Jackson Hole Skier Magazine 2020

2019 / 2 0

j a c k s o n

h o l e

SKIER

37

WINTERS JH SKIER

Sander Hadley Kings & Queens of Corbet’s

MOUNTAIN RESORTS

PEOPLE

BACKCOUNTRY SERVICES

Wyoming’s Big 3

Skiers & Boarders to Watch

Ideas & Entities to Help Keep You Safe

free jhskier.net

Exclusively available in Teton Village at these two locations:

GET BACK OUT THERE

Spine surgery can make a huge di erence in your life, but it’s not something to rush into.

Here at St. John’s Joint and Spine Center, our patient education program ensures you and your family understand the process. And our team of experienced surgeons, nurses, and therapists works with our orthopedic program manager to give you the personalized care you deserve before, during, and after your stay. Call us to be introduced to a patient ambassador. Our goal is simple: to get you back to the things you love.

St. John’s Health Joint and Spine Center 307.739.6199 | stjohns.health/spine

JEWELRY ORIGINALS

45 YEARS OF INSPIRATION AT 6000 FT.

Gaslight Alley • Downtown Jackson Hole • 125 N.Cache

www.danshelley.com • info@danshelley.com •307.733.2259 ALL DESIGNS COPYRIGHTED

KEEP JACKSON HOLE WILD. The Jackson Hole community has always been a champion of the wildlife, wild places and wild culture that remain the foundation of the last true mountain town. Join us in taking steps to ensure the wonder of this rare place never fades.

USE PUBLIC TRANSIT.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW, DON’T GO.

Trade in four wheels for two. Use the START bike share. Consider taking the START bus or walking. And if you need a car, go electric.

Stay safe in the backcountry. Please have proper equipment, a partner and a plan.

Check your local weather and avalanche forecast before heading out.

ROAD TO ZERO WASTE: REDUCE AND RECYCLE.

STAY ON TRAILS.

Leave no trace wherever you go. Grab a reusable Stay Wild tote bag. Take short showers. Recycle all that you can.

Trails are made to lessen environmental impact. Obey all posted signs and respect boundaries.

GIVE WILDLIFE SPACE.

TAG LOCATIONS RESPONSIBLY.

Never approach or feed any animals.

Stay at least 100 yards away from bears and bison, and 25 yards away from all other wildlife.

Geotagging photos in social media creates a surge in human traffic, increasing strain on delicate habitats.

Post the photo. Trash the tag.

RESPECT WILDLIFE CLOSURE AREAS.

GO FORTH AND EDUCATE.

Certain backcountry areas in the Tetons serve as critical winter habitat for large game and are closed seasonally to protect wildlife. Learn more about closure areas from the U.S. Forest Service.

Bring the spirit of Jackson Hole with you when you leave. The small actions you take make a big difference in preserving outdoor spaces.

Together, we can keep Jackson Hole wild.

Learn more at visitjacksonhole.com/sustainability.

RESORTS

C O N T E N T S BACKCOUNTRY

14 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

29 B-T National Forest Avalanche Center

22 Eagle’s Rest Quad Chairlift Debuts

74 Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

18 Connie Kemmerer, Crystal Installations 28 Alpine Guides, JHMR 30 Ski Patrol, JHMR

46 Ski Tunes, the Jackson Hole Way 48 Grand Targhee Resort

54 Snow King Mountain Resort 92 Kings & Queens of Corbet’s

128 Resort Trail Maps

PEOPLE

70 Exum Mountain Guides

78 Teton Backcountry Guides

80 Backcountry Zero — The Three Ps

82 Teton Pass Protocol in Critical Condition 84 Valdez Heli-Ski Guides

88 Alaska Rendezvous Heli-Guides 90 High Mountain Heli-Skiing

DIVERSIONS

10 Photo Gallery

26 Tommy Moe, JHMR Ski Ambassador

110 Snowshoe, XC Ski with Ecotour Adventures

96 Local Skiers / Snowboarders Who Live To Ride:

116 Wyoming Whiskey

27 Mary Kate Buckley, President, JHMR

Blain Gallivan, Jared Rogers, Randy Roberts, Rob Kingwill, Shea Fischer, Sam Schwartz, Kai Jones, Masha Johnstone, Jeff Leger (pg 16), Peter Barker (pg 20), John Griber, Jimmy Chin (pg 126) 106 In Memoriam, Jackson Hole Skiers We Lost

COMMUNITY

32 Alpine Medical Advice from Dr. Greenbaum 34 Alpine Medical Advice from Dr. Bullington 36 Jackson Hole Babe Force 37 I Ski With Pepi

38 Teton Adaptive Sports 39 Coombs Outdoors 40 Bomber Skis

42 Igneous Skis 44 Maiden Skis

60 FIS World Cup Racers Stiegler, Johnson, Kauf 64 Freeride, IFSA Junior Regiona, Toilet Bowl

66 Town Downhill becomes Jackson Hole Downhill 69 JH Ski & Snowboard Club Community Events

114 Sled Dog Tours with Jackson Hole Iditarod 118 Melvin Brewing, Snake River Brewing,

StillWest Brewery, Wildlife Brewing

122 Activities, Events, Options to Explore 126 Lodging Directory

130 TGR Theater on Jackson’s Town Square Contributing Writers Dr. Andrew Bullington Mike Calabrese Bob Comey Keith Cozzens Dr. Jeff Greenbaum Matt Hansen

Sandra Keats Rob LaPier Mary Woodall Lowell Wade McKoy Jeff Moran Blair Pendleton

Contributing Photographers Nic Alegre Erik Boomer Steven Earl Chris Figenshau Mark Fisher Jay Goodrich Amy Jimmerson

Jason Malczyk Fredrik Marmsater Wade McKoy New Thought Media Josh Metten Frankie Paradise Rob Raker

Joseph Piccoli John Pistono Melissa Thomasma Bob Woodall

Jonathan Selkowitz Frank Shine David Stubbs Greg Von Doersten Bob Woodall

The JACKSON HOLE SKIER annual winter visitors’ guide is free when picked up at one of 160 distribution points throughout Jackson Hole and at Information Centers across the region. Receive one in the mail by sending $6 to JH SKIER, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, WY 83001.

Copyright — 2019 by Focus Productions, Inc. (fpi).

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. www.focusproductions.com www.jhskier.net focusjh@focusproductions.com

On The Cover Sander Hadley, 5th-place Kings & Queens of Corbet’s Contents Coen Bennie-Faull, Casper Bowl; Wade McKoy photos Publishers Bob Woodall, Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. Editor, Photo Editor, Art Director Wade McKoy with Bob Woodall Photo Manager, Photo Editor, Editorial Assistant Eric Rohr Copy Editor Mike Calabrese Advertising Bob Woodall, Eric Rohr Distribution Manager Mark Hassler Coen Bennie-Faull Casper Bowl

9

10

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

STOKE

Andrew Whiteford Talk Is Cheap, Cody Peak Wade McKoy photo

Tanner Flanagan Mount Glory Fredrik Marmsater photo

j h s k i e r. n e t

STOKE

Jeff Annetts Triple Cliffs, Cody Peak Wade McKoy photo

Tim Durtschi Teton Backcountry Greg Von Doersten / TGR photo

13

Trevor Kennison Kings & Queens of Corbet’s Chris Figenshau photo

j h s k i e r. n e t

14

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Riding up the chair, we saw the day’s initial skiers relishing first tracks, their hoots and hollers released into the air like party balloons.

j h s k i e r. n e t

Tristan “Teton” Brown Casper Bowl

15

d

JACKSON HOLE

MOUNTAIN RESORT

A Place For

SNOW

M

Wade McKoy photos

By Matt Hansen

y first day of the 2018-19 ski season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, on December 1, was a harbinger of what was to come: There was a lot of fresh snow—and a lot of people.

But, like most days afterward, I got around it. As Colorado, Utah, and California skiers have come to learn, we in Wyoming finally woke up to the realization that we weren’t as isolated as we

j h s k i e r. n e t

Two inches per hour — umbrella weather

Matt Hansen, a writer and editor for Powder since 2004, began his journalism career at the Jackson Hole Guide 21 years ago. — JH SKIER

once thought. For decades, skiers in Jackson expected a certain lifestyle: get up sorta early but not really, coffee, drive to the hill, breakfast sando, tram, powder in the face, high-five, repeat. But in 2018-19, this lifestyle was like, “Dude, Interrupted.”

On that Saturday morning, I checked the BTNF avalanche forecast like I do every day whether I ski or not. “Dangerous ava-

Moose frequent the Village Commons. People should steer clear of wild animals, especially those around the Mangy Moose Saloon.

Wade McKoy photos

lanche conditions exist,” it began. “Up to a foot of new snow has fallen in the past 24 hours and over two feet of new snow with nearly three inches of moisture has fallen since Tuesday...A weak layer of faceted snow that was buried on Thanksgiving is widespread and may become unstable due to this new load. At the mid and upper elevations humantriggered avalanches are likely in steep terrain. Natural avalanche activity is possible.”

The forecast center put the danger scale at “considerable” for everything above 7,500 feet.

I thought about wearing my avalanche beacon, but decided against it because it was early season and I didn’t plan on skiing out of bounds.

I gulped down coffee, hopped on the 7:45 a.m. bus, and settled in, listening to music on my phone and peering out the window at a beautiful Wyoming winter landscape: ranches, horses, thick stands of dormant cottonwoods. When the bus dropped me off at Teton Village, I found the lifts to be full maze.

Somehow, my friend Mark and I made it to the Thunder chair among the first dozen people. Riding up the chair, we saw the day’s initial skiers relishing

Jeff Leger, Rock Springs Bowl, 3.11.2014.

Below: Acrylic on canvas by Leger.

Jeff Leger Lives a Skier’s Life I’ve worn many different hats and played several roles around town since I arrived 27 years ago. Most recently you may have heard me on the JHMR Morning Snow Report or seen me lining up to ski for photographer Chris Figenshau’s Photo of the Day. Perhaps you know me as Lucy’s goofy dad, or the Skid Luxury guy, or through my maniacal, Mr. Hyde-like alter ego on social media: Dr. Huckinstuff. Or just as the tie-dye guy. Most likely, though, you don’t know me at all because I’m really kind of a hermit.

Looking back on my time in Jackson Hole, I feel like the luckiest ski bum on Earth. By chance, an over-exuberant teenager took a job

j h s k i e r. n e t

at The Hostel x and was swept up by members of the notorious JHAF. Before long I was introduced to the world of ski photography from inhouse magic makers, Focus Productions, Inc. Those early friendships instilled in me an understanding that skiing was more than a cheap thrill. It’s the ultimate art form, and the fluid creativity it develops is a blueprint for life.

Skiing has introduced me to amazing people and brought me on unforgettable adventures. Nowadays I continue to seek new creative outlets and I plan to keep adding to the list of ski-town hats I wear. But the one role you can always count on me filling is that of the powder-hungry ski bum living his dream.

first tracks, their hoots and hollers released into the air like party balloons. At the top, Mark and I buckled our boots as quickly as we could and took the most direct fall line route: under the chair to Thunder bumps. It wasn’t bottomless, and I could feel the early season burn in my legs, but it was knee deep and glorious. Back at the lift, we were still ahead of the oncoming crowd. We hopped back on for another lap, and near the top discussed whether to traverse out into Amphitheater or drop directly into Laramie Bowl.

We chose Laramie due to its direct fall-line nature. After skiing a mix of powder and chunder, we arrived again back at Thunder and found the chair to have been temporarily shut down. We overheard someone say there’d been an avalanche, inbounds on Amphitheater Bowl. Media reports following the avalanche indicated that five skiers had been caught in the slide, which released off the cliff bands at the bottom of the Expert Chutes. Nobody was killed or seriously injured, but it was a sobering reminder that avalanches could happen inbounds or out, and that it’s always wise to be safety conscience during powder days.

My transceiver was on me the rest of the season, as snow continued to fall across the Tetons, delivering a winter that many of us will never forget.

For me, wearing an avalanche beacon at JHMR has become second nature. After that avalanche in Amphitheater, I scolded myself for being careless. I knew better.

But it was not always this way. I grew up at the

foot of the Wasatch Mountains about 20 minutes from Snowbird. Though we skied a lot of powder, I was a punk-ass mogul skier. When it did snow, we didn’t wear beacons because, frankly, that wasn’t the culture and I never skied out of bounds. Mostly, my brother and I pounded the bumps under the old Peruvian chairlift. Then, during my senior year in high school, it never stopped snowing. The heavy snowfall simply buried all the moguls, and it changed me forever. I vividly remember the first time in my life where I couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, and simply gave everything over to gravity, where my skis weren’t part of earth or sky but tenuously floating within that weightless space in between.

Within the powdery confines of Little Cottonwood Canyon, I knew that I had become me. But I also knew it wouldn’t be my home forever. While attending journalism classes at the University of Utah, I tried to soak everything up each time I drove up the canyon, knowing that as soon as I graduated, I’d be moving to Jackson Hole.

I yearned to live in the mountains full time and be surrounded by snow the entire winter. I wanted to escape the smog of the Salt Lake Valley (and its 100degree heat in the summer), and I wanted to be one step farther removed from all those skiers who flew nonstop to Utah from big cities on the coasts. I wanted to live in a place where people didn’t care about how you dressed or what kind of car you drove—only that you liked to ski.

On January 6, 1998, I loaded everything I owned into the back of my white Toyota pickup, and drove to Jackson. As I entered the Snake River Canyon, a storm buried the highway in a foot of snow. There was merely a two-track in the powder winding along

There were skiers and snowboarders all around me, covered in snow, breathless from their last run, waiting for the chair as the lifties blasted out the tunes.

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

17

the canyon. That night, I unloaded my belongings into a rental on East Simpson and fell asleep on the floor in my sleeping bag. When I woke up the next morning, I went skiing.

December 30, 2018, started another big cycle at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. That day, a Sunday, the resort reported six inches of new snow overnight, but the storm intensified during the day. Standing in line at the Thunder chair, I found a recurring scene that makes me incredibly grateful to be a skier: there were skiers and snowboarders all around me, covered in snow, breathless from their last run, waiting for the chair as the lifties blasted out the tunes.

A few friends, my wife, and I lapped Thunder and Sublette in full storm conditions, knowing that the next day would be even better.

The morning of New Year’s Eve, I checked the BTNF avalanche center: Fourteen inches overnight. Hallelujah, a bona fide submarine day to close out 2018. Due to the holiday crowds, we again avoided the tram and just worked the chairlifts.

There’s a palpable energy that comes off the tramline on powder days. If you’re in it, it’s intoxicating. If you’re behind it, it’s demoralizing. My general rule is that if I’m ‘behind it,’ meaning the tramline winds down the stairs and out to the General Store, I choose another lift.

On the last day of 2018, we were fine doing so, as there was powder everywhere. We lapped the trees off Casper and Teton lifts until they started to get tracked out, at which point we made

The Village Commons is the winter home for carved snow firs and ice castles for kids.

J

ackson Hole Mountain Resort is one of the few remaining family owned, large ski resorts in the U.S. For 26 years owners Connie Kemmerer, her brother, Jay, and her sister, who is a

A C R y S TA L C L E A R L E g A C y silent partner, have stewarded the mountain to great heights. Their investments in lifts and facilities make the resort what it is today.

A couple years ago, as Connie planned the retirement ceremony of longtime JHMR President Jerry Blann, she began considering her own legacy. Large crystals, she believed, would be a perfect contribution and an appropriate way to make her mark at the landmark ski area.

Soon afterward, Connie met Marta Barreras, a crystal worker, feng shui expert, and energy healer who distributes crystals around the world. Barreras has extensive experience with placing large crystals in public spaces and communities.

Crystals are believed to carry and transmit positive energy that enhances and restores harmony, benefiting the people and environment around them. This aligns with Connie’s personal beliefs in the healing

power of crystals and her family’s heritage in the U.S. coal industry, as well as her father’s interest in geology. As children, Connie and her siblings played Name That Rock and Find The Crystal or Dinosaur Bone. Sometimes they used a geiger counter to locate and name the type of uranium that their father had hidden for them.

Connie’s newly acquired 3,000-pound crystal, Heart Mountain, was so named 15 years ago because a second crystal grows out of its “heart,” or center. Crystals of this size and quality are very rare. Heart Mountain came from galileia, Brazil, which is one of the world’s so-called “energy vortexes,” special places also found in India, Peru, and the Tetons.

Heart Mountain sits among the aspen trees in front of RPK 3, and another large crystal placement can be found on the deck at Solitude Station. A few smaller crystals may be seen on several Via Ferrata routes in Casper Bowl.

Photo courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Connie Kemmerer

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Wade McKoy

our way to the upper mountain. By now, the mountain had a base depth of about five feet, just enough to cover most of the small boulders. That means that the entire mountain, top to bottom, was pretty much good to go, and on our last run of the day, we descended the Lower Faces in snow that was up to our belly buttons.

After I first moved to Jackson, it took me a while to figure out this process: how to work the mountain, how to find the best snow, when to take the tram, when to avoid it. Back then, my Utah upbringing kept clouding my vision—and annoying my friends to no end. In Utah, my family and I often skied powder days that measured in feet. So when I first moved to Jackson, I couldn’t understand why people got so fired up over a sixinch storm.

What I eventually learned about Jackson Hole is that its snow quality shouldn’t be measured by one-day storm totals. It rarely gets those 30-inch plus days that Utah and resorts on the West Coast are known for. Instead, Jackson’s game is a week of 6-10 inches punctuated by 18. It’s often much deeper than reported, always colder than just about anywhere else, and the wind will rip the whiskers off your unshaven face. Those are the elements that make it one of the most unforgiving mountains to ski in the country. It’s why we wear beacons when we ski inbounds or out, and why so many of us love it. Combined with the terrain, the 4,100-foot vertical drop, consistent snowfall, and backcountry access, there is no better place to ski in the United States.

Then, right after I learned Jackson Hole’s most important lesson, I moved away to embark on a career as a magazine editor, and landed on the beaches of Southern California to work for Powder magazine.

of new snowfall on top of another eight inches the previous day. I drove out to Teton Village with my friend Eric. We bypassed the tram (again), and made our way to Thunder (again). Standing in that lift line, hearing the Grateful Dead on the stereo, surrounded by other skiers relishing the falling snow, I knew I was among my people. It was the kind of day where you can’t use your phone or take any pictures because it was snowing too hard. So you just ride till the lifts stop spinning.

Locals will recall that this is when the winter of 2018-19 really started to define itself. The snow continued to fall all of February, piling up 193 inches, making it the second deepest month ever recorded at Jackson Hole. Teton Pass closed frequently for avalanche control. The resort took the

It’s a weird thing, living where it doesn’t snow and working for a ski magazine. Anytime you want to go skiing, you have to undertake significant travel. Yet, I found that as a young writer, being removed from the mountains helped sharpen my perspective on what really mattered. The travel had its advantages as well. I was fortunate to ski in many places around the globe, with significant time spent in the Alps. My very first turn in France came off a sketchy cornice in the backcountry of La Clusaz with some locals I’d met in a bar the night before. I learned a lesson then, too: joie de vivre is real among the French and that every place has good skiing and good skiers. As long as there’s enough snow, anyone can have fun. It just depends on their outlook.

But I kept coming back to Jackson Hole. My friends were here, I met my future wife here, and the surrounding wilderness has always offered an untamed environment that has spoken to me ever since I first visited as a child. I moved back for good on July 4, 2013, and continued to work for Powder until this past winter, when I was laid off along with dozens of other people after the magazine and its publishing group (Bike, Surfer, TW Snowboarding, et al) went through a corporate buyout. Interrupted, indeed. (I continue to write and edit for the magazine as the features editorat-large.)

On the first Monday of my unexpected freedom, February 4, the mountain reported 12 inches

j h s k i e r. n e t

February 4, the mountain reported 12 inches of new snowfall on top of eight inches the previous day.

The snow continued to fall all of February, piling up 193 inches — the second deepest month ever recorded at Jackson Hole.

19

20

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

The morning of New Year’s Eve, I checked the BTNF avalanche center: Fourteen inches overnight. Hallelujah, a bona fide submarine day to close out 2018.

unprecedented move of temporarily closing the backcountry gates. Lift lines—and tempers—escalated. Many locals blamed the crowds on the Ikon Pass. The resort countered that it was a combination of season pass-holders, Ikon Pass-holders, improved air service, and excellent snow. All I know is that I avoided the tram more than I ever had.

But, as I said, I still got around it. I chose my times and routes to find the best snow. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn’t.

Like everyone else, I skied through the winter, milking powder turns on a base that was more than eight feet deep by the end of March. One of my best runs came on March 6, even if the snow totals that day were less than memorable. A friend came into town from Montana to catch the next storm slated to hit the Tetons. It fizzled, and left us with an overnight tally of three inches. It was midweek, not too busy; so we took the tram and went straight out the upper gate. Fog had settled over our line, and we waited calmly for it to dissipate. Just a few turns outside the boundary gate, we could feel the silence as if we were 100 miles away from the resort. When visibility improved, we dropped in one at a time, and found boot-top powder in a stunning vertical landscape. We then continued south and took the bootpack out to the next zone.

The hike was easy, our breathing casual after a winter of exertion. There was another small group on top, and we chatted amicably while we readied for the descent. Helmet, goggles, gloves, sip of water, beacon check, buckle our boots, and shove off.

Down below, we found the slope to be totally untracked. This time, there was no way around it.

Chris Leveroni drops into Peter Barker’s imagination in Out Of The Mystic.

d

One day while skiing in the woods, I noticed a dead snag that had split in two. I later returned, with some of my ski-art note cards and some prints of my artworks, and nailed them to the snag. Skiers started visiting my spot in the woods and enjoying the art. Other artists have added some of their own creations, too.

I have been developing a technique to paint backlit skiers in heavily snow-covered, sub-alpine firs. There is a special moment when the trees and skier are backlit, and a strong wind gust explodes the snow in the trees, shattering the light.

One of my favorite songs is Van Morrison’s "Into the Mystic,” so I call this oil painting of a backlit skier dropping into a steep ravine, "Out of the Mystic.” I had an image of Chris Leveroni skiing in similar light and terrain, and that helped me with the painting.

j h s k i e r. n e t

Wade McKoy photos

The Imaginarium of Peter Barker

Tristan “Teton” Brown Casper Bowl j h s k i e r. n e t

MOUNTAIN RESORT

Mountain Sports School Complex Solitude Station Expanded Beginner Area New Eagle’s Rest Quad Chairlift

niently located in the Cody House. At the Kids’ Ranch, youngsters can learn, be challenged, make friends, and create lasting Jackson Hole memories.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort continues its commitment to enhancing the beginner and family experience. The Mountain Sports School at Solitude Station is a vast learning complex. The surrounding beginner terrain is further improved with the addition of the new family-friendly Eagle’s Rest Quad Chairlift. The latest lift servicing JHMR’s base area allows immediate access to Solitude Station’s beginner-to-advanced terrain for a fully rounded learning experience.

A short two-minute ride from the base on the Sweetwater Gondola, this 12,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility features conveniently located ski and snowboard rentals, a covered conveyer lift, a ski school staffed with top-notch instructors, a family après-ski dining experience, and a private event space available both summer and winter. Out of bustle of the base area, the Sports School’s hub offers lessons for children eight years old and up as well as adult lessons.

“It’s a dream come true for snowboarders,” said Ranyon d’Arge, JHMR park and pipe supervisor.

“To be able to hit four perfect rainbows (bent-over trees with both ends touching the ground) in a row, that’s huge.”

“The Stash Park changed the way freestyle snowboarders ski Jackson Hole,” said Rich Goodwin, a park and pipe crew member. “You talk to the high school and middle school kids, they don’t even remember what run they used to take because now the Stash is all they take.”

Jackson Hole’s four Stash parks are located on Campground, Ashley Ridge, Deer Flats, and at Antelope Flats. The Antelope Flats park is “super friendly, low on the ground, and meant for the kids,” d’Arge said. “It has a playground-like structure for a drop-in, which makes it fun.”

Stash parks are eco-friendly; all its features are con-

Kids’ Ranch The Kids’ Ranch offers age-specific activities and lessons for children from 6 months to 7 years old. Ski and snowboard lessons, evening activities, and a fully licensed childcare facility are conve-

22

Access & Resources

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Stash Park

The Mountain Sports School at Solitude Station is a vast learning complex surrounded by beginner terrain and accessed by the new family-friendly Eagle’s Rest Quad Chairlift.

j h s k i e r. n e t

“The Stash Park changed the way freestyle snowboarders ski Jackson Hole,” said Rich Goodwin, a park and pipe crew member.

“It’s a dream come true for snowboarders,” said Ranyon d’Arge, JHMR park and pipe supervisor.

Photos courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

JACKSON HOLE

Wade McKoy

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

structed from deadwood, rock, and dirt rather than the more traditional plastic and steel components.

“Instead of having burn piles, we clean up the hill and recycle a lot of the deadfall,” D’Arge said. “We don’t harm any live trees.”

Ice Skating Rink The Village Rink on the Commons is a big hit for après-ski fun and relaxation. Those who bring their own skates can enjoy the rink for free.

Rental skates are available at the warming hut, along with snacks and warm drinks. Open from 3-9 p.m. daily from Christmas to early March. It is operated by the Grand Teton Skating Association and sponsored by the Teton Village Association and JHMR. Watch for dazzling ice shows in February. Come see Santa skate on December 23 & 24 from 3-4 p.m.

Continued next page JH Insider

Nathaniel Rateliff & Night Sweats headlined last year’s grand finale in Teton Village.

In 2020, from March 27-29, visitors and locals alike can enjoy three days of free live music, in both downtown Jackson and Teton Village.

23

Photo courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

ACCESS & RESOURCES

The Village Rink on the Commons is a big hit for après-ski fun and relaxation. Those who bring their own skates can enjoy the rink for free.

Rental skates are available at the warming hut, along with snacks and warm drinks. Open from 3-9 p.m. daily from Christmas to early March.

Navigate all of JHMR from the seamless new base tech portals of JH Insider. The comprehensive compendium, both in real-time App and interactive desktop formats, is all-access to the best on-mountain experience. JH Insider is loaded with daily snow and weather reports, up-to-the-minute lift and mountain status information, top-to-bottom webcams (including parking lots!), grooming conditions, interactive maps, and more.

Mountain Hosts Jackson Hole Mountain Hosts lead complimentary orientation tours for intermediate-level skiers. Tours depart daily at 9:30 a.m. from the Mountain Hosts’ meeting place, directly behind the general store at the base area.

Vertical-Foot Club

24

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Become a lifetime member of the Jackson Hole Vertical-Foot Club by skiing 100,000 feet in a week. Earn a certificate of achievement and a Western belt buckle for a lifetime total of 300,000, 500,000, and 1,000,000 feet. Open to all visitors.

For more details on how to enroll, check in with the Customer Service Center. Smartphone users can download the free JH Tapped App to log vertical feet by GPS.

Steep and Deep Camps To be the best, you have to ski and ride the best. Steep & Deep Camps nurture skiers and riders who won’t settle for anything less: the best terrain in the lower 48, the best access, the best instruction from the best coaches, and the best camaraderie.

During these four-day intensive camps, students learn how to safely and confidently explore the extreme terrain and snow conditions that make Jackson Hole famous. Expert coaches provide tips on finding the best line, reading a slope, steep-skiing etiquette, and terrain selection.

Camaraderie and community ensure a quality experience for everyone involved in this camp, and the fun continues after the lifts close. Camp tuition includes après ski events, tech talks, and

j h s k i e r. n e t

an awards dinner with prizes.

Elevate Women’s Camp The Elevate Women’s Camp gathers girlfriends, mother-daughter groups, solo travelers, and all intermediate-and-up levels for setting goals and breaking new barriers in alpine sports.

JHMR’s much-loved, four-day, female-focused camp includes highly individualized coaching for maximum improvement and quickly converting newcomers to Elevate Camp alums. Set for January 13-17, it was The New York Times Travel Section’s #1 pick in the November 2018 roundup of top 5 women-only ski camps.

Mindful Ski & Snowboard Camp Now in its second season of practice, Mindful Ski Camp blends early-morning meditation with skiing the awe-inspiring slopes of Jackson Hole.

The passion-driven program conceived by Connie Kemmerer – Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s coowner, meditation expert, and wellness ambassador – Mindful Camp is a pioneer program in the ski categories. Set for January 30-February 2, it is the newest and most progressive addition to Jackson Hole’s carefully designed on-mountain experiences.

On-Mountain Dining

To be the best, you have to ski and ride the best. Steep & Deep Camps nurture skiers and riders who won’t settle for anything less: the best terrain in the lower 48, the best access, the best instruction from the best coaches, and the best camaraderie.

RPK 3 – The newest slope-side dining establishment in Teton Village, conveniently located adjacent to the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram, offers fast casual lunches, a fun après scene, and everything else in between. With its mix of healthy comfort food and hot and cold beverages to quench a mountainous appetite, RPK 3’s fare should satisfy everyone.

Piste Mountain Bistro, located at the top of Bridger Gondola and Marmot chairlift, promises a sophisticated yet casual dining experience. Gather the friends for a bistro-style meal – with a Rocky Mountain twist – and enjoy celebrating snow-world adventures on the mountain in a relaxing, casual setting.

Top of the World Waffles – Ride the aerial tram to the summit and enter Corbet’s Cabin for freshly made sweet or savory waffles.

Off-Piste Market – The home of Sicilian pizza and plenty of grabn-go options, located at the top of the Bridger Gondola, Off-Piste offers quick but comforting food to fuel skiers and snowboarders out on the slopes.

Rendezvous Cafeteria – Located at the top of the Bridger Gondola, where floor-to-ceiling windows deliver impressive views, the cafeteria is perfect for lunch on the hill. Rendezvous features Asian-style noodle bowls, a full grill, a salad bar, and Idaho salt-baked potatoes.

Casper Restaurant – Stop by for a few minutes near the roaring fire or take a load off outside on the sundeck during a warmer day. Casper Restaurant boasts classic gourmet ski comfort food, from burger bar to burritos. The best on-mountain bar at JHMR is here as well, pouring local beers and mixing warm drinks with a kick.

Music Under the Tram: Saturday Music in March, April A great way to celebrate the arrival of spring. Live music from a variety of bands playing right under the tram dock. The snow bar, brimming with libations, inspires everyone to join the crowd gathering during Saturday afternoons in March!

Jackson Hole Rendezvous From March 27-29, visitors and locals alike enjoy three days of free live music, in both downtown Jackson and Teton Village. Past acts include Michael Franti, the Zac Brown Band, O.A.R., Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Blues Traveler, G.Love & Special Sauce, and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.

Environmental Responsibility: JHMR 100% Green Powered with Wind Energy While Jackson Hole is fortunate to experience some of the finest snow conditions in North America, the larger context of weather, climate, and changing conditions is of central focus. In a continued commitment to greater environmental responsibility, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is proud to power off of wind energy. A recognized ski-industry leader, JHMR’s unique position as a sought-after, global, big-mountain resort destination, coupled with its immediate proximity to North America’s most celebrated National Parks, makes it a fitting candidate for incorporating Green Power. The important September 2019 move means all operations are now powered by local Wyoming partner and provider Lower Valley Energy’s (LVE) 100% Green Power program. This includes all JHMR on-mountain lifts, facilities, and basearea operations. The program’s product directly sources wind power farms in neighboring Idaho. Learn more about how JHMR is enhanced with wind-powered electricity in Our Commitments.

j h s k i e r. n e t

307.733.5599 | 80 Center Street Jackson Hole, Wyoming www.hin es-go ld.c om Hand Made in the U.S.A.

Since 1970

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

25

SKI AMBASSADOR

Tommy Moe

T

ommy Moe, men’s downhill Olympic gold Medalist at the 1994 winter games in Lillehammer, Norway, this winter celebrates 25 years as torchbearer for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Tommy Moe tends to business in Cody Bowl.

