We still had most of the day to enjoy though before heading off to the ranch, so after another wonderful breakfast, this one consisting of raspberry waffles, we decided to explore the town of Jackson. We had heard about the awesome arches made of elk antlers, and simply had to see them.
Jackson
Jackson was only a short drive from the Wildflower Inn, and
it was easy to find a place to park. We didn’t even have to pay! You have no
idea how refreshing that was. We spotted the antler arches even before we got
out of the car, and they were indeed awesome. There were four of them, one for
each entryway into a pretty, small town park or square, and we went for a closer
look. Each arch had an internal steel framework and the hundreds – or maybe
thousands – of antlers that made up each one were skilfully woven together to
make a stunning spectacle. It was also nice to know that these antlers had been
naturally shed – no elk had died to make them. We both loved them, and took
plenty of pictures.
Elk Antler Arches
The town of Jackson was friendly, and clearly prosperous,
with a vast variety of galleries selling all types of artwork. There were huge
bronze figures, both animal and human; pottery sculptures, ceramics, paintings,
and more antler artefacts than you could shake a stick at! I particularly loved
the antler chandeliers. All of these things, though, were so far out of our
price range that all we could afford was a delicious hot chocolate and a cake!
Well, that’s not quite true. Dave bought me a beautiful opal heart pendant and a
shimmering blue opal and silver bangle. Anyone who has read King’s Envoy and
King’s Champion will know that I have a ‘thing’ for opals – Sullyan herself
wears fire opals!
After our visit to Jackson we drove to Teton Village, because
we both fancied a trip in the cable car up to the top of the mountain. It was a
great ride up, the sun was still out, but boy – was it cold at the top! Now I
know we should have expected this, there was still snow underfoot after all,
but we had forgotten how quickly altitude affects warm air. Neither of us had
warm clothing with us, so after a brief time spent staring at the stunning
panorama of the mountains and the valley laid out below us, we hastened into
the café for a hot chocolate and a cookie. Then we rode the car back down and
made our way to the Wildflower Inn to change for our ride.
Cable car view
The ranch had sent us directions and Sherrie at the Inn told
us that it was easy to find. She was right, and we pitched up at the ranch
right on time. We could see all the horses in a corral, some saddled, some not,
and spent a few minutes trying to guess which horse we would be allocated. Then
we went into the ranch office to let them know we had arrived.
Arriving at the
ranch.
Soon, more guests arrived and then the ranch hands began
bringing horses forward. Being somewhat stiff these days (oh – the pleasures of
aging!) I was pleased to see that we didn’t have to climb into the saddle from
the ground. Instead, each horse was led between two mounds of earth, making it
easy for us to mount. I suspect the idea was to protect the horses, more than
to help the riders, but it was nice anyway! My horse turned out to be a pinto
(in the UK we’d call this piebald) named Cisco, and he was very comfortable.
Dave was allocated a kind-eyed bay named Roy, and he seemed quite happy with
his mount. In the past I have given Dave riding lessons, and he has good
balance, but he wouldn’t call himself a rider. He also sometimes suffers a
stuffy nose around horses, and I really hoped this wouldn’t spoil the ride for
him.
Me and Cisco
Our guide then mounted his own horse and led us up into the
hills. We climbed pretty steeply up through wooded tracks, keeping our eyes
open for wildlife. Dave had managed to secure himself a place near the front of
the line – there were about eight or nine of us – and so he could hear our
guide’s commentary. But I was second from last, and couldn’t really hear him.
So I just enjoyed the ride.
Eventually, we climbed high enough to leave the trees
behind. We had a glorious view of the surrounding hills, and stopped right on
the crest of the highest one to take in the panorama. Two large birds were circling
overhead and one suddenly folded its wings and dived, showing its beautiful
bronzed feathers. It was a Golden Eagle! After that, our guide dismounted and
took photos of all the riders with their own cameras, just to prove we’d been
there.
Dave and me on Cisco
and Roy
Then we began the descent, and this time both Dave and I
were right at the back. This wouldn’t have been a problem had it not
been so dry and dusty, but the trail was bone dry and the horses in front were
kicking up vast clouds of brown dust. Dave and I had to breathe this in all the
way back down to the ranch, which took about an hour. We were both sneezing fit
to bust by the time we got back! I was also beginning to feel the effects of
riding for two and a half hours and was quite glad to slide off Cisco’s back.
My legs were pretty wobbly for a few minutes, but the feeling soon wore off.
Our final treat that day was a steak supper at the ranch
house. I have never seen steaks so huge! They were delicious, but far too big
for me to finish. Baked potatoes, salad, chips and beer completed the meal, and
another thoroughly fantastic day. My only worry was that I would ache so much after
all that riding, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed the next morning! 
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