 TRIP
IS NOW FULL - CONTACT TRIP LEADER
FOR WAITING LIST
Grand Teton
National Park lies just south of, and is contiguous with, its older,
bigger and more famous brother, Yellowstone National Park. At 484
square miles, it is much smaller than Yellowstone’s 3,468. But, unlike
Yellowstone, Grand Teton provides more opportunities to day hike into
high-elevation backcountry and experience spectacular mountain vistas.
Late September is the very end of Grand Teton’s hiking and tourist
season, most of the crowds will be gone and we should have the trails
pretty much to ourselves. The aspens will have turned to gold and the
bull elk and moose will be looking for mates, so the opportunity for
wildlife (also bears – black and grizzly, pronghorn, bison, wolves,
coyotes, pikas, marmots, etc.) viewing will be at a peak.
The awesome, bare-granite peaks and spires of the Teton Range rise
abruptly and starkly to over 13,000 feet from the west side of the
broad, flat Snake River Valley. The park is bounded on the east by the
Bridger-Teton National Forest and Teton Wilderness, with their own high
peaks. To the west of GTNP lies the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and
the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. To the north is Yellowstone. The Snake
River Valley in this area is referred to as “Jackson Hole.” At the
south end of the valley is the town of Jackson, a bustling tourist and
ski center filled with shops, galleries, motels and restaurants that
will be our base for this adventure.
Our hikes will be moderate to quite strenuous. Distances will be up to
10 miles, with cumulative elevation gains up to 2700 feet. But the real
challenge will be the altitude above sea level for us low-country
hikers. The lowest hike starts at 6,400 feet, with the highest going to
10,700 feet. Needless to say, participants on this trip must be in
excellent physical condition. Think of doing Algonquin for seven days
in a row while breathing through a surgical mask. The itinerary is set
up to provide an opportunity to acclimate, with the relatively easier
hikes at the beginning and the most strenuous at the end. Four hikes
will be in the park on established trails and led by the Trip Leader.
Two hikes will be in the adjacent National Forests and will be led by
naturalist guides (two) from The Hole Hiking Experience
(www.holehike.com), a Jackson guide service specializing in challenging
trips to unique venues outside the park, with an
educational/interpretive component. Since we can’t be so close to
Yellowstone without also visiting this iconic park, one day will be a
relaxed excursion by charter bus to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser
Basin, with other stops as time and interest permit. The most strenuous
hikes will be up and back on the same trail, so if we poop out before
reaching the intended objective, we can turn back. Also, since we are
staying in the same motel throughout the trip, you may opt out of any
particular day’s hike and just hang out or explore the town.
Daily Itinerary
Cost :
$1,130.00 double room occupancy.
(Single supplement available. Contact leader for details.)
Payment schedule: $230.00 to register, due by May 15, 2010
Balance of $900.00 is due July 1, 2010
Cancellation Policy:
- If
registrant cancels prior to July 1, 2010, all payments received by ADK
minus $85 will be refunded.
- After
July 1, 2010, refund will only be made if the vacancy can be filled
from a waiting list maintained by the leader, if any, and then all but
$85.00 will be refunded.
- If
the leader decides that this trip is not for you, or the trip is
canceled by ADK, all payments received by ADK will be refunded.
- Trip
insurance is highly recommended!
Price includes:
8 nights
lodging in a moderately priced motel in Jackson,
All
ground transportation on the 7 hiking days,
Park
entrance fees,
One
picnic lunch,
Guide
service and
Gratuities
for van drivers and guides
Not included:
Airfare,
Transfers
to and from the airport to the motel,
The
Jenny Lake Shuttle Boat and
All
meals (except the picnic lunch)
Accommodations and Meals:
The challenge in planning and pricing these trips is to balance the
ambiance and amenities of lodging with the cost. Our experience is that
ADKers don’t need or expect fancy or elegant. They just want a clean
place to take a shower and get a good night’s sleep after a hard day of
hiking. It’s also important that the accommodations be within walking
distance of local shops and restaurants. The Antler
Inn meets these requirements. Each room has two queen beds, a
coffee maker and a small refrigerator. All are non-smoking. The motel
also has a large, indoor hot tub, saunas, a fitness center, and a guest
laundry and wifi internet access. But most importantly, the Antler Inn
is in the center of town, only a block from the many restaurants, shops
and galleries around the Jackson Town Square. The motel does not offer
breakfast, but there are many choices nearby. (The rates for motels
that included breakfast were much more than the breakfasts were worth.)
And speaking of meals, where restaurants are readily available it makes
no sense to include the cost of meals in the trip cost. We will buy
food locally for breakfasts and/or trail lunches. Dinners will be in
local restaurants with participants making their selections off the
menu. That way you only pay for what you choose to eat.
Please note that we have
to have our minimum by May 15,
2010 for this trip to be able to go.
For more information and to register contact Ken Kaufman, 123 Jordan
Street, Skaneateles, NY 13152; Phone/Fax: 315-685-7456; KaufmanPE@verizon.net
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