Grand Tetons trip equipmentThis page has links to equipment checklists and details about the Colter Bay cabins the De Anza College Outdoor Club usually stays at on Grand Teton kayaking trips.
Photo below by Fred Hanselmann http://www.hanselmannphotography.com/Pictures_of_the_tetons.html)
Photo below courtesy of Rick Konrad http://rickkonrad.com/
If they can be transported, the club will provide: kayaks, paddles, drybags, and lifejackets, (which must be worn and strapped securely). If the group can transport the De Anza owned kayaks, the club will pay the kayak permit fees that Grand Teton park charges. Again, all this is if the De Anza-owned kayaks can be transported, if not, we can rent them in the park, but the club won't have a big enough budget for lots of rental time.
Trip participants are responsible for all other arrangements and costs, including, but not limited to: food, park entrance fees, campsite, cabin or hotel cost, gas and other transportation costs, sleeping and eating gear and other personal gear.
GEAR TO BRING:
Bring the same stuff you'll need for the Yosemite February trip - and might want for early mornings on fall, spring or even summer trips - good rain jackets big enough for a sweater, fleece and/or down vest underneath and rain pants to go over pants that have room for fleece pants and (non-cotton) polypro long johns underneath. And bring your swimsuit (and spring wetsuit for possible cold water swimming unless you are intrepid, the club owns a few).
For fall or early morning summer kayaking we wear polypro
longjohns, shorts over those and/or fleece on top, and bring rain gear, or on the 2000 fall trip one guy wore his wetsuit with a knit hat. Expect things to get a little damp or even a little wet, so if at all possible pack a second set of long johns and fleece for hikes and sleeping.
NO COTTON in the longjohns! You can find lists of gear to bring for winter camping that have things that apply to this trip at Snow or rain camp must-haves. If you don't have gear for or have never been rainy/cold camping we really recommend you read this list.
Your gear list should include food and food preparation equipment, tents, sleeping bag, insulating sleeping pad,
waterproof outer layers in case of rain, (you can get a set of rain pants/jacket at Home Depot then Improve your inexpensive rain gear).
Before you sign up the advisor should see and approve of your rain jacket/pants, tent, sleeping bag, fleece jacket/pants and long johns. If you don't have a proper rain jacket/pants, fleece jacket/pants and long johns during the trip you will not go kayaking.
Please also consult the Camping equipment checklist even if you intend to stay in a cabin or hotel. The day hike list and kayaking list at that page have lots of details.
Club members can borrow stoves, lanterns, tents, insulated sleeping pads, dining canopies, etc. from the club with a refundable cleaning and/or late fee deposit in the form of a cashier's check or credit card. Equipment rentals will go much more smoothly if you have read these in advance:
Outdoor Club Equipment
Outdoor Club Sample Rental Agreement
Photo below by David Whitten http://www.davidwhittenphoto.com/index.html?yellowteton.html~home
You really will be happier with a comfortable full-sized backpack that fits all your gear, instead of a tiny daypack, for any long hikes.
You can rent bikes in the park, but bringing your own on a vehicle is cheaper. Bike helmets are required for all ages of riders in the park. Biking in the park can be safe, but due to the large, unpredictable wild animals, there are safety precautions that are different than at home, please read: Grand Tetons biking.
Which flies to pack? Go to
http://www.jackdennis.com
and click on fishing report.
We've never needed mosquito repellant on fall Tetons trips but for summer read some advice at: insect repellant.
You will really want your own binoculars.
The club owns a few pairs of waterproof binoculars we can even use while out kayaking, (just be sure to attach the custom-sewn band of pool floats so they won't sink if you drop them overboard) but not enough for everyone on a big trip.
Info on selecting binoculars is at:
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html
Cellphones don't function well everywhere.
The Grand Tetons Lodge Company website said in early 2005 (we found no mention of it since then):
"Verizon works at Jackson Lake Lodge. Cell phone service is not as reliable at Colter Bay Village and Jenny Lake Lodge."
If you intend to camp bring all your cell phone/lap top/camera chargers and plug them in in one of the cabins someone is sure to rent.
People who intend to camp (as well as those in cabins) should bring a laptop, as there is WiFi available at Jackson Lake Lodge that anyone can use without a secret code and a large DVD rental place in Jackson. See the cabins details below for more on WiFi.
