Jackson Hole Magazine // Winter 2022

Jackson Hole WINTER 2022

BREEZY JOHNSON A local racer is going for gold in Beijing.

[COMPLIMENTARY COPY]

HISTORIC BARNS

HOT SPRINGS

PUBLIC ART

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FEATURES JACKSON HOLE WINTER 2022

ON THE COVER: During last year's World Cup season,

former Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club racer Breezy Johnson placed third in four consecutive downhill races.

On the cover, she competes in the World Cup Downhill in Val d'Isère, France, on December, 18, 2020—the first of the four. Johnson hopes to podium in this winter's Olympic Games. Photo by Gabriele Facciotti.

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WINTER'S FUTURE: WHAT'S THE FORECAST? Climate change won’t do away with skiing in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem anytime soon, but it’s assured to transform our winters and change how and where we recreate.

BY MIKE KOSHMRL

108

10 ACTIVITIES THAT AREN'T SKIING Yes, Jackson Hole has epic alpine skiing, but that’s not all there is to do in the winter.

BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

116

STAY OUT Winter wildlife closures protect animals eking out an existence in the cold.

BY KYLIE MOHR

124

PHOTO ESSAY: FROM ABOVE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM COOK

French-American wildlife and conservation photographer and tour guide Arthur Leforestier captured this image on a cold December morning in Grand Teton National Park. He spent a few hours watching this bull moose and two others.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

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CONTENTS JACKSON HOLE WINTER 2022

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Frank Durbian

BY LILA EDYTHE

31

BOOKS

Read These

BY JIM MAHAFFIE

36

ANATOMY OF

Snow King's Exhibition Run

BY MAGGIE THEODORA

38

MY JACKSON HOLE LIFE

Travis Rice

BY LILA EDYTHE

40

ALL YOU NEED

Snowshoeing

BY DINA MISHEV

42

GO DEEP

Gloves

BY MAGGIE THEODORA

46

JACKSON HOLE ICON

Howdy Stranger

BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

48 56

HELLO

Meet Breezy Johnson, Tim McLaurin, and Nancy Leon BLAST FROM THE PAST

Bircher Barns

BY LILA EDYTHE

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

64 64

EXPLORE

68 FOOD

Burgers Your Way

BY RACHEL WALKER

68 68

JH PANTRY

Eat Local

BY SUE MUNCASTER

70

TASTE OF JACKSON HOLE

Corbet's Cabin Waffles

144 138

BY MIKE KOSHMRL

BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

72

ART

Public Art

BY SUE MUNCASTER

76

CULTURE

Art of All Sorts

BY SUE MUNCASTER

80

DESIGN

Creating a Sense of Place

BY DINA MISHEV

84

HEALTH

The Joy of Learning

p in the Air, with the U Tetons Over There

144

Soak for Health

148

Star Power

152

Riders on the Snow

156

JACKSON HOLE MAP

158

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

160

AS THE HOLE DEEPENS

BY MOLLY ABSOLON

BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

BY DINA MISHEV

BY JULIE FUSTANIO

90

CHOOSE YOUR

OWN ADVENTURE

Help! I am bleeding money in this town.

BY WHITNEY ROYSTER

BY TIM SANDLIN

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

48 30

ENJOY

JONATHAN SELKOWITZ

LOCAL LIFE

HOWDY EDITOR'S LETTER

’m writing this during my first extended trip (eight days) away from Jackson Hole since the start of Covid-19. It’s early October, and I am comfortable in a camp chair near the Hidden Hollow Mine trailhead in the southern part of Utah’s San Rafael Swell. My friends are off canyoneering, but I have chosen to instead spend the day at camp. My plan is to scramble up the nearby colorful slickrock formations, take photos of the bluey-blue skies, read, and generally adjust to being out from beneath the shadows of the Tetons.

I am able to not think about the Tetons for only two hours though.

According to the last weather report I saw before going off the grid a couple of days ago, right now winter is arriving in the Tetons; nighttime lows are in the teens and there are significant amounts of snow falling in the mountains. Even though I’m sitting in a balmy 70 degrees, I can’t not think about skiing, fat biking, waffles at Corbet’s Cabin at the top of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR), or soaking in Astoria Hot Springs. These are all among my favorite things to do in the winter, and also things I’ve been reading about nonstop since starting work on this issue of Jackson Hole magazine in July.

After years (and years and years) of proposals and planning, Snow King’s Summit Gondola is a reality this winter.

I was actually a huge fan of the old Summit Lift, a rickety double chair that took about 10 minutes to reach the summit and that I was never able to ride without freezing but that I nonetheless found charming. But the gondola will make the mountain’s summit more accessible to more people and also allow more people to get a close look at the iconic ski run beneath the gondola, Exhibition (“Anatomy Of,” p. 36). If only Snow King served fresh-made waffles at the top of its gondola like Corbet’s Cabin does at the top of the JHMR tram (“Taste of Jackson Hole,” p. 70).

Or maybe you don’t want to ski or your legs are screaming for a rest day. Those are the days my mind turns to Astoria Hot Springs, which local journalist and adventurer Molly Absolon wrote about for this issue (“Soak for Health,” p. 144).

Opened last year after almost a decade of collaboration between public and private organizations, Astoria is my father’s new favorite place in the valley. He visited with my mom this past summer—not the ideal hot springing weather—and still

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

KATIE COONEY

I

soaked at Astoria three of the nine days they were here. “I feel so good when I get out!” he said every time we drove away.

If you’re looking for additional ideas of nonskiing things to do, writer Samantha Simma’s feature story “10 Activities That Aren’t Skiing” (p. 108) should be right up your alley. Also in this issue’s feature well is an article by Mike Koshmrl about what Jackson Hole winters might look like as the climate warms (“Winter’s Future: What’s the Forecast?,” p. 98) and an article by Kylie Mohr about how closing certain areas of the valley to humans during the winter helps local wildlife (“Stay Out,” p. 116).

This issue also has stories about the essential gear you’ll want if you plan to go snowshoeing (“All You Need,” p. 40), a deep-dive into gloves (“Go Deep,” p. 42), where to find the hamburger that is best for you, and why you might want to consider learning something new (“The Joy of Learning,” p. 84). As always, I hope you have as much fun reading this issue of Jackson Hole magazine as I did editing it.

Happy winter!

— DINA MISHEV

@JACKSONHOLEMAG

@MYSPIRITANIMALISATREX

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Jackson Hole W I N T E R 2022 // J A C K S O N H O L E M A G A Z I N E.C O M

What is your favorite non skiing winter activity?

PUBLISHER Kevin Olson ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Adam Meyer Backcountry snowmobiling!

Fat biking the singletrack trails up Cache Creek.

EDITOR Dina Mishev ART DIRECTOR Elise Mahaffie PHOTO EDITOR Bradly J. Boner

Baking.

I love to put on backcountry skis and hike up the trails with my dog and let him bound back down through the snow all the way home—followed by my all-time favorite winter treat: hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps.

COPY EDITOR Bevin Wallace

Walking our dogs along the Snake River levee.

Hole Bowl is the one old activity my 86-year son dad and 13-year old can agree on, and who can argue with beer

and pretzel bites any time of day?

Reading, preferably in a

hot bath or by a fire.

Watching the sun set over the Tetons at Dornans with a beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Molly Absolon Lila Edythe Julie Fustanio Mike Koshmrl Snowshoeing. Bring poles.

Jim Mahaffie Kylie Mohr Sue Muncaster Whitney Royster Tim Sandlin Samantha Simma Maggie Theodora Melissa Thomasma Snowmobiling to Rachel Walker Granite Hot Springs on a bluebird day.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Price Chambers Sam Cook Sledding with my kids— Ryan Dorgan Gabriele Facciotti it’s easy, can be done Arthur Leforestier Meg Potter practically anywhere Jonathan Selkowitz Kathryn Ziesig (with a hill), and doesn’t ADVERTISING SALES Alyson Klaczkiewicz ADVERTISING ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Tatum Biciolis

require a ton of gear.

Nordic skiing on one of Jackson’s excellent pathways.

AD DESIGN & PRODUCTION Sarah Wilson Lydia Redzich Heather Haseltine Luis F. Ortiz Chelsea Robinson DISTRIBUTION Jayann Carlisle Oscar Garcia-Perez Candace Whitaker

© 2022 Jackson Hole magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this production may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. No responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited editorial contributions. Manuscripts or other material to be returned must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope adequate to return the material.

Jackson Hole magazine is published semiannually. Send subscription requests to: Jackson Hole magazine, P.O. Box 7445, Jackson, Wyoming 83002. (307) 732-5900. Email: dina@jhmagazine.com. Visit jacksonholemagazine.com.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

Improving Lives Through Philanthropic Leadership

ROOTED IN COMMUNITY cfjacksonhole.org

RACHEL WALKER (“Burgers Your Way,” p. 64) moved to Jackson in 1998 for the environmental reporting beat at the Jackson Hole News and then, sadly, left in 2001.

She returns at least every year (except during global pandemics) and stokes her love of the Tetons through writing about the valley.

When she’s not fantasizing about Jackson Hole real estate on Zillow, she writes about adventure travel for the Washington Post, works on a novel-in-progress, and runs the trails outside of her home in Boulder, Colo.

KELLEN MOHR

JULIA VANDENOEVER

CONTRIBUTORS KYLIE MOHR (“Stay Out,” p. 116) migrated to Wyoming after studying at Georgetown University and worked as a Jackson Hole News&Guide reporter for three years. Mohr freelanced widely after living in the Tetons, writing for publications like National Geographic and Hakai Magazine. In 2021, she completed a reporting fellowship at E&E News and earned a master’s degree in environmental journalism at the University of Montana.

She is now an editorial intern at High Country News.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

SAM COOK (“Photo Essay: From Above” p. 124) was born and raised in Wilson, Wyoming. His love for the mountains and small towns has kept him close by. After multiple post-college career-path changes, he was introduced to drones and their capabilities in late 2016. Since then, Cook has developed his skills as an FAA-certified drone pilot and selftaught photographer. He currently works remotely for an innovative aerial and geospatial data company.

This is his first photo essay in Jackson Hole magazine.

MADYSON PULASKI

CONTRIBUTORS Born and raised in Phoenix, MEG POTTER (“Up in the Air, with the Tetons Over There,” p. 138) studied journalism at Arizona State University.

Over the past two years, the photojournalist has covered topics from elections to protests, immigration, and LGBTQ issues for The Arizona Republic, the largest daily newspaper in the eponymous state.

Currently, Potter is a photography intern at the Jackson Hole News&Guide.

PUB-JHM21-3

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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LOCAL LIFE PEOPLE AND PL ACES THAT ARE JACKSON HOLE

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

FOUNDED IN THE 1940S by Elizabeth "Betty" Woolsey, Trail Creek Ranch is protected by a conservation easement preventing it from future development. In winter, the ranch grooms about eight miles of Nordic ski trails. These are open to the public and also where the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club's Nordic program trains.

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

29

LOCAL LIFE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Frank Durbian

The new(ish) manager of the National Elk Refuge appreciates working in one of the world’s most intact ecosystems and marvels at all of the species that call the 24,700-acre refuge home.

There are more than 230 of them! // BY LILA EDYTHE

W

KATHRYN ZIESIG

hen he started as the manager of the National Elk Refuge in July 2020, Frank Durbian was new to Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and was thrilled to be here. A lifelong Midwesterner— he’s a native of Kansas and most recently spent nine years working at wildlife refuges in North Dakota— Durbian says, “I was drawn to this job for personal and professional reasons.” The personal reasons include that he and his wife, June, are avid outdoors people. They camp, ice fish, fly-fish, hunt, and hike.

“We knew we could do all of these things here and do them on a scale not necessarily possible in the Midwest,” he says. Last year, Durbian fly-fished into December. “I’m pretty cold tolerant,” he says.

Professionally, Durbian, who is in his mid-fifties and has been with the National Wildlife Refuge System since 1995, was drawn to the elk refuge manager position because it was different from any of his prior posts. “In my career with the refuge system, I’ve traveled around the Midwest quite a bit and served as a wildlife biologist and manager on numerous refuges there,” he says. “After nine years in North Dakota, I was interested in seeking an opportunity to work with new challenges in a new ecosystem.” But Durbian didn’t want to work in just any new ecosystem.

The 15-million-acre GYE, which the National Elk Refuge sits at the southern end of, is one of the most intact ecosystems remaining in the world. All of the large mammals that lived in the area prior to the arrival of Europeans still live here. “Working and living in a relatively intact ecosystem in our country is fantastic," Durbian says. "And being able to actually see the large, charismatic megafauna like gray wolves, grizzly bears, and thousands of elk never ceases to amaze me and makes me realize how fortunate I am to be here, and how fortunate we all are that this ecosystem still exists.”

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

LOCAL LIFE BOOKS

Read These

// BY JIM MAHAFFIE

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

COLLECTED READINGS

Annually, about 8,000 elk migrate to the National Elk Refuge from the surrounding mountains; they uaully stay on the refuge into April.

While Durbian is long past his days of doing fieldwork as a wildlife biologist—his first positions with the National Wildlife Refuge System were as a seasonal biological science technician and as a wildlife biologist (studying wetlands and water birds and reptiles)—he makes sure to get out and experience and explore the National Elk Refuge. “I think it is important if you’re responsible for managing a refuge, that you experience as many things as possible,” he says.

and living in a " Working relatively intact ecosystem in

our country is fantastic. And being able to actually see the large, charismatic megafauna like gray wolves, grizzly bears, and thousands of elk never ceases to amaze me.”

—FRANK DURBIAN

Durbian’s experiences on the National Elk Refuge even include the popular horse-drawn sleigh rides into the herd offered between December and early April. “It’s an excellent way to enjoy the refuge and see one of its principle species,” he says. To see some of the other species that the refuge protects, Durbian recommends driving the Elk Refuge Road to Miller Butte (to see bighorn sheep) and visiting Bert’s Bench, a wetland area near the refuge’s southwest edge (trumpeter swans and other waterfowl). “There are more than elk on the refuge, and that’s important to understand,” he says. “The refuge is integral to the conservation of many species.” JH

The Grand Teton Reader Edited by Robert W. Righter The editor, a former professor of history at the University of Wyoming, chose 35 contributors covering geology, historic characters, settlement, and the park’s politically charged founding. Writers include naturalists, environmentalists, and diarists, with stories of mountain climbs, fishing and hunting, Native American legends, and more.

LOCAL SATIRE

I Can Ski Forever: A Modern-Day Jackson Hole Epic

By Andrew Munz In this collection of satirical skits, songs, and scenes from his popular shows in Jackson, local writer and actor Andrew Munz documents life in our ski town.

Bits poke fun at ski bums, fundraising moms, housingstarved college grads, and everything and everyone in between.

COFFEE TABLE BOOK

Bison: Portrait of an Icon Photography by Audrey Hall | Essay by Chase Reynolds Ewald This volume of awe-inspiring photos captures the spirit of America’s national mammal, from newborn “red dogs” in the spring, to summer grazing in the parks, drama and rivalries of the fall rut, and fierce winter struggles to survive. Author Ewald blends narratives of ranchers, policymakers, artists, and Native Americans for history and significance.

GIFT IDEA

Local Color: Jackson Hole in Words & Watercolor

By Huntley Baldwin Accompanying his own beautiful watercolor paintings, Baldwin offers tips on hiking, fishing, animal spotting, valley traditions, and the four seasons in Jackson Hole. As the author says, it’s “part journal, guidebook, sketchbook, and commentary.” JH

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

31

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Snow King’s Exhibition Run T // BY MAGGIE THEODORA

This ski run towers over downtown Jackson.

he origins of the name of Snow King’s black diamond Exhibition run have been lost to history, but it’s easy to guess that it got its name because the people who ski down it are on full exhibition to anyone riding the lift up to the summit.

The ski run exactly follows the path of the lift towers.

This year, thanks to a new Summit Gondola, Exhibition-watching is easier than ever. Here are some of the things to look for on the run.

1. The upper one-third of the run, is rumored to be the steepest in-bounds north-facing ski run at any resort in North America. We were unable to fact-check this, but with sections that reach 45 degrees in pitch, we’re inclined to believe it.

2. Just completed in November (and not shown in this photo), the new eight-passenger Summit Gondola is the King’s first-ever detachable lift. Manufactured by Leitner-Poma, the new gondola ascends the length of Exhibition and takes about five minutes to climb the 1,547 vertical feet from the base area to the summit. Although the gondola has capacity for 49 cabins, the King is starting out with 24.

“That will give it a capacity of about 1,000 people an hour,” says Ryan Stanley, general manager of Snow King Mountain Resort.

3. The World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb that happens annually in late March on Exhibition was the brainchild of David “Buck” Beckett, who passed away last summer. In the early 1970s, Beckett talked with then Snow King manager Jim Davison about ways to extend the snowmobiling season and do a fundraiser for the Van Vleck House, which provides prevention, early intervention, and treatment programs for Teton County youth.

The two men came up with the idea of the Jackson Hole World Championship Hill Climb.

4. Exhibition didn’t exist when the first Summit Lift opened in 1947. It was the first single chairlift in Wyoming and had two stations below the summit where skiers could offload. “From the second station to the top of the mountain, it was a pretty narrow cut of timber,” says Tom Needham, who was born in 1951, started skiing at the King a couple of

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

years later, and has been on the mountain’s ski patrol since 1985. “I don’t remember anyone skiing it.” In 1959, a double chairlift replaced the single chairlift. “They widened the cut at that point, and that’s when I would have skied it for the first time,” Needham says. The run was widened again in 1981, when a new Summit Lift was installed, and again this winter to accommodate the gondola.

5. “Next summer we’re going to put snow-

making on the western side of Exhibition,” says Stanley. “This will pretty much make it mandatory that we groom the whole run, to move the manmade snow around.” Due to the steepness of the run, this will be done by a groomer on a winch. “It’ll be a crazy run to groom,” Stanley says. “We already use winches to groom other runs, but I think this will still be the steepest.”

6. This year is the World Championship Hill

Climb’s 45th anniversary (March 24–27, 2022).

The event draws racers from across the country and challenges them to ride different classes of snowmobiles from the bottom of Exhibition to the top, negotiating slalom gates along the way.

Last winter Montanan Keith Curtis was crowned King of Kings. Usually the King of Kings title is given after pitting the winners from the stock, improved stock, and modified classifications against each other. In 2021 this final race wasn’t required, though; Curtis won each of these classifications. As fast as the new Summit Gondola brings riders to the summit, Curtis is faster: in the modified King of Kings category, Curtis ascended the run in 1 minute 21.17 seconds.

7. “We don’t have a high accident rate up

there,” patroller Needham says about Exhibition, even though the run is steep and can be

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mogul-y and pitted with exposed cliff bands (in low-snow years). “Most people who ski up there are good, competent skiers.” Needham guesstimates that, averaging the number of accidents he’s seen on Upper Exhibition it comes out to about one or two a year. But, when there is an accident, Needham says it can be a more serious injury. An anchor point on the summit allows patrollers to set up a belay to safely lower a rescue toboggan down the steepest part of the run.

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8

8. Dick Pittman was a Snow King

patroller who died in an avalanche in the area in 1964 at age 30. “I remember riding up the Summit Lift in junior high school and looking down and seeing Dick skiing [Exhibition],” says Needham. “He always had a full beard and skied in knickers so he was easy to spot, and he was an excellent skier, and that was on 1950s–’60s equipment, which wasn’t easy to ski. But he made it look so simple.”

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B R A D LY J . B O N E R

9. As steep as Exhibition is to ski down, imagine hiking straight up it. Snow King allows skiers and snowboarders to go up the mountain. Most of these uphill travelers use specialized gear and climbing skins, which are affixed to the bases of skis and glide uphill but have a knap that prevents backward sliding, and ascend via the mountain’s switchbacking service road. Every day though, a handful of people strap their skis or snowboards to a backpack and hike straight up the ski run on a bootpack. The fastest booters can make it from the bottom to the top in less than 25 minutes. JH

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LOCAL LIFE MY JACKSON HOLE LIFE

Travis Rice during the finals of the Natural Selection Tour at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort last year.

R I C E / / BY LILA EDYTHE

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

T

MARK CL AVIN

Travis

ravis Rice learned to ski about the time he learned to walk. His dad was on the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol. “I remember late afternoons at the ski patrol shacks up on the mountain and going down at the end of the day with the patrol doing their sweep,” says Rice, who is now 39. But he eventually traded skis for a snowboard, and he has spent the decades since transforming that sport. Rice burst onto the professional scene as an unknown 18-year-old. That year at Snowboarder magazine’s Superpark contest at California’s Mammoth Mountain, he hit a backside rodeo (one full flip combined with a back 180) across a 117-foot gap jump—and pretty much broke the snowboarding world. No one had seen anything like it before. In the years since, Rice has won gold medals at several US Opens, X Games, and Icer Air events; been voted the Transworld rider of the year; and starred in more movies than you could watch in a lifetime of winters, including 2011’s The Art of Flight, which he also co-executive produced and which showcased bringing acrobatic park and pipe tricks to big mountain terrain—something Rice did before any other rider.

Today, freestyle progressive freeriding is a niche within snowboarding, and Rice continues to both grow it and push the idea of what’s possible. Last winter was the inaugural year of the Natural Selection Tour, a three-stop event (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; Baldface Valhalla, British Columbia; and Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountain Lodge) Rice dreamed up to challenge athletes to go big and get creative on natural terrain. “Our fundamental value is that Mother Nature is the main character,” Rice says.

SKIING AND RIDING Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is so big and rugged it makes you a really strong rider. It’s funny—some people shy away from Jackson Hole unless they’re advanced level, but, honestly, it is the fastest track to becoming a good rider. If you go boarding mellow groomers on a mountain in Colorado, it doesn’t make you a better rider very fast, but if you get thrown into the mix and challenging terrain at Jackson Hole, that makes you a better rider. Fast. The kids that grow up here are such savages on their equipment. And we also have Snow King. Frankly, I think it was Snow King that made me the rider that I am. JHMR was, of course, the fun place we all wanted to ski in high school, but night riding at Snow King—I’m forever grateful that they had night riding. I could go every day after school and, Snow King conditions can be good, but for the most part it is hard, challenging snow, kind of like the East Coast, and, honestly, that makes you a great rider.

GROWING UP

BUYING A HOUSE

My dad built a house in the Aspens—on like a one-acre lot—and that’s where I grew up. It was a sweet spot, and about 90 percent of the houses were local families. All of the kids would explore the neighborhood’s nooks and crannies. In the summer, we’d hit the speedbump jumps on our bikes and set up a lemonade stand next to the West Side Store. Back then the Aspens had an indoor dome hockey rink, and I was on a team that practiced and played there. This was before the Snow King Center. Our hockey team was crazy; we’d win city division select team leagues. When I was 14 or 15 though, I gave up hockey to snowboard more.

I love hockey and it’s super fun, but at the end of the day, with how much freeform there was within snowboarding and the cultural components of it—the music, the clothing, the equipment, the larger-than-life characters, all of which I was really attracted to—snowboarding was better for me.

I was able to buy a condo in Rafter J when I was 23 or something. I definitely had some help on the financial side from my parents and recommendations and advice from friends.

Two years later, I was able to get a real funky home down toward Hoback. It was previously called the “Funky Ranch.” It was owned by Lester Funk, who went by Les Funk. It was funky, but two remodels and 14 years later, it is now far from funky.

HERE HE SHARES SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM HIS JACKSON HOLE LIFE.

NATURAL SELECTION COURSE AT JHMR Right when the Teton Lift was being built [2015], I was looking at that face below it and that part of the mountain. It was so savage—chock full of hazards like thick brush, broken, downed trees, and sharp rocks that, even in a good winter, didn’t go away. It was probably the most rugged part of the ski area, but I could see how we could transform and improve this rough and hazardous piece of the mountain into one of the best runs. It has a high level of consistency—any higher in elevation and we risked wind effect—and is high enough that it is above the inversion. It’s got the perfect tilt and aspect—it’s got beautiful northeast morning light. Over three summers, our badass build crew put thousands of hours of work into the face. It’s still rough— we want that for the event—but now I think it’s the best run on the mountain.

Having a kid has given me a whole new perspective and gratitude for both my parents and parents the world over. The attention and love it takes. But Jupiter Rune Rice is really psyched to be here, and he’s doing what we’re doing—enjoying the People’s Market and live music; getting comfortable with cold water; going for walks around the community. He was born at St. John’s, just like I was. It is a beautiful facility and some lovely individuals work there. Brook and I were really grateful I could be there. The [Covid-19] rules had just changed, but still there could only be one other person there. We had to have my mom come to the window to meet him. JH

COURTESY PHOTO

CHRIS WELLHAUSEN

BECOMING A DAD

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LOCAL LIFE ALL YOU NEED

Snowshoeing To keep your top half happy, pair Eddie Bauer’s High Route Grid Fleece 1/2-Zip with Voormi’s Access NXT vest beneath whatever mid- and outer layers the day’s temperatures and weather call for. The High Route offers maximum warmth without bulk, and the Access NXT features 4-way stretch-woven wool, a water-repellent finish, and mesh side panels for breathability. High Route, $99; available at Eddie Bauer (55 S. Cache St., Jackson); Access NXT, $149; available at voormi.com POC’s Devour Glacial sunglasses are made for mountain bikers, but we like them even more for snowshoeing (and other aerobic snow-based activities). The oversize sunglasses offer goggle-like protection without the hassle of having to wrap anything around your head, and, despite our best efforts, we’ve yet to get them to fog up. Lenses are interchangeable so you can match the day’s light conditions. $250; available at Teton Village Sports (3285 Village Dr., Teton Village) Kate’s Real Food bars don’t freeze when the temperatures drop, and they come in a new flavor, Oatmeal Cranberry Almond, that tastes just like an oatmeal cranberry cookie. From $2; available at grocery stores around the valley Stio’s Buckhorn Insulated Snap Shirt and Royal Robbins’ Ventour Sweater don’t look as technical as most midlayers, but who says your midlayer can’t look as good as it functions? The Buckhorn’s brushed flannel exterior is water-resistant, and its heat-mapped— more in the core, less in the arms—insulation offers the advantages of synthetic insulation with the softness and warmth of down. The Ventour blends merino wool with nylon to create breathable, stretchy warmth with natural odor resistance. Buckhorn, $169; available at Stio Mountain Studio (10 E. Broadway Ave., Jackson); Ventour, $100; available at Royalrobbins.com

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HERE IS THE ESSENTIAL GEAR TO MAKE YOUR SNOWSHOEING ADVENTURE A SUCCESS. // BY DINA MISHEV

We’ve long loved Colorado-based Voormi’s hardworking merino wool baselayers. But we did sometimes find them too warm for aerobic activities like snowshoeing. This winter the company made its baselayer bottoms thinner (evidently we weren’t the only ones who found them too warm). Now? They’re perfection. $119; available at voormi.com When the weather is at its worst, protect yourself in Nørrona’s Falketind Gore-Tex Jacket and Pants. The brand’s most versatile waterproof, windproof, and breathable pieces, the Falketind duo was originally designed for mountaineers looking for full protection from the elements in a lightweight package, but, because they’re so awesome, they are now among the brand’s bestsellers.

