Road Trip Yellowstone

by Dina Mishev

  Red Lodge Mountain

  The origins of Red Lodge Mountain ski resort are in two rope tows and a 500-vertical-foot drop at the base of Grizzly Peak in the early 1950s. The Silver Run Ski Club, which had several hundred members who lived in Red Lodge, Billings, and nearby towns, cut two runs and installed two rope tows and the Willow Creek Ski Area was born. One rope tow served beginner terrain while the other took skiers to steeper runs in the trees.

  By 1952, club members admitted Willow Creek had some problems, including car-sized sagebrush in the middle of runs and a lack of snow. A “run” could often only be done by piecing together various snow patches. They went looking for somewhere else to put in runs and lifts. The main requirements were varied terrain and more snow. They found it up on Grizzly Peak. Well, kind of.

  Grizzly Peak opened in 1960 with wonderfully varied terrain. (It was several years later the name was changed to Red Lodge Mountain.) Ski club members had only spent time exploring it in the spring though. They soon learned the area didn’t get much late-fall to early-winter snow. The big storms runs needed for coverage often don’t come until January and February. Some years, the resort hasn’t been able to open until January. While this was a problem for business in the early years—there was the winter the resort’s finances were so tight it couldn’t afford to hire lifties and Red Lodge business owners came together to get the lifts staffed for free all season—the resort is doing just fine now with one of the best snow-making systems in the state.

  Still, Red Lodge Mountain is not a ski resort you fly to, and it doesn’t want to be. “It is very much a locals’ resort,” says Jeff Carroll, director of sales and marketing at the resort since 2009. “We like to position it as non-fancy. We value a good ski experience over glitz or glamour and crowds.” Jeff admits that during winter holidays, you might find a line at one of the two high-speed detachable quad lifts. “You might have to wait 5 minutes,” he says. 305 Ski Run Rd., (800) 444-8977, Redlodgemountain.com

  Sylvan Peak Mountain Shop

  Mary Ellen Mangus opened Sylvan Peak on Red Lodge’s main street in 1990. Today the shop sells everything you could ever need to hike, climb, or ski in the backcountry, but when it opened, it sold only clothing. And all of the clothing was designed and sewn by Mary Ellen herself. Mary Ellen named her brand and shop after the nearby mountain of the same name. The mountain called Sylvan Peak is one of the first peaks you see when driving into the East Rosebud drainage west of Red Lodge in the Beartooth Mountains. You can hike to the peak’s 11,935-foot summit, and the views from it are worth the effort, but it’s more popular with rock climbers than hikers.

  Mary Ellen made, and still makes, kids clothing and fleece jackets and vests. At one point, she employed six or seven seamstresses but today does all of the sewing herself. “She took a 2-year hiatus and then figured out she loved it and now she’s back [at age 78],” says her daughter, Marci, who now runs the shop with her husband, Mike. “Everything Sylvan Peak today is something she made.” Marci says that when locals heard Mary Ellen was sewing again they started “bringing in 15-year-old pants, or their favorite jacket asking if she can make them another one.”

  Marci says Sylvan Peak’s current designs are the same ones her mom made in the 1990s. “Some of the designs from 26 years ago are pretty epic.” Marci says all of the designs are “kind of my favorite,” but admits that the “hot ticket item” is the baby booties. “I remember having hand-me-down bags of kids clothing that I gave to friends, and they always asked if there were some of mom’s booties in there.” When asked if she sews, Marci says, “I didn’t get that good, creative gene from her. I can sew effectively, but it’s not pretty.”

  In addition to selling gear from Mary Ellen’s fleece vests to sleeping bags and backpacks, Sylvan Peak happily gives trail recommendations. “I have one person on staff in the summer that that is all they do—get people set up with a hike,” Marci says. Some of her favorite trails close to town are the Lake Fork of Rock Creek and the West Fork of Rock Creek. “Both wander along Rock Creek, and, depending how far in you get, there are lakes and waterfalls. Depending on the time of year, there are nice flowers.” 9 S. Broadway, (406) 446-1770, www.sylvanpeak.com

  PART 2SOUTH ENTRANCE

  Leaving the South Entrance of Yellowstone puts you at the north end of the valley known as Jackson Hole. This 40-or-so-mile-long valley figures in more dreams about America’s Wild West than perhaps anywhere else. Unlike many dreams though, Jackson Hole stands the test of reality. At the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson (the only incorporated town in the valley and also the valley’s largest community), “stools” are western saddles rather than traditional seats. Sidewalks in downtown Jackson are wood rather than cement. In the winter, about 6,000 to 7,000 elk migrate down from the surrounding mountains to the National Elk Refuge, which is immediately adjacent to downtown Jackson. The human population of Jackson isn’t much more than 8,000.