Be adaptable. Even if you are certain you will not camp, bring tent, sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad so you can if the opportunity or need arrives. Most years we have gotten a backcountry permit and paddled in to a remote lake for a night of camping.
Where you stay in the Tetons is up to you, but it can be difficult to coordinate timing of activities if we don't all stay in the same area, so we've all stayed at Colter Bay for at least part of the time on previous trips.
Below: an aerial photo with Colter Bay environs in the foreground and part of Jackson Lake. The cabins are towards the left of the visible buildings, the long stripe of buildings is the stores and restaurants, and the campground area is towards the right. There are short and long hiking trails.
There is a black and white aerial photo/map to go with this picture with details of where to find the museum, picnic area, showers, grocery/gift stores, laundromat, hiking trails, marina, Ranger talk/campfire amphitheater, etc. at Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park.
Colter Bay cabins have no lakeshore or lake/mountain view units.
All the cabins are non-smoking. No RVs or trailers of any kind are allowed to park at the cabins even if it is your mode of transportation.
Colter Bay cabins have no air conditioning; phone; radio or surround sound system; TV (flat screen, plasma, LCD, HDTV, DVR, DTV, direct view, cable, satellite, interactive, in the bathroom or otherwise); data port; voicemail; iPod docking station; Bose SoundDocks; CD/DVD players; video games; first-run Hollywood movies; CNN; non-negotiable resort fees for programs/options you don't want; continuously piped-in, hip music; dress code beyond the minimum in restaurants; microwave; Nespresso machine; floor to ceiling windows illuminating a peaceful setting; french doors; private elevators; vaulted or soaring curved ceilings; architectural details carefully considered to create a warm yet understated modernistic feel of rustic elegance; ceiling fans; Venetian plaster; Tuscan influenced molding; custom wallpapers, reclaimed wood millwork or indigenous fabric / leather-covered walls; art work, frescos, murals or portraits of previous famous guests; archival fine art prints; floor-to-ceiling crystal chandeliers; intricately tiled mosiacs; wall textures in glistening yet muted, organic hues; four poster beds with billowy draping; hand made quilts; down pillows; deep duvets; extra plush bedding, fine Italian linens, cashmere throws or organic Eqyptian combed cotton sheets; organic mattresses; king-sized daybeds; ornate gilt furniture or antique period furnishings; custom-loomed carpets of color and texture that capture the sences; private entrances, patios, decks, verandas, hammocks, wrap around terraces or balconies; intimate yet spacious gathering rooms, each a triumph of wit, style and comfort; thoughtfully-proportioned walk-in closets with Poliform closet systems; biometric safes; state-of-the-art yet not technical dimmer switches; coved lighting; hydronically heated floors; electrically operated or otherwise motorized draperies or shades; morning newspaper; custom dry stacked stone firepit; fireplace with a Pinon fire laid out for you daily by an attentive staff; ergonomic chairs; bed aligned to the parallel physiological mechanisms of your body; room service; private chef; sommelier; butler service; concierge; valet parking; chauffeurs; bellmen; tailors; honor bar; toxin eliminating holistic afternoon tea; spiritual sunset champagne toasts; state of the art skeet or trap shooting range; fashion consultations; team building scavenger hunts or motivational personal development seminars.
Many Colter bay cabins have stall showers but no bath tubs. They have NO Jacuzzi or hydrotherapy pools, with or without bubble loungers; plunge or cold water plunge pool; alfresco, rain, computerized steam, aromatherapy, Swiss Pressure Point, multisensory or power showers; mineral baths; eco-luxe open air hot tub with co-ed roof top sun deck; infinity edge hot tub; finely appointed his and her vanities; monogrammed bathrobes or heated towel racks.
Bring (or make) a friend to trade backrubs with and encourage you to hike farther and get a little more exercise in general on the trip because you can't expect a personal trainer; personalized validation, clarification and wellness coaching based on your DNA; heated mosaic lounge chairs; footbaths; Reiki treatments (hands on or from a distance); meditation solarium; Finnish, nordic, infrared or hot rock sauna; massuers; certified massage therapists; patented lymph drainage therapy; juniper-sage hot rock massages; stimulating, centering acupressure treatments of unequaled indulgence; Swedish, sports, reflexology, neuromuscular, energy, deep tissue or pressure point therapies; private in-room yoga or Pilates instruction; miraculous non-invasive facelifts; new millennia hyperbaric oxygen treatments or candlelit life force spiritual exploration fasting sanctuary.