We got them for snowshoe adventures and now also use them, with different layers underneath, for Nordic and downhill skiing and even ice climbing. Pants $399, jacket $469; available at Teton Village Sports (3285 Village Dr., Teton Village)

MSR’s Revo Explore Snowshoes have an easy-entry/exit binding, aggressive teeth and crampons for challenging conditions, and, new this year, EVA foam cushions on their decks to make for more comfortable walking.

Heading uphill? A flick of your pole engages heel risers—“televators” in MSR-speak—that increase traction on steep slopes and make climbing easier. $230; available at Skinny Skis (65 W. Deloney Ave., Jackson) JH See page 42 to find your perfect glove.

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B R A D LY J . B O N E R

Poles help you keep your balance. Models that are adjustable in height like these by Black Diamond allow you to adapt to a range of snow depths and conditions. From $119; available at Black Diamond Equipment (160 W. Pearl Ave., Jackson)

LOCAL LIFE GO DEEP

Gloves // BY MAGGIE THEODORA

KEEP YOUR HANDS COMFORTABLE WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING. DPS P3 GLOVES

2

NATHAN REFLECTIVE CONVERTIBLE GLOVE/MITT

BASICS

1

BASICS: Technically these lightweight gloves are for

PROS: Made from a thermal stretch fabric with a weather-resistant finish, these roll up to about the size of a small avocado (but are less than half the weight) and feature a nose-wipe chamois thumb most other gloves in this category don’t have. Hi-vis reflective graphics can help keep you safe if you’re out at night.

PROS

running, for which they are perfect, but the thermal mitt shield that can be easily deployed over the glove fingers makes them more versatile.

CONS : The mitt shield doesn’t protect your thumb.

BEST FOR

DETAILS: Available in men’s and women’s fits; $35; nathansports.com

CONS

BEST FOR: Aerobic athletes—fat bikers, ski tourers, runners, Nordic skiers—who run hot; also for warm spring ski days.

DETAILS

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

KINCO 1927 GLOVES

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Salt Lake City-based DPS has been known for its groundbreaking ski shapes since it launched in 2005. The new-this-winter P3 is the brand’s first foray into gloves. Waterproof and insulated, the P3 is made from goat leather (minus its neoprene cuff, which makes the P3 more low-profile than most glove cuffs).

Study the hands of ski patrollers and guides, and it’s likely you’ll see a lot of these. Taking their name from the birthday of the daughter of the company’s founder (9/27), these gloves put function first, and cost less than a night at the bar.

The suede goggle wipe on each thumb is soft enough to do double duty as a nose wipe (if that doesn’t gross you out), and the pre-curved fit pattern made these gloves break in more quickly than other leather gloves.

Thanks to premium-grain pigskin, these break in much faster than most leather gloves (and are also softer and more flexible out of the box). A Gunn cut pattern means fewer seams between the fingers.

Heatkeep thermal insulation lives up to its name while wicking away moisture.

We never got the thumb’s touch screen-compatible panel to work.

On storm days, the cotton-blend fabric on the cuffs and backs of hands can get damp.

Resort skiers who want gloves that work as hard as they do.

Anyone looking for a good-value, workhorse of a glove or someone prone to losing their gloves.

The unisex P3 is available in three colors—natural, white, and black; $99; dpsskis.com

Available in men’s, women’s, and children’s fits and also as mittens; $25; kinco.com

NØRRONA LYNGEN DRI1 GLOVES

4

GIVE’R FRONTIER MITTENS

5

OUTDOOR RESEARCH LUCENT HEATED SENSOR MITTENS

6

DAKINE TITAN GORE-TEX GLOVES

7

Like pretty much everything Nørrona makes, these gloves are the best in their category. We’ve yet to find any other ski-touring/shell glove that equals these in craftsmanship, performance (they’ll keep hands dry even during the season’s biggest dump), and features.

These mittens from Jackson-based Give’r are the warmest and burliest you’ll ever own. Think Yeti coolers for your hands, but hot. Want to ice fish when it’s minus-20 degrees? Ski all day during the Storm of the Century?

Go ahead, as long as you’re wearing your Give’rs.

Not everyone needs heated mittens, but those who do really do. Powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries, these will keep the coldest hands toasty and dry.

A no-frills, highly functional leatherfree shell/liner combination that is water repellent and features a Rubbertec palm for durability.

The mesh-lined waterproof zippers across the top of these gloves are game changers. It had never crossed our minds that the secret to maintaining a comfortable temperature while skinning up was ventilating our hands. For the ski down, we add a layer (a merino wool liner glove) beneath these and close the zippers, and we’re good to go.

Hidden beneath the Frontier Mittens’ all-leather cowhide exterior is a 100 percent waterproof membrane, a reflective heat shield (to retain warmth on the top of your hand), and Thinsulate insulation. Make the leather last even longer by upgrading to the all-natural wax coating.

Thanks to synthetic Enduraloft insulation, Gore-Tex inserts, and fleece palm linings, the Lucents are warm even before you turn on their AltiHeat system. When you do turn them on, the power button is an easy target—no need to take off a mitten to push it.

Pairing a gauntlet-style shell with a liner glove (included), these will keep your hands dry and warm. The former features a Gore-Tex insert and a waterproof zipper on the top of the hand (perfect for storing a goggle wipe), and the latter is touch screen compatible.

Remove the liner at the end of the day to speed up drying time.

Gloves this amazing don’t come cheap.

Since these are 100 percent leather, they can take a while to break in. (Accelerate this process by putting them in an oven set to 200 degrees for four minutes—see Give’r’s website for the full “oven method” instructions.)

Depending on the heat setting you use, battery life is between three and seven hours, which is fine for a day at the resort when you can recharge the batteries overnight, but a charge won’t get you through a yurt/hut trip.

As durable as Rubbertec is, it’s not as burly as leather.

Major storm days and/or high-output activities like ski touring, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing.

Purists who want one mitten to rule them all.

Battling super cold hands, even those affected by Raynaud’s disease.

Vegans who want warm hands.

Unisex and available in black; $199; norrona.com

Unisex and children’s models available at giver.com; $118 (+$8 to have initials hand-branded)

Unisex and available in black, Lucent gloves are also available; $359; outdoorresearch.com

The women’s version of the Titan is the Sequoia. Both models are available in several colors; $70; dakine.com JH

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LOCAL LIFE JACKSON HOLE ICON

Howdy Stranger // BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

“HOWDY STRANGER YONDER IS JACKSON HOLE, THE LAST OF THE OLD WEST.” Signs bearing this have welcomed people to Jackson Hole since the mid-1930s. Local artist Grant “Tiny” Hagen partnered with local furniture craftsman Lester Lee to paint and carve three of these signs. (Lee modeled the signs’ cowboy silhouette on Harry Clissold, who was a Jackson town councilman and then Jackson’s mayor from 1934 to 1965.) To welcome people entering the valley from the west, a sign was erected at the top of Teton Pass. Travelers from the east found a sign on Togwotee Pass. To get travelers coming to the valley from the south, the third sign was placed on the Hoback Rim. The three signs were replaced once in these locations before being removed by the Wyoming Department of Transportation in 1973. (Two of these three signs have been lost; the third hangs at the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum.)

Jackson Hole had no special welcome signs again until 1999, when Bob Rudd—a local historian, former director of the Jackson Hole Museum, and member of the Teton County Historical Preservation Board—set his sights on their resurrection. In 1999, Rudd told the Jackson Hole News&Guide, “I had seen the signs every summer when my parents and I drove to Jackson Hole.

I could always remember the 'Howdy Stranger' sign located on Togwotee Pass beneath a huge old limber pine with the Teton Range beyond.”

The Jackson Hole Shrine Club and Rotary Club of Jackson Hole keep the signs looking good, maintaining and replacing them as needed. The sign atop Teton Pass, which suffers the most from winter weather conditions and plowing, was replaced in 2012 with a sign made by Shriner Terry Chambers. Chambers, a metal craftsman, fabricated a sign with powder-coated metal lettering.

Chambers has since replaced the sign again with a freshly painted version, giving the iconic cowboy new life and longevity. JH

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B R A D LY J . B O N E R

With community-sourced funds and assistance from the Jackson Hole Ski Corp (now Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) and the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole, which had helped with the original sign project, Rudd made four signs that were exact replicas of Hagen and Lee’s. The first went up on Teton Pass in 2000 (which required U.S. Forest Service approval). In 2002, the Jackson Hole Airport got the second sign, with the third sign going up on Togwotee Pass shortly after. Rudd never found a home for the fourth, and, to this day, it sits in his garage.

LOCAL LIFE

HELLO BREEZY JOHNSON

Breezy

Johnson

Look for this local ski racer at the Beijing Olympics.

Last winter, Victor-based speed skier Breezy Johnson, who grew up ski racing with

AS TOLD BY BREEZY JOHNSON

L

ast season I had really big goals, and it was a very good season. I definitely wanted to be in the top three in the [World Cup] downhill standings, and I ended up fourth, but I know these things are complicated, and I did crash in the last race [in Cortina, Italy]. But I’d say I reached my goals for last season, although, as an athlete, you do always want more, so when I started seeing the success I was having, I definitely started wanting the downhill title. I didn’t get it, but I did put it all on the line and skied my best at every race, and, although this is never a stated goal, it is always something I’m aiming for.

I’ve always wanted to be a ski racer. In kindergarten when kids got asked what they wanted to be when they grow up, my answer was “professional skier.” Now that I’m there, the reality is very different from what I imagined. I didn’t think of the in-between pieces that you need for ski racing, like strength training, or speed training. And it’s these in-between pieces that, for me, are the most incredible part. This summer, I was in Saas Fee training speed with Sofia [Goggia, winner of the World Cup overall downhill title three years running] and Mikaela [Shiffrin, two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Cup overall champion] and was like, “this is kind of crazy.”

I am excited about the Beijing Olympics and would love to win there. I went into the 2018 Olympics knowing I had a medal shot— but I'd have to ski my best and some other people would have to screw up for that to happen. I feel like I’ll be coming into Beijing where people are hoping I’ll screw up. I’m definitely a different skier now. The injuries I had [serious leg injuries in 2018 and 2019] taught me that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, much less next week or next year. You never know. I’m like “carpe diem, carpe Olympiad.”

You just go out there and ski your best today, and that is what you have. That’s what I did last season and what I want to do in Beijing.

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JONATHAN SELKOWITZ

the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club (JHSSC), had what can only be called an epic World Cup season. She placed third in four consecutive World Cup downhill races—at Val d’Isère (two races), St. Anton, and Crans-Montana. Johnson was only the fourth American woman to do this (the other three are Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, and Picabo Street, who all happen to also be Olympic gold medalists). Johnson, who turns 26 this January, made her World Cup debut in 2015 and qualified for the 2017 World Championships, where she finished 15th in downhill and 28th in super-G, and was the youngest member of the U.S. team there. At the Sochi Olympics in 2018, Johnson was seventh in the downhill and 14th in the super-G. In 2016 and 2020, she was the U.S. National downhill champion.

GABRIELE FACCIOTTI

JOHNSON ON A WORLD CUP RACE HAPPENING IN JACKSON HOLE My dream is that Salt Lake gets the 2030 Olympics and Jackson hosts the last women’s speed race before those Olympics. I think that is the most likely way for a World Cup to happen here. If Salt Lake doesn’t get those Olympics, then it’s less likely to happen, although I think the commitment [from JHMR] is really good, so I’m hopeful that, regardless of where the 2030 Olympics are, we can have a World Cup race here.

In Europe, the big ski resorts—St. Anton, St. Moritz, Méribel, Val d’Isère—all host World Cup races. Europeans know about Aspen and Vail because those resorts do have World Cup races.

I tell people Jackson is way better than those places—to me, Jackson Hole is the ski mecca—but they don’t believe me, because they’ve never heard of it. I want a World Cup race here to show the world how amazing Jackson is, and I want to show Jackson this crazy sport of speed racing.

Your Guides to the Jackson Hole Lifestyle

BREEZY’S FAVORITE RUNS AT JHMR

The Mushroom Chutes are overlooked. Everyone skis Tower 3. The Mushroom Chutes hold powder all day, and I like tree skiing—having obstacles to avoid.

There are also cliff bands in there that we used to jump as kids; they were the perfect size for a 10-year-old.

Radioactive Woods is a lessthought-of powder place that is also very treed. I definitely hit some trees in there as a kid and once lost a ski and had to be taken down by ski patrol.

When there’s powder, there are a couple of spots that have fun pillows where you’re jumping from rock to rock.

Laramie Bowl is just so fun.

When they groom the skier’s left side, you can just rip. The right side is usually moguls. I like the feeling of being in this big bowl too, you kind of feel small. JH

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JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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HELLO

LOCAL LIFE HELLO TIM MCLAURIN

TimMcLaurin PROFILE

// BY MELISSA THOMASMA

Dancing daily on the Town Square for smiles.

I

f you drove past Jackson's Town Square sometime during the past year, there’s a good chance you saw Tim McLaurin. Brandishing a sign that says, “Honk if My Dance Moves Make Your Day” McLaurin, who has Down syndrome, stationed himself on the southwest corner of the square, the busiest (and the one on which the town’s webcam is focused) on March 31, 2020 and started dancing. “That’s my favorite corner to dance because it’s the corner with the most people and cars,” he says. Wearing black Bose wireless earphones so only he could hear the music, he danced every single day—rain, shine, or snow. And he’s still dancing. Though the exact performance time varies from day to day, McLaurin spends at least half an hour a day showing off his moves.

KATHRYN ZIESIG

One of McLaurin's biggest fans is a local and a celebrity: the bassist and founding member of glam rock band Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx.

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McLaurin’s dancing started because of Covid-19. Like many, the 35-year-old felt the pain of isolation and fear that accompanied the pandemic shutdowns. But, instead of letting the sadness swamp him, he set out to create joy—for himself and the community he loves.

“Jackson to me is special because of the beauty, the place we live in. I just think it’s the best, this community,” he says. “I think everyone loves to dance. They love that I put smiles on their faces. Someone needs to do something, I thought. And I was like, I can do something big and something awesome for Jackson. I can put smiles all over.”

Perfectly Placed.

INSTAGRAM

McLaurin’s online persona, Jackson’s Biggest Rockstar, was inspired by the dawn of his dancing project. “I was at my house and I was thinking about dancing, and I thought, ‘My name is Tim McLaurin, but I decided to have a new name for dancing. I just felt like, you know what? This is who I am!” And with that, @jackson_ biggestrockstar was born.

COURTESY PHOTO

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Get started at LiveWaterJacksonHole.com

He now has over 3,000 enthusiastic followers (from places as far-flung as Brazil, Australia, and Norway), and has racked up more than one celebrity shout-out.

Here’s what Instagram has to say about Jackson’s Biggest Rock Star: @wjdb71 Dude… I found you because of @nikkisixxpixx and it’s made me a better person. Keep it up and just dance!!! We need more people like you. @dcollins1211 Thank you so much for being a bright light, a shining star, a true super nova during a dark and uncertain time!!! @clairejaneroberts We need more amazing people in the world like you! You are amazing! Thank you for making my day! @paulaj_c I needed this today Oh boy, you put the biggest smile on my face!! @quixote38 The world needs more of this!

FOLLOW MCLAURIN ON INSTAGRAM @jackson_biggestrockstar

Latham Jenkins Associate Broker | 307-690-1642 latham@livewaterproperties.com

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LOCAL LIFE

McLaurin’s dancing quickly became A Thing, earning accolades from visitors, locals, and even celebrities. One of his biggest fans is a local and a celebrity: the bassist and founding member of glam rock band Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx. “I wish more people could find the joy in life that Tim exudes,” Sixx says. “He does so much for us all to enjoy!” Sixx first caught wind of McLaurin’s project when the dancer was profiled in the Jackson Hole News&Guide.

Sixx wasted no time connecting with McLaurin on Instagram.

Before Sixx was a fan of McLaurin— the two have since become friends— McLaurin was a fan of Mötley Crüe.

His favorite songs to dance to include “Kickstart My Heart,” the band’s classic glam metal anthem released in 1989, and “Girls, Girls, Girls,” the title track from Mötley Crüe’s fourth album. Since befriending Sixx, McLaurin has added the song “Maybe It’s Time,” a collaborative piece from Sixx’s latest musical endeavor, the band SIXX A.M., to his dance playlist. Some days McLaurin likes to mix it up, adding in some Brooks & Dunn or other rock songs. “I do different ones sometimes, but every song from Mötley Crüe is a good song to dance to because it has a really good beat,” he says.

Whatever happens with the pandemic this winter, McLaurin has no intention of stopping his dancing, and the joy it brings others. “People say, ‘Wow! Tim, thank you for what you’re doing out there. Thank you for doing that for us,’” he says. “Even when it’s wintertime, if it’s a blizzard, I’m going to be out there dancing.”

If you see McLaurin on the Square dancing, don’t be afraid to honk your appreciation. “I love it. I love all the love, and all the support on the Town Square,” he says. “I just feel like every time when I see all the Instagram comments, I want to cry my eyes out.”

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

HELLO TIM MCLAURIN

VERTICAL HARVEST McLaurin has been an employee at Vertical Harvest (verticalharvestfarms.com) since 2018.

He works at the groundbreaking urban hydroponic greenhouse on the south side of a downtown parking structure, helping with the cultivation of microgreens and tomatoes, washing bins, and assisting with delivering the greenhouse’s produce to local restaurants. But McLaurin doesn’t just work at Vertical Harvest, he also enjoys its produce. Here are his three favorites and why he likes them: 1. I like the tomatoes a lot. They are sweet and lots of the chefs like to use them, too.

2. The lettuce is really good in salads.

3. Microgreens are small. There are different kinds, but I like all of them.

Vertical Harvest produce is available at the on-site market (155 W. Simpson Ave.) and also at Pearl Street Market, Whole Foods, Aspens Market and Deli, and Bodega in Teton Village.

During non-Covid-19 times, you can take tours of the facility and learn about its supremely innovative hydroponic systems that are now being replicated across the country. If a tour isn’t an option, look for local documentary filmmaker Jennifer Tennican’s film about Vertical Harvest, Hearts of Glass, on your local PBS station. The documentary, which follows the first 15 months of the greenhouse, is being broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S. heartsofglassfilm.com

MORE THAN DANCING McLaurin first skied at the age of 3. “My dad held me between his legs and taught me how to ski on Snow King,” he says. In 2000, after a ski accident that left him with a broken foot, McLaurin traded skis for a snowboard. Today, he isn’t afraid of riding any of the runs at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but particularly likes to ride the gondola. “I do all of the runs!” he says. “It’s been fun learning snowboarding—to be honest, it’s really fun but, you fall on your butt so many times. But then you get up because it’s part of learning.”

McLaurin has also participated in Special Olympics Wyoming for more than three

decades. At the most recent Special Olympics Wyoming Winter Games, he competed in snowboarding. As much as he loves the actual events, McLaurin says his favorite part is the community around the games. “We all just have so much fun, and it is the best chance to see all of your friends from other places,” he says.

Though details of the 2022 Special Olympics are in flux due to the pandemic, McLaurin is hopeful that by the time February rolls around, there will be some form of the annual event. Visit sowy.org to get the latest details on plans and learn more about the organization. JH

LOCAL LIFE HELLO NANCY LEON

NancyLeon PROFILE

When a downhill skiing injury sends you in a different direction. // BY LILA EDYTHE

A 1

I only discovered Rosie’s Ridge on Togwotee Pass a few years ago. It has incredible views of the Tetons, and you can make it as short as you like, or go out all seven miles until you reach the Federal Aviation Administration tower that serves the Jackson Hole Airport. The trail isn’t groomed; you’re basically following a Forest Service road.

2

Trail Creek Ranch is a really special, historic place at the base of Teton Pass. The Ranch, founded in 1942

by Betty Woolsey, captain of the first women’s U.S. Olympic ski team, offers trails that range from beginner-friendly to challenging.

3

Park at the Granite Canyon trailhead in GTNP and ski down the Moose-Wilson Road, to the old JY Ranch road. Ski down the moraine and you’ll be at Phelps Lake. This is a lovely ski because you won’t see that many people, and once you reach Phelps Lake, you can get out and ski on the lake, and the views of Death Canyon and Albright are very beautiful.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

Having created JHNordic.com, Leon is an undisputed authority on Nordic ski trails and areas in and around Jackson Hole. Here are three of her favorites, and why she loves them.

fter tearing her ACL five turns from the bottom of the ABC Chutes in Granite Canyon just outside the boundary of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Nancy Leon got even deeper into skiing. Fifty-eight at the time, Leon was a lifelong downhill skier who had dabbled in Nordic skiing. Post-ACL tear, Nordic skiing was a cruical part of her recovery. “My ACL was hanging on by a thread, and the doctor said I didn’t have to get it repaired. He recommended physical therapy instead,” Leon says. “And the physical therapist I worked with recommended Nordic skiing.

It made my knee stronger, and it opened up a whole new world for me.” (Leon got in six more downhill ski seasons before her ACL “went for good” and she did need a surgical repair.)

“I had always seen Nordic skiing as a great way to get fit, but it was only a thing I’d do when I wasn’t distracted by downhill [skiing],” Leon says. “After my ACL tear, downhill wasn’t distracting me and I found Nordic skiing wasn’t just about rehab and fitness, but curiosity and discovery. I didn’t want to ski the same old and was inspired to keep finding new places to go, which wasn’t difficult if I was okay with it possibly not being great, which I was. Some friends did get nervous going to a place we didn’t have any information on, though.” To collect information, every time Leon stepped into her skinny skis, she made

a GPS track. By the end of the season, she had several dozen GPS tracks, along with photos. The following fall, at the annual Avalanche Awareness Night sponsored by the outdoor gear shop Skinny Skis, Leon approached the owners at the time, Phil Leeds and Jeff Crabtree. “I told them I had all of these tracks and photos and descriptions and asked if they’d find a website of winter trails interesting,” Leon says. “They were staunch supporters immediately.” The site, JHNordic.com launched in 2013 with a database of about 40 tracks and trail descriptions written in Leon’s authortitatively authentic voice.

Today, JHNordic.com has information on more than 100 trails that add up to more than 600 miles of possible adventure—all of which Leon has explored herself. “We’ve got other people than myself submitting tracks and descriptions now, but I still make sure to get out and do every new trail that’s added,” Leon says. And, despite its name, JHNordic.com isn’t a resource only for Nordic skiers. “It’s about all winter trails,” Leon says. “I don’t have a preference if you go out on classic or skate skis, or a fat bike, or snowshoes— for me it’s all about inspiring people to discover new places.” And Leon is still adding trails. “That is the amazing

thing,” she says. “There is just so much to find out there. This winter, the Darwin Ranch is going to groom trails for the first time.”

The website, whose back-end was originally built by Leon’s son, a computer programmer, has a robust search function. “You can search by name, region—there are seven regions—the length of the trail, whether it’s groomed or dog friendly, and even steepness,” Leon says. “You can do multiple searches at once, too, like look for a 10-mile, dog-friendly, fat biking trail in Teton Valley. I want to make it as fun and easy as possible for people to broaden their horizons.”

looking for feedback on the website. It is designed " We’re always for community use. We love to hear from users and are always looking for new trails, GPS tracks, and trail reports.”

—NANCY LEON EMAIL TRAILCONDITIONS@JHNORDIC.COM

87

LAST WINTER SAW AN

PERCENT INCREASE IN VISITORS

TO LEON’S PASSION PROJECT, JHNORDIC.COM; ABOUT

110,000 RECREATIONALISTS VISITED THE SITE.

JH NORDIC ALLIANCE Simultaneously with the launch of JHNordic.com, Leon worked to bring together a group of more than 40 organizations, businesses, and interested individuals as an advisory group, JH Nordic Alliance. Alliance members were not only sources of information for Leon, but interested in achieving something concrete for the community beyond the JHNordic.com website. “When you get people to work together, you can be so much more,” Leon says. “You can tell a bigger story, meet people, and create a whole new circle of friends with shared interests. I’m a real believer that it takes a village.”

The winter prior to the Alliance’s formation, Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) had only groomed the Inner Park Loop Road about three times. “We thought it would be great if we could have consistent grooming in the park,” Leon says. Alliance members connected with GTNP officials and with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, which raised enough money to hire Teton County Parks & Recreation to groom the 12-mile stretch of road twice a week for the 2013/14 winter. In 2018, there was enough money to groom three times a week. This winter, the Inner Park Loop Road will again be groomed three times a week (Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday) for classic and skate skiing.

This winter also marks the first that the recreational masters Nordic clinics founded by the JH Nordic Alliance in partnership with the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club will be run entirely by the ski club. “They’ll run 10 masters clinics—five skate and five classic—and mix it up between Teton Pines and Trail Creek,” Leon says.

“I’m happy to start things and hand them off to people.” JH JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

55

LOCAL LIFE BLAST FROM THE PAST

Bircher Barns

Form meets function in these Gothic-style barns.

// BY MAGGIE THEODORA // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADLY J. BONER

“T

hey are just perfectly functional and elegant,” says John Carney, a principle architect at Prospect Studio, of the barns built by John Wesley Bircher in Wilson almost a century ago. The T.A. Moulton Barn on Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park is undeniably the most famous and photographed barn in Jackson Hole, if not the U.S., but, considering the barns only (and not their backdrop), Bircher’s barns, done in a Gothic style with soaring, gabled roofs, are more aesthetic. And that’s just their exteriors. Inside, they’re even more impressive. Bircher designed and built them without using trusses, giving them a cavernous, cathedrallike feel. “They were built to hold as much hay as you could possibly hold,” Carney says. “Trusses interfere with storage.”

It is not known how many barns Bircher built with the help of his brother Andy and other local carpenters, but Carney says there are about seven of them still standing on Fish and Fall Creek Roads and around the base of Teton Pass in the community of Wilson. Most of these are on private property, although Jared Smith, a civil engineer who, as a young man, worked as a hay baler for Bircher’s widow, Maude Bircher, says that driving down Fish Creek Road, “if you know what you’re looking for, you can spot some.” The non-profit Teton TOP and BOTTOM: Trail Creek's barn is one of about seven barns the early Wilson settler John Welsey Bircher built in the area.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

Bircher designed " It’s obviousandthatbuilt barns to last.”

—JOHN CARNEY

Raptor Center has two Bircher-built barns on its campus off Wyoming Highway 22 just east of Wilson.

