HEMIS.FR; SIMON JOHN OWEN; ALAMY
The Tetons are quintessential alpine crags rising 7,000ft, unencumbered by foothills, above the lake-spangled valley of Jackson Hole. It’s no wonder people are drawn here, whether driving the family car stuffed with camping gear or joining the gaggle of private jets at the most scenic airport in America, seven miles north of Jackson. The first set heads for campsites with million-dollar views. The second revels in those same views from resorts such as Amangani and Hotel Terra (see Five places to enjoy the wonders of Wyoming), from palatial log houses in the south of the valley, or from the ski slopes. Only three per cent of land in Teton County is privately owned, making this one of the most exclusive property markets in the US. The two tribes come together on hiking trails, or on a boat trip down the Snake River with fly rods, or in
BISON COVERED IN FROST DON’T SHOW UP WELL AGAINST THE SNOW AND THE WHITE HOT-SPRING MIST the town of Jackson, which in spite of its high-end art galleries (do you need a life-size bronze moose?) tries hard to project an image of down-home cowboy tradition: boardwalks, architecture straight out of a Western film, and staged desperado shoot-outs on the town square. There are still cowboys in Jackson, but you’ll have to look beyond the costumes of the wannabes. Wyoming men and women, the ones who live out there under the big arcing sky and actually run cattle for a living, tend towards understatement. Braggadocio is for the spaghetti cowboy, that fellow with a handlebar moustache strutting the boardwalks with spurs clicking and leather chaps flapping. Genuine ranchers leave their country threads at home when they come to town. If they come at all. In winter the mountains pile up snow, billows of it, soft and deep. It’s real winter, cold enough for the snow to come down as soft as a baby’s breath and stay that way. But here’s a secret: it’s not so cold. It can be awful, just like the Wyoming jokes. But when the wind is still, as it often is, and the sun is strong, which the thin atmosphere makes possible, the days can be practically balmy. You can visit Yellowstone in January, to prove the point. It will be cold up there, where the elevation averages around 8,000ft. The snow will be deep. And if you’re really lucky, you’ll see it on a morning when the temperature falls well below zero. Thirty below? Forty is possible. Stay at the Snow Lodge in Old Faithful, a good comfortable hotel close to the famous geyser. Bundle up and go out at dawn. Watch for bison covered with frost; they don’t show up well against the snow and the white hot-spring mist that shifts, dreamlike, in the pale light. As the sun rises, the fog banks move like the tide going out to reveal geysers – there are dozens here – billowing atomically upward. Conifers covered in ice stand in silent homage. Ravens croak from high branches. Within minutes, you feel the strength of the sun’s rays warming your shoulders, and understand why people in these parts come to cherish winter enough to joke about it. British Airways (0844 4930787, ba.com) flies from London Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth, and connects with onward flights to Jackson Hole with American Airlines (americanairlines.com). Return fares cost from £740.
Hot and cool The whirlpool and heated pool at Amangani, maintained at 27C for year-round use
5 PLACES TO ENJOY THE WONDERS OF WYOMING AMANGANI, Jackson Hole
Summer activities include
available in the form of fishing,
Perched high in the mountain
riding, hiking and chuckwagon
hiking and biking. Evenings
valley of Jackson Hole, this
dinners (wagon rides to picnic
often revolve around gourmet
stylish property (above) offers
spots), while winter presents
feasts in the dining room
trademark Aman cool and
a variety of outdoor action
in the main lodge.
brings a touch of panache to
from sleigh rides and skiing
Doubles from $461 per night
its wild setting. Public areas,
(downhill, cross country, heli)
(based on a four-night stay).
with their floor-to-ceiling
to winter wildlife safaris in
Bookings: 00 1 307 765 2080,
windows and tall walls of
Yellowstone, from this month.
thehideout.com
stone and redwood, exude
Doubles from $195. Bookings:
grandeur while bedrooms are
lobby (above), are quirkily
00 1 307 733 8833,
cosier spaces furnished with
contemporary in their styling.
springcreekranch.com
faux fur and cowhide. This is
Doubles from $573. Bookings:
a place for all seasons, with
00 1 307 732 5000,
THE HIDEOUT LODGE, Shell
lots of snow in winter,
fourseasons.com/jacksonhole
Valley Under the big skies of
a profusion of wildflowers in
north-central Wyoming, this
spring, and, in summer, the
SPRING CREEK RANCH,
113-year-old ranch (below) at
nearby Snake River to explore,
Jackson The views are
the foot of the Big Horn
with fishing rods or kayaks.
spellbinding at this retreat set
Mountains is the real thing –
HOTEL TERRA, Teton
Doubles from $870 (ÂŁ547) per
within a wildlife sanctuary at
with no rough edges. Up to 32
Village Chic, urban and
night (rate includes dinner).
the top of East Gros Ventre
guests can be accommodated
eco-friendly, this modern hotel
Bookings: 00 1 307 734 7333,
Butte. Accommodation in
in comfortable log cabins and
(above) in the heart of Teton
amanresorts.com
rustic wooden buildings
casitas, spending their days
Village is an antidote to alpine
ranges from inn rooms to
on cattle drives or other horse
kitsch. Each of the 132 sleek
private condominiums.
rides. Alternative action is
bedrooms is equipped with
FOUR SEASONS JACKSON HOLE, Teton Village The
state-of-the-art technology,
beauty of the Grand Tetons
while facilities include
can be admired from the
a rooftop hot tub and an
outdoor whirlpools of this
infinity pool overlooking the
THE DETAILS
mountain resort, which offers
mountains. Concierge staff
Yellowstone National Park (nps.gov/yell). America’s first national
ski-in, ski-out access in winter
will arrange outdoor
park, with the world’s largest collection of geysers. Grand Teton
and some of the best snow
adventures, from downhill
National Park (nps.gov/grte). Mountains, hiking, fly-fishing on the
sport in America. Summer
and Nordic skiing to summer
Snake River. Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins (00 1 866 439
provides outdoor options
riding and paragliding.
7375, yellowstonenationalparklodges.com). From $99 (ÂŁ62) per night.
ranging from fly-fishing to
Doubles from $129. Bookings:
ballooning and wolf-watching.
00 1 307 739 4000,
Interiors, including the hotel
hotelterrajacksonhole.com
MORE INFORMATION DiscoverAmerica.com
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