26

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Wade McKoy photos

The resort’s second-ever ski ambassador, Moe followed in the footsteps of Pepi Stiegler, who served in the inaugural role after retiring as ski school director.

Moe’s ambassadorship fits him to a T. “It’s evolved through the past 25 years,” Moe recalled. “At first there was quite a bit more marketing, going to ski shows and press events, and that was great.”

To no one’s surprise, the resort quickly tapped into Moe’s on-slope persona and abilities, “I started working for ski school with their All Mountain Camp in 1998, then with the Steep and Deep camps with Doug Coombs, and also doing private lessons.”

These days he spends most of his time as an alpine guide and ski instructor with Mountain Sports School. He often skis with resort VIPs and still attends an occasional ski show.

“Having guide credentials is pretty cool. I started Tordrillo Mountain Lodge (with Mike Overcast) a long time ago, and some of those guests come to Jackson and want to ski the backcountry.”

Of course, the popularity of Jackson Hole’s backcountry makes it a top request, but Moe finds his mojo wherever his skis take him.

“We have awesome skiing both inbounds and out of bounds. It’s nice to mix it up. I enjoy taking people down Rock Springs and I also enjoy showing them the Hobacks, the Expert Chutes – all that Jackson Hole has to offer. It’s a great pleasure to ski around and show people terrain that matches their ability and enjoy skiing The Big One together.”

Moe, whose highlight reel features that Norwegian gold, also won a Silver Medal in super g in Lillehammer, raced on the World Cup through the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and stood atop the podium to capture two Jackson Town Downhill championships.

“Winning the Town Downhill is as big a deal around here as winning an Olympic gold,” he said, laughing.

Among the crowning moments of Moe’s life was his relocation to Jackson – the Olympic champ had other suitors, too – and grew from a seed planted when he was 12 years old.

“I grew up in Whitefish, Montana,” Moe recalled. “Me and my friend Jamie Kanzler came down for a race on Snow King. We had come a few days early to ski Teton Village because Jamie’s dad, Jim, was a ski patrolman for Jackson Hole. He brought us up an early tram and skied with us, took us down the Hobacks, down Unskiable Chute. It really stuck in my mind. I remember being amazed at the terrain, how cool it was. I remember seeing the top of a car covered in four feet of snow. We had a blast.”

Now Moe pays it forward to his own kids.

“I love the outdoors here, the kayaking, fishing, and mountain biking. My kids, Taylor and Taryn, were born here, go to school in Jackson, ski with the ski club. We’re enjoying the outdoors, doing a lot of backpacking, waterskiing, mountain biking. I’m trying to show my kids everything I love to do. The skiing, of course, is spectacular. They love talking about Corbet’s. Next I’ll probably have to take them heli-skiing.

They’re asking about it.”

j h s k i e r. n e t

Mary Kate Buckley

R

eflecting on the 35 years since I first skied Jackson Hole as a destination visitor, then progressively as a local and 100 Day Club member, a member of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Board of Directors, and now as the resort’s president, I’m grateful that our most important qualities have not changed.

PRESIDENT

Wade McKoy

Mary Kate Buckley takes stock with a daily ski descent from the top station of the Jackson Hole Aerial Tramway.

Our world-class terrain, majestic views, wild open spaces, cowboy powder, and authentic Western spirit are enduring. The Kemmerer’s commitments to Wyoming, the Jackson Hole community, and the family’s status as independent owners in an increasingly consolidated ski industry remain constant. Almost three decades of Kemmerer family investments in resort improvements, both on-mountain and off, show that the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is dedicated to inspiring and enabling every guest to elevate their ability and connection to the outdoors through human-powered adventure, today and into the foreseeable future.

What is changing is the ski industry landscape: we are in the midst of broad industry consolidation. Since 2012, virtually all of North America’s largest resorts have joined a multi-resort pass product or been acquired by either Vail or Alterra. Shared pass products now make up over 20 percent of total industry visits, with the Epic Pass (Vail) leading the charge and the Ikon Pass (Alterra) quickly pacing towards it. Though this consolidation has spurred visitation growth in a historically stagnant industry and widened the sport’s audience and accessibility, this growth has also highlighted capacity constraints here at home and many other mountain communities like our own.

In Jackson Hole, the advent of the Ikon Pass, coupled with over 500 inches of snowfall, yielded record visitation for JHMR last season. It also stressed our infrastructure and tried the patience of our local community. While we only have one season of data on which to evaluate the Ikon Pass, the widespread popularity of multi-resort passes suggests that they are here to stay. We will continue to participate with these products this winter and expect another busy year.

Since the end of last ski season, we have been working to bolster our infrastructure and we look forward to introducing these new ammenities: the new Eagles Rest quad chairlift; expanded skiable terrain (thanks to extensive glading); snowmaking and trail enhancements; renovated facilities; a state-of-the-art guest Service Center; additional gondola capacity; the Teton Village Association’s introduction of solutions to transportation challenges. We are ready with these improvements, and more, when we welcome our guests to our 2019/20 season. It will be our longest season yet, with 137 days of operations.

As stewards of our natural environment, we are committed to taking action to reduce our impact on the planet. While other ski areas have made the move to renewable energy or carbon offsets in recent years, Jackson Hole is the largest resort to directly power itself with clean energy. We announced in September, in partnership with Lower Valley Energy, our full transition to 100-percent renewable wind power for all of our electricity needs, which include all JHMR on-mountain lifts, facilities, and base-area operations.

Ski season is a joyful time. We hope our local community can peacefully share the mountain and be respectful and patient with those who have traveled to experience the wonderful recreation that we have access to every day. On behalf of the Kemmerer family, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Board of Directors, and all the JHMR employees who work tirelessly to deliver premium and memorable big-mountain experiences, it’s an honor to reflect on Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s impressive history and to share our promising future with our community of Jackson Hole skiers, employees, and welcomed visitors.

— Mary Kate Buckley

j h s k i e r. n e t

27

JACKSON HOLE

Alpine

GUIDES

MOUNTAIN RESORT

Keeping people safe in the backcountry Skiing out of bounds puts you in the untamed Tetons – no ski patrol assistance, no marked runs, and no avalanche mitigation to the slopes.

Inherent dangers lurk in the backcountry. Learn the proper mindset for this wild mountain environment by hiring a guide. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Alpine Guides is one of the oldest ski-guide services in the U.S. and boasts a world-class roster. They know where to uncover the hidden powder stashes and how to enjoy a safe, fun day in the mountains.

Some important points for all backcountry travelers to consider: • Think with your head, not with your ego.

• Don’t use a hit-list for the backcountry. Go with the safest option for the day. Every day is different for avalanche conditions: aspect, wind, new snow, etc.

• Have the right gear and know how to use it. Beacon, probe poles, and shovel. Make sure to turn your beacon ON and test it with your buddy.

• Ski with a partner and let someone else know where you are touring.

• Beware of sucker tracks.

• When you are on a big slope, before you make your first turn have an exit plan in case it slides. Look for an island of safety anywhere you have to stop.

• Be courteous by not skiing down on top of other parties.

• Study the weather and avalanche data and forecasts.

— JH SKIER

Raised my rifle to my eye Never stopped to wonder why.

Then I saw black, And my face splashed in the sky.

— Neil Young, “Powderfinger”

Wade McKoy

I heard the avalanche before I saw it. I was watching a group of skiers on the ridge through my 400 mm zoom lense when the sudden roar jerked my eyes away from my camera. Central Couloir was fully engulfed and roaring.

To witness such an event is rare. To capture it in photographs, a gift from beyond.

— Wade McKoy j h s k i e r. n e t

Bridger-TeTon naTional ForesT

S

AVALANCHE CENTER

There have been 68 backcountry avalanche fatalities in northwest Wyoming since the avalanche center began operations in 1976.

Many of those accidents have occurred immediately outside of the boundaries of the local ski resorts.

By Bob Comey, Director, BTNF Avalanche Center

imply put: Avalanches kill people in western Wyoming!

Over 60 people have died in avalanches in the local backcountry since 2000. Eleven of these were skiers or snowboarders who left local ski-area boundaries.

But skiing or snowboarding in powder-snow conditions outside of resort boundaries can be an amazing experience. How do we do it safely?

Your best bet is to hire a local guide. Several private companies provide trained guides that will bring you to safe terrain and the best snow around. Nonetheless, if you intend to enter avalanche terrain you must be equipped with avalanche rescue gear. Each member of your party should have an avalanche beacon, collapsible snow shovel, and probe. Each also needs to know how to use those tools and be able to perform a safe and effective rescue at a moment’s notice. Avalanche airbags are also recommended.

Most people, or a member of their party, trigger the very avalanche that kills them. Avalanches are violent and can easily cause enough trauma to kill a victim before the avalanche even stops moving. Those that survive the initial event can be completely buried in avalanche debris and rarely survive for more than a few minutes under the snow. Obviously it’s best to avoid getting caught in an avalanche.

But if an avalanche incident does occur, it is essential that other members of your group are not caught and are capable of accessing the scene safely and immediately conducting a rescue with the resources at hand.

To safely travel in avalanche terrain you must get avalanche training. Many local entities provide excellent avalanche-hazard courses for a wide variety of abilities. Other resources are available in books and online. Once you are trained, equipped, and practiced it’s time for some local knowledge. Every single morning and evening you should check the daily avalanche hazard forecast posted by the BridgerTeton National Forest Avalanche Center (BTAC) at jhavalanche.org or 307-733-2664.

The BTAC has been providing daily avalanche-hazard forecast since 1976. Each forecast includes information about recent

snowfall, temperature changes, wind speed and direction, and a daily avalanche-danger rating. Recent avalanche activity is one of the best insights into the type of terrain that is dangerous and the type of avalanche one might encounter given the current snowpack structure and weather forecast. Recent avalanche activity that has been reported to or observed by the avalanche center is posted on the BTAC website in a Google-map format. Avalanche educators will teach you how to interpret the information provided by the avalanche center and how to use that data to make safe decisions in the backcountry.

Avalanche forecasters who work for the BTAC are employed by the United States Forest Service. They monitor the development and fate of weak layers in the snowpack daily, from the first snowfall until late May. They begin their day at 5 a.m. and issue daily backcountry avalanche-hazard bulletins by 7 a.m. for specific areas and issue a regional avalanche-hazard forecast by 7 p.m. for the next day.

Although these bulletins are specific to a particular region, large variations in avalanchehazard can occur over small geographical distances.

These daily bulletins are a starting point.

Armed with this knowledge backcountry travelers must make their own terrain-selection de-

Nathaniel Murphy checks out the crown of a massive avalanche one early morning high in the Tetons.

Fredrick Marmsater photo cisions based upon real-time observations of actual conditions.

Expert guides can apply the information in these bulletins and their intimate knowledge of the snowpack conditions and terrain they frequent to determine safe travel routes for clients lacking the skills necessary to interpret this information or make good decisions in avalanche terrain.

The BTAC forecasters work closely with other avalanche specialists in the region who assess and mitigate the avalanche hazard at the local ski areas and above our roadways.

Observations are also shared by guides who operate in the national forest and in the national park. These observations and the results of these collaborations are summarized and disseminated via the avalanche center’s website and increase the knowledge of avalanche hazards in the community.

Understanding avalanche hazards and practicing safe travel techniques is a lifelong endeavor. Never travel alone in avalanche terrain and always remember that your partners are your best resource for making safe terrain choices and saving your butt if things go wrong. Choose you partners carefully and live to ski or snowboard another day.

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

29

&

e th

Im p e rfe ct S cie nce o f

Ava la nc he H a zard M it iga t i on

JACKSON HOLE

SKI PATROL

“We cannot control it,” said Drew Kneeland, fiveyear JHMR ski patrol director, including nine years as assistant director. “We can never say for certain there will not be an avalanche. The premise of our work is to mitigate those hazards. But it’s an imperfect science. And when we get into situations like extended storm cycles, there are times when you don’t feel safe opening the mountain at all.”

Kneeland, his two assistants, and numerous supervisors, all inherited the sum of historical knowledge regarding slide paths, starting zones, and the like from their senior counterparts.

“Larry Livingood (an early BTNF avalanche forecaster) liked to say, ‘We stand on the shoulders of giants,’ the people who came before us. I feel very fortunate to have worked with Mr. (Sheep) Nelson, Kirby Williams, Todd Harley, Dean Moore, Jake Elkins, Corky Ward, (Jerry) Amadon – all who, for many years, worked on this mountain.”

Kneeland talks of a collective consciousness among the ski patrol.

“You may not have even been there, but you’ve heard the story so many times you feel like you were.”

Milestones “There are milestones. A lot of those deal with people losing their life in the line of duty. Unfortunately those things happen. I was at a patrol directors meeting a couple years ago and a guy was giving a talk on the hazards of ski patrolling. He asked how many people in the room knew someone or worked with someone who died in the line duty while ski patrolling, and everybody in the room raised their hand. In how many other careers would that be the case?”

Kneeland’s first rule: Recognize the hazard and don’t be complacent about it.

“Storms like the Raymer Storm (February 17, 1986, patrolman Tom Raymer died while running his route), with avalanche activity to the valley floor, it rained, the wind and temperatures – all were huge factors. We closed the mountain for days and it took us a week to open it again. Those events are etched in your mind.

Mother Nature is always in charge. She can do what She wants. And the mountain is not forgiving.”

Two winters ago, a storm to equal Raymer’s

30

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

knocked out power to Teton Village when 17 Callum Mackay throws a lit one-pounder power poles were felled by wind. An enoron his route, “back in the day.” mous effort by Lower Valley Energy, aided Drew Kneeland, JHSP director, ponders by trucks and workers from all over Idaho winter even while at his JHMR desk in the and Wyoming (crews with Bonneville Power summertime. in Idaho Falls, Fall River Electric in Driggs and High Plains Electric in Riverton), as well as JHMR groomer operators, restored the power in less than a week. But during that week with no power, the ski patrol still went to work.

“We accessed the mountain with the tram running on auxiliary power (diesel engine). It essentially became a mission of trying to stay on top of the evolving conditions.

We had all patrollers on deck and got into the mode of protecting infrastructure. Challenges, like no heat at our main building at the top (Corbet’s Cabin) while dispatchers worked in that environment. Fortunately in M.O.B. (Mountain Operations Building) we have a generator.

“We rely on things, and when they are not there we have to change the plan. You Gasex, an on-slope tube, remotely fired, that realize, you aren’t in control, and you try to mitigate shoots an air-blast of exploding propane and oxygen, the hazards as much as you can.” has replaced conventional artillery. Individual Gasex Wallowing Hip Deep in Snow units are fired at 6 a.m. from M.O.B. by the group of Any winter storm that hits the Tetons, not just the avalanche-reduction leaders trained specifically in rare extremes, can make getting around on the mounGasex deployment. tain dangerous and exhausting for patrollers running Three Gasex units were installed on the Headwall their avalanche-hazard reduction routes. a number of years ago. Four additional units now pro“Traversing across the mountain, waist deep in tect Pepi’s Bench and The Cirque. snow, struggling to break trail to get out. Skiers don’t “That’s been revolutionary, a game changer for us. realize it when they get on top and drop into the fall We don’t have to hike the White Spider (a steep bootline that it can be difficult to just get around the pack up the Headwall from the top the gondola). We mountain.” come up the tram, work our way down the East Ridge, and then use climbing skins instead of boot-packing Tools of the Trade

Wade McKoy photos

B

ack in the day it was called “snow control,” but not anymore. The modern term, “avalanche-hazard mitigation,” evolved as snow science has matured over the past couple decades.

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

10 Avalanche-Mitigation Routes “Personnel are assigned one route for an entire season, and the people who will fill in are also assigned to one route. That way they can see what happens as conditions change, as anchors start getting buried in the starting zones; they can see how that progresses through the season. They can see what one storm does, what kind of changes you see in wind direction, things like that.

“Some people stay on the same route for ten years. Others might change routes after five or six years. If they are fairly new, we’ll move them around to different routes. We still look for continuity, though, so people develop that long view. As the older guys retire, that knowledge needs to be passed on.”

Ski Patrol Tryouts “We started doing a hiring clinic three years ago, in the spring. We put out feelers to find out who might be interested in working on the ski patrol. We ask them to come to our hiring clinic. We get an opportunity to see them ski, find out what kinds of skills they have, and how they would fit in with the team.

“That’s been a great tool, but it’s not the only place we get new patrollers. Patrollers come from other ski areas, maybe their significant other got a job and they’ve moved here. And you have people with very strong climbing backgrounds who want to parley that into a career ski patrolling.”

Reorganized and upwardly mobile “There are different grades of patroller now. They can start out and work their way up. Hopefully become supervisor. Hopefully we’ll have some succession planning in place, so as people progress there is somewhere for them to go. They are not stuck in one place.

“We’ve grown from around 45 patrollers, when I started in 1994, to 87 patrollers now. Because of that, we’ve been able to create a level of supervisors beneath the assistant directors. It has also created an opportunity to hire and train specialists, because there are so many elements to being a patroller: accident investigation, the dog program, mountaineering and rope work, lift evacuation, cliff rescues – a huge variety of aspects to the job.

“It’s great that a lot of women are patrolling now, too. It’s helped bring a cultural change to the “crusty old ski patroller” image. I’ve been fortunate to see that and to help get that momentum going to create a kinder, gentler patrol, and one that has opportunities for people. That has been a big deal for people. It has created opportunity and a sense that people can have a career ski patrolling. It’s not a dead-end job or a fillin job or an interim thing.

“Yet the part-time option is still open for those older patrollers with historic knowledge. We get to keep their experience and keep them in the group to share that experience. For a lot of these patrollers, their identities are wrapped up in their job. But it wears your body down, so is there a way to segue out of it? Not just get cut off from the group? The camaraderie is huge. You entrust your life to that person.”

Backcountry Gates “Before the open-gate policy, when the backcountry was closed – which was most of the time – there was a lot of angst. It was a constant battle. From our perspective, it was a very positive development when the ski-area boundary opened.

j h s k i e r. n e t

“We work pretty closely with TCSAR (Teton County Search and Rescue) and GTNP (Grand Teton National Park) on rescues. We are not obligated to respond.

But, if we have the personnel and we aren’t totally taxed by conditions within the ski area, and the hazard outside the boundary is not overwhelming, we typically will try to respond.

“There have been very few instances where we haven’t gone out, but there have been times where the hazard has been too high. People need to be aware that rescue is not guaranteed. And with helicopters, the weather can change and they can’t fly.

“I saw a film where Scott Gunther (GTNP climbing ranger chief) said ‘Think about the rescuer’s family and your family before you go out in conditions that would create hazard for someone to come get you.’

“Some people come with a list of places they want to ski. It could be a winter where the entire season isn’t right for any of those places. But they have this

list and they want to go to those places. Because they read about them or heard about them or skied them last year and they were fine. But this particular winter winds up being not a good year for any of those places. Unless you have a long-range view, it’s hard to convey that. They are here in the short term. They want to ski the list.

“We want people to know that there are hazards out there and we don’t mitigate those hazards beyond our resort boundary. Any of them. You may not get rescued. Or you may get rescued, but it’s too late. Our involvement depends on what else is going on inside the resort.

“Keep in mind that the mountains are unforgiving.

Nature is a more powerful force than anything you can fathom.”

— JH SKIER

GONGd FOR THE DEPARTED

Ski patrolling is serious work.

Dangerous, sometimes even fatal.

Several shrines to the memories of patrollers killed in the line of duty at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort pay tribute to them and their profession. One such shrine, Wally’s Gong, honors Mark “Big Wally” Wolling, who died in January 2010 in an avalanche he blasted loose during his route monitoring.

Shortly after, the ski patrol placed a Tibetan-styled gong in the tree next to the slide’s crown.

A friend within the tight-knit ski community had found the ornate chime the previous year at Browse & Buy, a secondhand store in Jackson. It became tradition to ski by and ring the gong for Wally.

Seven years later, storm winds swept away the chime.

other nice one that I found at gongs.com. People chipped in.

Walter Stoessel made the header board and hardware to hang it.

It’s near the debris pile in the trees, out of the wind.”

Near the summit, three plaques memorialize the four Jackson Hole ski patrollers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Tom Raymer and Paul Driscoll share the original marker placed

Sparky gongs anew.

Wally’s original gong.

The fallen four’s summit plaques.

“Never to be seen again,” mused Kirk “Sparky” Speckhals, veteran ski patroller and self-designated keeper of the shrines. “I imagine if you hiked around there in late spring you could find it. That’s how I found Wally’s skis. They were just beginning to poke out of the slide debris, his skis, poles, and goggles. I carried it all down.

“I really loved that gong and decided to replace it with an-

decades ago. Mark “Big Wally” Wolling and Kathryn Miller Hess each have a Speckhals-produced tablet created by a monument company from photos of the Raymer-Driscoll original. Patroller Brian Jillson and the JHMR trail crew built the rock monuments and installed the plaques.

Wade McKoy photos

to get up Pepi’s Bench. No more swimming and clawing your way up. Skinning is safer, and saves an enormous amount of energy.”

31

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Alpine Medical Advice

By Jeffrey Greenbaum, M.D., Saint John’s Medical Center

R

Slow Down. Save a Life. Stay Out of Jail.

un an Internet search on “ski collisions” and you will find some very interesting videos, most of which end with someone injured. The common feature of the videos is how violent these accidents can be.

In fact, ski-area collisions result in some of the worst injuries we see. From bumps and bruises, to broken bones, to blown knees, and even major trauma resulting in death. Skiarea collisions should not be underestimated.

Your life could depend upon this advice.

Take as an example five-yearold Elise Johnson, who was killed in 2010 while skiing with her mother at a small Wyoming ski resort. Elise and her mother were on the slopes when struck by a male snowboarder. Sadly, the snowboarder also died in the accident, and Elise’s mother was left with a traumatic brain injury and arm paralysis. Perhaps you’ve seen the #RideAnotherDay safety camAlthough only a Teton County Search and Rescue training session here, a gravely injured skier could paign launched by the National Ski hardly misread the real concern on the faces of Dr. Jeff Greenbaum (left) and Sheriff Matt Carr.

Areas Association in her memory: “She Was 5. You Were Doing 50.” that the collision was coming until it was too late. another to follow the rules of the road to prevent This isn’t a new topic. In 1997, 33-year-old They, reportedly, had no time to react. Not surauto accidents from becoming routine. When Alan Cobb was killed at Vail when struck by a someone fails to comply with traffic laws, injuries prisingly, other people injured in ski collisions tell reckless skier. The 18-year-old offender was cona similar story. happen. And, if you’re like me and were raised in victed of criminally negligent homicide. Here in

Jackson Hole we had a similar fatality in 2005, and that young man also spent some time in jail.

These are examples of the most severe outcomes of ski collisions, and they share an important investigative result. The victims had no idea

In my experience as an emergency physician, the other category of accidents that share this frequent description of “surprise” or “caught off guard” in the nature of injury is motor vehicle collisions, or MVCs. When driving, we count on one

j h s k i e r. n e t

the city, you learn to drive defensively just in case your fellow commuters are not paying attention.

For ski areas, the Rules of the Road are embedded in the Skier Responsibility Code. A closer look reveals that the first four items in the code

Wade McKoy

32

are intended to help prevent collisions. They also have a striking resemblance to defensive driving practices.

1. Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

Rules number three and four in particular are important when considering ski collisions. You would never stop your car around a blind turn, would you?

And would you merge onto the highway without checking your mirrors or looking over your shoulder? Take this into consideration on your next ski outing. Just because you are the downhill skier and have the right of way doesn’t mean you should trust that everyone else is practicing the Rules of the Road. Pay attention.

Keep in mind that much has changed in the last 20 years of resort skiing and some of those changes have increased your risk. For example, the equipment is much different, with fat and rockered skis now dominating the slopes. These have allowed intermediate skiers to feel stable at faster speeds. But these same skiers have not mastered all the skills necessary to demonstrate control, and are therefore a potential hazard. Also, the equipment is heavier, resulting in greater force of impact when a collision occurs.

Another factor is the advent of annual ski passes valid at multiple resorts, such as the Ikon and Epic passes. These have created greater numbers of visi-

Dr. Jeff’s Advice: 1. Know the Skier’s Responsibility Code. Stay in control.

2. If you can’t stop, you’re going too fast.

3. Practice defensive skiing.

4. Never stop where uphill skiers cannot see you.

5. Always stop on the side of the slope, not in the center.

6. Keep your group size small.

7. Look uphill before starting from stationary or when merging.

8. Don’t take blind jumps without a spotter.

9. Teach your kids the Rules of the Road.

10. Don’t leave the scene of an accident. Wait for patrol.

tors who may be unfamiliar with the terrain. Here in Jackson Hole, a seasoned local knows to keep her speed down when heading over the Hoback Roller, but a visitor may chose to ignore the “Slow” banner and find himself sailing through the air, out of control.

According to the 2017 Wyoming Ski Act all skiers/riders have certain legal responsibilities, including: 1. Knowing the limits or your ability 2. Maintaining control 3. Becoming familiar with the terrain and slope difficulty 4. Stopping in safe zones 5. Yielding when merging onto trails or starting from a stationary position Additionally, Wyoming Statute 6-9-301 states:

in which an injury results shall leave the vicinity of the collision before giving his name and current address to an employee of the ski area, except for the purpose of securing aid for a person injured in the collision, in which event the person leaving the scene of the collision shall give his name and current address as required by this subsection within twenty-four (24) hours after securing aid.

What all of this legal jargon means is that you have a responsibility to help prevent collisions and you cannot leave the scene of a collision that produced injuries unless you are seeking medical aid. According to Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, it is the expectation of local law enforcement that persons involved in a ski-area collision will “…render aid and stick around to provide information.” Violators may be jailed for up to 20 days and be fined up to $200.

Clearly, you have incentive to avoid ski-area collisions for the benefit of your personal health and legal responsibility. The professionals at the Teton Village Clinic and Saint John’s Medical Center Emergency Department do not need your business, so be aware and stay safe. Practice defensive skiing strategies and know the code.

And don’t forget to have fun.

No skier involved in a collision with another person

j h s k i e r. n e t

SKI COMMUNITY

33

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Alpine Medical Advice

By Andrew B. Bullington, M.D., Teton Orthopaedics

Bone Breaks in Alpine Skiing

Crashers, Collisions, and Broken Bones: A Look into Common Fractures through the Eyes of a Fellow Crasher “Crasher’s rule #1. Never leave a crasher behind. Crashers take care of their own.”

“Crasher’s rule #37: On the mountain, one hard drink, two beers max. A drunk crasher is a sloppy crasher.” Be responsible on the mountain; sloppy crashers means more carnage.

Tibial Shaft Fractures (left) Tibial shaft fractures occur at the top of the boot with angulation of the leg and rotation of the ski. The force is then transferred just above the boot and fractures the tibia and fibula. Our main concern is the tibia, which bears around 94 percent of the body’s weight.

This fracture is typically fixed with a metal rod through the center of the tibial bone, but sometimes requires plates and screws. While the fracture is held in position, the tibia is drilled to open the space for the rod. The rod is inserted through a small incision at the knee and stabilized by screws from the medial (inside) part of the tibia. These Interference screws go through the rod and protect the fracture while it heals. This construct can sometimes allow the patient to put weight on the leg before six weeks after the surgery.

Recovery is usually between 3-6 months, depending on the complexity of the fracture.

Physical therapy is required to regain/maintain strength and range of motion. While this can be one of the most gruesome fractures to visualize, outcomes on these are excellent even when the bone breaks through the skin.

If you ask me, I’d much rather have this injury than an ACL tear.

“Crasher’s Rule #39: Your favorite movie is The English Patient. You’ll feel damaged like that English patient with the injury below.

Tibial Plateau Fractures (right) Tibial plateau fractures happen very similarly to ACL injuries. There is a downward force j h s k i e r. n e t

Wade McKoy

While not all of us can pull off being a Wedding Crasher, crashing on the mountain takes little or no talent. We will look at this with some help from John and Jeremy’s rules from Wedding Crashers, the movie.

Tibial shaft fractures and tibial plateau fractures are the two most common lower extremity injuries other than MCL/ACL tears suffered while skiing or snowboarding. These often occur in crashes and collisions of skiers (see rule #1 above). While these can be devastatingly painful, the recovery can in many cases be quicker than those of ACL tears. Tibial shaft fractures can heal within six months. Tibial plateau fractures can have greater long-term risks for arthritis but can also heal within six months. Simply stated: bones heal faster than soft tissue injuries (ACLs).

X-rays courtesy Andrew Bullington, M. D.

34

plate across the fracture fragments just below the articular cartilage. These support the joint surface and hold these pieces in position while they heal. Unfortunately, sometimes the pieces are too small and too many to all be held in place with the screws.

Recovery is a period of at least six weeks of non-weightbearing, at minimum three months of physical therapy, with a return to sport after a minimum of six months.

While this injury is more common among people with osteoporosis, we are seeing plateau fractures in all ages now, given that our culture is filled with those seeking to “Send It.” If you find yourself on the sled, taking the easy yet less glamorous route down the mountain, here are some things to keep in mind. Ice and elevate as much as possible.

Don’t eat or drink anything in transit to the hospital. Be patient with the process – remember:

Crasher’s rule #6: “Don’t sit in the corner and sulk. It draws attention in a negative way. Draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms.”

Everyone is doing their best to take care of you.

Finally, try to relax; despite the risks of arthritis, the outcomes are quite good for these fractures in the hands of your local orthopaedists.

Joshua Beck, MD

Andrew Bullington, MD

Angus Goetz, DO

Christopher Hills, DO

Adult & Pediatric Spine Surgery Knee & Shoulder Surgery Sports Medicine-Arthroscopy Joint Replacement Trauma & Fracture Care Fracture Management

Total Joint Replacement Surgery Spine Surgery Knee, Hip, Ankle, Shoulder Minimally Invasive Surgery General Orthopaedics Trauma & Fracture Care

David Khoury, MD

Sports Medicine-Arthroscopy Knee & Shoulder Surgery Trauma & Fracture Care

Geoffrey Skene, DO

Non-Surgical Spine Care Neck & Back Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Bob Woodall

along with angulation/rotation at the knee.

Instead of the ligaments tearing, the bone breaks. This typically occurs on the lateral (outside) part of the tibial plateau where it forms the foundation of the knee. The weaker tibia is split and pushed down as the femur is driven down into the tibial plateau. Inevitably, the articular cartilage covering both the femur and tibia is injured.

This cartilage is the protective layer covering the bones, and its loss leads to arthritis.

Unfortunately, the cells that produce cartilage do not regenerate. Damage to these cells cannot be reversed. Arthritis is the result of this injury. Perhaps our children who have their cord blood frozen in some laboratory will be able to grow a new crop of articular cartilage, but currently we don’t have the technology yet to address this issue.

Our main job is to attempt to realign the bones, restore the foundation of the knee, and hope that the articular cartilage survives this injury.

Restoration of the foundation requires surgical intervention with plates and screws.

An incision is made on the knee. The bones are exposed. The joint is then inspected.

The fragments are elevated and great care is taken to align the articular cartilage back to its normal level. Typically, cadaver bone chips are used to support the depressed fragments and fill the void that is left after the bone is elevated. Thin wires are used to hold the small pieces in place while a plate is applied. Screws are placed through the

World Class Specialists in Orthopaedic Care LOCATIONS IN JACKSON, AFTON, PINEDALE, EVANSTON, BIG PINEY, RIVERTON, LANDER, ROCK SPRINGS

Heidi Jost, MD

Hand & Upper Extremity Foot & Ankle Surgery Custom Orthotics

TETONORTHO.COM (307) 733-3900 PHYSICIAN ON CALL 24/7

Rafael Williams, MD Shoulder Surgery Hand & Upper Extremity Sports Injuries

j h s k i e r. n e t

SKI COMMUNITY

35

Jackson Hole

BABE FORCE

Inclusive women’s group born from rebellion

ot a bunch of outlaws, the Jackson Hole Babe Force is, however, a club— but one born of gangsterism.