The Raptor Center’s Bircher barns were commissioned in 1943 by Corliss Champion Moseley, a U.S. Army aviator turned rancher. Moseley wanted his barns, which were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, to include decorative elements and have architectural flair, which Bircher delivered in spades, especially with the 36-foot-tall North Barn. (Fun fact: The year before Bircher built these barns for Moseley, he built the decidedly unGothic Stagecoach Bar—think short and squat—which is just across the street and still open today.) In 1956 Moseley sold his ranch and the barns to Gerrit and LeMar Hardeman; the Hardeman family raised Hereford cattle here until 1998 and, during this time, the barns became known as the Hardeman Barns. (They are still called this, even though the family hasn’t ranched here for more than two decades.) While the Teton Raptor Center is in the middle of a multiyear project that will expand its campus and restore its two Bircher barns, “it’s obvious that Bircher designed and built barns to last,” Carney says. “He had to be very clever to do this in the style that he did.” JH

Most advisors are compensated by the financial companies who employ them, to sell you financial products and services. Their duty and loyalty lie with that employer.

However, a small number of financial advisors are fiduciary advisors. Their duty and loyalty are to you – the client.

These fiduciary advisors give objective, independent and comprehensive financial advice. They are paid a fee, not commissions, to provide such advice.

How do you know if your advisor is a fiduciary advisor?

Start by asking them how they are compensated and who pays that compensation.

www.bcorkern.com

Barry Corkern, CFP®, AIFA® A Bircher barn on Fish Creek Road.

“IT’S A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP.”

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

57

PEAK A D V E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

MOUNTAIN SOLITUDE

PROPERTIES

T

he factor that makes the Jackson Hole real estate market so unusual is the relative scarcity of private land. Ninetyseven percent of Teton County, Wyoming, is publicly owned—either national park, national forest, or wildlife refuge. This computes to just 75,000 privately held acres in a county spanning 2.5 million acres. The guaranteed open spaces and unobstructed views these surrounding public lands afford make the remaining private land a real treasure. Add the abundance of recreational opportunities found in and around the valley, and the quality of life one can enjoy in Jackson Hole is simply unbeatable.

Moreover, many of the properties featured here are secluded, scenic retreats located in the midst of prime wildlife habitat. Most existing and prospective property owners in Jackson Hole cherish this notion, and serve—or will serve—as stewards of nature.

One cannot put a dollar value on waking to the Teton skyline, skiing home for lunch, or listening to a trout stream gurgling through the backyard. In Jackson Hole, “living with nature” is not a fleeting, vicarious experience a person has while watching TV. Here it’s a fact of life, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

AT A GLANCE 4,320

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

4.5

BATHS

UPON REQUEST

21-2757 MLS#

HISTORIC TETON VALLEY ICON

AT A GLANCE 2,015

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

1

BATHS

21-3389 MLS#

58

SPACKMANS & ASSOCIATES (307) 690.8156 spackmans@jhsir.com spackmansinjh.com

252.57 ACRES NEAR DRIGGS AIRPORT

AT A GLANCE One of the most iconic homes in Teton Valley, this stone home known as ‘The Taylor Ranch’ was built circa 1905 and fully restored in 2020. Consisting of two separate parcels, totaling appx 77 acres with Spring Creek meandering through both parcels and is large enough to pasture up to 24 Cow/Calf Pairs. Located adjacent to Driggs City Limits, this property has potential for annexation and possibility to be subdivided into smaller parcels for higher density housing.

3,000,000 DOLLARS

Completed in 2019, a team of Jackson’s finest architects, builders and designers collaborated to make this masterpiece incorporating reclaimed barnwood, timber beams, solid oak and stacked stone to create a dramatic interplay of materials that complement the jaw-dropping Grand Teton views from nearly every room. Abundant outdoor entertaining spaces with expansive decks, stone fire pit, custom spa, extensive landscaping, and a serene pond beckon you to enjoy this magnificent setting.

252.57 ACRES

—

BEDROOMS

—

BATHS

Now offering 252.57 acres with approximately 1,650 feet frontage along the Driggs Airport taxiway. The property is currently in agriculture with 280 shares of irrigation water rights, zoned “M-1 Light Industrial” in the Driggs Area of Impact and ideally suited for airpark development or a variety of light industrial uses. Located in the prime Grand Teton view corridor with 3 dispersed, deeded, 60’ wide road and utility access easements from State HWY 33.

9,850,000 TETON VALLEY REALTY Sam Lea • (208) 351-7211 samlea@ida.net tetonvalleyrealty.com

WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

DOLLARS

21-3365 MLS#

TETON VALLEY REALTY Mark Rockefeller • (208) 351-1411 mark@tetonvalleyrealty.com tetonvalleyrealty.com

A D V E R T I S I N G

WILSON RETREAT ABOVE FISH CREEK

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

7 acres of seclusion, stunning views, lush aspens and conifers await you. The home has two walk out levels with a backyard made for family gatherings, the original horse barn is reimagined into a warm, inviting entertainment space with historic Schofield barn-wood, full kitchen and a large spa bathroom with a spacious soapstone shower. A beautiful haven you must experience.

2

BATHS

5,800,000 DOLLARS

21-3199 MLS#

MOUNTAIN STANDARD REALTY Andrew Byron: Partner/Sales Associate (307) 690-2767 andrew@mountainstandardrealty.com Nicholas Houfek: Partner/Sales Associate (307) 399-7115 nicholas@mountainstandardrealty.com

EXPERIENCE STUNNING GRAND VIEWS!

AT A GLANCE 3,000

SQUARE FEET

3

BEDROOMS

4

BATHS

21-1103 MLS#

2,619

SQUARE FEET

3

BEDROOMS

Recently renovated 3 bed, 2 bath home on a corner lot which is zoned NL3, allowing for a residential accessory unit. Fenced yard with mature landscaping that includes a large deck and hot tub. Two car oversized garage and ample parking. Granite countertops, new appliances, new floors, trim, light fixtures, hot water heater and roof.

2.75

BATHS

2,379,000 DOLLARS

21-2665 MLS#

MOUNTAIN STANDARD REALTY Doug Herrick: Partner/Associate Broker (307) 413-8899 doug@mountainstandardrealty.com

HIDDEN GEM NEAR TOWN

AT A GLANCE Experience serenity away from the crowds in a gorgeous single family home on a 2.8 acre lot with Grand views!

Warm and inviting floorplan with exposed beams and custom woodwork throughout. Updated, well insulated and energy efficient with Marvin windows, radiant in-floor heat and a propane fireplace with 1000 gallon in ground propane tank. High end finishes including cherry cabinets, slate floors, sound system, alder doors, jacuzzi tub and steam shower plus a 2+ car garage. Located at the end of a cut-de-sac, adjacent to common space.

1,195,000 DOLLARS

EAST JACKSON SINGLE FAMILY HOME

AT A GLANCE

AT A GLANCE 2,781

F E AT U R E

2,648

SQUARE FEET

5

BEDROOMS

3

BATHS

2,450,000 MOUNTAIN STANDARD REALTY Doug Herrick: Partner/Associate Broker (307) 413-8899 doug@mountainstandardrealty.com

DOLLARS

21-3546 MLS#

Welcome to Hi-Country, where you can enjoy the benefits of country living & excellent proximity to town, schools, & pathways. Located just outside of the city limits on a 1/2 acre with a tranquil creek flowing through the backyard & huge mature trees. The home was remodeled in 2005 and, connected to the main home, is a 2 bedroom accessory apartment. The oversized 2-car garage and barn allow for plenty of storage. The spacious backyard is the perfect place to enjoy warm summer afternoons by the creek.

BUDGE KELLEY REALTY GROUP COMPASS REAL ESTATE (307) 413-5294 budgekelley@compass.com budgerealestate.com

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

59

A D V E R T I S I N G

F E AT U R E

SUPERB MOUNTAIN STYLE

AT A GLANCE 6,683

SQUARE FEET

5

BEDROOMS

6

BATHS

11,950,000 DOLLARS

—

MLS#

AT A GLANCE Resting in the valley below pristine Wyoming peaks, this stunning newly-constructed home boasts luxurious details that epitomize a refined mountain modern aesthetic.

Immersed seamlessly into the lush, mature native vegetation, this 4.4-acre property enjoys privacy, diverse wildlife, and untamed mountain scenery. Cathedral ceilings with exposed beams and a commanding stone fireplace with rough-hewn timber mantle cultivate a sense of spaciousness and frame iconic Teton views. Wide plank oak flooring and a harmonious blend of rustic and modern details make this mountain retreat a true oasis.

HUFF VAUGHN SASSI (307) 203-3000 HuffVaughnSassi@jhsir.com MercedesHuff.com

TOWNHOUSE IN EAST JACKSON

AT A GLANCE 1173

SQUARE FEET

3

BEDROOMS

2

BATHS

1,175,000 DOLLARS

21-2836 MLS#

60

STUNNING VIEWS IN EAST JACKSON

2,730

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

3

BATHS

3,950,000 DOLLARS

—

MLS#

One-of-a-kind home overlooks Jackson from a commanding position atop a quiet, private neighborhood on the eastern edge of town. Spectacular Teton views from most every room and four of the outdoor decks. Mountain lifestyle opportunities abound in every direction. Downtown Jackson is just a quick downhill trip by bike and families will appreciate the immediate proximity to both May and Mike Yokel parks a short walk away. The adventurous will rejoice in the direct access to the Bridger-Teton National Forest that borders the east side of the lot. This includes a private trail directly linked to the Jackson trails.

HUFF VAUGHN SASSI (307) 203-3000 HuffVaughnSassi@jhsir.com MercedesHuff.com

MCCOLLISTER DRIVE, TETON VILLAGE

AT A GLANCE The townhouse is an end unit, and has a finished basement with side-by-side laundry and a large storage closet. It’s been well maintained and there’s a fenced deck at the front entry, with abundant common space and lawn around the development. HOA is solid. Convenient commute to downtown, Start Bus line, and NFS recreation trails.

Possession is subject to long-term lease in place through March, 2022.

COMPASS REAL ESTATE 80 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001 Bomber Bryan, Associate Broker, GRI, SRS (307) 690-2295 Bomber.Bryan@compass.com @jacksonholebomber BomberBryan.com

WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

5850

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

Inspired by a classic mountain-house Swiss A-frame, and then refined to perfection by local architect, Peg Gilday.

This unique offering is impeccable in all phases, and comes completely turnkey with all furnishings and artwork. The property is true ski-in/ski-out, with direct access to the NFS, the Union Pass lift and the famous Lower Faces of the Resort.

6

BATHS

15,000,000 DOLLARS

—

SOLD 6/2021

COMPASS REAL ESTATE 80 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001 Bomber Bryan, Associate Broker, GRI, SRS (307) 690-2295 Bomber.Bryan@compass.com @jacksonholebomber BomberBryan.com

A D V E R T I S I N G

TETON VIEWS IN SPRING CREEK RANCH

AT A GLANCE 6,757

SQUARE FEET

4

BEDROOMS

The best of Spring Creek is evident in this spectacular home situated on one of the most stunning elevated lots in the valley. The majestic and expansive Teton views, privacy and serenity of the surroundings, and the timeless craftsmanship and open layout of the home make this property one of the most unique in the valley.

6

DOLLARS

21-3671 MLS#

2

BEDROOMS

3

BATHS

JACKSON HOLE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Meredith Landino - (307) 690-8028 meredith.landino@jhsir.com Jill Sassi • (307) 690-4529 jill.sassi@jhsir.com

—

MLS#

4

BEDROOMS

Beautifully updated 4 bedroom home with open floorplan offering vaulted ceiling, open floorplan, fireplace, cherry cabinetry, granite countertops, wood flooring, guest apartment with sauna and private deck. Quality throughout.

Outside enjoy mature trees, oversized decking, privacy and Teton views. 3 bay garage, ample storage, a walk-in crawlspace. NEW ROOF. Most all major appliances were updated approximately 3 years ago. Interested in buying it fully furnished? That is an option--ask Agent Pamela Renner for details

2,895,000 DOLLARS

—

MLS#

JACKSON HOLE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Pam Renner • (307) 690-5530 pamela.renner@jhsir.com

SNAKE RIVER SPORTING CLUB, JACKSON HOLE

AT A GLANCE This truly unique luxury condo in the heart of Downtown Jackson perfectly evokes the mountain chic lifestyle. The new construction unit is set in a premier location, close to the Town Square, and is permitted for short term rentals.

Large windows and high vaulted ceilings provide a modern and airy feel. Upgraded amenities including, soundproofing between units and a sleek wall mounted fireplace, provide the ideal balance of a cozy mountain getaway with contemporary aesthetic.

1,800,000 DOLLARS

SQUARE FEET

3

AT A GLANCE 1,533

2,952

BATHS

SOLD! BEAUTIFUL CONDO IN JACKSON

SQUARE FEET

LOVELY JACKSON HOLE GOLF & TENNIS HOME

AT A GLANCE

BATHS

13,500,000

F E AT U R E

COLDWELL BANKER PROPERTIES Matthew Belford matt.belford@cbmp.com jacksonholewy.realestate

35

ACRES

—

BEDROOMS

A premier, 35-acre ranch estate lot at the private Snake River Sporting Club, bordering the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Broad vistas and easy recreational access out the back door to over 3.4 million acres of public land. A perfect blend of club amenities and wilderness in a private enclave makes for an ideal family compound.

—

BATHS

4,500,000 DOLLARS

21-1683 MLS#

LIVE WATER JACKSON HOLE Latham Jenkins • (307) 690-1642 latham@livewaterproperties.com LiveWaterJacksonHole.com

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

61

Loves Jackson Hole If you haven’t tried our 92+ rated wines yetyou can find them at:

Bin22 The Bistro Dornan’s Wine Shop The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole Mangy Moose Market & Cellars Westbank Grill at the Four Seasons Westside Wine and Spirits W E N T W O R T H V I N E YA R D . C O M @ W E N T W O R T H V I N E YA R D S

ENJOY

R YA N D O R G A N

ARTS, CULTURE, FOOD, AND DESIGN

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

63

ENJOY FOOD

BURGERS AN E AG HOM SON'S CK TO JA IGHT Y M E R S! BURG

YOUR WAY JACKSON HOLE’S VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS MEANS THERE’S A PERFECT HAMBURGER FOR EVERYONE. // BY RACHEL WALKER

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

THERE ARE FEW FOODS AS SYNONYMOUS WITH SKI TOWNS AS THE MIGHTY HAMBURGER, LIKELY BECAUSE EVEN THE MOST KITCHEN-AVERSE SKI BUM CAN MANAGE TO BROWN A BEEF PATTY AND SLAP IT BETWEEN A BUN. BUT JUST BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL HAMBURGER IS BASIC DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY ALL HAVE TO BE. FROM NO-FRILLS MEAT SANDWICHES TO CUSTOMIZED ARTISANAL CREATIONS, THE BURGERS BELOW SHOWCASE VALLEY CHEFS’ MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO BEEF AND BREAD.

KATHRYN ZIESIG

MIAZGA’S

Miazga’s calls its menu “East Coast comfort food,” and many of the glowing reviews rave about the pierogies, meatballs, and Rueben sandwiches.

But Miazga’s burgers are just as deserving of accolades. What makes them so great? The simplicity. Miazga’s burger doesn’t dress up for a night on the town or get down and dirty and smothered with one sauce or another. Instead, it’s a 5.5-ounce beef patty (the menu also has a bison burger) served with lettuce, onion, and tomato on a crusty bun with a choice of fries, slaw, or onion rings on the side. Pro tip: save room for one of the made-from-scratch desserts. $13.50 (bison burger, $14.50); Tuesday–Saturday 11:30 a.m–9 p.m.; 399 West Broadway; 307/733-2784, miazgas.com

JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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ENJOY FOOD

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

KNOTTY PINE SUPPER CLUB

The classic old-school Knotty Pine Supper Club in Victor, Idaho, pays homage to the classic burger with a modern farmto-table angle, sourcing its beef from nearby Blue Iris Gardens. The tender meat is cooked to order and served without fuss—just the meat, bun, lettuce, pickle, and onion. Optional add-ons include cheese, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, hot peppers, avocado, and bacon.

The burger comes with thick-cut French fries or onion rings. This is bar food at its best in one of the most low-key and authentic eateries around Jackson Hole.

Half-pound, $15 and 1 pound, $20; open daily 4 p.m.–close; 58 S. Main Street, Victor, ID.; 208/787-2866, knottypinesupperclub.com

At Gather, the burger is as surprising as it is satisfying. Featuring buttery, tender Wagyu beef, rich and spicy (though not too spicy) chili de arbol aioli, verde sauce, roasted mushrooms, onions, and smoked gouda—it’s a burger elevated to a multicultural sensation. Be prepared for superlatives to burst from your mouth with the first bite, thanks to the fine balance of flavors. $19; open daily 5 p.m.–9:30 p.m.; 72 S. Glenwood St.; 307/264-1820, gatherjh.com

KATHRYN ZIESIG

THE BIRD OLD SCHOOL KITCHEN AND BAR

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KATHRYN ZIESIG

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Beloved by locals, The Bird Old School Kitchen and Bar wants customers to eat well and have a damn good time. Not only will staff bust their butts to cook your food how you want it, but they’ll also listen to your inappropriate jokes and drive you home if you drink too much. Come for the party, but stay for the burgers, made daily with fresh ground brisket (no freezer to fryer action, here) and offered in 20 varieties, including the vegetarian Bushy Beaver. From the basic Ghetto burger—meat and bun—to the loaded Birdhouse—with two four-ounce patties, bacon, grilled onions, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles—there’s something on the menu for every burger lover in the valley. Burgers from $9 to $18.50; open Sunday– Tuesday 4 p.m.–10 p.m. and Wednesday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.– 10 p.m.; 4125 US-89; 307/732-2473, thebirdinjh.com

COURTESY PHOTO

The beef in The Spur’s mouth-watering burgers hails from pasture-raised cattle from western Idaho and eastern Oregon. Free of hormones and antibiotics, the half-pound patty comes on a brioche bun. Topped with Adam’s Farm sharp white cheddar, organic spring mix, and Roma tomatoes, this burger is both fresh and hearty, a perfect complement to a powder day (or any type of ski day, for that matter). Dress it up with à la carte options like truffle aioli, roasted jalapenos, mushrooms, grilled onions, bacon, avocado, fried egg, and THE SPUR blue cheese. Or swap the beef for a Beyond Meat patty for a vegetarian twist. $23; open daily 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m.; Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa 3385 Cody Lane; 307/201-6066, tetonlodge.com/spur restaurant

KATHRYN ZIESIG

JACKSON DRUG

Owned by fifth-generation ranchers (and sisters) Jessica and Nikki Gill, Jackson Drug serves burgers that are about as local as they come. The beef hails from happy cattle born and raised on the Gill family’s Jackson Hole Hereford Ranch, and the meat is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and antibiotics. The burgers are served on a brioche bun with classic toppings—lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and pickles—and a choice of crispy tater tots, regular, waffle, or sweet potato fries, or coleslaw. Still hungry? Upgrade to the Truck Driver, a double cheeseburger with bacon and two fried eggs. $14 (The Classic) and $20 (Truck Driver); open daily 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; 15 E. Deloney; 307/201-1275, jacksondrug.com JH

The Bunnery Bakery & Restaurant has been one of Jackson's favorite casual restaurants, serving delicious foods and an irresistible selection of fresh baked goods. The Bunnery is famous for its O.S.M. products, based on oats, sunflower seeds and millet, a unique proprietary recipe developed during its early days as a bakery. that's what made The Bunnery famous. The generous selection of familiar and signature offerings is rounded out by fresh juices and bottomless cups of Starbucks coffee. and you'll find a wide array of sandwiches, burgers, salads and sides complemented by craft beers and carefully chosen wines by the glass or bottle. And before you leave, don't forget to take something delicious from our bakery counter along with you to enjoy on the road or at home.

Hole in the Wall Mall, 130 North Cache, Jackson, WY 307-733-5474 • www.bunnery.com Open Daily from 7:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

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Eat Local // BY SUE MUNCASTER

A weekly online market makes buying local food easy.

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or decades, “local” food for Jacksonites meant frozen beef, potatoes, and garlic. Today though, dairy, meats, grains, packaged goods, and prepared food are produced locally using seasonal ingredients, and can be purchased via the online marketplace run by Slow Food in the

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Like yogurt without the sour taste, Star Valley’s Shumway Farms Icelandic Skyr is incredibly thick, sweet, and creamy. And it sells out fast. For the whole Teton experience, grab the huckleberry flavor (the coconut flavor is dreamy too) from this sixth-generation dairy farm. 16 oz., $7.15

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At the end of 2020, Jacksonite Lisa Roarke paired local ingredients with an old family recipe to create Tram Jam. Its tagline: “Jam worth a damn.” The original is a holiday-inspired mix of organic strawberries and cranberries, sugar, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.

There’s also Apres is My Jam—a spicy margarita in jam form (strawberries, orange zest, jalapeño, and a splash of triple sec).

4 oz., $6.50

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Chasing Paradise is a boutique winery, kitchen, and farm near the Big Hole Mountains in Victor, Idaho. It specializes in high-quality meads and hard apple ciders, as well as organic prepared foods. Not for the soft palate, founder Rob Dupré’s Carrot/ Habanero Hot Sauce is made with local organic carrots and peppers, and adds a sweet, spicy, garlicky kick to eggs, beans, rice, pizza, and tacos.

8 oz., $10.50

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Wyoming Heritage Grains, 70 miles northeast of Yellowstone in Ralston, Wyoming, is committed to bringing back forgotten grain varieties, such as White Sonora and Red Fife. Slow stone milling is used to process all its grains, allowing them to retain full nutritional value, so its White Sonora Buttermilk Pancake Mix is as healthy as it is delicious. Mix to make 60 four-inch pancakes, $12

K Lazy M Ranch’s organic green cabbage, onions, juniper berries, fresh rosemary, and sea salt meld together to create a piney, earthy, gut-cleansing Juniper Berry Sauerkraut that is full of probiotics.

Eat it straight up, on a sandwich, or spoon it over goat cheese on a charcuterie plate.

Fun fact: sauerkraut and its juice are a Russian home remedy for a hangover. 14 oz., $10.40

The organic, artisan bitters crafted by Bear Root Bitters, use wild, seasonal ingredients foraged in and around Jackson Hole. Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters is a blend of gentian, angelica, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. Add a few dashes to almost any drink for depth and complexity. 2 oz., $14

of Jackson Hole Tetons. An example of a successful pivot during the pandemic spring of 2020, the online marketplace opens each week on Tuesday at 9 a.m. and closes Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Pick up your order between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday at Twigs Garden Center (890 US-89), next to Movie Works Cinema. tetonslowfood.org/online-markeplace

Bring out the best in every bottle

Western Wyoming’s only climatecontrolled wine storage facility.

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Whether you are a wine collector, investor, restaurateur or just starting a collection we have the storage option for you.

307.248.6392 • Vaultofjh.com Located just 4 miles south of Jackson

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For five generations, the family behind Penfold Farms in Driggs, Idaho, grew only seed potatoes, until one innovative son, Wyatt, added high-altitude quinoa, buckwheat, split peas, and barley to the mix. A sacred crop for the Inca Empire, quinoa has reached superfood status due to its high protein and nutritional value. 20 oz., $6

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Larks Meadow Farms, near Rexburg, creates award-winning, small-batch seasonal cheeses from the milk of a herd of Fresian/ Lacaune sheep. Alto Valle Sheep Cheese, a soft cheese that creator Kendall Russell describes as “like a room-temperature fondue,” is made with thistle rennet, most commonly used by artisinal cheesemakers in Spain and Portugal.

Cut to order, $30/lb

If you’re in a position to give back, consider purchasing a Veggie Voucher.

This allows community members suffering from food insecurity or illness to shop Slow Food in the Tetons’ online marketplace.

Available in any denomination JH

Barry M. Corkern and Company, Inc. has provided fee-only, comprehensive wealth management. We believe that people prefer to make financial decisions unclouded by commission-driven sales rhetoric. Barry Corkern, a fiduciary advisor, acts in his clients’ interests at all times and is not motivated by any third party compensation. To best serve his clients, Corkern strives to lead with integrity and excellence. Client situations can quickly become complex; our thorough approach and advice considers not only the client’s current circumstances but also their future.

“IT’S A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP.”

www.bcorkern.com

Barry Corkern, CFP®, AIFA®

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TASTE OF JACKSON HOLE

Corbet’s Cabin Waffles

Laddy Burmaster serves up waffles in Corbet's Cabin at the summit of Rendezvous Mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

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top Rendezvous Mountain, after a vertical climb of 4,139 feet in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Aerial Tram, a wall of brisk winter air hits the faces of tram-goers as they disembark.

Carried on the wind is the faintest whiff of fresh waffles, an aroma that gets stronger the closer you get to the snow-covered shack tucked into the side of the mountain—Corbet’s Cabin.

Constructed in 1964, Corbet’s Cabin is the summit home base of JHMR Ski Patrol and the resort’s avalanche rescue dogs. It has also been home to fresh waffles since the 2008–2009 ski season. This enterprise is more logistically complicated than you might think because, while the cabin has a restroom, it does not have running water. Every-

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thing—from the waffle batter to the hot chocolate most people get to go with their waffle—travels to the cabin in the tram. On an average powder day, the waffle artists whip up more than 400 waffles—each one wrapped in foil for an easy on-the-go snack. Every waffle is made-to-order on a classic Carbon’s

Golden Malted Waffle Baker before being slathered in toppings from a selection that includes strawberry, brown sugar butter, Nutella, bacon and peanut butter, or lemon glaze and powdered sugar. Open 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily; Rendezvous Mountain, Teton Village; 307/739-2688, jacksonhole.com/waffles JH

TOP: At 10,450 feet in elevation, Corbet's Cabin requires serious shoveling after a storm.

BOTTOM: Peanut butter and bacon is one of the most popular waffle flavors.

EXPLORE A WHOLE NEW SIDE TO SNOW KING MOUNTAIN

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Snow King is excited to introduce all new South-side terrain and amenities coming winter 21/22. Season Passes are now on sale.

SNOWKINGMOUNTAIN.COM

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// BY SUE MUNCASTER

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MEG POTTER

he landscape of Jackson Hole has a long history of inspiring artists. In 2019 the valley was named the number-one small arts community in the nation. While the valley has had art galleries since the 1960s, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art since 1987, an equally important part of the art scene is public art. Dozens of pieces—largeand small-scale, abstract and realistic, temporary and permanent—live throughout the valley. Land-development regulations; cultural creatives; and Jackson Hole Public Art, a collaborative nonprofit, drive this form of collective community expression that celebrates our history and illuminates current issues. Here’s where to find some of our favorite pieces.

