Idaho +
Wyoming
May 12 - 19, 2025
As I continued my journey west, I stayed in a stellar VRBO in Victor, Idaho for about a week as I worked remotely while taking time to explore western Wyoming and eastern Idaho.
Grand Teton National Park
Land Acknowledgement: Grand Teton National Park is located on the ancestral homeland of the Mountain Shoshone People, and the land was also used for thousands of years by many other tribes including the Bannock, Blackfoot, Crow, Eastern Shoshone, Gros Ventre, Nez Perce, and Northern Arapaho.
Along the Way …
At this time of year, the weather in this area can be quite unpredictable with a mix of rain, snow, and strong sunshine. But thankfully, the Tetons are well quite GRAND and can be experienced excellently on crummy weather days from the comfort of a car by driving the Grand Teton Scenic Loop (some of my favorite pictures from this visit were taken at overlooks along road).
Trail Log:
Phelps Lake, Lake Creek, and Woodland Loop — 6.6 miles ; loop photos
Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, String Lake, and Leigh Lake Loop — 12 miles ; loop photos
Delta Lake via Lupine Meadows Access — 7.5 miles ; out & back — unable to summit to Delta Lake due to snow melt
Emma Mathilda Lake and Two Ocean Lake Loop — 6.4 miles ; loop
Wildlife I saw in the Tetons: Moose, Rocky Mountain Elk, a few different types of birds (Northern Flicker, Ruffled Grouse, and Mountain Bluebird), as well as a couple yellow-bellied marmots.
Notable Eats & Drinks …
Coffee:
Idaho
Wydaho Roasters Coffee House — small-batch, ethically sourced coffee
Alpine Air Cafe & Roastery — organic coffee roaster
Wyoming
Breweries:
Idaho
Guidepost Brewing — brewery with food
Grand Teton Brewing Company — brewery with seasonal food truck (when I visited it was Otto’s Kitchen)
Wyoming
Snake River Brewing — Wyoming's oldest and America's most award-winning small craft brewery with a full kitchen
Flat Ranch Preserve
While in Idaho, I took the opportunity to visit a preserve managed by my employer, The Nature Conservancy. The Flat Ranch Preserve lies within an area known as the Greater Yellowstone, which is one of the last large, essentially intact systems on Earth; recognized globally for its geological and biological richness. Learn more about this preserve that is open to the public year round: LINK