Years ago, a well-known local was putting up a sign, “J.H.A.F. THIS WAY,” hoping to lure the masses of newcomers the wrong way, baiting them away from some prime terrain with the imprimatur of the close-knit underground ski gang, the Jackson Hole Air Force.

The year was 2010, and for two skiers who witnessed this slightly twisted – though humorous – act, it was the genesis of a roots movement: The Jackson Hole Babe Force.

Jackson native Crystal Wright and her friend Sarah Felton spied the sign being erected as they hiked up to ski Granite Canyon. It bothered them but they continued skiing along their way nonetheless. On the lengthy traverse back to the resort, though, they caught up to a group of guys who wouldn’t yield and who attempted to block the ladies’ passage.

“I got a bit feisty and jokingly said, ‘Watch out! Babe Force coming through!’” said Wright.

The two women charged past the testy males and quickly gained distance, sidestepping up, skating across, and skiing out the span. While they advanced, they talked about handling similar encounters in the future. Later

Liza Sarychev OB 2011. The second gathering, a month later, drew more than 130 women – the youngest, six, the oldest, 82.

“We were filming for Lynsey Dyer’s movie, Pretty Faces, and it was so amazing to see all the ladies show up and represent women’s skiing,” she said.

JHBF holds an event each month, either at the resort or partnering with Teton County Search And Rescue to run avalanche and beacon training in the backcountry.

“Realizing there was a need for women to become more empowered in the mountain environment, we started doing more organized events,” she said. “In 2015 we started our scholarship program – this year marks our fifth annual. We’ve been able to add more scholarships each year, thanks largely to our Kentucky Derby fundraiser. Last year we were able to offer 29 scholarships, a big increase.”

Monthly programs include: Mountain Bike Clinics; Trails to Tailgate; Babes, Beacons, and Backcountry.

“The big demographic is the main thing for us,” said Wright. “A lot of these types of organizations just reach the younger generation. But what about all the ladies on this mountain, across all generations, who are pushing themselves like we do?”

The Babe Force awards a patch to those who inspire others.

“You get a patch by inspiring someone else or by pushing yourself,” she said. “Teaching someone, helping them get outside their comfort zone.”

Donate at www.jhbabeforce All proceeds go to the scholarship funds, and that gets more women out in the mountains.

Photo courtesy Jackson Hole Babe Force

Wade McKoy photo

N

“It’s not a gang. It’s a club.”

— a gangster statement at its roots

that day, Wright and Felton continued their conversation at Calico Pizza, where they both worked. Brian Rutter, a high-ranking member of the Jackson Hole Air Force and a Calico head cook, was working that night, too.

“We talked about it with Brian, who is our friend, and he gave us his blessing to start concocting our plan,” said Wright.

Another friend and co-worker, Jess Pierce, designed a patch – and the Jackson Hole Babe Force was born.

“It started out just being a fun girls’ club getting all abilities out and skiing around and empowering each other,” said Wright. “There’s been so much progression in women’s skiing in Jackson, and we wanted our own movement on the realm of meeting the ripping women skiers here.”

About 30 women showed up for the inaugural Babe Force ski day in

36

SKI COMMUNITY

Crystal Wright Highlights Two-time Freeskiing World Tour Champion; skied in Warren Miller’s Ticket to Ride; skied extensively in the Wind River and Teton ranges; coaches women camps in Chamonix, France, her eighth year this winter; coaches two local camps at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Wright, with her husband Brian Mulvihill, now focuses on their 19month-old daughter. But she continues to run her business, Wright Training, where she and her team of physical trainers serve an A-list of clients.

j h s k i e r. n e t

— JH SKIER

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

I Ski With

PEPI

Community rallies for renowned skier

Pepi Stiegler Career Highlights

1952 Austrian Junior Champion, slalom 1960 Olympics, Squaw Valley: silver medal, giant slalom 1961 Austrian National Champion 1964 Olympics, Innsbruck: gold medal, slalom; bronze medal, GS 1965-1994 Ski School Director, Jackson Hole Ski Area 1995-2002 Ski Area Ambassador, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Wade McKoy

Pepi and the Stiegler family are enormously thankful for the outpouring of support from our community. The "I Ski with Pepi" campaign helped offset the huge expense of Pepi's recovery.

Looking ahead, the goal of the campaign is to keep Pepi active and socially engaged. Please reach out and share your time with Pepi. To get involved contact Seppi at seppi.stiegler@gmail.com.

LODGE

A

ustrian Olympic champion, Jackson Hole’s first ski school director, father of two World Cup skiers, Pepi Stiegler continues to climb life’s mountains.

He has prevailed over MS for decades, and now, at 82, he’s making a comeback from a fall that almost claimed his life.

Pepi’s recovery has taken an incredible leap over the past two years. He is independent in his home and at times can be left alone. Professionals and a network of friends take him on daily walks. His son Seppi, who now coaches with the Jackson Hole Ski Club, coordinates his care plan.

Pepi Stiegler’s enormous impact on Jackson Hole’s ski community and skiing at large is well documented, his notable accomplishments enshrined in hallowed halls. In 2014 he was inducted into the newly formed Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Hall Of Fame. He had already been inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2001, the Professional Ski Instructors of AmericaIntermountain Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Intermountain Hall of Fame in 2004.

— JH SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Smiling Faces…

Cozy Rooms...Hearty Food Experience a taste of the Alps in a historic lodge at the base of the Tetons.

Conveniently located next to the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram, The Alpenhof is the perfect location for a winter adventure in Jackson Hole.

j Swiss Alpine Rooms j Hearty Complimentary Breakfast j Outdoor Spa and Pool The ‘Hof Bar and Bistro serves hearty meals all day with plenty of Swiss Cheese and Chocolate with European wine and beer.

Teton Village, Wyoming

The Alpenhof Lodge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places

307-733-3242 alpenhoflodge.com

At the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

37

Teton ADAPTIVE SPORTS

Veterans Snowboard Camp

he first Teton Adaptive Sports (TAS) Veterans Snowboard Camp took place January 21-25, 2019, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Three injured veterans teamed up with adaptive instructors at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) to learn, ride, explore, and have fun in the deep powder brought by a perfectly timed storm. They spent an additional day at Grand Targhee Resort (GTR) riding the powder on the other side of the hill.

Photo Captions: Image 1 U.S. Army veteran Mike Garcia gets lost in the snow at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Photo: Frankie Paradise, a fellow veteran Image 2 Veteran Elias Cantarero learned a life lesson at camp. “It has really improved my life knowing that you don’t back down when things get hard,” he said. “You just point the board downhill and turn.” Photo: Frankie Paradise Teton Adaptive Sports is a non-profit organization founded in 2005. Its mission is broad: to promote, support, and develop sports and outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities who live in or are visiting the Greater Teton Area.

Aware that skiing and snowboarding bring participants great joy, TAS works to make outdoor recreation more accessible to and inclusive of people with different abilities.

Trained adaptive instructors offer children and adults alike an enriching mountain experience through lessons and group skiing. Thanks to TAS’s specialized adaptive equipment and expert teaching techniques, anyone can access top-notch terrain at JHMR and GTR. The outfit raises funds every year to purchase new adaptive ski equipment to donate to the JHMR and GTR adaptive programs. The money is also used to pay for ski instructor adaptive training, scholarships for Jackson Hole area adaptive skiers to cover the cost of lessons, and the free programs offered to special education at Teton County Schools.

Additionally, TAS partners with Adaptive Adventures, JHMR, and GTR to organize two advancedskiing camps for adaptive athletes each spring, the Adaptive Steep & Deep Camps. The Veterans Snowboard Camps are also in this category.

Check out the TAS website, tetonadaptivesports.org, to see how both locals and visitors can get involved in adaptive skiing and snowboarding. tetonadaptivesports.org, info@tetonadaptivesports.com, 307.203.2223

38

SKI COMMUNITY

1 Mike Garcia

Frankie Paradise photo courtesy Teton Adaptive Sports

T

“It has really improved my life knowing that you don’t back down when things get hard. You just point the board downhill and turn.”

— Elias Cantarero, Veteran

2

Elias Cantarero j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

COOMBS OUTDOORS

Empowering Youth Through Outdoor Recreation The Coombs Outdoors Vision: Activate. Engage. Empower.

A

ctivate — Introduce children and youth to a variety of outdoor activities year-round to get them off the couch and their cell phones and active in nature.

Engage — Connect with youth to build deeper interpersonal peer relationships and provide strong role models.

Empower — Provide youth with the tools and confidence to pursue their dreams in life beyond high school.

Year-round programming allows us to provide more consistent support to the families that we serve in Teton County. Through weekly outdoor activities and mentoring programs in the summer and winter, Coombs Outdoors participants have the opportunity to build valuable relationships and develop skills in the outdoors and life. At every stage, outdoors remains at the center of the work of Coombs Outdoors, whether a hike with a Forest Ranger, a ropes course with a mentoring cohort, or an internship working at our local ski hill. coombsoutdoors.org

SKID COUTURE Custom Orthotics A

Hand Tunes A

Daily Wax Stephen A. McDonald Board Certified Pedorthist A

Basement of the Historic

Hostel Teton Village 307-413-5745

The Original World Famous Mangy Moose Steakhouse and Saloon Having Fun Since 1967 Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Grab-N-Go Items Aprés Ski • Live Music Wine Store • Groceries

Located in Teton Village at the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

www.mangymoose.com 307-733-4913

j h s k i e r. n e t

39

BODE Miller BOMBER Ski & Olympic champion joins forces with one-of-a-kind ski company

B

By Wade McKoy

ode Miller and Bomber Ski joined forces in 2015, seemingly a predestined team.

Robert Siegel, a businessman and passionate skier who cut his teeth ski racing for Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont and throughout college, bought Bomber Ski in 2013.

In 2015 champion skier Bode Miller announced his retirement from ski racing. At that year’s New York Ski Ball, an annual fundraiser for the U.S. Ski Team, Siegel and a longtime friend bid on, and won, a golf day with Miller, who had donated his time to the fundraising effort. The two like-minded men met soon after for the golf outing in Pebble Beach, California.

“Our level of enthusiasm was high,” said Miller. “Pebble Beach is an inspirational place, in and of itself, and golf is a tough sport for everybody. We just really engaged and talked about the things we were working on and what we were passionate about. For Robert, one of those projects was Bomber Ski.

40

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

And honestly, by the end of one round of golf we had decided to join up, go into business, and create this thing together. That was the beginning of our relationship.”

Miller, who won 33 World Cups, six Olympic medals, five World Championships, and six World Cup Globes, brought a bit more to the company than his endorsement, dazzling though it may be.

“I was exposed to the top engineers in the world,” Miller said of his World Cup days. “We’d have these great conversations and I heard some amazing ideas that I integrated into my own thinking. I brought that to the table.”

Two key elements in building skis to World Cup standards — the right factory and the right craftsmen — came together as if on cue.

“We got lucky in Cossato, Italy, and found a well-built, modern facility with exactly the right scale. It’s uncommon to find an appealing ski factory for sale. Most of them are 40 years old and designed for building 100,000 pairs of skis a year – not what we wanted to do.”

With an ideal factory in place, they needed good craftsmen to complete the serendipity.

“Craftsmanship is not something you can substitute — and there are areas in Italy that still have that.”

Miller explained that master builders — Bomber Ski has two — consider their job a calling.

“You have to be called to it to some degree to get good at it. If you’re just doing it just to make a paycheck, that’s a lot different than feeling drawn to something.”

They hired two veteran ski builders and laid out Bomber Ski’s goals, which were a 180-degree turnaround from the craftsmen’s previous bosses.

“We gave them license to focus on quality — not quantity. They were psyched, empowered. Imagine, these genuine craftsmen had a new boss — one with a lot of credibility and brand — come onboard and say, ‘We want to build the best skis in the world.’ That lit a fire under them. We asked them what they thought and we had a conversation about it. It was a great little period for everybody and something that hadn’t been done before.

j h s k i e r. n e t

“You don’t know where the best information will come from. Sometimes a craftsman’s idea, one he’s been sitting on for 10 years, can be implemented and become a game changer. And that’s kind of what happened.”

The mechanics of ski tuning began percolating through Miller at age four. Mentored by his Uncle Mike, a pro ski racer and all-sports enthusiast, the young skier watched and learned as his uncle worked on Miller’s skis in his mom’s basement and his uncle’s garage.

“He always made me be there.

He likes to talk, to share knowledge, and he’s naturally a teacher. He definitely was imparting knowledge that whole time. But as a little kid, I think half of it was going in one ear and out the other. I think I was a little bit more attuned to it because I cared more than a lot of kids. And I had a good mechanism for understanding stuff. I did try to pay attention, even for my age.”

His family also gave him license to ski every day. Much like Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming, the kids and parents in Easton, New

Hampshire, had Cannon Mountain to help look after their kids.

Photo courtesy Bomber Ski

“My mom, grandmother, and uncle trusted the employees, they had known them for a long time. That allowed them to let me do my thing and be up there and ski as much as I wanted. I basically skied all the time.

“Since I was six or seven years old my goal was to be the best skier in the world. At 15, my freshman year at Carrabassett Valley Academy, I recognized that if I wanted to get there, I had to start thinking of things a bit more critically and differently.”

Miller took elective courses in architectural drawing, advanced architecture, and mechanical drawing.

“I started to do some ski design, loosely, and started developing the shaped skis that ended up getting built two years later.

That ski design was the catalyst to my success, and I had the concept my freshman year.”

It was a big moment for Miller. He remembers it as a hallmark, a time he took personal accountability for where he was and what he was trying to do.

Ski-racing fans the world over watched in awe, while Miller called his

results “a giant leap forward.” In Forces of Nature, a recent short film from Teton Gravity Research, Miller recounted this period: “People said I had the most DNFs in World Cup history, about double what anyone else had. My coaches were on me every day, telling me to stop making the same stupid mistakes over and over again. I was just trying to win races. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t do it.

That’s partly why I kept crashing. Instead of sliding to make a radius, I would arc and pull it around. I just couldn’t pull the radius. Then, the one moment the skis did what I needed them to do, I was so far ahead of everyone else, I was just smashing everybody.”

“A big part of any good business, and a big element of my value to companies, is creating relationships and collaboration. My decision to move my family part-time to Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana, and my new role there in the community, is an example of those types of collaborations I have in the ski industry.”

Many of the reasons for Miller’s move to Montana — the characteristics of the mountain and the commu-

nity for instance — can be found in Jackson Hole as well.

“Bomber Ski has a great relationship with Jackson Hole and we’ve had a somewhat extensive collaboration with Gov Carrigan at the Mudroom in Teton Village.

“Jackson Hole has, in my opinion, the largest concentration of top skiers in the country.

It has magnificent terrain that’s accessible. The ethos, the commitment to the outdoor lifestyle, it’s all there. And those are also the things, partly, that separate us from other companies.

“We need partners that can provide a level of service and interaction with customers that is above and beyond what normally happens. Gov at the Mudroom — you can ask anybody in the space — he’s the top, top person.

And that’s an incredibly valuable thing to Bomber Ski. “We put Gov and his daughter on the skis and they were shocked. His daughter rips and it was awesome to watch her just shredding on our skis and her eyes popping out. She’s a ski racer, and she’s never been on a recreational ski that outperformed a race ski.”

j h s k i e r. n e t

Bode Miller shows what Bombers can do on Jackson’s slopes.

Miller explained one early hurdle that Bomber Ski had to overcome.

“The perception at first was, ‘Bode built these skis, they will be too good for me.’ That was an uphill battle. You can’t change that perception until people try them. As soon as we got beginners all the way through the spectrum up to experts on the skis, they became aware within one run. It improved everybody’s ability to enjoy their time out there and opened their eyes as to how the process goes — the equipment truly does limit the skier.

“It’s a cool thing for every different level. My son, who’s six, had been on rental skis a bunch. When he first got on the skis we built for him, the Junior Bomber — we changed the flex and they have a cool graphic — in two runs he was arcing his first turns. I just watched a kid go through what is normally a two-year progression, in two runs.”

Proof that the right equipment can release the skier from limits.

SKI COMMUNITY

41

42

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

IGNEOUS Keeping it real for 25 years

ike some of the most successful companies around today, Jackson-based Igneous Skis started in a garage. Twenty-two years later, the prolific custom-ski company – known worldwide from Jackson to Austria – has cemented itself in the industry as a leader and has crafted one-ofa-kind skis by the thousands. The brand has amassed a cult-like following of fans that continues to grow each year and nourishes the label.

Owner Mike Parris is the mastermind behind Igneous. He and founding partner Adam Sherman launched the ski brand on the core principles of creating genuine experiences, making 100-percent durable, custom skis, and keeping it real.

“We don’t do any advertising or marketing – most all of our business is word of mouth,” said Parris, who moved from Pennsylvania to Jackson in 1999. “There are no logos on our skis. We decided years ago not to do it. People have to strike up a conversation about the skis to learn about them, and one of the first questions is always, ‘How do you like them?’ That’s how it has worked for 20-plus years, and I don’t see that changing much.”

His background in robotics and a stint building prototypes of the lunar and Mars rovers for NASA were fertile grounds for Parris. That experience with precise details, his hands-on approach, and his love of skiing led him to combining all of these attributes and dedicating his time to perfecting the art of crafting custom skis.

Igneous produces about 100 pairs of skis a year, and the clientele ranges across the board, from resort to powder to big-mountain skiers. Half of Igneous’s business is from repeat customers, and that demographic spans the globe. For Parris, maintaining sustainable production levels, quality craftsmanship, and unforgettable one-on-one experiences, that’s what it’s all about – connecting with people and working with them to build their dream ski.

“I meet roughly 50 new people each year and get to know their backgrounds, how they ski, and what they want. The range of customers is unique – from carpenters who work all summer to bank money for winter’s off, to people with disposal income, and luxury buyers,” said Parris. “I don’t necessarily want to make more than 100 pairs of skis a year – I spend over 20 hours on each pair. I want to keep my hands on the skis, and if I grew the business more, maybe that wouldn’t be the case.”

Parris – and Igneous – originally started by making skis for themselves and people who skied like them, constructing their own wood cores, milling their own top sheets, and meticulously fine-tuning each pair of custom skis. Parris’s love for what he does and his penchant for connecting with customers hasn’t gone unnoticed over the decades. With the advent of new technology, materials, and building processes, Igneous’s art of custom ski manufacturing has been made available to skiers of all abilities and ages. As a result, a tribe of dedicated new and old-brand loyalists around the globe now flourishes.

Take Jeffrey Eagle, for example. A Jackson resident for 27 years, Eagle averages 160 days a year on skis. He owns 14 pairs of Igneous skis, “Iggies,” as he calls them. His quiver includes a 22-year-old pair of skinny skis, a pair of “Elvis Skis” featuring a collage of Elvis Presley photos on the top-sheet, and a pair of giant powder skis.

“I was working at The Sojourner Inn back in the 1990s and my chef came in to work one day with a new pair of custom skis made in Jackson. He took me to the factory and there was a very good energy there, not to mention some very intelligent and down-to-earth dudes who love skiing. I placed my order a few weeks later,” said Eagle. “Igneous is still around because of the very top-tier quality of their product – they just last and last.

j h s k i e r. n e t

S&S Couloir Bill Bowen pursues yearly birthday fix About 35 years ago, I absolutely nailed S&S on my birthday. I thought that I’d stay young for the rest of my life if I did that every year. I’ve done that, and I think I’ve stayed young.

I have missed years. The first decade was a little rough. I think I’ve missed one or two jumps a decade.

Sometimes it’s totally impossible. I’ve jumped that thing hard.

I have the best times when I go by myself. You just go when everything is right and you don’t have to mess around with anybody, which can interrupt the free flow of the mountain.

I’ve jumped off big cliffs without really planning it, but S&S I do plan. I usually get scared in August thinking about it. And that taught me a lesson. When you know there is going to be danger out there, it does you no good to worry about it until you face the situation. So I’ve created a mindset to make my decision onsite. I’ve never gotten hurt seriously going into it.

Each year my ski shaper, Mike Parris, has been able to give me the skis I desire. I’ve been working with him for 20 years. He knows me and I know what he can build. I’ve got six different skis, all ultimately different. We’ve built some hot skis together. And they last. I’ve worn out the edges sharpening a couple pairs. Those skis hold up, and I beat the hell out of them.

The pair in the photo, we call those Skimo Extremes. I had a blast on those. They were wild.

— JH SKIER

Wade McKoy photo

L

By Keith I. Cozzens

Bill Bowen skis into S&S on his Igneous Skimo Extremes. March, 2014.

“My favorite memory is when I ordered a pair of new skis and asked if they could put some ashes from my dog (that had recently passed) in the core of my ski. They did, and also put a picture on the top-sheet as well.

We had a little celebration.”

Another Igneous fan, Cedric Dupertuis, lives in Geneva, Switzerland. He skis 70 days a year at his home hill of Verbier, and first clicked into a pair of custom Igneous in 2000 after reading about the brand in a Powder magazine article that described the skis as “bombproof” and “the ultimate chargers.” He now owns three pairs and a fourth is on the way.

“It’s all about passion. Igneous makes skis that last a loooong time. Mike takes the time to understand your needs to make sure the skis he will build are what you really need – skis made for skiers by skiers,” said Dupertuis. “When I received my first pair, everybody was laughing at me because they were wide. How many times did I hear ‘Hey, how was your water-skiing session today?’ They were ahead of the game at the time. Igneous has that point of differentiation in the ski industry, and I hope they are on the market for the next 50 years.”

Lisa Van Sciver, a snow ranger for Grand Teton National Park and a former Jackson Hole ski patroller, still skis on a pair of custom Igneous skis she purchased 12 years ago. Van Sciver skis 100 days a year and owns five pairs of Igneous. Their durability, wooden cores, and local vibe, she said, keep her coming back.

“When you want to ski something real, you need real equipment. I like them. I trust them. I’d take Igneous boards anywhere – and I can’t say that about other skis,” said Van Sciver. “Plus, they’re local and if I ever need to get them fixed, I can go down to the shop and Parris saves me. I took my boards down to Chile and everyone said, ‘Ella tiene tablas de madera.’ Yeah, they are wooden boards. It’s a connection if I see someone on Igneous – I know we come from the same ski culture.”

The 25-year ride for Igneous and Mike Parris has brought together amazing people, experiences and, of course, skis. And, as Parris has noted, the journey for Igneous continues, guided by what it’s built and its core values.

Keith Cozzens, a valley resident for 18 years, is the global brand marketing director for LEM Helmets.

He enjoys snowboarding and skiing with his wife Genevieve and their sons Fletcher, 6, and Ian, 4. j h s k i e r. n e t

SKI COMMUNITY

43

MAIDEN SKIS

By Keith I. Cozzens

elvin Wu landed in Jackson Hole in 2011. For him, the dramatic landscape, draw of the mountains, and legendary skiing would provide the optimal conditions for creating and growing his custom ski brand – Maiden Skis.

Rewind a few years. Wu was living in Seattle working as an engineer and skiing weekends in the backcountry and at Crystal Mountain. For more than a decade, he’d been building his own skis out of his garage, experimenting with design concepts, and honing his custom ski-making process. His love for the sport, hard-wired engineering skills, and thirst for bucking the status quo of offthe-shelf skis led him to co-found Skibuilders.com – a how-to guide to help ski-building hobbyists like himself craft their own custom dream gear.

“At the time the site was launched, there wasn’t much info out there on how to make your own skis. Everyone was very secretive,” said Wu. “Most of my early techniques – using epoxy, fiberglass, wood and foam cores – came from the surfing and kayak worlds. There was a lot of interest in the site in a relatively short period of time, and I was selling a good amount of materials to consumers to build – something I still do today that accounts for a decent portion of the Maiden business.”

But Wu wanted more. He wanted to push the envelope of what was possible in custom ski building and create diverse designs and shapes for skiers while incorporating local artists and elements of his surroundings. Jackson Hole was the perfect place for his boutique ski brand. So he quit his job in Seattle and moved, and in 2012 Maiden Skis was born.

Nestled into a cozy work studio south of town with views of the mountains north, west, and south, Wu works his magic. It’s a one-man operation, except for some occasional help working the machinery when times are busy. Wu produces about 70 custom skis a year. But his business philosophy is rooted in developing personal relationships with each of his customers in order to provide

44

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

them a unique experience and a focused touch to every ski that leaves Maiden’s door.

“I work with a great mix of people buying custom skis, with about half local and half out-of-town,” said Wu. “I have no interest in doing any big production lines; I just want to focus on building custom skis and working with people one-on-one. Small boutique ski companies are changing how skis look, are more conscious of graphics, and have the ability to create new shapes than bigger companies do. And I think these larger brands are keeping an eye on what smaller, custom ski brands are doing.”

Maiden’s factory has state-of-the-art equipment, like an impressive industrial CNC (computer-controlled) router to shape the maple wood cores and a sublimation printer for custom top-sheet graphics. Wu even offers customers personalized, hands-on building and design workshops, which bring an intimate feeling to the whole process. Local Jackson flavor, of course, is a hallmark of Wu’s brand and skis. Customers can bring in their own graphics, but Wu also partners with local artists to amplify the level of customization and authenticity.

Local artist Ilka Hadlock, for example, has been living in Jackson since 2013. She started working with Wu in the fall of 2014. Her one-of-a-kind artwork has graced the topsheets of more than a dozen custom Maiden skis, and all of Wu’s demo skis display Hadlock’s memorable eye-catching graphics. Hadlock draws inspiration from living with the Tetons in her backyard, but she’s also done custom work for clients who have their own ideas – one client, for example, wanted his skis to match his motorcycle graphics.

“When I first started working on ski graphics for Kelvin, I was so excited.

As a lifelong skier and artist, making ski graphics has been my dream job since I was five. And I still feel so lucky that we connected,” said Hadlock. “I love the idea that I’m making something that’ll be used to explore and experience the mountains, which is why I like playing off colors, textures, and symbols from our natural world. Skis are an interesting canvas, being so long and skinny. It

j h s k i e r. n e t

Photo courtesy Kelvin Wu / Maiden Skis

K

Working magic in the Tetons since 2012

SKI COMMUNITY

Anders Engle Hokkaido, Japan creates a unique opportunity to combine elements in a different way than you would in a standard landscape – and I really like that challenge.”

Like Wu, Hadlock revels in the one-on-one interactions and artwork creation she has with clients. Having the ability to connect with someone directly and transfer that to the skis’ graphics allows the ski to take on a life of its own, and ignites a hyper-personal process that falls in line with Maiden’s whole custom ski-building philosophy.

“Working closely with each client to successfully get to the final product – that’s what it’s all about,” Wu said. “The unique thing about Maiden is that everything is fully custom, and you can change and build every single piece of the ski from start to finish.”

Despite the increasing demands of operating a small business and year-over-year growth, Wu still finds time to test his skis in the mountains surrounding Jackson. Now, though, more of his time on snow is at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with his kids and less in the backcountry, where he’s spent years.

“Our logo is a compass that meshes the ocean and mountains, and the name Maiden comes from maiden voyage – and setting off on your own,” said Wu. “This is symbolic for me, as I dedicated my life to building custom skis and charting my own course of striving to create the best custom skis and the best experience.”

45

Hoback Sports Matt Poluga

Hoback Sports, the town of Jackson’s time-honored ski shop, recently came full circle in its ski-tuning expertise. In the early 1970s the shop’s founders specialized in race tunes, and three years ago Hoback returned to the aid of Jackson’s skiracing community.

“For a while Jackson’s ski team sent their skis to Park City or Colorado to get them tuned,” said Matt Poluga, Hoback Sports’ repair shop manager. “We purchased a Montana Challenge ski-tuning machine and regained the confidence of Jackson’s ski-racing community.

“We’re able to produce the different patterns and consistent bevels those athletes are looking for. We hope to continue to grow that and help get them out there winning races.”

The machine also does all aspects of ski tuning, from standard patterns to custom creations to suit any snow condition.

The shop still excels at fixing damaged skis, too, another of their well-earned pedigrees.

Nomad, Mudroom Gov Carrigan

Ski Tunes T H E J AC K S O N H O L E WAY

46

SKI COMMUNITY

The only independently owned ski shop in the valley, Nomad – and its sister store, Mudroom, located in the Caldera House – is leading the way to a new age of waxing technology, but without the wax.

The new PHANTOM Permanent Waxless Glide is a onetime application of patent-pending polymer technology that provides glide across all conditions. Unique and innovative, PHANTOM offers the ultimate in convenience and great performance while eliminating watershed contamination. The treatment lasts for the life of the ski or snowboard, even through numerous stone grinds.

For tuning, Nomad also stands apart, utilizing one of the industry’s most highly regarded ski-tuning machines, as well as the personnel to make it effective.

“The Wintersteiger Mercury is an incredible machine, no doubt about it,” said Gov Carrigan, Caldera House’s director of retail. “But it’s the combination of human and machine that makes the magic happen.

“It takes communication. I’m proud of my guys. They don’t have big egos. They listen to customers. The machine is no better than the guy running it.”

Wade McKoy photos

Nate Goss-Woliner

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Teton Village Sports Braden Masselink

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort wants to ensure Teton Village’s original ski shop continues its place on the leading edge of ski tuning.

“The new machinery is high-tech and high-end, and it allows us to bring tuning to the next level,” said Braden Masselink, TVS service manager. “With it we can customize our ski tuning to the individual customer’s needs and skiing style.

“We’re a busy shop but bought a small stone grinder by choice because it allows us to easily work with just one pair of skis at a time. It’s a slower process here but that’s fine, because we’re not looking to do the volume. We’re looking for customized requests.

“Take structures, for instance. We have a conversation with the customer, discover what they’re doing with the ski. If they’re heading out of town, we’ll talk about what the weather might be where they’re going and customize the tune for that trip.”

Jackson Hole Sports Rick Wilson

Location, location, location! – a familiar selling point that applies perfectly to Jackson Hole Sports.

“We’re the first line of triage as skiers come off the mountain,” said Rick Wilson, Jackson Hole Sports repair shop manager. “We see a lot of people who’ve just broken something – blown-out edges, core shots, broken bindings, broken goggles and zippers. We consider it our job to get the customer back on the hill as fast as possible, whatever the repair issue is. Customer service – we put our effort toward being high-end.”

Location, factored exponentially by three, should result in a ton of business. Never fear, though, because JHS houses the biggest ski-tuning machine this side of the Yellowstone River.

“We had to cut a big hole in the wall to get it into the repair shop,” he said of the Montana Sapphire. “It processes skis as fast as you can unload them.”

j h s k i e r. n e t

47

“The whole mountain is wide open.

We can just ski wherever we want.”

— 1970, Bob Blank, ski area manager Griffin Post Steve Baugh Bowl Fred Marmsater photo j h s k i e r. n e t

d

GRAND TARGHEE

RESORT

A Place For

G

POWDER

By Joseph Piccoli rand Targhee Resort celebrates its 51st season in 2019-20 with a well-established international reputation as a powder paradise, but in 1967 it was just a couple of hundred area residents who collectively put up a couple of hundred thousand dollars to conjure a ski resort in Alta, Wyoming.

With that private cash, plus a $600,000

loan from the Farmers Home Administration and on 80 acres of land leased from the United States Forest Service, they began construction in August, 1969, on a pair of double chairlifts, a day lodge, and an overnight lodge. Just more than four months later, on the day after Christmas, the new lifts carried skiers onto the slopes of Fred’s Mountain.

Continued next page

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

49

ne thing that helped the ski area open quickly was that Fred’s slopes were relatively free of trees and rocks. Construction crews focused on lifts and lodges, not clearing ski runs. Grand Targhee’s first manager, Bob Blank, told the Jackson Hole Guide newspaper in 1970 that there wasn’t even a need for marked runs on the mountain.