JACKSON HOLE’S PUBLIC ART

ART FOR ALL

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On the slopes of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, resort co-owner Connie Kemmerer had two 3,000-pound “wisdom quartz” crystals—considered one of the most powerful healing crystals—installed. Connie’s Crystals were quarried in Galiléia, Brazil, a major energy vortex like the Tetons. The crystals are meant to energetically protect the resort and the community and positively impact every guest. One sits between the Tram and the Teton Club in the base area; the other is near Solitude Station.

MEG POTTER

The Jackson Hole Airport has about a dozen pieces of art throughout its public areas and terminal. Hanging at the south end of baggage claim, the aerial silhouette Arrival Over the Snake River depicts the view seen by incoming planes. Rendered in brushed stainless steel, the installation was designed

by Bland Hoke, Terry Chambers, and Shane Lindsay. The baggage claim area is also home to a whimsical watercolor by Nelson Boren—of a family’s jeans and cowboy boots from the knees down—and a display of intricate antique beaded moccasins from the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Blackfoot tribes. Near the beaded pieces is an oil painting by Chinese artist Z.S. Liang of Lakota women trading with pioneers. A tanned buffalo hide by Gros Ventre tribe member Al Chandler is painted with natural pigments and deer hooves. Throughout the airport, historic cattle brands are burned into public benches. The largest piece in the airport’s collection is hard to miss: A Battle of Wills (shown above), a 15.5-foot-tall bronze statue of a cowboy on a bucking bronco by Bart Walter (whose work is also in the permanent collection at the National Museum of Wildlife Art), has pride of place in the middle of the airport’s entrance/exit roundabout.

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In 2019, the Teton Village Association commissioned local artist Haley Badenhop to bring new life to an aging metal sculpture in front of the Snake River Lodge and Spa. The Moose (shown below), painted by Badenhop a shade of red to match the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort tram, plays host to a vibrant winter scene via a series of line drawings that depict Jackson Hole mountain culture. Another bright-red sculpture, Major Bison by John Simms (who did the bison and fish in front of the U.S. Forest Service building on N. Cache St.) inhabits the meadow along McCollister Drive, the southernmost entrance to Teton Village.

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ENJOY The valley’s original pieces of community-created public art might be the four elk-antler arches that anchor the corners of the Town Square. The arches were first erected in 1953 by the Rotary Club. Artisans wove together individual antlers gathered from the nearby National Elk Refuge. After 60 years, the arches had decayed to a dangerous level, and the Rotary Club, with help of the Town of Jackson Public Works department, rebuilt them between 2006 and 2015.

Each arch is estimated to contain 10,000–12,000 pounds of antlers (which elk shed naturally every year, so no elk were harmed to make the arches).

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Mama Mimi materialized in R Park last summer. Copenhagenbased artist Thomas Dambo built the gigantic troll almost entirely from recycled wood and materials salvaged locally.

(Dambo constructed her face in his Denmark studio.) Dambo installs trolls worldwide, and Mama Mimi was his 80th. JH Public Art executive director Carrie Geraci says, “Mama Mimi is about the

universal joy of inspiring discovery, inviting new users to the park, and connecting to the park’s ethos of conservation. Thomas Dambo is a world-renowned recycling artist, and the more we can recycle and reuse, the more land we can conserve.” Not just a pretty face, Mimi is interactive— jump up onto her lap and then balance as you walk down her extended leg to a small island.

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Jackson Hole Public Art’s annual art event, WildWalls, is responsible for most of the colorful murals found in downtown Jackson. For the fourth event, in 2021, 11 artists collaborated with scientists to create two permanent and nine temporary interactive, educational murals that highlight the rich diversity of flora and fauna in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Most of the WildWalls murals have augmented-reality features that transform the static image into a live animation on current science from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Experience the augmented-reality clips via the JH Public Art channel on the Hoverlay App (available on your smartphone).

Current installations appear on the app as you near them. Great places to start are the south wall of Trio Bistro (45 S. Glenwood St.) and the east wall of the Snake River Brew Pub (265 S. Millward St.). Katy Ann Fox painted The Time in Place, of larger-than-life local wildflowers, at the former; Dan Turo’s Hooked, of a giant Snake River Cutthroat Trout (shown above), adorns the latter.

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The idea behind ArtSpot, on the north side of Broadway Avenue on the hillside across from the Virginian, is “to inspire, without distracting, the more than 30,000 drivers who pass this spot every day,” according to JH Public Art. Every 6 to 12 months, JH Public Art chooses a regional artist to install a project atop a repurposed chairlift tower stabilized by a snowplow blade and parts from a bank vault. The 2022 artist was not chosen as of press time.

Memorable past installations include Charlie Brown’s Sweater

by Suzanne Morlock and David Watson’s 2021 installation, Stampede, which is shown above and depicted a colorful herd of bison.

The National Museum of Wildlife Art has a three-quarter-mile Sculpture Trail with about 30 pieces of artwork along its length. The free outdoor art venue was designed by award-winning landscape architect Walter Hood, whose philosophy is to “design pieces that relate directly to the space around them, while at the same time transforming them.” Richard Loffler’s 64-foot-long bronze, Buffalo Trail (shown here), which features five adult bison and two calves, sits on the south end of the trail. Simon Gudgeon’s Isis, a contemporary take on an ibis, anchors the north end.

Download the National Museum of Wildlife Art app to learn more about the trail.

MEG POTTER

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It’s impossible to keep track of what and how many pieces of public art there are at The Center campus. Outside installations range from community-spawned “knitting-bombed” bike racks to River in Reverse, a wall sculpture on the southwest corner of the Arts and Education Wing that

When entering the Town of Jackson from the north on Cache Street, keep an eye out for geometric metal sculptures—a bright red bison (shown here) and a brilliant blue school of fish. Set in front of the United States Forest Service building (340 N. Cache St.), the pieces were made by longtime local artist (and ex-ski patroller and river guide) John Simms. JH

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Interactive ice and snow sculptures in the Village Commons are back this winter after a Covid hiatus. It tusually takes five days for JHMR’s parks and pipes crew to create the sculptures, which might feature ice castles, forests, igloos, and slides—a literal winter wonderland. Kids are welcome to climb in, on, and through everything. Also in the Village Commons is a collaboration with JH Public Art, GlowNights. This annual installation pops up just before Christmas and gives local artists and businesses the opportunity to show off their creativity using light as a medium while celebrating the natural phenomena found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Past projects included Flora Moon, a glowing geometric ball formed by translucent panels of native wildflowers by Los Angeles-based Maggie West (shown above).

is the mirror opposite of the airport’s Arrival Over the Snake River by Bland Hoke, Terry Chambers, and Shane Lindsay.

Inside The Center are several public gallery spaces that host diverse rotating exhibits—from pieces by local students to photography and painting by national artists. This winter, in a courtyard just inside the west entrance, you’ll find Ben Roth’s temporary exhibit Earthrise. A local artist, Roth created the piece from cross-cut sections of dead tree trunks harvested from a local ranch.

Read more about The Center, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022, on page 76.

WHILE THEY RE

Sleeping '

© Ken Carlson, Polar Bear—detail, n.d. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art.

A STORY OF BEARS

Exhibition on View October

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wildlifeart org

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· 307-733-5771 · @wildlifeart

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COURTESY OF THE ART ASSOCIATION

CULTURE

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The Center Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2022, the Center for the Arts is the heart of the valley’s art scene. // BY SUE MUNCASTER

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he last time I snuggled into a red-cushioned seat in the balcony of The Center Theatre with a glass of wine, flashbacks flooded my mind.

My eyes filled with tears recalling the memorial service for a much-loved local who died skiing in the Tetons; a Lyle Lovett concert; Skinny Skis’ Avalanche Awareness Nights. Returning to the present, my shy 12-year-old sits next to me waiting for his hero, rock climber Alex Honnold, to recount his free solo of El Capitan.

It’s not just the wide variety of entertainment offered at The Center Theatre that holds a special place in my heart— it’s the hours spent experimenting in The Center’s ceramics studio, the night I got the nerve up to perform as an audience member with the Laff Staff Comedy Improv group and people actually laughed, the kid’s pasta-making cooking classes I taught for Slow Food in the Tetons, the Story Slam I performed at this past summer surrounded by friends. I am part of The Center, and it’s a part of me, and I’m so grateful for Center for the Arts, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with 20 board members that oversees the 78,000 square-foot campus that makes up The Center.

I’m not the only one in the community who feels this way. “The Center is an amazing place that houses so many creative organizations,” says Bronwyn Minton, executive director of the Art Association of Jackson Hole, one of the 22 arts- or education-related organiza-

tions that call The Center home. “I feel very lucky to be a part of a community that values the arts in such a meaningful way. On any given day, it is possible to make art, listen to music, look at art, take a dance class, attend a performance, or take a music class, just to name a few.”

The Center is so important today it’s difficult to imagine the valley without it. But, celebrating its 15th birthday in 2022, The Center has existed for less time than it took to plan and build it.

In 1991, local arts organizations like the Art Association of Jackson Hole and Dancers’ Workshop, tired of increasing rents at inadequate facilities, spearheaded talks about a large space shared by multiple organizations. A $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole kickstarted several years of feasibility studies before the groups incorporated as an overarching effort in 1995 and embarked on the design and fundraising processes.

The Center campus was built in two stages and was entirely funded by private donations totaling $35 million.

The Arts and Education Wing was completed in 2005, and, in March of 2007, a newly acquired nine-foot Steinway grand piano was played for the first public performance in The Center Theatre to celebrate the completion of the Performing Arts Pavillion. (The pianist was Broadway star Franc D’Ambrosio.)

“From the very beginning, the core concept for building The Center was

DID YOU KNOW...

The design of the Performing Arts Pavilion was a collaboration between Jackson-based Carney Logan Burke Architects and Stephen Dynia Architects. GE Johnson Construction Company made the design a reality, even if the temperatures dipped down to 17 degrees during the last pour of concrete.

The Center Theatre hosts drama, dance, music, movie screenings, and educational events. The theatre is intimate yet spacious: 525 seats. Long-time board members Karen Stewart and Agnes Bourne say past favorite performances include John Prine, the Diavlo Dance Company, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Off Square Theatre’s Peter Pan, when local kids “flew” through the air.

The 100-seat Black Box Theatre is utilized for rehearsals, smaller productions like those by Riot Act, Inc., and Laff Staff comedy improv shows.

Encircled by a bridge above and massive picture windows, the breezy Lobby has a bar area and hosts receptions, art and trade shows, and social events.

The 1.2-acre Center Lawn is a community gathering space. When weather permits and/or Covid requires, the lawn hosts everything from Thin Air Shakespeare to the Grand Teton Music Festival, the People’s Market farmer’s market, Art Fairs, and Teton County Library Story Slams.

Ever-changing public art is installed in The Courtyard, an outdoor space in the middle of the campus.

LEFT: The Art Association of Jackson Hole's annual Whodunnit show and fundraiser is one of many events to take place in The Center's lobby.

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the pandemic, we were recipients " During of incredible generosity and astonishing support from our community.”

—MARTY CAMINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

the spirit of collaboration,” says long-time Center for the Arts board member Karen Stewart, who, in 1991, was the executive director of the Art Association. “It was a challenge for so many different boards to buy into the long-term vision,” she says. According to Stewart, early executive directors Candra Day followed by Mark Barry and board president Bill Schwartz all deserve credit for relaying the collective vision that inspired the unprecedented generosity of individual donors.

In the spring of 2020, events were canceled and activity across the campus screeched to a halt. But The Center quickly pivoted, invested in a robust streaming system, and developed the technological expertise to produce virtual events and an online platform for local artists to present their works. In 2020, it conducted 40 virtual events.

As the pandemic unfolded, The Center and all the organizations within it came together to secure rent relief through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Emergency Response Fund. Further rent relief came when, as a collective, the organizations worked together with a common goal that not one fail. “During the pandemic, we were recipients of incredible generosity and astonishing support from our community,” says Center for the Arts executive director Marty Camino. Today, each organization that calls The Center home is stronger than ever, allowing the Center for the Arts itself to realize its stated mission: “To connect our creative community by providing a dedicated campus, supporting excellent programing, and nurturing a collaborative spirit.” Here are a few of The Center’s residents.

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1. The youngest (founded in 2019) and

fastest-growing of all of The Center’s nonprofit programs is the Teton Music School. Here, in practice rooms, ensemble spaces, and a recording studio, you can learn the cello, drums, guitar, flute, piano, saxophone, ukulele, viola, bass, and violin from professional musicians. It also has a vocal coach and a rock band coach. tetonmusicschool.org

2. Off Square Theatre Company is The Center’s resident performing arts company and produces staged productions, including an annual youth musical, a reading series, Thin Air Shakespeare on the Center Lawn, holiday plays, and summer camps. Throughout the year, Off Square conducts virtual and in-person educational programs for all ages, such as 2nd Act, which engages seniors in live theater through a partnership with the Senior Center of Jackson Hole; Off Script, a book club for plays; Play Writing Camp for Teens; and Who Dunnit? A Mystery Theatre Camp for grades 4–7. offsquare.org 3. Broadcast from within The Center, Jackson Hole Community Radio KHOL (89.1) is a noncommercial radio station with over 25 programs per week locally produced by volunteers. The eclectic mix ranges from Opera for Everyone to neo-psychedelia jam rock during Tune On, Tune In, Drop Out to the hottest country music hits mixed with musings of a local single gal called Yellowstone Rose. Jackson Unpacked is KHOL’s podcast showcasing local news, music, and culture. KHOL plans to expand Spanish-language broadcasting and is working to acquire a Public Radio Broadcasting affiliation. 891khol.org

4. Central Wyoming College is a community college that offers certificate programs, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, community enrichment classes, professional development, and career-readiness training.

Nursing and administrative offices make up the bulk of its real estate, but the college is working toward a mobile kitchen on campus to support its popular Culinary Arts and Hospitality program, which boasts a 100 percent employment rate upon graduation.

The new Wind River Farm Incubator helps beginning farmers develop financially and environmentally sustainable businesses. cwd.edu/jackson 5. The mission of Jackson Hole Public Art is to “forge partnerships for the integration of art into the environment to inspire lasting cultural, educational, and economic benefits.” The nonprofit oversees more than 20 projects and events throughout the valley from its offices in The Center. jhpublicart.org 6. The Art Association of Jackson

Hole, a nonprofit formed over 50 years ago, occupies the most significant amount of real estate—over 10,000 square feet—in The Center. Top-notch studios packed with supplies and tools for teaching and public use include ceramics, photography, paint and printmaking, woodworking, jewelry, glass, a multipurpose studio, and a dedicated kids’ studio. The Art Association oversees art fairs, events, an art supply store, and a gallery. In 2020, despite the pandemic, the Art Association safely pulled off 41 youth classes, 26 summer camps, and 80 adult classes; four gallery exhibitions featured 150 regional artisans, and eight community events showcased 319 artists. artassociation.org

7. One of the oldest art nonprofit organizations in the valley, Dancers’ Workshop has offered creative movement and formal dance instruction ranging from ballet to Zumba since 1971. It has five dance studios where an average of 50 movement and wellness classes are held each week. The group also brings guest artists and groups like Tika Morgan and the New York City Ballet to do workshops and performances. Its most popular event is its annual winter production, which stars students 18 and younger and sells out the 525-seat Center Theatre for all three performances. dwjh.org JH

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CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE One interior designer created three very different interpretations of Jackson Hole for three different downtown lodging options.

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At Mountain Modern, you can literally back up your car to your room after a day of fly-fishing, climbing, skiing, rafting, hiking, biking—whatever activities brought you here—carry in all your gear to clean it and dry it out, and unpack the cooler. “We’ve created a place for everything,” Deetjan says. “There’s no leaving anything in a shared gear room when you stay here.”

// BY DINA MISHEV

he interior design we do, and wherever we do it, we make it of the place,” says Kim Deetjan, a principal at TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design and the principal designer for two hotels and one motel (The Cloudveil, Hotel Jackson, and Mountain Modern Motel) within walking distance of Jackson’s Town Square. “To me, this is the essence of great design—people associate what they experience in a built environment with the place. And there are so many different ways you can do this, especially in a place like Jackson Hole, which has a compelling human history and landscape and is full of contrasts.”

Hotel Jackson, a boutique hotel with 55 rooms, “celebrates the human history of Jackson Hole in a way that is respectful and forward-thinking. It is a new interpretation of what it means to be in and of Jackson Hole,” Deetjan says.

About The Cloudveil, a 100-room hotel that opened last spring on the northeast corner of the Town Square, the designer says, “a goal of the design concept was to create a close connection to nature, and we used as many materials in their raw form as possible to do this.” Finally, the interior design at the 135-room Mountain Modern Motel “celebrates all the ways you can be outside in Jackson Hole and provides what gear-centric athletes and families need,” Deetjan says.

“One could argue that these properties couldn’t look more different, but they are all authentically Jackson Hole.”

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MOUNTAIN MODERN MOUNTAIN MODERN PHOTOS: GARRET T BYRUM

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Imagining guests’ gear, Deetjan made sure all of the materials and surfaces in Mountain Modern rooms are “indestructible.” The carpet is connected tiles, which allow for easily replacing worn areas. “When you walk in, you’re hit with color and patterns but don’t need to worry about coming in right from the elements, whatever the weather or season,” Deetjan says. (For comfort, the carpet next to the beds is more plush than that of the entry and gear area.) Photographs by Ryan Sheets of iconic Jackson Hole scenes like fly-fishing on Flat Creek, bison grazing on Antelope Flats, or the East Face of the Grand Teton cover entire walls and “celebrate all there is to do in Jackson Hole,” Deetjan says.

“Our spin on the bathroom vanity was to create a place where you can brush your teeth and shave, but we also made it so that you can wash dishes and gear and clean out the cooler here,” Deetjan says.

“We did a utility sink and big camp faucet with stainless steel countertops.” Walls here are covered in large topographical maps of the region. “These are a way for you to maybe check in and see all of the places you visited—the river you fished on, the trail you hiked, where you skied,” Deetjan says.

THE CLOUDVEIL CLOUDVEIL PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE CLOUDVEIL, AN AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION HOTEL

A three-story, 32-foot wall of granite rises next to the staircase between The Cloudveil’s ground level and second floor. “It is the biggest move we could make to bring the outside in,” Deetjan says. Because local building codes don’t allow using a single piece of rock, Deetjan says the design and installation of the stone required “herculean efforts” to make it look like a solid wall.

“We never wanted it to feel like it was laid-up pieces of stone like you see on so many building exteriors,” she says. “We wanted it to feel like you were ascending the side of a mountain and maybe get a sense of what a climber in the Tetons would experience.” The lighting in the lobby is also designed to make you feel like you’re outside. Fixtures mounted on columns project patterns onto the floor and walls. “They’re projecting an abstracted pattern of sunlight coming through the leaves of aspen trees,” Deetjan says.

The tree bark in the panels at the entrance to each guest room is from poplar trees, which are in the same family as aspens, a species that is abundant in the valley. The custom carpets throughout the hotel create a sense of place more subtly. “We’d never do something as literal as have animal tracks on a carpet, so we abstracted that,” Deetjan says. “The carpet is inspired by aerial views of the migration movements of animals in the area and uses a color palette inspired by the landscape.”

The oversize flat screen at the end of the hallway— there are many of these screens throughout the property—features videos shot over two years by Jackson-based photographer Ryan Sheets (who also did the large photos in Mountain Modern rooms). Each video is a one-point perspective of a single animal. “In nature, we should never be close to any of these animals, so these videos enable you to get right up to the animals and experience a little of what it might be like to stand right in front of a grizzly or bison.” Because nature is constantly changing, so too are these videos. “They are different depending on the time of day and season,” Deetjan says.

The aspen trees used in a couple of areas in The Cloudveil’s lobby were harvested, dried over almost a year, and then fire treated before being installed. Placed on and between the trees are lights that emulate what sunlight shining through the forest canopy would look like.

“At The Cloudveil, we created a sense of place by literally bringing the outside in. We didn’t think this was something any property had yet done,” Deetjan says. “But our goal was much bigger than just using materials found in this environment. We used them in their raw state.” The front desk is a 3,000-pound piece of granite. “We really tried to celebrate the ruggedness and the massive scale of Jackson Hole,” Deetjan says.

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ENJOY DESIGN

HOTEL JACKSON HOTEL JACKSON PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TRUEXCULLINS

The chandeliers in the lobby of Hotel Jackson are an interpretation of aspen leaves and branches flickering in the sunlight. “They soften a hard-edge space and provide a treelike canopy above this two-story lobby space,” Deetjan says. The fireplace stone is the same cut stone as on the exterior of the hotel and is from this region. “The firewood artistically stacked adjacent to the fireplace is always a great reference to campfires and the natural environment,” Deetjan says.

“Full-height windows connect you to Snow King and the surrounding environment,” Deetjan says of the guest rooms at Hotel Jackson. A coffee table with a petrified-wood top highlights a natural material found in the region. “But here we go beyond bringing the outside in,” Deetjan says. “Hotel Jackson pays homage to Jackson Hole’s rich human history.” Details and patterns in soft goods are inspired by the art and weavings of Native Americans, particularly the Shoshone tribe, which hunted in the valley.

The drum tables are a version of a Shoshone drum made with buffalo hide.

In the bar at Hotel Jackson’s restaurant, Figs, abstracted shapes of aspen leaves float from the ceiling and form an organic canopy over the dining area. A mirror installed across the top of the south exterior wall gives the illusion that this canopy of leaves continues quite far.

“The Library is my favorite space in the hotel,” Deetjan says. “As inspiring as a landscape is, it is also important to have spaces where one feels completely ‘sheltered’ from the outside elements. This space is about hunkering down and exudes complete relaxation and quiet contemplation.” Still, the space has a sense of place, with the patterns on the rugs and textiles inspired by Native American designs; a ceiling paneled in repurposed snow fencing, which is ubiquitous in Wyoming; and Native American art and artifacts. JH

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Distinctive Designs Inspired By Your Lifestyle Kate Binger | 307-733-8582 | DwellingJH.com | Office and showroom at Osprey Landing

ENJOY HEALTH

The Joy of Learning Learning something new as an adult is good for your brain, and, if you approach it correctly, can even be done joyfully.

MEG POTTER

// BY JULIE FUSTANIO

The Art Association of Jackson Hole offers a range of art classes and studio time for learners of all ages.

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I

n 2014, just after the hype of the ice bucket challenge, I decided to do a 365day handstand challenge. I was inspired by my yoga teacher who posted pictures of herself upside down all over the world, spreading joy and strengthening her core. Previously, I had not been a handstander; at first, I could only kick up against a wall. By the end, I had gotten so good at handstands that I didn’t think twice about doing one on an airplane (in the aisle) or on a mattress (the squishiness adding to the difficulty). I was able to kick up from al-

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30 years experience helping buyers find clarity in the complex Jackson Hole market.

Vanderbilt and the research he cites make the case that our brains can be trained to learn new things joyfully.

most any surface. A friend told me that I never seemed lighter and more content than I did after that year. I wasn’t totally surprised: learning how to do a handstand at 43 years wasn’t pretty at first, but by the end, I had a new confidence.

I didn’t stop learning new skills with handstands. Over the past year, I learned to play the harmonium, a stationary accordion often used in kirtan, an ancient Indian call-and-response form of chanting. Truthfully, I sucked at it—and am still far from great—but I love the practice and the vulnerability I experience when I share it with others.

It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. Tom Vanderbilt, a journalist and the author of the 2021 book Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning, goes even further, writing that not only can you teach an old dog new tricks, but that you should. Harvard Medical School studies reveal that the aging brain is better than younger brains at detecting relationships between diverse sources of

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The author handstanding at the Taj Mahal.

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ENJOY

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

HEALTH

Grand Targhee (shown above), Snow King, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort offer ski and snowboard lessons for adults.

information, capturing the big picture, and understanding the global implications of specific issues. But the aging brain also experiences brain fog, and the National Institute on Aging reports that the hippocampus, the area of our brain responsible for learning and memory, shrinks as we get into our forties and fifties. Learning something new as you get older can combat brain fog and exercise your hippocampus, though.

But this is easier said than done, of course. As anyone who went to school knows, learning—especially something new—can cause a slew of negative emotions, from feelings of failure to disappointment and unworthiness, among others. But Vanderbilt and the research he cites make the case that our brains can be trained to learn new things joyfully. For me, going upside down every day not only improved my core strength, but it also uplifted my mood and made the people on the sidelines smile too. Handstands were fun, but it took work to get to that point.

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“W

Adults learn to cross-country ski during a lesson at Teton Pines.

3

hen we get older, especially if we get rigid, our desire to try something new atrophies, and our world gets narrow and not nearly as fun,” says Sandy Schultz Hessler, an avid midlife learner and the founder the StartUp Institute, a boot camp for entrepreneurs who want to start a new business—perhaps the ultimate learning-something-new-challenge. At 57, Hessler went back to school to complete a PhD in psychology she had had to abandon in 1994. She is presently in her second year of coursework and will then devote herself to her dissertation, which looks at integrity in leadership. About her coursework, Hessler says, “I don’t think my mind remembers as much as easily as it did in my twenties and thirties, but I have wisdom from 30 more years of life.”

An example from Hessler’s PhD coursework that highlights the pros and cons of being an older student is a neurobiology class that she enrolled in last year. “It wasn’t a requirement, but I wanted to learn the physiology as well as the psychology,” she says. “I don’t know if it was a class I could have succeeded at back when I was in college, but last

EASY WAYS TO GET INTO A LEARNING MINDSET

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Brush your teeth with your nondominant hand.

Using your opposite hand strengthens neural connections in your brain, and even grows new ones.

WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

Roll around on the ground with your pet, or your grandchild. Play helps the plasticity of the brain and limits toxic stress.

Practice “don’t-know mind,” a Korean Zen theory that our childlike mind is enlightened, and it is our experiences as we age and formulate ideas, opinions, and concepts that create suffering.

By imagining you don’t know, you are open to learning and new possibilities. (See the sidebar on page 88 for how to practice this.)

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ENJOY HEALTH

HOW TO FORGET WHAT YOU KNOW In his book The Wise Heart, author and Buddhist practitioner Jack Kornfield recommends sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or body.

He then writes: When you feel settled, bring to mind a time 10 years ahead. Recognize that you don’t know what will happen then. Feel the not knowing and relax with it. Think of the earth spinning through space with hundreds of thousands of people being born and dying every day.

Where does each life come from?

How did it start? There are so many things we don’t know. Feel the truth of a don’t-know mind, relax, and become comfortable with it.

Now, bring to mind a conflict, inner or outer. Be aware of all the thoughts and opinions you have about how it should be, about how they should be. Now recognize that you don’t really know. Maybe the wrong thing will lead to something better. You don’t know.

Consider how would it be to approach yourself, the situation, the other people with don’t-know mind.

Feel it. Don’t know. Not sure. No fixed opinion. Allow yourself to want to understand anew. Approach it with don’t-know mind.

