Ride Preview: Jackson to Moose

When you start up your mountain biking hobby/addiction in the early spring, you end up hearing a lot more buzz than you can ever make sense of until much later. At least, that's the case in Jackson Hole, where an early thaw leaves outdoor enthusiasts in a lather of anticipation for the late spring opening days of the national forests and parks.

This year, the big news of the winter was the completion of a brand spanking-new bike path allowing those so inclined to bike from the center of town out to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. A lot of the buzz I heard made me feel slightly dizzy trying to follow it, especially since Jackson locals seem to utterly lose sight of what is and isn't comprehensible to outsiders after a year or so in town. However, that tidbit stuck and stuck hard. Before I was entirely sure what kind of bike I had, I knew I wanted to take it on the new path.

A view of the path, courtesy of Dornan's at Moose. Visit www.dornans.com to see the image in its original habitat and to read about other fun things to do in the park. 

When a dear college friend - Tori Freak, we'll call her - paid me a visit, I thought it sounded like the perfect opportunity to get out and check out the park on bikeback. Since I enticed Tori to town by sending her pictures of the Tetons, she was definitely up for a prolonged journey in their full view.

So I borrowed Bike Pimp's spare mountain bike and ramped up the excitement levels. Biking on my own is a totally different animal from biking with a friend. Since most of my biking friends are several skill levels above me, I tend to be a solitary creature on the trails and paths of Jackson Hole. Not only seeing Tori again, but sharing my new home and new hobby with her was definitely going to be an unexpected treat.

My route: Cache St. to Jackson-Moose bike path to Moose Visitor Center

Surface - Pavement the whole way

Incline - There is one extended uphill stretch from the National Elk Refuge to the national park entrance, and then a series of smaller ones between the park entrance and Gros Ventre Junction. Past Gros Ventre, the path and the terrain are almost totally flat.

Distance: 14 miles one way

What you'll see: So much of the Tetons! That stretch of path runs parallel to the Tetons the whole way to Moose Junction, and the sagebrush doesn't do much to block your view. Probably the least obstructed views of the whole range you can get. You also cross the Gros Ventre and Snake Rivers on your way there and back. If you're lucky, you might run into bison, elk or other members of the park's Wildlife Brigade.