151: Grand Teton Trip Report

Exploring the National Parks - Dirt In My Shoes

In Episode 151 of 'Exploring the National Parks' by Dirt in My Shoes, hosts Ash and John share a heartfelt story about relocating their beloved bristlecone pine tree during

Key takeaways

• Grand Teton National Park is experiencing extensive multi-year construction affecting key areas including Moose Wilson Road, Death Canyon Trailhead, Taggart Lake, and Mormon Row.
• The realignment of Moose Wilson Road will eliminate the need to pass through two entrance stations, reducing congestion and improving visitor flow.

Main topics

• Grand Teton National Park construction updates
• Bristlecone pine tree relocation story ('Great Bristlecone Heist')

Notable quotes

"We are thrilled to announce that we pulled off the great Bristlecone heist of 2026."

"They're not even going to notice if it's gone. No. I'm sure they didn't."

Conclusion

The episode closes with a heartfelt call to listeners to reflect on their own family's legacy

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) We are thrilled to announce that we pulled off the great Bristlecone heist of 2026. Speaker 2 (0:07) Ah, the heist, the caper, the life of an outlaw. It feels good. Speaker 1 (0:14) This is the Exploring the National Parks podcast with Dirt in My Shoes. My name is Ash and I'm a former park ranger and the founder of Dirt in My Shoes. I think that the parks are best seen from the trail and I'm here to make national park trip planning easy. And Speaker 2 (0:29) I'm John. I carry the kids on the trails, tell stories, and notice all the things that Ash doesn't care about much, like trees. Speaker 1 (0:37) Join us as we show you around America's spectacular national parks. We're Speaker 2 (0:42) sharing our favorite places, fun facts, adventures, and misadventures. And Speaker 1 (0:46) we'll even throw in a little trip planning. Speaker 2 (0:49) Let's start exploring! Speaker 1 (0:53) We joked in previous episodes. I don't know how long you've been listening, but we have talked about how much we love this bristlecone pine tree in our backyard. Speaker 2 (1:03) We Speaker 1 (1:03) planted it, how many years? Five years, six years ago. I think shorter Speaker 2 (1:08) because the first one died. Speaker 1 (1:10) Oh, that's right. Yeah. It's poor dead bristlecone. So we replaced it with a new one, but a much smaller one because they're actually very expensive. and hard to find so this one started probably what a foot and a half tall and we have nurtured it and loved it for a few years and now it's closer to three feet tall which Speaker 2 (1:32) is a big deal they're Speaker 1 (1:33) pretty slow growing and john love love loves this tree this is his baby and he just has nurtured this thing and bristlecone pine trees are his favorite tree just in general yep Speaker 2 (1:46) so Speaker 1 (1:47) we've talked about those on the podcast before I know we have, but we recently moved. And as we were preparing to sell our old house, John was like, I Speaker 2 (1:58) cannot, I cannot be parted from this tree. I will not share this tree with someone else. Speaker 1 (2:05) Well, somebody who would just look at it and be like, what is this? What Speaker 2 (2:08) is this little shrub of a tree? I knew that no one else would appreciate it as much as I would. So Speaker 1 (2:15) we joked that we were going to steal it from our old house. And John told our real estate agent, like, can we put in the contract that like the bristlecone tree does not stay? And she laughed. You're so funny. And he's like, no, I'm serious. I'm Speaker 2 (2:31) taking that tree, woman. She did Speaker 1 (2:33) not put it in the contract, but we took it. We Speaker 2 (2:37) did. And it was under Speaker 1 (2:38) the cover of darkness. Just kidding. It was the middle of the day. We still owned the house. Yes. But we dug up that bristle cone and we put it in a pot and it's currently sitting on our front porch at our new house as we decide where we're going to plant it. Speaker 2 (2:54) Oh, so Speaker 1 (2:54) feels Speaker 2 (2:55) good. Speaker 1 (2:56) Yep. I Speaker 2 (2:56) was so sad to think about leaving that tree. And now, well, I hope I can keep it alive. That's the next step of this journey is just ensuring that I don't kill another bristlecone. I Speaker 1 (3:08) know. But that's how crazy we are. We steal trees. So. Speaker 2 (3:13) From ourselves, which was really what it was. Kind of. We were Speaker 1 (3:16) like, they're not even going to notice if it's gone. No. I'm sure they didn't. Speaker 2 (3:20) I'm sure they didn't either. But. Unless they're listening, which they're probably not. But. Just so you know. So thanks for our own tree. Speaker 1 (3:27) Yeah. Speaker 1 (3:29) So we did it. Just wanted to announce that we did go through with the Great Bristlecone Heist of 2026. Speaker 2 (3:37) Yes. Speaker 1 (3:38) Now we are in our new house, which I have to say, 30 minutes closer to Grand Teton. Speaker 2 (3:44) Which is wonderful. And we got to experience an hour less driving on this last trip that we took. Speaker 1 (3:51) Yep. So we find ourselves in Grand Teton at least once a year, often more than that. It's my favorite national park. I hesitate to say that anymore, honestly, because it's getting so darn busy. Speaker 2 (4:05) It is. And Speaker 1 (4:07) I've been going my whole life. And it's like, and all of us actually, because this was an extended family trip, all of us who have been going just for years and years and years were like, what's happening? Why is it so busy? You can feel it. Speaker 2 (4:21) Yeah. It's so busy that we'll talk a little bit later about. My eternal Speaker 1 (4:26) shame. A streak Speaker 2 (4:28) that Ash has had that's come to an end because this was such a busy park this time. Speaker 1 (4:34) And so I wanted to start talking first about the construction updates because I know a lot of you who have been going to Grand Teton or looking to go to