Elk were all around us -- big bulls with magnificent antlers, calves and babies staying close to their mothers -- at the %J National Elk Refuge just north of Jackson, Wyo.
From October through December, more than 8,000 elk, the nation's largest herd, make their way from the slopes and meadows of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks and national forest lands down to the the refuge. Here they are fed pellets of pressed alfalfa hay, 7 to 8 pounds per animal per day -- 30 tons for the herd -- during the most severe winter months when deep snow makes it difficult for them to find any grass or shrubs to eat.
We went to see the elk at the end of a ski trip to the Tetons. There are three ski areas here -- Jackson Hole Ski Resort, Grand Targhee Resort and Snow King Resort. The skiing is terrific and the areas family-friendly. (Call [800] 443-6931 for a Jackson Hole Winter Vacation Planner.)
Jackson Hole runs for 60 miles -- the "hole" is what the high mountain valley was called in the late 1800s, first by the trappers and then by the ranchers who braved the winter chill to settle here. It was named after a mountain man named Davey Jackson, who came to trap beaver.
Those early settlers, who endured the brutal cold in drafty, isolated cabins and ventured outside only to feed the livestock, never would have believed that families would choose to visit in the winter. But there's plenty to do. Besides skiing, there's snowmobiling, snowshoeing and even dogsledding.
Families head north out of Jackson into Grand Teton National Park -- just 12 miles away -- and Yellowstone National Park -- FTC about 40 miles farther -- to enjoy the winter landscapes and the wildlife from the vantage point of cross-country skis or snowmobiles. Head out on a ranger-led snowshoe hike or go ice fishing in Grand Teton National Park. Take a snow-coach tour in Yellowstone. (Call Grand Teton National Park at [307] 739-3399 and Yellowstone at [307] 344-7901.) Park roads in Yellowstone are closed to cars during the winter but transportation by over-the-snow vehicles is available from mid-December to mid-March.
After getting to know Jackson in the snow, we got a completely different take on the area by visiting last summer. The town is much more crowded with people who use it as a base for their visits to Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks.
But summer also is when the cowboy ambience really comes alive. Stagecoaches roll through town. Families have chuck-wagon suppers under the stars. There's an Old West "shoot-out" in the town square most nights. On Saturday nights, the action is at the Jackson Hole Rodeo.
Eight-year-old Reggie was mesmerized by the cowgirls -- many not much older than herself -- strutting their stuff as they roped calves. There were plenty of wily cowboys trying to tame wild broncos too.
For kids hooked on horses, there are plenty of places to ride -- from the outskirts of town to Grand Teton National Park to some 20 dude ranches in the immediate vicinity.
Besides horses, my kids found plenty of other ways to get their kicks. Reggie raced down Snow King Mountain on the alpine slide and shopped for earrings. Ten-year-old Matt and his dad braved the rapids on the Snake River just north of town. Melanie picked wildflowers. There are mountain biking, swimming, fishing and miles of hiking trails around Jackson and in nearby Grand Teton National Park. (Call the Jackson Hole Visitors Council at [800[ 782-0011 for a listing of the local outfitters. The Jackson Hole Summer Travel Planner also includes all of the valley's dude ranches.)