“The whole mountain is wide open. They can just ski wherever they want,” he said of those firstseason crowds.

And crowds there were. On opening day, more than 2,000 people skied for free. Full-day tickets that initial season were just $5 and a season pass was just $100, which helps explain how Grand Targhee notched more than 51,000 skier days in 1969-70 despite being many miles distant from any town of more than a few hundred residents.

The ski area operated profitably initially, but around year four, financial challenges led to an ownership battle and the initial backers—largely small investors in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho—were replaced by an out-of-state corporation.

Some contemporary accounts of the ownership change characterized it as a loss for an ambitious group of people who had dreamed of a ski hill for locals, built by locals.

Grand Targhee General Manager Geordie Gillett sees it differently. Early local backers, he says, were looking as much for winter jobs as for winter fun. At the time, the local economy was largely dependent on agriculture and summer tourism.

“Local kids were leaving because there was nothing during the winters.” Gillett told Jackson Hole Skier magazine. Unemployment was close to 20 percent during the winter in the 1960s in nearby Teton Valley (the towns of Victor, Driggs and Tetonia, Idaho), Gillett said.

“Building Grand Targhee put something like a hundred people to work just building the access road. It wasn’t just ‘Let’s build a ski area so we have a place to ski,’ it was to help the community have

j h s k i e r. n e t

more economic opportunities.”

In fact, Targhee did bring jobs to Teton Valley.

Through the last five decades the ski area has grown steadily. Grand Targhee is now a year-round destination with expansive options for summer visitors and it is a much bigger winter destination.

From two double chairs and 80 acres, Targhee eventually reached its current configuration of two high-speed detachable quad chairlifts, two conventional quads, and a conveyor lift servicing 2,600 acres of terrain.

Like many ski resorts, Targhee today welcomes all sorts of snow sports enthusiasts. Snowboarders were first allowed on slopes in 1988 and Nordic skiers now share trails with snowbikes and snowshoers. Out-of-bounds skiing and snowboarding is commonplace and Grand Targhee has a Closed Boundary/Open Gate Backcountry Access Policy.

It was a different story in 1981, when it was illegal in Wyoming to venture beyond the ropes marking a ski-area boundary. At the time, Targhee had for several years prohibited skiers using free-heel

Photo courtesy Grand Targhee Resort

O

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

51

Wade McKoy

Full-day tickets that initial season were just $5 and a season pass was just $100, which helps explain how Grand Targhee notched more than 51,000 skier days in 1969-70 despite being many miles distant from any town of more than a few hundred residents.

Happy Hunting Grounds Powder Day Photography Nordic bindings from the area. Targhee officials argued that allowing “cross country skiers” lift access would increase the number of skiers going out-ofbounds. A pair of telemarkers hired a lawyer and argued back, saying they had no intention of skiing out-of-bounds. Their lawyer argued that prohibiting them from using Targhee’s lifts just because they might do something illegal was unconstitutional prior restraint.

The two also said they had surveyed 50 ski areas in six states and found only three that similarly banned access to lift-serviced terrain by users of Nordic gear.

Targhee backed down, proving that the late ‘70s ban on freeheelers was an aberration. Targhee is much better known for an unfussy attitude sometimes described as the “Targhee vibe.”

Geordie Gillett has seven years at the helm of Grand Targhee, but his family has owned the area since 2000. “What the vibe is like is absolutely core,” is his take.

One writer has compared the Targhee vibe to the rhythms of a perfect powder run, “balanced and smooth, at times explosive, and all the while invigorating.”

It’s not surprising for the Targhee vibe to be likened to powder skiing. After all, Targhee’s first claim to fame is the abundance of powder that falls here. Snowfall averages over 500 inches per season (almost 42 feet!), which ranks it among the top five ski resorts in North America. There are two reasons for the abundant snowfall. First, Targhee is situated on the wet side of the Teton Range and at the end of a topographic channel that conveys moist air from the Pacific Ocean across the Snake River Plain of Idaho.

Then there’s the lofty 8,000-foot base elevation at the area. Snow comes early and accumulates steadily, with typically excellent conditions when the lifts start turning in late November. The snow also lingers, with significant storms often filling March and April with bona fide powder days.

j h s k i e r. n e t

Targhee once had a marketing slogan: “Snow from Heaven, Not Hoses.” It’s no longer used in official marketing materials, but it still turns up on tshirts and bumper stickers. And according to Gillett, it is still part of the area’s ethos.

“We have a very small snowmaking operation, two tower guns and three fan guns,” Gillett explained. “If we have to open with that, it’s a pretty bad start to a snow year.”

Climate change likely means bad starts to snow years will be more common in the future, something Gillett said he finds “incredibly concerning as an individual, not just as a ski area manager.”

“As far as impact on any specific resort, it’s anybody’s guess,” Gillett noted.

Grand Targhee participates in the National Ski Areas Association Climate Challenge and has committed to reduce its own emissions by two percent under 2013-14 levels by 2020- 21.

Joseph Piccoli is a writer and editor living in Jackson Hole.

GRAND TARGHEE

Access & Resources Erik Boomer photo courtesy Grand Targhee Resort; Wade McKoy (fireworks)

RESORT

Mountain Characteristics

Green Practices

Activity Center Adventures

Grand Targhee Cat Skiing

2,000 acres of lift-serviced terrain: 10% beginner, 70% intermediate, 20% advanced. Vertical rise: 2,270 feet.

Base elevation: 7,851 feet. Groomed trails: 500 acres. Ski lifts: two highspeed quad chairs, two fixed-grip quad chairs, and one magic carpet. Annual average snowfall: 500+ inches/41+ feet

A leader in environmental resort practices, Grand Targhee Resort’s Sustainability Initiative has partnered with POW (Protect Our Winters), TerraCycle, RAD and Teton Valley Community Recycling to take an active role in limiting its environmental impact by making integrated changes in waste management, energy use, and local ecosystems while managing its carbon footprint. To fund local environmental and conservation projects, including projects and initiatives onsite, the resort each year raises money by matching collections from employees and guests.

Grand Targhee Resort has received accolades and grants for its work and in 2007 became the first North American organization to carry out an indepth inventory of greenhouse gas emissions through The Climate Registry. The resort continues to be an active leader in the NSAA Climate Challenge.

The Activity Center is the one-stopshop adventure concierge service for everything available to guests throughout Grand Targhee Resort; Teton Valley, Idaho; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Located in the main plaza, the Grand Targhee Resort Activity Center is available to assist visitors in planning their winter activities. Whether you’re interested in an exhilarating backcountry tour, an unforgettable Snowcat Adventure, or a rejuvenating massage, stop by! The friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to answer any and all questions.

Grand Targhee Resort is home to over 500 inches of annual snowfall and Wyoming’s only cat-skiing operation. A hallmark of Grand Targhee, cat skiing on Peaked Mountain affords breathtaking views of the Grand Tetons and 602 dedicated acres of light, untracked, dry Teton powder in terrain accessible exclusively through its cat-skiing services. Groups of 12 skiers and boarders will experience up to 18,000 vertical feet in just one day while cruising through open bowls, endless glades, and treed steep pitches. Grand Targhee Cat Skiing is only for intermediate to advanced skiers and riders with off-piste experience. Reservations required. Call 800-827-4433.

Nordic, Snowshoe, & Snow Bike Trails

Ideal for all ages and fun for the entire family, tubing is one of the most popular after-ski activities. Enjoy a thrilling ride down the park, followed by an easy ride back up the “Papoose” surface lift for another run! A day ticket includes use of snow tube, tube runs, and lift access on the Papoose Magic Carpet. All riders must be over 42 inches tall. Reservations are recommended for tubing after 6 p.m.

Ski & Snowboard School Under the direction of Mark Hanson, Grand Targhee Resort’s Ski & Snowboard School offers PSIA/AASI instruction for adults and children in all disciplines, including alpine skiing, snowboarding, telemarking, skate and classic skiing, and touring by fat bike, as well as an adaptive skiers’ program.

Highlights include the ‘Start Me Up’ package for first-timers. The combo combines Targhee’s famously soft snow with experienced instructors, beginner equipment, uncrowded slopes, a dedicated beginner learning area and the Papoose Conveyor lift. The Kids Start Me Up package is nationally recognized as an excellent children’s learning program. Grand Targhee’s Kids Adventure Zone offers great terrain specifically designed to accelerate the learning curve. Early Tracks is for skiers intermediate and up and for riders looking to enjoy Targhee’s powder paradise before the lifts open to the public.

Camps and lesson programs available.

Call for more info on all the packages: 800-827-4433, ext. 1352

52

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

15k of groomed Nordic trails make for great cross-country skiing, ski-skating, fat-tire snow biking, and snowshoeing, all of it rolling past the base area into the surrounding forest, glades, and meadows. Leading the way for fat-bike enthusiasts, the resort grooms over five miles of single-track trails for fat biking and snowshoeing.

Terrain Park Boasts at least four to six rails per line, plus a jump section and multiple feature lines ready for beginners or for more advanced skiers and riders. Look for new features this season, including monthly changes and a local competition series.

Tube Park

j h s k i e r. n e t

Mountain Tours Discover the mountain and its numerous runs with a Mountain Host-led complimentary mountain tour. Get inside tips on hidden powder stashes, learn the mountain and shortcuts to lifts, explore the vast terrain, and enjoy incredible views of the Grand Tetons, Teton Valley, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. And get the scoop on après activities at Grand Targhee Resort.

Daily from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The Nature Center Visit the Nature Center, located next to the ski school cabin, and speak with one of the Resort Naturalists to learn about the wildlife, geology, and ecology

ACCESS & RESOURCES

53

Fred Marmsater photo courtesy Grand Targhee Resort

Like many ski resorts, Targhee today welcomes all sorts of snow sports enthusiasts. Snowboarders were first allowed on slopes in 1988 and Nordic skiers now share trails with snowbikes and snowshoers.

Shuttles

of the greater Yellowstone area, as well as the local Ghee-cology.* Resort naturalists have all the up-to-date information on what critters have recently been spotted around the resort and can answer questions about the

local landscape and communities. The Nature Center offers guided snowshoe tours for guests to learn about the forest surrounding the resort.

Snowshoe tours are 2 hours and led by one of the resort’s naturalists.

Tours are great for those 10 years and older and most ability levels. Advanced reservations are required. *Ghee-cology: the relations and interactions between organisms, people, and Grand Targhee’s environment.

Through its RideGTR program the resort offers daily round-trip shuttles from Jackson and operates a local shuttle to the resort through Driggs, Idaho. Grand Targhee Resort also provides an airport shuttle service for those arriving at Idaho Falls Airport (85 miles from the resort) or Jackson Hole Airport (48 miles away). During winter, it is always a good idea to check the road reports for the occasional highway closures and drive-time estimates.

E P A C ES OWD THE CR

S

GRANDTARGHEE.COM • 800.TARGHEE j h s k i e r. n e t

54

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

A Max Hammer sails off the summit of Snow King, where ski jumping thrived at the onset of local ski culture.

Snow King, walking distance (even in ski boots!) from the Town Square, has functioned as babysitter, school field-trip destination, and lunch-hour getaway for generations of Jackson residents.

j h s k i e r. n e t

SNOW KING MOUNTAIN RESORT

d

A Ski Town’s TOWN HILL

i

The torchlight parade on Snow King ranks among the best in the West.

t has been a couple of decades since Jackson Hole’s renown as a world-class ski destination exploded, but Jackson has always been a ski town.

Even before 1939, when Neil Rafferty cobbled together a ski lift using a Ford tractor, second-hand steel cable, some rope and bits of iron and established Snow King Mountain as the first ski area in Wyoming, Jackson was a ski town.

Wade McKoy photos

N

By Joseph Piccoli

No one remembers when locals began calling Snow King the “Town Hill” but they’ve been sliding down its challenging terrain since at least the 1920s.

Granted, going straight downhill with your boots lashed by long leather straps to nine-foot-plus long solid wood planks doesn’t sound much like skiing as you and I know it. In fact, the sport in those early days might be more accurately described as “stand-up tobogganing.”

Or, if that wasn’t enough excitement, you could try ski jumping, which was popular before and after lift service began. David Gonzales, author of

Jackson Hole, On a Grand Scale, interviewed Rafferty for his book.

“Everybody around here in the early thirties was just going to the top of the hill and going straight down and trusting to a bit of ability and a heck of a lot of luck,” Rafferty told Gonzales. “Or they were building a jump somewhere and trying to ride over it. Jumping was a big kick then.”

What further proof is needed? Jacksonites love sliding sports, and they love their Town Hill.

Showing the love, in 2011 the Teton County Historic Preservation Board

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

55

Jackson native Max Hammer enjoys his old stomping ground.

“Everybody around here in the early thirties was just going to the top of the hill and going straight down and trusting to a bit of ability and a heck of a lot of luck.” — Neil Rafferty

56

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

The Summit chairlift was hugely popular from the start. In its first full year of operation more than 8,500 riders were ferried up the mountain. At the time, fewer than 1,500 people lived in Jackson.

The Summit lift has been a Snow King mainstay ever since and has been rebuilt twice—in 1959 and 1981.

There are other town hills in ski towns across the world, but Snow King’s accessibility is unrivaled. Located walking distance (even in ski boots!) from the Town Square, the King has functioned as babysitter, school field-trip destination, and lunch-hour getaway for generations of Jackson residents.

Despite the high esteem locals have for it, Snow King has for many years struggled to show a profit. In 2014, the owners asked for—and received—quick approval for the Cowboy Coaster, the first component in an ambitious development project to turn Snow King into a money-making year-round attraction.

The Cowboy Coaster opened in 2015, alongside a replacement for the then 35-year-old Rafferty (remember the Father of Snow King?) double chair. The new quad Rafferty runs 1,000 feet longer than the old lift and has a mid-way unloading station. It serves the King’s gentlest sliding-season slopes, including new terrain cleared alongside the new chairlift. That augmented the stock of beginner/intermediate terrain, but was controversial because it pushed the development

j h s k i e r. n e t

footprint to the very edge of the ski area boundary.

Many other upgrades have been packed into the last four years. There are two new lodges at the base of the new Rafferty lift. The Snow King Hotel, also adjacent to the Rafferty, has been extensively remodeled by new owners. Lighting for night skiing and the King Tubes tubing park was upgraded and new “magic carpet” lifts for the ski school and King Tubes were added. Snowmaking and grooming were bolstered.

Still, many of the biggest projects, including the fourth incarnation of the Summit Lift (this time as a high-speed gondola) and a significant increase in the size of the ski area’s boundaries await approvals.

There are a lot of organizations involved in deciding what comes next. One is the Snow King Resort Master Association. SKRMA (rhymes with Irma) members are the Snow King Hotel, several condominium homeowners associations clustered nearby, and Snow King Mountain Resort, which runs the ski area.

The town of Jackson has a say because a popular town park and sports field sit just below the loading stations for Snow King’s major lifts: Cougar and Summit. Plus, the United States Forest Service controls most of the land where the actual skiing and boarding happens, where the new lifts would be built and the new terrain opened.

And no matter what the land ownership maps show, this is Jackson’s Town Hill, so everyone who lives here has a stake.

After four years of rapid development, pushback

Wade McKoy

commissioned a study to document Snow King’s significance to the history of the valley. “While Snow King is used and enjoyed year-round,” the report’s author noted, “it is when the mountain is covered with snow and its trails distinctly defined that its visual and cultural connection with the community is the strongest.”

The 1939 tractor-powered lift gave Snow King the right to call itself a ski area, but it wasn’t long before the Town Hill became a full-fledged skiing operation.

In 1940 the first of many formal competitions attracted ski racers from around Wyoming as well as from Idaho and Utah. Today, club racers, collegiate ski teams, and professionals from around the region and across the globe regularly train and compete on Snow King’s slopes.

In 1945 Rafferty, who would earn the title “Father of Snow King” over the course of 35 years managing the area, added two rope tows to the hill.

In 1946 the Jackson Hole Winter Sports Association formed. The association quickly raised $40,000 from local investors to build the mountain’s first chairlift. Like Rafferty’s original lift, it relied on repurposed equipment—much of it pulled from a gold mine in Colorado. The ore buckets that served the mining operation were replaced with single chairs. It dwarfed the Town Hill’s other lifts, rising 1,400 feet through a narrow cut in the trees to the summit of Snow King.

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

57

In 1940 the first of many formal competitions attracted ski racers from around Wyoming as well as from Idaho and Utah. Today, club racers, collegiate ski teams, and professionals from around the region and across the globe regularly train and compete on Snow King’s slopes.

sions to accommodate a summit access road and various new buildings.

As winter began and this magazine’s press date arrived, the Jackson Town Council had resumed discussions.

Snow King Mountain’s General Manager, Ryan Stanley, says the projects are vital.

“These improvements are making Snow King a viable ski area for the future. Over the past 20 to 30 years we’ve fallen behind other ski areas. We’re making up that ground now.”

Bob Woodall

Photos courtesy Snow King Mountain Resort

grew. Momentum stalled in early 2019, when the Jackson Town Council signed off on expansion plans that involved town property, but declined to endorse plans for development on portions of the ski area under the jurisdiction of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The Forest Service finished its review in late 2019. The staff studied a lengthy list of proposals for Snow King, including almost 98 acres of new groomed terrain, more snowmaking, more lighting for night skiing and boarding, the Summit gondola and a new chairlift, and two large boundary expan-

SNOW KING

Access & Resources

Photo courtesy Snow King Mountain Resort

MOUNTAIN RESORT

At King Tubes, piloting the “doughnuts” on the smooth, groomed run promises to bring out the kid in everyone.

Skiing and Snowboarding Wyoming’s first ski resort opened in 1939 and still provides locals and visitors to Jackson a spectacular site to enjoy skiing and snowboarding without the hassle and crowds of larger resorts in the region. Located just blocks from the Town Square with free parking and a beginner ski terrain at the base of the mountain, Snow King is the place to go for easy access to the slopes. To enjoy a day on the snow, stop in at the mountain sports school or rental shop and start that visit to the King with the right gear and instructors. Don’t miss the spectacular views of the Teton Range from the top of the Summit chairlift.

Mountain Sports School For over 80 years, locals and visitors have begun their ski or snowboard journeys on the slopes of Snow King Mountain. By far the most affordable place in the Tetons to learn these sports, Snow King’s all-inclusive beginner lift and lesson package is only $169 for those 6 and older, and $99 for 3-to-5-year olds. The upgraded “Kid’s Castle” ski-and-play zone and groomed terrain features are designed to enhance the beginner experience. Visit snowkingmountain.com or call 307-201-5666

Winter Fun Zone The thrilling Cowboy Coaster, zips, twists, and turns down the mountain for a mile of loops, curves, and hairpin turns, some four stories tall. On the way up, riders enjoy unsurpassed Teton views.

58

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Come winter, King Tubes is the hotspot for family fun. Piloting these “doughnuts” on the smooth, groomed run promises to bring out the kid in everyone.

Winter packages include a 2-hour Coaster/Tube Combo ticket for $45 for all ages (must be 42” tall) and the Big King Pass – a full-day lift ticket and unlimited Tubing and Coaster rides for $90 or $50 with the purchase of a ski or snowboard Lesson (free with a full-day private lesson). King Tubes and the Cowboy Coaster are open Mon.- Fri. from 2-7 p.m, Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturdays and holidays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 307-734-3194, snowkingmountain.com.

Rentals and Retail Snow King Mountain Sports houses a top-of-theline rental fleet and a world-class race tuning shop.

The store features a selection of top-brand race gear, ski wear, and accessories. The rental fleet allows customers to choose from a wide selection of skis and snowboards. With more than 20 years of ski-tuning experience, its techs have the knowledge and skill to consistently produce high-quality ski and snowboard tunes for local racers and recreational enthusiasts.

Book online in advance and save 10 percent. Located in the Snow King Hotel just underneath Hayden’s Post. 307-201-5096; snowkingmountain.com.

Night Skiing After the sun goes down, Snow King Mountain comes alive with skiers and boarders taking advantage of this one-of-a-kind evening activity that keeps

j h s k i e r. n e t

the stoke going for hours after dark. Upgraded in 2014 to Snow Bright Lights™, the King’s innovative lighting system reduces night-sky light pollution, more effectively covers the slopes, and lowers energy consumption. Night skiing at Snow King is available Tues.-Sat. from 4-6:30 p.m. snowkingmountain.com 307-734-3194.

Uphill Travel Snow King is the only ski resort in the area allowing alpine touring (AT) skiing, snowboarding, and hiking within its boundaries. In partnership with locally owned Stio outerwear, Snow King launched the Annual Online Uphill Challenge that employs state-ofthe-art RFID technology to track your vertical feet climbed on the mountain. Scanners at the base, top, and various mid-stations track your progress. Monthly prizes are awarded to those earning the most vertical and fastest times. Users can see everyone’s progress at snowkingmountain.com/up. Uphill season passes are $75, day passes $15. snowkingmountain.com/uphill-travel.

Backcountry Access Beacon Basin Whether you ski big lines in the Tetons or just bought your first touring setup, we all share a common need for avalanche safety and mitigation. To that end, Snow King is proud to announce Beacon Basin, an avalanche beacon park where you can practice avalanche transceiver search and rescue skills. Located in the ballpark at 100 E. Snow King Avenue, it’s free.

ACCESS & RESOURCES

Terrain Parks Snow King Mountain offers a variety of terrain parks on the mountain, for beginners to experts, including a slopestyle park at the base and beginner terrain park mid-way up the mountain. This season Snow King will also be building a public boardercross track adjacent to the Rafferty lift. Access to the terrain parks is included in the price of the lift ticket during normal operating hours.

Fast, Affordable and On Your Way. McDonald’s® of Jackson Hole

Events December 31st – Annual Citizens Torchlight Parade. Come out and carry the torch for one of the longest-running public torchlight parades in the country, followed by fireworks at the base of the mountain.

Snowmobile Hill Climb Snow King’s winter-season finale event is an unqualified spectacle: The World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb. Now in its 43nd year, riders throttle their way straight up the King’s snowbound terra firma, trying to nail the speediest high-mark. The event benefits the Jackson Hole Snow Devils’ philanthropic mission. Slated for March 19 through March 22 this year. Visit www.snowdevils.org for more information.

The ski area opens November 30 and closes March 22.

At $59 for adults and $49 for juniors and seniors, the King’s full-day tickets are a fraction of the cost of other regional resorts.

Half-day tickets are $49 for adults, $39 Jr/Sr; night skiing is $30 adults, $25 Jr/Sr. Buy online and save at snowkingmountain.com

Open & Serving your favorites 5:00am - Midnight Daily

Free Wi-Fi 1110 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY • 1 mile west of Town Square

307-733-7444

j h s k i e r. n e t

59

6 Things You Didn't Know About Breezy Johnson

1 The 2016-17 was a breakout season for Breezy. She qualified for the World Championships in St.Moritz, SUI and finished 15th in downhill and 28th in super-G, despite being the youngest

member of the U.S. team there. 2 Breezy has been involved with the Doug Coombs Foundation in Jackson Hole, which is an organization that assists underprivileged kids in getting into sports. 3 Her favorite memory in skiing so far was at a World

Jonathan Selkowitz photo

Cup race in Garmisch, Germany, in 2017. Lindsey Vonn, who took home the gold, personally thanked Breezy for teaching her how to ski a certain section of the course. 4 Breezy had incredible results for her first Olympic debut, grabbing a 14th place result in super-G and an impressive seventh in downhill.

5 When she isn't on the slopes, Breezy enjoys slacklining, hiking, climbing, and jumping into high alpine lakes. 6 Favorite artist? How to pick? She loves Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Taylor Swift, Alice Merryweather and Laurenne Ross (and Mikaela Shiffrin too if she wants to join in too)!

Breezy Johnson and times of victory, are critical in helping us move forward. People tell me that I will come back stronger, and my goals are what will make that happen."

Text courtesy usskiandsnowboard.org

60

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Photo courresy U.S. Ski & Snowboard

"Goals, in both times of heartbreak

FIS ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP

JH Natives Racing on the Tour

Resi Stiegler “Last fall I continued training for my 18th season on the World Cup. I spent the summer in Munich, Germany, skiing and working with the next generation of women alpine ski racers, which helps me fund my independent racing status. I also enjoyed my time at home visiting my dad and training both at JHMR and with the JH Ski & Snowboard Club on Snow King. I’m super excited to get the ski season started and be back on the road competing!”

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Resi Stiegler I absolutely hate getting up early.

Things I love: Waking up lazily with a pot of coffee or tea. Walks from my house, enjoying nature and the birds. Books, journals and chance happenings. Traveling – you get to observe the world and all it has to offer.

I also love a very clean space. I am obsessive–compulsive, so I get neurotic about things and their places.

Photo courresy U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Text compiled by Jackson Hole Skier magazine

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Jaelin Kauf "I am really happy with how far I came this year and what I was able to accomplish. I’m hungry for more now but I couldn’t be more stoked with my season and where my skiing has come!"

4 Things You Didn't Know About Jaelin Kauf 1 Jaelin is the fastest woman on the moguls World Cup circuit.

3 She had her breakout season in 2016 when she landed her first career podium and took home the Rookie of the Year title.

4 She cannot travel without her Curious George monkey named George Junior.

Text courtesy usskiandsnowboard.org

Wade McKoy photo

2 Both of Jaelin's parents were World Pro Mogul Tour champions.

Photo courresy Steven Earl Photography / U.S. Ski & Snowboard

62

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON’S OLDEST NONPROFIT, est. 1938

CHAMPION | cham-pē-ən (Noun) 1. someone who pursues personal excellence, 2. a winner (Verb) 1. to promote a cause and mission, 2. to fight for, and defend values JHSC provides opportunities for over 500 student-athletes to become Champions in Sport and Life

JHSC’s five core values drive our work, define our culture, and foster character in our student-athletes.

FUN

COMMITMENT

TEAMWORK

SPORTMANSHIP

COMPETITION To become a Champion, join our programs, or make a gift to JHSC

Fun drives participation and sustains our efforts, making it the most important aspect of a healthy youth-sports culture.

Commitment means striving to be at one’s best, overcoming challenges, and reaching goals to strengthen both the Club and the individual.

Teamwork represents all the ways that we work together and communicate in order to accomplish things far greater than we could alone.

Sportsmanship extends beyond sport, teaching youth to be fair, inclusive, respectful, humble in victory, and gracious in defeat.

Competition focuses on the whole process of preparation, as an athlete and a person, to be prepared to perform for anything you choose. // jhskiclub.org // info@jhskiclub.org // 307.733.6433

Junior International Freeski & Snowboard Association

Next Generation of Rippers The first is set for January 24-26 at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. And for the first time ever, Snow King Mountain, Jackson’s ‘Town Hill,’ plays host to an IFSA Junior Region Competition, February 14-16.

IFSA was established in 1996 by freeskiing

pioneer Shane McConkey, its mission to boost and highlight the sport for both skiers and snowboarders now secure in the arena of dazzling winter sports.

Last January’s inspiring pack of competitors at the resort’s Toilet Bowl/Tower Three Chute venue was proof positive of the sport’s drawing power. Spectators were wowed by the athleticism and confidence of the young athletes in some of the most technical terrain at JHMR as standouts from each category produced peak performances.

Some of the most impressive performances were from those in the Under 12 division. This field made up nearly one third of all of the competitors and speaks volumes about the next generation of rippers. These youngsters navigated expert terrain with ease, a brave few catching air as well. Not surprisingly, none of these kids had 'cold feet.'

Spectators lined the bottom of the run, cheering on the athletes, the sound of cowbells filling the venue for the entire weekend. After two days of standout shredding, the podium finishers were awarded the coveted cowbells and critical points toward their overall standings.

New last year, the coaches and competitors voted for a recipient of the "Bryce Newcomb Memorial Award": a golden cheese grater and a sleeveless Tee shirt in Bryce's honor. The heartfelt award went to Jacob Smith, who despite being legally blind has competed in these events for years.

The event was yet again sold out. Over 90 competitors from Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Vermont, and Wyoming filled out the roster. The competition was made possible by the partnership between the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club’s Freeride Program and JHMR. Event Sponsors and supporters include Hoback Sports, Stio, Faction Skis, Dragon Goggles, Exposure Signs, Teton Gravity Research, Atomic Skis, Arcade Belts, SL Bindings & the Split-board Shop, and Kate's Real Food.

— Rob LaPier, Freeride Program Director

Bob Woodall photos

J

ackson Hole will this season produce two high-profile International Freeski and Snowboarder Association (IFSA) competitions.

Zack Little Independent

A group from the JHSC Alpine Program cheer for their club’s Freeride competitors. j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Luke Gentry (left) Jackson Hole Evolution Team Taz McBride (top) JHSC Freeride Program Tiernan Schuldt (center) JHSC Freeride Program Jeff Moran, emcee (above) Elliot Alston, disc jockey

j h s k i e r. n e t

65

Jackson Town Downhill 2019 becomes 2020

JACKSON HOLE DOWNHILL

S

Photos by Jonathan Selkowitz Location: Snow King Mountain

ince 1982 the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club (JHSC) has hosted one of the few remaining nonsanctioned community downhill races in the country. This event has traditionally been held on the “Mini Hahnenkamm” course at Snow King Mountain, and has been affectionately known as the Town Downhill for 37 years.

Last June the JHSC asked the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) if they would host this event. They accepted.

“The move to JHMR is not necessarily permanent,” said JHSC Executive Director Brian Krill, “but it offers significant advantages to run a more sustainable and beneficial event for the club.”

j h s k i e r. n e t

Those advantages include a more accessible and less daunting course, which will attract a broader participant pool. And the benefits of JHMR’s marketing power and infrastructure are formidable.

The 2020 FCExcavation Jackson Hole Downhill, March 13-15, lands between the Wyoming High School Alpine Skiing Championships and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Western Region U19 Championships – all on the same venue. This creates a block of alpine ski racing that will be visible to a potentially large audience. And the JHSC athletes, as well as athletes from around the western region attending the other events, will have an opportunity to train on and run the speed course.

Jeff Moran, JHSC chief marketing officer, commented, “In 2017, we had to move the event to JHMR due to a lack of snow in Jackson. That year, even on very short notice, we saw lots of benefits to moving it and there was some new life for the event.”

Adam McCool, a Town Downhiller every year during its 37-year history, said, “Of course there is some disappointment about going away from tradition, but I’m excited about the new event structure and the possibilities this represents for the club and the community. All said, the most important thing is that this event lives on and succeeds. I think this will attract more old-timers, raise the bar and make it more competitive, and attract some real pros to lead in the new team category.”

Rick Hunt, a JHSC alumnus, former JHSC board member, and longtime Town Downhill competitor and sponsor, commented, “I’m just going to get busy building the best team possible!”

— JHSC

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

“The move to JHMR is not necessarily permanent,” said Brian Krill, JHSC executive director, “but it offers significant advantages to run a more sustainable and beneficial event for the club.”

From top down: Deb Mackenzie, Amateur Start.

Bob Kilmain, Pro Bump.

Sofia Tozzi, JHSC student athlete.

Lexie Drechsel, coming into the Steilhung from Grizzly.

j h s k i e r. n e t

67

Jonathan Selkowitz photos

From top left: Adam McCool, 37th TDH start.

Benny Wilson , 60+ Am podium, followed by Forrest Stearns and Kevin Johnson.

JHSC student athletes, having finished their runs, watch their teammates race.

Traditionally, Town Downhill racers help tear down the Mini Hahnenkam course after the race. These JHSC student athletes lend a hand by shuttling b-net to the base.

j h s k i e r. n e t

JHSC Community Events The Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club produces a number of community-wide fundraising events throughout the year. Funds raised at these events directly support club operations and keep tuitions as affordable as possible for their 500 local student athletes. Over the years, these fun community events have developed a diehard following of both Jackson Hole locals and visitors from around the nation.

