The end is in sight with COVID but the fatigue is real. Restrictions on activities and ability to plan for the future interfere with maintaining a strong sense of purpose and sense of self.
I was dreaming of an international vacation in 2020 but it became evident early on that would not be the case. By the time I started dating things ‘21 I was stir crazy. It seems too early to fly responsibly but neither myself or my husband love to drive.
A national park were we could predominantly be outside and spread out seemed like the best option. I thought of Zion, where I went for spring break my freshman year of college. Montana springs are cold, wet, muddy and temperamental. That spring break we awoke in a snowstorm and were rewarded for our day of driving with what seemed to us Summer.
The idea was a 4 day birthday weekend. Zion would be 10 hours each way. My husband was not eager to spend 2/4 of our precious vacation days driving and I was unwilling to volunteer to take all the driving on myself which I am not sure would have even been enough to tip the scale my way. His counteroffer was The Grand Teton National Park. A very doable 4 hour excursion. Despite the proximity I hadn’t visited the park in the 5 years I’ve been in Bozeman now.
I found a charming renovated motel and put in my PTO request. Shortly after I paid for the room I started researching the park and learned the majority of the main road is closed in the winter. I began to feel dubious. The road is partially open to allow access to a trail head with a small network that is maintained through the winter for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Not having any experience in the park I wasn’t sure if the accessible areas would be significantly different than any wooded area around Bozeman. Bozeman and Jackson WY are sometimes compared to each other and I wondered if it would really feel any different to be there.
I wanted to make a fun stop along the way and my initial thought was to drive through Yellowstone and get out at the prismatic springs but the road through was also closed. We tried to take a short detour to Virginia City but the whole town was closed for the season except for one gift shop.
In Jackson we checked into the Anvil Hotel anvilhotel.com/ which was bursting with charm. We were just in time to be offered a happy hour drink - adult hot cocoa with a splash of whiskey. The motel is just on the edge of Jackson’s very walkable downtown area. They gave us a parking pass for or vehicle and then we were able to walk practically anywhere we wanted to go in town.
I was dreaming of an international vacation in 2020 but it became evident early on that would not be the case. By the time I started dating things ‘21 I was stir crazy. It seems too early to fly responsibly but neither myself or my husband love to drive.
A national park were we could predominantly be outside and spread out seemed like the best option. I thought of Zion, where I went for spring break my freshman year of college. Montana springs are cold, wet, muddy and temperamental. That spring break we awoke in a snowstorm and were rewarded for our day of driving with what seemed to us Summer.
The idea was a 4 day birthday weekend. Zion would be 10 hours each way. My husband was not eager to spend 2/4 of our precious vacation days driving and I was unwilling to volunteer to take all the driving on myself which I am not sure would have even been enough to tip the scale my way. His counteroffer was The Grand Teton National Park. A very doable 4 hour excursion. Despite the proximity I hadn’t visited the park in the 5 years I’ve been in Bozeman now.
I found a charming renovated motel and put in my PTO request. Shortly after I paid for the room I started researching the park and learned the majority of the main road is closed in the winter. I began to feel dubious. The road is partially open to allow access to a trail head with a small network that is maintained through the winter for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Not having any experience in the park I wasn’t sure if the accessible areas would be significantly different than any wooded area around Bozeman. Bozeman and Jackson WY are sometimes compared to each other and I wondered if it would really feel any different to be there.
I wanted to make a fun stop along the way and my initial thought was to drive through Yellowstone and get out at the prismatic springs but the road through was also closed. We tried to take a short detour to Virginia City but the whole town was closed for the season except for one gift shop.
In Jackson we checked into the Anvil Hotel anvilhotel.com/ which was bursting with charm. We were just in time to be offered a happy hour drink - adult hot cocoa with a splash of whiskey. The motel is just on the edge of Jackson’s very walkable downtown area. They gave us a parking pass for or vehicle and then we were able to walk practically anywhere we wanted to go in town.
While it’s quite a drive in itself to drive to Glacier from Kalispell or Yellowstone from Bozeman, the Tetons rise into view only a few minutes out of Jackson WY. A good portion of the drive edges on the National Elk refuge where we saw multiple herds of elf each time we passed. Since most of Jackson’s tourism in the winter is geared towards the ski lodge the park is relatively empty in winter. There wasn’t a single car in front of us when we purchased our pass. Since only one trailhead was open there was quite a bit of competition for parking and cars stretched out on the shoulder. Thanks to our Jeep we were able to snag a spot others passed over, still partially buried in snow.
I wasn’t sure if we should rent snowshoes or not. We decided to try the first day without them and see how far we could get. As late in the season as it was and with the trail system being grooms and frequented, the snow on the trails was firmly packed. We navigated easily in regular snow boots. I actually think snowshoes in the conditions we had would have only been more cumbersome. The trail was a little steeper than I expected (I was thinking it might just be a flat trail in a valley) but not difficult. We enjoyed a bluebird day and Quickly opted to stuff away our jackets in the pack.
Typically, my experience with trails has been that the majority of the trail could be substituted one for another an arduous sweaty trudge and some muttering that it had better be worth it. Then finally the last bit sweeps your breath away. You break into a beautiful vista, the burden lifts off your back and you are glad you came. (I am not the time to be lured into the elements without some promise of a peak or a lake or a waterfall) The trails we climbed - Taggart Trailhead- were low pain huge gain. Even in the parking lot we were greeted by the rising peaks. The whole time we wandered the trails felt like the destination.
