Sleigh Back in Time

// BY MOLLY ABSOLON

The sun glints on the snow, creating a sparkling field of diamonds. Galloway and Gil—a pair of Belgian draft horses that each stand nearly 19 hands, or more than six feet, at the withers—lumber through the snow, pulling our sleigh along a packed track that meanders around an open meadow with an unobstructed view of Teton Canyon and the Grand. Bells on their harnesses jingle, the horses’ massive hindquarters flex and arch with each step, steam rises off their backs, and the sleigh creaks. Meredith Wilson, the head teamster and owner of the Double Diamond Bar Ranch in Alta, talks to the pair in a gentle voice, telling them to steady or encouraging one or the other to move forward.

Around Jackson Hole, horsedrawn sleighs were an essential piece of farm equipment and the dominant way to travel during the winter for decades. These days, they’re a nostalgic novelty. A fun, nostalgic novelty.

BRADLY J. BONER PRICE CHAMBERS

Through rolling ranch fields near Teton Canyon in Teton Valley on the west side of the Teton Range.

Team driver Meredith Wilson is full of stories about the history of Teton Valley and of his ranch, which has been used to raise livestock and crops since his great grandfather homesteaded the place in 1888.

If you are staying in Jackson, it can be a trek to get over Teton Pass and to Alta. Check in with the Wyoming Department of Transportation for current conditions on Wyoming Highway 22 (dot.state.wy.us).

Plenty of blankets and hot cocoa to keep you warm. If you’re lucky, Wilson will recite cowboy poetry.

Sleigh rides must be scheduled in advance and last about an hour; $250 per sleigh (each sleigh can hold between six and eight people, and there are two sleighs available); 307/353-8428, doublediamondbarranchevents.com

Through dense cottonwoods and along the Snake River levy south of Wilson.

A lot of different sleigh rides are available: a basic one-hour sleigh ride; a hot chocolate tour; or an appetizer, lunch, or dinner tour. Meals are prepared in a cook tent and served in a wood-stovewarmed tipi or wall tent along the ride’s route. Dinner selections include Wagyu beef, bison, or salmon; lunches feature homemade soup, grilled sandwiches, and freshly baked cookies.

The Vintage Tours experience is a luxury one, and its prices reflect that; these are the most expensive sleigh rides in the area.

At the tipi camp where meals are served, wood stoves, blankets, and candles create warm, cozy retreats.

Sleigh rides are offered daily by reservation only; From $1,000 for up to six people; 307/732-2628, woodboattours.com/jackson-hole-sleigh-rides

COURTESY MILL IRON RANCH COURTESY OF SPRING CREEK RANCH BRADLY J. BONER

In the southern part of Jackson Hole near Hoback Junction and adjacent to a state-run elk feeding ground (which guarantees you’ll see plenty of elk).

PRO

Family-run by the Wheeldons since 1921. Mill Iron hires real cowboys (!) as drivers.

You get dinner with this ride whether you want it or not; Mill Iron doesn’t offer a sleigh-ride only.

All rides include dinner—a T-bone steak, fish, chicken, or vegetarian option—served familystyle in the ranch’s cozy Western lodge, which is decorated with an impressive array of taxidermied wildlife mounts.

Rides are available from mid-December until ground snow melts and are about one-hour long, followed by dinner; from $125 per person; 307/733-6390, millironranch.net

Near the top of 7,411-foot-tall East Gros Ventre Butte at the Spring Creek Ranch Resort.

East Gros Ventre Butte might have the valley’s best views—and photo ops—of the Tetons and Sleeping Indian.

Sleigh rides here do not include any food options; if you’re hungry before or after though, you can make a reservation at Spring Creek Ranch’s restaurant, The Granary.

Since these rides are all about the big views from the sleigh, “cozy” isn’t much of a consideration.

Rides are 45 minutes and offered daily at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4 p.m.; from $71 per person, hire a private sleigh for $700; 307/733-8833, springcreekranch.com

On the National Elk Refuge, immediately north of downtown Jackson.

Get close enough to some of the 7,500 elk that winter on the Elk Refuge to hear them snorting; you’ll likely also see bald eagles and coyotes. Tour guides teach about the hundreds of species that call the National Elk Refuge home as well as about Jackson Hole history.

Pre-Covid, hefty wool blankets were provided; now you have to bring your own (and maybe also a hot water bottle for extra comfort).

Being in the middle of a giant herd of elk is much cozier than it sounds.

Conditions permitting, 45-minute rides are available daily between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from December 17 into mid-April; adults are $30, ages 5–12 are $15; 307/733-0277, nersleighrides.com JH