This afternoon, Sarah and I completed a 10-day DIY Backroads trip. Fifteen hundred miles on the car and 200 on the e-bikes. Do It Yourself? Yep. For those who’ve done guided trips, you know to plan for $1,000 per day, per person. At least. We just visited three states for one-tenth of that. Take that, Backroads!
Our trip had three distinct phases: Salt Lake City, Ketchum/Sun Valley, and Victor/Jackson.
Utah, Idaho, Wyoming.
Salt Lake City: Go Utes!
As followers of this blog know, I’m a proud graduate of the University of Utah (BS Journalism, 1973). I hadn’t been back to the campus in 50+ years. The bike ride was more than a little disorienting. Not sure if I’ve changed, but the U sure has.
The famed Big Red U on campus, near the University Bookstore. The structure didn’t exist during my time at Utah.
We rode three canyons in the Salt Lake City area. Our first ride was City Creek Canyon, a casual journey to get the trip started.
The next day, I put on my big boy underwear and rode up Little Cottonwood Canyon, the road to Alta, where I taught skiing in the early 1970s. The road climbed more than 3,000 vertical feet in 7 miles. Kicked my ass.
But I made it to Alta in 58 minutes! That’s the Collins lift behind me. This was my first visit to Alta in more than 50 years. Great memories.
Our final Utah canyon ride was Emigration Canyon. It was about 20 miles round trip from our hotel on the U of U campus. Here’s Sarah arriving at the summit, known as Little Mountain.
No visit to the canyon is complete without the sign’s slice of history.
And no journey up Emigration Canyon is fully complete without breakfast at Ruth’s Diner, a tradition even when I lived in Salt Lake.
Sun Valley, Where Sarah Learned to Ski
From Salt Lake, we drove to Sun Valley, where Sarah learned to ski. Above, we’re at the base of the Warm Springs area.
In Ketchum, we visited the Elephant’s Perch, an outdoor store highly recommended by some Carbondale friends. We rode all over Ketchum, and to nearby Hailey. The accommodations at the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum were fabulous; thank you SkiCo!
What’s Your Vector, Victor?
From Sun Valley, we made the short drive to the Tetons, where we got a full dose of Grand Teton National Park. This was my view of the Snake River as I rode up the east side of Teton Pass. We stayed in Victor, Idaho, about 20 miles west of Jackson.
The ride up Teton Pass was the most challenging of the trip, about 12 miles from Jackson to the Teton Pass Summit. The last five miles was a consistent 10 percent grade. Here I am, reaching the summit. Yay, me.
At the summit, you’ll find the “Howdy Stranger. Yonder is Jackson Hole” sign.
Our last day of riding — yesterday — we rode 49 miles from the Grand Teton National park visitor center to the Jackson Lake Lodge. Despite the length, it was a somewhat leisurely ride, fairly flat.
The Tetons are otherworldly. Along with Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Glacier, it may be the most visually stunning of all the parks I’ve visited.
It’s hard to find a bad photo in the Tetons.
And it’s really hard to get a bad photo of Sarah.
The farthest north we got was at Jackson Lake Lodge, which offers spectacular views of the Tetons. Even saying that seems a bit redundant. Spectacular. Tetons? Of course.
I repeated a long-held tradition from my previous visits to Jackson Lake Lodge: refreshments overlooking the Tetons. This one’s for you, Dave and Scott.
Riding With Gary 
What a great trip…to so many of our favorite places.
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Thought of you and Jane many times while in SLC and Sun Valley. You’re so fortunate to have family in both places!
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wow…even with e-bikes that’s impressive!
hi to you and Sara!!
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To me, one of your most impressive trips. A truly applaud the energy that yunz( Pittsburgeze) two have . PeteSent from my iPadOn Jul 20, 2026,
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Looks like a great trip Gary! The view of the Tetons from Jackson Lake Lodge…priceless, just like the memories. Be safe out there you two!
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