With openness. How does don’tknow mind affect the situation?

Does it improve it, make it wiser, easier? More relaxed?

Practice don’t-know mind until you are comfortable resting in uncertainty, until you can do your best and laugh and say, “Don’t know.”

—excerpted from The Wise Heart

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year, it was brain overload with the three other classes I was taking. I decided to drop it and just do it on its own—take it next summer when I’m not doing something else. Dropping the class was frustrating, but also showed the wisdom you can gain with life experience. An interesting thing about being older is that you can look at things and realize you’re doing them for yourself and you can do them your own way. Thirty years ago, I don’t know that I would have had the clarity to follow my own unique path without being intimidated.”

Going for her PhD in psychology wasn’t the first new thing Hessler learned in middle age. In her forties, she learned how to snowboard. “When he was eightyears-old, my older son asked Santa to bring him and his little brother snowboards.

I decided that mom and dad would get snowboards too,” says Hessler, who was an intermediate skier at the time. The family learned how to snowboard together. “I broke my wrist in two places and killed my knee when I was first learning, but I

don’t think my mind remembers as " Imuch as easily as it did in my twenties and thirties, but I have wisdom from 30 more years of life."

—SANDY SCHULTZ HESSLER

wasn’t going to stop,” Hessler says. It was actually the moment she broke her wrist that Hessler realized she was a snowboarder. “It was the last day of the season, and I was just so excited to be alive. The morning sun was rising over the mountains, and I was out with my family and I put my hand down and broke my wrist,” she says. “My mindset wasn’t, ‘I’m a bad snowboarder,’ but, ‘at least this happened on the last day of the season; by the start of next season, I’ll be healed.’”

Hessler continues to snowboard to this day. She has been a mountain host at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for four of the last five years. “Learning to snowboard taught me about so much more than snowboarding. It opened my world to vulnerability and humility and to the fun of being able to make mistakes,” she says. “Our culture is so often accomplishment- or goal line-based, and our egos get wrapped up in that. Failure is a blow to one’s ego, so we become constricted and fearful of putting ourselves in situations in which we might fail. Learning something new, you will fail, and that is actually good.” One of Hessler’s mantras is a quote from Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Hessler says, “Sometimes being daring is scary, but you can push past that fear.”

S

till not sold on putting yourself out there to try and learn something new? Maybe nature, which surrounds us in Jackson Hole, can help. Sarah Kline, a mental health therapist and yoga teacher, says there’s an effortless joy of being in the moment that comes when you notice something in nature. This—whether a breeze in the trees or the blanket that the snow creates on the ground—inspires us to relax and

be curious and, particularly relevant for getting into a mindset to try something new, also encourages mindful meditation. Kline cites research that shows that even short-term meditation increases blood flow in the anterior cingulate cortex, the region of the brain associated with self-regulation, attention span, and cognitive flexibility—all things that are important when learning. Meditation can also help regulate negative thoughts and decrease emotional reactivity, more pluses when you’re trying to learn something new.

Put these benefits of mindful meditation together and you can access the Zen Buddhism concept of shoshin, Japanese for “beginner’s mind.” Kline describes this as “having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject. But, Kline says, “Sometimes our subconscious mind hijacks us and prevents us from getting to a beginner’s mindset. The ego puts up a battle because people get attached to winning.”

Our egos can make us fearful. If this sounds like you, Kline suggests trying to relearn a skill you enjoyed when you were younger. This could be anything from ballet to playing an instrument or drawing. The goal is to create a sense of play, stimulate your creativity, and build your confidence. “There is something about going back to a creative outlet you found as a child and were good at that strengthens your ability to learn new things,” Kline says.

Seeing others learn new things can also inspire you. On Diwali, a major Indian festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, I made a video of my beginner-self playing the harmonium and chanting “lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu” (we shine like diamonds in the sun). Initially I shared it only with friends. In the spirit of this article, I’ve posted it on my Instagram account (@juliekling). My hope is that it might inspire you to try something new. JH

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JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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ENJOY

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

HELP!

// BY WHITNEY ROYSTER

I am bleeding money in this town.

HAVE YOU BEEN SKIING? YES

NO

That explains a lot.

Lucky!

Try skiing Snow King at night. 4-6:30pm, $30 adults & $25 kids and seniors.

(402 E. Snow King Ave.)

BUT, I’M HUNGRY.

Check out Liberty Burger (160 N. Cache St.), or Pica’s (1160 Alpine Ln.). Some locals’ choices.

NOW I’M TIRED.

Hit Whole Foods.

Everyone can get what they want and eat by a fireplace. (1155 US-89)

Teton County Library (125 Viginian Ln.)

Yoga class! Teton Yoga Shala (3510 N. Lake Creek Dr.) Inversion Yoga (260 W. Pearl Ave.) Akasha Yoga (150 E. Hansen Ave.) Zoom! JH 90

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GALLERIES Whether you’re passionate

about plein air, a serious collector of Western paintings by contemporary or deceased masters, or a casual art fan searching for a keepsake to remind you of your time spent here, in Jackson Hole you have the opportunity to enjoy art in its multitude of forms.

Over the past two decades, Jackson Hole has grown to become one of the most heralded art centers of the West, popping off the tongues of aficionados alongside the likes of Santa Fe, Palo Alto, and Scottsdale. Visit some of the galleries highlighted here which show the diversity of art available in the valley, from traditional wildlife and Western art to contemporary paintings, sculptures, and fine jewelry.

BELLA FINE GOODS

Taking a nod from the exquisite environment that surrounds us, our goal at Bella Fine Goods is to inspire and delight you with beauty! Enjoy our upscale collection of fine jewelry, unique home furnishings, fine art, and special gifts. Stop by, or give us a call, and we’ll take care of you with an unforgettable experience!

30 CENTER STREET (307) 201-1848 BELLAFINEGOODS.COM

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ALTAMIRA FINE ART

Specializing in the exhibition and sale of Western Contemporary artwork. We offer an active exhibition schedule year-round between our two gallery locations in Jackson, Wyoming, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Altamira offers fine art in a range of media from oil painting, acrylic, contemporary glass and bronze, to mixed media.

Altamira is a great resource for design firms and corporate collections. We also buy and consign quality artwork. Contact us for more information.

172 CENTER STREET (307) 739-4700 ALTAMIRAART.COM

COEUR D’ALENE ART AUCTION

Specializing in the finest classical Western and American Art, the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction realized a total of over $17.6 million in sales at our 2021 Auction with over 95% of all lots selling. Recognized by the Wall Street Journal as “the nation’s biggest and most successful auction of Western Art,” we are now accepting quality consignments for our July 2022 Auction to be held in Reno, Nevada.

(208) 772-9009 CDAARTAUCTION.COM

AZADI FINE RUGS

Established in 1790, AZADI Fine Rugs is owned by one of the oldest rug weaving families in the world. For over two centuries, AZADI Fine Rugs has been honored to share history, art, and culture through the magic of handwoven rugs. With an inventory of over 40,000 in-stock fine rugs, AZADI has given the most refined clients and Interior Designers in the world an unforgettable experience by providing an unparalleled selection of fine quality rugs.

55 NORTH GLENWOOD (307) 734-0169 AZADIFINERUGS.COM

GALLERY WILD

Gallery Wild is artist owned and operated, showcasing contemporary fine art inspired by wildlife and wild places from both established and emerging artists.

Our curated collection of photography, paintings and sculpture is directly influenced by thousands of hours in the field observing, studying and falling in love with all things wild. You are also welcome to explore the artist studio where Carrie Wild and visiting gallery artists share their techniques and artistic process as they create new work.

80 WEST BROADWAY (307) 203-2322 GALLERYWILD.COM

HINES GOLDSMITHS

Celebrating 52 Years Hines Goldsmiths is Jackson’s Fine Jewelry, hand etched Crystal and Glass Gallery. Our famous Teton Collection is available in Karat Golds or Sterling Silver in a range of sizes and prices with our Diamond pave and inlays of Opal or Turquoise highlighting our superb craftsmanship. In our Jackson studio we also create the Wyoming Bucking Bronco and custom Elk Ivory jewelry as well as Wyoming’s largest collection of unique gold and silver charms. Our dazzling collection of crystal and glass bar and giftware is hand etched with local wildlife. Custom pieces can also be created for weddings, anniversaries or business promotions.

80 CENTER STREET (307) 733-5599 HINES-GOLD.COM

PEARLS BY SHARI

Specializing in Golden South Sea pearls and heirloom strands, Pearls by Shari brings the elegance of pearls to the heart of the Tetons. Founder Shari Turpin brings immense passion and over 20 years of professional pearl buying experience to each piece that is designed on 90 E. Broadway.

Whether you are memorializing your trip to Jackson or want to add a one-of-a-kind pearl design to your jewelry collection, Pearls by Shari features the widest selection of high quality pearls in the United States. Make an appointment, or stop by our showroom located on the Square.

90 E. BROADWAY (307) 734-0553 PEARLSBYSHARI.COM

JACKSON HOLE JEWELRY CO.

Crafters and curators of fine jewelry.

Representing top Italian jewelry houses including Picchiotti and Fope. Service and quality above all else. Home of the iconic Teton Stacking Rings.™ In love with jewels, inspired to give back. Presenting sponsor of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Moonlight on the Mountains Event. Voted best jewelry store in Jackson Hole 2021.

60 EAST BROADWAY, (307) 201-1722 JACKSONHOLEJEWELRY.COM

QUENT CORDAIR FINE ART

Jackson’s newest art gallery! Founded in 1996, Quent Cordair Fine Art celebrates Romantic Realism in paintings and sculptures. Visit the celebrated collection steps off town square. Open regular hours & by private appointment. Locations in Jackson, WY and Napa, CA.

164 EAST DELONEY (307) 264-1964 CORDAIR.COM

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART

Founded in 1987, The National Museum of Wildlife Art is a world-class museum and nonprofit located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Museum’s collection boasts more than 5,000 artworks representing wild animals from around the world. Featuring work by prominent artists such as N.C. Wyeth, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Bob Kuhn, Albert Bierstadt, and Carl Rungius—the Museum’s unsurpassed permanent collection chronicles much of the history of wildlife in art, from 2500 B.C.E. to the present.

2820 RUNGIUS ROAD (307) 733-5771 WILDLIFEART.ORG

WEST LIVES ON GALLERY

The West Lives On Gallery features fine art reflecting the rich heritage of the American West. Featuring Western, wildlife and landscape art in our traditional and contemporary galleries. The West Lives On Gallery has been representing over 100 national and regional artists since 1998.

55 & 75 NORTH GLENWOOD (307) 734-2888 WESTLIVESON.COM

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TAKE $5 OFF YOUR NEXT ORDER OF $25 OR MORE FOR DINE-IN OR TAKE OUT ONLY, NOT VALID ON DELIVERY ORDERS • MUST PRESENT COUPON TO REDEEM

WWW.TETONTHAIVILLAGE.COM

307 733 0022

ONLINE ORDERING AND DELIVERY

307.734.PINK (7465) www.pinkygs.com 307.734.7465

Voted Jackson Hole’s Best Pizza every year since opening in 2011 W. Deloney Ave

www.pinkygs.com THE WORT HOTEL

TOWN SQUARE

Center St

S. Cache St

S. Glenwood St

Voted Jackson Hole’s Best Pizza every year since opening in 2011 by JH Weekly

W. Broadway

WINNER

BEST THAI RESTAURANT

VOTED

BEST TAKE OUT FOOD IN JACKSON

PINK GARTER THEATRE

- JH Weekly - JH Weekly Pearl Ave

50 W. BROADWAY • 1 BLOCK FROM THE TOWN SQ BENEATH THE PINK GARTER THEATRE open 11am—2am nightly • in-town delivery 5pm—10pm

SALADS, APPETIZERS, SPECIALTY PIZZA’S & FULL BAR $7 Lunch Special any slice, salad & soda

Powder Hound

buffalo mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, fresh basil on a garlic infused olive oil base

Greek Spinach Salad

baby spinach, black olives, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, feta & house-made red wine vinaigrette

Margherita

fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh basil & buffalo mozzarella

crisp romaine, parmesan cheese, herb crushed croutons & creamy caesar

Classic Caesar Salad

pineapple, Canadian bacon & fresh sliced jalapeños

Chicken Wings

oven roasted chicken, artichoke hearts, red onions, ricotta cheese on house-made fresh basil pesto

mild, hot, teriyaki, bbq, honey mustard, or hot honey

Flyin Hawaiian

Funky Chicken

French Fries

cheese, truffle oil, parmesan

Mozzarella Sticks

The Abe Froman

spicy sausage, buffalo mozzarella & fresh chopped basil

served with Pinky G’s marinara sauce

BBQ Porky G’Za

Calzones & Strombolis

served with Pinky G’s marinara sauce

kurobuta pulled pork, red & green peppers on a tangy BBQ sauce base

FOR A FULL MENU, VISIT PINKYGS.COM

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S S

I W

S

Traditional Alpine Accommodation

Pool, Hot tub, Sauna Complimentary Euro Breakfast Direct Mountain Access

Alpine Cuisine

Schnitzel & Strudel • Cheese & Chocolate • Fondue & Raclette Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner by Reservation

A Swiss Hotel & Restaurant In the Tetons 307.733.3242 • alpenhoflodge.com • 3255 Village Dr, Teton Village

ENJOY

DINING GUIDE

Bunnery Bakery & Restuarant |

307-733-5474 Breakfast, lunch, bakery & famous O.S.M. products

Pinky G’s Pizzeria |

|

307-734-PINK(7465) Voted Best Pizza in Jackson since opening in 2011

|

JACKSON

JACKSON

Teton Thai |

307-733-0022 | TETON VILLAGE Best of JH: Best Overall Asian Restaurant

GRAND TARGHEE

Branding Iron |

307-353-2300 | GRAND TARGHEE RESORT Rocky Mountain fare with fresh, local ingredients

Trap Bar & Grill |

307-353-2300 | GRAND TARGHEE RESORT Famous Wydaho Nachos, great food, and delicious drinks

Snorkels Café |

307-353-2300 | GRAND TARGHEE RESORT Homemade breakfast, lunch, pastries, & espresso bar

JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT Piste Mountain Bistro |

307-732-3177 Enjoy Rocky Mountain cuisine at 9,095

|

TOP OF BRIDGER GONDOLA

RPK3 |

307-739-2738 | TETON VILLAGE Dine under the Jackson Hole Tram

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART Palate |

307-201-5208 | NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART An Artful Lunch with a View in Jackson Hole

SNOW KING MOUNTAIN

Kings Grill |

307-734-3351 | JACKSON Classic American menu. Happy hour. Families welcome!

Snow King Cafe |

307-201-5464 | JACKSON Sandwiches, burgers, beers and kids meals

THE ALPENHOF

Alpenhof Dining |

307-733-3242 Swiss cuisine/European wine & beer

THE WORT HOTEL

Silver Dollar Bar & Grill |

|

TETON VILLAGE

307-732-3939 | JACKSON Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Happy hour & live music.

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W h at ’ s t h e f o r e c as t ?

Climate change won’t do away with skiing in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem anytime soon, but it’s assured to transform our winters—and change how and where we recreate. // BY MIKE KOSHMRL

icture yourself as a tourist heading to Jackson Hole for a weeklong ski getaway in the heart of winter 2072.

Your electric airliner breezes quietly down over the flats of Grand Teton National Park. The snowcapped Teton Range towers over off to the west, brilliant as ever even though these iconic mountains look different in winter now than they did during the winters of your youth.

Across the Tetons’ lowest elevations, there’s a horizontal band of brown, exposed vegetation interrupted only by some white ribbons left behind by snowmaking operations at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the deepest, snow-filled canyons. Adjacent to Jackson Hole Airport, waist-high sagebrush bushes are wholly exposed with only a skiff of snow that’s clung to the north side of each plant. As you deplane, the stoke of the trip is dampened, literally. It’s raining in February.

Again. You hear a baggage handler grumble that it’s been coming down for three days straight in the valley and leaving only heavy snow up on Teton Pass.

Headed down the highway toward Jackson, nostalgia racks your brain when you see the old ski runs cut into the face of Snow King Mountain. When you skidded by as a ski bum a half century ago, you skinned up those slopes every morning with your first dog. But the historic resort recently phased out its ski season, focusing instead on its more profitable summer ventures. Times have sure changed, though your love of skiing, even into your seventies, persists. And judging by Jackson’s crazy-crowded Town Square, it’s a passion still shared by many.

Now transition out of crystal ball mode.

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A two-by-four stake, painted white and jammed into the ground, has been the tool for measuring snow depth since 1965 at the Rendezvous Plot at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. While forecasters believe that upper elevations of the Tetons may not see a significant decrease in snow accumulations in the coming decades, the snow will be denser and wetter than the light, dry snow the range has been famous for.

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Sure, that whole hypothetical yarn might come off as a skier’s dystopian nightmare. And yes, there’s plenty of imprecision and supposition involved in predicting anything 50 years out. But review the scientific literature modeling what climate change is likely to do to Jackson Hole’s winters by late in the 21st century, and, unfortunately, it’s not that farfetched of a scenario.

University of Wyoming geophysics professor Bryan Shuman has completed that exercise with vigor while assisting in authoring the 260-page Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment. That 2021 study amassed past climate projects analyzing the 22-million-acre tristate (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) ecosystem and averaged the results to come up with past and projected changes to temperature, rain and snowfall, and water.

And for Shuman, who’s a skier, it was “scary” to see some of the statistics portending the future. Total annual precipitation actually figures to increase the remainder of this century in Jackson Hole and the broader Snake River watershed, but there’s a very notable caveat: warmer

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temperatures. “And that is, you lose the snow,” Shuman says. “You get more precipitation, but it comes down as rain.”

That’s especially going to be true in the fall and spring. And, come winters, in the valleys, it means a strong likelihood of rain in places where today virtually all precipitation is frozen. “The projection is that, even by 2050, you move the snow line up to 8,000 feet,” Shuman says. “You move that snow line even up over the top of Snow King on a regular basis. Those changes over the next couple decades are ones that we probably can’t really turn around at this point, so we’ve got to prepare to adapt to those.”

Representatives for Teton County’s ski areas say they’re doing just that.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort communications director Eric Seymour says his business is taking a three-pronged approach to preparing for climate change.

The resort has invested big time in snowmaking, doubling its capacity, and has also diversified its operations by building out summer attractions, from via ferrata to hiking and downhill mountain biking trails. The third part of that strategy is doing its part to offset

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Snow guns on Apres Vous Mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

Preparing for climate change, the resort has doubled its snowmaking capacity.

the resort’s carbon footprint. “Effective September of 2019, the resort shifted to 100 percent wind power,” Seymour says. “And that transition to all wind has produced a 67 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per year.”

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rom a business perspective in the nearer term, humankind’s influence on the climate could actually be a boon to local ski commerce. Scratching your head? It’s all about geography.

Jackson Hole is high, ranging between 6,300 and 13,775 feet in elevation, and it is relatively far north, halfway between the 43rd and 44th parallels. It’s also historically been super snowy; the Snake headwaters are the wettest watershed in the Greater Yellowstone region. The two Teton Range ski areas—Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole—average upward of 450 inches of snow a year.

Simply put, many ski areas that have sparser or heavier snow where the

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climate is closer to the melting point figure to fare far worse. McKenzie Skiles is a snow hydrology professor at the University of Utah who specializes in near-term winter projections across the Rocky Mountains. “If you’re at high elevations, you’re not going to lose snow anytime soon,” she says. “If someone is concerned about whether there’s going to be skiing at Alta in 50 years, that’s not really a concern. But we might not get quite as much, and we’ll get more frequent rain-on-snow events, because that snow line is just going to keep rising in elevation.”

More dramatic signals of warming and snow loss are in store for ski areas where the snow line can’t climb uphill, because they’re too low to begin with. Think East Coast resorts, Skiles says. The southern Rockies (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico mountains) are also likely to be more affected sooner than northern Rocky Mountain states like Wyoming, Montana, and Ida-

ho. Degrees north in latitude, like elevation, buy time. “But we do see declines in snow-covered areas broadly across the whole Rockies,” she says.

The blow that the future is poised to deliver to Jackson Hole’s winters can be hard to fathom. Historic snowfall and cold temperatures are still possible, and it’s winters like that of 2018–2019 that make longtime valley meteorologist Jim Woodmencey wonder if the worldchanging force of climate change is somehow sparing Jackson Hole. Spoiler: It’s not. But that February three years ago was epic and reminiscent of the old times, with massive avalanches all around the valley and an extraordinary record of 16 feet of snow that fell at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s 9,580-foot Rendezvous Bowl weather station. Snowfall at the Jackson Climate Station in town was likewise off the charts: 55 inches came down, burying the old monthly record of 33 inches. Temperatures were 4 degrees

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Angel Fire • Breckenridge • Crested Butte • Frisco • Jackson Hole • Santa Fe • Star Valley • Taos • Teton Valley • Vail • Winter Park

we are going to be one of the few places that have good skiing into the future, especially places like Togwotee Pass and Teton Pass. When I think about book sales, I’m encouraged.

But when I think about crowds and the degradation of the skiing, then I feel that it’s really a shame.”

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—TOM TURIANO Backcountry adventurer and ski-guide author

Backcountry skiers wait for a parking space in the lot at the summit of Teton Pass. Backcountry use has already seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, and popular destinations in the northern Rockies like Teton Pass stand to endure even more stress as areas like Colorado and Utah receive less snow.

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colder than average in February ’19 too, making for a memorable beginning to a calendar year that would go on to become the coldest ever recorded in the town of Jackson. “Weather fluctuates, climate fluctuates,” Woodmencey says. “That’s been my observation in the 40-plus years that I’ve been looking at the weather. It goes up and down, and it always will, instead of going in one direction and keeping in that direction.” He cites some of the long-term data that’s amassed at the National Weather Service’s monitoring station on North Cache Street. Eight of the 10 snowiest winters at the Rendezvous plot in the southern Tetons have occurred in the last 15 years. And data from that Jackson Climate Station shows that temperatures in town have actually been on a cooling trajectory since the turn of the century, which was the warmest period on record.

There are geographic niches on the landscape where the climate has belied regional and global trends. There are one or two climate stations in the high-elevation parts of the Snake watershed where there’s almost been a doubling in terms of total amount of snow since 1950, University of Wyoming’s Shuman says. Yet the overall trend during

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the same period averaged across the basin’s monitoring stations in Wyoming has been 1.1 degrees of warming, an 11 percent loss of snowfall, and peak runoff that comes 15 days earlier. “That really gets at the fact that the patterns here can be kind of interesting and complex,” Shuman says. “But the projections overall are that, even if that’s true in the short-term, long-term the warming catches up with that. Almost all the precipitation in the wintertime above 6,000 feet falls as snow. But by the end of the century, even in situations where we’ve aggressively managed carbon emissions, that snow line moves up to about 10,000 feet.”

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hen backcountry adventurer and ski-guide author Tom Turiano hears dire projections that get tossed around for the future of skiing elsewhere in the West, his mind goes to the crowds. It’s no secret that a highway here crosses over the Tetons at 8,432 feet, that Togwotee Pass breaches the Continental Divide at 9,659 feet, and that the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram spews out skiers a hundred at a time 10,450 feet above sea level.

“I think we are going to be one of the few places

Other popular lines fall into the same boat, where the skin tracks start down low: 25 Short and Maverick in Grand Teton National Park and Mosquito Creek in Wilson. “That kind of stuff is going to suffer,” Turiano says.

While these are backcountry skiing destinations, other around-town outdoor destinations popular for other forms of winter recreation figure to be equally impacted, if not more. Think fat biking and cross-country skiing—pursuits that often take place along or near the valley’s floor.

A 2016 peer-reviewed study headed by Gardiner, Montana, ecologist Mike Tercek predicted that drastic changes are in store for winter access into Yellowstone National Park, when the interior roads are converted into oversnow routes used by snowmobiles and snowcoaches. Assuming the most drastic emissions and warming scenario, the entrance road paralleling the Madison River past West Yellowstone, Montana, is forecasted to hold enough snow for winter vehicles only 55 percent of days between December and March by midcentury, and as few

Assuming the most drastic emissions and warming scenario, a 2016 study projected that by mid-century the road along the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park would hold enough snow for winter travel for an average of only 55 percent of the days the park was open for winter use.

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that have good skiing into the future, especially places like Togwotee Pass and Teton Pass,” Turiano says. “When I think about book sales, I’m encouraged. But when I think about crowds and the degradation of the skiing, then I feel that it’s really a shame. We already have this dramatic increase in ski use, but it’s going to become even worse when the other ski areas decline dramatically because of climate change.” Careful planning, he says, is needed, and the infrastructure will need to match the coming onslaught of skiers. That doesn’t necessarily mean building our way out of the bind. “I remember when the park redesigned Jenny Lake in the mid-1990s,” Turiano says. “They completely missed the projections for increased use. Cars now park on the highway for a long way on both sides.

The lesson is, no matter how big we build the lots, they will always be overwhelmed. We are going to need new, creative, nontraditional leadership to deal with what’s coming.”

It’s not like Snow King is the only swath of Jackson Hole where the skiing stands to be affected significantly by mid- to late century. Lowelevation approaches to popular backcountry ski terrain, like the Snake River Range via the Snake River Canyon, is a place for which Turiano worries.

“That’s one of the areas that could really not be accessible anymore without some hiking,” he says.

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“The projection is that, even by 2050, you move the snow line up to 8,000 feet. You move that snow line even up over the top of Snow King on a regular basis. Those changes over the next couple decades are ones that we probably can’t really turn around at this point, so we’ve got to prepare to adapt to those.”

— BRYAN SHUMAN,

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niversity of Wyoming geophysics professor and co-author of the U Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment

Snow King Mountain has invested heavily in snowmaking infrastructure to ensure the lower and mid-mountain have a good base to carry through winter seasons for years to come.

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as 29 percent of days by late century.

But the southern entrance road into Yellowstone—accessed via Jackson Hole—held up much better in the study: driveable oversnow days covered 95 percent of winter by midcentury and 91 percent by late century.

Another implication of rising temperatures is the changes it will bring to the snow that does fall. Warmer air can carry more moisture. The closer it gets to the melting point, the less likely snow falls as the powder the Tetons are known for. “The skiing wouldn’t be as good,” Woodmencey says. “It would be higher-density snow. You might as well live in the Cascades.” Skiles, the University of Utah professor whose home ski turf is the Wasatch Range, says she’s anticipating a general decline in the quality of skiing, even up in the high peaks.

“It is going to be impacted by earlier melts, by more frequent rain-on-snow events,” she says. “So there might not be an entire epic season, like I’ve had many of over my lifetime. The number of great days on the mountain might get fewer and fewer.”

