The Wild, Wild West

Pristine landscapes, all-American wildlife and winter sports gold are just some of the things to expect of the snowy mountains of Colorado and Wyoming

- Caroline Lewis

The erupting geysers, bubbling mud pots and boiling pools of Wyoming make for a surreal scene. Indeed, in the days before settlers arrived, when prospectors and explorers would send back reports of these natural wonders, they were seldom believed. It wasn’t until fur trappers and their attendant retinues arrived in 1811 that sceptics began to accept the astonishing strangeness of this new land.

Now known as Yellowstone, this otherworldly landscape remains as full of contrasts as ever. Away from the crowds at Yellowstone National Park queuing to watch the famous geyser Old Faithful shoot skyward, you’ll find the Grand Teton National Park in the south, whose namesake undulating mountains—the youngest of the ranges in the Rocky Mountain chain—make for majestic skiing terrain.

Close by is Jackson Hole, one of America’s premier resorts for winter sports. With challenging runs that put even seasoned skiers through their paces, the slopes are no strangers to celebrities: Kanye West retreats here to work on new music and Harrison Ford has occasionally taken a turn as part of the search-and-rescue team.

While it is primarily popular for its skiing pistes, I find plenty of other activities to keep me busy during my stay, including snowmobiling, snowshoeing and scenic walks searching for moose, coyote and the most patriotic of birds, the bald eagle. Hoping to sight both the grizzlies and the black bears, I set offon a bear safari early one morning, accompanied by an expert guide who teaches me to shout loudly and make myself appear bigger, should I come face to face with a giant, not-so-cuddly teddy.