiful, and peaceful, especially due to the fact that there was no one else on the trail. We made it up the first steep pass to Inspiration Point, which offered uninterrupted views of Jenny Lake.
Finding our stride, in Jackson Hole
We saw signs of bears, like tree trunks that had been used for sharpening claws, but thankfully no actual bears. Daniel walked ahead carrying the bear spray, which was a clever ploy to get me to keep up with his faster pace. The 13.6-mile round-trip journey took us through spots called Paintbrush Divide and Hidden Falls, which looked as illustrative as their names implied. Birds of prey glided in the breeze overhead.
Wyoming’s snow-capped Grand Teton welcomed us in the distance like a beacon. I might have smirked more than once on our hike back towards the lake, as we passed hikers starting their climb as we were finishing ours. Thank you, Daniel.
Once again, my weary legs earned the right to sit at the pool’s edge and revel in the morning’s accomplishment, book in one hand, a refreshing drink in the other. With rewards like this, I could certainly get used to hiking.
Eat and drink, Amangani and beyond
While the town of Jackson Hole and Teton Village was only a fifteen-minute drive from the resort, we ended up going out for dinner only twice in five nights. It was too hard to leave the nest after a day of hiking and sun-soaking.
The dining room at the Amangani lodge was ambient and moody, with a menu that had enough variety to satisfy us for three dinners. The windows played a large role in the setting, as you might imagine, and it was hard to concentrate on anything when the views were as captivating as the Teton mountain range.
Jackson Hole’s Snake River Grill
One of our two dinners out in Jackson Hole was at the highly recommended Snake River Grill. We wondered if it could live up to the hype, as everyone I had spoken to about Jackson had waxed lyrical about it. The simple, log cabin, decor somewhat belies the elegance of the food. We were impressed from the first bite.
The menu at Snake River Grill was bold, with hearty meats like elk, beef cheeks, and pork shank. It also catered to the pescatarian and vegetarian, with options like a whole roasted cauliflower ‘steak’, and sea bass. As has become a habit for me when I am fully enthralled with a meal, I forget to take photos. I have since become a master at ‘mostly-eaten’ food photography. Take my word for it, the food looked appetizing when it arrived.
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Conquering Jackson Hole’s Delta Lake
The next morning came a little too soon, especially after a stomach full of elk, but I rallied, remembering the views and the scenery, forgetting, for a moment, about the bears. Daniel told me that we were going to hike to Delta Lake, a glacial lake at the base of Grand Teton.
What he didn’t tell me was that to access this hidden gem, we needed to take unofficial, unmaintained trails, navigate several steep boulder fields, and bypass fallen trees along a rocky precipice.
It’s tempting to say it wasn’t worth it—but I can’t lie. It was as if we were discovering another world deep inside the natural wonderland of the Tetons. After about three hours of hiking, we finally caught sight of the lake—Woah!
The lake was a luminous milky turquoise, the kind of color that is impossible to truly describe. I read later that Delta Lake gets its otherworldly hue from the glacial silt of the Teton glacier. Wherever it gets it, I was sold. Hiking was my new favorite pastime, bears or not.
Al Fresco at Amangani
Day two of hiking (and surviving) behind us, we later celebrated with drinks outside on the veranda of Amangani. The fully-stocked bar looked especially beautiful as the setting sun started to descend behind the glass bottles. Another pair of red-tailed hawks soared and circled above as if delicately sewn into the fabric of the scene.
In the distance, dark storms gathered. The air smelled heavy. As it came closer, it became a game of chicken—in which guests would abandon their seats first to take cover. The raindrops didn’t slowly trickle, as much as they decided to whole-heartedly dump down on us at once. We dashed indoors.
The storm didn’t disappoint. Jagged lightning bolts took turns bolting, and thunder cracks intermittently cracked. Then, as dramatically as it had started—it stopped. The rainclouds were beyond us, heading towards and eventually obscuring Grand Teton, before making their way swiftly across the range. What the storm left behind was a sky of violent color, dramatic clouds, and crisp mountain silhouettes. Woah.
Amangani-led safari
With a hiking reprieve the next day, we headed out with a guide on a land safari in Grand Teton National Park. Our guide was so full of information—about wildlife, mating calls, obscure species, flora, and fauna, that I didn’t have the bandwidth in my brain to keep up. I did try to impress him with my mating knowledge of the sage grouse, but it seems he was already up to speed on that. Show off.
I was excited for a break and a day of photographic soul food. Searching for wildlife from the safety of a car? Now I was in my happy place.
Again, an early morning beckoned, as that is when the wildlife is easiest to spot. Right away we came upon a herd of lovely chocolate brown elk silently grazing in a barely sun-touched field. Soon after that, we spotted a pair of bison on the road’s edge.
Bison have an awkward body shape, with a massive hairy head and front quarters, compared to their somewhat skinny, spindly hindquarters. I was taken by surprise when we witnessed these large mammals elegantly jump a fence to get more food. Shockingly limber creatures!
The crowning moment of the morning, without question, was when we drove directly past an enormous grizzly bear grazing just off the side of the road. With wildflowers in the foreground and fields and mountains in the background, it felt like he had been planted there for camera-armed tourists like me.
We watched this lovely, old, grizzly slowly saunter around, munching plants, minding his own bucolic existence. Woah. One of the best wildlife moments of all time. When you have Jackson Hole, who needs Africa?
Tackling the Teton Mountains
It was inevitable that something would go wrong, we were in the wilderness, after all. Our third day of hiking started out typically enough. We rode up the aerial tram to Rendezvous Mountain, where we were due to take a scenic 12-mile hike down to the base. Many had told us about the heavenly waffles that were sold at Corbet’s Cabin, just at the summit, and I bee-lined there as soon as we hopped off. Energy for the hike ahead.
Again, a victim of half-eaten food photography, I had already inhaled their famous traditional brown sugar buttered, waffle before I remembered to snap it.
Although it was July, there was still snow on the ground in places, and some signage might or might have not been obscured. Or, we might have just missed the signs altogether. We got lost, found ourselves off the trail, my biggest nightmare, and to top it off, we had just descended a harrowing scree field that took all of my technical and physical energy.
As if that weren’t enough, I caught sight of a lumbering silhouette alongside the stream in the distance. Yes, I panicked. Yes, we argued, loudly. The upside was that our shouting definitely kept the bear at bay.
After making the decision to cut our losses and head back to the tram via the dreaded scree field we had just navigated, (exponentially worse going up than down), we had still hiked a total of about 10 miles, had an adventure, and gone nowhere. At least we had those famous buttery waffles.
Until next time, Jackson Hole
Sometimes it is best to have not seen and done it all. To leave something behind for another day —a reason to return. The iconic male moose had eluded us those five days, despite the fact that our eyes were peeled for him at every turn. We had seen our fair share of wildlife in Jackson Hole, our fair share of snow-capped Teton mountain views, and epic hiking adventures.
Until next time, Jackson Hole.
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A truly breathtaking gem in the heart of the USA!