At least inbounds on managed terrain, resorts like Jackson Hole and Snow King will have the option of fall-

ing back on snowmaking to ensure skiing remains. It’s a viable approach to counteract climactic changes as long as the air temps dip below freezing. “Nighttime temperatures are still likely to be pretty cold,” Shuman says. “The other thing that might help here in Jackson Hole is we could get temperature inversions in the valley. That could help.” Snow King general manager Ryan Stanley says he’s seen firsthand that snowmaking can help. The climate models and desire to ensure the town’s resident ski area (and

period, from 1986 to 2005, at which researchers looked. With intermediate warming, that zone shrinks to 27 percent by midcentury (2041–2060) and 11 percent by the end of century (2081–2099). But a worst-case scenario that assumes greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb unabated paints a much grimmer picture.

The extent of the landscape that’s snow dominated shrinks to 17 percent and 1 percent by mid- to late century, respectively. “Depending on what kind of scenario we’re

Currently in Jackson Hole there are about 250 days where air temperatures dip below freezing each year. That’s projected to decline to about 225 days—so losing a few weeks—by midcentury. By the later part of this century, this number could be as low as 150 days. the first ski area in Wyoming when it opened in 1939) maintains consistent winter seasons are part of the reason why the resort is in the process of adding a larger pumphouse and approximately doubling the acreage of terrain where it blows snow. “Snowmaking is critical,” Stanley says. “We’ve had plenty of rain events at Snow King, and what generally happens is, if we have a good snowmaking base, it really doesn’t impact us that much.” But slopes that don’t have an artificial base get much more affected, he added.

Stanley, like Turiano, is anticipating that the wave of interest in skiing Jackson Hole keeps growing. “I think, frankly,” he says, “Snow King is going to benefit in the next 20 years from some of the impacts of climate change in other parts of the country.” But what might happen late this century, when temperature regimes are so dramatically changed in the Yellowstone region that large swaths of the landscape that hold snow today in the winter no longer do? According to the Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment, “intermediate” warming likely to occur if humanity eases its climactic impact will shrink the heft of the snowpack 24 to 31 percent by midcentury and by 38 to 44 percent come century’s end. Even though there’s projected to be more annual precipitation, there will simply be fewer days when that moisture could possibly freeze. Right now in Jackson Hole, there are about 250 days where air temperatures dip below freezing each year. That’s projected to decline to about 225 days—so losing a few weeks—by midcentury. “But then in the later part of the century, depending on our policy choices, we end up with about 200 days below freezing, or even down to about 150,” Shuman says.

One takeaway that Shuman offered from having studied climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is that there’s still time to stave off the worst outcomes. And actions that are or aren’t taken are likely to make or break winter’s future for our children’s children. Nearly 60 percent of the region studied in the Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment was dominated by snowfall in winter during the base time

dealing with and what kind of collective outcome we end up with, the later-century changes can be pretty starkly different from each other,” Shuman says. Regardless of climate policies, in the shorter term we’re “locked in” and all but guaranteed to experience shorter, less severe winters. Still, a less-wintry Jackson Hole winter can make for a skiers’ dream in the warmer world coming, so buckle up and get ready for the lift lines. JH

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ACTIVITIES

That Aren’t Skiing Yes, Jackson Hole has epic alpine skiing, but that’s not all there is to do in the winter. // BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

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ELISE MAHAFFIE

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he barks and howls of Alaskan sled dogs create a chaotic chorus in the yard outside the mushers’ hut at Togwotee Mountain Lodge, the home base for Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures. But once in their harnesses, the canine athletes are all business—quiet and ready to work. With a quick “Hike!” command from their musher, the dogs, harnessed together as a team, take off, light on their feet even on snow and now nearly silent. The passenger secured in the sled’s cargo bed (and bundled up against the cold) finds the scenery—the tops of the Tetons poke through brief openings in the pine forest—as awe-inspiring as the soft whoosh of the sled’s runners on the groomed track is soothing. “Beyond the slopes of Snow King, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and Grand Targhee, there is so much our destination offers,” says Cory Carlson, chair of the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board. Here are our top 10 recommendations (in no particular order).

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here’s more to do in Jackson Hole besides steep and deep,” says Nancy Leon, executive director of JH Nordic (jhnordic.com; read more about Leon and jhnordic.com on page 59).

“We have more than 100 trails on our website—200 miles of groomed trails and around 400 miles of ungroomed trails.” Compared to downhill skiing, cross-country skiing has a flatter learning curve; it is doable for all ages—Leon has friends in their eighties who still get out—and skill levels.

“It’s easy to put on a pair of Nordic skis and, within half an hour, be moving on the snow,” says Leon. JHNordic.com is the resource for trail maps, grooming and conditions reports, and equipment rentals and guides.

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igure skater and 1994 Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan took to the ice at the Rink on the Commons in Teton Village (skate rentals for $12, $8 with local ID; jacksonhole.com) when she was here on vacation. This rink is at the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) and has a warming hut with skate rentals and hot chocolate. It’s next to the resort’s fantastical larger-than-life ice forest, where kids are encouraged to play on and in snow castles, trees, slides, and igloos. Over at the base of Snow King Mountain just south of downtown Jackson, Snow King Sports and Event Center contains Jackson’s only indoor rink ($8 for adults, $6 for kids, $5 skate rentals; snowkingsec.com). This rink is heavy with hockey leagues, but there is open skating daily. The Winter Wonderland rink inside the Jackson Town Square ($15 skate rentals, $8 with local ID; gtsa.us) lives up to its name; skate beneath the glow of the neon lights of the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar’s bucking bronc and the twinkling of thousands of lights wrapped around the trees towering above. If you’re a BYOS (Bring Your Own Skates) kind of person, check out one of the three outdoor rinks maintained by Teton County Parks and Recreation (free; tetonwyo.org). None of these offer rentals, but they’re rich with local flavor.

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f you can walk, you can snowshoe,” says Catherine Shill of the Hole Hiking Experience, which offers naturalist-led snowshoe tours at different locations around the valley (tours from $280; holehike. com). “Snowshoeing is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone with the desire to explore the winter environment. It is truly winter walking, so distance and elevation can be customized to make the tour enjoyable for all levels.” EcoTour Adventures does snowshoe tours in Grand Teton National Park (tours from $135; jhecotouradventures.com). You don’t need a guide to snowshoe, though. There are dozens of trails and areas you can hit on your own, including Teton Pass, Cache Creek, and Grand Teton National Park (Teton Backcountry Rentals and Skinny Skis rent snowshoes). The park is the place to go for big views, with opportunities to traipse over the frozen Bradley and Taggert Lakes at the mouth of Avalanche Canyon. Cache Creek never completely freezes, allowing snowshoers to walk alongside a literal babbling brook and maybe spot a moose. Teton Pass is often less busy than the park and Cache Creek; the main trailhead is at the end of Old Pass Road. Trails start in the trees before gaining elevation to sprawling vistas of the Snake River and valley.

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hether as a passenger or musher, when you’re behind a team of sled dogs as they charge across the snow, there’s no wrong way to experience dog sledding. Far from your average house pet, sled dogs deliver with strength, speed, and stamina, making dog sledding an efficient form of winter tundra transportation. Here though, it’s for enjoyment. Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures (tours from $250 per person; dogsledadventures.com) operates out of Togwotee Mountain Lodge atop the Continental Divide—where the trails wind through thick pine forests and the Tetons occasionally peak through.

Call of the Wyld leads one-hour tours at the base of the Tetons (tours from $350 per sled; callofthewyld.com) near Teton Village. Here the trees are minimal, affording unobstructed mountain views. Jackson Hole Iditarod Dog Sled Tours (tours from $310 per guest; jhsleddog.com), the area’s original dog-sledding outfitter—founder and eight-time Iditarod veteran Frank Teasley began taking guests out in 1981—operates in the Hoback River Canyon, and tours include a stop at Granite Hot Springs, which is only accessible in the winter via dog sled, snowmobile, cross-country skis, or a fat bike.

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n the northern edge of the town of Jackson, a wildlife fence marks the end of residential neighborhoods and the start of the National Elk Refuge. Spreading north to the boundary of Grand Teton National Park and east to the base of the Gros Ventre Range, the refuge’s 24,700 acres are the winter home of about 8,000 elk, which migrate down to the flats from the mountains. In clusters cows and bulls mingle, the bulls’ racks branching out and back from the tops of their heads. You can take a horsedrawn sleigh ride right into the herd. The cold, quiet air is interrupted only by the facts shared by the Double H Bar sleigh ride leaders (tours from $15 for children, $27 for adults; nersleighrides.com). With a blanket covering your lap, don’t be surprised if you’re awed into silence as the sleigh carries you within a snowball’s throw of the elk. (Throwing a snowball at the elk is illegal though; instead, see if you can spot a “monarch,” a bull elk with 16 points on its antlers.)

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ut on a helmet and place your thumb on the throttle during a day of snowmobiling. Teton Tour Company (tours from $260 per driver; tetontourco. com), Scenic Safaris (tours from $265 per person, private tours from $1,900 for two people; scenic-safaris.com), and Old Faithful Snowmobile Tours (tours from $325 per driver; snowmobilingtours.com) provide guests with full- and half-day tour options with destinations that include Yellowstone National Park, the Continental Divide, and Granite Hot Springs. In and around Jackson Hole, hundreds of groomed trails wind over the mountains and through the woods. Guided tours often include all the snow gear you’ll need, as well as meals and a training session on how to safely operate your machine. For experienced sledders, an off-trail adventure in over-the-hood powder is easy to access if you rent a snowmobile from Leisure Sports or Jackson Hole Adventure Rentals. Just be sure to make a plan before departing—it’s easy to get turned around while carving doughnuts through untracked snow.

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hose with a need for speed will be satisfied at Snow King Mountain’s King Tubes ($20 for one hour; snowkingmountain.com).

Your partner in crime for this activity is your tube; together you will travel about 300 feet up the mountain standing on a Magic Carpet lift.

From the top of the lift, you look down on three tubing lanes, and, in the distance, the tippiest tops of the Tetons. But tubing isn’t about the views, it’s about the sting of cold air on your cheeks and the thrill of spinning down the slopes. (You’re kept from flying out of the tubing lanes by large berms of snow between lanes and at the bottom.)

Riders as short as 42 inches are welcome, and those of all ages have been known to squeal with delight during the descent. For a full day of fun, this activity can be purchased as part of Snow King Mountain’s Big King Pass ($90 per pass; snowkingmountain.com), which also includes access to the resort’s ski lifts and Cowboy Coaster.

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SEEK OUT SERENITY

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see people seeking relief from dry air, windburn, extreme temperatures, and the altitude,” says Grace Mahoney, an esthetician and owner of Grace Spa. “[These conditions] lead to dry, dehydrated skin.”

To remedy these ailments, there are almost one dozen spas throughout the valley. The Hydrating Facial at Grace Spa ($125; gracespajh.com) is beneficial for rejuvenating mountain-wary skin. For all-over hydration, the spa at Four Seasons Resort and Residences’ Alpine Glow Body Wrap ($250; fourseasons.com) uses the hydrating powers of arnica and chamomile to restore moisture to even the driest skin. At Teton Mountain Lodge’s SpaTerre, you can get an oxygen treatment and soak in the rooftop hot tub. The oxygen treatment (10 minutes for $20, 25 minutes for $30; tetonlodge.com) can be added to any spa service, and the hot tub is available to all spa clients.

O N8 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE ull moose, their paddles wide and almost as white as the snow, forage for vegetation among the sage flats while herds of bison gather on the frozen tundra, their breath crystallizing in sparkling clouds as soon as it leaves their nostrils. Wildlife-viewing opportunities do not disappear during the winter. You can do this on your own, but Jackson Hole EcoTour guide Tenley Thompson says hiring a wildlife guide is the best way to maximize your time in the park.

“Guides know wildlife hotspots and can customize your experience to see the animals you want to see,” she says. In and around Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park, EcoTour Adventures (tours from $140 jhecotouradventures.com), Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris (tours from $145; jacksonholewildlifesafaris.com), and Scenic Safaris (tours from $160, scenic-safaris.com) take guests on half-, full- and multiday trips in heated 4x4 vehicles. Guides are armed with the best binoculars and spotting scopes. A four-hour tour will likely grant you sightings of bighorn sheep clattering along cliff edges and bald eagles soaring overhead; if your goal is to spot a wolf, a multiday tour is your best chance.

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Here’s a local secret: You don’t have to ski to après-ski.

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t the Mangy Moose (3295 Village Dr., Teton Village, mangymoose.com), there’s a taxidermied moose hanging from the ceiling and a stage that showcases both local and national bands, including Jason Aldean and Blues Traveler. Find a more refined atmosphere— that’s nonetheless lively—at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences’ Handle Bar (7680 Granite Loop Rd., Teton Village, fourseasons.com/jacksonhole). Adjacent to JHMR’s Teewinot ski lift, the Handle Bar pours draft beers into giant glass boots, which you can enjoy inside or next to an outdoor fireplace on the bar’s patio. Near downtown Jackson, Snake River Brewing (265 S. Millward St., Jackson, snakeriverbrewing.com) opened in 1994 as Wyoming’s first brewery. Since then it’s twice been named Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver and has also developed a menu of comfort food equal to its beers. JH

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// BY KYLIE MOHR

WINTER WILDLIFE CLOSURES PROTECT ANIMALS EKING OUT AN EXISTENCE IN THE COLD.

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INTER IS HARSH IN THE TETONS; the temperature can dip to single-digit lows for weeks on end, and the valley annually receives between 6 and 14 feet of snow. Food supplies for animals that don’t hibernate—think moose, bighorn sheep, and elk, among others—are scant, forcing the animals to rely on their body fat for any chance of making it to spring. So, in winter, wildlife are all about energy conservation. Not only are they trying to preserve their stores of fat, which they purposefully built up during the autumn, for as long as possible, but also, when it’s so cold and snowy, moving requires much more energy than in summer.

Humans can pose problems to this, though. Wild animals don’t like being around us (or our dogs) and will flounder through deep snow to flee. Disturbances like these stress the animals and burn serious calories. These encounters not only hurt the animals’ odds of survival and make it harder to fend off disease and predators, but can also impact a mother’s ability to carry viable offspring months later. “When we disturb wildlife in the winter, we force them to expend precious energy, which can lead to poor health and ultimately death, furthering overall population decline,” says Mary Cernicek, a spokesperson for Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF).

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inter wildlife closures of areas to human traffic have existed in Jackson Hole in some form dating back to at least 1983. The goal of these closures is to protect game animals by helping them conserve energy during the most critical time of year. “Designated winter closure areas are essential to the survival of wildlife,” says Cernicek. Today, in the winter in the Jackson and Blackrock Ranger Districts of the BTNF, roughly 120,000 acres are closed to humans. These closures, as well as closed areas on the National Elk Refuge and in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), are geared toward ungulates, including mule deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep.

Illegal ski and snowboard tracks weave down Josie's Ridge south of Jackson. The area is part of an annual closure to protect winter range for mule deer and other wildlife.

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— Mary Cernicek, spokesperson for Bridger-Teton National Forest

Cross-country skiers grab their dogs after encountering a bull moose in the Cache Creek area just east of downtown Jackson.

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Important winter habitats targeted by closures include many south-facing slopes in lowelevation areas, which don’t get a lot of snow.

This is where animals like deer and elk are likely to congregate. “In areas where the climate is more mild, these types of closures may not be as important,” says Kyle Kissock, communications manager at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. “But here, especially where we have deep snow, cold temps, and scarce food, it really makes energy conservation key for the survival of these species.”

Winter wildlife closures are necessary because a large portion of Jackson Hole’s human population likes to play outside. “So many people are drawn to this area for both winter recreation and also wildlife,” says Chelsea Carson, development and communications manager at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. Between 2010

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RUGILE KALADYTE

“DESIGNATED WINTERCLOSURE AREAS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF WILDLIFE.”

and 2021, Teton County’s population grew by over 11 percent, and recreation trends have followed the population growth. On average, 223 people daily fat bike, cross-country ski, and hike from the Cache Creek trailhead. The popular area’s peak number in winter months is 373 visitors in a day.

“We have to learn how to coexist together in that space and be respectful of wintering wildlife because we know it’s a really hard time for them,” Carson says.

BTNF archives have references of closures— primarily focused on small areas like the perimeter surrounding the Alkali Creek and Dog Creek elk feeding grounds as well as places like Leeks and Wilson Canyons—dating back almost 40 years. The closures weren’t prompted by any one incident. “Orders back then didn’t give much information as to the why,” says BTNF spokesperson Evan Guzik.

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Game Creek, and clusters of homes near Hoback Junction and down toward Astoria. The BTNF places signs at obvious entrance points to stop visitors before they violate closures as well as relies on public-awareness campaigns.

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A single snowboarder ascended and descended the hillside above Lower Valley Energy south of Jackson in 2017, violating the Bridger-Teton National Forest's wildlife closure area. The individual was cited by law enforcement for the violation.

To report violations, call the Jackson Ranger District (for violations in the southern area of the valley) at 307/739-5400 or the Blackrock Ranger District (northern valley) at 307/543-2386. For immediate needs after hours, call the nonemergency Teton County Sheriff Office at 307/733-2331.

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The original designations didn’t pop up overnight, though. “When they were first decided, this decision was subject to a public review process, as with most federal and state government decisions,” Cernicek says. The same would go for future additions or changes. “For any new revisions to existing closures, there will again be a public review process,” she says. Science guided where winter wildlife closures were originally designated. Biologists and land managers from many agencies, including the BTNF, were involved in the process.

The Forest Service manages habitat and not wildlife populations, so state biologists with Wyoming Game and Fish helped determine what animals needed and where.

No new areas have been added in the last 20 years. “They’re those windswept south-facing slopes that are so important,” Cernicek says. “And those don’t change.” But what is changing, she says, is the interface between private land and the public. “We’re having more homeowners and subdivisions and parcels divided and people backing up to the forests,” she says. “And so that educational component—the awareness that you’re in this place and this place is near where these winter ranges are set aside—is important.” Areas where human development interfaces with wild spaces include Nelson Drive and Cache Creek Drive in East Jackson,

hat started as a promotional campaign 20 years ago is now ubiquitous in the Jackson outdoor community. Heard at annual avalancheawareness talks and noted at various trailheads around town, the phrase “don’t poach the powder” began as an effort by the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and several partner organizations in 2001. A Jackson Hole Guide story from December of that year said that, at the time, the most violations of winter range closures occurred in the Cache Creek area on slopes above the Putt-Putt trail on the north side of the canyon. Local skiers also remembered the community being tempted by Josie’s Ridge and Mt. Hunt, both closed to protect wildlife but with this status less known prior to the campaign.

Years of newspaper advertisements, radio spots, and ranger patrols have gotten the message out. “Now, it’s become a large part of the vernacular in Jackson Hole,” Carson says. Ads in the early 2000s stated that “poaching” wildlife closures with skis, snowboards, or snowmobiles “is as detrimental as poaching with a rifle.” Carson says that while the campaign has evolved over its 20-plus years, largely it’s stayed focused on recreationists who use areas either in or near public lands that are close to sensitive wildlife habitat areas.

The effort is geared toward longterm locals, visitors, and seasonal residents, regardless of how they play in the mountains. “What’s really neat about ‘Don’t Poach the Powder’ is it’s not specific to one type of recreation,” Carson says. “We try to educate all recreationists in the Jackson area and target things folks aren’t thinking about when they go out, such as walking your dog on Cache Creek.” Education includes a Don’t Poach the Powder tab on the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance website, trailhead signs and maps, and

ELISE MAHAFFIE

SCIENTISTS HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT THE HERD LOST UP TO ONE-THIRD OF ITS PREFERRED WINTER HABITAT BECAUSE OF ITS DESIRE TO AVOID BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS.

A small population of native bighorn sheep lives high in the Tetons, residing above 8,500 feet in elevation on the same windswept ridges that avid backcountry skiers and snowboarders also frequent. Over the last 5 to 10 years, the herd’s size has declined sharply—almost in half, going from 100–125 animals down to between 60 and 80. Experts are worried the herd is in danger of blinking out locally, known as extirpation.

The bighorn sheep don’t like to mix with winter recreationists; scientists have documented that the herd lost up to one-third of its preferred winter habitat because of its desire to avoid backcountry skiers and snowboarders. Two areas within Grand Teton National Park have been closed to humans in the winter for decades specifically to protect these sheep: the summit of Static Peak (since about 1990) and the Mount Hunt/Prospectors Mountain area (since 2001).

But human pressures, as well as competition from other species like mountain goats and also habitat loss, remain a threat to the animals’ survival. The Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Working Group (tetonsheep.org), made up of numerous public and private biologists, has been working since the early 1990s to protect the species. The group has focused on creating awareness about the plight of bighorn sheep and is seeking ideas on how to moderate winter pressure on the herd. A new film, Denizens of the Steep, was released last winter; it explores the impact of backcountry recreation on bighorn sheep through the eyes of professional ski mountaineer and guide Kim Havell (stream the movie on YouTube).

In mid-October, the working group proposed over 20,000 new acres of winter wildlife closures in order to give bighorn sheep more space from backcountry skiers. The recommended closures are in Grand Teton National Park and the Caribou-Targhee and Bridger Teton National Forests. A community collaborative process attempted to gather feedback on where “high-value” ski terrain was, and the proposal would close just 5 percent of that terrain while protecting 50 percent of areas identified as high-quality sheep habitat. But the news was still met with backlash from some prominent mountain guides and pro skiers. The working group also proposed designated routes to travel through otherwise-closed areas as well as increased education and signage. It’s now up to the agencies to decide what, if any, recommendations are implemented.

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WINTER WILDLIFE CLOSURES 1. Wildlife winter range areas south of Jackson in the BTNF are

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closed yearly from December 1 to April 30. These include the slopes above Putt-Putt trail in Cache Creek, Josie’s Ridge and KC trails, the slopes north of Game Creek, Porcupine Creek, Horse Creek, Camp Creek, Poison Creek, Dog Creek, and the Fall Creek area near Hoback Junction. While the Putt-Putt and Game Creek trails are not closed, on sections of them, dogs must be on a six-foot leash.

2. To protect elk on their winter range, the Elk Refuge Road closes to all traffic—car, snowmobile, fat bike, pedestrian, skier—about 3.5 miles from its southern end. This means Curtis Canyon and Flat Creek are inaccessible.

3. Munger Mountain and Horse and Camp Creek areas in the forest are closed, as well as a swath of land that stretches between the north side of the Cache Creek drainage to the Gros Ventre River Road (this includes Crystal Butte). You can walk or ride a horse on the Gros Ventre Road and other designated routes, but you cannot leave these roads/routes.

4. Mount Hunt, Prospector’s Mountain, and Static Peak in Grand Teton National Park are closed from December 1 through April 1 for bighorn sheep.

5. Closures along the Snake River floodplain just north of Moose up to the confluence of the Buffalo Fork, the Buffalo Fork River floodplain, and the Kelly Hill area are in effect from December 15 to April 1. These protect moose, elk, bighorn sheep, and waterfowl during critical wintering and nesting periods.

6. From November 27 through April 15, on Caribou-Targhee National Forest land east of Victor and Driggs in Teton Valley, the majority of south-facing slopes in the Tetons are restricted. This includes the areas above Darby Canyon.

3 talking about wildlife closures at winter backcountry-travel and avalancheawareness events.

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inter wildlife closures aren’t unique to Jackson Hole. Seasonal closures of areas important to wildlife in winter exist across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and region; Wyoming Game and Fish alone closes 165,000 acres of wildlife-habitat-management areas annually to protect wintering big game, including many winter ranges on public lands near Lander, Dubois, and Rawlins that have a variety of restrictions on both human presence and motor vehicles during winter and spring months.

Annually, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources closes seven wildlife-

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management areas in northern Utah totaling 45,750 acres of critical winter mule deer habitat. Montana has similar practices. The state’s only wildlifemanagement unit in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest means roads in the Elkhorn Mountains are closed to motorized travel during the winter. A smaller closure in the hills above Missoula, Montana, shields an elk herd that winters on Mount Jumbo from a maze of trails popular with hikers, runners, and bikers. At least seven other Western states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado, have some sort of winter wildlife closures.

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ernicek says that, in general, people tend to follow winter wildlife-closure regulations. “There

are reports each year of incursions into closed winter range. But once forest users learn how their actions could potentially affect the wintering wildlife, they often comply,” she says. The incursions are a mix of ignorance and willful disregard; tracks can often be seen from town on Josie’s Ridge, parts of which can be accessed from the liftaccessed summit of Snow King, and Crystal Butte. But the consequences are the same either way, and violating a closure is no joke: it’s a crime that could land you a penalty of up to $5,000 or six months in jail.

“We’ve always had some violations,” Cernicek says. “What seems to be changing is we’re getting more people reporting them. That’s helpful, because we can’t be everywhere all the time and catch everything.” When the

BTNF gets a report of poaching, someone is sent out to investigate. If there’s a set of ski tracks that lead to a specific car, great—they’ve got something to go on. But more often than not, all investigators find is the mark of turns or boot prints that are days old and tough to follow. Usually when a report of the first violation in an area comes to the BTNF, staff puts up signage at the entry point to the line. That way, the next person who comes in looking for powder will know more and hopefully turn around. Kissock of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation says that the vast majority of the public abides by closures. “The challenge for us is getting that last 10 percent,” he says. “We really do hope that locals can be part of setting an example.” JH

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PHOTO ESSAY

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The Pavillion at the Center for the Arts in Jackson

FromAbove // BY BRADLY J. BONER

Photographer Sam Cook uses drones to capture aerial images of the local landscape.

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am Cook’s discovery of his passion for photography wasn’t a traditional path.

In fact, it wasn’t really a path at all: Cook’s journey took him to the sky. “I had my first drone before I had my first handheld camera,” he says. “It’s such a mind-bending, foreign view that you don’t get from the ground.”

After earning a Bachelors of Science degree in business management from the University of Montana, the Jackson native and current Alpine resident worked in the oiland-gas industry before transitioning into surveying and materials testing. These experiences inspired Cook to think about how drones could be used to surmount certain challenges while keeping humans out of hazardous conditions. Simultaneously, Cook was experimenting with a kite capable of lifting a GoPro and makeshift gimbal—the origin of his career in aerial photography.

In 2017 Cook acquired his commercial drone license and, shortly after, founded Contour Aerials, a company that provides aerial imagery for clients ranging from construction firms to whitewater rafting outfitters.

He credits the analytical left half of his brain for setting himself up to begin exercising the more artistic right half. “I think the biggest thing was knowing there was going to be a lot of technical info around drones,” Cook says.

“There’s a very analytical side to drones, but then there’s a very creative side.”

The topography of the region allows him to exercise his creative side and also keeps his drone skills sharp. “We’re blessed with the terrain around here. Just being able to navigate through canyons and over streams, it’s kind of a training ground that helps you be successful anywhere,” he says. “Our surrounding landscapes are beautiful because they are right in your face, but I think my creativity stems from trying to look past that and see what else is there.”

