CULTURE
The Liftie Life
OUTSIDE
Fun Beyond Skiing
DESIGN
Mountain Modern Homes
GETTING OUT
Raptor Rehab
magazine
Jackson Hole
WINTER 2014
DISPLAY UNTIL 4/30/2014
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[COMPLIMENTARY COPY]
Thrive or
Survive?
Some wildlife revel in winter. Other animals merely endure our harshest season.
ExcEllEncE in Art SincE 1963.
Images clockwise from above left: Interior shot of Trailside Galleries in Jackson Hole, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Gathering, 40 x 60 inches, Oil. Dustin Van Wechel, The Interlopers, 24 x 18 inches, Oil. Gary Ernest Smith, Red Barn In September, 30 x 42 inches, Oil.
J A c k S o n H o l E A r t A u c t i o n i S c u r r E n t lY AccEpting conSignMEntS for tHE 2014 Auction
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Jackson Hole
Page
Features 58 Jackson Hole Nonskiing Winter Guide
P H O T O G A L L E RY
Photography by henry h. holdsworth
80
80 Thrive or Survive?
BY kelsey dayton
72
The Liftie Life
86 Forty Years of Solitude
It’s a simple job, but loading lifts can change lives.
As a winterkeeper, Steven Fuller has lived in Yellowstone longer than anyone else.
By todd wilkinson
Skiing is great, but there’s much more to do here.
BY reed finlay with rebecca huntington and dani spence
Some animals merely endure winter, others thrive.
ON THE COVER: “They were stampeding at full speed and were a couple of seconds from running me over,” says photographer Henry H. Holdsworth about the four bison in Homestretch, which he shot in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. “I don’t know if one of them got an itch and took off and the rest followed or what. I didn’t see the start.” Holdsworth says it’s only “a couple of times a year” that he sees bison run at full speed. “It’s especially rare in winter; usually they like to take their time and saunter along,” he says. Just as he was deciding which way to dive out of this group’s path—they were about thirty meters distant—the bison took a hard right and went down an embankment to Soda Butte Creek. “It certainly got my blood pressure up,” Holdsworth says. 6
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
HENRY H. HOLDSWORTH
Winter 2014
Unmatched Experience. Exceptional Results.
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172 Center Street PO Box 4859 Jackson, WY 83001 www.altamiraart.com (307)739-4700
THE COEUR D’ALENE ART AUCTION Fine 19th and 20th Century Western and American Art
Frederic Remington (1861–1909), Cutting Out Pony Herds (1908), oil on canvas, 27 × 40 inches, Sold at Auction: $5,625,000
The 2013 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction realized exceptional sales reaching a total of $30.5 million. The single largest event in the field of classic Western & American art saw over 98% of all lots selling at the July 27th sale in Reno, Nevada.
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We are now accepting quality consignments for our 2014 Auction to be held in Reno. For more information visit our website at www.cdaartauction.com THE COEUR D’ALENE ART AUCTION 8836 North Hess St., Suite B Hayden, Id. 83835 tel: 208-772-9009 e: info@cdaartauction.com
Jackson Hole
Winter 2014
JH Living
Tetonscapes
G2 Gloves, Ice Skating for Everyone, 100 Years of the Moulton Barn, and improv comedy with Laff Staff
Our favorites this season
Best of JH
locals
getting out
Teri Davis, Dom Gagliardi, and Daniel Tisi
Ski mountaineering with Exum
BY DINA MISHEV
28
piqued
32 Meet Some Jacksonites
on the job
112 Pull the Trigger
Jackson Hole Shooting Experience
Fitting ski boots is a serious job.
BY Dina mishev
By jeff burke
business
38 Foot Fetishists
42 Punishing and Polished
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has grown up.
BY dina mishev
DESIGN
An increasingly popular architectural style takes cues from the landscape.
By MOLLY LOOMIS
46 Mountain Modern
looking back
94 Après-Ski
A ski day doesn’t stop with the lifts.
By MOLLY ABSOLON
OUTDOORS
98 Lungs, Not Lifts
The sport of randonee racing is growing.
By DINA MISHEV
As the hole deepens 102 Nature Abhors an Empty Bedroom
10
107 Live to Ski
By Tim Sandlin
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
116 EnRAPTured
Teton Raptor Center saves lives.
BY Molly loomis
BODY & SOUL
Saunas, steam rooms, and hot springs are good for you.
BY brielle schaeffer
NIGHTLIFE
BY jaYME feary
DINING
Our area’s artisan butchers are a cut above the rest.
BY SUE MUNCASTER
Art Scene
Page
120 Turn Up the Heat
124 Dance the Night Away
Kick up your heels cowboy-style.
Page
116
BRADLY J. BONER
22
128 Meat Your Butcher
140 A Flurry of Creativity
Dance, music, and visual arts
By Richard anderson
156 jackson hole MAPPED 158 Calendar of Events
NATE PADAVICK
20
155 WEST BROADWAY JACKSON, WY 83001 307.733.0905 INFO@DIEHLGALLERY.COM DIEHLGALLERY.COM
Greetings from the Editor BRADLY J. BONER
I love Jackson Hole. This morning I got up early, was first in line at Persephone Bakery Café (“double espresso and a chocolate croissant,please”), drove to the top of Teton Pass, skied powder for ninety minutes, and got back to town just as the library opened. Still in my ski clothes, I nabbed a table in the back corner, near the gas fireplace and the magazine rack, and did some serious work for the next several hours. It’s now past lunch. I want to finish writing this before meeting a girlfriend at Bin22 for an afternoon snack of chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates. Then it’s over to the Center for the Arts, where the Art Association has its annual Art Heist fundraiser. How many areas offer this amount of diversity—flaky croissants to fresh powder, fabulous food, and an art fundraiser—in a single day? Jackson Hole—and visitors, know that Jackson Hole refers to the entire valley, and Jackson is the valley’s main town—might have more things to do and see than cities ten times its size. Of course there’s skiing, whether at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, recently ranked by SKI Magazine readers as the No. 1 overall ski resort on the continent, or up in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). This issue’s business story (p. 42) traces
the transformation of the former from a no-frills, experts-only mountain to a world-class, family friendly destination resort. To cover the skiing in GTNP, I signed on with Exum Mountain Guides for their Live to Ski camp (p. 107). But Jackson Hole, even in winter, is about so much more than skiing. Writer Kelsey Dayton suggests several other options, from dog sledding to snowmobiling, tubing, ice climbing, and sleigh rides (p. 58). One of the valley’s fiercest hockey players and also a fabulous writer, Allison Arthur pairs up with illustrator Nate Padavick (who also did our Go! JH map on p. 156) to share all the different places you can ice skate— figure and hockey—in the valley (p. 22). Did you know Jackson Hole has its own improv comedy troupe? Meet Laff Staff (p. 26). Steve Fuller has lived in Yellowstone National Park longer than anyone else. Fuller’s isolated life as a winterkeeper at Canyon isn’t something you can experience yourself, but journalist Todd Wilkinson gives us insight into it (p. 86). Wilkinson has long written for this magazine, and copy editor Pamela Periconi and I agree this might be his best piece yet. Fuller’s life may also be one of the most interesting you’ll ever read about. But, of course, I hope you find everything you read about in this issue interesting. — Dina Mishev P.S. Make sure to check in with jacksonholemagazine.com for original content and interviews with valley personalities.
visit us in jackson 840 West Broadway 307-733-0247 12
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
magazine
Jackson Hole
Winter 2014 // jacksonholemagazine.com
What is your favorite nonskiing winter activity? Publisher
Watching ski races … there’s usually one about every weekend between Snow King and JHMR.
Kevin Olson Monday trivia night at Local Bar.
Editor
Dina Mishev ART DIRECTOR
Wayne Smith Skating at the Wilson rink with my husband and meeting up with friends for a pick-up hockey game.
Photo Editor
Bradly J. Boner
Drinking red chai tea at Lotus Cafe.
COPY EDITOR
Pamela Periconi Contributing Writers
Molly Absolon Lucy Flood Richard Anderson Rebecca Huntington Allison Arthur Molly Loomis Snowshoeing in Grand Jeff Burke Sue Muncaster Teton National Park! Kelsey Dayton Tim Sandlin Jayme Feary Brielle Schaeffer Reed Finlay Dani Spence Todd Wilkinson Indoor climbing at Enclosure climbing gym. Contributing Photographers Price Chambers Jeffrey Kaphan Steven Fuller Matthew Millman Henry H. Holdsworth Paulette Phlipot David Stubbs
Laps in the pool at the rec center.
Schlepping a big picnic into Yellowstone’s Huckleberry Hot Springs.
Skating (hockey skates) on any big mountain lake. It’s heaven.
Director of advertising
Adam Meyer Spa day at Teton Springs.
Advertising Sales
Deidre Norman Advertising Account Coordinator
Heather Best Ad Design & Production
Going to a Moose hockey game.
Lydia Wanner Brand manager
Amy Golightly DISTRIBUTION
Wednesday night Bingo at the Elks Lodge.
Hank Smith Jeff Young
Pat Brodnik Kyra Griffin
Cocktails and apps at the bar at the Snake River Grill.
Office Manager
Kathleen Godines
© 2014 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) 733-2047, E-mail: dina@jhmagazine.com. Visit www.jacksonholemagazine.com. WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
13
Contributors KISMET RUGS: serving jackson’s hole since 1990
A native of Eagle River, Alaska, Brielle Schaeffer (“Turn Up the Heat,” p. 120) studied journalism at Washington State University. She is now a reporter for the Jackson Hole News&Guide, where the Wyoming Press Association has recognized her writing with awards. When not working, Schaeffer plays roller derby on the Jackson Hole Juggernauts.
The images of award-winning photojournalist David Stubbs have been appearing in Jackson Hole magazine for years (“Live to Ski,” p. 107). His work has been published in more than thirty countries; clients include The New York Times, the Rockefeller Foundation, Toyota, and local groups such as The Jackson Hole Land Trust, The Snake River Fund, and Exum. View his work at www.davidstubbs.com.
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JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Illustrator Nate Padavick nailed our GO! JH map (p. 156) so perfectly two years ago, we’re still using it. This issue, he illustrates the valley’s ice skating rinks and ponds (“The Cutting Edge,” p. 22). Padavick has also created maps for The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, Bicycle Times, and the tourism boards of Denmark and Australia. Buy his Jackson Hole maps at jhmarketplace.com.
WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
15
Jack Stout
307-413-7118 (c) 307-733-4339 (o) Jackstout1@gmail.com jhrealestate.com Associate Broker/Owner Licensed in Wyoming since 1992
Doug Herrick
307-413-8899 dherrick@jhrealestate.com Associate Broker / Owner 33 years of Jackson Hole real estate experience... Residential, Commercial, Ranch Development
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celebrating 10 years
Teton
scapes entrepreneur
G2 Gloves Basic, burly, and branded NINE YEARS AGO, Forest “Gage” Reichert, a ski instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) since 1992, borrowed a friend’s brander. He planted the resort’s iconic bucking bronco symbol on the backside of his leather gloves. Today, Reichert is the founder, president, brander, and quality-control supervisor of G2 Gloves (www.G2gloves.com). G2—there are two G’s in Gage, plus his son is named Griffon—sells no-frills, branded elkskin, deerskin, cowhide, and pigskin gloves in stores across the Mountain West and online around the world. JHMR’s bucking bronco was only the tip of the iceberg. Today, Reichert, a fly-fishing guide when he’s not ski instructing, fills his downtime branding not only broncos, but also skiers, fish, and custom logos onto gloves. In 2012, he branded and sold more than three thousand pairs. “The gloves came out of the Jackson Hole Ski School locker room,” Reichert says. Reichert’s friend and fellow ski instructor, Chris Leveroni, had a small electric branding iron of the Wyoming cowboy. Reichert, like many JHMR on-mountain workers, used heavy-duty, insulated, leather Kinco work gloves bought from a valley hardware store. Looking to make his more interesting, he borrowed Leveroni’s brander. Friends noticed and asked Reichert to make them some. He soon bought his own bucking bronco brand and a stockpile of leather gloves. He sold these early pairs out of the ski school locker room. The more pairs he made and sold to friends, the more people came to him asking for their own. It wasn’t too long before strangers were calling him to inquire about the gloves. Reichert realized he might be onto something. (He also realized 20
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
BRADLY J. BONER
BY JEFF BURKE
the bucking bronco is the property of the University of Wyoming; Reichert now pays royalties to the school.)
Forest “Gage” Reichert, founder of G2 Gloves, didn’t plan on starting a business. He just wanted his utilitarian ski/work gloves to have some personality.
G2 GLOVES APPEAL to both locals and visitors. For out-of-towners, the allure is a connection to their Jackson Hole skiing experience. “Everyone who skis at Jackson wants something to remember their trip by,” Reichert says. One option is an overpriced, possibly tawdry, definitely unremarkable souvenir T-shirt. Another option is a pair of G2 Gloves— functional, completely unique, and wholly representative of Wyoming’s wild spirit. Locals like G2s because ski gloves can be expensive. On-hill workers—ski schoolers, mountain guides, lift mechanics, patrollers, lifties—can be tough on them, going through several pairs during JHMR’s fourmonth season. G2 Gloves are affordable; depending on leather and branding options, they cost between $17 and $40. Good luck finding a pair of The North Face, Patagonia, or Arc’teryx ski gloves (not liners) for less than $100. “The price is right when you leave them on the bus, on the trail, or at the Mangy Moose Saloon,” Reichert says. G2s
are also durable. And, crucial for a mountain town, they’re warm. While it’s G2’s bucking bronco leather gloves you’ll most often see in shops around the valley and on the hands of JHMR workers, about six years ago, Reichert expanded into other branding styles, including names. “If you’ve got gloves with your name branded on them, you can hope to get them back if you lose them,” he says. Noncustom options are a skier and a fish. Exum Mountain Guides, which has been guiding in Grand Teton National Park since 1926, ordered G2 Gloves with “EXUM” branded on them. Reichert also works with a brewery in Bend, Oregon; Wyoming Whiskey; and a Missoula, Montanabased energy bar company. His plan is to brand ski-area-specific artwork onto G2 Gloves and get them into shops at most of the West’s major resorts. (They’re already in Vail, Sun Valley, and Lake Tahoe.) Find them in Jackson Hole at Hungry Jack’s, The Bridger Center, and Teton Village Sports. JH
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Teton
scapes outdoors
The Cutting Edge An introduction to valley ice skating BY ALLISON ARTHUR
1. The Jackson Hole Moose play indoors at Snow King. This adult men’s Senior A—think fast and full-check skating by former Division I collegiate players and ex-semipros—hockey team faces teams from Sun Valley, Park City, and New York many weekend nights. When the Moose aren’t playing, there are open ice sessions. 1. With his gold-grilled mouth guard and supernatural ability to perform gracefully under pressure, Joe “Cappy” Casey was the Moose’s captain, high scorer, and biggest star for more than a decade. A former University of Denver player, Casey could always be counted on to clinch a goal during a shootout. Last winter, two days after playing a winning Friday night game 22
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
against the Chicago Chargers, he died at only thirty-seven, from pneumonia. His No. 15 Moose jersey has been retired and hangs behind the players’ bench. 1. Retired NHL All-Star Bobby Holik and current Ottawa Senator Bobby Ryan have homes in the area. The former now coaches the latter and has used Moose Hockey favorites Justin Thomas, Brian Upesleja, and Spencer Morton to keep Ryan in shape during the NHL’s off-season. 2. Imagine street hockey, but played on ice with running shoes instead of skates. Throw in helmets and knee and elbow pads. That’s broomball. Teton County/Jackson Parks and
NATE PADAVICK
Jackson Hole didn’t get its first manmade ice rink until the late 1970s. We’ve been making up for it since. More than six hundred fans regularly cheer on the semipro-ish Jackson Hole Moose Hockey Club on Friday and Saturday nights all winter. There are three women’s hockey teams, five coed, and ten men’s rec teams. It seems more local twentyand thirty-somethings injure themselves every winter playing broomball—think street hockey on ice—than skiing. One of The Grand Teton Skating Association’s coaches is a World Professional Champion Silver Medalist, a pioneering ice acrobatist, and was Will Ferrell’s stunt double in the movie Blades of Glory. Today, we have half a dozen rinks—indoor and outdoor, man-made, and courtesy of Mother Nature. Recreation organizes both competitive and recreational broomball leagues every winter. Catch a game Monday through Thursday nights. “The game is ridiculous, but you’ll be shocked by some amazingly athletic moments,” says league organizer Dan Norton. 3. JH Winter Wonderland, the rink in the Town Square, may be small, but when it’s free and has hot chocolate and periodic live entertainment, who cares? 4. The outdoor rink near Davey Jackson Elementary is the valley’s most family friendly. It’s well-maintained, and perfect for beginners and children since no sticks are allowed.
5. Every January, the rink at Owen Bircher Park hosts the Huidekoper Cup, a one-day outdoor hockey tournament organized to honor the spirit of one of its founders, Jim Huidekoper. If the rules confuse you, don’t worry: Most are made up and often penalize practiced skill. The rest of the winter, the rink is open to anyone. Bring your own beer and hot chocolate to enjoy in the heated warming hut or throw burgers on the communal outdoor grill. 6/7/8. Backcountry skaters have been spotted on Phelps and Taggart lakes in GTNP, on Slide Lake east of Kelly, and at Ski Lake, a short snowshoe up the Phillips Canyon Trail on Teton Pass. Of course, make sure the ice is solid before skating out. JH
Teton
scapes history
PRICE CHAMBERS
were more horses and associated equipment. Everything was built with lodgepole cut from nearby Timber Island and also with lumber bought at a Kelly sawmill. “The barn evolved with the family’s needs,” Goodall says, “which wasn’t unique to the Moultons. This barn is essentially an outdoor museum about the lives of pioneers. But objects in display cases inside museums are much easier to preserve/conserve than ones outside in the elements.”
The Little Barn That Could The iconic T.A. Moulton Barn turned one hundred in 2013; how much longer will it be around? BY DINA MISHEV “WHERE’S THAT BARN? You know. That barn. With the mountains behind it. How do we get there?” In Jackson Hole, there are dozens and dozens of barns with mountains rising behind them. Still, locals, even if they’ve only been here a season, know exactly what and where “that barn” is: the T.A. Moulton Barn on Antelope Flats Road in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). Images of it have appeared on billboards in Times Square, jigsaw puzzles around the world, and above the deli in Jackson’s Albertsons. “There is a particular architecture to it— it suits the backdrop of the Tetons very well,” says local photographer Thomas Mangelsen. The T.A. Moulton Barn is more than pho24
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
The work the T.A. Moulton Barn needs to be more permanently preserved is estimated to be around $200,000. Donate at www.gtnpf.org; enter “Moulton barn” on the donation page.
togenic. “This building, and the other historic buildings around it on Mormon Row and elsewhere in the park, tell the story of the families that built them and lived in them,” says historic preservationist Harrison Goodall. “We’ve been letting them steadily deteriorate, though. They will fall down.” The Moulton barn may be “the most photographed barn in America”—as Country Extra magazine proclaimed in 1994—but its roof is in poor shape, the front is collapsing in on itself, and its minimal foundation is unsound. “People like to photograph it in part because of its rustic look,” says Katherine Wonson, a GTNP cultural resources specialist. “But it’s possible for something to be a little too rustic.” Thomas Alma Moulton erected the original part of the barn in 1913. It was a flat-roofed, eighteen-by-twenty-four-foot box built to shelter the family’s horses, Don and Saylor. In 1928, Moulton and his son, Clark, added a peaked hayloft. In 1934 and 1938, the south and north lean-to additions were constructed. The family had begun running a dairy operation out of the central section and needed new space for hogs and horses; also, they had taken on the contract to run mail between Jackson and Moran, so there
TODAY, THE MOULTON barn is one of only six homesteads still standing on Mormon Row. During Mormon Row’s heyday, though— the late 1880s and first couple decades of the 1900s—there were twenty-seven homesteads, all belonging to families in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the time, the area wasn’t called Mormon Row, but Grovont. Moulton himself claimed his 160-acre homestead in 1907 and moved permanently with his wife and newborn son, Clark, to the site in 1912. They lived there until selling the part of the homestead on which the barn sits to the National Park Service in 1960. (Today, descendants still live on the homestead, but in the Moulton Ranch Cabins a few hundred yards from the barn.) In 1997, Mormon Row, including the T.A. Moulton Barn, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. AFTER BUYING THE T.A. Moulton homestead, GTNP, following the NPS’ mission at the time to allow the land to return to its natural state, did nothing to it or the other structures it owned on Mormon Row. In 1994, with the NPS’ nod and using their own money and labor, the Moultons themselves did repairs. One side of the barn’s roof had collapsed, logs in the wall had long rotted away, and the inside was three feet deep in manure. Last summer, volunteers did stabilization work. “We’re now comfortable saying it’s solid for five, maybe ten years,” Wonson says. Historian Dr. Patricia Owens, who has spent numerous summer vacations doing volunteer work on GTNP’s historic buildings, says, “To me, Grand Teton is more than its mountains. There is an amazing amount of history here. If we allow the barn to fall in, it would be a great loss. I don’t know how we’d measure that loss, but the loss will be there.” JH
THE THRILL
OF THE SEARCH PEACE OF MIND FOUND
REALIZING DREAMS FOR OUR CLIENTS - Since 2003 realtygroupjh.com Rob DesLauriers enjoys ‘Twice is Nice’ in the Jackson Hole side-country after a February snow cycle. Photo: Jimmy Chin
ROB DESLAURIERS
307.739.8070 | RGJH@JHSIR.COM
KELLI WARD
JEFF WARD
JAKE KILGROW
Teton
scapes entertainment
Roughing It Laff Staff is serious when it comes to improv comedy.
WHEN THEY FIRST began performing, members of Laff Staff, Jackson’s improv comedy troupe, opened the theater doors thirty minutes prior to their show to let audience members in. They’d then retreat to a private room to warm up. People wandered in and sat themselves. One night in the troupe’s second season, the comedians came out of warm-ups to find all 125 seats in the Center for the Arts’ Black Box Theater full. People crammed into the aisles and were even sitting onstage. This was during April, perhaps the valley’s quietest month: Winter visitors are gone, summer visitors have not yet arrived, and many locals are lounging on tropical beaches. It was then that Jon Christensen, a founding member, realized Laff Staff had become something special—and also that they were likely in violation of town’s fire code. They still are—something special, that is. Thanks to selling tickets ($5) in advance, Laff Staff no longer violates fire codes. However, there continues to be more demand than supply: In a valley notorious for people refusing to commit to anything, people buy their Laff Staff tickets early, sometimes even for both nights. The twice-monthly shows routinely sell out. IN IMPROV COMEDY, every show is different. In large part, this is because of audience participation; they shout out suggestions that create characters and drive scenes. When you see a play, you see a director’s vision. “In improv, it’s the audience’s vision realized onstage,” Christensen says. Not surprisingly, the shows are often distinctly Jackson, with people, topics, and 26
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
BRADLY J. BONER
BY KELSEY DAYTON
objects used in games pulled from local news and goings-on. In 2010, after news broke that town police misplaced a box of the drug methamphetamine during a training drill, the audience suggested a box of meth as an object. Commonly suggested characters are ski bums and college kids working in the valley for the summer. The best audiences are big, feisty, and involved, and also will cut performers some slack. “You know they’ll be like, ‘OK, that bombed, but just try again,’ ” says performer Brian Lenz. LAFF STAFF BEGAN as an improv class taught by Todd Hjelt through Off Square Theatre Company. Jackson’s previous improv troupe, Out of Thin Air, of which Hjelt was a member, had disbanded about a year before, suffering the loss of members who moved away and lacking a regular performance space. After a few months, Hjelt’s class wanted to take what they’d learned to the stage. The Black Box Theater, Off Square Theatre Company’s performance space, was new at the Center for the Arts, and Off Square allowed the class to use it. Laff Staff’s first performance, in February 2009, was mainly done in front of close friends and family. The audience was small, but they laughed—hard. Word spread
Sixty different games are the backbone of Laff Staff’s performances, including ones in which troupe members play characters with quirks or backstories other members have to guess. Others are based on places and objects suggested by the audience.
quickly—Jackson audiences love free shows, especially ones that sell cheap beer. Laff Staff started charging for shows its third season. It wasn’t just to keep on the right side of the fire code. The group now had to pay to use the theater. The $5 ticket price isn’t a deterrent, though. Nine of the last ten shows in their 2012-13 season sold out. Several of Laff Staff’s original members are still with the group. New members are recruited in various ways. Kjera Strom Henrie sold beer at the shows before being “tricked” (as Lenz tells it) into playing. Now she’s fully in the group. “Every day, everyone gets up and they are doing improv,” Lenz says. “There’s no script for life.” Looking back, Lenz doesn’t think he and other class members envisioned Laff Staff would turn into an ongoing performing troupe. “We might have come up with a better name,” he says. “We didn’t know where we were going, or what we were doing. We were just going—somewhere—and I guess that’s the improv model.” JH
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JH Living
piqued Pack It All Other wheelies the size of Eagle Creek’s ORV Trunk 30—a whopping 102 liters—are cavernous black holes. This one, which can easily hold all your ski gear (boots included!), is a study in organization, with external pockets, seam-taped wet/dry compartments, and zippered mesh pockets galore. Pack-It Cubes can help maximize space even more. Cubes start at $8; ORV trunks from $350; available at Skinny Skis and eaglecreek.com
Get Down We’re happy to report Arc’teryx’s first stab at down jackets—introduced this fall—is up to the company’s usual standards, which means the jackets are innovatively simple, yet feature-rich. And they look good. The men’s Cerium LT Hoody blends synthetic Coreloft with 850-fill down for a fabulous warmth-to-weight ratio. The women’s Andessa is the ultimate resort ski jacket: fully waterproof and windproof, but also breathable, and insulated with both down and synthetic materials. Cerium LT, $350, Andessa, $850; available at Teton Mountaineering, Skinny Skis, and Teton Village Sports
A Better Brain Bucket The new Fornix Backcountry MIPS Helmet is proof POC is at the cutting edge of cranium care. POC uses MIPS (Multidirectional Impact Protection System) technology to reduce brain injuries caused by oblique impacts and also the jostling that happens during high-speed crashes. The helmet comes in festive colors like Iron Orange and Radon Blue. $200; available at Pepi Stiegler Sports, Four Seasons, and Jackson Hole Sports
KATY GRAY
Treat Your Feet
Sweetness We’ve long-loved Persephone Bakery’s breads and sweet treats, and bemoaned they were only sold in area grocery stores and markets. We wanted to enjoy them alongside a creamy espresso in an airy, open cafe. This past summer, the hip husband-and-wife team behind Persephone, Kevin and Ali Cohane, made that possible, opening Persephone Bakery Café just off the Town Square. In addition to baked goods and Intelligentsia coffee, the cafe also serves a carefully curated menu of hot breakfast and lunch items. 145 E. Broadway; 307/200-6708; persephonebakery.com; open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 28
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Crescent Sock Co. manufactured socks at its Tennessee mill for more than thirty other brands for over a century before deciding to launch its own. FITS socks debuted in 2010. Our feet haven’t had a blister or hot spot since. With a supersnug, contoured heel pocket, exceptionally flat toe seaming, and double-plied, ultrafine merino wool, FITS’ Pro Ski Sock is like a second skin, only better. Skin easily wears and tears, FITS socks don’t. We’ve gotten 100-plus ski days on them. Starting at $22.99; available at Jackson Hole Sports, Hoback Sports, and Wyoming Outfitters
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JH Living
piqued
Dressing Your Way To Better Skiing You could be less fatigued on the slopes simply by changing your base layer. Opedix KNEE-Tec Tights are scientifically designed and tested to reduce destructive knee forces, quadriceps fatigue, and knee pain, all while improving dynamic balance. They sound a little too good to be true, but we tried them. Our quads thanked us. $225; available at Excel Physical Therapy
Healthy Energy One hundred percent vegan, raw, non-GMO, and organic energy foods that taste good? A unicorn flying past Corbet’s Cabin seems more likely. PROBAR has done it, though. Its gluten-free Bolt chews, tasteand texture-wise, are the best energy gummies we’ve ever had. The 160-calorie Fuel bars, also gluten-free, are our go-to mid-morning snack (Cran-Raspberry is a favorite). When we just can’t stop for lunch, we turn to the Meal bar, which weighs in with a solid three ounces of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Starting at $1.59; available at Skinny Skis, Teton Mountaineering, Hoback Sports, and Jackson Hole Sports
One Boot To Rule Them All Meet the world’s most versatile ski boot, the SCARPA Freedom SL. Marrying a 120-flex index with a 27-degree cuff range and then throwing in a custom Intuition liner, interchangeable soles, and a carbon fiber frame, the Freedom SL is a backcountry touring boot that also performs at the resort. Or maybe it’s a resort alpine boot you can take into the backcountry. Either way, we love it, whether charging the Hobacks, hiking out to Four Pines, or skinning in Grand Teton National Park. $769; men’s and women’s models available at Wilson Backcountry and Teton Mountaineering
Get Lost! Or Not
Glove Up Touch-screen-compatible gloves are nothing new. Warm and breathable ones are, though. Meet Outdoor Research’s Northback Sensor Glove, which combines Gore-Tex panels, EnduraLoft synthetic insulation, a nylon shell, and its patented TouchTec goat leather for what very well might be the comfiest phone-friendly gloves on the planet. They’ve also got a nose wipe on the thumb and precurved ergonomic construction. $139; available at Teton Mountaineering, Skinny Skis, and Hoback Sports 30
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We might never take off the new Suunto Ambit2 GPS watch. It’s the all-in-one wrist package for adventurous athletes, helping you navigate while also accurately giving you things like speed, distance traveled, altitude, and weather conditions. It does all this while making your wrist look good. Warning: You could get lost looking at the 1,000-plus apps available to download onto the watch, from one that calculates the oxygen level at your present altitude to one that tells you the current incline of the slope you’re on. There’s even an app that tracks how fast you ski downhill. Starting at $500; available at Teton Mountaineering, Skinny Skis, and Teton Village Sports
locals
JEFFREY KAPHAN
JH Living
Teri Davis Designing Woman WHEN TERI DAVIS first moved to the valley in December 2002, she had just quit Columbia Sportswear, where she spent seven years as a Special Make-Ups Designer creating custom designs for companies. Davis, fifty, was ready to try freelance fashion design. Within a few months she had work from Cloudveil, including what was to become the first-ever down jacket designed specifically for skiing, the Down Patrol Jacket. The Down Patrol, which debuted in 2005 and still ranks among the brand’s best-sellers, launched Davis’ freelance career. She now designs everything from flyfishing waders to bike jerseys and climbing jackets for companies including Bontrager, Pearl Izumi, Showers Pass, and Timbuk2. Companies she’s done contract work for have tried to lure her back to city life with offers of in-house jobs, but Davis says being in Jackson makes her a better designer. 32
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Q: How does Jackson make you a better designer? A: Every mountain town has the same elements, but the level of intensity of the average athlete here is unlike anywhere. The access to really challenging terrain is like nowhere else in the world. Also, Jackson is between Rocky Mountain and coastal weather, giving us both the champagne powder of the Rockies and the really wet and awful stuff the Pacific Northwest gets. Q: What has one of our average athletes done for you? A: When things fail, I get ideas of how they could be made better. It was a
Jackson friend complaining about down jackets losing their warmth when they get wet—from sweat or the elements—that gave me the simple idea to put a PrimaLoft insulated panel where your backpack always gets your back wet from the sweat. I used the idea in a skiing-specific down jacket for Mountain Hardwear. Q: That came from a local friend. We’ve got plenty of pro athletes, too. A: Fishing guide Boots Allen and Exum guide Mike Abbey are like part of my five senses: They know their gear better and they use it harder than I do. Boots showed me that hand-pocket zippers on waders and fishing jackets always leak. I took his idea to use magnets instead of zippers—so that there’s no illusion pockets are watertight—and incorporated it into designs for BARE. Q: When you’re not picking the brains of athletes, what’s your design process? A: Hiking, biking, and skiing are how I connect to nature, which helps my design process. Yoga and meditation settle my energy, which allows me to work past my self-doubt. Hiking, skiing, and biking are definitely more idea generators. Q: What’s a current favorite project? A: I am really excited about BARE’s flyfishing line, which includes waders, jackets, technical undergarments, and lifestyle apparel. There’s nothing that looks like it on the market. “Badass” is the word the president uses for the whole collection, so I feel we nailed it. Q: If you were to give Jackson a fashion makeover, where would you start? A: I’d make very functional, street-inspired design with all the technical aspects of Arc’teryx, but with the color and styles of some of the snowboard brands, like Holden and Burton. Q: What’s your indispensable piece of clothing? A: A Gore-Tex Windstopper softshell jacket. I like Mountain Hardwear’s Transition Jacket. It’s really breathable and also waterproof, so it’s great for uphill and downhill activities. I wear it on the pass and skate ski in it. I just alter the layers I wear underneath. Interview by Lucy Flood
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locals
PRICE CHAMBERS
JH Living
Dom Gagliardi From Trader to Ski Bum to Entrepreneur When Dom Gagliardi moved to Jackson Hole in 1996, he had never before been to Wyoming. He had just spent a year working on the commodities exchange in New York City. In his twenties at the time, Gagliardi didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, but did know he wasn’t going to spend the rest of it “working every day for a two-week vacation and a house in New Jersey.” Now forty-one, Gagliardi is an entrepreneur who owns four businesses in the valley—upscale cocktail lounge The Rose, Pink Garter Theatre, production company Poppa Presents, and the Village Café. Even though he hasn’t yet booked Beck, Tool, or Jack White to perform in the valley, he has brought us Digable Planets and Public Enemy. Married now and with two young kids, Gagliardi often works eighty-hour weeks—more than he did on Wall Street—but says he wouldn’t change a thing. 34
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Q: You moved here sight unseen. How’d you settle on Jackson Hole from Manhattan? A: A friend from college had been to Jackson and told me it was the best; he called me from a payphone, saying, “Come to Jackson Hole.” I did. My first winter, there was tons of snow, and I worked at Hole in the Wall selling snowboards. Q: First impressions? A: It was undiscovered. And I could see that you had to find a way to make a living to stay here on your own. You were in on a secret if you figured out how to live and work here. I didn’t have
any idea how steep it [the mountain] was. I thought, “This place just has to blow anything else away.” Q: Did you think the move would stick? A: I didn’t come here thinking I would stay or go; I came here pretty open. After two years, I decided I would make this my home and build a career. Q: How’d you go from selling snowboards to, in 2000, buying and running the Village Café? A: I worked in restaurants starting at fifteen. When I realized I wanted to create a life here, I went to the library every day to study what successful business owners did. I created a business plan for a small cafe and started looking for a place to rent. I found out the Village Café owner might be interested in selling to the right person. Q: The VC’s building has been torn down. Will it be back? A: Our last day open in the old space was September 3. The hardest part of having a business is changing with the times; the ski industry is moving toward catering to middle and upper classes. But if we shun customers who can only afford $4 slices of pizza, we are not who we should be as a community. [Ed note: The VC is open daily in the Inn at Jackson Hole this winter.] Q: You expanded from the VC, founding a music production company and a high-end cocktail lounge, and buying a theater. Why? A: The goal was to make a life for myself in a place that has no industry outside of tourism. All my businesses play off of each other. People can get up, ski the best mountain in North America, go out for drinks and then see live music. Everything feeds off of each other. Q: Did you expect to become so involved in this community? A: I’m definitely proud of what I’ve accomplished here so far. I didn’t think I was going to dig in as deep as I have, but I am happy that I did. I got to be a part of so many things here from the beginning. Now I vacation in cities and live in the mountains.
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WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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locals
BRADLY J. BONER
BRADLY J. BONER
JH Living
Daniel Tisi Big Mountain Breakthrough Daniel Tisi first stepped into ski boots at age four. His parents, who had just moved the family here from Virginia, enrolled Daniel and older brother Jackson in ski school at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). “I loved skiing right away,” says Tisi, who also loves coconut water, hates crabcakes, and is sponsored by Line Skis, Patagonia, Smith Optics, Full Tilt, and JHMR. At eight, he entered his first freeskiing competition. He won. At twelve, in 2011, Tisi caught the wider ski world’s attention by winning Grand Prize and a chance to appear in a Teton Gravity Research film in TGR’s Grom Contest. The annual contest is open to kids seventeen and under who submit edits of themselves skiing. Now fifteen and a high school freshman, Tisi has been featured in three TGR films and also movies by Storm Show Studios and Full Room Productions. His GPA has never dipped below 3.7. 36
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Q: Is it inspiring or intimidating to ski for the camera? A: Skiing and being filmed is always inspiring because of the excitement and adrenaline. I love the rush, and there is nothing better! I always ski for myself, though. I never do something just because there is a camera. I always ask myself, “Would I do this on a regular day with my friends?” I believe in a healthy limit when pushing your abilities.
Q: Was it intimidating to do that huge air into Corbet’s for TGR’s The Dream Factory? TGR itself describes you as “airing it bigger than most grown men ever have.” A: Yes, I was very scared. I wanted to land near where Max Hammer [an older, local TGR pro skier] did, but had the wrong trajectory. I was thinking a couple things: “Cool, this is huge,” but then I thought, “Oh shoot, I’m going to flat maybe.” Q: Have you ever pushed your abilities too far? Hurt yourself? What happened? A: Yes, I learned a big lesson. I was filming [for TGR] at a spot where I’d never aired before. I really wanted to do a double flip; I ended up over-rotating, smashed my head on ice, and concussed myself. I learned I shouldn’t go into a day of skiing expecting to do certain things—just move with the day and adapt to what’s happening.
Jackson Wyoming Real Estate
live where you love
Q: How many days do you ski a year? A: At least one hundred. Q: When you’re not skiing, what do you do? A: I play soccer and strength train. Q: Do your teachers have any idea what you do when you’re not in school? A: Not at first. I went into my first year of filming with TGR in the seventh grade, and I called in sick a lot. They said, “Why are you always sick?” When they found out, they were like, “That’s why you’re gone so long.” Q: Your brother is two years older than you. Do you guys ski together? A: He’s a really good skier, and we ski together all the time. He loves the filming side of things and interns for TGR. I get really angry when he gives me advice on a shoot, so we keep our distance then. Q: Future goals? Skiing and otherwise. A: During high school, I would love to go to Alaska and shred some spines! I also love the idea of going to British Columbia for pillow skiing. I want to keep my grades up and plan to go to college immediately after high school. I’ll take the winter semester off to ski. Interview by JEFF BURKE
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Representing Buyers and Sellers in Jackson Hole since 1989 Teri@TeriMcCarthy.com 307.690.6906
www.JacksonWyomingRealEstate.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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JH Living
on the job
“I found bootfitting rewarding by being able to make people better at skiing and increase their love of it,” says bootfitter Matt Haviland.
Foot Fetishists Bootfitters want your feet to feel fabulous. BY JEFF BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRICE CHAMBERS
EVERY SKI TOWN has its share of enviable jobs like ski patroller, heli guide, and night groomer. Then there are the revered jobs, demanding and performed by highly trained specialists who have honed their craft over decades, and who use their 38
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education and experience to help others. To clients, these men and women are gods, stalwarts of science, smarts, and insight. Because of them, scores of skiers and snowboarders enjoy the slopes free from pain that otherwise might sideline them. Are these gods knee surgeons? Massage therapists? Physical therapists? No. No. And no. They’re bootfitters. Easily the most important part of the skiing experience, boots are what connect skiers and riders to the slopes. Boots are also what cause them to enjoy—or hate—the experience. Bootfitting isn’t rocket science, nor is it witchcraft. It’s somewhere in between—a mix of art and anatomy that additionally requires knowledge of materials engineering and intimacy with the laws of resistance and pressure.
“THAT ONE WAS tricky,” says certified pedorthist (C.Ped) Matt Sheets, the head bootfitter at Teton Village Sports, about sizing a boot for a man missing three toes, including the big one. “But we got it.” Sheets has fitted Olympians, professional skiers, mountaineers, and movie stars. And he’ll fit you. Just make an appointment. Sheets’ bookings typically begin around the second week of October, and his schedule fills quickly. “Between December 20 and January 10,” says Sheets, “I’m booked solid—eight- to tenhour days between fittings and working on boots.” A usual bootfitting session is one hour, though some can last more than three. “Those are the fun ones,” he says. The day he was presented with the missing toes, the result of a catastrophic motorcycle crash, Sheets already had a packed schedule. But he couldn’t pass up the challenge. The skier missing the toes hadn’t enjoyed a run since his accident. It was no wonder: There was a large void in the boot’s toe box. “He walked in, showed and told me what was going on—his foot wouldn’t stay inside the boot—and asked if there was anything I could do to help,” Sheets says. To fit the boot—it wasn’t as simple as putting him in a smaller one—Sheets crafted a serious insole and also a berm on the front of the missing toes. Then he added extra material to fill in the missing toe space. The berm buttressed the new coastline of his foot; the extra material not only took up space, but also helped keep the remaining digits warm. “That did it,” Sheets says. “He was then able to enjoy the rest of his ski vacation.” Since arriving in 1990, Sheets left the valley for only three years (1995-98), during which he wrote and taught the curriculum for Colorado Mountain College’s advanced bootfitting clinic. Despite the time he has spent teaching others and all his education—to become a C.Ped, Sheets took 120-some credit hours at the University of Oklahoma, did one thousand hours of patient care, and passed a three-hour exam administered by The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics—Sheets says bootfitting is mostly onthe-job experience. “School was a big eye-opener for anatomy,” he says. “But I’ve learned way more on the job than in any class.” (The state of Wyoming seems to agree; while Sheets and a couple of other valley bootfitters are licensed C.Peds, Wyoming doesn’t require that pedorthists be licensed. Fifteen states do, however.) IT’S NOT JUST people buying new boots that seek out Sheets and the valley’s other fitters. “Feet aren’t static,” Sheets says. “They can and do change.” Sheets says 95 percent of women who have had a baby see changes in their feet. “I’ll have to redo the insoles of the majority of those,” he says. “Men typically don’t change as much. I had a
guy come into the store that I did insoles for seven years ago and everything looked exactly the same. In a man’s case, it is most often an injury that causes their feet to change.” Boots and liners do wear and change over time. “I give boots about 150 to 200 days before
there is noticeable wear and tear,” Sheets says. “At that point, the boots are ready to be replaced or shimmed up or padded to re-create the same tight fit they had at the beginning.” While Sheets says boots, with the proper maintenance, can be good for years, he does have clients who come in for a new pair every season. “Sometimes they just want the latest and greatest; other times they want that secure, tight fit that comes with a brand-new boot.” THERE’S NO TYPICAL day for a bootfitter. Sometimes they decide a custom footbed is the solution for a skier with high arches. Or they must make space in a boot for pronounced anklebones or to accommodate a bunion (that itself may be the result of years of abuse by ill-fitting boots). They might get a client missing most of his toes. Or a world champion freeskier walks in after painful boots forced her to walk out of Granite Canyon. “I had my boots done years ago by a fitter,” says Jess McMillan, a Jackson Hole native and the 2007 International Freeskiers & Snowboarders Association (IFSA) World Tour Champion. “And then I had to take them off halfway up Granite Canyon and walk out in my socks.” A former ski racer, McMillan is familiar with boot discomfort. “I know what uncomfortable feels like, and these were unbearable,” she says. She went to Matt Haviland, the chief bootfitter and also shop manager at Hoback Sports.
A usual bootfitting session for Matt Sheets at Teton Village Sports is one hour, though some can last more than three.
About 650,000 pairs of alpine ski boots and 500,000 snowboard boots were sold nationally last year.
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Haviland grew up skiing and biking around Portland, Oregon. He moved to Jackson in the winter of 1998-99 to “ski as much as possible,” he says. Haviland started as a rental tech, “but I found bootfitting much more rewarding by being able to make people better at skiing and increase their love of it,” he says. Haviland attended MasterFit University, a training center offering bootfitting courses, clinics, and continuing education at physical campuses around the world and also online. When McMillan walked in, he had ideas to make things better. Haviland started by rebuilding her footbeds and then took a close look at her liners. “He was a miracle worker,” says McMillan. “They were comfortable as a slipper, and still performed.”
Skiers and figure skaters travel from as far as Salt Lake City for an appointment with Ryan “Bootsie” Huggins.
“A good fitter’s job is to take a look at the foot and say, ‘Here’s the right boot, and now let’s size accordingly.’” — Ryan “Bootsie” Huggins
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bootfitting, Huggins traded in a soccer scholarship for the University of Oklahoma’s pedorthist program. Today, Huggins, uh, Bootsie—it’s rare to find a skier in this valley who knows him as anything but that—has more than twenty years of bootfitting experience, a cult-like following, and 1,200-plus hours of research into arch mechanics done at the University of Utah. These guys truly are highly trained and passionate about their craft. GOOD BOOTFITTERS share two qualities: a preternatural attention to detail and a mechanical mindset. They zero in on the type of feet clients have and problem-solve to build a comfortable boot fit around that. “Their foot shows me what to do with the boot,” Haviland says. Fitters use grinders, stretchers, and tools such as the “Scott Press,” a steel post with a rounded knob and lever arm. The Scott Press, which looks like an instrument of torture, allows fitters to round out heel pockets and punch out areas that might rub anklebones, among other customizing tasks. If a fitter can imagine it, a Scott Press is most likely the tool that can do it. Great bootfitters must adapt as well. “Today, there isn’t a boot on our wall that doesn’t have a custom moldable liner,” Sheets says. “All of our Salomon boots have custom moldable shells. It is incredible what you can do with these boots. Years ago, we’d be punching boots out to accommodate bunions. Now we’re doing that right at the beginning with moldable materials.” These advances in boot technology don’t just affect fitters. “We get someone with a EEE foot,” Sheets says, “and I put them in a Salomon boot with a moldable shell and liner, and they have the most custom boots ever made. Getting people set up so they can ski all day instead of kicking their boots off at lunch, giving up, and heading to the Moose for a beer—that’s what makes me happy.” JH
IF YOU’RE LUCKY, you’ll meet a bootfitter before you need him. “A good fitter’s job is to take a look at the foot and say, ‘Here’s the right boot, and now let’s size accordingly,’” says Ryan “Bootsie” Huggins, a C.Ped at Pepi Stiegler Sports in Teton Village. The characteristics of ski boots themselves vary radically. Boot companies and models use different lasts, lengths, widths at the metatarsal heads, and volume. Some boot companies are known for wide lasts (Head, for example). Others offer certain models in two widths (Rossignol, Lange, Atomic). Bootfitters need to know all of this to pair a boot to an individual’s foot. “A fitter will do their best to put you comfortably in a brand they sell,” says McMillan, “but if it’s simply not to be, they’ll send you to a worthy competitor. A really good fitter has your best interest at heart.” There’s also personal experience: “Many wide-lasted boots tend to be soft,” says Huggins. “Head is one of the best wide-lasted brands that is still very stiff.” Although only bootfitting in this valley for six years, Huggins began tinkering with boots when just a teenager. He first worked in a small shop in the Salt Lake City area putting shims and wedges into boots, which he got very good at. He developed a reputation as the go-to guy for difficult fits. Coworkers nicknamed him “Bootsie” Matt Haviland is the chief bootfitter for Hoback Sports in Jackson and for his problem-solving prowess. helps hundreds of skiers get better-fitting and more comfortable boots Intrigued by the challenge of every season.
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
JH Living
business
Punishing and Polished Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has grown up. BY DINA MISHEV
WHAT JHMR AND its owners, the Kemmerer family, have been doing is spearheading the evolution of the resort and Teton Village, the community at the resort’s base. Extreme skiers and snowboarders have long equally loved and feared Jackson Hole for its challenging terrain, 4,139 feet of vertical, and powder runs. As recently as a decade ago, however, skiers and riders at every other level just plain feared it. The majority of the mountain’s runs were black diamond. Grooming wasn’t a priority. The only thing in shorter supply than intermediate terrain was base-area amenities. Want to pamper yourself with an afternoon at the spa? Good luck. Looking to shop? Great … if you wanted to buy ski gear. “We had six ski shops and little else,” says Jessica Milligan, JHMR vice president of products, sales, and services. Today, though, Jackson Hole is as family friendly and intermediate- and
amenity-rich as most any other destination resort. You could get a massage every day for a week and almost not repeat a spa. The lifts serving the greatest concentration of intermediate terrain are all-new and/or high-speed. There’s even a Four Seasons Resort a few glides from the Teewinot lift. The transition is almost unbelievable—but not quite. What is unbelievable is that the resort has managed to go from punishing to polished without sacrificing its edge or becoming Any Resort, USA. “We’re still authentically western and high-testosterone,” Blann says. Indeed. In addition to the No. 1 overall rating from SKI, JHMR this year was ranked No. 1 in challenge—nothing unusual—and also tops in character. Even if you’re eating sushi in the Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole’s Ascent Lounge, you’ll never forget you’re in Wyoming. Several rolls are topped with locally raised beef. Experts today have even more opportunities to scare themselves than they did when the resort was catering to them. Yes, JHMR increased its fleet of groomers, added or improved nearly two dozen beginner and intermediate runs, upgraded the lifts that access these runs (or built new lifts, like the Bridger Gondola and Marmot), and introduced onmountain fine dining. It also, in 1999, was one of the first ski areas in the
BRADLY J. BONER
“I THOUGHT SOME of my ski buddies were yanking my leg,” says Jerry Blann, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) president, after first hearing SKI Magazine readers had rated JHMR the No. 1 overall ski resort on the continent for 2014. “SKI Magazine’s No. 1 rating wasn’t something we ever aspired to or that was even a target for us. We just never thought it was a possibility. There are so many categories you have to do well in, and SKI readers have incredibly high standards.” But Blann’s friends weren’t playing a joke. After the votes cast in the magazine’s annual reader poll—more than 140,000 chimed in—were tallied, JHMR had indeed come out as the top resort on
the continent. In 2013, Jackson Hole placed sixth overall in the survey. The year before, the resort was twelfth. In the history of the survey, no resort has made such a jump to the top before. “We’re unbelievably grateful and honored,” Blann says. “I think it is clearly a validation that what we’ve been doing, and the investments the Kemmerer family has been making, have worked.”
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ph 307 733-9893 gracehomedesign.com
country to open its boundaries. JHMR’s open-boundary policy allows expert skiers access to three thousand acres of unpatrolled, ungroomed backcountry terrain in Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF), including thirty-degree powder slopes and also fifty-degree, ten-footwide couloirs where, if you were to fall, consequences would be severe. A new tram opened in 2008 carries nearly forty more skiers at a time than the old one to the experts-only, 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain, and also makes the trip four minutes faster. “Our brand hasn’t changed,” Blann says. “If anything, it has strengthened. And yes, it has broadened. All ski resorts start with their mountain and all end with them. That’s the core dimension we have to work with, and our mountain will always be steep, long, and challenging. But, investing time and money, we have softened and opened it up so that beginning and intermediate skiers can enjoy it, too.” FOUNDED IN THE early 1960s by Paul McCollister and opened in December 1965, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort— Jackson Hole Ski Corporation at the time—was bought by the Kemmerer family in 1992. I’ve never skied with Jay Kemmerer, sixty-six, but know he is a skier. I’ve been in one of the resort’s experts-only Steep & Deep Camps with Connie Kemmerer, who is older than Jay. She and I were also in the same group in a Women’s Camp. Hiking up from the Cirque to the top of the Headwall, Connie was right on my tail. I can’t speak for all locals, but my feeling is that the Kemmerer family didn’t buy JHMR to make loads of money, but to make it the best ski area they could. Skiers are noticing. Last season was the first JHMR broke the 500,000-skier-day mark. A skier day, or skier visit, is one visit by one guest at a ski resort. It is the industry standard for determining attendance figures over the course of a season. In a winter that received only 60 percent of the average snowfall at the base area, JHMR got 502,222 skier visits, setting monthly records in December, February, and March along the way. The year the Kemmerer family bought the resort, it had 263,600 skier visits. The half-a-million mark is a big deal. Annually, only twenty-some resorts break 44
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1 Wool & Whiskey JHMR opened Wool & Whiskey in December 2011; the boutique offers tastings of whiskeys (happy hour daily from 4 to 6 p.m.) alongside a carefully curated collection of mountain menswear. 2 General Store A “temporary” building that had sat at the base area for thirty years was transformed into the gourmet Jackson Hole General Store in July 2012. 3 Sun Dog To go with last season’s new Casper lift, the resort widened Sun Dog, removing a tricky roll-over directly beneath the lift and making the run an easier transition for beginning skiers looking to move up the mountain from the Teewinot area. 4 Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole When Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole opened in December 2003, it was both the luxury chain’s first slopeside property in the world and also the first luxury property at JHMR’s base area. Prior, the land beneath the 124-room hotel— complete with a 16-room spa and a wide-ranging 2,000-piece art collection—was a dirt parking lot and also home to the resort’s maintenance sheds. 5 Village Center
The 1960s-era Village Center was demolished in October. The investors who bought the property are some of the owners of ski resort conglomerate Intrawest. “They didn’t buy it as Intrawest, though,” Blann says. “They bought it personally. They don’t own this resort, and they won’t own it, but they love to ski here because it is different from anywhere else.” The plan is to build new luxury condos and upscale retail. 6 Hotel Terra
Shortly after it opened in February 2008, Hotel Terra Jackson Hole was included on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List.” Since then, the world’s first slopeside luxury green boutique hotel—it’s silver LEEDcertified—has added sixty more rooms and a heated, outdoor saltwater infinity pool.
7 Bridger Gondola “The whole Bridger pod really started us moving toward more of an intermediate focus,” Blann says. The eight-passenger gondola and associated new intermediate terrain and the Bridger Center at the base opened in December 1998 and together cost about $21 million. 8 Tram
The original JHMR tram ran from November 1965 until October 2006. It took more than three years to design and build a new one. Costing $31 million, it opened in December 2008 and, like the old tram, has the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski lift in the country. 9 Jackson Hole Sports “No brands wanted to sell to us when I started in 1996,” Milligan says. “We didn’t have any credibility.” Today, JHMR-owned Jackson Hole Sports is nothing if not credible. It moved into the Bridger Center in 1998 and, in 2005, expanded to 8,000 square feet of retail space selling the industry’s top brands and a 4,500-squarefoot rental and repair shop. 10 The Cirque
Proof of JHMR’s commitment to grooming excellence? The Cirque is nearly forty degrees steep. Last season, a section of it was groomed for the first time by a standard Prinoth BR-350 free groomer on a winch. A grooming staff of twenty-eight men and women driving nine cats and four winch groomers earned the resort a No. 18 ranking for grooming in the most recent SKI Magazine readers’ poll, the highest-ever ranking for the resort in that category. 11 Couloir
Opened at the top of the gondola in 2006, Couloir was JHMR’s first foray into fine dining. A success from the start—Food & Wine and Condé Nast Traveler magazines both recognized it as the best place to eat in the valley—Couloir focuses on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients on its prix fixe dinner menu ($145 with wine, $95 without).
it. Last season, JHMR’s 502,222 skier visits made it the twenty-first-busiest ski resort in the country. This mark is especially impressive for independently owned resorts. Of the twenty resorts ahead of JHMR, only two are independently and individually owned.
12 Casper lift
Last season, a new, $5 million, high-speed detachable lift opened at Casper. A ride on the old Casper triple chair took ten minutes. On the new one? Three and a half. 13 The Hostel
Rooms at the Four Seasons start north of $550. A bunk in a room with four beds at amenity-rich The Hostel, which opened in 1967 and hasn’t changed much in spirit since (it did full renovations of guest rooms in 2011), starts at $25. Private rooms start at $69. Amenities include a ski/board waxing area, crackling fire, pool table, foosball, and ping-pong. 14 Après Vous lift
The original double chair up Après Vous Mountain, the majority of which is advanced intermediate terrain, was replaced in 1999 with a high-speed quad for $4 million. 15 Marmot lift
Originally installed in 2006 to get skiers to the top of experts-only Rendezvous Bowl when the resort was without a tram, in 2009, this lift was lengthened, renamed Marmot, and moved to access both intermediate and advanced terrain. 16 Parking garage
A one-level parking structure on the existing Ranch Lot is in the planning stages. Another goal is to replace the current big red buses with a people mover to get pedestrians from their cars to the base-area lifts. 17 Thunder lift
One day in December 2012, JHMR had 8,000-plus skiers on the mountain. It was a record. Still, in the middle of that day, the line at the Thunder lift was only five minutes. “The wheels not only didn’t fall off, but I think we handled it pretty well,” Blann says. An average day at JHMR is 3,500 to 4,000 skiers. 18 Snowmaking and grooming
Since 1992, JHMR has spent $7.6 million on snowmaking, grooming, summer trail improvements, and snowcats.
This increase in skier visits hasn’t come cheap. Since purchasing the resort, the Kemmerers, whose family first invested in the state—coal and banking—in 1897, have spent $123.6 million on changes and upgrades. This averages out to about $6 million a year, which is more
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than double the amount of capital spent per skier visit than Rocky Mountain resorts spend as a group. “You can’t just have a mountain. You also need the right owners,” Blann says. “The Kemmerer family has done a great job in putting their money out front and investing for the future.” But Blann says the metamorphosis of JHMR wasn’t planned. “Did we evolve in the way I imagined?” Blann asks. “No. I don’t think any of us imagined anything. We couldn’t, really. We’re the hole of the Teton Village doughnut.” JHMR ISN’T UNIQUE among top resorts only for being independently owned, but also because it doesn’t own, or even control, the majority of the real estate at its base area. Most other top
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resorts—Vail, Sun Valley, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Whistler/Blackcomb— control not just their ski operations, but also the developments at their base areas. If they don’t own these outright, they at least have a certain level of control over them. “Intrawest is a perfect example,” Milligan says. “If they operate a base-area business or not, they control what a space is—saying they want a sushi restaurant here or a boutique there.” That’s not how JHMR’s base area, Teton Village, works, however. “The village’s history is that base-area lots were all independently owned and the mountain really just did the lifts,” Milligan says. Blann adds, “Anyone who has the money can step up and buy a piece of property and really influence things at the bottom.” JHMR does own some
base-area real estate, including the Bridger Center, the Tram Tower, and Teton Village Sports. Non-JHMRowned base-area businesses include Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, The Hostel, Village Center, Teton Club, Teton Mountain Lodge, Walk Festival Hall, and Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, among others. “We’ll never be a megaresort or pure vanilla,” Blann says. “We’ll never be all things to all people. We have our mountain, and we’ll be us. When I was in Aspen [he was there for eighteen years, including four as president from 198488], I thought people were passionate about that place, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the passion of people in Jackson for what they have here, and that will never change.” JH WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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design
MATTHEW MILLMAN
JH Living
Mountain Modern
An increasingly prominent architectural style takes its cues from local history and our landscape. WHEN PATTY AND Phil Washburn began planning their house on the New Fork River near Pinedale, they had vague visions of a log home. After all, they were moving West from Chicago. Among the logs, the couple imagined large windows that would capture the spectacular views of the New Fork and a pond on the property and, in the distance, the Wind River Mountains. They hired Jackson-based Carney Logan Burke Architects to design their home. “We told them we wanted the home to look like it belonged on the land,” Patty Washburn says. “We didn’t want it to obviously stick out.” They also mentioned logs. Over the next year, the architecture firm sent the Washburns photos and design books and options for materials, and also asked the couple directed questions about what they wanted from their new home. By the time the design process was complete, the log concept had evolved. “They showed us two plans,” Patty Washburn says. “One was the traditional log house we had originally asked for. The second was completely different. Looking at the two options, there wasn’t any question.” It’s not the log cabin that won. “We have never looked back,” she says. The Washburns’ home, which went on to receive Merit Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Western Mountain Region chapter 46
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MATTHEW MILLMAN
BY MOLLY LOOMIS
TOP: The gabled roof of this Wilson home designed by Carney Logan Burke is a nod to the local vernacular, while the spiral staircase and pattern of the siding are contemporary. BOTTOM: The ceiling of this living area in a different Carney Logan Burke project is reminiscent of a barn, but materials like steel and concrete make it modern. Large windows highlight the surrounding landscape.
Photographers : Paul Warchol (top, bottom left), Matthew Millman (bottom right)
clbarchitects.com
jackson,wy
Inspired by Place
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and also at the Custom Home Design Awards and Residential Architect Design Awards, is a site-responsive, low-slung, shed-roofed, 3,700-square-foot home using steel panels, local stone, brushed cedar, and square-cut logs. “It didn’t feel right to put a heavy house on this land because we’re not in the middle of the woods,” Washburn says. “It looks like the house is growing right out of the land.” Not everyone was as taken with the Washburns’ new digs. Washburn laughs, recalling when they
This guest house in Pinedale designed by Meghan Hanson of Natural Dwellings blends cedar and oxidized metal siding.
invited over a neighbor—a longtime, Henry Fonda-type rancher. “He said, ‘Well, this sure is a strange house. But hell, it’s your money.’ ” THIS “STRANGE” STYLE—a blending of modern elements like oxidized steel and concrete with more traditional western components like log timbers, tin shed roofs, and barnwood—is gaining a
foothold in the area. While not everyone is a fan of a mountain modern/western contemporary aesthetic, it shows the Tetons aren’t just a place for pushing the extreme-sport envelope—valley architects are blazing their own trails. John Carney, who founded Carney Logan Burke in 1992 and, in 2008, was named an AIA Fellow, credits Arizonabased architect Will Bruder with helping inspire both local architects and clients to push boundaries. In the 1990s, Bruder, who is known for his creative use of materials and light, was hired to do two high-profile projects in the valley: a new headquarters for Mad River Boat Trips and a new library for the county. Carney recalls all sorts of controversy around the finished buildings. “Some locals dismissed [Mad River] as a ‘corrugated rusty-metal squashed shoebox,’ ” says Carney, whose firm has recently designed a slew of public buildings that don’t include traditional stacked logs—the Home Ranch Welcome Center on Cache St., Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Lower Tram Terminal, the Jackson Hole Airport expansion, and the interpretative center at the Laurance S. Rockefeller
115 E. Broadway • 307-733-7868 • www.willowcreekhf.com “Like” us on Facebook. 48
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Preserve in Grand Teton National Park. “Being from out of town, having a healthy ego, just wanting to do his art, and having patrons that supported him, even though it infuriated the then-mayor, Bruder’s work really emboldened architects here and clients, too.” “So much of what has been done here is kitsch. How many stone fireplaces and buffalo skulls can you see?” asks Carney. “People began to say, ‘Let’s do something different.’ ” Local architects responded, looking at traditional forms like log cabins, silos, and barns, applying contemporary materials to them, and considering them in the context of the local environment and geology. “Mountain modern” was born. Architect Meghan Hanson, who grew up in rural Montana and worked with Carney (even working on the Washburn residence) before beginning her own firm, Natural Dwellings Architecture, explains the mountain modern style as being “of our place” and “timeless.” “This is such a beautiful and real place, it is a shame to try to play cowboys and Indians,” Hanson says. “Let’s draw on and honor that history we have, but not re-create it. That’s a dumbing down.” “LOG CABINS, STONE fireplaces, outbuildings like silos and barns, shed roofs, hay structures—they are all a part of our local vernacular,” Hanson says. “I think mountain modern distills these historic forms down to their basic elements and then applies more modern features.” Hanson is quick to point out that mountain modern is very different from modern. “I like modern architecture, but it is of a different place. Building a truly modern home here would be like importing a New England cabin. Neither responds to our landscape. And being of our place is the heart of mountain modern.” Few things can anchor a building to its surroundings like windows. “With windows, suddenly you have views and context,” Hanson says. “It’s not just how the house sits in the landscape, but also how, from inside the house, you experience the landscape.” Windows themselves aren’t modern, though. “A modern take on windows is not trimming them out,” Hanson says. “Trimming windows is like putting a picture frame around them. Your eyes then tend to focus on the views as something separate. Taking the trimming away allows the landscape WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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THE BLENDING OF mountain and modern isn’t just about visual appeal. Mountain modern often goes hand-inhand with environmental awareness. Not just environmental stewardship, but also regional environmental considerations like snow and ice accumulation, harsh ultraviolet rays, and forest fires. “Historically, you don’t see massive barns with north-facing windows and huge peaked dormers. It just doesn’t do well in this climate,” explains Hanson, who is Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) AP certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and also a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC). “With our snow loads, simpler forms work better—long
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to be more of the space.” “When I’m designing a contemporary interior, in each space I highlight one or two or three natural elements from our landscape,” says Jessica Travis Ginter, who founded Inside Design Studio in 2007. “Our landscape itself, as brought inside through windows, is often certainly one of those elements.” Mountain modern interior design isn’t all courtesy of Mother Nature, however. “I might do a stone floor and the design of that floor celebrates the stone as a piece of art itself. The rest of the room is quiet and also reverberates off the stone. A traditional rustic interior can use many of the same elements as a contemporary interior—leather, stone, wood— but it has all of them going on at once, in one space. I think of mountain modern as quiet. The things that grab your attention—the details—are themselves sculptural, artistic, and tranquil.”
sheds and much simpler roofs. The more dormers and intersecting roofs, the harder it is to prevent ice damage and have that structure perform well.” It doesn’t take an architecture degree to know that logs don’t have a high R-value (a measure of a material’s resistance to heat transfer). Neither do cabins’ high, peaked roofs lend themselves well to ventilation or passive solar design. Logs are also time-consuming to maintain. “If we look at buildings from decades ago, we’ll see the metal siding and roofing has lasted. It really works in this climate,” says Hanson. One of Hanson’s current projects, a home in Moran, uses steel on the exterior. “We made the lower part of the exterior steel because it can have snow sitting all around it and building up over the course of a winter, and it is just fine,” Hanson says. The home’s upper exterior is barnwood. Materials like metal and concrete, which, when stained, blend with our landscape, also have the environmental advantage of increased protection against wildland fires. Jackson Hole Fire Marshal Kathy Clay is responsible for working closely with architects to ensure their designs can be defended should a fire strike.
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Jackson Hole’s Modern History
Jackson Lake Lodge, built in the 1950s, was one of the valley’s first modern buildings. 50
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This home of reclaimed fir timbers, cedar siding, and oxidized metal sits at the north end of Teton Valley, Idaho. The home includes passive solar orientation and design, and a living roof over the garage.
“The shake roofs that some CC&Rs require start to degrade after five to ten years from the UV and harsh weather conditions here, even though they come treated,” she says. “The roof is the Achilles’ heel of a house. We’re not going to win with a house with a roof that’s more than 25 percent on fire.” “We would be very remiss as a community to not address the fact that we are warming and drying up in the West. We’re going to have another Little Horsethief,” says Clay, alluding to the wildfire that started September 8, 2012. It cost upwards of $9 million to fight, burned 3,373 acres, and had residents of East Jackson on evacuation notice. “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.” “Mountain modern isn’t just ‘modern’ because it is a contemporary take on the local vernacular,” says Hanson, “but also because it responds to modern concerns, which weren’t necessarily concerns one hundred years ago.” JH
Although it seems it’s only been in the last twenty years that architects working in the valley have turned to materials beyond traditional log, it is not. In the 1930s, the Resors, a valley family who own Snake River Ranch, invited architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to visit and design an addition for their home. Mies, who went on to become one of the most famous modernist architects in the world, had recently fled his native Germany where the Nazis rejected his style. For the Resors, he designed a dining room that spanned the Snake River and included concrete pillars, cypress planks, and local fieldstone. A major flood kept it from ever being built, however. In the early 1950s, Laurance S. Rockefeller began developing Jackson Lake Lodge on the east shore of that lake. Rockefeller hired architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood to design the property. Underwood had previously designed The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone (not to be confused with the more famous Old Faithful Inn), Grand Canyon Lodge (on the North Rim), the Sun Valley Lodge, and Bryce Canyon Lodge. Finished in 1955, Jackson Lake Lodge was Underwood’s last major commission. Carney says, “It was a ‘modern’ effort done by a formerly very traditional architect; it was a bold move at the time to do a concrete structure in a national park, where most of the architecture was very rustic.” Jackson Lake Lodge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
Special Interest Feature
Peak 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.
Wild By Nature
Refined 3 Creek Ranch Cabin
Capturing the beauty of Jackson Hole and invites its owners to share that beauty with friends and family, Wild By Nature sits on nearly 6 acres atop a butte in Indian Springs offering unobstructed, expansive Teton views. The 5-bedroom home has been traditionally constructed of reclaimed and character logs and chunk and moss rock, and finished with amenities not often found in Jackson Hole homes including a heated outdoor pool, infinity hot tub, and 12-seat theater. Perfect seasonal or year round home.
This exquisitely designed 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 4,356 square foot 3 Creek Cabin, set on the 1st hole of the Rees Jones golf course with views of the Teton Mountain Range, Trumpeter Swan ponds, and Spring Creek, was thoughtfully and meticulously redesigned prior to construction to provide a more natural flow and more generous interior spaces. Beautiful beams and wood accents add a touch of warmth while the balance of the home offers clean lines and expansive view windows. Attention to the smallest of details ensures a tasteful showcase of refined finishes.
Spackmans and Associates Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty 877.739.8132 thespackmans@jhsir.com 52
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Tom Evans, Associate Broker, TomEvansRE@jhsir.com Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, 307.739.8149
Historic Baley House in Downtown Jackson
Ultimate Vacation Home in John Dodge
Rare downtown historical office building in the old section of Jackson, three blocks from the Town Square. Completely redesigned by Prestrud Architects in 2005 with an emphasis on keeping the original character of the property intact, but with a subtle contemporary addition on the alley. Includes 1,854 sqft of first floor office/storage, 1,100 sqft basement office/storage area, and a separate 567 sqft second floor living unit which could be converted. Ample on street and off street parking available. $1,550,000
Minutes from JH Mountain Resort and in the upscale neighborhood of John Dodge, this furnished home can accommodate large groups. A modern kitchen and dining area are part of the great room and a cozy office opens out to the extensive backyard deck. The upstairs master bedroom occupies its own wing and captures Grand Teton views through its large picture window. Just steps away from the main residence is a charming two bedroom/two bath guest house, providing an additional 1850 sf of living area. $1.945M
Greg Prugh, Broker Prugh Real Estate 307.413.2468 g@prugh.com • prugh.com
Carol Linton, Associate Broker Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, 307.732.7518 LintonBingle@jhrea.com • www.LintonBingle.com
Grand Teton National Park Inholding
The Walton Ranch
Enjoy the solitude of this quintessential cabin in the woods. This remodeled 1,000 sq.ft. cabin is located on 4.5 treed acres in the Pacific Creek area, a Grand Teton National Park in-holding. This lot is just a short walk from Pacific Creek, National Forest, and Grand Teton National Park. There is plenty of room to build a custom home for more space. Horses are welcome and wildlife sightings are a daily event. $695,000. MLS# 11-2177.
Set along the legendary Snake River in the shadow of the magnificent Grand Teton, this legacy property is minutes from downtown Jackson, world-class skiing and air service. The 1,848-acre ranch is an operating cattle ranch with its own resident elk herd and fishing access along three miles of the Snake River. Surrounded by natural beauty and close to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Walton Ranch offers a rare opportunity to own a sizable ranch in one of the most sought-after locations in the world. $68,700,000.
Rebekkah Kelley, Budge Realty Group 307.413.5294 Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates 307.733.6060 rebekkahkelley@jhrea.com • www.budgerealestate.com
Ranch Marketing Associates Ron Morris 970.535.0881 and Billy Long 970.927.3850 ron@rmabrokers.com, billy@rmabrokers.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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AMERICAN SPIRIT at YELLOWSTONE CLUB
GRAND VIEW ESTATES FINAL PARCEL
Amidst towering pines and tucked discretely into a pictureperfect high alpine setting is the single-family fully ski accessible community at Yellowstone Club, American Spirit. American Spirit offers two residential choices, the Lodges and the Cabins - with both a ‘mountain contemporary’ and ‘Montana historic’ style of architecture and numerous floor plan options. These homes can be customized to one’s individual needs and desires to allow for ease in designing and developing the perfect Rocky Mountain ski home.
4.16 acre parcel located north of town with striking views of the Grand Tetons. Each parcel embraces a magical setting, individual private pond, mature landscaping, old cotton wood trees & great proximity to Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis, Snake River and Gros Ventre River. Price Upon Request
YELLOWSTONE CLUB / Big Sky, Montana 406.995.4900, YCSales@yellowstoneclub.com www.yellowstoneclub.com BREATHTAKING VIEWS
Spring Creek Ranch, free standing Western style townhome. Over 3,300 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms, plus sleeping loft, 5 baths, 1-car garage. Cathedral ceilings, Great room living/dining. Fantastic mountain and valley views. Decks off living room and master bedroom. Private master with steam shower. Tons of storage including workshop and ski storage. Enjoy Spring Creek Ranch amenities, pool, tennis, fitness room, restaurant, bar, shuttle bus to ski area and downtown, on-site security. List price: $1,900,000 Fred & Linda Walker, Broker & Assoc. Broker “The Spouses Selling Houses” 307.690.6170 Black Diamond Real Estate, buy@bdjh.com 54
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The NeVille Group Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates tng@jhrea.com 307.734.9949
GRAND TETON VIEWS
• Indian Springs Ranch Gated Community • 9.74 Acres with Multiple Ponds • Mature Pine, Willows and Cottonwoods • Grand and Snake River Range Views • 5 Minutes to Downtown Jackson • $4,950,000 Doug Herrick, Associate Broker/Owner Brokers of Jackson Hole LLC 307.413.8899, dherrick@jhrealestate.com
Historic Legacy Ranch
Ranch Estate in Bar BC
Nestled at the base of the majestic Teton Mountain Range, the 389-acre historic VandeWater Ranch is one of the most pristine ranches in the JH Valley. In the same family since 1939 with incredible stewardship of the land & its natural resources, it’s truly one of the best privately held blue-ribbon fly fishing properties in the valley boasting 1.5 miles of Fish Creek and .25 mile of Lake Creek. Home to abundant wildlife and water fowl, the ranch is divided into 11 separately deeded parcels. Substantial conservation opportunities for the legacy ranch buyer.
This 105 acre estate has breathtaking views of the Tetons, a spring creek that flows year round and meadows of wildflowers. Wildlife viewings abound with frequent visits from moose, deer and elk to name a few. Nestled against the edge of the trees, the 6,266 square foot home has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths with 2 powder rooms. The property offers multiple development sites and opportunities for conservation. Its convenient location with proximity to the Town of Jackson and to the airport make this an excellent choice for your dream home. 13-1564.
Richard Lewis & Steve Duerr Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates 307.690.8855 RichardLewis@jhrea.com • www.LiveJacksonHole.com
Tom Evans, Associate Broker Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty 307.739.8149 • TomEvansRE@jhsir.com
Wayzata | MN | Lake Minnetonka
THE VILLAGE at YELLOWSTONE CLUB
Regatta Wayzata Bay is a new luxury condominium development in the heart of Wayzata, a quaint city along Lake Minnetonka. Only 15 minutes from Minneapolis, this convenient & beautiful residence allows you to step outside your door & enjoy shopping, trails, restaurants, spas, golf, boating & much more! This multi-use development offers 59 luxury condominiums, ranging from $450,000–$2,000,000 with 850–4,500 SF. Heated sidewalks & roads, rooftop terrace, plaza deck, dog wash & fitness center. www.REGATTAWAYZATABAY.com
Construction is underway on the first phase of the Yellowstone Club's "Village" in Big Sky, Montana. The development of the Village is adjacent to and will compliment the existing Warren Miller Lodge and will transform the base area into a bustling ski village complete with ski accessible residential units, retail spaces, members' locker rooms, general store, spa and new dining options to an already thriving ski community. There are still 10 condominiums available for purchase in the Village Lakeside, located in the heart of the world's only private ski and golf community.
Elizabeth Ulrich, Associate Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty, 952-473-2089 Beth.Ulrich@BohLandDevelopment.com
YELLOWSTONE CLUB / Big Sky, Montana 406.995.4900, YCSales@yellowstoneclub.com www.yellowstoneclub.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Rare Granite Ridge Homestead
Furnished Cabin at Shooting Star
A rarely offered perfect mountain getaway, close to skiing and all the world class amenities Teton Village has to offer with incredible rental potential. A 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3,400 sq. ft. Granite Ridge Homestead with attached heated 2-car garage. Beautifully built with custom upgrades, kitchen open to great room with cathedral ceilings, stone fireplace, hard wood floors, granite countertops throughout and a private master suite. Never rented and in immaculate condition. Granite Ridge at it’s best.
Enjoy on-call shuttle service to and from the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort from this 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom, 4,000 SF Cabin. Designed by JLF & Associates, this Cabin is situated on Last Chance Creek and overlooks the Tom Fazio golf course with spectacular views of the iconic Sleeping Indian. The Shooting Star clubhouse is within walking distance and offers a world class spa and fitness facility. The golf course was recently rated 4th best residential course by Golfweek. During the winter, it becomes the valley’s premier Nordic facility.
Rob DesLauriers, Realty Group of Jackson Hole JH Sotheby’s International Realty realtygroupjh.com Rob.DesLauriers@jhsir.com 307.413.3955
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John Resor, Associate Broker Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty 307.739.8062, jresor@shootingstarjh.com
Surrounded by Water in Jackson Hole
Understated Elegance in Teton Pines
A bridge over a meandering stream provides the perfect welcome to this mountain retreat. Completely remodeled in 2013, every aspect of this home has been updated. The home features a ground-floor master suite, a junior master suite with private entrance and elevated deck and 2 more bedrooms. The brand new guest house offers an additional 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a full kitchen. Totaling over 4,700sqft with 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and 4 garage bays, this property is capped off with a natural stream, pond, and Grand Teton views.
Completed in 2000, this Teton Pines home stuns with its simpleyet-sophisticated architecture. Adjacent open space protected by a conservation easement affords a level of privacy rarely found in this neighborhood. Sold fully furnished, this home was constructed of stone and wood and masterfully balances architecturally interesting details with understatement. This home impresses with its clean lines, intelligent updates of western vernacular, thoughtful layout and craftsmanship. Its 6,000 square feet of living space are functional and guest- and family-friendly.
Mack Mendenhall, Associate Broker Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates 307.690.0235 mackmendenhall@jhrea.com
Spackmans & Associates Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty 307.739.8132, spackmans@jhsir.com
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Tucker Ranch
STUNNING HILLSIDE ESTATE
Between Tucker Lake and the Snake River with dramatic Teton views, this exquisite home is a masterpiece of reclaimed beams, barnwood, and stone with top-of-the-line finishes. The patio, by the private pond and it’s waterfalls, offer an outdoor fireplace and built-in grill. A spacious master suite graces the first floor; upstairs boasts four guest suites. SF594BJH $12,900,000
Set into the hillside and overlooking protected ranchland below, this remarkable 40 acre property boasts dramatic Teton views. The classic and elegantly designed 7000 sq. ft. home features 2 living areas, a bright and airy kitchen, and a spacious dining room on the main level. The upper floor is comprised of a gracious master bedroom with separate baths and dressing rooms, a large office as well as separate guest quarters. Two additional and very comfortable suites plus a family room open onto the garden level.
Doug Herrick, Associate Broker/Owner Brokers of Jackson Hole LLC 307.413.8899, dherrick@jhrealestate.com
Mercedes Huff, Associate Broker JH Sotheby’s International Realty, 307.733.9009 mercedes.huff@jhsir.com OR mercedeshuff.com
Skier's Dream Home
GOLF COURSE LOTS at YELLOWSTONE CLUB
Luxury 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home at the base of the world class Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, voted #1 ski resort of 2014! Spacious bedrooms with en suite baths, gourmet kitchen, two fireplaces, floor to ceiling windows, gracious decks and multiple living areas round out this mountain lodge with sweeping valley and mountain views. Income producing lease is currently in place until September 2015. Call to view this fabulous investment property.
Life at the Yellowstone Club Golf Course offers the challenges and thrills of a Tom Weiskopf championship golf course in the summer months and the convenience of quick access to YC’s own 2,200 acres of Private Powder™ in the winter. The Golf Course offers 25 lots with true Montana living. These residences provide incredible views of the golf course and the surrounding mountains: Lone Peak, Pioneer Mountain, the Spanish Peaks and the Gallatin Range. These lots are conveniently located inside the 13,600 acre private ski and golf community at Yellowstone Club.
Brokerage of the Tetons Meredith Landino 307.690.8028 mlandino@tetonre.com Jamie Turner 307.203.9055 jamie@tetonre.com
YELLOWSTONE CLUB / Big Sky, Montana 406.995.4900, YCSales@yellowstoneclub.com www.yellowstoneclub.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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JACKSON HOLE WINTER GUIDE
JACKSON HOLE g n i ki s n o N WINTER GUIDE JACKSON HOL ^
WINTER GU
CKSON HOLE WINTER GUIDE
2014 BY KELSEY DAYTON
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LE UIDE
Last year, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort broke the 500,000-skier-day mark for the first time in its forty-eight-year history. SKI Magazine readers named JHMR the No.1 overall resort in North America. It’s no wonder that when people think of winter in Jackson Hole, they first think skis, snowboards, endless terrain, and red boxes hauling powder hounds to the top of 10,450-foot Rendezvous Mountain. We don’t want to talk you out of skiing— that’s the reason many of us live here, after all—but we would like you to know that when your legs get tired, there’s plenty of other outdoorsy stuff to do. Here are a few of our favorites. >>>
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Snowshoeing Winter walking: no skills needed Snowshoeing is walking—it’s that simple. Once you’re out with snowshoes strapped to your feet, you can make it leisurely or an all-day epic. For the former, you follow the tracks of fellow snowshoers. For the latter, you strike out on your own. As long as there is snow— and you are confident in navigating winter terrain and avalanche safety—you don’t have to limit yourself to trails. The opportunity for exploring what already seems like a new world is exponential. I am not the only one who has realized the wonder of snowshoeing. It is gaining in popularity—participation nationally has increased almost 41 percent since 2008, according to Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) research. The 2013 Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report conducted by SIA reveals that last winter, more than four million people went snowshoeing. Last winter was only the second time since the study’s inception that the number of snowshoers surpassed the number of cross-country ski-
Take a Tour
BRADLY J. BONER
Everything I love about summer hiking is magnified in winter—solitude, the sense of adventure, the fresh mountain air. In the woods there is a soft quiet unique to the season. Snow sparkles and piles into pillow-like drifts. But Jackson Hole values extreme sports. Mach-ing down ski slopes, flying off cliffs, and concentrating on staying attached to a frozen waterfall don’t necessarily lend themselves to appreciating winter’s soft quiet. Snowshoeing, however, does. Friends sometimes laugh when I confess to loving it, but I query back, “How can you not?” Unlike backcountry skiing, snowshoeing requires little skill beyond knowing how to walk. The average price of a pair of snowshoes last winter was just over $130, according to SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Snowmobiles can cost as much as a new car (and snowmobiling also requires skill). Cross-country skiing is closer to snowshoeing, but still requires a level of coordination snowshoeing doesn’t.
ers. Behind downhill skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing is now the thirdmost-popular winter sport. “Snowshoeing is growing for a variety of reasons,” says Phil Leeds, co-owner of Skinny Skis, a gear shop in downtown Jackson that rents and sells snowshoes (in addition to renting and selling crosscountry and backcountry touring skis). “It doesn’t require a significant skill set, and it doesn’t preclude people with health issues as much as other winter sports do. Good balance is key for downhill skiing. Balance is less an issue when snowshoeing. Over the last three to five years, we’ve really seen it grow in popularity with older clients and also with families with young kids.” Another benefit of snowshoeing is that it is an equalizer. There are no skill levels. “We get three generations of a family renting gear to go out together,” Leeds says.
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From mid-December through March, Grand Teton National Park rangers lead free two-hour snowshoe tours Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. They are limited to twenty people and depart from Taggart Lake at 1:30 p.m. These snowshoe hikes, which cover between one and two miles and include discussions about winter ecology, wildlife, and the park’s geology, are appropriate for all levels, including first-timers. The park even has snowshoes for you and they themselves are interesting. To create the feeling of a historic experience, most of the park’s snowshoes date from the 1940s and ’50s and are four feet tall, racket-shaped, and made from wood and rawhide. Some of these snowshoes made it into the park’s collection via the famous U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division, a light infantry division activated during World War II to give troops special training in mountain skills such as skiing and snowshoeing. Reservations needed; $5 for rental snowshoes; 307/739-3399
Do-It-Yourself Through May 1, Grand Teton National Park’s interior park loop road is closed to cars between the Bradley-Taggart Trailhead and Signal Mountain. Until it melts out, usually in mid-March, it is groomed for snowshoeing and crosscountry skiing, making it a perfect place for novice snowshoers. The trail is packed, the scenery is stunning—views of the Tetons the whole way—and you’ll see plenty of other people. Because it’s out-and-back, you can turn around at any point. More adventurous snowshoers can park at the Bradley-Taggart Trailhead and head for one of two nearby, glacially formed lakes. Taggart Lake is the more southerly of the two and is a shorter hike, about three miles round-trip, from the
trailhead. Bradley Lake, which sits near the mouth of Garnet Canyon, is about four miles round-trip from the trailhead. The trails to both lakes are gently undulating, and the Bradley Lake trail has several steeper sections. You won’t have either of these trails entirely to yourself, but you will see far fewer people than you would in the summer. Close to downtown Jackson, Cache Creek, in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, has a maze of trails on singletrack and old roads to choose from. Heading out from the trailhead, it is gently uphill. The main road is groomed for about five miles. East of Wilson, the Snake River dike is a favorite with dog-owning snowshoers (and walkers; snowshoes are often not needed). Benefits include a
partially frozen Snake River for scenery and no chance of getting lost; the trail is very obvious. A note about snowshoeing etiquette: It is bad form to snowshoe in ski tracks. Snowshoeing—and also walking without snowshoes—in ski tracks makes it both difficult and dangerous for cross-country and backcountry skiers to use them. If there is a ski track but no snowshoe track heading to where you want to go with your snowshoes, set the snowshoe track yourself. Or snowshoe somewhere else. Rentals available at: Skinny Skis: $20/full day, $15/half-day; 65 W. Deloney; 307/733-6094; skinnyskis.com Teton Mountaineering: $25/full day, $18/ half-day; 170 N. Cache; 307/733-3595; tetonmountaineering.com
Snowshoe Q & A Kristen Dragoo, a GTNP ranger who has led snowshoe tours in the park since 2007, shares her snowshoeing savvy. Q: How’d you get into snowshoeing? A: I grew up in southern Ohio, where there isn’t usually enough snow to snowshoe. My first experience ever was in Grand Teton National Park when I moved here. I think my second or third time I was guiding a park tour. Q: What should we wear? A: Layers. Hiking along, you’ll work up a sweat and trade off layers. I like a thin, breathable layer close to the body and then an insulating layer like a fleece that can be shed. On top of that, I sometimes do a waterproof layer. Q: What should we bring? A: Plenty of water and lip balm with sunscreen in it. Even if you’re not planning to be out for long, bring small snacks. Extra gloves, in case yours get wet, are good. Because darkness can
come quickly in the winter, always bring a headlamp or flashlight. Q: How do we keep our water from freezing? A: Insulated water carriers keep water cold in the summer and, come winter, keep it from freezing. You can also start with hot water in your bottles. Q: Advice for first-timers? A: Pick a trail that is level and packed down; the park road is a perfect place to start. Then, just walk. Your legs will be a little farther apart than normal, but you’ll make that adjustment naturally. Keep your snowshoes parallel and don’t let the toes of one snowshoe cross the tails of the other. Q: What about poles? A: That’s a personal preference. Poles can provide extra balance and are helpful when going downhill. Most people use them.
Q: Now that we’re on the topic of hills: Is going up and down them tricky? A: No. Snowshoes have claws that give you lots of traction in both directions … on hills, you just have to make sure the claws are going all the way into the snow. They’re your main traction. Just like when skiing, if something is really steep, don’t be afraid to sidestep, whether going up or down. Q: How do we pick snowshoes? A: Body weight is the most important thing. Bindings are adjustable and fit most feet. Think about the terrain and trail. If you are going somewhere you anticipate breaking trail in deep snow, you might want wider snowshoes than you would on a packed surface. Q: Why do you like snowshoeing? A: It’s a winter sport almost anyone can enjoy. Even if you don’t know how to evaluate avalanche terrain or you’re not an advanced skier, you can still get out somewhere.
Q: Do you snowshoe outside of work? A: I do, especially when I want to do something low-key and uncomplicated. Q: Favorite spots? A: I head to Taggart Lake. There are great views. I also really like to go off-trail and explore. Terrain isn’t an issue like it is with skis. I can escape the crowds and find a place where other people haven’t gone. Q: What are some spots you usually have to yourself? A: Just outside of the park near Shadow Mountain is a good one. Q: Where do you direct friends and family just learning to snowshoe? A: Teton Park Road. You probably won’t have to break trail, and it’s still scenic and interesting.
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Snowmobiling is for everyone. Shirley Lutz was a little tentative about snowmobiling at first. At twentyseven years old, she had never ridden a snow machine before, but her husband, Fred, wanted her to try it. Not ready to drive her own, she hopped on the back of his. Off they went. Lutz doesn’t recall the particulars of that first ride, except her thought at the end: I want my own. Today, Lutz, now seventy, owns Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Tours and High Country Snowmobile Tours with Fred. The couple first became involved in the business in 1990; the two companies now offer snowmobile tours to most every permitable area in the valley—the Gros
Ventre Mountains, Togwotee Pass, the Greys River area, Granite Hot Springs, and Yellowstone National Park. After she and Fred moved to the valley in 1971, everyone, including two kids aged four and six at the time, took to snowmobiling. With other families, the Lutzes spent afternoons in Curtis Canyon on the valley’s eastern side. Because it was still allowed at the time, they explored parts of Grand Teton National Park. Lutz felt an exhilarating sense of freedom on her sled—that’s what snowmobilers call their rides. When riding, she felt connected to the landscape. We managed to catch her in her office for a Q&A.
Teton Ice Park is one of the few places in the country that “grows” and maintains ice for climbers armed with ice axes and metal spikes—crampons—strapped to their feet to practice on. There are lessons for beginners.
WHO
Can you sit? Lay on your stomach? You’ve got this. A ninety-two-year-old has tubed here with her grandkids.
Anyone over the age of eleven possessing a sense of adventure. And no, you don’t have to be able to do a pull-up. Climbing is mostly legs.
WHEN
After a light dusting of new snow, which makes the track slower and softer, conditions are perfect for groups of up to eight tubers to link together; speed demons can go fastest when it has been cold and dry.
Conditions are best when nighttime temperatures keep the ice solidly frozen and daytime temps are warm enough for the ice to soften a bit.
WHERE
The area’s only tubing park is at the base of Snow King Ski Area.
The state’s only ice climbing park is on a fortyfoot concrete retaining wall hidden among the King’s condos. Don’t be afraid to stop at the resort for directions.
Open 2 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends from December 21 to mid-March. Adults $18/one hour, $24/two hours, $10/single ride; kids 13 and younger $15/hour, $20/two hours, $10/single ride; www.snowkingmountain. com; 307/734-3194
The park’s season is weather-dependent; opening day is set for December 15. It usually closes midMarch. Call to arrange group or private lessons, which start at $85 and include rental equipment. tetonicepark.com; 307/690-1385
WHAT
At King Tubes, a lift carries you and an inflated, oversize inner tube two hundred feet up to the top of a manicured snow track. Sit or lay down on the tube and push off. Seconds later, you’re at the bottom. Repeat.
HOW
Snow King Smackdown: Tubing Versus Ice Climbing at the Town Hill
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Q: Tell us about a memorable day on the sled. A: We were in Yellowstone amongst a herd of buffalo. The buffalo were streaming across the road. We were just stopped, and they were all around. Some were just standing and watching us, and we were sitting there watching them. They weren’t frightened of us, and we weren’t harassing them. It was something to see wildlife up close like that. Q: Was it scary? A: Surprisingly, no. They’re giant animals, but were not agitated. They were just doing their thing. Q: Are sledding and snowshoeing or cross-country skiing mutually exclusive? Are you allowed to be a snowmobiler and do one of the other two? Do you? A: Our children were raised in Jackson and graduated from Jackson Hole High School. They downhill skied and snowmobiled. Fred and I have gone crosscountry skiing. You don’t have to be one or the other. I think you can enjoy all facets of winter activities. I prefer snowmobiling, but that doesn’t mean I don’t do other things. That would be limiting myself. Q: Do you go to the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb held at Snow King every March? A: I have gone to the Hill Climb, but racing up a hill doesn’t do anything for me. My son and husband might go.
PRICE CHAMBERS
Over the River, Through the Woods, Up the Hill
Q: Where do you ride when you go out for fun? A: Granite Hot Springs and the northern Gros Ventre, east of Kelly. Granite Hot Springs isn’t overly exhausting, the hot pool is wonderful, and it’s beautiful back there. Since I’m not much into playing anymore, I also like the Gros Ventre. Its wildlife and scenery are awesome.
Q: Have you ever competed? Anyone in your family? A: My son, Jeff, did one year. But I think it was one of those times that he told me after the fact—he didn’t want to worry mom. He also went skydiving once and didn’t tell me until he got home. Q: Have you ever had a giant wreck? What happened? A: I buried my machine once, as I was going around a tree up in Montana. I remember driving on the trail and all of a sudden I got sucked off into a well. We had enough friends there it was no problem getting the sled out. I always go with my husband and friends. Q: Is someone going to be sore after their first time snowmobiling? A: Your shoulders might be a bit sore from steering, and your thumb might hurt from hitting the gas. Having good posture helps, though. If you have a bad back, we recommend wearing a back brace.
PO Box 7901 - 940 West Broadway - Jackson, Wy 83002
Auto Detailing Services Auto Detailing Services for your Car, Truck, SUV, or Boat
From a Basic Hand Wash to a 25 step Platinum Detail
307.730.0512
Call today to make an appointment
Q: How do you keep warm on a sled? A: I never have a problem. I wear my snowmobile suit, and my gloves and handlebars are heated. My hands sometimes get so hot I have to turn the handlebar heaters off for a time. Feet stay warm because they are close to the motor. As I get older I have enjoyed using those foot warmers you can put inside your boots. Q: What’s the oldest rider you’ve taken out? A: We’ve had people over seventy go out. They had never even been on a sled before. Q: The youngest? Is there such a thing as a snowmobiling license? A: Probably four as a passenger. A lot of it is sizedependent and whether or not the parents think a kid can handle a machine that big. If I hear that a kid has handled four-wheelers or personal watercraft, then I’m fairly sure they can handle a snowmobile. But we try to keep drivers fourteen and over. There’s no snowmobiling license, but in Yellowstone, you do need to have an actual driver’s license to drive a snowmobile. Learner’s permits don’t count. Q: What’s a common rookie mistake? A: Easy: Traveling too close to the machine in front and not realizing the same rules apply as when driving a car. If you’re in a group and are right on the tail of the person in front of you, when that person sees something and stops to get a better look, you won’t have the distance to stop. You’ll rear-end them. You don’t want to do that.
...because it’s all about the Details
Flying out of town? Come back to a freshly detailed vehicle. We will pick it up and drop it back off the day you fly back into town.
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Mush On!
PRICE CHAMBERS
Winter isn’t just about horsepower.
The dogs at first seem insane, leaping in the air, straining on harnesses, and barking before lunging out, en masse, onto the trail. It takes them a few miles to settle down and hit their strides. Not that I mind their exuberance; all I’m doing is enjoying the scenery from my bundle of clothing and blankets inside the sled. But then it’s my turn to drive. If I want. It’s an opportunity I can’t pass up. When else will I have the chance to stand on the runners of a sled and drive a pack of true race dogs? My guide spends several minutes outlining the basics—how and when to step on the brake; how, if I
want, I can jump off and run alongside the sled; and, finally, simple commands. “Gee” means turn right. “Haw” means left. A “hike” gets the dogs started. “Easy” slows them down. “Whoa” should stop them. Repeating these commands under my breath, I’m quickly off. At first, I’m tentative. My foot is primed to step on the brake. But the ride is smooth, and slowly, I let the dogs pick up the pace. I get more comfortable and gain confidence. Eventually, to lighten the load for the dogs as we go up a hill, I jump off and jog alongside the sled. Mushing can be a surprisingly good workout. Moving across the terrain, both behind and beside the sled, it feels like I’ve been transported to another era. It’s exhilarating. So is the scenery, which I can’t really enjoy while concentrating on driving. I return the reins and go back to spectating from the basket. Not that spectating isn’t without its own excitement: “If we have grandma and grandpa in the sled, we’ll stand on the brake,” says Billy Snodgrass, founder of Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures. “If we’ve got a couple of teenagers, we’ll catch a little air.” Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures is permitted to use more than four hundred miles of trails on and around Togwotee Pass in the northern part of the valley. “Our trails are really wild, up and down and all over the map,” Snodgrass says. On the Candle Light Trail, the trees are so dense it’s like going through a tunnel. “Everything goes silent,” Snodgrass says. >>>
Where's the Wildlife?
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What?
Elk Refuge Sleigh Ride Tours
Winter Wildlife Tours
Time Investment
1 hour
Half- to full-day
Wildlife Payoff
Around 7,000 elk winter on the refuge; also bald eagles, coyotes, and trumpeter swans
It’s always different—bison, elk, coyotes, moose, deer, and swans and other birds are likely; if you’re lucky, also wolves
The Vehicle
A wagon on runners—or wheels, if there isn’t enough snow— pulled by a team of 2,000-pound Belgian and Percheron horses
If you stick to Jackson Hole, it’ll be a passenger van or SUV. Inside Yellowstone National Park, it’ll be a snowcoach, which is a touring van on snowmobile tracks.
Extra Credit
Elk are conditioned to the sleighs, so you’ll get closer to them Winter transforms Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. You might than you ever could on foot; you’ll be tempted to reach out and try find yourself as enthralled with the landscape as with its wild to pet one, but—please—don’t. residents.
Chill Factor
The horse-drawn sleighs’ heating system—wool blankets—doesn’t Naturalist guides can crank up the heat, but you’ll still be really do much against the bitter wind that can blow on the refuge. jumping out to take photos. Dress in layers. Bring more clothing than you imagine you’ll need.
Details
Adults, $18, 12 and under, $14; trips leave from the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, 532 N. Cache Street; 307/733-0277. Trips run about every 20 minutes. No reservations needed.
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Scenic Safaris: tours start at $125/adult; 888/734-8898; scenic-safaris.com. EcoTour Adventures: tours start at $125/ adult; 307/690-9533; www.jhecotouradventures.com
AMARAN is about beauty
IS ABOUT BEAUTY 36 EAST BROADWAY JACKSON HOLE, WY 307.200.6757 WWW.AMARAN.COM WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Snodgrass, who lives near Dubois, Wyoming, started using dogs when his snowmobile broke one winter. He needed a way to get to town. He didn’t own actual sled dogs, though. He did have two Great Danes and a Rottweiler. He hooked them up to a sled. A short while later, the ragtag crew pulled into Dubois. People laughed. Snodgrass soon invested in Alaskan huskies. Shortly after that, he started racing. Now he’s a four-time Iditarod veteran, owns upwards of one hundred sled dogs, and continues to race while running Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures, which he founded twenty-five years ago as a way to keep his race dogs in shape and his retired dogs still active. Plus, he loves the joy it brings people. “Sled dogs capture the imagination,” he says. “It’s not something you can experience every day.” In the southern end of this valley, Frank Teasley, also an Iditarod veteran—he’s raced it eight times—runs Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours, which he founded in 1982. He, too, needed to come up with a way to provide a home and job for his older race dogs and also to train his young racers. Teasley still races internationally, as do some of the musher guides he employs. A tour with Teasley starts at the kennel, where you meet the dogs and learn about their care. “Then we run right out of
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the yard,” Teasley says. Teasley’s tours go into the Cliff Creek area and the Gros Ventre Mountains. By far, his most popular trip is to Granite Hot Springs, which can include a soak in a minimally developed hot springs pool surrounded by 11,000-foot-tall mountains. Even if you don’t soak—half-day trips don’t include a swim—Granite Creek Canyon is spectacular. Moose and eagles are frequent sights, and the route parallels burbling Granite Creek for much of the way. “It’s spectacular,” Teasley says. “When people arrive here they are stunned because they’ve never seen an operation, or place, like this. They feel like they’ve left Jackson and are in Alaska.”
SLED DOGGIN’ IT: Dog sledding season depends on the snow conditions, but usually starts in November and goes into late March. Reservations are required. Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours: $255/person for half-day, $325/person for full day; www.jhsleddog.com; 800/554-7388 Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures: trips start at $190; www.dogsledadventures.com; 307/455-3052
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b ozeman , mT • J aCkSon h ole , Wy • S CoTTSDale , az box 4977 • 75 north cache • jackson, wyoming 83001 • 307 733-2353 W W W . l e G a C y G a l l e ry . C o m
JACKSON gHOLE NonskiinGUIDE 2014 WINTER ^
Warming Up Wind down from winter adventures with something warm. Savory
Waffles, and a view
Hot Toddy
Dolce has gourmet grilled cheese, from the Classic (choice of cheddar or American cheese on French, wheat, Parmesan, sourdough, jalapeno cornbread, or gluten-free bread) to the Thanksgiving (Muenster cheese, smoked turkey, cranberry jam, and arugula on French bread). There’s also the Mac & Cheese—cheddar cheese and macaroni and cheese on sourdough— and the Granny—sharp cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, tomato, and grilled onions on any bread. Pair a sammie with a cup of house-made tomato soup, which gets a little kick from the addition of roasted red peppers. $6 to $9;
Skiers and boarders don’t just ride Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s aerial tram for the terrain it accesses. Perched atop Rendezvous Mountain’s 10,450-foot summit and only accessible via the resort’s iconic red box, Corbet’s Cabin serves hot-from-the-griddle waffles. Toppings include Nutella, bananas, berries, and cinnamon. Our favorite? The peanut butter and bacon combo. