After spending the first few years of our relationship completely and utterly broke (it’s super fun to have both people in school at the same time, living on a meager stipend and student loans), my husband and I still frequently have to remind ourselves that we have real adult jobs now with real salaries. And with real salaries comes the ability to splurge sometimes.
Our afternoon spent in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on our recent trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks was one such example.
Jackson Hole is actually the name of the entire valley that stretches east from the base of the Teton Mountains, so technically we spent two full days in Jackson Hole. But more commonly, when people say they’re going to Jackson Hole, they’re referring to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski area in the Teton Mountains, just south of Grand Teton National Park. In the summer, the resort transforms into a recreation hub, with opportunities for mountain biking, hiking, entertainment, etc. Some of the lifts and gondolas also remain operational, predominately for purposes of sightseeing.
This was our objective.
We’d purchased our tickets for the Teton Village Aerial Tram online in advance – it’s cheaper this way, though still pricey – so upon arrival we simply grabbed our backpacks (bring water and layers, it will be quite a few degrees cooler at the summit) and made our way to the boarding line.
The Teton Village Aerial Tram is a gondola-type system, with two large vehicles that travel up and down the mountain in opposition of each other. Each holds approximately 60 people, and it takes about 10 minutes to make the journey, plus a few minutes for loading/unloading. Hence the long line. Luckily, we only had to wait about 30 minutes.
We boarded the tram and ended up squished in next to the windows, which suited me just fine because it was the side with views of Grand Teton National Park. After a quick safety spiel, we were off!
We were packed in pretty tightly, and the tram sways as it passes each pole (there are 5 of them). If you’re claustrophobic or afraid of heights, this may not be the activity for you. I’m not afraid of heights, but the first time the tram swayed it made me a little uneasy.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the ride.
Predictably, the views improved as we climbed.
Before long, we were approaching the 10,450 foot (3185 m) summit of Rendezvous Mountain. The tram came to a stop and we disembarked.
You can spend as much time as you want on the top, so long as you don’t miss the last departure of the day. That gave us about three hours, which was more than enough time.
First, we walked the short path up to the true summit.
Next, we headed out onto the viewing platform.
And then, after soaking up the panoramic views of the Teton Mountains and Jackson Hole, we headed into Corbet’s Cabin for some delicious summit waffles!
I happily would have spent the entire day on the summit enjoying the view and breathing the fresh mountain air (and probably ordering another waffle). But storm clouds were rapidly approaching, which meant it was time to head back down.
Once again, we waited in line for maybe 20-30 minutes. It was lightly raining, but thankfully not thunderstorming, as we finally boarded the tram for the ride back to the base of the mountain.
Our ticket also included rides on the other two gondolas, but due to the weather we opted to skip them. Those gondolas don’t reach nearly the same elevation as the tram, so I imagine the views wouldn’t have been as good anyway. I wasn’t terribly disappointed to miss out on them.
And, well, I guess that’s about it.
As you know if you’ve been following me for any length of time, our travels usually involve quite a lot of hiking. Crowds and lines and expensive gondola tickets aren’t usually our thing. But it can be fun to mix things up every once in a while.
Despite the crowds and the lines, I really enjoyed our scenic journey to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain.
Up next: driving the Beartooth Highway
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