Last year, we hauled four horses from Virginia to Montana and Wyoming—and this year was no different!
This blog is written by Stine Andersen. Check out her Instagram here.
With a new truck and lessons learned from the previous trip, we were better prepared for the journey. We set off on a 3.5-week adventure, with the first leg taking us straight from Southwest Virginia to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We had visited Jackson Hole last year but only stayed for a few nights. This time, we wanted to spend a full week exploring the area. As Pete had worked there guiding rides, we had our own tour guide.
Once again, we brought four horses—two who came with us last year, one mustang with years of trail riding experience, and a mare making her first big trip. Since we were only three people traveling with four horses, I shared our ride plans on Instagram a few months prior and found a girl to join us.
After 30 hours on the road—unloading the horses every 8 hours for rest—we arrived at the Jackson Hole fairgrounds, where we had rented four stalls. Jackson is known for being pricey, so we stayed in our horse trailer right at the fairgrounds, which had everything we needed: toilets, showers, and even a small kitchen where we could do our dishes and we were close to our horses.
The following evening, we picked up our guest, and by the next day, we were ready to start our first ride. Since the horses had just spent 30 hours on the trailer, we eased into it with a shorter ride to let them stretch their legs.
We set off from Cache Creek Drive and followed the Hagen Highway trail until it connected with the Ferrins Trail. Ferrins took us up to the top of the hill, where we rode out along the Wilson Canyon Trail and ended up on Snow King Mountain. From there, we had a breathtaking panoramic view of the Grand Tetons and all of Jackson Hole. To make our way back down, we retraced part of our route and then followed the Sink or Swim Trail the rest of the way.
That evening happened to be a Friday—rodeo night! In the summer months (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day), they have rodeos in Jackson every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. It’s a 2 hour rodeo including bareback riding, bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, saddle bronc riding and mini bull riding. The rodeo varies from night to night, depending on the number of contestants in each event.
Elena and Pete’s neighbours from back home are both bull riders and they were both competing that evening, which made it even more exciting. It was the first American rodeo experience for both me and our guest. After spending seven years living and traveling in South America, I’ve seen my fair share of South American rodeos—but the atmosphere in the U.S. is completely different.
The next morning—after a few complications with the truck—we headed to Wilson to ride the Phillips Bench Trail, which leads up to Phillips Pass. There’s a parking lot right next to the trailhead, and the route begins by following the Ski Lake Trail. It’s an out-and-back trail, and since we rode in the afternoon, we didn’t encounter many hikers, which made for a peaceful ride.
This was Elena’s young mare's first ride out West, so after almost jumping off a mountainside, the mare gave in and let Elena decide where they were going.
After the ride, we returned to the truck and trailer and began our search for a campsite for the night. We used The Dyrt app to guide us, which was a lifesaver. Many hosted campgrounds don’t allow horses, but one kind host pointed us toward a road just beside their site and assured us we’d be fine to stay there. Not only did it work out perfectly—it also saved us from paying camping fees.
We ended up camping just outside of Victor, by Mike Harris Creek. We set up the high line and let the horses graze and relax for the night.
We had brought feed and water for the horses, but a small creek ran nearby, which made things even easier. Quite a few campers were set up along the road, and as the evening went on, more vehicles rolled in, all looking for a spot to settle for the night. We ended up sharing our camp with a friendly family who was biking around the area. We cooked dinner on our griddle, enjoyed a glass of wine and called it a night.
The next day, we headed into Grand Teton National Park. We parked on Moose Wilson Road, where there’s a designated parking area just for horse trailers, which made it easy to unload and tack up the horses. That day, we rode the Phelps Lake Trail. After three days of elevation-heavy rides, we were ready for something with a gentler incline.
The trail was peaceful for the most part, though it got busier once we reached the lake. There, we passed lots of hikers relaxing and swimming. They were nice to stand off the trail when we rode past and even when we rode past people jumping in the water from a rock, they stopped until we had safely passed. Only the last mile or two you have to cross one of the paved roads. We didn’t see any wild animals when we were there. The wildlife is mostly active in the early morning and by sunset, so make sure to head out early if that's what you are interested in.
After a full day in the saddle, we returned to the fairgrounds, took showers, and got ready for another rodeo night. The evening ended with a visit to the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, where we danced, laughed, and soaked in the lively Jackson nightlife.
The following day, we gave the horses a well-deserved rest and spent some time shopping and exploring town.
The next trail we did, we rode from the fairgrounds and up to the start of the Woods Canyon Trail and then headed up the Crystal Butte Trail. At the top we had a full view over Jackson and the surrounding backcountry. Since we weren’t sure if the full loop would be suitable for horseback riding, we decided to play it safe and retrace our steps back down the same way we came up.
Last year we didn't have time to visit Elena’s favorite restaurant, The Bird, so this year it was a must-do! We went for sunset and it was very busy! It is definitely the recommended time to go, as they have an incredible spot where you can enjoy the sunset while having a drink. As soon as the sun had set, most people took off and we had most of the restaurant to ourselves.
For our final trail ride, we returned to Grand Teton National Park. We parked at the Cathedral Group Turnout and rode to Jenny Lake, following an out-and-back route. The ride started along the String Lake Loop Trail, which connected with the Leigh Lake Trail. When we reached Leigh Lake, we continued onto the Trapper Lake Trail, riding past Bearpaw Lake and stopping for a break by the secluded and serene Trapper Lake. The area was filled with birdlife, and completely peaceful.
The trail only got busy around Jenny Lake, which was bustling with swimmers and paddleboarders. Luckily, most of the route was quiet and flat, making for an easy ride. We passed open meadows—perfect for a few canters—and took in the stunning views and crystal-clear water along the way. We took a quick swim break by Jenny lake before heading back to Jackson for our last night out all together. It was another rodeo night and after the rodeo we went back into town for drinks.
After a week in Jackson we dropped off our guest at the airport and started driving to Fairfield, Montana where we spent the next 1,5 weeks going into the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
%20(1).jpg)