For the 2019-20 season JHSC has made many exciting changes to its events to both better align them with the club’s mission and to improve the overall experience for all participants. For details on all JHSC-hosted events this season, visit jhskiclub.org/events.

2019-20 Events Melvin Brewing Black Tie Blue Jeans Ski Ball (31 years) Annual Ski & Gear Swap (40+ years) Pica’s Cup Community Race League (11 years) FCExcavation Jackson Hole Downhill (38 years) Rendezvous River Sports Karen Oatey Pole Pedal Paddle (45 yrs)

— Jeff Moran

Jeff Moran, JHSC’s chief marketing officer, is also a professional emcee whose voice is synonymous with the club’s events as well as many other fundraisers and events throughout Jackson Hole.

Club Mission Statement To inspire and develop student athletes through innovative and accessible ski and snowboard programs that provide opportunities to pursue personal excellence in snow sports and life.

Jonathan Selkowitz photos

Scholarships The underlying objective of the JHSC is to provide an opportunity for community youth to develop their potential as skiers and snowboarders, and become champions in sport and life. JHSC annually awards over $100,000 in scholarships based on the applicant’s financial need and commitment to:

Academics & success in school JHSC programming JHSC core values New for the 2019-20 season, the JHSC has partnered with One22 and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole in the Extracurricular Opportunity Scholarship.

Snow King’s slopes, ideal for ski racing, were host to a duel slalom training session for JHSC student athletes and coaches during the Town Downhill last winter.

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

69

70

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

EXUM MOUNTAIN GUIDES

America’s oldest guide service and school of mountaineering

E

xum Mountain Guides holds the distinction of being the oldest guide service in Grand Teton National Park. For over 80 years, Exum has imparted wisdom and skills to clients seeking summer adventure in the Teton landscape.

They’ve ushered thousands of people of all ages to the summit of the park’s tallest peak, the Grand Teton.

In winter, Exum shepherds skiers and snowboarders through its extensive array of seasonal programs. Jackson Hole skiers are sitting pretty, too. The Tetons, with dozens of roadside canyons cutting through their 7,000-foot vertical relief, reign as America’s best mountain range for skiing and snowboarding.

Exum’s president, Nat Patridge, described his company’s clientele: “We welcome a full range of skiers, from novices to the backcountry to experienced backcountry skiers who want to get into technical ski mountaineering. Many of our clients ultimately ski the range’s most challenging objectives, such as the Skillet Glacier on Mount Moran.”

The guide company offers a variety of outings, beginning with mellow introductory ski-days up Mail Cabin Creek on Teton Pass.

The other end of the spectrum, skiing the Grand Teton, rounds it out. With all that’s in between, skiers can find something in the Exum portfolio that personally suits them.

“The greatest value in guided skiing,” said Patridge, “is the pairing of terrain with a client’s ability and desire, especially in the Tetons, even with accomplished skiers.

“You can ascend a multitude of peaks and ski into numerous valleys by using ramps and

other features most people don’t really know about. It makes for a beautiful tour and a satisfying day when you ski a variety of terrain.

Most people can achieve more by going with a guide than they ever could on their own.”

The company was founded in 1930

by Paul Petzoldt, one of the godfathers of American alpinism. The next year, Glenn Exum joined Petzoldt as an apprentice guide. On their first trip together guiding a client up the Grand, Glenn Exum pioneered a new route, thereafter named the Exum Ridge.

“It’s amazing that on Glenn’s first time guiding with Paul on the Grand Teton, they pioneered a new way up it,” noted Patridge.

Successful route finding on uncharted mountain terrain relies on a number of factors coming together.

“They were very creative and good problem solvers. And then, they were very bold,” he added. “That combination of attributes allowed them to see the route where others might not have in the past.”

Early western mountaineers also had to be creative with their gear.

“Glenn climbed in a borrowed pair of leather football cleats, two sizes too big,” said Patridge. “There weren’t many options for footwear back then, and that was the best athletic shoe he knew about.”

Modern ski equipment makes it relatively

j h s k i e r. n e t

Pep Fujas Fred Marmsater photo

“They were very creative and good problem solvers.

And then, they were very bold. That combination of attributes allowed them to see the route where others might not have in the past.” — Nat Patridge j h s k i e r. n e t

72

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Tanner Flanagan (above) Zahan Billimoria, (right) Climbers unknown (facing page) Fred Marmsater photos

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

EXUM SKi CAMPS • Backcountry Skiing Immersion Clinic, NEW CAMP Jan. 24-26; March 6-8, $895 • Ski Mountaineering Clinic, Feb. 21-23, $995 • Splitboard Mountaineering Clinic, Feb. 21-23, $995 • Moran Camp, March 12-15, $2,295 • Advance Ski Mountaineering Clinic, March 12-15, $1,050 per person • Live To Ski Camp, April 18-21, $1,125 • Women’s Only Backcountry Ski Clinic, Feb. 3-6, $1,795 • Backcountry Skiing/Ski Mountaineering, upon request: Mt. Oliver, Mail Cabin Creek, 25 Short, Albright Peak • Ski Mountaineering — Buck Mountain, Nez Perce, Disappointment Peak, Mount Moran, Skillet Glacier Ski the Grand • Arc’Teryx Backcountry Acadamy, Feb. 6-9

Tanner Flanagan Fred Marmsater photo

easy to travel deep into the backcountry. But safe mountain travel in winter requires more than just having the proper gear.

“We have an intermountain snowpack that poses a lot of snowstability problems in many years,” he said. “On average we have issues, at least for the beginning of

the winter. Often by the time snow depths reach mid-winter levels, those instabilities tend to no longer react to a skier. But in the spring they sometimes can be awakened.

“Early season, however, it’s almost always game on.”

Patridge has an informed, broad perspective on skiing at resorts and

skiing the backcountry. He’s guided around the world for 22 years, including heli-ski guiding in Valdez, Alaska, and locally, and backcountry guiding at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and in the Tetons.

“I think backcountry skiing – and ski mountaineering – is the highest form of skiing, the purest form of the

sport,” he said. “Climb up on your own power, make all your own choices, and lay beautiful tracks down pristine snow.”

It might just be the perfect solution. Find out for yourself by calling Exum today.

— JH SKIER

EXPERIENCE

TETON BACKCOUNTRY WITH

Call Today

|

Ski Tomorrow

307.732.0606 exumguides.com

Exum is an authorized concession of the National Park Service and a nondiscriminatory permittee of multiple US Forest Service districts.

j h s k i e r. n e t

73

74

JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN GUIDES

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Serving powder to skiers for over 50 years

T

he Jackson Hole Mountain Guides are 50-year veterans at sharing the region’s beauty with clients from around the world. They lead ski trips throughout the Tetons and conduct a variety of educational courses on winter skills, camping, touring, ski mountaineering, and expedition training.

Since 1968 they’ve conducted classes and led trips throughout the Western U.S. mountains in rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, hiking, canyoneering, and backcountry skiing.

No other Rocky Mountain range matches Grand Teton National Park and Teton Pass for backcountry ski opportunities.

“The Tetons are big,” said Paul Rachele, the company’s winter program coordinator. “Skinning up those east-side shots and looking out over the valley, nowhere else has such an open feeling.”

The opportunity to experience this for yourself is as close as the telephone. And while a private guide can always be arranged, JHMG conducts two-day deeppowder camps monthly from January through March.

“All our guides are super famil-

iar with the park,” he said, “so we can take people to our secret stashes and ski a bunch of powder.”

More winters than not, deep snow can be found cloaking the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole. But even in low-snow winters, local backcountry skiers manage to ski plenty of powder in safe conditions.

“With our northern latitude, it’s stable powder, especially in midseason – cold-snow season. I skied the Grand Teton in February in perfect boot-top powder.”

Luckily, most skiers don’t need to summit a major peak to reap the rewards of untracked snow. Three thousand vertical feet of east-facing fluff is but a few hours of skinning away.

And the higher a skier climbs, the greater the number of steep lines that come into view.

“Our advanced ski tours are a little bit more adventurous. You see fewer skiers than on the standard front-side shots. That type of terrain could be a second-day option on one of our deep-powder camps, if the group is ready to go out that far.”

Newcomers to backcountry skiing are welcomed clientele, too.

“I moved to Jackson 10 years ago to climb in the Tetons yearround. I was not a skier but, since they kick you out if you don’t ski, I bought a pair and began teaching myself. I fell in love with skiing in a way that I didn’t expect. It was definitely a pleasant surprise. The whole backcountry ski phenomenon is quite sublime.”

JHMG’s Intro To Backcountry

j h s k i e r. n e t

Skiing is a one-and-a-half day course on Teton Pass and in Grand Teton National Park. The evening before, clients meet with guides to learn about the gear needed and how to pack it. In the field the next day, guides teach about efficient backcountry travel, skinning technique, pacing, and nutrition.

The experienced backcountry skier who’s ready for a higher calling should look into JHMG’s three-day Ski Mountaineering Camp in late March and early April.

“On Teton Pass we give them the shakedown on ropes systems and skiing techniques, and also cover rescue aspects. Skiing these big things in the park, you can’t just head out and hope everything goes well, then call for the helicopter if they don’t. You have to be pre-

No other Rocky Mountain range matches Grand Teton National Park and Teton Pass for backcountry ski opportunities.

Betsy Manero David Stubbs photo

j h s k i e r. n e t

76

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

pared to self-rescue. We talk about rescue sleds and emergency bivy instructions. If the weather’s good, we’ll try at least one day in the high peaks, skiing bigger objectives, whatever is good, and skiing smaller things on the other two days.”

One other great benefit of going out with a guide: there are great ski runs off the back of these classic shots, Albright, 25-Short, and Mavericks.

“You look down this line and say, ‘Boy, it looks like it’s gonna go,’ but you never know for sure. So we can point out these as we ski up, say ‘This one goes, this one you need a rope for, and this one ends in a 2,000 foot cliff.’ We can give you the lay of the land.”

Partnering with Fischer Sports, JHMG offers a camp that features ski experiences with Fischer athletes and representatives, all while skiing on Fis-

Climbing to descend.

Greg Von Doersten photo j h s k i e r. n e t

Anika Lindsey Lofts Greg Von Doersten photo

JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAiN GUiDES SKi CAMPS Intro to Backcountry Skiing 1.5 day — $295 — December 27–28, January 18-19, February 15-16 Deep Pow Camp 2-day — $495 — January 19–20, February 16–17, March 7-8, 2020 Ski Mountaineering Camp 3-day — $950 — March 20–22, April 3–5 Private Backcountry Ski Tours — 25 Short, Mavericks, Whimpy’s, Olive Oyl Advanced Ski Tours — Chute the Moon, Albright, Turkey Chute Ski Mountaineering — Apocalypse, Grand Teton, Mt. Moran

cher equipment. Additionally, JHMG has a full fleet of Fischer rental skis, boots, and poles.

Mammut is a partner in JHMG’s avalanche-education program. Participants can try out the new Berry Box beacon, along with a Mammut shovel, probe, and airbag pack. At the end of the course, clients write a review, which also may find its way into Mammut’s marketing.

Technology has made backcountry skiing a vastly different sport than it was 50 years ago. JHMG brings their long-term expertise to this modernized activity and continues to help skiers and snowboarders safely partake in its grand pleasures.

— JH SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

78

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

TETON BACKCOUNTRY GUIDES An alpine hut system in the Tetons

L

ots of skiers can lead others into the backcountry, but Teton Backcountry Guides also provides shelter in the alpine zone. Their overnight and hut-tohut trips into the heart of the Tetons make it possible to live in the mountains for a few days.

Whether Mother Nature is quiet and peaceful or windy and stormy, whether the night sky reveals shining peaks under the Milky Way or snowflakes falling in darkness, you’re there, warm and dry.

Diane Verna, co-owner of the Alta, Wyoming, based company, believes their niche lies in providing a unique wilderness skiing experience.

“When our clients ski from the yurts, there aren’t skin tracks everywhere, there aren’t people everywhere, and it’s not tracked out,” she said. “What’s there is 200,000 acres of wilderness to explore on skis.”

Take the Plummer Canyon yurt, for instance. The ski terrain includes steep runs and some that are moderately pitched. Stable snow conditions are required to ski the long, north-facing runs into the South Fork of Game Creek. When the avalanche risk is too high – and sometimes because the lower-angle slopes hold better skiing – skiers can work the slopes off Rhodesia Ridge or Mt. Wow. “And at the end of the ski day, you don’t get back in a car and leave the mountains,” she said. “You stay there—in comfort, and not in a tent.”

The wooden-floored yurts, made by Pacific Yurts, even boast operational windows and a sky dome.

The firewood is cut and stacked, the propane tank is full, and the kitchen is outfitted with quality cooking utensils. Sturdy bunk beds sport three-inch-thick sleeping pads.

Continued page 81

TETON BACKCOUNTRy GUiDES SERviCES & TRiPS Teton Pass Tours

Teton Crest Traverse Yurt-based Backcountry Skills Camp

Edelweiss and Columbia Bowls

Advanced Backcountry Skills Camp

Mail Cabin Canyon

Steep and Deep Camp

Mt. Glory

Women’s Backcountry Skills Camp

Mt. Taylor GTNP Tours

Targhee Backcountry Overnight and Custom Hut Tours

25’ Short and Maverick Mountain

Hut Rentals

Mt. Albright and Wimpy’s Knob

Backcountry 101: 1-day course

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing

Level 1 Avalanche Curriculum: 3-day course

j h s k i e r. n e t

“At the end of the ski day, you don’t get back in a car and leave the mountains. You stay there – in comfort, and not in a tent.” — Diane Verna

Connery Lundin Fred Marmsater photo j h s k i e r. n e t

I

Backcountry Zero

Be Prepared. Be Practiced. Be Present.

by Melissa Thomasma

t’s an utterly perfect day in Jackson Hole: soft, fresh snow decorates the trees, and the untouched powder out of bounds beckons. Enthusiastically, your crew strikes out to play in the pristine, wintery wilderness. It’s like carving turns into a cloud, everyone exhilarated and brimming with the joy.

Today will be one to remember.

But then the unthinkable happens: your friend’s knee twists, cracks. She crumples into the snow. Just as suddenly, dark clouds slide across the blue skies. You realize that it’s getting late, and a great day has rapidly become an extremely dangerous situation. How will you move your injured friend to the car? What if you can’t get there by dark? Do you have what you need to survive the night?

Scenarios like this keep Teton County Search and Rescue busy throughout the winter season. Although beautiful, the cold season in the Rocky Mountains is unforgiving; skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and other outdoor enthusiasts can find themselves in life-threatening situations in the blink of an eye.

“A lot of the accidents we see are preventable,” said Stephanie Thomas, executive director of Teton County Search and Rescue. “Sure, some of them aren’t. Sometimes someone just had a really bad day. But others?

They’re preventable things.”

Five years ago this belief that the majority of backcountry incidents are

avoidable inspired Thomas and others within the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation. They wanted to create a cross-sport culture in the community that helped prevent fatalities and backcountry emergencies.

A fresh and proactive approach, Backcountry Zero, was born. Its mission? “Backcountry Zero is a Jackson Hole community vision to reduce injuries and fatalities in the Tetons,” Thomas said. “Backcountry Zero is a four-season, cross-sport, communityled program created by the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation to inspire, educate, collaborate, and foster leadership in order to develop and heighten awareness for safer practices in the backcountry.”

Thomas explained the program’s main tenets, its three backcountry Ps: “Be Prepared, Be Practiced, and Be Present.” Preparation includes several areas of readiness: sufficient gear, route awareness, weather conditions, first aid, and survival skills. Groups who spend time in the backcountry should carry appropriate food, water, clothing layers, and emergency equipment.

When facing an extended period in the elements or a partner with an injury, having the right tools to keep warm, hydrated, and energized can make all the difference.

The second ‘P’ – Practiced – refers to the education and skills people need to have before they head into the backcountry. “You can’t just buy the gear,” said Thomas. “You have to know how to use it and you need to practice with it regularly to keep your skills sharp.” It also means taking a first aid course, an

avy course, and knowing how to fix your gear when it breaks. Each backcountry user needs to be sure they have the right education and the right skillset for their chosen adventure.

“The hardest one to talk about is the ‘Be Present’ idea,” Thomas said. “It’s about the mindfulness of the mountains and where you’re at, who you are with, and asking if this is the right plan for today.” This deep awareness is critical, she continued. “You might have all the education in the world, and you might have all the gear. But if your head isn’t where it needs to be for that day – that is the life or death decision.”

Avalanche awareness and other wintertime skills are very important to the Backcountry Zero program. But, Thomas stressed, so is the importance of the multi-season and cross-sport nature of the messaging. “If you wear a beacon while skiing, you should wear a PFD on the river; it’s about cross-sport awareness.” In other words, safety, preparedness, and prevention are paramount no matter the season or the adventure.

Backcountry Zero Ambassadors highlight this diversity: the professional athletes who represent the program include mountain bikers, paragliders, skiers, climbers, and snowmobilers, to name just a few. These faces of the program, Thomas pointed out, were selected because they don’t just talk the talk; they model the principles of Backcountry Zero in all of the sports they

enjoy in Jackson Hole.

Thomas and the Backcountry Zero team seek to educate outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and are working to reach the community in a variety of ways. They offer classes that bolster adventurers’ preparedness and help ensure that people have appropriate gear and skills before heading into the backcountry. Recognizing the large number of youth in Jackson Hole who love to play in the outdoors, the program offers classes like “What’s in Your Pack?” for kids. It’s never too early to cultivate great backcountry habits. Additionally, the program’s blog and podcast share important stories and lessons with the public.

Local businesses have teamed up with the project as well. Headwall Sports hosts a “State of the Snowpack” presentation every other week, making sure that skiers and snowboarders are aware of avalanche risk in the mountains. Others, like Hoback Sports, showcase the pack recommendations that Backcountry Zero champions, and let customers know that they carry any items an adventurer might be missing.

Ultimately, Backcountry Zero is about fostering relationships, awareness, and a community-wide culture that is committed to minimizing fatalities and injuries in our favorite playground.

As it continues to evolve, the program is reaching more people, making more educational and informational opportunities accessible, and keeping everyone safer. It comes down to this: staying safe today means you can ski again tomorrow.

Don’t be late for après...

Be prepared, practiced and present in the mountains.

If you don’t know, don’t go.

Join us. Become an advocate for A project of Teton County Search and Rescue 80

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

backcountry safety at backcountryzero.com.

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Forrest Jillson Jay Goodrich photo and clean them weekly throughout the winter.

Most important, perhaps, “Our huts are for exclusive use,” she added. “Your small private group does not have to share the yurt—or the terrain—with others. No congested trailheads, no dog-eat-dog for first tracks, no group following you all day. And it all comes at a fraction of what a heli-ski vacation costs.”

TBG also leads day trips on Teton Pass and the Tetons, and teaches ski mountaineering and avalanche courses.

“Our guides are among the region’s most experienced and knowledgeable backcountry skiers and riders,” Verna said. “We find the best snow and terrain to suit our clients’ abilities. We also provide instruction and interpret the natural environment for a funfilled and educational outing.” — JH SKIER

GO DEEP! LEARN BACKCOUNTRY SKILLS DAY CLINICS / 3-DAY CAMPS

EXPLORE TETON PASS DAY TOURS

DIY YURT RENTALS RESERVE NOW

TETON BACKCOUNTRY GUIDES 1986

Your Local Backcountry Ski Shop

Backcountry Ski Sales Professional Ski & Snowboard Tunes Rentals of Backcountry Ski Equipment, Snowshoes & XC Skis In Downtown Wilson At the Base of Teton Pass Next to Pearl Street Bagels

TETONGUIDES.COM j h s k i e r. n e t

307-733-5228

wilsonbackcountry.com

Wade McKoy / Jason Tattersall

Teton Backcountry Guides continued And the guide is also a good cook.

“Our clients eat well,” Verna said. “We provide deluxe, fresh, and organic meals.” Dinners include wild Alaskan salmon, mixed greens, and fresh vegetables.

Guests awake to fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee, fresh fruit salads, and other homemade treats.

“All our clients need to bring is a daypack with extra clothes, and we take care of all the rest,” she added. “It’s a real vacation for them.”

The hut system includes three winterized yurts, each in a unique setting. Guides are available to lead groups on multiday tours, but experienced skiers can also rent the yurts unguided.

“We take pride in having top-quality, clean yurts,” said Verna. “We scrub them thoroughly every season

81

M ESSENGER L INE

Teton Pass Ambassador John “Jay” Pistono pulls for progress

This scenario has played out far too many times lately. A sizeable chunk of Jackson’s workforce travels Teton Pass daily. They work long hours and start early in order to navigate a road that's dangerous to begin with. When a snow slide hits the road unexpectedly, it’s usually due to a poor decision on the part of a backcountry skier or snowboarder. These slides almost always shut down travel on Wyoming Highway 22, and too often during rush hour.

On one such occasion, I helped the

Highway Patrol inform drivers that the Pass would be closed for quite a while.

We walked down the Pass telling folks in vehicles backed up all the way to Wilson. I was in my ski gear, and lots of folks absolutely ripped into me with how they felt about backcountry skiers.

Their rage is justified. We have no right to be riding above the road in questionable conditions. This particular slide ran over a car and trapped the driver inside it, the debris so tightly packed around him that an outline of

j h s k i e r. n e t

his face was frozen into the snow. He was lucky to survive, but unlucky, too.

His vehicle totaled by the avalanche, he was never fully compensated for the loss.

Usually right after one of these skiertriggered slides hits the road, there’s a heightened sense of awareness among backcountry users regarding the potential consequences of their actions. Suddenly everyone is an “avalanche expert,” and they put out the vibe to ski and snowboard more safely.

Fred Marmsater photos

I

Imagine that you’re trying to get home to your family after a long day’s work. Now imagine that you’re going to be two hours late because a skier just closed Teton Pass by setting off an avalanche.

Fred Marmsater photos

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Pictured: Tanner Flanagan (left) Teton Brown, Tanner Flanagan & Keely Kelleher (above)

They conducted an extensive survey, compiled the input from a wide range of users, and found that the three greatest issues of concern were generally avalanche related.

To put a point on that data, I’d like to remind you: Do not start avalanches, particularly above Highway 22.

Next, regarding the parking area: Rideshare. Park efficiently and as tightly as possible. Check the webcam before you go (the new images show most of the area, thanks again, WYDOT). Park as quickly as possible (don’t impede other motorists). If you are waiting for a spot, do so in a singlefile line with flashers on and actively communicate your intentions to other folks in the area (this requires getting out of your rig). Do not park outside the boundary lines. Help by pointing this out to others.

Remember, the area we use for access at the top of the Pass is officially designated as a vehicle turnout zone. It is not recognized as a parking lot. Familiarize yourself with the new signs, especially the “NO PARKING, Avalanche Control Expected.”

But last year, after a slide on Twin closed the road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., almost 20 people decided to ride Glory Bowl the very next morning.

People preach that it’s wrong to shame others for making mistakes, but I don't see skiing Glory on the morning following a significant slide cycle as a mistake. I see it as straight-up selfishness. And unless we can come together to spread the good word about

not being selfish on Teton Pass, we’ll be relying more or less on luck for having access to this special place.

To that end, last year Teton Backcountry Alliance (TBCA) came on the scene to help with general backcountry issues, especially regarding the volatile situation on Teton Pass. In several meetings with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), the U.S. Forest Service, and various enforcement agencies, TBCA was able to focus on the most significant issues.

Your pet is your responsibility in all regards. Leash it before letting it out of your rig. Pick up after it. Pay attention to weather and snow conditions; ask yourself if your pet can handle all that deep pow. Pets should be under voice command, particularly when it comes to winter wildlife. Adjust your ski plan to your pet’s needs – not the other way around.

WYDOT does an excellent job of controlling almost all avalanche paths that could affect the road. Skiers and snowboarders should know, however, that this control work is done solely for the purpose of maintaining motorized travel. None of it is done for skier safety.

To give you an idea of the implications, here’s some of what goes down when an avalanche closes the highway:

j h s k i e r. n e t

83

This particular slide ran over a car and trapped the driver inside it, the debris so tightly packed around him that an outline of his face was frozen into the snow.

Traffic backs up, further delaying rescue personnel’s arrival at the scene.

Sometimes people who are unaccounted for are actually back up skiing while rescuers search the avalanche debris. Searchers must determine if there is a person in the debris pile before it can be plowed. Law enforcement is trying to turn people around, including START buses. People and cars are stopped, congregating below other avalanche paths.

It’s not a pretty picture. It’s a complicated scene with more potential danger mixing in. Folks are hoping that WYDOT will get there ASAP to clean up the mess, and WYDOT has probably already put in a long day. In 2016 WYDOT spent 6,068 man hours working on the Pass at a cost of $782,035.

A further look at the numbers can help define the popularity of Teton Pass among backcountry users. Last year, over 120,000 runs were made by skiers and snowboarders, just from the upper turnout. About 75 percent of those were made on the north side of the road, which has some added challenges: skiers must cross the highway to start and finish their run, and a good chunk of that terrain hangs over the road.

It should be obvious to any backcountry user that this terrain is a no-go area because of the consequences of a slide hitting a busy throughway that carries 7,000 vehicles per day – about 300 per hour. The runs above the highway are steep, with starting zones on Twin and Glory at mid-to-upper 30 degrees.

The Pass also gets a heck of a lot of snow. So keep telling yourself: a lot of snow, vehicles below, a lot of skiers, steep terrain. Even now, with more backcountry riders owning the responsibility of being aware of their surroundings, several runs still get skied in the wrong conditions and cause avalanches to spill onto the road.

We can do this. We can take care of Teton Pass, a special place steeped in history and the culture of skiing. The Pass has so much to offer, but we must stifle our own self-importance and regard the Pass with more reverence. We should be humble.

— JH SKIER

84

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

ALASKA

VALDEZ HELI-SKI GUIDES LOCATION - LOCATION - LOCATION

20 20

marks 27 years since Doug and Emily Coombs landed in Valdez, Alaska, and pioneered the first commercial helicopter-skiing operation on Thompson Pass.

j h s k i e r. n e t

And today, by the steady hand of new owners Jeff and Ingrid Fraser, Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (VHSG) remains the premier heli-ski company in Alaska.

The Frasers are not newcomers to the Chugach Mountains. Owners of VHSG’s sister business, the Tsaina Lodge, since 2011, they’ve been skiing with VHSG for over 20 years and bought the heli-ski operation from Scott Raynor last fall. “Scott did a great job of progressing Doug and Emily’s legacy in the 18 years he led VHSG,” said Jeff Fraser.

Valdez Heli-Ski Guides quickly climbed to fame in the roaring ‘90s by

Mike Stoner photos courtesy Valdez Heli-Ski Guides

Jed Workman offering the finest guided steep-skiing in the world.

“With Doug and Emily, it was about the guides showing their friends Alaska’s great terrain,” Fraser said. “And it’s the same today. Ingrid and I love skiing the steeps in the Chugach Mountains with our friends, the guides, and our guests.

“Doug and Emily showed me it was possible to ride and have fun doing so, on mountains that I thought I would never have the ability to ski,” he continued. “VHSG still has an education-based legacy and is doing the same thing for today’s generation of skiers and riders. We intend to make

Jeff Zell

sure future riders can continue to have this experience, and that it continues to progress for many more years.”

Fly Until It’s Blue “The biggest change to VHSG, our ‘fly until its blue’ philosophy, almost eliminates down days,” Fraser said. “Six years ago, Ingrid and I were being guided by Doug Workman and Jeff Zell. One cloudy morning at the Tsaina they mentioned getting in the heli and ‘flying until it's blue.’ Increasing our range allowed us to fly out of poor weather patterns and we found new

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

great mountains to ski.

“Historically, VHSG skis within 25 miles of our operational base—as do most Alaskan heli-ski operators. This works great for shuttling ski groups without delay and to the best concentration of heli-ski runs in all of Alaska.

But when conditions aren’t right within a 50-mile radius of base, you typically have a down day. Now the results are few if any down days.

“I think we have the best place in the world for skiers and riders who’ve honed their skills in Jackson Hole to come test those skills, and add an extra month to their ski season,” he said.

Right out the back door of the Tsaina looms Dimond Peak, for many the ultimate Alaskan ski mountain. Dimond’s many ski routes all lead back to the lodge. That is, after about a 5,600-foot vertical drop. Two impressive chutes descend the peak’s western slope, and the north face holds a consistent 40-degree slope for over 2,000 feet.

“The top pitches are steep runs,” Fraser noted, “but not radical. Lots of our clients can ski them. It’s tantalizing to think about skiing a 40-degree slope in powder.”

And ski powder all the way to the doorstep of a beautiful heli-ski lodge in the middle of the Alaskan mountains.

“You can be skiing the best powder in the wildest mountains of your life, and ten minutes later, you’re back in your private room taking a hot shower. It’s one the most comfortable lodges in Alaska,” Fraser pointed out.

Rich in history, the Tsaina Bar has an old-school skier vibe. This history is balanced by the mouthwatering gourmet meals served from the Tsaina’s state-of-the-art kitchen. Locally sourced seafood, succulent meats, and tantalizing desserts fuel the appetites stirred up by a day in the mountains. The dining room looks out onto sunsets, Worthington Glacier, the peaks of Thompson Pass, and the Northern Lights. The Tsaina’s setting in the heart of the Chugach is absolutely unmatched.

The Tsaina Lodge was updated again in 2019.

Fraser pointed out that, “We remodeled the entire lodge into a boutique format for 24 guests in private rooms or suites. We added a large outdoor spa/hot tub area.

“The bar and party atmosphere are the same or better. Our guests mingle among the public: people celebrating the best ski day of their lives, our clients, clients from other heli-ski operators, and others who may have hiked or snow machined to get what they were looking for.”

— JH SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Mike Stoner photos courtesy Valdez Heli-Ski Guides

86

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

TERRAIN OVERVIEW We’ve expanded our permitted area to over 8 million acres – 10,000 square miles of glaciated mountains to ski. Our backyard run – skiing Dimond’s gun barrels, then 6,200’ down to the Tsaina bar – is something everyone should do. And several runs of 7,000'-8,000’ vertical are scattered through these glaciated mountains. The terrain accessed by Valdez Heli-Ski Guides offers everything from scenic glaciers and powder bowls to steep couloirs and big-mountain faces. The cold maritime snowfall in the region is world-renowned, enabling VHSG to ski some of the steepest terrain in North America with a confidence and security not possible anywhere else. Runs average between 3,000 and 5,000 vertical feet.

NEAREST AIRPORT Thompson Pass, 35 miles from Valdez, Alaska

SEASON 2020 Season is February 22 - May 2. Ski weeks are Saturday to Saturday

CONTACT INFO & SOCIAL MEDIA 907-835-4528; Website: www.valdezheliskiguides.com; email info@valdezheliskiguides.com; find VHSG on Facebook and Instagram

YEARS IN OPERATION 27

DOWN-DAY ACTIVITIES We now just use the cat to groom the last 1,000’ into the Tsaina from the Dimond and Stairway to Heaven runs

LODGING AMENITIES Luxury single-occupancy accommodations, fine-dining restaurant, infamous Tsaina bar, full gym, reading room, laundry facilities, daily laundry service, gear storage room, and free airport shuttles from/to the Valdez airport.

PRICING 1-Week Group Memberships for up to 8 skiers $108,000, 1-Week Individual Memberships $12,500ship packages: $97,157 for a group of 8.

VHSG offers 1-Week Group Membership bookings for up to 3 skiers in a single load A-star B3 helicopter, 1-Week Group Membership bookings for up to 8 skiers in a double load A-star B3 helicopter, and 1-Week Individual Membership bookings in a triple load A-star B3 helicopter. We also deploy larger Bell 212 helicopters for shuttling guests if we have to ski “where it's blue."

j h s k i e r. n e t

87

88

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

ALASKA

ALASKA RENDEZVOUS HELI-GUIDES RIDING HIGH IN THE BLUE HOLE

F

orty five miles up the Thompson Pass from Valdez, Alaska, is a spot long known to locals as “The Blue Hole” of the Chugach.