Sunset over the Snake River at Alpine, Wyoming

Winter night in Jackson

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U.S. Highway 26 on the east side of Palisades Reservoir

First snow in Jackson

U.S. Highway 89/191 through the Snake River Canyon

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Ice on Palisades Reservoir

Two separate photos of the Greys River near Alpine, Wyoming, were combined to make this image. The shafts of light were created using a technique called "light painting"—the drone moves through the frame during a long exposure.

Ice on Palisades Reservoir

The Narrows of the Grand Canyon of the Snake River

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A MATCH MADE IN THE MOUNTAINS Jackson Hole has gnarly mountain weather and extreme terrain. For 160 years, Mammut has designed equipment and clothing to keep people safe in the mountains.

A new partnership between the two benefits both sides. // BY DINA MISHEV

COURTESY OF JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

“O

ur staff—from patrollers down to lifties—are out in some crazy gnarly terrain and weather,” says Jess McMillan, senior events and partnership manager at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). “It’s of the utmost importance to keep them safe and dry.” Kris Kuster, general manager of the 160-year-old Swiss company Mammut, which makes mountain gear and technical clothing, says its goal is to “provide the best gear to all the staff and workers on the mountains and in the resorts and keep them safe, warm, and dry, so they are happy and protected in doing their job.”

Last winter JHMR and Mammut unveiled a partnership that has Mammut providing the safety equipment and uniforms for JHMR’s 2,000 employees, and JHMR’s employees providing design and use feedback to Mammut. “It’s a match made in heaven,” McMillan says. “We have terrain and weather that demands high-performance equipment and clothing, and Mammut has a reputation for making the best of the best.” Kuster says, “It’s extremely important to us that we’re continually evolving and learning. Working with the JHMR patrol and guiding teams helps ensure we’re not missing anything.”

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1. JHMR Ski Patrol opted against having kneepads built into the pants.

“We’ve had them before, and for the one average person where they’re in the right spot, they’re great,” Kneeland says. “But for everyone else, they’re ankle or thigh protectors.” Instead of kneepads, JHMR Ski Patrol asked for extra reinforcement of the fabric at the knees.

COURTESY OF JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

To design the new uniforms, JHMR staff from different departments traveled to the company’s headquarters in Seon, Switzerland, to see fabrics, designs, and the factory, and Mammut designers traveled to Jackson Hole to experience the conditions in which JHMR’s employees work. “We were basically shooting for the most bulletproof, functional uniform they could come up with,” says Drew Kneeland, director of JHMR Ski Patrol, of the designs for the uniforms. Because the uniform needs of JHMR mountain guides are nearly identical to those of the resort’s ski patrol, the only difference between these uniforms is the color. Uniforms for other departments—the Mountain Sports School, lift attendants, and parking lot attendants—are suited specifically to the demands of those jobs. “What makes a great uniform for a ski patroller doesn’t work for a parking lot attendant and vice versa,” McMillan says. Across the departments, McMillan says a goal was to have the very best in terms of use and durability.

Doug Workman, a JHMR mountain guide and a Mammut ambassador since the early 2000s, when it was still little known in North America, says Mammut has always made highquality products. With a closet full of Mammut, Workman says he’s started giving old pieces to his 15-year-old nephew. “He’s wearing and using pieces that are older than he is,” Workman says.

Let’s take a closer look at the Mammut/JHMR Ski Patrol uniform collaboration, which includes a custom jacket, vest, and pants; the Mammut avalanche airbag packs JHMR patrol and mountain guides use; and, for those who want outerwear as burly as JHMR Ski Patrol’s, the jacket in Mammut’s retail line that is most similar.

2. The ski patrol pants include two thigh pockets and two traditional pockets below the waist. “The thigh pockets are great for anything you need to get to quickly and easily,” Kneeland says. “You might keep trauma shears in them so that when you’re kneeling down helping a patient, they are easy to access.”

7. Oversize hoods accommodate the helmets that are a required part of JHMR Ski Patrol’s safety gear.

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8. The two-way zipper on the front of the jacket allows for easy access to the Napoleon pocket inside the jacket and also makes going to the bathroom easier for both male and female patrollers. “Unzip the coat a few inches up from the bottom,” Kneeland says.

9. JHMR Ski Patrol wanted pockets on the sleeves of the coats. “We keep our ignitors in there, and they’re easy to get to,” Kneeland says.

10. JHMR Ski Patrol asked Mammut for an oversize elastic Napoleon pocket on the inside of their jackets. “This is the pocket to put your mittens or gloves in when you have to take them off to tie a knot or something,” Kneeland says. For maximum ease of stuffage, this pocket is not zippered.

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11. The pockets on the front of the JHMR Ski Patrol vests are large and easily accessible. “You could put the bulk of your medical gear in these,” Kneeland says.

12. The vests have room on their backs for patrollers to carry an avalanche shovel and probe.

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3. A fully loaded vest can weigh about 20 pounds.

“We asked for a back support-style strap that helps carry the weight of the vest,” Kneeland says.

4. “As much as we collaborated on the jacket, it was really the patrol vests that were designed hand in hand with JHMR,” says Brenna Priest, sales director at Mammut North America.

Kneeland says, “Our goal was to design a vest that worked for everybody."

5. “Whether you wear your vest inside or outside your coat is a personal preference,” says Kneeland, whose personal preference is to wear his over his coat. “I’m a larger size person. If you have room to put your coat over your entire vest, it does keep your vest dry, but, for me, it’s a better fit to have the vest on the outside.”

6. JHMR Ski Patrol skipped powder skirts. “Originally Mammut presented a removable powder skirt as an option, but we had that in the past and everyone took them out, and we were left with a big box of powder skirts that I’m sure someone eventually threw out,” Kneeland says. “This time we just got rid of the whole concept of the powder skirt, and no one has complained. It basically comes down to ski patrollers don’t fall so don’t really get snow coming up their coat.”

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fter JHMR ski patroller Mark “Big Wally” Wolling died in an avalanche while doing avalanche hazard-reduction work in the resort’s Cheyenne Bowl in 2010—he was buried beneath six feet of snow for about 10 minutes—the resort became the first in North America to require guides and patrollers to wear airbag packs as part of their uniform. Other North American ski resorts have followed JHMR’s lead—airbag packs had already been widely adopted at European re-

sorts—and so have some recreational backcountry skiers.

Although the first airbag packs JHMR provided its patrollers and guides (in 2010) were not from Mammut, Mammut airbag packs were the first Mammut product that JHMR adopted (in 2018).

“Different people use different Mammut models, but the universal thing is that they are some of the very lightest airbag packs on the market,” says JHMR guide and Mammut ambassador Workman.

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An Airbag Pack Saved My Life — AS TOLD BY DOUG WORKMAN, BACKCOUNTRY SKI GUIDE

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1. Invented in Europe in the 1980s, avalanche airbag packs work on the principle that larger objects rise to the surface in an avalanche. The packs make skiers bigger with the inflation of a large balloon (via compressed air or a fan). Skiers trigger this inflation by pulling a cord. When not inflated, the balloons are dormant within a pocket of the pack.

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2. “One of the cool features about Mammut’s airbag packs is that they’re interchangeable,” Workman says. “After you buy one pack with airbag components, you can buy another one and move the airbag system into it. I usually use the ProX, but sometimes, when I don’t have to carry as much, I move the airbag into the Flip22. Or if you start to wear your first pack out, you don’t have to replace the whole system.”

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3. There are two main systems for deploying avalanche airbags: a compressed gas (or air) cylinder or a battery-powered fan. Mammut packs use the former, which has been in use for longer than the fan technology. The cylinder, filled with air between 2500 and 3000 psi, can be refilled.

After Big Wally died, a client of mine bought me an airbag pack and had it shipped to my house. It sat on my floor for a few days because I thought it was heavy and cumbersome. Finally, while guiding for High Mountain Heli, I started wearing it and, a few days later, I was caught in an avalanche. It was a bad avalanche—not so much because of the size, but because of the terrain I was in. I’m quite certain I would have been buried and that the clients would not have been able to come for me and there were no other guides in the immediate vicinity. Immediately, I didn’t think about the fact that I was wearing an airbag because it was so new to me. So, I was “swimming” [the long-recommended way to keep yourself on top of the snow] and then I ended up with a bunch of snow in my mouth. I was thinking the whole swimming thing was a crock of sh*^. It was like getting my ass kicked by George Foreman, like I was in the worst, most turbulent whitewater and I was trying to swim. Then I remembered I had the airbag on, and I reached for the trigger. It took me a couple of swipes to find it and when I pulled it, I instantly went right to the surface. When the snow stopped moving, I was sitting on the surface.

Quent Cordair Fine Art • Jackson steps off Town Square

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ammut’s La Liste Pro HS Hooded Jacket and Bibs are the most comparable from a “technology feature set” to the uniforms worn by JHMR Ski Patrol and mountain guides, according to sales director Priest.

1. The La Liste Pro HS Hooded Jacket and Bibs use the same 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro material as the JHMR patrol jackets. “It is the best of the best in terms of longevity and durability,” Priest says. “Without getting into chemistry, it is the most durable, most 1 waterproof Gore-Tex available and what we would recommend for the cold conditions you’d experience in 2 Jackson.”

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2. Instead of a pocket for storing ignitors to light bombs patrollers use during avalanche-mitigation work, the arm pocket on the La Liste is meant to hold your ski pass.

3. Unlike JHMR Ski Patrol jackets, the La Liste includes a zip-off powder skirt.

COURTESY OF MAMMUT

4. In addition to being extremely waterproof, Gore-Tex Pro fabric also has an antimicrobial treatment, which combats odor.

5. The fit of the La Liste Pro HS jacket is similar to that of the JHMR Ski Patrol jackets.

“We call it our freeride fit,” Priest says. “It is a more relaxed fit that is popular in North America. It is not a European fit.” JH

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“IT’S A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP.”

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EXPLORE

M I C H A E L P I K E R / F R I E N D S O F PAT H WAY S

WILD AND MILD ADVENTURES

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UPIN EXPLORE SCENIC FLIGHTS

THE AIR, with the Tetons Over There

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I

Scenic flights via chopper, Cessna, and hot-air balloon have their ups and downs.

COURTESY OF WIND RIVER AIR

// BY MIKE KOSHMRL

t’s undeniably compelling to be able to hover, glide, or float over a valley that’s bounded on one side by the Teton Range, which has a vertical relief of more than one mile, and cut by a mighty river like the Snake. Too compelling, and too incompatible with the Jackson Hole experience, the community has judged at times. When Jackson Hole resident Tony Chambers sought to bring scenic helicopter tours back to Teton County after a two-decade absence of such flights, he was met with swift backlash and across-the-board opposition.

Just about everyone who weighed in—be it Grand Teton National Park retirees, Jackson Hole Airport’s board of directors, or local residents and elected officials—was not fond of the prospect of adding the cacophony of helicopter clatter to a region that’s still known best for its wild, quiet places.

But Chambers had the Federal Aviation Administration on his side, and he prevailed in that fight. There’s been a market for the sightseeing tours he offers in his red Robinson R-44 helicopter, an aircraft that has been visible and audible over central Jackson Hole many days since Wind River Air started operations in summer 2020.

Chambers’s is the most center stage and contentious type of aerial tour that offers views of the Teton Range, but it is not the only one. For decades, pilots aboard Teton Aviation’s light fixed-wing aircraft have escorted tourists aerially over Teton Valley and the west slope of the Tetons.

And from mid-May into September, on mornings when weather cooperates, the Wyoming Balloon Company uses hot air to fly groups of sightseers over ranchland just south of Teton Village. Jackson Hole magazine grabbed a seat for a writer (yours truly) and photographer aboard each of the three vessels, and these were our experiences. (FYI: Balloon trips are only an option between May and September.)

Wind River Air does scenic helicopter rides from the Jackson Hole Airport.

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PLANE

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YOU COVER A LOT OF GROUND AND GET VERY GOOD VIEWS OF THE TETONS. IT’S THE MOST ECONOMICAL OPTION FOR A FAMILY.

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THE DRIVE TO DRIGGS.

MEG POTTER

CLOUDY DAYS CAN PUT THE KIBOSH ON A FLIGHT (IT HAPPENED TO THE FIRST FLIGHT WE HAD PLANNED).

urely, a flight in a little airplane isn’t the type of experience that’s going to tug at your heartstrings, right?

Wrong. Midmorning on a Thursday, pilot Colleen Schooley jostles the yoke of her Cessna 172-XP just enough to “wave” her wings at her kids, who are somewhere down below on the slopes of Grand Targhee Resort. Good luck not being touched.

Schooley, Teton Aviation’s director of flight operations and chief instructor, typically heads southbound on her aerial tours after taking off from Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport. Motoring smoothly along at about 110 miles an hour, I am struck by how much agriculture remains on the west side of the Tetons. Center pivot irrigation systems, hayfields, horses, and even some cattle still abound in the 13,000-person, fast-growing valley on the west side of Teton Pass.

At the head of the Teton Valley, the headwaters of the Teton River mesmerize. The coiled river, the basin’s largest, seemingly appears from out of nowhere at the confluence of some modest springs and streams. By the time our prop plane climbs to 9,500 feet, we can see clear over Pine Creek Pass to Swan Valley and the Snake River’s South

Colleen Schooley secures her Cessna 172-XP to the runway of Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport after completing a scenic flight.

Although secnic helicopter flights cannot enter Grand Teton National Park, they do offer views of the mountains at the park's heart.

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Fork. “When you get high enough, you can see the Snake River on both sides of you,” Schooley says.

Teton Aviation’s standard route on its scenic flights is to stay outside of Grand Teton National Park while paralleling its western boundary. We circle to climb up to 12,000 feet and then go north toward the Tetons. On a clear day, the views are incredible. Schooley plays the part of guide, pointing out geographic features: Ski Lake, Housetop Mountain, Granite Canyon, and so much more. There is Jackson Hole Airport, Blacktail Butte, and other defining features of Jackson Hole. Shortly after sighting Jackson Lake, near Green Lakes, we swing back south. “Not much in the way of trails past this point,” Schooley says.

As we glide down toward the Driggs runway after about an hour in the air, Schooley points out Teton Valley’s empty cul-de-sacs and “zombie subdivisions,” which are neighborhoods under construction that was abruptly halted when the Great Recession struck in 2007. “Now, in the last two years, there’s construction going on all over these,” she says. Teton Valley is changing, and fast. And perhaps it’s most evident from above. tetonaviation.com; $395 for one to three passengers

ony Chambers explains the concept of “wake turbulence” as a private jet roars down the Jackson Hole Airport’s runway in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). Just like with a boat in the water, the turbulence left behind by the wake of a plane disturbs the air.

“It could flip us very easily,” Chambers says. Fortunately, we are still at ground level aboard Chambers’s red Robinson R-44 helicopter as the private plane comes to a stop.

The nose of Chambers’s chopper always faces the wind when taking off, and on this day that means heading south. Once at speed and altitude, we straightline it for the boundary of GTNP. Overflying the Gros Ventre River and the very northern reaches of the National Elk Refuge about 1,000 feet above ground level, I marvel at backwater ponds that I didn't know existed.

There are many familiar features too, though I am seeing them from an allnew angle. “Everybody who goes on these flights thinks they’re the coolest thing,” Chambers says. “It’s such a different perspective. Aviation makes the world small.”

In minutes, we hover to within eyeshot of the sprawling Gros Ventre Campground and then Kelly, a socially diverse hamlet that’s home to biologists, National Park Service employees, and yurt dwellers. Without prompting, Chambers broaches the controversy of

his operation. “I try to give Kelly as wide of a berth as I can,” he says. “I haven’t really gotten any complaint calls from them in a while, so that’s good.”

Chambers’s standard route traces the eastern boundary of GTNP. A GPS application that displays his whereabouts on his iPhone shows that we are outside the park. Instead, we are overflying the Bridger-Teton National Forest and on top of mountainsides where I, as a local, have spent ample time skiing, hiking, and hunting. Along the east slopes of Shadow Mountain we double back, coming close to the rounded 8,256-foothigh summit. A popular summer and fall camping area, Chambers says, “there’s always someone up at the top,” during those seasons.

Later that same day I fly with Chambers, I go out near the base of Shadow Mountain. By happenstance, Chambers is out on another scenic flight at that time. I never see his red helicopter, but there is no mistaking the clatter of it sounding off from somewhere sight unseen in the direction of Shadow Mountain’s summit. Judging by my own experience, all aboard are having a swell time. But for the hundreds of folks in earshot on ground at any one time, it is likely a different story. windriverair.com; $240 per person for a 30-minute flight, $325 per person for 45-minute flight, $420 per person for 1-hour flight; two-person minimum, all flights

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WIND RIVER AIR’S HELICOPTER FLIGHTS ARE RELATIVELY LOW AND SLOW, AFFORDING GREAT VIEWS OF THE GROUND BELOW. PINCHED FOR TIME? A FLIGHT TAKES A HALF HOUR.

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THE GUILT FACTOR OF DISTURBING A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN BELOW, BECAUSE HELICOPTERS ARE NOISY. TETON VIEWS ARE DISTANT GIVEN WIND RIVER AIR’S FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

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Pilot Tony Chambers in his Robinson R-44 helicopter.

WIND RIVER AIR

HELICOPTER

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HOT-AIR BALLOON

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IT’S QUIET. IN BETWEEN BLASTS OF THE BURNERS, HOT-AIR BALLOONS ARE NEARLY SILENT. FLIGHTS ARE LOW AND SLOW ENOUGH TO SPOT WILDLIFE LIKE ELK AND MOOSE.

MEG POTTER

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BALLOON FLIGHTS DON’T HAPPEN IN THE WINTER, SO TAKING ONE WILL NECESSITATE A RETURN TRIP BETWEEN MAY AND SEPTEMBER.

Balloon pilot Andy Breffeilh walks into the envelope of a hot-air balloon to double-check the parachute vent before a flight.

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RELATIVELY, BALLOONS DON’T COVER A LOT OF GROUND.

MEG POTTER

THE UP AND DOWN AND SPINNING ALL AROUND (COMBINED WITH THE SMELL OF PROPANE) CAN CAUSE MOTION SICKNESS.

Pilot Breffeilh starts the propane burner during a hot-air ballon flight.

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wenty or so Jackson Hole tourists gawk and snap photos well before the hot-air balloons they’d soon board even get off the ground. A Wyoming Balloon Company staffer runs a blower that inflates the larger of the two colorful balloons, decorated with a giant painting of a bull elk. “Ever been on a hot-air balloon before?” he asks. I tell him it’s a first. “Awesome,” the man says. “You’ll love it.”

Andy Breffeilh pilots our balloon, a job he mastered over 32 years in the air.

At 7:13 a.m. on a still Saturday morning, his propane-fueled burners shoot enough hot air into the balloon basket, carrying a ton or so of humans, that it eases off the Earth. Breffielh is full of jokes and balloon puns, a brand of humor that’s hard not to enjoy. “Please listen carefully to my safety message,” Breffeilh says. “Don’t get out. That is all.”

By blasting the burners and pulling cords that manipulate panels and valves, Breffeilh spins the balloon and lowers it and shoots it—and us—skyward with ease. When flames are flying, everyone reflexively veers their head away, like you would when too close to a campfire.

To everyone’s amusement, Breffeilh at one point executes a “ding and

swing,” giving the pastureland grazed by cattle a love tap.

Quickly we learn that steering the balloon directionally is a bit more of a challenge and at the whims of winds at different elevations. We putter around pretty low to the ground at between three and five miles per hour, generally headed south. The maintained blasts of hot air shoot us skyward to 8,200 feet in elevation. Like that we are headed north and traveling twice as fast. “We’re floating like a cork on that colder, denser air,” Breffeilh explains.

After crossing Highway 390 headed toward the Snake River, we begin to lose elevation. It is clear we are not headed back west, toward where we took off. Breffeilh, using binoculars, has been looking for elk for much of the hour-long flight but had only managed to find a few…until we are about to touch down in an opening of aspens on the Snake River Ranch. About 30 wapiti are right beneath where we're about to touch down. “Look at that, look at the babies,” Breffeilh says. “I’m sorry, folks. When I get a chance to land right next to the elk, I can’t help myself.” wyomingballoon.com; $425 per adult, $325 per child for a group ride; private rides also available JH

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EXPLORE HOT SPRINGS

Soak for Health Astoria Hot Springs Park offers mineral hot springs.

// BY MOLLY ABSOLON // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN DORGAN

The pools at Astoria are fed by natural hot springs that contain magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and potassium, among other minerals.

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here’s nothing quite like stepping into the soothing mineral waters of a hot spring on a cold, snowy day. Steam rises up from the pools, creating a diaphanous veil of mist that hides the landscapes and hints at mystery. Warm water eases away tension and stress, and the sound of gurgling water adds to an overall sense of peace and calm.

Natural hot springs have had their avid fans for centuries. People seek hot springs out for healing, relaxing, and as a place to socialize with friends, but for years, Jackson locals and visitors have had to travel to enjoy a good soak. Now, after a 20-year hiatus, Jackson Hole once again has its own public hot springs: Astoria Hot Springs Park. It’s a fun place to relax and unwind, and a nice alternative from the valley’s action-packed lifestyle, especially on a frigid winter day when nothing feels better than submerging oneself in hot water.

Astoria’s pools stretch above the banks of the Snake River and are surrounded by open hillsides and meadows. Even in the winter, eagles often soar overhead and elk are commonly seen browsing on the south-facing slopes above the park. The pools are fed by natural hot springs that contain magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride—minerals said to reduce inflammation, sooth skin conditions, and increase oxygen levels in blood. People have sought these healing properties at Astoria for as long as they have lived in and traveled through the area, but the public pool that was popular for the last half of the 20th century was closed and razed in 1999. Twentyone years later, in September 2020, Astoria Hot Springs Park was rebuilt and reopened to soakers.

Named for the Astorians, a group of fur trappers who crossed what is now the western United States in 1811 to establish a trading post on the Columbia River, these hot springs were used by indigenous groups for hundreds of years before mountain men showed up on the scene. Few details about this early use remain, but it is believed that all of the 23 Native American tribes known to have been in the Jackson Hole area camped at the hot springs and used them for ceremonial purposes. Astoria Park Conservancy’s executive director, Paige Curry, dreams of someday sponsoring an archeological dig on the park’s 100-acre property to learn more about its rich human history.

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ASTORIAPARK.ORG

A unique selection of locally made ceramics, home goods, jewelry, accessories, and children’s gifts.

Workshop 180 E. Deloney Jackson WY (307)203-7856 @workshopjacksonhole

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Astoria Hot Springs is truly a wonderful "place to sit and contemplate nature and an experience that our whole family loves to relish. I am so happy to have it back.”

—JUNIPER LOPEZ TROXEL

There are five hot spring-fed pools on Astoria's 100-acre property on the banks of the Snake River south of Jackson.

The Astorians after which these hot springs are named briefly considered abandoning their horses near here and floating down the Snake River in dugout canoes.

Local Shoshone dissuaded them through sign language, communicating that there were dangerous rapids downstream. Subsequent European visitors to this area called the Snake River the “Mad River” because of this whitewater.

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In the early the 1900s, prospector Johnny Counts lived in a small cabin here, where he panned for gold (on a claim that wasn’t particularly rich; Counts averaged about $1 a day in gold for his work). Curry says she’s been told that people—especially those who were ill and seeking healing benefits— would float down the Snake River from Jackson to soak in natural hot pools along the river that were called Counts’s Hot Springs. Counts’s cabin still stands near the new hot springs, but it is closed to visitors and now used for storage. A grave near the hot springs is reputed to belong to Counts, but Curry says that’s another mystery an archeological examination could help unravel.

Astoria’s ownership changed hands a few times after Counts, and, in 1961, Robert Porter, who was part of the Gill family, captured water flowing from the hot springs in a 40-by-80foot pool and opened it to the public.

Astoria was the only public swimming pool of any kind in the area, and it became a beloved hangout spot for locals of all ages. It also attracted visitors to the area. At one point, the Porter/Gill family’s operation included a tourist village with RV and tent camping, guided hunting and fishing trips, and a snack bar where you could buy hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream. The Gill family managed this rustic, nofrills park until 1999, when it became clear that repairs required to keep the pool open exceeded revenues, so they closed down and sold the operation.

The property was bought and almost immediately sold again to the

Canyon Club, which became the Snake River Sporting Club. The Sporting Club’s plans to develop 26 single-family homes, 44 condominium units, and a four-story luxury lodge and spa near the hot springs were approved by the county in the early 2000s. But these plans were significantly altered and postponed by the Great Recession, giving conservation groups and locals a chance to protect the hot springs.

In 2012 the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit dedicated to creating parks and protecting land, came forward with a plan to work with the Snake River Sporting Club ownership group to figure out a way the hot springs land could be saved from development and made public. A community fundraising campaign garnered $6 million to purchase 100 acres on the banks of the Snake River that included the hot springs and important riparian areas. In exchange, the development rights originally associated with the hot springs site were transferred to lessecologically sensitive land owned by the Snake River Sporting Club farther downstream. Astoria Hot Springs Park opened in 2020. That same year, the Trust for Public Land transferred the property to the Astoria Park Conservancy, a nonprofit established to support the park.

“I have a faint memory of the old Astoria from the ’90s,” says 26-year valley resident Juniper Lopez Troxel. “When I heard they were reopening, I started counting the days and following closely all the work in progress on Instagram.

Since it reopened, I have celebrated kids' birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, date nights, girl gatherings, and just general quality time with my family there. Astoria Hot Springs is truly a wonderful place to sit and contemplate nature and an experience that our whole family loves to relish. I am so happy to have it back.”

THE POOLS

Astoria’s hot pools are unusual in that temperatures remain consistent all year round.

2 3

4

1

The two River Pools are found on a gravel path that descends to the river from the park’s upper level. The first pool has a small waterfall that pours hot water onto bathers’ shoulders and necks. The second pool is the closest pool to the river and is the park’s most secluded and smallest. It is also the park’s hottest pool, with a temperature of around 104 degrees.

The Meadow Pool’s temperature ranges between 101 and 104 degrees. The pool holds 10 to 15 people.

Two feet deep at its deepest with an average temperature of 90 degrees, the Children’s Pool is perfect for little ones.

It’s the only pool in the park that has small amounts of chorine added to the water, just in case kids have an accident. The pool is on a closed-loop chlorine-filtration system that neutralizes any water flowing into the Snake River.

The Leisure Pool is the largest pool in the park and is designed for families and groups. Its temperature hovers around 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

THE SCOOP Astoria Hot Springs Park is open seven days a week year round with four 2.5-hour soaking sessions starting at 9 a.m. each day. Each session is open to a limited number of soakers. Pool passes cost $18 for adults and $14 for kids ages 2–12. Younger children are free. Locals (Teton Counties, Wyoming and Idaho, and Sublette and Lincoln Counties, Wyoming) can soak for $14 ($10 for kids).

