Despite the astonishing rise of the Teton Range, which practically jumps 7,000 feet straight up from the floor of Jackson Hole, cycling about the valley is not entirely built around hill climbs. True, the valley’s 6,200-foot elevation can initially test you if you’re coming from sea level. But as the pavement rolls behind your bike it’s the ruggedly beautiful panorama that’s breathtaking, not the pedaling.
Framing the western horizon are the Tetons themselves that have ratcheted up to an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet, while the less imposing Gros Ventre Range, which tops out just below 12,000 feet, marks the eastern edge of the valley. Between these rugged bulwarks sprawl sagebrush-covered flats, aspen glades with their fluttering leaves, and fingers of conifer forest that make forays into the flats near river and creek bottoms.