Sounds like a good spot to be.

And in the Chugach, it is.

An Alaska ski-guide pioneer, Theo Meiners, years ago recognized this site as the prefect location for a full-service lodge, tavern, and heli-ski base. Now in its 18th season, The Rendezvous Lodge and Heli-Guides has built a potent reputation for delivering the goods to ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world.

The lodge’s press release notes that, “Rendezvous Lodge is located farther to the north than many of the other heli-ski operators in Valdez, putting our guests closer to the Blue Hole of Thomp-

son Pass. Storms often clear from the north, so we can take advantage of the most skiable days.” The lodge also happens to be surrounded by seven enormous peaks.

From the adrenaline and excitement in the mountains, to the bar that never sleeps, the Rendezvous is where luxury meets extreme. The brochure’s final menu item: “The Rendezvous lodge employs trained chefs who will wow you with a delicious, diverse menu. There is no better place to relax in the mountains of Alaska.”

Experience at the lodge is not limited to a single life-changing moment; skiers will come back year after year, thanks in part to a wide range of packages. The Rendezvous is where the “ninetynine percent meet the one percent, and everyone speaks the language of high fives.”

A typical day includes about 30,000 vertical feet on peaks with elevations up to 6,800 feet and descents up to 5,000 vertical. Boasting an annual snowfall of 30-80 feet, it’s no wonder that Valdez is home to the original big-mountain experience.

— JH SKIER j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

TERRAIN OVERVIEW For 18 years, the Alaska Rendezvous Guides has operated out of the ‘Blue Hole’ of the Chugach Range with a commitment to a professional and fun experience. The location offers fast and easy flights to some of the most incredible topography in Alaska. Mile 45 creates easy access to amazing terrain, and depending on your choice of accommodations, you can scout lines from your hotel window, motor home, or poking your head from your vestibule. Some of these life-changing runs are sustained 55-degree 4,000plus vertical foot faces, leading to mile-long glaciers. Perfect-powder pitched peaks and untracked freshies is the MO of ARG. The Alaska Rendezvous Guides offers something for everyone, and pairs guests with people within the same ability.

NEAREST AIRPORT 45 Miles North of Valdez, Alaska

CONTACT INFO & SOCIAL MEDIA Info@arlinc.com; 907-822-3300; facebook.com/alaskarendezvous; Twitter: @ak_rendezvous; Instagram: @AK_Rendezvous

DOWN-DAY ACTIVITIES Cross-country skiing, touring, snowshoeing, Whiffle ball tournaments

LODGING AMENITIES Eight-room lodge with two queen beds per room, 250 sq. feet, bathroom, boot driers, laundry facilities, sauna and massage services.

SEASON Saturday, March 14 – Saturday, April 25, 2020

YEARS IN OPERATION

PRICING

18

$1,150 for one day (six runs), or $10,850 per person double occupancy for seven nights. 36 runs, lodging, all food and non-alcoholic beverages, all equipment—including BCA Tracker2 transceivers. BCA Float 22 airbags available.

Additional charge for single occupancy.

OTHER

Frank Shine photos courtesy Alaska Rendezvous Heli-Guides

Touring and Snowcat options

j h s k i e r. n e t

89

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

WYOMING

HIGH MOUNTAIN HELI-SKIING A LIFT TO THE GOOD STUFF

H

igh Mountain Heli-Skiing (HMH) has sought the ultimate, deep-powder helicopter skiing experience for its Jackson Hole guests since 1974.

The enterprise’s ski terrain includes 305,000 acres in the Snake River and Palisades mountains as well as portions of the Wyoming, Teton, and Gros Ventre ranges. Vast open bowls, steep chutes, enchanted forests, and glades describe this superb ski terrain. Clients are transported by the latest model AS-350B3e AStar helicopters.

A day with HMH consists of six runs, approximately 12,000-15,000 vertical feet, transportation to the heli-pad, and lunch. Extra runs are available at an additional cost when time and conditions allow. For skis, new Rossignol Super 7 HDs are recommended and available to rent. Flying in groups of one guide and 4 guests, three groups with each helicopter (24 guests) fill out the company’s maximum daily operations.

HMH flies out of two bases, each with lodging and spa packages. The Snake River Sporting Club, 13 miles south of Jackson, serves as the main base, while Teton Springs Lodge and Spa outside Victor, Idaho, has the Teton’s west slope covered.

Wilderness Study Area-Private Tours A few lucky skiers get to fly into the Wyoming side of the Snake River Range, officially the Palisades Wilderness Study Area (WSA). Only exclusive private tours will be offered in the Palisades WSA. These mountains average 20 percent more snowfall than neighboring ranges and hold some of the best powder skiing in the Jackson-Teton area.

Charlotte Moats j h s k i e r. n e t

Photos Wade McKoy (2); Bob Woodall (top left)

90

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

TERRAIN OVERVIEW HMH operates on the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests under a Special Use permit from the National Forest Service.

HMH is also a member of the Heli-Ski US Association.

SEASON December 18 to April 1

CONTACT INFO & SOCIAL MEDIA HMH 307-733-3274, heli-ski@wyoming.com, www.heliskijackson.com www.tetonspringslodge.com; or call 208-787-7235 https://snakeriversportingclub.com

Eric Rohr HMH has added a second A-Star helicopter to facilitate these exclusive private tours. Up to eight skiers in two groups of four ski as many as nine runs (eight guaranteed). Lunch and ground transportation are included in the total cost (eight or fewer skiers): $16,950. Clients first ski the front side of the range – Coburn Creek, South Fall Creek, South Elk Creek, and Powder Peak – and then return on the back side – Garden Canyon, North and South Indian Creek, Dry Fork, and Wolf Mountain.

Helicopter-assisted Ski Touring Take an early morning heli-lift into the southern Tetons and spend the day touring some of Jackson Hole’s biggest mountains. The helicopter lift and full day of guided ski touring costs $395 per person, based on a full group of four ($1,580 for the group). On the last run, ski to the road and a waiting van. Must be experienced and have their own touring equipment.

Helicopter pickup and shuttle from Teton Village A helicopter shuttle, $600 each way for up to four people, links Teton Village with either Teton Springs Lodge or Snake River Sporting Club. Or fly directly from Teton Village into the mountains and get the ski day started early.

Otherwise, all heli-ski trips meet daily at 9 a.m. at one of two base locations assigned to clients when they check in on the day prior to their scheduled trip. Teton Village skiers who need transportation will be picked up at 8:15 a.m.

In Teton Village, information is available at hotel concierges and ski shops. Stop by or call 307-733-3274 with questions or to hear about conditions.

YEARS IN OPERATION 46 years

LODGING AMENITIES Teton Springs Lodge & Spa, located in the center of the idyllic Teton Valley, Idaho, is a tranquil, upscale community. The all-season luxury resort offers guests top-tier facilities and recreational options, with a helicopter landing zone right outside the door. Stillwaters Spa features a full range of treatments, including deep-tissue and sports massage.

The newly completed Fairway Lodges at Snake River Sporting Club are approximately 2,600 sq. feet, have 4 bedrooms with 4.5 baths, fully equipped kitchen and private hot tub. Guests will have access to all winter amenities, including cross-country skiing, snow bikes, ice skating, platform tennis, snowshoeing, and its tubing hill. They will also have access to the clubhouse facilities, including the fitness room, merchandise shop, and restaurant. Heliport is nearby.

PRICING Daily heli-skiing rates: $1,450 per person (6 runs). Extra runs when available are at the discounted rate of $150 per run.

— JH SKIER

UNTRACKED . . .

UNTOUCHED . . .

UNBELIEVABLE

Operating under permit by the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

High Mountain Heli-Skiing Jackson Hole 307-733-3274

heli-ski@wyoming.com • www.heliskijackson.com

j h s k i e r. n e t

91

Kings & Queens of Corbet’s

On Feb 17, 2019, judges crowned Travis Rice the King of Corbet’s Couloir and Caite Zeliff its Queen. The Riders Choice award — honoring the late Bryce Newcomb and given to the person who most exem-

Travis Rice, 1st run.

Wade McKoy photos

plifies the essence of skiing in their everyday life — went to sit-skier Trevor Kennison.

A six-day weather window for the event allows competitors to select the best available conditions for visibility, wind, and snow. Ideally those

would be clear, none, and soft. The competitors also double as the event’s judges, scoring one another as they each ski or snowboard two runs.

The 2020 weather window is February 10 to 16. Competitors from out of town arrive in Jackson February 9.

“On the days before the event, all athletes will ski the tram, scout their lines, and otherwise enjoy all that Jackson Hole has to offer,” said JHMR Events and Partnerships Manager Jess McMillan, a cofounder of the Kings and Queens competition.

“They can probably be found standj h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

ing at the top of Corbet’s Couloir – or enjoying après ski at RPK 3.”

The 2020 roster includes many new names among the 25 invited skiers and snowboarders who will place their mark on Corbet’s. And to keep the course fresh, the JHMR Park and Pipe crew will again build new, creative features inside the couloir.

A contest not to be missed! For more information go online to jacksonhole.com.

Caite Zeliff, 1st run.

Wade McKoy photos

Continued next page

Jozi Campbell, Zeliff, and friends beam at the finish.

Bob Woodall photo j h s k i e r. n e t

93

Rich Goodwin, JHMR Park and Pipe Crew, also emcees the event.

Carson Meyer photo

A six-day weather window for the event allows competitors to select the best available conditions for visibility, wind, and snow. Ideally those would be clear, none, and soft.

Sam Schwartz flips into Corbet’s.

Carson Meyer photo

Travis Rice styles the final jump.

Bob Woodall photo

Top Five Women, 2019: Caite Zeliff, Hana Beaman, Ashley Babcock, Erika Vikander, Mary Boddington Top Five Men, 2019: Travis Rice, Karl Fostvedt, Blaine Gallivan, Coen Bennie-Faull, Sander Hadley

94

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Blaine Gallivan sets up to jump the lower cliff band.

Bob Woodall photo From top right: Jess McMillan, Anna Cole, Caite Zeliff, and Travis Rice commune in the finish area.

Right: Trevor Kennison, the Riders Choice winner, finishes his remarkable run.

Bob Woodall photos

j h s k i e r. n e t

ROOTS PRO LIFESTYLE

SKI TOWN LOCALS

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Blaine Gallivan

Ski Town Job Season Baking Co., a business that I started with my partner Francesca, specializes in naturally leavened sourdough breads and wood-fired pizza. During the summer we attend farmers markets, as well as cater weddings and private events. In off-season we offer subscriptions to a weekly sourdough bread-share that serves over 100 members of our community. I’m full-time self-employed these days.

Highlight Reel 2017 - I wrote an article for The Ski Journal entitled “No Alto Maipo.” I talk about a controversial hydroelectric dam project in the Maipo Valley of Northern Chile and the skiing that we did there.

2018 - Started my own company, Season Baking Co. 2019 – Third-place finish in the Kings and Queens of Corbet’s competition.

Personal Philosophy Wake up every day with a new set of eyes. Stay creative. Hustle. Send it. Approach each new chapter of life with optimism and intention.

Future Goals

Sponsors Lib Tech Skis, Stio, Spy Optics, Cast Touring Kings & Queens of Corbet’s 02.17.2019 2nd run, Blaine Gallivan

96

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Wade McKoy photos

Participate actively in the movement to leave our planet in good shape for future generations so they are able to eat clean food, drink clean water, and ski deep pow.

Create a short ski film encapsulating the people, places, and foods that I love most.

Ski in Alaska!

The last and most important future goal I have is to remain in the present.

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Jared Rogers

Native Claim Born October 10, 1972, to Ila Rogers and David Rogers. “It was a normal, fall day. But I guess Mom almost did not make it to the hospital in time. I was in a rush to get out.”

Ski Town Job Owner / operator — Edge Tunes

Product Highlights Edge Tunes is a full-service, mobile, skiand-bike tuning company. I bring 30 years of working knowledge to your front door, coming to your house or office to service your skis and/or bikes.

Genesis / Evolution / Gratification

Wade McKoy photos

I’ve been skiing the Village since age three. I grew up working in most of the ski and bike shops in Jackson. I started alpine ski racing in my teens and continued racing into college. I’m also an expert-level mountain bike racer and have worked as a bike mechanic for over 25 years.

In 1997 I opened a ski shop, The Edge Sports, on the five-way corner in Jackson where Radio Shack is now. I ran the store until 2011 and became well known for service and products, and even for philanthropy by helping put several local kids from the Jackson Hole Ski Club onto the U.S. Ski Team.

I’ve serviced skis for some of the best skiers in the West and still work on the skis of former Olympians and top extreme skiers. Biking and skiing are my passions and what I know.

Now that I’ve built a complete ski- and biketuning shop inside a van and gone mobile, I can expand my work beyond the shop in my home.

Contact Edge Tunes, Jared Rogers, 307-699-4911, bikesNskis@aol.com, www.edgetunesjh.com

j h s k i e r. n e t

97

ROOTS PRO LIFESTYLE Randy Roberts

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Ski Town Jobs Elementary School teacher, 1976 to 2003; president, Friends of Pathways, 1994 to 2009 (lobbied in Washington, D.C., to influence decisions and earmark funds for the Jenny Lake Pathway in Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole’s pathway system); cross-country ski instructor, Teton Pines Nordic Center, 2009 to present; alpine ski instructor, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, 2017 to present; Teton Pass Ambassador, Bridger Teton National Forest, 2006 to present; painter of large-scale, abstract art.

Winter Highlights Hitchhiking up Teton Pass from the Stagecoach with friends and skiing the Pass, something I’ve done for over 40 years – it’s still the best. As a ski instructor, both Nordic and alpine, the reward is in building a student’s confidence and helping them progress to levels they never thought possible. Sharing in their stoke is pretty cool!

Personal Philosophy Whatever you do, give until it hurts.

Future Goals I love what I do, splitting my time between surfing at my childhood home in California and engaging with the mountains of Jackson Hole. The two places are so different, but a lot alike, too. I am lucky to have this lifestyle and to be able to share it with my wife Ellen and all my great pals.

Contact

Photo courtesy Randy Roberts

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

For more info on Randy’s art, contact him at ellenandrandy@yahoo.com

Rob Raker photo

SKI TOWN LOCALS

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Rob Kingwill

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Native Claim Born 1975, to Fred and Elizabeth Kingwill. Mom says, “Little Robbie was born at 7:08 a.m., June 25, 1975, exactly six months from Christmas Day.”

Ski Town Jobs Pro snowboarder; owner and lead designer at AVALON7 outdoor accessories; brand manager and shaper at Winterstick Snowboards; independent photographer, videographer, video editor.

Winter Highlights Winter in Jackson Hole always holds so much promise.

There is so much to do, so much to explore! One of my favorite memories from last season was finally getting out and riding the east face of Teewinot with my friend Nathaniel Murphy. The ascent is straight up, and the ride back down is unforgettable! Last season was also one of the best winters I can ever remember, and I managed to get out and ride the deepest day on a 183 Winterstick Original Swallowtail – a board I had never had a chance to ride before. It’s a beast of a board, built for floating on the deepest days, and it did not disappoint! I remember blasting past everyone else on the mountain while they wallowed in the snow, and I just floated by. My job as a designer and “snowboard tester” sure has its perks!

Personal Philosophy Never stop progressing.

Goals To keep riding my snowboard as much as possible and explore more of the classic lines in Grand Teton National Park. I also have a goal to build my company AVALON7 into a globally recognized brand that makes awesome stuff, supports artists, and empowers people to reach their full potential.

Sponsors Winterstick Snowboards, AVALON7, 241 Clothing, GoPro, Skullcandy, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, HANAH, World Boards, Bluebird Wax Pipe Finals, Park City Snowboarding Grand Prix, 12.20.2002

Jonathan Selkowitz photos

2018 tram dock

j h s k i e r. n e t

ROOTS PRO LIFESTYLE

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Native Claim Born 1996, to Mike and Marcy Fischer.

“On August 23 at St. John’s Medical Center, it was a nice 82° summer day.”

Winter Highlights

Carson Meyer

Shea Fischer

I’ve been fortunate enough to have learned how to ski here in Jackson. I’ve been skiing in the Tetons every winter since I was two years old. Highlights that stand out to me are times like: jumping into Corbet’s for the first time; the first time skiing Central Couloir on Cody Peak; learning new tricks; always being able to have endless fun with people that love to ski as much as I do.

I like what Warren Miller said: “People weren’t meant to fly, that’s why we make kickers.”

Future Goals Continue to enjoy everything the mountains have to offer.

100

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Wade McKoy

Personal Philosophy

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Samuel Schwartz

Ski Town Jobs Professional Skier; Bartender; Entrepreneur: Little Steps Solutions

Highlight Reel #1 Backflip Rank by Freeskier Magazine, 2017 Published in Outside Magazine’s 50 Most Dramatic Photos, 2017 2013 Junior World Men’s Freeski Champion

Personal Philosophy Live big and love lots while we’re alive.

Carson Meyer photos

SKI TOWN LOCALS

Future Goals Influence the sport of skiing in a fun and positive way. Create sustainable solutions for high-volume businesses.

Sponsors K2 Skis, Stio, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Mountain Tactical Institute, Dragon Alliance

j h s k i e r. n e t

ROOTS PRO LIFESTYLE WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Kai Jones

Kai Jones, a 13-year-old student at Teton Middle School in Driggs, Idaho, writes about his biggest adventure yet.

Last ski season I was lucky enough to go to Girdwood, Alaska.

Alaska is an amazing place. The culture is amazing and the mountains are indescribable.

I’m thankful to have gone with such an awesome group of people (a Teton Gravity Research film crew). I went with my dad Todd Jones (TGR co-owner), photographer Nick Ale-

102

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

12-year-old skis Alaska with Teton Gravity Research

gre, and athletes Tim Durtschi and John Riley.

We were skiing with Chugach Powder Guides.

Alaska has the best snow I have ever skied.

It is powder skiing that allows you to make GS turns, to land airs, and to ski really cool routes down the mountain.

In these photos I was able to ski steep powder lines with tons of opportunity in them. Looking at all the vast mountains was so epic; you can see millions of possible lines in one zone.

A few things I can take away from my Alaska trip are the feelings of flying though the sky and being around the camaraderie of the

Nic Alegre / TGR photos

SKI TOWN NATIVES

j h s k i e r. n e t

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Photography by Nic Alegre / Teton Gravity Research

TGR crew. Flying in the helicopter was amazing. I could see miles and miles of mountains, some yet to be skied. In the end I was so inspired by the views of Alaska.

Being around the TGR crew was so fun.

There was never a dull moment and we always made sure to stay safe and make the right judgments.

I took a lot out of this trip and I am excited to explore more and learn more about the great Alaskan mountains.

j h s k i e r. n e t

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

ROOTS PRO LIFESTYLE

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

wins Alf Engen Ski Trophy

Photo courtesy Masha Johnstone

Masha Johnstone

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

Longtime Jackson local Masha Johnstone was awarded the Alf & Alan Engen Ski Trophy in the spring of 2018. A Nordic racer and student at Jackson Hole High School until her sophomore year, Johnstone graduated from Park City High School, where she skied for the Park City Ski Club under coach Gordon Lange, a Jackson native.

104

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Currently Masha attends Montana State University in Bozeman, majoring in kinesiology (mechanics of body movement). She also worked for a nonprofit, The Station Foundation, which helps servicemen and servicewomen returning from active duty restore family and community relationships.

The Jackson Hole Skier reached Masha in Montana by telephone last fall.

JHS What did it mean to you when you won the Alf Engen Ski Trophy?

MJ That award meant a lot, to realize

j h s k i e r. n e t

that I was a role model to the younger kids.

I didn’t know the meaning behind it, that you won it by “exemplifying competitive spirit, sportsmanship, and leadership.” At the ceremony, to hear my name announced for such a prestigious award, it caught me by surprise.

JHS Talk about growing up in Jackson Hole, your skiing, your mentors, and your parents Hans Johnstone, an Olympian in Nordic combined, and Nancy Johnstone, an Olympic biathlete.

SKI TOWN NATIVES

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

tion of the Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation. The museum is located at Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

Ski Meister Who would you like to thank for helping you with your skiing?

Masha Three of my coaches from last year who helped me in so many ways: Gordon Lange, Ruff Patterson and Liz Stephen – for teaching me to breathe, for waxing my skis to perfection, for pushing me to new levels, and for believing in me every step of the way. A huge Thank You also goes out to my parents for always supporting me – not only as an athlete, but in all aspects of life. Thank you, Mom and Dad. The Jackson Hole Skier also spoke with Gordon Lange, Head Coach Nordic Competition Team, Park City Ski and Snowboard Club, and a member of the trophy’s nominating committee.

“For me, the Alf Engen Ski Trophy represents not only high achievement, but also how you embrace skiing in your life,” Lange said. “Will you live, breathe, and act like a skier for the rest of your life? Are you a leader among the group? These are

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

the kinds of things I think about when I select a nominee.

“Masha grew up skiing in Jackson and came down to Park City about five years ago. She turned out to be a joy to have in the program, was a big team player, and somebody the other kids looked up to. She exemplified those traits.

“The Alf Engen Museum exhibits the trophy and Masha’s got her name on it. I think it’s a big deal. You don’t just get this award for being a good skier. You get this award for being a good person.”

This criteria is laid out in Ski Meister: “The Alf & Alan Engen Ski Trophy is an annual award presented to young athletes who exemplify the competitive spirit, sportsmanship, and leadership that characterizes Intermountain and U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame members, Alf and Alan Engen.

The trophy is on permanent display near the exit of the Museum and now bears the name of the 2017-2018 recipient: 19-yearold cross-country skier, Masha Johnstone.”

— Wade McKoy

Photo courtesy Gordon Lange

MJ To grow up in Jackson and have parents who are Olympians I found super inspiring. They were always outdoors, my dad always in the Tetons. The older I get, the more I meet new friends, I realize it’s something I took for granted. My parents taught me a lot of things: climbing, skiing, being present in the mountains, and how to enjoy all-around, everyday activities. By their example I learned to always be in full-sports mode, to be a part of the outdoor community.

JHS You moved to Park City while still in high school. That must have been difficult.

MJ It was a bit of a hard transition. It really helped me settle down when I got on with the Park City Nordic Ski Club and skied for Gordon Lange. He was a big mentor, as well as Ruff Patterson, a Dartmouth coach, and Liz Stephen, a World Cup Olympian on the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.

Johnstone expanded on that in an interview she wrote for Ski Meister, a publica-

WORK TO SKI SKI TO LIVE

j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

105

In Memoriam Robert (Bob) Leroy Sealander, a former Jackson Hole ski patrolman, died January 14, 2017.

He was 81.

Bob grew up on the family farm near Shelley, Idaho. After he graduated from high school, his love of the mountains and skiing took him to Aspen, Colorado, where he was a ski instructor before eventually joining the Aspen Ski Patrol.

After spending the better part of 10 years in Aspen, Bob moved his family to Jackson Hole. He was involved with the building of the original tram.

When JHMR opened, Bob was a founding member of the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol. He took over as director of the ski patrol in 1967, and after several years at the helm became mountain manager. But his heart was always with the ski patrol, so he returned to it, where he stayed until he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and realized his dream of owning a sailboat.

An accomplished carpenter, Bob designed and built the family home along the Teton Village Road. continued page 108

Kirby Williams, a longtime Jackson Hole resident, died on Christmas morning, December 25, 2018. Surrounded by all his loved ones and his dogs, Kirby left on a sigh in the midst of a winter snowstorm, a fitting departure for a man who loved the snow and loved to ski. He was 75.

Kirby was born in May 1943 in Ogden, Utah, and moved to Jackson in 1949 when he was six. He grew up with his cousins Mike Wardell and John Becker and enjoyed a traditional Wyoming childhood of hunting, fishing, running a muskrat trap line, and skiing on Snow King Mountain and Teton Pass. “It is safe to say that I have skied pretty much every year since then and couldn’t even guess how many days a year I skied,” Kirby once related during an interview.

After graduating from Jackson-Wilson High School in 1961, he attended Utah State University.

Skiing was definitely a priority of his and a distraction that was hard to avoid. “It took me five years to get through Utah State,” he said in a 2016 Jackson Hole Skier story, “because Alta was just down the road and Sun Valley was right up the road.” Upon graduating, Kirby returned to Jackson to a career of summers spent guiding fishing, clearing ski runs at the continued page 108

j h s k i e r. n e t

Bob Woodall

Bob “Silky” Sealander | Kirby Williams | Todd Harley

Todd Harley, a 49-year resident of Wilson, died of natural causes while walking on Old Teton Pass Road on June 5, 2019. He was 72.

Raised and educated in Minneapolis, Todd came to Jackson in 1970 to work at St. John’s Hospital.

He was employed as a ski patroller by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for 25 years and worked as a carpenter during summers. For the past several years, he had volunteered with the adaptive skier program.

Todd lived his dream of racing motorcycles, flying airplanes, shooting competitively, skiing, climbing, and biking. The consummate host, he entertained in his home often and well.

Todd was predeceased by his parents Bud and Bea Harley and sister Lisa Harley. He is survived by sister Deborah (Tom) Healey, brother Steve (Deb) Harley, nieces and nephews, and many wonderful friends.

– Provided by his family

Photo courtesy Jackson Hole Museum and Historical Society, HS.0081

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

107

William Saunders, Jackson native and longtime local rancher, died on September 13, 2019, from injuries sustained in an ATV crash just south of the Bondurant, Wyoming, Post Office. He was 93.

Affectionately known as “Billy” and “Bill,” he was born to Roy and Mabel (Seaton) Saunders on December 19, 1925.

Bill spent his early childhood on his grandparents’ ranch at the north end of Jackson Hole’s National Elk Refuge. He enjoyed what all young cowboys did in the early 1930s, riding his horse, getting dirty in the hot sun, swimming in the creek, and working cattle with his father and grandfather.

If Bill wasn’t in the saddle working the ranch, he could be found on the ski hill or competing in horse races and rodeos.

Bill and Snow King Mountain were soulmates. At a very early age Bill, his brother Bobby, and most of the town kids skied every bare slope in Jackson Hole, including Elk Refuge Hill and Cache Creek — his favorites. His father, a carpenter and cabinet maker, made the family skis.

Bill cleared timber at the base of Snow King, helped Neil Rafferty install the first rope tow, and learned to handle a wheelbarrow full of cement when he helped the volunteer crew build the Snow King Ski Shelter.

One of his most notable achievements was in

Photo courtesy Saunders family

Father/Son Ski Sunday on Snow King, L-R: Roy Toombs, Tom Lamb, B. Bolsby, Bill Grant, Bill Saunders, George Lamb seated, others unknown.

high school, when he went before the school board to request that skiing become a sanctioned school sport. The board gave him financial support, launching the successful Jackson Hole High School Ski Team.

After graduating in 1943, he quickly and eagerly enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Private First Class William D. Saunders served from 19431946 and received the Presidential Unit Citation during his service in World War II. Bill returned to Jackson in 1946 and went to work for the Black Rock Association on Togwotee Pass, where he was most comfortable, back in the saddle.

He also rejoined the crew clearing Snow King ski

runs and used his previous experience to install a rope tow in 1947 for their practice runs.

Bill’s legacy and success at Snow King were marked by his hard work, dedication, talent, grace, and fearlessness as a skier. He was the first person to schuss Snow King (straight down as fast as he could go in a tuck position) from top to bottom.

Billy’s good friend James “Jimmy” Huidekoper, who worked with the American Olympic and Pre-Olympic teams in Europe, had a pair of Kastle skis made especially for Bill.

While attending Utah State University in 1951, Bill tried out for the Olympic team. He had a great run going until he fell at the second to last gate. With no financial support to help with trying to make the Olympics, the newly married Bill had to retire his dreams of qualifying.

Bill had married the love of his life, Martha Ann Graham. They decided to share their love of the mountain and built and opened “The Ski Shop” located at the base of Snow King. A small café in the shop run by Martha served breakfast and lunch.

During his time as president of the Jackson Hole Alpine Club, Little Waxers was formed. During its first year 83 children participated, coached by 11 volunteers. He continued coaching and was chosen for “Coach of the Western State Ski Meet” in Sun j h s k i e r. n e t

Valley, Idaho. Bill had a keen eye for the winning line. He also coached for the Jackson Intermountain Ski Team.

In the early 1960s he was part of the team that scouted peaks around Jackson before settling on Rendezvous Mountain as the site for the new Jackson Hole Ski Resort. Scouters included Barry Corbet (Corbet’s Couloir), Willy Schaffer, and Paul McCollister. Areas such as Cache Creek were considered before settling on the Crystal Springs Girl Scout Ranch at the base of Rendezvous Mountain. After scouting all day, the crew headed down the mountain. Except for Bill and Barry, who hiked higher up so they could ski down what was likely the first run of the future Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Bill hung up his skis in 1972 when the family moved to Bondurant to ranch. He enjoyed the new improvements on Snow King and watching his grandsons, from his youngest son Tony, ski the mountains he had enjoyed for so many years.

In 2015 he was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame and three years later was honored with an induction into the Jackson Hole Ski Club Hall of Fame for his pioneering and trail-breaking contributions to the local ski industry.

– Provided by Valley Mortuary

In Memoriam

Jack was one of the few people in the country who were fully certified in both Nordic and alpine ski instruction through the Professional Ski Instructors Association, and introduced thousands of people to skiing in his lifetime. He taught children, the elderly, the disabled, celebrities, members of the Secret Service and a former vice president to ski. He taught many people whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, wilderness camping on lakes and oceans, and whitewater rafting skills in Wyoming and Utah.

Jack often professed that he belonged to the

Sealander continued

Williams continued

In addition to his love of skiing, Bob also loved music. Spare time always found him playing the guitar, singing ski and folk songs. Fond of sing-alongs, Bob always encouraged everyone to join in.

He is survived by his wife Robin, daughter Annalisa, sons Klaus and Sven, daughter Sky, nine grandchildren, one step-grandson, and 13 greatgrandchildren.

mountain resort, and working carpentry.

He spent three summers felling trees and cutting trails at the new Jackson Hole Ski Resort that Paul McCollister and Alex Morely had just started. So Kirby was already familiar with the huge mountain when he joined the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol in 1966.

For Kirby, skiing was a great lifestyle, and through patrolling he found a way to make it work. Employment in construction and as a fishing guide in summers helped Kirby bridge the gap between winters.

He wasn’t the only one. In those early years, many of the patrollers were either climbers, mountain guides,

– Provided by the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol Memorial Fund

Photo courtesy Tom Windle

John “Jack” Douglas Bellorado, a fixture of the local Jackson skiing and outdoor community, died February 20, 2019, in Salt Lake City after a short and unexpected illness. He was 68.

On Jack’s 10th birthday his parents gave him a pair of downhill skis, which sparked a lifetime passion. He attended the University of MassachusettsDartmouth, and would often sneak off to the ski slopes of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. While skiing there he became a proficient bump skier and often skied Mount Washington’s Tuckerman’s Ravine.

Jack yearned for taller mountains and powder snow, and with his climbing partner, Bob Graham, he drove to Wyoming in his VW bus so Jack could become a National Outdoor Leadership School instructor. Wyoming’s steep mountains, swift rivers, and endless sky enthralled them both and prompted them to stick around.

After his NOLS student and instructor courses, Jack was hired to teach month-long sea kayak courses in Prince William Sound, Alaska. When he returned from Alaska he became a full-time NOLS instructor, teaching mountaineering in the Wind Rivers and Yellowstone.

Jack and Bob explored the Tetons, climbing traditional and lesser-known routes throughout the range. Jack’s love for adventure continued into his work teaching alpine skiing at Snow King.

In 1975 Jack met Mandie while skiing in Cache Creek. They were married in 1979. When their son Ben was less than a year old, they traveled to Alaska and embarked on a nine-week sea kayak trip in Prince William Sound.

