Today, Sunday, October 25, is the last day of our summer season here at Teton Backcountry Rentals. After today we’ll close up for the shoulder season and open back up for winter on Friday, December 18. Before we lock the door, we want to say thanks.
To everyone who came through the shop this summer for a tent, a packraft, a truck camper, a pair of binoculars or just a can of bear spray on the way into the park, thank you. A lot of you came back with sunburns and good stories, and we loved hearing them. We’re a small shop, and every one of those rentals means something to us. Thanks also to everyone who left us a review or sent a friend our way. That helps more than you’d think.
The bears are getting ready too
This time of year the grizzlies are eating everything they can find, sometimes putting on more than three pounds a day. Between late October and December they’ll dig into their dens for the winter. They aren’t very deep sleepers, though. A denned bear’s body temperature only drops about 12 degrees, so it can wake up quickly, and the males usually start coming back out in early to mid March.
Our Winter FAQ puts it well. For most of the winter you’re unlikely to need bear spray, but you can still rent it from us, and it’s worth thinking about on spring tours once the bears start waking up. If you want the longer version of what bears do all winter, our friends at Bear Aware, the bear spray side of our business, wrote it up.
Bear spray returns
Still carrying one of our bear spray cans? You can drop it in the 24/7 drop box to the right of the shop’s front door until November 30. That box is for bear spray only. You can also return it to any Bear Aware location that’s still taking drop-offs. The list and dates are on the Bear Aware Locations page.
Questions? Call (307) 828-1885 or email info@tetonbcrentals.com.
Winter starts December 18
Winter in the Tetons is hard to beat. Some of the photos in this section come from our neighbor Steve (@s609clark on IG). He spends a big chunk of every winter splitboarding in the Teton backcountry and was kind enough to let us pull a few frames from his videos.
Here’s what we’ll have for you this winter.
AT skis. We carry Dynafit and K2 alpine touring skis in men’s and women’s models, set up with Dynafit ST Rotation tech bindings. Every pair comes with custom-cut Pomoca climbing skins, and we have packages with boots and poles if you want the whole setup.
Splitboards. Our splitboards are from Jones. We have the Mind Expander, Solution and Hovercraft 2.0, plus the women’s Dream Weaver and women’s versions of the Solution and Hovercraft 2.0. Skins and telescoping poles are included, and you can add a pair of K2 Maysis snowboard boots. If you’ve been curious about hardboots, we also have Phantom Slippers from our rental fleet for sale.
Snowshoes. Snowshoeing is really just hiking on top of the snow, and it’s the easiest way to get out and see the park in winter. Our package gets you adult snowshoes, gaiters and trekking poles for $25 a day for the first two days and $16.75 a day after that. We have kids’ snowshoes too. If you need an idea, Taggart Lake is a good one. It’s about 3.8 miles, and on a clear day the views of the Tetons are huge.
Cross country skis. We rent two XC packages, Classic and Metal Edge, and each one comes with skis, poles and boots. Classic is for groomed trails. Metal Edge is a little wider with metal edges, so it handles the groomed stuff plus some wandering off it. If you’re new to it, our favorite beginner spot is the Teton Park Road in Grand Teton National Park. In winter it’s closed to cars just past the Taggart Lake trailhead parking lot and groomed regularly, and it’s a flat 4.5 miles up to Jenny Lake with the Tetons right there the whole way.
We rent avalanche gear too, including beacons, probes, shovels and airbag packs. If you’re headed into avalanche terrain, carry it, know how to use it and check the avalanche forecast before you go. Our Risk in the Backcountry page is worth a read before your first tour.
Reserve early
You can see everything on our winter gear page and reserve online with your dates. Inventory can run low around the holidays, so if you already know when you’re coming, book it now and your gear will be ready and waiting when you get here.
Rather talk to a person? Call (307) 828-1885 or email info@tetonbcrentals.com. We can also deliver around the valley with 24 hours’ notice.
Thanks again for a great summer. We’ll see you on December 18.
The crew at Teton Backcountry Rentals