Grand Teton. Truthfully, over the next few years, you're going to be dealing with this. Almost all of these. construction projects are multi-year projects at this point right so you might be saying well ash the summer's almost over and i say just you wait because you get to experience this next year too if you're going so let's talk a little bit about construction and then we will jump more into our actual experience in the park and what we did this time Speaker 2 (5:15) okay Speaker 1 (5:16) so Starting at the beginning of this year, Grand Teton posted on their website, like, we are doing a ton of construction around Moose. If you can stay anywhere else and use any other entrance, that would be great. Yeah. Speaker 2 (5:29) And Speaker 1 (5:29) by anywhere else, they mean Moran. They mean going north. Right. And that's what they were saying. And so I've had a lot of people come to me like kind of in a panic. What are we supposed to do? Like, this sounds horrible. There's literally six construction projects, I think. Somewhere in there. Five, six, seven. They Speaker 2 (5:48) were releasing all the projects that they were doing. And Ash, this was at the last house, when they were releasing all of this, she's just like yelling at me through the wall. They're doing another one. They're doing another one. They added Speaker 1 (6:01) another project. Over Speaker 2 (6:03) and over and over again. She storms into my office. Can you believe they're doing this? And it just keeps coming into my office over and over and over again. I'm like, Ash, we're going to have to set up a... A limit on how often you can yell at me or storm into my office. Speaker 1 (6:19) It happens a lot. But yeah, so as I read through those construction updates that they kept adding and like giving more information for and I'm just like, holy smokes, like this is truly the whole south end of the park. So the construction updates as of right now that they have announced and that they're working on, they are realigning the Moose Wilson Road because. I was a park ranger at Grand Teton. And in fact, I was, my job was working the entrance station in Moose, which is where all of this is happening. So I used to get people who are so upset because they would go through the entrance station at the beginning of the Moose Wilson Road, the Granite Canyon. They go through that and then they would, it pops you out at Moose. but it pops you out before you go through the moose entrance station. So Speaker 2 (7:10) you have to go through two entrance stations. And Speaker 1 (7:13) they would come through and they'd be like, we already showed our pass. And I'm like, I'm so sorry, but you have to show it again. We're right here, you know. And the moose entrance is the busiest entrance of the park. So the lines can get pretty darn long. Right. Speaker 2 (7:27) Which Speaker 1 (7:28) makes everybody grumpy. Somebody actually threw an apple core at my coworker. Because they were so bad. Speaker 2 (7:35) I had to wait in two Speaker 1 (7:36) lines. Speaker 1 (7:39) I was like, wow, that's not very nice. Speaker 2 (7:43) It's like the equivalent of like throwing your shake back. It's like Speaker 1 (7:46) throwing tomatoes. Right. Do Speaker 2 (7:48) you Speaker 1 (7:48) know? Yeah. So people get really mad. So this construction that they're doing around the Moose entrance specifically is going to fix that. They're realigning the roads so that the Moose Wilson Road comes, it spits you out in Moose, but after the entrance station. So you don't have to wait in line again and go through the entrance, which is. Fantastic. I'm so excited about that one. Speaker 2 (8:10) Yeah, that'll benefit a lot of people. Speaker 1 (8:12) They're also building a new entrance station at Moose, which has been a long time coming. That entrance station is, you're basically just in a tiny little really hot shack all summer long. Speaker 2 (8:25) Right. I Speaker 1 (8:26) mean, when I worked there and it hasn't changed, I've peaked. We're going through. But like all there's room for is like your cash register, which. They don't even use anymore. And a chair to sit down. Speaker 2 (8:40) That's it. So, Speaker 1 (8:42) yay, new entrance station. So that's really exciting. Speaker 2 (8:46) That will be great. Speaker 1 (8:47) They are also doing work at Meaners Ferry, which is right there by the entrance station. That's a little more off the beaten path stop. A lot of people don't go there. So that probably won't affect you as much. The Moose Wilson Road is under construction. They are still doing work out there. And so that one has delays. The Death Canyon Trailhead is under construction. They're fixing the parking lot, which is great. That parking lot was awful. And then the Mormon Row area, they are putting in a new parking lot and like some walking paths because right now it's just kind of a free for all. Nobody knows where to park and nobody knows what to do. And people just tromp all over everything and drives me crazy. So they're fixing that. And then Taggart Lake, which is one of the most popular trails in the park. That one is under construction as well. They're going to put in a bigger parking lot there and they're changing some things on the trail. So part of the trail is closed and they have a detour set up as of right now. So Speaker 2 (9:45) all Speaker 1 (9:46) from memory. Oh Speaker 2 (9:47) yeah. She's got no notes right here, guys. She did all of that with just from cataloging back through the memories of all the things that she stomped into my office to tell me about. Speaker 1 (10:01) And so I've been helping people all summer with these construction plans and how to kind of avoid and what to do. And the park said, you know, we may even close down the inner park road for up to two weeks to do some of this stuff. And so people have kind of been freaking out and I've been just writing out instructions like here's what you need to do. Speaker 2 (10:23) You've been coming