Teton Mountain Bike Tours

So what exactly is the difference between a bison and a buffalo?
The answer . . .
Historians speculate that early European explorers used the term ‘buffalo’ as the name for the North American bison, as they were familiar with the species that existed in Africa (Cape Buffalo) and Asia (Water Buffalo). The terms buffalo and bison have been used interchangeably ever since that time.

Late summer is an important time for bison. It’s the season of rut, when the dominant bison bulls must re-establish their right to sire next year’s calves. There is much jousting between the bulls – and people going out on bikes with Teton Mountain Bike Tours are certainly getting an eye-ful!

Our Antelope Flats ride during this part of the year almost guarantees a buffalo sighting. The massive animal can be found in herds all over the area of Mormon Row where we bike, so guides and visitors need to be extra careful of their distance. In fact, we’ve had several occasions where the guide had to hitch a ride back to the van near trip-end so they could pick up TMBT guests and their bicycles. Only then could they safely drive through the bison lining the sides of the road!

Fighting among bulls during the rut can be fierce and their challenging roars echo across the grasslands. Buffalo are more aggressive and can be more dangerous during this time – and unfortunately, people are sometimes more concerned about getting the perfect picture! Just imagine how you would feel if someone in a compact car going about 30 miles an hour hit you. It is somewhat equivalent, however bison have horns!

In the late 1800s, buffalo were nearly exterminated by men. Today, they are no longer endangered and combined herds in the United States are estimated at approximately 80,000 animals.

Check out the “bashing bison” video put out by Animal Planet on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPuo_–B3TI&feature=fvw

Teton Mountain Bike Tours had a rather large group come bike with us recently! The Destiny Foundation, which was created by Rabbi Berel in 1996, is an organization that translates riveting accounts of Jewish history into audiotapes, books and a series of drama and documentary film projects.

The group had a large amount of people, all wearing traditional Hasidic dress. The men were wearing dark trousers, white shirts and black shoes. The women were wearing long, dark skirts and sleeves past the elbow. Since the group was so big, we split them into two separate tours. One went biking up historical Mormon Row for an hour, while the other group enjoyed 2 hours of riding our most popular tour: Antelope Flats.

After making sure everything was properly tucked in to avoid bike chain rings eating their clothing (!!), we set off into the sunshine. The longer bike ride had a Rabbi, several children and an 83 year old grandfather. The grandfather was used to biking all of his life and never tired out! The kids had lots of fun pointing out the plentiful wildlife – hawks, pronghorn and bison.

Everyone was in awe of the beauty of the Tetons surrounding them. We shared the history of the Hole and our knowledge of the animals we saw on Antelope Flats. Almost everyone had a camera, and we happily snapped picture after picture for them.

By the end of the ride, the people of the Destiny Foundation were raving about Teton Mountain Bike Tours. A tour guide for women’s specialty journeys pulled us aside to tell us she would highly recommend our trip for her future tours to Jackson. Everyone smiled and waved their goodbyes, as they loaded onto their bus to town.

It was certainly another grand day in the land of the Tetons!

Here are some pictures from the tour:

http://picasaweb.google.com/TMBT2008/TheDestinyFoundation#

Our adventure started out on Lost Creek Ranch Road. The bouncy van ride was quite charming with lots of sagebrush on either side and the foothills of the Gros Ventre Mountains in the distance. In addition to other geological features of the area, our guide informed us that the Gros Ventures are actually older than the Teton mountain range!

First things first! Our Teton Mountain Bike Guide, Dan, advised us about the importance of staying out of mud puddles, otherwise your brakes and gears will stop functioning due to the bentonite clay mixed in with the dirt here. Dan also spoke on the importance of yielding to horses, the wildlife in the vicinity and how to stay safe – especially from bears!

Then it was go time! We set off down Cobblestone Hill – a really nice downhill filled with glacial cobble (a more scientific name for this type of “rocky terrain”). After that, we had some uphill to do. The climb took place on a dirt road; however, most of it was shaded by the thick pine forest. At times there was no way to avoid hitting puddles though. When a tire became caked in mud and spun around . . . the dirt flew everywhere, including at you!

The bugs were out in full force – landing wherever they could on our bodies, even though we thoroughly sprayed ourselves with insect spray. This was actually a good thing though, because it forced everyone to keep moving! Not a cloud in the sky was to be seen, and all you could hear were the mosquitoes buzzing and the gears on the bike systematically changing as the ride continued.