Typically, my experience with trails has been that the majority of the trail could be substituted one for another an arduous sweaty trudge and some muttering that it had better be worth it. Then finally the last bit sweeps your breath away. You break into a beautiful vista, the burden lifts off your back and you are glad you came. (I am not the time to be lured into the elements without some promise of a peak or a lake or a waterfall) The trails we climbed - Taggart Trailhead- were low pain huge gain. Even in the parking lot we were greeted by the rising peaks. The whole time we wandered the trails felt like the destination.
Although the main road through the park and almost all the amenities were closed we were able to drive on the highway, to the north side of the park and pull into a marina. There was supposed to be a trail there but the snow was deep and it wasn’t maintained or frequented like the first trails. We were not able to find the correct trail but what we did find was that the lake was completely frozen over crisscrossed with cross country ski tracks. We ventured out a ways and then a ways more there were some figures off in the distance that we first had to zoom in with the camera Leanne to confirm they were human beings. What more could you ask of a COVID vacation than to be embraced by a crescent of peaks in the wilderness with scarce another soul in sight.
The motto of 2020, a year of fire and smoke, unfulfilled promise and civil unrest, political tracery and death of truth, and an air borne virus attacking our lounges - I can’t breath. As I stepped into my next revolution around the sun I breathed deep and washed my lounges in clean mountain air crisp and cutting.
The motto of 2020, a year of fire and smoke, unfulfilled promise and civil unrest, political tracery and death of truth, and an air borne virus attacking our lounges - I can’t breath. As I stepped into my next revolution around the sun I breathed deep and washed my lounges in clean mountain air crisp and cutting.
There are three restaurants of the ones we tried in Jackson that I would recommend
Coelette
coelette.com/
This is an upscale place and one of our more expensive receipts from the trip. We didn’t have a reservation but would get one next time. We got there early, around five, and got a spot at the bar. The bartender was friendly and really good at explaining the items on the menu we didn’t understand. The food was great and exquisitely presented. We got two items off the menu per person and that was about right for us. It seems like the kind of place that changes the menu every time you come. I didn’t take any pictures in this restaurant-didn’t seem like the vibe.
Persephone
https://persephonebakery.com/
I love a good bakery. We went here for two breakfasts and another day we went to Picnic which appeared to be a rose by any other name. Their croissants were the European breakfast of my dreams, beautiful flaky layers on buttery layers. I had a cookies and cream latte one of the mornings we were there. It was good latte, a fun flavor. I wouldn’t say their coffee itself is a life changing roast if you’re a third wave coffee connoisseur but it’s certainly better than the Starbucks down the street. The second time I went I was really craving something fresh and healthy and their avocado bowl was exactly that thing. I’ve had similar things with cured salmon in it that left me worried but the salmon in this bowl was the perfect balance of fat and smoke.
Hand Fire Pizza
https://www.handfirepizza.com/
This place is in a renovated theater. We sat up in the balcony and we could look into the open kitchen and watch our pizza being made. I love to watch cooking shows. I was gawking and narrating the whole process like I never saw an open kitchen in my life. We had a great barbecue pizza with tender pork shoulder garnished with micro cilantro, my new favorite kind of cilantro. The pizza had a great campfire quality to it that you don’t always get with all wood fired pizza. There was really a great smoky hardwood flavor that was part of the pizza.
Walking around downtown you will see free copies of a magazine called dishing that’s great for updated dinning recommendations.
Coelette
coelette.com/
This is an upscale place and one of our more expensive receipts from the trip. We didn’t have a reservation but would get one next time. We got there early, around five, and got a spot at the bar. The bartender was friendly and really good at explaining the items on the menu we didn’t understand. The food was great and exquisitely presented. We got two items off the menu per person and that was about right for us. It seems like the kind of place that changes the menu every time you come. I didn’t take any pictures in this restaurant-didn’t seem like the vibe.
Persephone
https://persephonebakery.com/
I love a good bakery. We went here for two breakfasts and another day we went to Picnic which appeared to be a rose by any other name. Their croissants were the European breakfast of my dreams, beautiful flaky layers on buttery layers. I had a cookies and cream latte one of the mornings we were there. It was good latte, a fun flavor. I wouldn’t say their coffee itself is a life changing roast if you’re a third wave coffee connoisseur but it’s certainly better than the Starbucks down the street. The second time I went I was really craving something fresh and healthy and their avocado bowl was exactly that thing. I’ve had similar things with cured salmon in it that left me worried but the salmon in this bowl was the perfect balance of fat and smoke.
Hand Fire Pizza
https://www.handfirepizza.com/
This place is in a renovated theater. We sat up in the balcony and we could look into the open kitchen and watch our pizza being made. I love to watch cooking shows. I was gawking and narrating the whole process like I never saw an open kitchen in my life. We had a great barbecue pizza with tender pork shoulder garnished with micro cilantro, my new favorite kind of cilantro. The pizza had a great campfire quality to it that you don’t always get with all wood fired pizza. There was really a great smoky hardwood flavor that was part of the pizza.
Walking around downtown you will see free copies of a magazine called dishing that’s great for updated dinning recommendations.
On our last day we drove back into the park and watched the sunrise. It was a little to cloudy to get the full effect but we saw two different groups of Moose on our way back so I think it was worth it.
I am looking forward to returning to the park in the Summer the check out some more hikes and give the sunrise thing another shot.
I am looking forward to returning to the park in the Summer the check out some more hikes and give the sunrise thing another shot.