In Alaska, Jack worked construction and taught handicap-ski and summer programs. Jack continued his ski career as an alpine instructor at Arctic Valley Ski Area.

In 1986 the family returned to Wyoming and Jack was hired to develop the Nordic Ski Program at Teton Pines, where he would end up directing and developing the program for the next 30 years.

From 1987 to 1997 Jack worked for Snake River Kayak and Canoe School in the summers, teaching boating skills on the Snake River. He helped develop the school’s Yellowstone Sea Kayak program and spent years guiding four- to five-day trips on Yellowstone Lake.

A legendary guide and instructor in the skiing industry, Jack was the very definition of a ski-meister.

He skied bumps, telemark, Nordic (classic and skate), alpine and even practiced ski ballet. For over 20 years Jack helped organize and lead Snow King’s New Year’s Eve torchlight parades.

j h s k i e r. n e t

“Church of What-it-beeez-like.” He was a true original—ever inventive, always eccentric—and truly irreplaceable.

Jack died surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Mandie; sons Ben and Orion, and Orion’s wife, Heidi; mother, Mary; his stepfather, William “Bill”; sister Donna; niece Joeonna; and many lifelong friends he considered family.

– Provided by his family

fishing guides, or carpenters—all seasonal jobs that were good lifelines for them.

There were about 17 or 18 patrollers back then, all in their 20s. “We didn’t have a clue what we were doing,” Kirby said, laughing. “Somebody was taking care of us because we were dealing with one of the gnarliest mountains in the West––or the country.

“I had some really good times and I had some bad times, but over the years we had a huge amount of just great, great times,” Williams said.

– From JH Skier and provided by his family

Photo courtesy Laura Quinlivan

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Marcy Ann Ray Fischer died peacefully September 30, 2019, at home in the arms of her devoted husband Mike and son Shea, with her loving family and friends surrounding her. She was 59.

Born in Santa Cruz, California, Marcy was the second oldest of Carole and Harold Ray’s four daughters.

Marcy was proud of her California roots. Her signature long blond hair, California “cool,” sunny attitude, and ferocious lust for life were attributes everyone admired. Marcy attended Soquel High in Santa Cruz.

After graduation, she went on to take business classes at Cabrillo College.

Marcy was active in her youth. She was on the swim team, played Pop Warner football, and was always surrounded by a pack of great friends. Whenever she went back to Santa Cruz, she would take long walks on the beach or hike in the beautiful redwoods with family and friends.

Marcy traveled to Jackson in 1983 on a two-week ski vacation to visit a high school friend. She fell in love with the Tetons and the Jackson Hole hiking, biking, and skiing lifestyle. After two years, Marcy moved back to California, where she began a long and successful career in the computer industry.

Marcy returned to Jackson in 1987, exchanging suits and heels for Patagonia standup shorts, fleece jackets, and Sorels. After stints at Cafe Christine and the Jackson Hole Ski Corp. she landed at UniLink Software, the first tech company in Jackson. Marcy was an exceptionally hard worker and was recognized for her aptitude and intellect.

At UniLink Marcy rose through the ranks to become head of software sales. In 2002, Creative Solutions (later Thomson Reuters) out of Dexter, Michigan, purchased UniLink. Marcy continued her sales position in Jackson by negotiating a "work from home" arrangement that lasted for more than 10 years. This allowed her to be home and available to her family while pursuing her career. From her years at UniLink Software/Thomson Reuters, Marcy met and retained some of her dearest and oldest friends, many who lasted her lifetime.

Not long after her return to Jackson, Marcy fell in love again. At a 4th of July party, she met Mike Fischer. They talked all night like old friends. Mike got up the courage to ask her out, and to his surprise, she said yes! That one date was all it took to establish their inseparable bond. During their five-year courtship, Mike and Marcy traversed the west in their VW camper van, chasing climbing routes, mountain bike rides, and adventure.

Marcy and Mike married on June 21, 1992, at the summit of Signal Mountain in Grand Teton National Park. The ceremony was followed by a fabulous celebration at Jackson Lake Lodge. The sparkle in Marcy and Mike’s eyes outshone the June alpenglow over Mount Moran.

On August 23, 1996, the Fischers welcomed Shea Alexander to the family. The early years of raising a family in Wilson included camping trips, biking, and climbing. One summer weekend, Marcy surprised Mike with a pop-up camper that she had purchased at a garage sale. The Fishers always had a great camping setup, and many fun times were had—rain or shine—in the “condo on wheels.” Camping became especially central to their lives as close friends also started families.

Marcy was so very proud of Shea and the man he

has become. She was an amazing mom, not only to Shea, but also to all the kids who came into her home.

Shea grew up with a posse of friends who are still close and remain at his side. Marcy inspired many to do a little better. Ever quick to forgive the adolescent shenanigans of youth, her attitude reminded others to “take it easy.”

Marcy and Mike had an enviable, loving, fun-filled partnership for over 32 years. They were there for each other in adventure, health, and in sickness too.

This was supremely evident when Marcy received her cancer diagnosis. Mike dropped everything and eventually quit his job to be by his sweetie, Marcy’s side.

He was the most incredible, capable, and compassionate caregiver. Marcy’s illness made their inseparable bond closer.

Marcy will be remembered for her excellent humor, her strength in adversity, and her natural ability to cultivate deep and lasting multi-generational friendships.

j h s k i e r. n e t

109

With her wide smile and ready laughter, Marcy had an easy propensity for connecting with people, and she generously shared those friendships. Always stepping up to help when others were in need, she had a sympathetic ear and offered sound advice. Her opinions were candid, compassionate, and direct. She was a trusted confidante to many in the valley.

Marcy is survived by her husband Mike and son Shea. She is also survived by her mom, Carole Ray; sisters Bonnie (husband Peter), Jennifer (husband Nick) and Kimberly (husband Steve); nieces and nephews Rebecca, Meagan, Mara, and Matthew; plus the numerous people who had the good fortune to be warmed by her friendship.

Marcy was preceded in death by her father, Harold Ray and her sweet dog, Kelly, who never left her side.

– Provided by the family

110

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Get Into The Wild

A

Experience the solitude of winter

Photography by Josh Metten, EcoTour Adventures

lthough big-mountain skiing entices most winter visitors to Jackson Hole, “they are missing out on the gem of a park only a few miles away,” said Taylor Phillips, owner of EcoTour Adventures.

With some of the most spectacular scenic wonders and richest winter-wildlife habitat in America, Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park encompass the vast southern part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states.

When heavy snows blanket the landscape, the valley is transformed into a magical world. Elk, moose, bison, bighorn sheep, and wolves all become more visible as they move onto the valley floor to escape the high country’s deep cover.

A venture through the snow-muffled forest and along a frozen mountain stream can reveal the true wonders of Jackson Hole’s winter. There may be no better way to traverse the white-mantled topography than on venerable snowshoes or cross-country skis.

Striking out on your own is an option, but Jackson Hole EcoTour can lead winter wanderers into prime spots through the nearby national park in high style.

“There is an incredible value with getting out with a naturalist to explore the backcountry. This is the only place in the U.S. that you have a world-class ski destination next to this array of public lands,” Phillips said. “I want our guests to understand the uniqueness of the area.”

A slow-paced activity, snowshoeing can be enjoyed by almost anyone. “If you can walk, you can snowshoe,” Phillips noted. “It’s a great way for people who don’t have the skills on Nordic skis to get out into the mountains, to get away from the crowds and experience the solitude, the splendor, and the quiet away from the road and to explore the backcountry in the Tetons.”

Tours are broken up according to ability levels: leisurely, moderate, or active.

“We group people of similar activity levels,” said Phillips, “so they are not holding back or pushing people beyond what they are comfortable doing.”

Guides for the cross-country ski excursions are naturalists and PSIA Nordic certified instructors, so they are able to offer a high level of Nordic instruction and vast knowledge of the ecosystem. Although the four-hour program designed for beginners is in a tour format, guides can still provide tips and techniques.

EcoTour Adventures’ wildlife tours are undertaken in safari-style vehicles featuring pop-up roof hatches so guests can stand up while observing and photographing local fauna from a safe location. “This also disturbs wildlife a lot less than if we were outside the vehicle,” said Phillips, “and everyone gets a great view.”

Binoculars and spotting scopes are supplied.

“Our main focus is to maximize our guests’ time in the parks,” Phillips continued. “Grand Teton National Park is known for its wildlife and stunning scenery,

j h s k i e r. n e t

continued page 112

Teton Snowshoers - Guided Snowshoe or XC tours can take visitors into the winter wonderland of Grand Teton National Park.

Bison - Bison migrate south through the Jackson Hole valley to winter range on the National Elk Refuge.

Ermine - The white winter coat of the ermine helps it avoid detection from predator and prey alike as it bounds across the snow.

Bull Moose - Moose are often found in the Jackson Hole valley in winter, bulls usually dropping their antlers by the end of January.

j h s k i e r. n e t

112

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

but it is so much more. We enjoy educating our guests on the region’s wildlife, history, and geology as we take them to the great wildlife hotspots.

“We want to connect our guests to this incredible national park, the larger ecosystem and the natural world in general. Our programs can be life changing!”

EcoTour’s guides all boast backgrounds in the sciences and love sharing their knowledge with clients.

“We like them to ask questions—you ask questions and you will learn more, ” said guide Verlin Stephens.

“I treat the trip like a joint venture and a learning experience for both of us.”

A number of trip options are available, from halfday to full-day excursions. But all are customizable and tailored to guests’ needs, and all tours include

transportation from the guests’ lodging. A favorite program is the full-day combination: four-hours wildlife viewing and four-hours snowshoeing.

For snowshoe outings, equipment is provided. For XC trips, clients need to arrange to rent gear ahead of time. EcoTour can coordinate with a local ski-delivery/rental company, so equipment gets dropped off the night before.

A combo National Elk Refuge program includes a four-hour tour of Grand Teton Park, followed by a sleigh ride among the elk on the refuge and a visit to the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Snacks and hot beverages are always available and lunch is included in full-day excursions.

– JH SKIER

j h s k i e r. n e t

Bighorn Sheep - Bighorn sheep butt heads on the National Elk Refuge. This activity peaks in early December; however, headbutting can occur throughout winter.

Hooded Merganser - Though most bird species migrate out of Jackson Hole in winter, the spring-fed waters of Flat Creek provide refuge for diverse waterfowl species.

Coyote - The thick winter coat of coyotes allows them to comfortably travel and hunt in the snowy landscape of Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

Teton sunrise alpenglow - A skier visits the historic Lucas Fabian Homestead in Grand Teton National Park.

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Photo Taylor Phillips / EcoTour Adventures

GUIDED TOURS SNOWSHOEING, XC SKIING & WILDLIFE VIEWING THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE ON FOOT OR IN THE COMFORT OF OUR CUSTOM VEHICLES.

Puma - With the widest range of any big cat, pumas can be found across the Americas, though they are most easily observed in Patagonia.

Up-close with Pumas, Condors, and Humpbacks

A year and a half ago the Teton Cougar Project’s Dr. Mark Elbroch informed Ecotour Adventures owner Taylor Phillips about emerging Puma tourism opportunities in South America’s Patagonia region. In addition to the TCP, Dr. Elbroch had been conducting studies and working in Chile and Argentina with Panthera, an organization specializing in research and conservation of big cats around the world.

“Mark has been a role model for years. He is an incredible naturalist and animal tracker,” Phillips said. So when Elbroch encouraged a partnership for tours to the area, Phillips was quickly on board.

Last December they visited Patagonia to check out the potential for expanding Ecotour’s offerings. “We had the opportunity to see eight cougars in two days,” said Phillips. “We got upclose to Andean condors on a private ranch and explored the Straights of Magellan on a live-aboard vessel, viewing humpback whales, other marine mammals, incredible birdlife, and tidewater glaciers.”

With that under their belts Ecotour Adventures, in collaboration with Panthera, is venturing out and will be offering in March a 10-day tour to the remote tip of South America. Limited to 12 participants, the intimate trip includes walking with pumas, hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, observing and photographing Andean condors, photographing the extraordinary landscapes of Patagonia, and three days aboard a ship exploring the Straights of Magellan’s waterways and glaciers via zodiac excursions. This promises to be a revealing experience among humpback whales and other wildlife. www.jhecotouradventures.com/southamerica/patagonia

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK THE BEST WAY TO SEE THE MOST WILDLIFE

365 days a year

BOOK NOW TO GET INTO THE ACTION. EcoTourAdventures.com | 307•690•9533 j h s k i e r. n e t

113

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Mush! Hike! Let’s Go!

T

Sled-dog tours, a storybook experience

by Sandra Keats

he tale is tried and true.

Whether it was Lassie and Timmy, Dorothy and Toto, Travis and Old Yeller, Duncan and Rin Tin Tin, or Buck and John Thornton, dog has always been man’s best friend.

But 12 Totos pulling Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow down the Yellow Brick Road? Not in Dorothy’s wildest dreams!

Well, what if Dorothy had found herself trudging down a trail deep in the Yukon? Maybe then she might have swapped the ruby red pumps for a dog sled and her precious Toto for a team of Alaskan huskies to pull her home.

Dog sledding combines that primal relationship of man and his loyal canine with the rush of whisking through snow-covered country and disappearing into the wild. It’s the Jack London storybook experience.

Imagine a day where a foot of untouched powder

settles over the Jackson Hole Valley. You leave your skis at home and, bundled in layer upon layer with a thermos of hot chocolate in hand, you take to the trail with a local musher.

“Mush! Hike! All Right! Let’s Go!” the musher calls out to his team. The dogs explode into motion, and off you go, dog and man, on a picturesque journey across frozen rivers, snow-blanketed valleys, dense forest, and rugged mountains.

For you this is a one-day adventure. For the musher, though, it’s a lifestyle.

Just ask Jackson Hole’s eight-time Iditarod veteran Frank Teasley. It was the romantic allure that initially grabbed him and pulled him into the dog-sledding lifestyle. But now it’s the rewarding relationship between a musher and his dogs – and the commitment to those dogs – that keeps him involved year-round in this hobby.

“There’s a difference between a musher and someone leading a dog team,” Teasley said. “A musher lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes dogs – 365 days a year, the dogs come first. It’s like having a very large family.”

Teasley, owner of Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours, started running dogs in 1979 with three Siberian huskies and a chair nailed to two skis. He now owns the largest touring company in the nation. He refers to his 200-dog company as a “pension plan” for his veteran racing dogs and “high school” for his j h s k i e r. n e t

Bob Woodall photos

114

Sled dogs eagerly take to the task of pulling the sled through the winter landscape. younger, less experienced pups.

“It’s like having more than 200 kids, which is extremely demanding, both physically and emotionally,” Teasley said. “Recognizing that every decision, like taking a vacation, is based on (the) dogs. The first priority, always, is that the dogs are taken care of.”

Dog sledding combines that primal relationship of man and his loyal canine with the rush of whisking through snow-covered country and disappearing into the wild.

It’s the Jack London storybook experience.

And it’s thanks to them that Teasley has successfully raced through Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, Alaska, Wyoming, and even Argentina.

They’ve won the Race to the Sky in Montana three times, the UP 200 in Michigan in 2004, and hold the record for the Bear Grease race in Minnesota.

Teasley’s team has run the Iditarod eight times, including their best time in 1991, a sixth-place finish out of 74 racers. That same year, they received the Sterling Silver Award for the most improved kennel

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

and the Leonard Seppala Humanitarian Award for the “best cared-for team” in 1989.

During his earlier years competing in the Iditarod, Teasley and other racers voiced concern that “The Last Great Race” wasn’t easily accessible to spectators. Spectators could view the start in Anchorage and maybe the finish in Nome two weeks later. But unless fans snowshoed deep into the Alaskan wilderness, sometimes in 40-below-zero temperatures, most of the 1,000-mile-plus race remained a mystery.

“I have to give credit to the Iditarod for putting dog sledding on the map,” Teasley noted. “It’s a great race; it will always be a great race.”

But Teasley decided in 1995 he was a bigger fan of the “Stage Stop” race concept, which enables the media and spectators to see teams cross the finish line each day. So Teasley created what is now the largest dog-sled race in the lower 48 states: The Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race.

Now in its 25th year, and boasting eight different starts and finishes in seven different Wyoming towns and one in Idaho, the 400-mile race provides an alternative to the typical marathon-style races.

Teasley says this type of race is much better for the dogs than marathon races, where dogs rest only as much as they run. But a stage race allows the dogs to rest more than they run.

Additionally, every dog in the race is examined by a veterinarian and “microchipped,” a high-tech procedure involving implanting a microchip under the dogs’ skin, so their vitals can be routinely checked.

“The dogs have no ulterior motives,” Teasley said. “You take care of them, they take care of you.”

S

115

A Journey Back In Time

ounds of nature and the swooshing of the sled’s runners through the snow create the soothing soundtrack to our journey. Snowblanketed trees seem to fly by as we mush along at nearly seven miles per hour. It seems to me, however, that we’re maxing-out around 20 mph. Could be.

When racing, these same dogs average a speed of 17.8 mph for a total of 60 miles!

At one stop, we switch drivers, and I take a seat in the sled’s cradle to become another musher’s cargo. Riding so low to the ground offers a totally new and amazing scene. It’s as if I’m oneon-one with the dogs. I notice their every movement and begin to pick my favorites. One dog, Ally,

enjoys the snow so much, she repeatedly bumps her behind into the snow bank by the trail. Another looks back at me each time we pause for a picture break, a pleading look in his eye, waiting for the cue to continue: “Alright!” Really, it sounds more like “Aaahh-ight.” But the dogs definitely understand and bolt into a run at each command.

After a few hours, we make it to Granite Hot Springs, a pool constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Steam rises from the 112-degree water and brilliant rays of sun poke through snow-heavy limbs hanging precariously over the spring. We excitedly make our way toward the pool to soak in its warmth. — Blair Pendleton

JACKSON HOLE IDITAROD SLED DOG TOURS Hosted by Jackson Hole’s own 8-Time Veteran Iditarod Musher, Frank Teasley A recipient of Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award • Learn Mushing First Hand Drive your own sled team!

• Jackson based tours in the Bridger-Teton National Forest • Meals, transportation, supplemental clothing provided • Half-Day and Full-Day Tours, Reservation Required • Serving the immediate and surrounding area • Enjoy a soak in a natural 105° hot springs on our famous Granite Creek Canyon tour For Reservations or Information

Call: 307-733-7388

JACKSON HOLE IDITAROD SLED DOG TOURS P.O. Box 1940, Jackson Hole, Wy 83001 www.jhsleddog.com

Photos by Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy/Focus Productions, Inc.

j h s k i e r. n e t

116

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

The Bourbon Trail Travels West

W

Kentucky tradition comes to Wyoming

by Mary Woodall Lowell

yoming has been traversed by many historic trails, notably those made famous during the 19th century’s opening of the West. But now, in the 21st century, Wyoming has become the western terminus of the “Bourbon Trail.”

Once confined to distilleries in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, the “Bourbon Trail” now stretches 1,500 miles to the grain fields of Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin and the little town of Kirby. But there’s nothing little about Wyoming Whiskey’s mark on the spirit industry.

Situated along Kirby Creek’s share of the 1864 Bridger Trail to the Montana gold fields, Wyoming Whiskey’s 38-foot high, 18-inch diameter copper still rises from the basin like a manmade Devil’s Tower. In its brief ten years of production, the WW brand has earned industry acclaim for its craftings: Small Batch, Single Barrel, Outryder, Double Cask, and Barrel Strength Bourbon. And cherished Private Stock barrels have been selected by notable local whiskey purveyors like the Cowboy Bar, Local, The Liquor Store, Westside Wine and Spirits, and Bin 22 for their specific flavor profiles.

A modern entrepreneurial vision, Wyoming Whiskey is the child of two Jackson Hole pioneering families, the Meads and Hansens. The Hansens began homesteading around Jackson Hole in 1890, establishing one of the largest private, pastoral holdings in Teton County and, until recently, leased another 2,000 acres in Grand Teton Park. Their ranching legacy continues in the Spring Gulch meadows, home of Mead Ranch Natural Beef. In colder months, the Meads move their cattle to pastures in the Big Horn Basin around Kirby.

The idea to create whiskey from all Wyoming non-GMO grains came about when attorneys Brad and Kate Mead decided to multi-purpose their Kirby property, located 270 miles northeast of the Teton slopes. Brad is the brother of former Governor Matt Mead and grandson of the late Clifford Peter Hansen, Wyoming governor (1963-1967) and U.S. Senator (1967-1978). In the early summer of 2006, Brad Mead contacted his friend and local attorney David DeFazio and proposed that they go into business together with the goal to make America’s next great bourbon. He accepted and was tasked with spearheading the development of the brand. The ingredients, including corn, wheat, barley, and rye, were all grown in the Big Horn Basin and a mile-deep limestone aquifer was a readily accessible water source, and very nearby. The goal could work.

Getting serious Mean and DeFazio caught Bourbon Trail fever while attending Kentucky’s 2006 Bourbon Festival and purchased a still from Vendome Copper and Brass Works. The Louisville company, owned by another century-old family business, is under the leadership of fourth-generation still-maker Rob Sherman and has been in his family since 1910. Ninety five-percent of America’s whiskey is made in Vendome equipment.

Sherman connected Brad and David with Steve Nally, a retired Makers Mark master distiller of 33 years and Bourbon Hall of Famer. Nally enthusiastically left the easy chair to guide the setup of the distillery and hone the recipe for Wyoming Whiskey.

“What that did for us,” said DeFazio, COO and co-founder of Wyoming Whiskey, “was bring the traditional style of bourbon-making from Kentucky to Wyoming. Our distillery is based on the Makers Mark recipe and design: a corn, wheat, and malted barley sour mash distilled through a continuous-column still and doubler.”

Though Nally moved on to other distilling ventures in 2015, his expertise posi-

Bob Woodall

From cowboy heritage to whiskey fame

Towering three stories above the distillery floor, the copper still from Vendome Copper and Brass Works is the heart of the Wyoming Whiskey operation. tioned Wyoming Whiskey for numerous awards and accolades. Eminent whiskey expert Paul Pacult gave WW’s Small Batch four stars and “highly-recommended” status. Mark Gillespie of Whiskey Cast scored Small Batch 95 points, saying, “It’s one of the best bourbons I’ve ever tasted.” Whisky Advocate listed Wyoming Whiskey’s Barrel Strength Bourbon among the world’s top ten whiskeys. And Esquire Magazine has named Wyoming Whiskey the number-one family-owned independent craft distillery in the country.

About those Wyoming ingredients Corn, wheat, barley, and rye are grown in nearby Byron, Wyoming, by Brent and Sherri Rageth. These non-GMO grains are milled on-site daily to feed WW’s 2,500-gallon cooker and create the sour mash that is fermented with two different yeasts selected to work in conjunction with each other in the same fermenters.

Another fundamental component of traditional bourbon making is limestonefiltered water. WW’s got that too. The reason bourbon has been the special child of the Bluegrass State is the 100-mile radius of aquifers channeled through Kentucky limestone. Limestone nixes iron, sulphur, and other undesirable compounds that negatively impact the distillation process, while the high pH of limestonemothered water promotes fermentation.

Wyoming Whiskey draws its water from mile-deep Paleozoic aquifers of the Madison Limestone Formation in Manderson, Wyoming. “Geologists at the University of Wyoming tell us that the water we are pulling from the ground hasn’t

j h s k i e r. n e t

it “rounder and smoother, with the influence of sage playing a major role in the whiskey’s development.” DeFazio noted. “Our whiskey is what it is, because of where it is.”

seen the light of day in six-thousand years,” Defazio said. “That brings us back to the Bronze Age.”

Photo Wyoming Whiskey

The Powers of Terroir

DeFazio has another theory about The latest from WW what gives Wyoming Whiskey its Whiskey offers Small Wyoming unique share of bourbon history-inBatch Bourbon (its flagship, 40-barrel the-making. Terroir refers to environbatched bourbon), Single Barrel mental factors, including climate, Bourbon (the top 1 percent of barrels soil, and flora that condition crop discovered each year), Double Cask phenotype in a particular habitat. (a sherry-finished bourbon), Outryder “The grain we grow in soils exclusive (a bourbon and rye whiskey blend), to the Basin makes our product spePrivate Stock Bourbon (barrels exclucial, but the most profound environsive to select whiskey purveyors), and mental effect occurs during Barrel Strength Bourbon (a rare offermaturation. All whiskeys are aged in ing only available in small quantities oak barrels, but only ours age in every few years). And if you are lucky fields of sage and other high plains to find them, Steamboat and Statesrange grasses. These flora impart a man, which are the Wyoming-only very different flavor than bluegrass. special releases that hit shelves the “Because wood is porous, outside air, last two years, respectively. And and the essence that it carries, thanks to a strategic partnership with comes into constant contact with our Edrington, owners of Macallan and whiskey as the barrels breathe with Highland Park Scotch Whiskeys, changing temperatures.”

Wyoming Whiskey will be more readHuge temperature shifts trigger ily available in about 32 states and the exhalation and inhalation of this Canada, and in select international air during summer and fall months. “In markets in 2020. the span of 24 hours, we can have 50degree temperature swings. These David DeFasio, chief operating officer and co-founder of Mary Lowell is a poet and frequent changes force whiskey to expand and Wyoming Whiskey, inspects a batch of Bighorn Basin-grown author of articles published on ecclecontract in the barrels, which moves corn for freshness and quality. sial art history. A one-time Wyoming air in and out as well. Plus, evaporaresident, she now lives in Lexington, Ky, Horse Capital of the World and host to tion of whiskey over time will cause air to be drawn into the barrel.”

The terroir lungs of the Big Horn Basin oxidize the alcohol molecule, making landmarks on the Bourbon Trail.

Raised locally by the Hansen/Mead family for over 100 years.

All natural Jackson Hole beef raised on conservation land and finished with spent grains.

Our beef are steroid and antibiotic free and are always humanely treated by gentle cowboys.

Mead Beef is dry-aged for 21 days for the most succulent steaks and bodacious burgers.

Available at the Jackson Hole Farmers Market

And these fine Jackson establishments: Mangy Moose • Teton Pines Snake River Grill • Snake River Brew Pub Sweet Cheeks Meats

A s k u s a b o u t ha v i ng yo u r e ve nt a t M e a d Ra nc h i n b e a ut i f ul S pr in g G ul c h

• C o r p o r a t e E v e n t s • We d d i n g s • S o c i a l E v e n t s • Jackson Hole Natural Beef, LLC Jackson, Wyoming • 307.734.3911 • www.meadranch.net

j h s k i e r. n e t

118

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

A

Local Brews Quaff the Thirst

A host of area brew pubs pour a wide variety of unique and award-winning creations, crafted to satisfy most any beer aficionado’s palette.

Impressive array of unique and inspired creations abound

près ski, now as much a component of ski culture as skiing itself, should help top off a day of playing in the snowbound landscape. Downing a few brews and a shot of spirits while reveling with friends is one way to enrich the memories.

But knocking back just any beer, when so many different locally brewed creations abound, seems an unworthy end to an epic day. Beer lovers know this, and when on the road to recreation hot spots they naturally seek out local craft options over

mega-brews or even imports. Luckily, regional small-batch brews are becoming standard for most resort communities. In fact, craft beers now represent almost 13 percent of the United States’ beer industry. Not surprisingly, buying local is popular among beer drinkers, and they are increasingly turning away from run-of-the mill mass-produced brands. Over the last four decades the number of craft breweries in the United States has exploded from 100 to more than 6,000.

Jackson Hole and Teton Valley, Idaho, have been riding this wave of new brewpubs. Local brewing operations offer beer lovers a couple of key features: an impressive array of inspired beers and a unique hangout spot ideal for après beverages and celebrating the day’s adventures.

Snake River Brewing Snake River Brewing, the state’s oldest craft beer enterprise, occupies an unassuming corner in downtown Jackson. Founded in 1994, the “Brew Pub,” as

j h s k i e r. n e t

Bob Woodall photos

by Melissa Thomasma

Snake River Brewing won a gold medal for its Dark Horse beer in the International Style Dark Lager category.

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

119

Wildlife Brewing photo

it’s known to locals, is a favorite year-round watering hole. Relaxed and unpretentious, the spacious welllit bar and dining areas welcome longtime locals and visitors alike. Local art adorns the walls, and a large corner hearth encourages patrons to kick back and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow powder hounds and share a wood-fired pizza.

Local brewing operations offer beer lovers a couple of key features: an impressive array of inspired beers and a unique hangout spot ideal for après beverages and celebrating the day’s adventures.

The Brew Pub’s menu includes a lineup of housemade pub favorites – wings, pizza and nachos – as well as hearty, soul-warming fare to cap off a day in the snow. Mouthwatering pasta and soups are all made in-house, and the Bison and Beef Chili will swiftly become a cold weather favorite.

It’s not just the unique Jackson Hole vibe that keeps valley folks coming back for another pint, though. The beer that Snake River Brewing produces is celebrated both locally and well beyond the Equality State. A variety of their beers – from longtime favorites to new and boundary-pushing concoctions – have won an avalanche of awards at beer festivals near and far. In 2019, the Brew Pub was honored with a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Dark Horse in the International Style Dark Lager category.

Past brewings have garnered medals for its muchloved Pako’s IPA, Speargun Coffee Milk Stout, and Jenny Lake Lager (previously dubbed Snake River Lager). In the last 25 years, SRB has collected 37 medals from the Great American Beer Festival.

Recent years have seen the addition of canning fa-

Wildlife Brewing in Victor, Idaho, carries on the Gelande-Quaff tradition that began many years ago at the Bear Claw Cafe in Teton Village. cilities at Snake River Brewing, enabling adventurers to more easily pack their favorite craft beverages into the wild with them. With freshly-redesigned labels – that include stickers – Snake River’s cans are stylish and fun, but also are a significantly more environmentally friendly way to enjoy beer on the go than bottles.

Using exclusively cans made in Wyoming, the shift away from bottles has allowed the brewery to lessen its carbon footprint and increase efficiency and sustainability. It’s this connection between passion for the Rocky Mountain landscape and enthusiasm for excellent beer that drives Snake River Brewing’s culture of eco-minded fun.

Wildlife Brewing Similarly inspired by the mountain adventure lifestyle, Wildlife Brewing in Victor, Idaho, offers an

j h s k i e r. n e t

award-winning lineup of locally crafted beer. Brought to tap in 2003, Wildlife Brewing began accruing awards within two years of operation. Within five years it had expanded from a growler-filling station with takeout pizza to an established pub boasting plenty of on-tap options and a tantalizing menu.

Founder Ric Harmon embodies the deep and lasting connection between ski culture and beer culture in the area; he’s spent years pushing boundaries on the slopes, and was a founding member of the Jackson Hole Air Force. Harmon believes “the brews around which we gather after an unforgettable day in the snow should be as local as the places in which we play, and as memorable as the people we seek adventure with.” His outfit’s mission is clear: “Wildlife Brewing is an organization dedicated to building relationships by creating unique beers.” continued next page

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

StillWest brewmaster Don Alan Hankins taps one of their brews exclusively available on site. Crafting innovative blends keep beer lovers coming back to sample what’s new.

Wildlife Brewing’s momentum hasn’t slowed. A new head brewer has recently joined the team and is bringing more locally and regionally sourced ingredients and elements to the brewery’s lineup. Not surprisingly, the enterprise continues to diversify the types of beers on offer. Canning operations are also expanding, which translates to access to multiple blends beyond the taproom, a few of which will be premiering just in time for ski season. Additionally, Wildlife is offering 19.5 oz. crowlers – a portable and recyclable way to take home one of Wildlife’s eight beers available exclusively at the pub.

Wildlife’s brews continue collecting awards from across the nation. Harmon believes it’s more than just great recipes: “Quality and fun is who we are. Making people happy and bringing friends together to enjoy the mountain lifestyle is what we do!� In other words, there’s never a bad choice on tap at Wildlife Brewing.

