If you look around the west you'll find many places with the name jackass in it. Mr. Jackass really got around!
And, like many of the other places with that colorful name, the name does not do it justice.
A ride on the Jackass Loop gives you as good of a tour through this amazing country as you'll get. It begins and ends on the Reclamation Road east of Ashton. It circles the area known as Squirrel Meadows. It crosses a number of creeks and drainages including Squirrel Creek, Dry Creek, Jackass Creek, Jackass Meadows and South Boone Creek. It starts in Idaho and ends in Wyoming. It travels along the border of the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area and provides access for those who wish to hike or ride horseback there. And it makes a nice side trip on the way to or from the Cascade Creek trailhead along the southern boundary of YNP, Grassy Lake and Flagg Ranch on the Reclamation Road.
And, like many of the places you'll visit around here, the mosquitoes can be thick. So, leave the so-called-skin-product-as-mosquito-repellent home. DEET is the word. Apply liberally. For those allergic to DEET, there's another ingredient, Picaridin, used in some products. It is almost as effective as DEET.
We've made several trips on the Jackass Loop already this summer and are looking forward to more before the season ends. Then, from about Thanksgiving until Easter, we'll ride it on snowmobiles.
Dry Creek at the west end of the Loop.
Another pic of Dry Creek farther up the meadow.
A short side trip off of the Jackass Loop, down over Conant Creek, will take you to the Coyote Meadows Road, another access point to the wilderness area.
Ernst Lake is a great place for a lunch stop. Just remember: DEET!
(Close your eyes, picture jagged snowcapped peaks here)
The Tetons are up close and spectacular along the Jackass Loop. Unfortunately, we had the camera set incorrectly and all the pictures we took were washed out. So, you'll just have to go see for yourself.
How bad can the mosquitoes be? Well, I'll tell you. On one of our trips we had my dear 81 year old mother along (in the Explorer). We stopped at this hitching post in a hunting camp along the border of the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area and posed her in front of it for a picture. Before I could take the picture, the mosquitoes lifted her up and carried her away. Fortunately, the wind was down slope. She landed safely in Squirrel Meadows.
South Boone Creek trailhead.
South Boone Creek fast and full from snowmelt off the Tetons.
Remember this guy? Jackass Loop. The area around Squirrel Meadows has a significant population of grizzlies. So, if you go there, learn how to travel safely in bear country before you go.