Finally it was time to hit some sweet single track! The group weaved through the dense woodland brush and mountain biked into beautiful wildflower meadows. Up and down we went – stopping here and there to take pictures, maybe avoid a few logs on the trail and listen to Dan share a tidbit of knowledge about the terrain ahead of us.

It was quite a time, mountain biking around single track trails and enjoying plenty of downhill paths, bringing us closer to our original starting place. However, before we realized, the splendid July weather had taken a turn. The sky overhead turned dark and we were suddenly caught in a storm! First the freezing rain started, and then it changed to small hail – but it ended as quickly as it appeared (thankfully!). We raced back to our van, treasuring the majestic view of the Tetons in front of us and ended the tour by toasting a job well done with some ice-cold lemonade!

To check out pictures from this trip, see our photos on the web!
http://picasaweb.google.com/TMBT2008/SpreadCreekBlogEntry#

Wake up. Be glad for another day of playing in the Tetons!
Eat a hearty breakfast (because you need a ton of energy to do a mountain bike ride)!
Put on plenty of sunscreen, to keep out the sun’s harmful rays.
Get dressed and grab your gear!

Head out to the office and load up the right size bikes to bring for clients.
Meet up with guests and chat about the Jackson area on the way to the trail.
Ready everyone with helmets, sunscreen and bug spray!
Chat about personal safety with regard to the roads and wildlife in the area.
Get riding!

Point out all the amazing features of the landscape.
Marvel about the blue sky day, while watching a hawk soar in circles for its lunch.
Stop a few moments to watch the enormous bison make their way across the road.
Check out the baby buffalo calves that were born this past spring!
Spy a pronghorn in the sagebrush, making his way across the flatlands.
Remind everyone to take a slug of water!

See that everyone carefully takes note of the terrain change.
Pass by beautiful streams, enjoying the calm sound of rushing water.
Watch as a coyote appears for a brief second and then disappears into the landscape.
Stop and take pictures of guests with the Tetons as the perfect backdrop!
Listen to the calls of the curlew bird.

Discuss reaching the finish of our ride, reminding clients the best bike gears to use.
Have everyone ride until the end, anxiously awaiting the “surprise” we have for them.
Serve up lemonade and cookies!

Take a few more photos and say goodbye, watching guests leave with a great big smile on their faces!
Load up the bikes and gear (taking some time to take in the mountains) and head back to the office.
Chat with other guides about their adventurous day, while returning everything to its rightful place.

Sign out for the day and go play for the rest of the afternoon in the magnificent Tetons!!

Summer in Jackson Hole is now in full swing and our core guide team is working hard to make every trip the ultimate experience for guests! Although the beauty of our National Parks speak for themselves, we know our guides are the most successful part of our business. They have a passion for guiding and love biking with people of all ages. In fact, our leaders are always sharing their incredible experiences with the entire TMBT team!

Take a look at their individual stories and see first-hand why their commitment to TMBT, knowledge of the area and exciting personalities are the reason why guests always have the ultimate biking experience with Teton Mountain Bike Tours!

Bill Fogarty
I’ve continued to guide for TMBT for 6 years because I have a fun time doing it! In the winter months I work ski patrol, but also like to take trips to Switzerland. My favorite food is beer (!!) and I have a few favorite trails here in the Tetons region, but if I told you where they were . . . I’d have to kill you.

Brian Hackman
Sharing my passion for mountain biking and the region is why I’ve guided for TMBT for 8 years. In my spare time I enjoy biking, hiking, fishing, and traveling the world. My favorite place is Holland and I love eating pizza! In the winter, I’m a snowboard instructor at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – but in the summer months, I dig biking the North Fork of Game Creek.

Dan Bennett
This is my second year guiding with TMBT and I love being active everyday. Biking is one of my favorite things to do, so I make sure I get out and do “Henry’s Road” a lot! My southern roots stick with me in Jackson, as my favorite food continues to be crawfish etoufee. In the winter months, I enjoy sitting by the fire and listening to Zydeco.

Dan Durkin
Getting paid to ride my bike was only a dream when I lived in New York City for ten years! I really do enjoy turning people on to the beauty of Jackson Hole while riding a bike. I’ve been guiding with TMBT for 3 years, and love riding the singletrack at Snow King – it’s world class! In the winter I work at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and make sure I ski everyday, loading up on my favorite foods — steak and french fries. I travel in the off-season too, but the best place I’ve seen was Italy . . . what great cycling!