  And then there is the scenery, which is just as wild as the climate and the resident cowboys. “These are what mountains are supposed to look like,” said American president Teddy Roosevelt the first time he saw the Teton mountain range. Erupting 7,000 feet from the valley floor with not so much as a foothill to temper their rise, the Tetons are the youngest range in the Rockies. Toothy and glaciated, they’re the centerpiece of Grand Teton National Park and draw photographers, skiers, and climbers from around the world. Some visitors decide to stay.

  But the Tetons aren’t Jackson Hole’s only mountains. The valley is ringed by mountains—the Gros Ventre Mountains, the Snake River Range, the Absarokas, and the Wyoming Range. This makes the area difficult to get to—driving into the valley from Yellowstone is the easiest drive, actually. The nearest highway with more than one lane in each direction is about 100 miles away. Two of the four roads out of the valley require driving over steep mountain passes. The nearest metropolitan area with a population of over 1 million is a 5-hour drive. If you fly here, enjoy the novelty of landing at Jackson Hole Airport, the only airport in the country inside a national park.

  Because of its beauty and amenities, Jackson Hole has long been a playground for the rich and famous who don’t want to flaunt their riches or fame. Harrison Ford lives quietly on a ranch here, and former vice president Dick Cheney does the same (just on a golf course rather than a ranch). No one is surprised if they see Sandra Bullock, Jim Carrey, Sting, Robert Downey Jr., or Brad Pitt strolling along Jackson’s wooden boardwalks or enjoying wine and pizza on the deck of Dornans in Moose. Yes, there is a community in Jackson Hole called Moose. And yes, you can often spot moose there.

  ROAD TRIP 1 KELLY

  Bison sometimes outnumber people in Kelly, an island of private land on the banks of the Gros Ventre River and entirely surrounded by Grand Teton National Park. The community’s human population is about 200. The Jackson Hole bison herd is between 500 and 700 animals. Still Kelly has its own school and post office and, arguably, the valley’s best espresso. In the 1920s, Kelly was in the running against Jackson to become the county seat, but in May 1927, it was destroyed by a flash flood resulting from the collapse of the natural dam formed across the Gros Ventre River 2 years earlier during a massive landslide.

  Mormon Row and Moulton Barn

  During Mormon Row’s heyday—the late 1880s and the first couple of decades of the 1900s—there were as many as twenty-seven homesteads, all belonging to families in the Church of Latter Day Saints. There was a school and a church. And, at the time, the area wasn’t called Mormon Row, but Grovont. It was a Norman Rockwell–esque community. Barn raisings were giant affairs. In the winter, kids skated on frozen irrigation ditches and sled on Blacktail Butte. In the summer, families picked huckleberries around Taggart Lake and community picnics were a big deal.

  The last families moved away from Mormon Row in the early 1960s, shortly after the surrounding area became part of Grand Teton National Park. Only six homesteads still stand today. The most famous of the surviving homeste
ads is that of Thomas Alma Moulton. A barn he built between 1913 and 1938 is quite possibly the most photographed barn in the country, perhaps even the world. Images of the T. A. Moulton Barn have appeared on billboards in Times Square, jigsaw puzzles around the world, and above the deli in Jackson’s Albertsons. In 1997, Mormon Row and the T. A. Moulton Barn were listed in the National Register of Historic Places for their importance both to vernacular architecture and local history.

