Ranch in front of Grand Teton peak (center-left)

In August I had the thrill of landing at the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Though I’ve seen the Tetons before, there is still no way to describe the first glimpse – or any glimpse – of that unmistakable range as you approach the valley. The airplane dips quickly and all of a sudden you’re on the ground looking up at those magnificent peaks,  thinking wow, even Ansel Adams could not capture this.

There are no jet ways in Jackson, so you deplane down the steps directly on to the tarmac. As before, I smiled at the sight of airport personnel in their orange vests, unsmiling, vigorously waving passengers on from the bottom of the steps to the terminal. It’s a daily occurrence for them, I bet – rounding up passengers who are so dumbstruck by the scene before their eyes that they stop dead, fumble for cameras, and immediately begin to take pictures, sometimes wandering toward the Tetons as if those mountains will disappear at any second. The peaks can become shrouded by clouds pretty quickly, I know, but I don’t think that the photographers really have that thought. They just could not imagine missing the opportunity to record the gift in front of them and taking it home. I want to tell them, don’t worry….even if you don’t get the picture, you will take the image home.

We loaded luggage into our rental car and headed up he road to nearby Moose, for a couple of night stay at a historic ranch. We drove up and down that road during the three days we were there, so fortunate that clear weather allowed us to see the Tetons every single day. It may be a cliché to say that the mountain faces change constantly – but, I’m convinced that a time release camera would prove that they changed not by the hour, but by the minute, perhaps by the second.

Our minds cleared as we allowed the landscape to soak in, feeling like the crystal clear air and brilliant sky were doing their work on our cluttered brains. No emails, little phone contact, instead fragrant sage flats, the winding Snake River, and those towering peaks, more powerful than all the emails in the world.

People ask me fairly often – what is your favorite place? The world is full of marvels, and I have been so very lucky to see amazing places in my travels. But that question is an easy one for me. I grew up in the Midwest, but, when I’m in the Tetons, I am home.

Janet Varn

Program Manager
Academic Travel Abroad