By Balan Selvamuthukumaran ’27
Over the summer, my friend Yarik and I decided we wanted to spend fall break somewhere completely different from the SoCal desert or the red canyons of Utah, places we’ve explored countless times. We landed on the Mountain West, the wide‑open Big Sky Country. Our original plan was to fly into Denver and drive to the Tetons and Yellowstone, but the distance (and the flight prices) quickly changed our minds. Salt Lake City became our new starting point.
On Friday morning, the two of us and three friends flew from Ontario (20 min away) to SLC, where we started our journey by renting a car through the Enterprise discount offered by Pomona. Car ready to go, we immediately started driving up through Utah. After a brunch stop in Malad City, we continued on toward Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. Our first hike took us along an alpine lake with stunning views of jagged grey peaks and even a few glacier fields. Afterward, we grabbed Thai food in Jackson Hole and made our way to our Airbnb back in Idaho, where we crashed for the night.
The next morning we returned to the Tetons for another hike, this time in the rain. A quick downpour turned into a drizzle as we reached another beautiful alpine lake, but on the way back the drizzle became a full‑on thunderstorm. By the time we reached the car, we were soaked and laughing. We spent the rest of the evening drying off, cooking dinner, and watching Golden Girls—a cozy end to a chaotic day. We went to bed excited for the next leg of the trip: Yellowstone.
Yellowstone had been on both of our bucket lists for years. I grew up reading about Old Faithful and the park’s hot springs, so driving through the snowy western entrance that Sunday morning felt surreal. Our first hike was up to Point Sublime, where we trekked through snowy forests and rocky ridges to overlook Yellowstone’s own “grand canyon.” We even built a tiny snowman at the top. Afterward, we drove to Lamar Valley, famous for wildlife, and it did not disappoint. Herds of bison wandered across the road as if they owned it—which, honestly, they do. We also spotted elk, pronghorn, and magpies before ending the day with hearty food at a local Western restaurant.
Our final day in Yellowstone started with a long walk to Fairy Falls and a view of the Grand Prismatic Spring, its colors glowing even in the cold. Then we made our way to Old Faithful. We waited about an hour, bundled up with the crowd, and finally watched it erupt—one of those moments that feels both touristy and genuinely magical. Afterward, we drove back into Idaho, grabbed Chinese food, and spent one last night on the road before wrapping up the trip in Salt Lake City the next day.
It was the perfect mix of adventure, weather chaos, wildlife encounters, and cozy evenings—exactly the kind of fall break we’d hoped for.