How many flowers have you seen already? There are more now!
The Tetons, Gros Ventres, Palisades, Big Holes and their surrounding valleys have come alive with flowers. What a great time to be inspired to support our public lands. While the flowers we expect to see are no less beautiful each summer, it is always extra joyous to come upon an unusual color or a particularly striking assortment. If you have not been out on foot or by bike, it’s time to get out and enjoy the wildflowers!
Pro-tip: you can use the trail search page in the summer months to find great hikes. Right now most of the valley hikes and lower elevation mountain hikes will have great flowers.
Want to support the places where wildflowers grow?
Leave No Trace and Penn State University conducted a national survey to understand how current changes—reduced budgets, staff cuts at land management agencies—impact our parks and public lands, where outdoor recreation is booming. Three things you can do today to help protect these incredible places include:
- Speak up for better funding.
- Share low-impact recreation tips.
- Reinforce your personal commitment to nature.
So while we get out on the trails every week, we will slow down and say hi, offer a tip in a friendly trailside conversation and take action when opportunities to speak up land in our inboxes. Please join us in supporting the public lands we all love so much.
Summer Activities in the Tetons
Hiking!
In early summer, aim for lower elevation, south facing trails. Hiking at the base of the Tetons around Jenny Lake or the Taggart/Bradley Lake area is a great early season option. As are lower elevation trails like Munger Mountain, south of Wilson. Search out dry trails, and if you encounter mud, try to stay on the existing trail instead of walking around the edge, which can widen a trail over time. A few early season favorites:
Phelps Lake from Death Canyon trailhead
Shadow Mountain
Bradley and Taggart Lakes
For summer-specific trail habits to bring with you as you explore, head over to Friends of the Bridger Teton or the GTNP Foundation. You can also check out LNT.org for a 45 minute online course to support backcountry travel and camping practices for any region you may visit this summer. Recreating responsibly is a year-round good idea.
Biking!
Head over to Velo22.org to see popular road and gravel biking routes and MountainBikeTetons.org to see an overview of mountain bike trails on both sides of the Tetons.
You can also find trail ideas and conditions for biking, hiking and horse riding on the Friend’s of Pathways Trail Updates page.
June Nature News from the Hole Hike Experience
Excerpts from The Hole Hiking Experience June Nature News
May ended up being warmer and drier than average and began with a similar pattern…Snow continues to dominate the high country giving the valley a wonderful contrast of beauty, light and color.
Join The Hole Hike Experience team for a community weed pull on Shadow Mountain from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM on June 25. We’re teaming up with Teton County Weed and Pest to combat musk thistle—and we could use your help! It’s a wonderful opportunity to help the environment, meet other community members, and battle those nasty noxious weeds. Many areas in the valley need attention, including Game Creek and Shadow Mountain. Email info@holehike.com for details. Register for the 25th and find the entire calendar of Habitat Hero events at tcweed.org. Plus, the Bridger-Teton team will be out on Shadow Mountain on June 20, offering even more ways to get involved.
Pulling weeds is one direct and immediate way to support local public lands. Another is to engage with more broad reaching efforts. U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-01) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01) have launched the Public Lands Caucus, a promising effort to safeguard the West’s public lands for future generations. Visit www.conservationlands.org to learn about these representatives efforts to support public lands by championing conservation and access.
Start you Independence Day off on the right foot! Run a 10k or a 5k, or keep it mellow and sign up to walk the 5k. This annual Skinny Skis event benefits the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard club. Great raffles and every sign up gets a raffle ticket.
Sign up here at Skinny Skis.