StillWest Brewery & Grill The newest craft outfit on the scene is situated squarely at the foot of Snow King Mountain. StillWest Brewery sports a welcoming rustic and stylish atmosphere that’s literally built

@J : ÏĊèèJ9 Ä˜ĂŞ M VQ d Mk:'!%V % JJk %@[M ĂŹÄŠĂ­J9 Ä˝ èçĊççJ9 ĂŽĂŹ QV J M3 V% '0%Ăť @9

j h s k i e r. n e t

around brewing. Behind the bar – which is consistently stocked with taps boasting innovative and flavorful blends – guests can watch the brewing process unfold among shiny silver vats and pipes.

And what emerges from those vats is always new, fresh, and mouthwatering. “Our beers are all really approachable,� explained Don Alan Hankins, owner and brewmaster behind StillWest. “Our beer is exclusively available on site; we don’t distribute it at all. And that allows me to mix up styles and rotate unique seasonals.�

As the proverbial new kids on the block, Hankins and his wife, Chaney Scott, know that he’s got plenty of high-quality competition in the beer scene in Jackson Hole. His niche, he believes, is crafting innovative blends and keeping both locals and visitors coming back to sample what’s new. “It’s a fun way to be creative and keep people interested,� Hankins said.

StillWest recently opened a TapRoom on the ground floor of its facility. This laid-back street-level spot offers samples and full pours of StillWest brews, as well as small bites and 32 oz. crowlers of beer – an oversized can that’s perfect for taking some StillWest suds on the go.

Hankins and Scott are adamant that a quality brewpub is about more than what’s poured into glasses. The menu is also a balance of standby favorites and rotating seasonal specials. Utilizing local produce and proteins, over 90 percent of the menu’s offerings are made in-house.

For those spending a day skiing Snow King, the Town Hill, the location of StillWest can’t be beat. It’s a perfect midday lunch break or après spot. Patrons can settle into the deck, enjoy the lingering light of the expansive southern exposure, and savor one or two of Hankins’ sudsy creations.

Melvin Brewing & Thai Me Up

Brandishing a deeply alternative and whimsical vibe, Melvin Brewing and Thai Me Up abandon a strictly Western style in favor of hip-hop music and vintage Kung Fu movies as a backdrop to their Pearl Street restaurant and brewery. Thai Me Up is a fresh

Bob Woodall photos

120

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

departure from other establishments in the valley; its quirky menu features authentic Thai, Thai-fusion pub fare, and 20 brews on tap.

Melvin Brewing is the umbrella brewing company – and has a “mothership” brewing, canning, and distribution location south of Jackson Hole in Alpine, Wyoming. “Thai Me Up is one of the research and development experimental pieces of the Melvin puzzle,” explained Julien Lacourse, manager. The brewers at Thai Me Up craft unique blends in the small onsite brewing facility, dubbed the “Shaolin Kloset.” These are available exclusively at the restaurant, and feedback is funneled up to the larger Melvin team. Similar teams in San Diego, California and Eureka, Missouri experiment under the Melvin label as well.

“It’s great getting to put our heads together with other brewers to collaborate and develop beer for Melvin,” said Lacourse. And clearly this team approach has paid off: the label has garnered many awards, including Small Brew Pub of the Year in 2015 and Brewing Group of the Year in 2017 at the Great American Beer Festival. More recently, the brewers took home a gold medal from the 2018 World Beer Cup. All of Melvin’s beers, including their most recent and unique creations, are available at the Thai Me Up location. Its convenient downtown location makes it a great spot to grab an après beverage or enjoy dinner. The menu’s Thai offerings are excellent and showcase a lineup of curries, noodles, and other Asian favorites. More recently, the restaurant has evolved into Thai-inspired pub fare, crafting dishes like the Chaing Mai Cheese Steak and Pai Mei Pulled Pork – classic pub favorites creatively re-imagined with a distinctly Thai twist.

When the sun starts to sink, and you pop your tired feet from your bindings, think – and drink – like a

121

Justin Schultz and Thai Me Up general manager Julien Lacourse toast the many awards proudly displayed above the of 20 select beer taps. local by making one of these microbreweries an après stop. Sure, you could just sip the same thing you do at home, but when you’re in one of the most unique places on earth, why would you?

A Jackson Hole native, Melissa Thomasma is a writer who is deeply at home in the Tetons. She loves exploring the area’s mountains, rivers, and forests with her husband and two young children.

HAPPY HOUR Wednesday - Saturday 4:00pm to 6:00pm Aprés in the TPCC Lounge & Enjoy 1/2 Off ALL DRINKS & Our Under $12 Aprés Menu!

www.tetonpines.com (307) 733-1005x1 3450 N. Clubhouse Drive ~ The Village Road j h s k i e r. n e t

B

MORE TO LIFE THAN SKIING

Jackson Town Square and Snow King Mountain

Bob Woodall photos

D • I •V •E •R •S •I •O •N •S

by Mike Calabrese

ig cities, sprawling and humming with people—and too often regarded as soulless—do have a heart, a pulse all their own. The small town of Jackson, though, distinctively lays claim to all three—soul, pulse, and heart. The Jackson Town Square, a colorful refuge distinct from the bustle around the slopes at our major ski areas, is a prime specimen.

R PARK – Jackson Hole’s valley is big. But sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t enough. Take parks, for example. Although it borders both Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, the valley itself recently welcomed a new one, the R Park. Winter and summer aren’t the same for walkers, bikers, strollers, and most importantly for winter recreationists, skiers!

The 40-acre playground, nestled right on the Snake River’s banks and ideally set between Jackson, Wilson, and Teton Village, also happens to be connected to one of the country’s coolest pedestrian spans – right over the stunning Snake River. Great

video and info about the new R Park and the pathways bridge at rpark.org.

The R Park’s bordering ski trail connects to those of the Centennial pathway and the Emily’s Pond pathway, both also groomed for cross-country and skate skiers by the Teton County / Jackson Parks and Recreation Department. Already just about the best and busiest rec. outfit this side of the Mississippi, it maintains nine cross-country tracks, about 20 miles of both classic and skate terrain. For a trail map, track-grooming schedules, ski conditions, and more info, visit the website: www.tetonparksandrec.org.

Photo Josh Metten / EcoTour Adventures

Brimming with shops, galleries, eateries and nightlife, the center of Jackson Hole demands more than a look, and promises a worthy reward. Downtown Jackson is something of a haven, decidedly free of ski-hill queues or competition or the compulsion to grab one last run and push through one last turn. The focus demanded on the slopes can happily defer to the whimsy of a stroll around the town square and into dozens of nearby enterprises reflecting the Jackson Hole lifestyle.

NATURALIST CROSS-COUNTRY & SNOWSHOE TOURS – Exploring winter landscape on snowshoes

or cross-country skis, while rewarding, is certainly demanding. The solitude of winter landscape overwhelms some folks. But the backcountry can yield secrets and rewards under the eye of a trained naturalist. EcoTour Adventures offers just such an opportunity. Knowledgeable guides explain the cold-season environment for winter-challenged visitors and help create safe learning experiences.

j h s k i e r. n e t

Snowshoeing on Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park

WILDLIFE TOURS – Head out into the winter wonderland for a one-of-a-kind wildlife excursion with EcoTour Adventures. Window seating is guaranteed in their cozy, heated safari-style vans. High-quality spotting scopes, binoculars, and insights into the win-

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

123

ter setting are all provided by professionally trained guides. A light breakfast, snacks, and beverages are enjoyed on the road. Lunch is provided on full-day tours. Visit jhecotouradventures.com.

NATIONAL ELK REFUGE – Officially it exists as a refuge for elk. But time and circumstance now force these majestic ungulates to share that winter range with bighorn sheep, bison, mule deer, bald eagles, and yes, Virginia, sometimes wolves and mountain lions. Even grizzlies have been spotted crossing its scenic expanse. The National Elk Refuge rubs up against the town of Jackson, affording visitors the chance to mingle with wildlife aboard horse-drawn sleighs – unimpeded by zoo bars or cages. For the latest on the refuge, visit www.fws. gov/nationalelkrefuge.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING IN THE PARKS – For the independent-minded, both Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks harbor trails and unparalleled landscape for cross-country skiing. Conditions, access questions, or transportation possibilities are all best researched at either www.nps.gov/grte or www.nps.gov/yell.

SNOWSHOEING – Grand Teton National Park of-

fers ranger-led snowshoe hikes at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, from late December to March, weather and conditions permitting. Reservations are recommended. Snowshoes are provided, but a $5 donation is requested. For more details call 739-3300 or visit the park’s site: nps.gov/grte and download a PDF on cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the park.

ICE SKATING – Two organizations provide entry into the wonderland of local ice skating. The Teton County’s parks and recreation department sets up

PINKY G’s PIZZERIA

Cozy up at Pinky G’s Pizzeria! The local favorite. Located ½ block off Town Square.

Televised on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Voted Best Pizza in Jackson Hole. Try the menu favorite, The Abe Froman, with spiced sausage, mozzarella, and basil. With 20 beers to choose from, full bar & live music, we are sure to keep you entertained. Delivery: 5-7 daily in Jackson.

Jackson’s only place OPEN LATE! 50 W. Broadway | Jackson 307.734.PINK (7465) www.pinkygs.com

A pair of bulls tussle while National Elk Refuge sleigh riders survey the landscape. and maintains ice skating at multiple locations throughout the valley as an activity for all ages. The rink at the Snow King Center offers free ice time and rentals throughout the winter. Additional rinks, maintained and promoted by Grand Teton Skating Association, are located in Jackson’s Town Square and the Commons at Teton Village. The Teton Village Association and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and GTSA oversee the Village Rink on the Commons.

Rental skates, snacks, and warm drinks will be available at the warming hut. Both rinks are open daily beginning in mid-December and will run through mid-March, weather permitting.

The non-profit GTSA organization promotes and celebrates ice skating, rents skates, and offers instruction at both sites. Watch for dazzling ice shows, among them, Peter and the Wolf, during the season.

For more information about GTSA and its activities visit gtsa.us. For information about local parks and rec offerings, skate on over to www.tetonparksandrec.org

HOCKEY – Go Moose!” is the battle cry for the Jackson Hole Moose, who play full-check hockey in the Elite Senior A division of the USA Hockey Association. Grab all the home action Friday and Saturday nights at Snow King Sports and Events Center. Visit the Moose online at jacksonholemoose.com. for more

HÄAGEN-DAZS ICE CREAM

All natural ice cream (Gluten-free flavors available). Non-dairy ice cream and sorbet, huckleberry shakes, smoothies, sundaes, shakes, espresso drinks, ice cream cakes.

We make our own waffle cones! Locally owned and operated.

Since 1993, southeast corner of the Jackson Town Square.

90 E. Broadway | Jackson 307.739.1880 www.haagendazs.com j h s k i e r. n e t

Thirsty after an exhilarating day in beautiful Jackson Hole? Stop by Westside Wine & Spirits in the Aspens on Teton Village Road for a savory wine, scrumptious beer, or tempting spirit.

Our knowledgable staff is here everyday from 10 am-9 pm.

At the Aspens | Teton Village Road 307.733.5038 www.westsidewinejh.com

D • I •V •E •R •S •I •O •N •S info about their 24-game home schedule.

RECREATION CENTER – Of course we have heated indoor-recreation outlets! Even the hardiest of locals come in from the cold every now and then.

Just two blocks north of the town square on 155 East Gill, Jackson’s first-rate rec. center houses a gymnasium with full-size basketball and volleyball courts, an aquatic center, locker rooms, and a public meeting room. The aquatic center consists of an eight-lane competitive-workout pool, a therapeutic pool, a leisure-water pool, a hot tub, a water slide, a teaching pool, and sauna steam rooms. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday; from 12 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m., Sunday. For daily fees and info about renting facilities for special events, call 739-5056. Go online at tetonparksandrec.org.

Paraglidiers can take in the clear air and spectacular Jackson Hole landscapes.

PARAGLIDING – Clear days and light winds in our valley help set the stage for another equally astonishing view of Jackson Hole – from a paraglider! This breathtaking activity requires no athletic ability, and experienced pilots can even help those a bit daunted by heights. Or, for a fresh take on over-snow travel, try your hand at snow kiting. Call 307-690-8726 or visit jhparagliding.com.

JACKSON HOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM – Another valley treasure chest worth ex-

Jackson Hole Playhouse photo

ploring—or musing in. Ken Burns himself took advantage of its trove for his epic, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” The valley’s bucolic ranchlands, charming town, and village areas belie the often brutal demands Mother Nature pressed on Jackson Hole’s earliest Native Americans, settlers, and visitors. A glance at the museum’s online interactive historical atlas of Jackson Hole reveals notable historical sites of dude ranching, homesteading, the National Elk Refuge, archaeology.

Books and photos available for the more traditionally curious. We love this place, and it’s perched just two blocks from the town square. Truly a worthwhile visit or side trip if you’re in the downtown area. Online at jacksonholehistory.org.

TheTown Square start of the Pedegree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race unleashes an exciting and up-close experience. j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE PLAYHOUSE – The Old West has come and gone, but more than enough of it is still showcased in the Jackson Hole Playhouse, a vintage theatre just a block’s stroll off the Jackson town square. This Jackson landmark and its offerings are about as grounded in Jackson Hole as valley scenery. Although summers see the stage filled with lively Broadway musical performances, winter finds the Saddle Rock Restaurant and Saloon hosting dinner theatre and offering a hospitable refuge from the demands of winter recreation. For breakfast and lunch the Cultivate Cafe serves up lovely coffees, teas and organic fare at the theatre.

The winter season opens with Holidays at the Playhouse. From December 13 to January 5, spend the evening entertained by their lively dinner theatre fare.

Get ready for tax season with Love, Sex & The IRS, from February 13- March 21, 2020.

Dinner nights start at 6:30 p.m. and reservations are required. 307-733-6994 jacksonplayhouse.com.

CENTER FOR THE ARTS – Nothing fusty about this edifice, home to Jackson’s vibrant cultural community. Its campus sets the bar for regional artistic centers, replete with a first-tier performance auditorium, classrooms opening into the worlds of dance, music, theatre, visual and literary arts, and inspiring

Bob Woodall photos

Jackson Hole Playhouse serves up food and live entertainment to warm up evenings for winter patrons.

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

125

spaces for celebrations of all types. Two blocks off the Jackson town square, the center nourishes cultural appetites year-round, both indoors and outdoors. Something’s always happening here. Like that box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get.

Take a peek by opening the lid online at jhcenterforthearts.org.

STARSTRUCK—JACKSON HOLE STYLE – Take in the beauty of the night skies. Peer through a Dobsonian telescope while experts reveal the heavens’ majesty. Scope out the details of special events at wyomingstargazing.org.

JACKSON HOLE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM –

Through the eyes of a child…. and those eyes will be wide open at this center of wonder. Perhaps the valley’s most unique attraction for kids, there’s nothing childish about it. Open year-round, programs transport kids into the worlds of water, land, and air. A sampling of the programs proves it: Design To Climb; Pre-K Programs; K-5 STEAM; Tool, Toy, and Tinker Workshop. A first-rate staff oversees the kids at the museum and on adventures. For more info go to jhchildrensmuseum.org.

TETON COUNTY LIBRARY – Need time to chill?

Or maybe to warm up? Teton County Library can easily lay claim to one of the valley’s best-known secrets: Libraries are flat out sweet! And this one is second to none, from high-tech to page-tech to service and setting. Forums, programs, guest speakers—this is the place! Check it out, like most locals do. Go online at www.tclib.org and plug into Jackson Hole.

WILD JACKSON HOLE WITH TGR – Wild Jackson Hole with TGR – Experience a world-class, 22-seat

Fat biking’s growing appeal has inspired races of up to 35 miles across the snowy winter landscape. theater that spotlights Teton Gravity Research films daily. Every hour on the hour from noon to 6 p.m., TGR’s downtown store serves up a free screening of Wild Jackson Hole, an 18-minute 4K film. It's a four-season cinematic experience that’s got everything from powder skiing to mountain biking to surfing the wave on the Snake River. An epic take-home gift, the exclusive TGR footage of skiing, biking, snowboarding—even river surfing—also captures

j h s k i e r. n e t

wildlife and boasts aerials of Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks On Movie Nights at 7 p.m., grab beers and pizza from Pinky G's and watch a flick. Or book the whole theater for the evening, even get it catered! Great for private celebrations or a birthday party for the kids.

Parent can bring the kids in to watch a 70-to 90minute movie while Mom and Dad go shopping, have continued page 127

M • E •D •I •A W •A •T •C •H AND THE ENVELOPE PLEASE

For some Jackson Hole cinematographers 2019 was a great year at the Oscars and Emmys. In February, at the 91st Academy Awards, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi took home the Oscar for Best Documentary for their rock climbing account, Free Solo. The film documents Alex Honnold’s successful free-solo climb of Yosemite’s 3,000-foot high El Capitan. In completing the ascent, Honnold became the first person ever to scale El Capitan without ropes or safety gear.

For the crew, that was just the beginning of the avalanche of awards. At the 2019 Creative Emmy Awards in September, the film was the recipient of seven Emmys (out of its seven nominated categories), taking home the outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program, outstanding cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, picture editing, music composition, and best achievement in interactive media.

What’s more Free Solo also awarded best documentary at the BAFTA Awards.

And the golden light of the Emmys was also shining on another Jackson Hole documentary-maker. At the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys, John Griber and crew came home with the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program, for the National Geographic and BBC series “Life Below Zero.”

The show tells the real-life stories of people living in remote areas of Alaska, struggling to survive in below-zero conditions. Griber is a director of photography for the unstructured reality series that has earned nine nominations in recent years. The Emmy was the third Outstanding Cinematography trophy for Griber and his teammates, and the fourth Emmy for the series overall.

Jimmy Chin moves into position 2,000 feet up the wall of El Capitan to shoot the Enduro Corner on the upper part of Freerider. Photo National Geographic/Cheyne Lempe

D • I •R •E •C •T •O •R •Y

Alpenhof Lodge

The European-style Alpenhof Lodge is located next to the tram in Teton Village.

The Alpenhof is known for friendly professional service, cozy rooms and creative Swiss cuisine. Many rooms feature fireplaces and/or balconies and everyone enjoys a complimentary breakfast to start the day.

Grand Targhee Resort

P.O. Box 288, Teton Village, WY 83025 1-800-732-3244 www.alpenhoflodge.com res@alpenhoflodge.com

Alta, Wyoming 83414 800-TARGHEE (827-4433) GrandTarghee.com

Hostel

Jackson Hole Resort Lodging

Recognized for its value, location, and atmosphere, the Hostel is a Jackson Hole tradition.

Our guestrooms have either a king bed or four twin beds, daily housekeeping service, and private bathrooms. Spacious game room, cooking facilities, coffee, and wifi. All this and the lowest slope side rates.

Private Room: $59-149, Bunks: $32-50 each Teton Village, Wyoming 83025 307-733-3415 www.thehostel.us, info@thehostel.us

•

•

•

• •

•

Some

($) Cost Per Night up to $100; ($$) Cost Per Night up to $250; ($$$) Cost Per Night over $250 j h s k i e r. n e t

• • •

• • •

• • • •

• • • • • •

Pets

•

•

Smoke Free

•

• • •

Accessible

• •

• • • • • •

Handicap

• •

•

Airport Shuttle

• •

Some

Internet Access

•

• •

Meeting Room

•

Fireplace in Room

•

Kitchen Refrig-Microw

•

Suites

•

• •

Spa Fitness Center

Hot Tub / Sauna

McCollister Drive, Teton Village, WY 83025 800-443-8613 Fax: 307-734-1077 www.jhrl.com, info@jacksonhole.com Swimming Pool

$$-$$$ $$ $$ $$-$$$ $ $$-$$$

Conveniently located next to the Bodega Specialty Grocer in the main parking lot of Teton Village. Ski-in/Ski-out lodging and accommodations for all seasons. Affordable condos to luxury vacation homes, for family getaways and reunions. Properties available in Teton Village, the Aspens & Teton Pines.

Continental Breakfast

Alpenhof Lodge Dornan’s Spur Ranch Cabins 49er Inn & Suites Grand Targhee Resort Hostel Jackson Hole Resort Lodging

Rates Based on Double Occupancy

Restaurant/Bar

HOTELS ~ MOTELS LODGES ~ RESORTS

Our selection of slopeside rooms will fit any style, budget and truly complete your vacation.

The mountain village and rustic base area offers all the necessities to shopping, dining and access to 2,602 diverse acres.

In-town vacation homes offer great access to Teton Valley and the resort.

Ski Shuttle

L • 0 •D •G •I •N •G

• • •

D • I •V •E •R •S •I •O •N •S

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Bob Woodall

tion that runs on elaborate courses of man-made and natural terrain set for February 28 to March 1, 2020.

Visit jacksonhole.com for details.

The Pole Pedal Paddle caps the winter season with competition and whimsy. continued from 125 a bite to eat, or grab a cocktail.

A Virtual Reality station includes immersive surf and snow experiences. For more information on the TGR Theater, see page 130.

PEDIGREE STAGE STOP SLED DOG RACE –

Don’t be put off by the cumbersome title. Competitors and packs of spectators certainly aren’t – not when the purse is for $165,000 in total prize money!

Launching from Jackson’s Town Square, mushers and their enthusiastic charges press on through the snowy landscape of Wyoming and Idaho. The demanding 8day competition this year marks a quarter century highlighting the Great North’s time-honored tradition.

The festive kickoff, on January 31, 2020, is itself reason enough to hit downtown Jackson. Go online at sleddogcentral.com or wyomingstagestop.org for photos of celebrants, cool canines, and activities surrounding the event.

FAT-BIKE RACES – An offshoot of mountain biking, fat-biking continues to earn new adherents. And a growing number of fat-bike races are held on Nordic tracks and groomed snowmobile trails. Distances range from 15k to 30k. Grand Targhee Mountain Resort hosts a race in January this season, and fat-bike demos are available before and after the race. Grand Targhee also allows fat-bikers on its Nordic trail system throughout the season. Snow King Mountain Resort will host its own fat-bike races. The 13th Annual Togwotee Pass Winter Classic Fat Bike Festival is slated for March 7, 2020, and features 25- or 35-mile loops. For more info visit snowkingmountain.com, grandtarghee.com, and twc.athlete360.com.

MARMOT COOMBS CLASSIC – Iconic ski-mountaineer and Jackson Hole local Doug Coombs (19572006) earned legions of admirers. His passion for adventure skiing inspired countless others to explore the backcountry and carve the sidecountry. To commemorate his remarkable skiing life, Marmot and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort host the Marmot Coombs Classic, this year set for Saturday, March 28.

Kids and adults will love this festive gathering, espeScially the stuffed Marmot scavenger hunt. As with its year-round programs, The Coombs Classic brings kids of all walks of life into the wonders of outdoor recreation. Cool raffle prizes, too, from Marmot and

Wine Shop

over 1600 Different Wines

K2. To sign up for the event, meet at the bottom of the mountain by 8:30 a.m. Visit jacksonhole.com/marmotcoombs-classic.html

HOLE BOWL – An entertainment option right up everyone’s alley—The Hole Bowl.

Ten lanes, 10 big-screen TVs, food and drink to please anyone, even private lanes for parties! A boutique bowling experience with none of the pretense.

Here it’s all about the fun. Jackson’s weather can turn on a dime but those outdoor adventures needn’t be rained or snowed out. Cool off, warm up, hit your stride on first-class alleys, or try your hand at darts, pool, or in the video arcade. Parents can join the kids on lanes or settle into a couch while the brood has a blast. Tons of free parking right outside the door.

RNAN’S O D

Cabins

1&2 Bedrooms with full baths & kitchens

SPUR RANCH CABINS

Access to cross-country trails and Teton views

12 miles North of Jackson in Moose

Ski Jackson Hole 3 Nights Lodging 3 Days Skiing Starting at

THE DICK’S DITCH CLASSIC – Jackson Hole’s

Pizza & Pasta Restaurant Trading Post

Grocery & Gas X-Country Ski & Snow Shoe Rentals

Gift Shop Spur Bar

Wine Dinners & Wine Tastings Monthly www.dornans.com

307-733-2415

Town Square Inns THE Place to stay in Jackson Hole

*

Check.

premiere race event for 18 categories of skiers and snowboarders is a two-day banked-slalom competi-

NOTEWORTHY MUSIC BOOKING AGENCY • The finest live music acts in the region • Jazz • Swing • Rock • Country Solos • Duos • Trios & Big Band • Impeccable references

127

it.

Rooms for every budget 4 Hotels Located Downtown Jackson Hotel Rooms Fireplace Suites Log Cabins Hot Tubs Pools Fitness Rooms Complimentary Ski Shuttles

out!

*Per person, double occupancy.

Tax and surcharge not included.

townsquareinns.com

Michael Calabrese 307-733-5459 P.O. Box 289 • Wilson, WY 83014 www.noteworthymusicagency.com jhnoteworthy@gmail.com

j h s k i e r. n e t

800-4-TETONS

128

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Mountain Characteristics

Base elevation: 6,311 ft. – Summit elevation: 10,450 ft.

Vertical rise: 4,139 ft. (longest continuous in the country) Skiable terrain: 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain Open backcountry gate system accesses over 3000-plus acres 22 miles of machine-groomed terrain 10% beginner, 40% intermediate, 50% advanced Longest run: 4.7 miles Average annual snowfall: 38 feet (456 inches)

Lifts

• One 100-Passenger Aerial Tram • Two eight-person high-speed gondola • Four detachable quad chairlifts • Five fixed-grip quad chairlifts • Two double chairlift • One fixed-grip triple chairlift • One magic carpet

SNOW KING MOUNTAIN

Mountain Characteristics

Base Elevation: 6,237 ft.

Top elevation: 7,808 ft.

Vertical rise: 1,571 ft.

Skiable terrain: 400-plus acres 300 acres of machine-groomed terrain 15% beginner 35% intermediate 50% advanced Longest run: .9 mile

Winter Activities

• Cowboy Coaster • Night Skiing • King Tubes Snow Tubing Park • Terrain Park

Ski Lifts

• One quad chair • One triple chair • One double chair • One surface tow j h s k i e r. n e t

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

GRAND TARGHEE RESORT

129

Mountain Characteristics

Total Acreage: 2,602 Annual Average Snowfall: 500-plus inches/41-plus feet Vertical Drop: 2,270 Base Area Elevation: 7851 ft.

Summit elevation 9,862 ft.

10% beginner 70% intermediate 20% advanced Longest run: 2.5 miles

Lifts

• Two High-Speed Quad Chair • One- Quad chair • One double chair • One magic carpet

Snowcat Skiing on Peaked Mountain

Skiable acres: 1,000 plus Vertical rise: 2,000 ft.

Longest run: 3.2 miles

j h s k i e r. n e t

130

I

Teton Gravity Research

JACKSON HOLE SKIER

Renowned movie company launches TGR Optics division

t began with a dream. In 1995 brothers Steve and Todd Jones and Dirk Collins scraped together money they had earned as heli-ski guides and commercial fishermen in Alaska and purchased some camera equipment.

Joined by longtime friend Corey Gavitt, they founded Teton Gravity Research (TGR) and began to make ski movies. By showcasing some of the world’s top athletes, TGR fueled the progression taking place in action sports.

From its headquarters in Jackson Hole, TGR started producing premier ski, snowboard, and surf films. Moving beyond just filmmaking TGR has emerged as a force in action-sports culture. Now they have launched into new territory with TGR Optics eyewear.

Jackson Hole Skier: What is the concept for your Jackson TGR store?

Steve Jones: This is the flagship brand store that we refer to as the “TGR Experience.” Our goal has been to create something unique here on the town square. More than just a tchotchke shop, it’s a place where people can come in and touch and feel and interact with the TGR brand. There’s all kinds of things here that are historical elements representing the TGR brand heritage. The full history and timeline story of TGR is displayed here. From the inception of TGR, a [retail] store was inevitable, so finally opening a custom experience shop was a big deal. We’re stoked.

Tell us about TGR Optics.

With the tag line, “See the world through our lens,” we have long thought there was an opportunity to do what we now call TGR Optics. We have been talking about it for years. It was a natural progression for us to take what we have been doing capturing the best imagery in the world and translate it into eyewear.

What we do is so dependent on using the best lenses in the world. We take them into really crazy outdoor environments, pushing the limits of what can be captured in the highest cinematic quality possible, coastal and mountains environments, snow-ice-dirt-water, you name it.

The lenses we use most are made by Carl Zeiss.

When we went to explore what technology was out there for our eyewear venture, we tapped into Zeiss.

A few people there were familiar with TGR and said we have this Sonnar lens technology.

Working with Zeiss we developed a proprietary TGR treatment that is specific to being in different outdoor conditions. A special coating, it is a high-end process that sharpens contrast in flat light and takes the glare out in bright high-glare conditions. And as anyone who skis knows, fog ruins your day, so we created a really great anti-fog technology. Magnetically attached interchangeable lenses use no clips and are good for low and high light.

Todd Ligare Nic Alegre / TGR Optics photo After sitting in thousands of film screenings and seeing all that vibrant imagery come up on the screen we just feel like, “Who wouldn’t want to see the world through our lenses?”

What is new this winter?

In a continuing collaboration with the Grateful Dead and Warner Music Group, TGR will be releasing early this winter a 30-35 minute film, Fire on the Mountain. It will feature the top ski, snowboard, and surf talent. Co-produced with Chris Benchetler, the music will be curated by the Grateful Dead’s David Lemieux. Concurrently, the TGR-Grateful Dead apparel line will also premiere.

This is sort of a dream come true. I grew up a ‘Dead Head’ and never thought I would have the chance to work with them. It has brought two of the favorite things in my life – music and skiing.

TGR is about movies, what does the shop offer in that realm?

It wouldn’t be a true TGR experience without a theater. We’ve got a world-class, 22-seat theater that we show our films in daily. We also have a Virtual Reality station with immersive surf and snow experiences.

The VR stuff is really cool and really unique. You can ride a wave with Kelly Slater, you can swim with seals and dolphins, you're underwater in the Marshall Islands with sharks. You can literally be inside the helicopter with the TGR athletes, watching them pick out lines and looking at terrain – it is pretty amazing.

What do you show in the theater?

People can come in here and watch trailers from j h s k i e r. n e t

over 24 years of making movies. Then, every hour on the hour from noon to 6 p.m., there is a free screening of Wild Jackson Hole, an 18-minute 4K film. It's a fourseason film that’s got everything from powder skiing to mountain biking to surfing the wave on the Snake River. It has wildlife and aerials of Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. It’s an epic take-home gift too, all TGR footage of ski, bike, snowboard, and river surf.

Just boom! Here’s Jackson Hole.

What is “movie night” about?

Yeah, another cool thing we started is Movie Nights at 7 p.m. Bring beers and pizza in from Pinky G's and sit down and watch a flick.

Is the theater available for private parties?

If you call in advance and pre-book, you can request a screening of any of our shows. It’s great for private parties and things like that or a birthday party for the kids. Book the whole theater for the evening, even get it catered and bring in whatever beverages you want.

Anything for families?

Bring their kids in and while they watch a 70-to 90minute movie, the parents can go shopping, have a bite to eat or grab a cocktail. The kids just have to be independent enough that they can handle themselves on their own. We’re not a babysitting service.

Any special events happening?

Typically we have some type of a promotion going; folks can sign up to win something pretty cool. Last winter people won skis, snowboards, and TGR Gear.

— JHS

Available at

3275 W. Village Drive Teton Village, WY (307) 201-5353

j h s k i e r. n e t

COMMITTED TO THE DREAM SINCE 1965 RENTALS, REPAIRS, BOOT FITTING EXPERTS AND OUTDOOR GEAR. 307.733.2181 | TETONVILLAGESPORTS.COM