  Jackson Hole Bison Herd

  Like most of North America, Jackson Hole was historically home to bison. No one is sure how many bison lived on the continent prior to Columbus’s arrival, but experts guesstimate there could have been as many as 60 million. North America’s bison herds were the largest community of wild animals ever to walk the earth. By the end of the 19th century, however, they had been hunted to near extinction and only about 800 animals remained. But bison were never made extinct in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The GYE is the only place in North America an endemic population of wild bison has lived since prehistoric times.

  While bison were not fully exterminated in Yellowstone, it was a different story in Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole was bison free from the late 1800s until 1948. That year, twenty bison from the Yellowstone herd were installed on a 1,500-acre wildlife refuge near Moran. The herd was kept on the refuge until they escaped on their own in 1968. At that point, the “herd” contained only eleven animals. The next year, wildlife officials decided to let the bison roam free. Today the herd is about 500–700 bison and is one of the largest free-ranging herds in the country. (The largest free-ranging herd of bison in the country is the Yellowstone herd, which numbers about 4,000–5,000 bison.)

  The largest mammals in North America, bison can run upwards of 30 miles per hour and jump a 6-foot fence. Males weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand about 6 feet tall.

  The sage flats south of Moran and also around Mormon Row and Kelly are some of the surest spots to see some of Jackson Hole’s bison. (In the winter, the bison migrate onto the National Elk Refuge and often hang out in places people can’t visit.)

  Gros Ventre Slide

  It’s been more than 90 years since the north slope of Sheep Mountain, also known as Sleeping Indian, collapsed, but the scar is still fresh enough to be seen from miles away. On June 23, 1925, this landslide, which was one of the largest and fastest in the world, happened just east of Kelly. In just 3 minutes, 50 million cubic yards of rock, soil, and other debris slid down from an altitude of 9,000 feet. (This is enough debris to cover the entirety of Washington, DC, 6 inches deep.) The state surveyor at the time, W. O. Owen, estimated that, had they been able to move earth at the speed of the Gros Ventre Slide, the builders of the Panama Canal could have dug the canal in 54 minutes.

  Debris made it all the way to the bottom of the mountain, dammed the Gros Ventre River, and continued 400 feet up the opposite slope. The dam across the Gros Ventre River was 2,000 feet wide, a mile long, and 225 to 250 feet high. Behind this dam a new lake formed and was named Lower Slide Lake. It was 5 miles long.

  Although engineers, geologists, and various scientists pronounced this natural dam safe, it collapsed in May 1927 and flooded Kelly, killing six people and causing massive property damage. The floodwaters were massive enough to even wet Jackson’s streets, 12 miles away.

  Despite the collapse of the natural dam, Lower Slide Lake still exists today, although much reduced in size. It is popular for stand-up paddleboarding. The Gros Ventre Slide has been recognized as a National Geologic Site. The slide is best viewed from the Gros Ventre Road.

  LOCAL LOWDOWN WENDELL LOCKE FIELD, Painter

  Wendell Locke Field grew up drawing and painting, but, when it was time for him to pick a college major, his parents’ sensibility prevailed and he got a degree in agricultural business instead of art. “They didn’t want me to starve,” he says. Since graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1987, Field has painted continuously. He hasn’t done a thing related to agricultural business, although living in a yurt in Kelly since 2006, he’s been pretty close to animals, albeit wild ones rather than stock.

  One winter night, Wendell was in bed inside his yurt, where his headboard was up against the exterior wall. As Wendell lay there, he heard a bison breathing and “could feel the expansion and contraction of his breath through the wall.” Wendell didn’t sleep at all that night. At first light, he poked his head out his door to see exactly how close the bison was. “He was leaning against the yurt exactly where my bed was. It was the coolest thing. It energized me so much for the whole next week.”

  Interestingly, Wendell rarely puts wildlife into his paintings. More usual are signs of human presence. Kelly’s yurts are a favorite subject. “Kelly itself is soulful and authentic and its buildings feel like they belong and are in harmony with the environment,” he says.