Reservations are recommended and can be made at astoriahotspringspark.org. JH

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EXPLORE STARGAZING

Star Power Jackson Hole is great for stargazing: Our high elevation allows observers to view celestial objects through less atmosphere than in areas closer to sea level, and our dry air doesn't bend the light given off by these objects like the water vapor in more humid air does.

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The dark skies of Jackson Hole are perfect for stargazing. // BY SAMANTHA SIMMA

O

n a clear and moonless night on Antelope Flats, the sky overhead is an inky navy dotted with dense smatterings of stars and the hazy-yet-colorful expanse of the Milky Way galaxy.

The western horizon is jagged with the snaggled outline of the Tetons, while, to the east, the skyline rolls away to the mellower Gros Ventre mountains.

According to Italy’s Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute, four

out of five Americans cannot see the Milky Way, the 100 billion-star galaxy to which our solar system belongs, from their homes. In Jackson Hole, you can see the Milky Way, and thousands of other celestial objects. “We have some of the darkest skies of anywhere in the country,” says Samuel Singer, who, in 2013, founded Wyoming Stargazing, which leads nightly stargazing safaris around Grand Teton National Park.

few places are darker— " Anational parks in the South-

JOHN DOBSON AND TELESCOPE BUILDING Having invented the Dobsonian telescope, amateur astronomer John Dobson shared the steps to build your own in the 1992 film Telescope Building with John Dobson, which is now available on YouTube. In just 90 minutes, you too can learn to create the original sidewalk astronomer’s invention. Dobson inspired amateur astronomers around the globe by making the activity more accessible via the portable, easyto-use device he created. Before his death in 2014, Dobson made it his life's work to travel the country and conduct public lectures and stargazing performances that were deemed “sidewalk astronomy.” Jackson’s own “telescope guy” Samuel Singer says of his work through Wyoming Stargazing, “I definitely consider myself part of his ongoing legacy.”

west, which have drier air and are father from cities— but Jackson Hole still has amazingly dark night skies.”

PRICE CHAMBERS

—WYOMING STARGAZING FOUNDER SAMUEL SINGER

“A few places are darker—national parks in the Southwest, which have drier air and are father from cities—but Jackson Hole still has amazingly dark night skies.”

Besides lacking the levels of light pollution that plague metropolitan areas, Jackson Hole’s high elevation allows observers to view celestial objects through less atmosphere than in areas closer to sea level. Adding to this recipe for ideal stargazing conditions, our dry mountain air doesn’t bend the light given off by these objects like the water vapors in more humid air does. In the winter, stargazing conditions are at their best: “The colder air holds less moisture so the sky is crisper and more stable,” Singer says.

Singer, whose father introduced him to stargazing, got his first telescope at age 10. However, it was the film Telescope

Building with John Dobson (see sidebar), which Singer saw in his first astronomy class as a junior in high school, that made him passionate about the night sky. Before he graduated from high school, Singer started to build his own telescope— a Dobsonian telescope with a 14.5-inch mirror that alone took 200 hours to grind and polish; it took Singer another 200 hours to build the mount. Singer completed the telescope while an undergrad at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Once finished, he took to setting it up around campus and inviting other students to have a look through it. (Not surprisingly, Singer became known as “the telescope guy.”) It was while introducing fellow students to the night sky that he realized how much he enjoyed teaching. After graduating from Hampshire College, Singer went to graduate school at the University of Wyoming and earned a PhD in science education in 2013.

Participants in Wyoming Stargazing’s tours get to use much larger telescopes—with mirrors between 20 and 25 inches in diameter—than the one Singer made for himself.

These are capable of viewing closer objects like the Moon and planets in detail and pick up on fainter, farther celestial objects like the spiral structure of Bode’s Galaxy. In the winter in Jackson Hole, you can see the Orion Nebula, the Gemini constellation, star clusters in Cassiopeia, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters star cluster, among other galaxies and constellations. “As the Earth orbits the Sun throughout the year, our nighttime faces out toward a different part of the universe,” Singer says. “So, the constellations and all the deep-space objects we can see change as we get a different perspective of the cosmos.”

THE DETAILS Each Wyoming Stargazing tour is private and customized to the group’s curiosities, from distant galaxies to the rings of Saturn or astrophotography. Tours with a stargazing leader are $500 for up to two people and $175/person for 3–13 people. A private stargazing tour with Singer is $750 for up to 3 people and $250/person for 4–13 people. A schedule of the organization’s public programs is available at wyomingstargazing.org, 844/WYO-STAR. JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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AMBER BAESLER

JACKSON HOLE OBSERVATORY The goal of Wyoming Stargazing is to impact one million students via in-person and virtual programming by 2030. A key component of reaching this goal is the establishment of an observatory and planetarium at the summit of Snow King Mountain.

Building of the facility started last summer. The facility will include a 20foot AstroHaven dome and a research grade 1.0-meter PlaneWave telescope.

Construction of the planetarium is projected to begin in 2023, with plans for it to include a 10-meter dome, 55 seats, and a state-of-the-art digitalprojection system.

TIME TRAVEL

A telescope is equal parts magnifying device and time machine. Light takes time to reach our eyes—about one second for every 186,000 miles. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year—about 6 trillion miles—and is the unit of measurement for how far celestial objects are from Earth. The number of light-years away a star is located is also how many years it takes that star’s light to reach us. For example, Betelgeuse, Singer’s favorite star and the second-brightest star in the Orion constellation, is 642.5 light-years away. “Everything in the night sky, we can only see in the past,” Singer explains. “The farther away it is, the further back into the past we are seeing.” The light we see from Betelgeuse today left the star during the start of China’s Ming Dynasty and while the European Renaissance was in its infancy.

TIME FROM THE EARTH TO: 150

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STARGAZE ON YOUR OWN You don’t need a guide to enjoy our night skies. In the evening hours, any of the pullouts along Highway 287 north of the Jackson Hole Airport serve well as stargazing locations. On a clear night, common constellations can be seen with the naked eye and identified with the aid of a star chart or an app like Star Walk. You don’t necessarily need to commit to a telescope right away.

Using a pair of binoculars like the C.3 12x50 ($425), built by Lander-based Maven Outdoor Equipment, will bring thousands of faraway objects into clearer view including the Moon’s craters. If you’re interested in seeing more, like the rings of Saturn and Jupiter’s cloud bands, the Orion SkyQuest XT8 ($599) is a good entrylevel telescope option.

THE MOON

MARS

THE SUN

THE CENTER OF THE MILKY WAY

LIGHT SECONDS

LIGHT MINUTES

LIGHT MINUTES

THOUSAND

1.3 4.35 8.32 26 LIGHT-YEARS

WHAT TO LOOK UP FOR THIS WINTER GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER DECEMBER 13–14

At its peak, this meteor shower is expected to produce 120 meteors per hour.

QUADRANTIDS METEOR SHOWER JANUARY 3–4

This year is good for the Quadrantids because of an early-setting crescent moon. Expect up to 40 meteors per hour.

MERCURY ELONGATION

SCENIC-SAFARIS.COM 307-734-8898 | JACKSON,WY

FEBRUARY 4

Mercury reaches its highest point above the horizon just before sunrise.

MAKEMAKE AT OPPOSITION MARCH 28

RUGILE KALADYTE

Just after dusk, the dwarf planet Makemake will be visible about 22 degrees above the eastern horizon; it reaches its highest point (69 degrees above the southern horizon) around midnight. JH

THE NORTH STAR (POLARIS)

BODE’S GALAXY

WHIRLPOOL GALAXY

320 12.5 25 LIGHT-YEARS

MILLION

LIGHT-YEARS

Managing Vacation Rental Properties in Idaho’s Teton Valley Since 1992

MILLION

LIGHT-YEARS

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EXPLORE FAT BIKING

Riders on the Snow Fat bikes are silly looking, but make for serious fun. // BY DINA MISHEV

“C

lown bike.” “Cartoonish.” “Ridiculous.” Fat bikes and fat biking have been called all of these things in recent articles in publications as esteemed as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Outside. People love to lampoon the sport, which uses bikes with tires up to five inches wide to ride on packed snow. But, read any article about fat biking through to the end, and you’ll see people also just plain love it.

“I love it for its ridiculousness,” says Kelly Biscombe, who

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bought her first fat bike last winter. “It is just so fun—it feels like riding on the moon—and it allows me to have a whole season of biking outside that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

And fat biking is easy: the size of fat bike tires makes fat bikes more stable than any other type of bicycle and, unlike mountain biking, basic fat biking requires no technical skills. “It is totally not intimidating,” Biscombe says. “Speeds are much slower than on a road or mountain bike. It’s a fun sport for

ESSENTIAL FAT BIKING GEAR

As far as clothing, fat biking is similar to Nordic skiing in that you’ll be most comfortable when dressed in layers.

Montane’s Dart Thermo Zip Neck is a soft,stretchy, and breathable baselayer that, thanks to a Polygiene treated fabric won’t get stinky after one ride. $65 The Vigor Plus Jacket (pictured below) is Outdoor Research’s most breathable and stretchiest midlayer. The low-bulk jacket, which also comes as a hoodie, even offers a bit of weather resistance. $149 If you tend to run cold, consider Pearl Izumi’s Attack AmFIB Lite Jacket, a form-fitting, waterproof, windproof softshell, as your midlayer. Thermal fleece fabric on the back ensures you won’t suffer from sweaty-back. $150 On the coldest days, or when it’s time to ride downhill, we love Outdoor Research’s Helium Insulated Hoodie. It’s the lightest, most packable insulated jacket we’ve found. When we don’t need it, we stuff it into our frame bag; when we do need it, it keeps us wonderfully warm (and the hood fits perfectly over a bike helmet). $199

AARON COUCH

Pearl Izumi’s AmFIB tights don’t have a chamois in them, which we love because we can then use them for other high-intensity sports, like Nordic skiing. They are built for winter biking though, with a water-repellant softshell fabric on the front of the legs, butt, and back of the ankles, and thermal fleece behind the knees. $130

Fat biking on Togwotee Pass

If you’re not a tights person, go for POC’s Ardour All-Weather pants (shown above) or Nørrona’s Fjørå Flex1 Pants. About the Ardours—as breathable as they are stretchy, the pants use two different waterproof fabrics to maximize comfort and performance; adding Cordura to the seat and below the knees is just showing off. The Fjørå pants are water repellent, durable, and stretchy and perfect for biking because of their higher waist (no worrying about your buttcrack showing), Velcro ankle tightening, and full-length, mesh-lined side vents with two-way zippers. Ardour, $250; Fjørå, $199 Nørrona’s Fjørå Infinium Gloves (pictured here) were developed specifically for biking in cold and dry conditions. $89

everyone—it makes me feel like a kid again—and is all about the experience of being outside and experiencing winter in a totally different way.”

Like any sport, fat biking offers a range of adventures—from mellow rides on the valley’s extensive pathway system or on trails groomed for Nordic

If your hands get cold easily, try Peal Izumi's touchscreen-compatible AmFIB Lobster Gel Glove, which provides the warmth of a mitten but still has the dexterity for you to operate shifters and brakes. $85 For a midride snack, Honey Stinger’s Short Stack Waffles won’t break your teeth if they freeze, and they really taste like a maple-syrup-covered stack of pancakes. $18 for 12.

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EXPLORE FAT BIKING

like riding on the moon—and it allows me to have a whole season of biking outside that I wouldn’t have otherwise."

—KELLY BISCOMBE

NICK BEAT T Y

It is just so "fun—it feels

Fat bikers enjoy a groomed trail in southern Teton Valley.

skiing at Turpin Meadow Ranch to tackling the more difficult singletrack trails around Cache Creek in the Bridger-Teton National Forest or the Mike Harris trailhead near the base of the western side of Teton Pass. In the middle are the groomed trails at Grand Targhee Resort, which include wide trails also used by Nordic skiers and singletrack specifically groomed for fat bikers.

But, as fun and accessible as fat biking is, it is condition dependent. “The conditions for fat biking are usually good when ski conditions are bad,” Biscombe says. “You don’t want to fat bike when there’s a lot of new snow. Last winter we had a dry spell and I rode every day, but then it snowed and I didn’t touch my fat bike for weeks.”

As much as the giant tires float on top of

snow, there’s a limit. If there’s too much fresh snow—usually about two inches when there’s a groomed track underneath—you’ll find your tires slipping, the treads unable to get enough purchase. Neither do you want to fat bike when the temperature is above freezing. Slushy trails are more work to ride on, and, most importantly, riding on soft, wet snow ruins the trails for other users like Nordic skiers by creating deep ruts. Almost all areas with shared-use trails have regulations about when fat bikes are allowed; generally these can be summarized as, “if you’re leaving a rut, you shouldn’t be riding.”

Fat bikes are available to rent from valley bike stores, at Grand Targhee Resort, and at Turpin Meadow Ranch. Grand Targhee was the first ski resort in the country to open its

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FAT BIKING The first Iditabike is held. Minnesotan Dave Zink wins the 210-mile out-and-back race along the first section of the Iditarod sled-dog racecourse. Zink finishes in nearly 34 hours and pushes his bike for half of the distance.

1987 2005 Surly releases the first mass-produced fat bike, the Pugsley. It has four-inch tires.

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Alaskan Steve Baker welds two standard mountain bike rims together, laces them to four-flange hubs, and mounts a tire on each rim to create a double-wide “tire” measuring 4.4 inches

Simon Rowaker develops a 1.7” (44mm) wide rim called the Snowcat; it is the largest production rim.

1988

EARLY 1990s

2007

2010

Alaska-based Fatback releases fat bikes with symmetrical frames and ultrawide hubs and rims, allowing for better flotation while reducing weight.

Salsa releases its first fat bike, the Mukluk.

WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

2012 Grand Targhee becomes the first ski area in the country to allow fat bikes, conditions permitting, on its groomed Nordic trails.

Dan Hanebrink of Hanebrink Bikes develops the Extreme Terrain Bike.

It has 20-inch-diameter, 8-inchwide tires designed to ride on snow, sand, and slickrock.

1991 2013 Salsa releases a carbon-fiber fat bike, the Beargrease. Sales of the ‘grease exceed predications by a factor of four.

Nordic trail network to fat bikers and remains the only resort in the area to allow fat bikes. It now has 10 miles of groomed trails shared by Nordic skiers, fat bikers, and snowshoers and six miles of groomed singletrack trails specifically for fat bikers.

Turpin Meadow Ranch, in Buffalo Valley about a one-hour drive north of down-

town Jackson, also has about 10 miles of groomed shared-use trails, and six miles of fat biking singletrack trails. Teton Bike Tours (tetonmtbike.com) does half- and full-day guided fat bike tours that include a bike and helmet (the company also offers rentals if you want to explore on your own).

Find fat biking trails at JHNordic.com.

Pogies keep a rider’s hands warm without compromising dexterity.

ANATOMY OF A FAT BIKE

A frame bag holds layers and snacks.

To accommodate a fat bike’s wide wheels, the forks on fat bike frames are much wider than those on a mountain bike.

Fat bike hubs, on which the wheels rotate, are usually 135 mm in the front and 170 mm in the rear.

DINA MISHEV

Fat bike rims are usually about 100 mm wide. The wider the rim, the bigger the tire it can take. The bigger the rims and tire, the better the bike will float on top of snow.

Standard mountain bike tires are about 2.4 inches in width. Fat bike tires are between 3.7 and 5.2 inches. Tires can be studded or not.

Ray “Remolina” Molina, an adventure cyclist in New Mexico, cuts two Snowcats up the center and welds in additional aluminum to create 80mm rims.

He develops a 3.5-inch-wide tire, the Chevron, and finds a company in Mexico to manufacture both.

1996 2013 A group begins snowshoe packing a couple of miles of the singletrack trails in Cache Creek to demonstrate to the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) there is a need and desire by fat bikers for grooming.

To increase traction on snow and ice, fat bike tires are kept “soft” and inflated to only between 6 and 10 PSI. (Mountain bike tires are usually between 30 and 40 PSI; road bike tires are kept between 90 and 120 PSI.) Fat bikes typically weigh between 26 and 40 pounds.

A 1x drivetrain—meaning there is only one chainring on the crankset—makes room for larger rims and tires with less weight.

Bike manufacturer Surly launches. Making steel bikes exclusively, the company quickly develops a reputation for edgy rides.

1998 2014 Fat biking is the fastest-growing market segment in the cycling industry.

Alaskan Mark Groneweld pairs Remolina rims with a custom frame— the first modern fat bike is born.

1999 2016 BTNF grants local nonprofit Friends of Pathways (FOP) approval to officially start grooming singletrack trails in Cache Creek for fat bikers.

The first Iditasport Impossible, a 1,000-mile version of the Iditabike (and now called the Iditarod Sport Invitational), is held. The winner completes the course in 15 days.

2000 2021 FOP earmarks about $5,000 annually for grooming 12 miles of fat biking trails in Cache Creek.

This year the nonprofit must also spend about $14,000 on a new snowmachine and grooming attachment. JH

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EXPLORE GO! JACKSON

JUST A FEW THINGS TO DO IN

JACKSON HOLE

Go to jacksonholemagazine.com for more details.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

JACKSON

yH ike up the Snow King bootpack (p. 36).

TETON VILLAGE

y Ride the new Summit Gondola at Snow King (p. 36).

y T ake a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge (p. 108).

y Ice skate at the Village Commons (p. 108).

y Catch a performance at the Center for the Arts (p. 76).

y B ite into a burger (p. 64).

y Enjoy a drink in the bringing-the-outsidein-inspired lobby at The Cloudveil (p. 80). y Try fat biking up Cache Creek (p. 152).

yC heck out the latest public art installation at ArtSpot (p. 72). yH onk in support of Tim McLaurin’s daily dancing on the Town Square (p. 50).

yA près-ski at the Mangy Moose or Handle Bar (p. 108). y Get a fresh waffle at Corbet’s Cabin (p. 70).

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK y S nowshoe to Bradley or Taggart Lakes, or on the Inner Park Loop Road (p. 108). y T ake a Stargazing Safari (p. 148).

WILSON

FARTHER AFIELD

y Admire the Bircher Barns at the Teton Raptor Center (p. 56).

y Try dog sledding (p. 108).

y Skate on the ice rink at Owen Bircher Park (p. 108). y Snap a photo with the “Howdy Stranger” sign at the top of Teton Pass (p. 46).

y Snowmobile into Yellowstone National Park (p. 108).

y Soak in hot mineral waters at Astoria Hot Springs Park (p. 138). y Go Nordic skiing in Teton Valley (p. 108).

y Head out on a wildlife safari (p. 108).

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CALENDAR SAVE THE DATE WINTER 2022

DECEMBER 04 HOLIDAY ART BAZAAR The Art Association’s 57th annual Holiday Art Bazaar is a juried fair showcasing handcrafted ceramics, jewelry, paintings, photography, woodwork, textiles, body care, knitted wares, and more from area artists. Snow King Hotel’s Grand Teton Room; artassociation.org

JACKSON HOLE DOWNHILL

This open community downhill ski race organized by the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club has been one of spring’s most popular events since it started in 1982; divisions include pro, am, snowboard, telemark, junior, and “fat & baggy.” Teton Village; jhskiclub.org

31 NEW YEAR’S EVE IN TETON VILLAGE Celebrate the New Year in Teton Village with fireworks; the festivities start at 6 p.m. Teton Village; jacksonhole.com

MARCH

JANUARY

11-13

JACKSON HOLE SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB

B R A D LY J . B O N E R

Events below are based on information and Covid-19 conditions/restrictions as of early November 2021. Please check with organizers to make sure the global pandemic has not further affected their event.

ONGOING JACKSON HOLE MOOSE HOCKEY Home games (at Snow King Arena) start at 7:30 Friday and Saturday nights. moose.pucksystems2.com SLEIGH RIDES Between December 13 and early April, sleigh rides into the National Elk Refuge depart daily between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. nersleighrides.com JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT Its 2,500 acres and 4,139 vertical feet of terrain are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through April 10. jacksonhole.com SNOW KING MOUNTAIN Lifts open daily from December 4, 2021 to March 27, 2022. Hours: Monday– Friday 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

(Summit Gondola closes at 4 p.m. daily). snowkingmountain.com NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART This museum takes an expansive view of the wildlife art genre with its 5,000-plus-piece permanent collection. wildlifeart.org

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

24–30 NATURAL SELECTION TOUR Watch some of the world’s best snowboarders compete head-to-head, doing freestyle tricks on big mountain terrain. Teton Village; naturalselectiontour.com 28–FEBRUARY 5 PEDIGREE STAGE STOP SLED DOG RACE Mushers and their dog teams start in Jackson and race seven stages around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. wyomingstagestop.org

FEBRUARY

11–18 KINGS & QUEENS OF CORBET'S Skiers compete to see who can ski Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s most iconic run with the most style. Teton Village; jacksonhole.com

MARCH 10–12 JACKSON HOLE FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL Celebrate food, wine, sprits, and brews at this three-day event. jhfoodandwine.com 24–27 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SNOWMOBILE HILL CLIMB Watch amateur and professional snowmobilers race to Snow King’s summit. Snow King Mountain; snowdevils.org

APRIL 01–03 JACKSON HOLE RENDEZVOUS FESTIVAL This spring lifestyle and music festival has events on the Town Square and in Teton Village. jacksonhole.com

EXPLORE

AS THE HOLE DEEPENS

Recreational Road Rage for Dummies // BY TIM SANDLIN // ILLUSTRATIONS BY BIRGITTA SIF

S

o, here is a true story, or at least as true as I ever allow. Sometimes the endings get away from me.

Last August, up at the semi-new Gros Ventre traffic circle, a man with L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E tattooed in blue ink on his knuckles cut his extendedcab Chevy Tahoe—Nevada plates—in front a tourist driving a Hyundai hybrid.

Nevada man had a toddler strapped into a baby chair in the second row of seats. Hyundai man—Florida dealer plates—had a wife who was listening to a book on tape through ear pods in the passenger seat and two teenagers Snapchatting in back.

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WINTER 2022 | JACKSON HOLE

Nevada man roared through the Yield sign on the Kelly side of the circle without so much as a glance to the left.

Florida man slammed on the brakes, which made his wife lurch into the glove box and the kids in back not wearing seatbelts spew whatever liquid was in the Slurpee cups they had tucked between their legs.

PaulBoy—time to use names instead of license plates—smashed his horn with his left hand and flipped the bird with his right, while his wife chewed him out as if the near wreck was on purpose. Her name was and still is Nicolette.

The man in the Tahoe—Claude— stopped in the center of the right lane and jumped out of the truck, leaving the toddler to fend for himself. PaulBoy sprang from the Hyundai, and they both charged. Without a word of rage, the two men commenced to punch each other senseless.

I wasn’t there. I got the full story from Maurey Pierce, who blocked the far lane and saw it all.

“There was more blood than I expected,” Maurey said. “Nose spray and the car man bit the truck man’s chin.

Practically tore it off.”

“Why did you expect less blood?”

I asked.

“Have you ever observed when two men fight, they try to incapacitate the other—knock him out cold—whereas when two women fight, the goal is to make your opponent ugly. They pull hair and scratch eyes out. On the street, you never see a woman throw a left hook.”

“That sounds fairly sexist,” I said, which is what I always say when someone says, “Men do it this way and women do it that way.”

T

he toddler started yowling, and Nicolette went over to comfort the baby, but Claude took it the wrong way. He ran to the truck, reached into the front console, and pulled out a pistol.

He growled, “No one kidnaps my Vermillion.”

Nicolette blinked in some confusion. “I was babysitting, I wasn’t kidnapping. And who names a child Vermillion?”

“It was my mother’s name.”

“Yeah, well, you ran off to beat up my husband, so I figured somebody had to take care of the child.

You’re going to warp this kid to no end, bleeding like a stuck pig in front of him.”

“Oh.” “If you don’t look out, he’ll grow up to be like you.”

T

he teenagers in the Hyundai never glanced up from their Snapchat. The last thing they cared about was reality.

And the onlookers did what Americans always do in a crisis these days, they started filming. First with the live upload gets the clicks.

That’s when Rustin Cobb, the ranger in charge of mask enforcement on the south end of Grand Teton showed up, lights and siren blasting.

Rustin leapt from his Park Service SUV, waved his iPad like a billy club, and yelled, “Where are your masks?”

Claude slipped his pistol back in the truck.

Nicolette rocked the baby and sang, “Freedom isn’t free, you’ve got to sacrifice, you’ve got to pay the price, for your liberty.”

“You got that right,” Rustin said. He wrote them all tickets for $70 each and passed out blue hospital masks. Some-

how in the chaos, Nicolette ended up in handcuffs while Claude and PaulBoy shared a beer.

“W

hat I don’t understand is why there’s so much rampant road rage this summer,” Maurey said later when we social distanced on the walking path behind the post office.

I tutted like I thought she was naïve and I wasn’t. “For one thing, there’s hordes more tourists this summer than ever before. Fifty thousand a day coming through on roads built for smalltown America. They flock here to escape the stress of not living here only to find themselves in three-mile-long traffic jams, not to mention two-hour waits for a table at a restaurant where the waitress on her 14th hour of work both scorns and fears anyone outside her Instagram feed.”

Here are the gradations of road rage: 1) the two-handed WTF shrug, 2) the shaken fist, 3) the leaned-on horn, and 4) the bird flip. Now that Wyoming has made it legal to shoot anyone who makes a person feel threatened, we may be headed for a fifth level of traffic psychosis.

Maurey continued as I ruminated tiers of anger: “The point of a vacation is to have fun. Chill out. Stop shunning every stranger you come in contact with.

That is why we take vacations. To relax.”

“Relax is no longer a word in English. Our problem this summer is too many amateur tourists. They’ve been trapped in lockdown hell for over a year. Somehow they came up with the notion Wyoming would be open.”

Maurey said, “I blame the Chamber of Commerce.”

“Then they get cut off at an intersection or suffer through childhood toilet panics in a traffic stoppage, or someone either with or without a mask jumps in their face, and they delaminate.”

Maurey made a noise that sounded like huff. “That may be so, but the next bozo who delaminates in front of me’s going to get his head twisted.”

“That’s the cowboy spirit.” JH JACKSON HOLE | WINTER 2022

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MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR DONALD RUNNICLES

The Grand Teton Music Festival’s mission to provide exhilarating musical experiences does not stop when the summer ends.

As part of our commitment to share our passion for music, GTMF provides a variety of events and community programs throughout the year. We greatly appreciate the support of our community, donors, board, musicians and staff, all which help to ensure that great music in Jackson continues.

Join us for our 2022 Festival, July 3-August 27.

Photo: Katie Cooney

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