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Andy Williams sings a song of praise for Targhee's potential as a summer destination
Photos by Lauren M. Whaley
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The Summertime Blues
(and Greens and Blacks)
Of his many duties, building trails seems to excite Williams the most. Last summer, he and his crew—some of them recruits from the winter ski patrol and others seasonal workers—began work on the three downhill mountain bike trails and one hiking trail approved by the Forest Service in 2007.
“The hiking trail along the ridge gives you a different perspective of the Grand Teton from this side of the mountains,” Williams says. “With the cliffs framing part of your view, it’s a really neat trail.”
Those who prefer pedaling over walking can rent downhill or cross-country mountain bikes and either hit the trails in Ricks Basin or take their bikes to the mountaintop on the Dreamcatcher chairlift (all-day lift tickets cost $22). After savoring one of most spectacular views of the Grand Teton and Teton Valley found anywhere, riders can choose to take the cat-track road or the green-rated trail back to the base area. Soon, they’ll also have blue and black trails to choose from. The colors are used to interpret relative difficulty, similar to the colors used to rate ski runs.
“The green trail isn’t necessarily easy,” Williams says. “But it’s the easiest of the downhill trails. There are still rocks and obstacles.”
Riders can practice their bike handling skills on this tacky trail that winds over rock outcrops and through sagebrush, timber stands, and bursts of wildflowers. Set against a surreal backdrop of steep cliffs and blue sky, a second run is practically mandatory.
“I live in Victor and I’m psyched this is here,” says Emma Adkisson, an architect and self-described intermediate mountain biker, who took her first downhill ride in August 2008. “This place is going to take off.”
The blue and black trails will have more obstacles than the green trail. For example, the black trail will follow a water drainage and feature some four- to five-foot drops. Williams says he won’t be riding that one, but there are several local hard men and women who will.
“They put brakes on your bike for a reason,” he says. “Slow down if you think you’re going too fast. If you don’t want to ride a section, you can get off your bike and walk it. Lots of people do. I do it, too. I’m not the extreme downhill rider myself.”
Williams says he hopes the new trails will put Grand Targhee on the mountain biking map. He also has plans to add a small trials park at the base of the mountain, where riders can practice their technical skills....(continued)