Jake Urban
I been guiding for Teton Mountain Bike Tours for three seasons. I have been climbing, biking and skiing in the Tetons for the past 12 years. Since moving to the valley, I teach outdoor education at Central Wyoming College and continue teaching at Lyndon State College facilitating expeditionary studies. Additionally, I am an avalanche instructor, which gives me a good excuse to ski 100 days a year in the backcountry. Hope to see you out on the trail!

Last week, one of our female guides (Rose Caiazzo - far left at bottom of photo) did a four-day road bike tour with a company called “Woman Tours” - the only all women’s bike tour company in America! There was much to see and do on this ride, which took place in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks . . .

Day one, we escorted the ladies through the West Yellowstone entrance - riding past baby eagles in their nest and massive buffalo lying on the sides of the road. The group then headed south, stopping leisurely to investigate the many geysers, bubbling pots and fumaroles within the park. Ending the day at Old Faithful Inn, the ladies marveled that no two eruptions from the famous Old Faithful geyser were alike! It was good to rest after riding 34 miles.

Day two started with an intense climb up Craig Pass and the Continental Divide. After a stop to refuel with a Cliff Bar and take a few photos at the top, the ladies headed down (some going 42 miles per hour!) and over to West Thumb geyser basin. It was amazing to see elk feeding in the hot spring area – as everyone carefully gave them plenty room so they could make their way back into the forest. Then, it was a fabulous picnic lunch put together by Woman Tours and a ride of rolling hills over to Lake Yellowstone Hotel. The view of the lake from a bicycle was absolutely beautiful! 39 miles made for a long day.

Day three was a shorter day of biking, as we began by hiking with the ladies in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. A group picture was taken there and only a 19 mile ride from the hotel back to West Thumb gave everyone plenty of time to shuttle by van into Grand Teton National Park. One of the highlights of the day was witnessing a grizzly bear and her cub, sauntering across one of the buttes in Yellowstone!

Meeting the women bright and early for day four, it was a slow start due to the pouring rain - but most braved the weather and took the option to pedal from Jackson Lake Lodge into Moose. One of the nicest parts of the ride was the new bike path constructed from Jenny Lake to Moose. It was smooth riding! Then it was time for a relaxing lunch at Dornan’s, where there was some time to dry out before pressing on into Jackson to complete our 47 mile ride for the day. Breezing through Antelope Flats, the group was finally able to shed some clothing because the sun came out and it was blue sky all around!

After reaching their hotel in Jackson, everyone said their goodbyes to Teton Mountain Bike Tours. It was a fantastic trip, and the ladies were all smiles as they headed up to their rooms. Thanks Woman Tours, for visiting these National Parks with us and sharing some wonderful memories!

Teton Mountain Bike Tours is proud to announce the start of our very own blog!  It will be a place for information on bike trips, the guides we employ and some photography of the amazing terrain we encounter.  For a more in-depth look at Teton Mountain Bike Tours, you can check us out on our website at http://www.tetonmtbike.com

Teton Mountain Bike Tours was established in 1991 by David and Teresa Hunger, who had a passion for the outdoors and loved sharing it with others.  Before arriving in Jackson Hole, David worked in several retail stores while guiding outdoor programs for NOLS and Outward Bound.  David had earned a degree in Biology from the University of Oregon and was experienced in backpacking and climbing, but he was not fond of being away from home all the time.  He wanted to stay and enjoy the area in which he lived – the land of the Tetons!

David and Teresa thought more seriously about starting their own company when realizing a niche in the mountain biking world was not being filled.  They took a year to figure out the permits needed with the tours they would offer, and with about 10 RD Coyote Mountain Bikes (which had rigid forks, ie: no shocks!), they started their business from the ground up.  This husband and wife team did it all until 1995, when their continued success made it necessary to begin hiring professional outdoor guides to help with daily trips.

Since then, TMBT has been established as the valley’s premier mountain bike adventure company.  David and Teresa also have a son, Caleb (age 13), and a daughter, Amber (age 10).  Both enjoy biking and helping out dad when the season gets super busy (their son has been riding single-track since the age of 5!).  Teton Mountain Bike Tours also guides with other established groups as well, such as Backroads, Escape Adventure, Trek Travel, Western Spirits, Woman Tours and World Outdoors.

Years of remembering mountain biking trips instantly bring a smile to David’s face.  “My friends say I should write a book of the many memorable excursions I’ve taken people on.  It would be my take on the world of guiding families, executives, famous folk, and the like.  If I do write a book, it would be called, ‘Cogs, Whistles and Bells,” and it would be a hoot!”

Thanks David and Teresa, for 18 years of offering an excellent way to be active – while seeing and learning more about the unique characteristics of the Greater Teton and Yellowstone areas!

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