  To find the essence of his art, for a period Wendell stopped seriously looking at the work of other artists. “I wanted to see what my art was without the influence of others,” he says. Wendell thinks this period was successful and that, “at the end, the art was more me.” Wendell is very much like Kelly then: soulful and authentic. www.wendellfield.com

  KELLY YURT PARK

  Yurts—called gers by the Mongolian nomads that invented them—have been around for thousands of years. They are circular tent-like homes that have about 450 square feet of living space. There’s been a small community of them in Kelly since 1981. The thirteen in Kelly are made from all-weather vinyl fabric, while those on the steppes of Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan are made of wool or animal skin. While Central Asians still move their yurts seasonally, the yurts in Kelly are stationary. Kelly yurts have power, but no running water. The yurt park residents share a bathhouse. And while it’s called the Kelly Yurt Park, it’s not a public park, so please don’t go walking through their front yards, or wander into the bathhouse.

  Gros Ventre Road

  The Gros Ventre Road starts with a natural warm springs. Go ahead and stop for a soak—you can’t miss it. The pond is 20 feet off the road—and then the road heads east, winding deep into the Gros Ventre Mountains. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful drives in the valley—passing through a mix of public (Bridger-Teton National Forest) and private land (historic ranches). Most of the time, it parallels the Gros Ventre River. Sometimes the road is at river level. Other times, it hangs several hundred feet above, carved into the side of a butte. (Warning: This road does not have guardrails.)

  At its beginning, this road is paved. Within several miles though, it deteriorates—expect sizeable potholes and wash-board in the dirt—but its condition is not so bad that a regular passenger car can’t handle it, at least until the bridge over Crystal Creek, about 10 miles east of the warm springs. You’ll pass Upper Slide and Lower Slide Lakes, which were both formed nearly a century ago by the massive Gros Ventre Slide and both of which you’ll want to stop at. This road also passes the aptly named Red Hills. In early summer, the bright green fields of the ranches at the base of these hills, which live up to their name, provide for stunning photos. (These guest ranches are only open to visitors who have made advance reservations.) If you want to do some exploring on foot, several unimproved campgrounds, a boat launch, and trailheads are off this road. You could drive all the way to Cora, Wyoming, but eventually the road becomes a two-track best ridden on a dirt bike. The Crystal Creek bridge is a nice turnaround spot. The return drive has great Teton views.

  Blacktail Butte

  Sitting directly across from the Moose entrance to Grand Teton National Park, Blacktail Butte doesn’t look like much, at least when compared to the Tetons. Whereas the Grand Teton’s summit is sharp-edged, obvious, and 13,775 feet tall, Blacktail Butte’s summit is nebulous and a mere 7,688 feet tall. Hidden on this butte’s southeast flanks is a short-but-steep hike (if you’ve got knee issues, this might not be the hike for you) that offers some of the best views of the Tetons in the valley.

  Blacktail Butte is in Grand Teton
National Park, but, unlike most of the park’s other trails, it is not marked. Nor is it on any maps. It is easy to find nevertheless.

  From the Gros Ventre Road, about 1.5 miles west of Kelly, turn onto Mormon Row Road. The turn is just east of the Gros Ventre Campground. About ⅓ mile up Mormon Row Road, there’s a large parking area to the west. Park here. The trail snakes up the ridge immediately in front of you.

  In May and early June, you can catch primrose in bloom at the base of the butte, then lupine, sticky geranium, and Indian paintbrush a little higher, and finally arrowleaf balsam root around the top.

  The bottom ¾ mile are the steepest. After climbing up about 800 feet over 2 miles, you emerge onto a ridge with nothing between it and the Tetons. Trees to the north prevent 360-degree views, but you can still see Sleeping Indian, Jackson Peak, downtown Jackson, Snow King, South Park, the Snake River Range, Mt. Glory, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Buck, the Grand, Owen, Teewinot, and Moran.

  Kelly on the Gros Ventre

  Al and Heather Hunter, the 40-somethings who have been running the Kelly on the Gros Ventre store since 2010, are always ready to chat about the local bison herd, the talk of the town, or espresso, which is made here on a machine custom built in Florence, Italy. Al, a former wine guy, has turned his taste buds to espresso since Kelly on the Gros Ventre (KGV) can’t sell wine. His “Yurtian” (pronounced like Martian), a regular coffee amped up with an espresso shot, honors Kelly’s community of yurts. The shop also sells soft drinks, sandwiches, and snacks, and firewood “by the hug,” with payment accepted on the honor system.