Colter Bay cabin bath 'amenities' are towels, washcloths and dispensers of shampoo and soap. Bring some sunscreen and dry skin lotion as you will have to do without natural galvanic current spa treatments; harmonious, maximum hydration, deep cleansing botanicals; unprecedented elemental stress release or anti-aging facials; chic glycolic acid mud wraps, salt peels; fango wraps or nourishing seaweed wraps; Collagen skin polishes; French pariffin treatment; pure, aromatic ginger peppermint manicure; mineral-rich serum exfoliating pedicure; microdermabrasion; sea salt body scrub; ultimate European glycerin body masque; therapeutic anti-aging facial; Nouveau bath accessories fusing heirloom elegance with modern styling; handmade ayurvedic herbal products, scrubs or baths; adobe body masks; purifying grapeseed antioxidant body treatment; metabolic detox body treatment with yam and pumpkin enzymes, brown algae and extra folmadehyde; makeup kit created with your own personal pallette of colors and Lodgepole Pine & Aspen based skincare customized to your specific element.
No incense will be burnt, nor will a conch shell be blown to cleanse your surroundings. No wandering mistrel will play the recorder or violin, sing, recite poetry or perform bird calls outside your window. No one will unpack your bags for you and place your extensive wardrobe in the eeensy-weensey bedroom closet that won't fit your stylish apparel, much less just the outerwear of all those people you are stuffing into the room. No tuxedos, exotic beaded midriff gowns or black pumps will be required or even appropriate. No one will turn down the covers and put a chocolate/orchid/caviar tidbit on your pillow every night (and if they did a deer mouse would eat it before you found it). No one will peel grapes for you, nor will they arrange the pillows on the bed into a fort. There are on/off switches on the walls, not panels of LED readouts to program to turn on one or more of an array of light functions (bring a flashlight for your bedside reading lamp). The wakeup service will be your own alarm clock or perhaps another trip member knocking, or if necessary, vigorously pounding on your door if you are late.
 No cooking is allowed in or around the cabins, but there is a picnic area with tables/firepits/restrooms down the road at lakeside.
Recycling bins are conveniently located.
Bring your laptop, there is WiFi available in the Jackson Lake Lodge parlor that anyone can use without a secret code and a large DVD rental place in Jackson. In the Colter Bay cabin rental office there is WiFi and internet service at a couple of computers for Colter Bay guests and you can use the phone there to make dinner reservations at the Lodges if your cell phone is not getting service.
A free shuttle bus runs a few times a day between Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge and Colter Bay.
below: the first two photos, of the cabins area at Colter Bay and a cabin interior, are from GTLC, the third is a cabin area bunny
  
and below, a typical bathroom and the view out a window, usually of parking spaces in front of cabins and/or of other cabins:
  
Colter Bay cabins prices, according to the website in early 2009:
Colter Bay Village Daily Rates - 1 or 2 persons
$55 One Room (semi-private bath)
$99-$145 One Room (private bath)
$159 Two Rooms (connecting bath) (one double bed and two twins)
$199 Two Rooms (connecting bath, 1-4 persons, four double beds) = $210.94 with taxes/fees
3 day cancellation in 2009
There is (early 2009) an extra charge of $10 per person for people over the double or quad occupancies. Some units could sleep 8 or even ten people. Add another $10 per extra rollaway bed you want.
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In the cabin area (this bear did not get a food reward this time because people were careful about their trash):
  
FAQ: Why should I pay for a cabin when I can camp for much less?
Because even when people are behaving courteously towards others, campgrounds are noisy until late at night and again fairly early in the morning. If you share a cabin with others who agree to the same schedule you can get to sleep early, be up before sunrise, (or take mid-day naps if you stayed up late and got up early). That's the reason people on this trip have shared two bedroom, one bath cabins to some extent every year we have gone. (If you get a one bedroom, one bath cabin, you have a shared wall with others that is not thick enough to keep you from missing seemingly inevitable family arguments.)
Plus, interesting fall weather is easier to deal with in a cabin.
We often share some of the two-bedroom, one-bath cabins at Colter Bay. The two-bedroom units have individually keyed locking bedroom doors. The cabins are not all the same size, but here is a typical floorplan:
Each year we have had different roommate combinations:
a married couple in one bedroom and a single guy and two single girls in the other
a married couple in one bedroom and three women in the other
two single girls in one bedroom and four single guys in the other
a single guy and a single girl who were a bit richer each had their own bedroom of a two bedroom cabin.
below: cabin games, birthday and mousse:
  
If you stay in a cabin on a fall trip the wall heater in the bedroom (no heaters in the Colter Bay cabins bathrooms last time we were there) is often noisy so some of us sleep in long johns (if you sleep cold bring a sleeping bag to
supplement the blankets provided). Plus, if the bedroom isn't overheated, then each person can dress according to the warmth they require and nobody will need to complain they are too hot.
In fall, even if you really heat the bedroom(s) the heat doesn't make it into the bathroom. Someone in each cabin group should bring a portable electric heater (and extension cord) and keep it running in the bathroom all night.
your face here photo below by Wendy Sato
We advise negotiations in advance as to when / who uses the
shower if you have a large group sharing a two room, one bath cabin. And remember there is only one hot water heater so relatively short showers or long times between showers are advised.
 (The walls are relatively thin so singing in the shower can be heard clearly.)
During a thunderstorm, don't take a shower or use a sink, including washing dishes. Don't talk on a land line phone. Don't use your I pod. Please read Thunderstorm and lightning safety
They never have enough towels at inexpensive lodgings so you might want to bring extras for showers and potential swimming, especially since things don't dry fast when it's cold overnight.
They also frequently have inadequate electrical systems, so when we are using hair dryers we should unplug electric ice chests because it takes quite awhile to get housekeeping to get the electricity turned back on when a breaker trips.
Any electric ice chests should not run at night if it's a cold year or they will overchill and freeze the lettuce.
If you stuff a number of people in a cabin it would be wise to bring a power strip so that people can charge more than one cellphone/camera, etc. at once, but again, too many appliances will trip the circuit breaker and it takes quite awhile to get housekeeping to get the electricity turned back on when a breaker trips.
We had better radio reception while driving, but in the cabins (bring your own radio) we were able to get Wyoming public radio with the usual Morning Edition, All Things Considered, BBC Newshour, Fresh Air and late evening classical music or jazz at 90.3 (Jackson) and 91.3 (Dubois). (Dubois is pronounced DO-boyss.)
on the road to the Colter Bay cabins:
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If you ride in a carpool driving straight through, pack a small bag with the items you will wish you had for 24 hours so that you don't need to stop and go through your luggage looking for: your toothbrush, flashlight, rain jacket, pillow, book, journal, camera, headphone CD player. Other people in the vehicle will appreciate it if you wear freshly laundered clothing without perfume or cologne and have recently washed yourself. See: Road trip advice and etiquette.
The main trip information page is at Grand Tetons
Grand Tetons trip pages index has brief descriptions of most of the pages about this trip.
NO pets on our trips. Pets scare away wildlife or even worse, can engage wildlife, endangering themselves, the people with them and the wildlife. Pets wake sleeping people. In Grand Teton park pets are not allowed more than 50 feet
from the roadway (such as on any hiking trail),
in boats on the Snake river or any lake except Jackson Lake,
or on Ranger-led activities. The few places they are allowed
they must be restrained on leash at all times.
There's easy camping info at: Have more fun camping
If you want to get a better room, or even a suite with fabulous lakefront or mountain view,
fireplace, fridge, microwave, or even a complete kitchen, look at:
Grand Tetons hotels, cabins, lodging
Grand Tetons trip transportation has flight info, driving distances and guesses at gas cost, previous trip examples, etc.
Grand Tetons trip cost has examples of
The cheap trip,
The not-so cheap trip,
The slightly more costly trip, but less driving time,
also known as the I-can't-get-much-time-off-work trip,
and The expensive trip.
Maps are at: Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park
During a thunderstorm, don't take a shower or use a sink, including washing dishes. Don't talk on a land line phone. Don't use your I pod. Don't get zapped! Please read Thunderstorm and lightning safety
Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park photos
photo below courtesy of Rick Konrad http://rickkonrad.com/
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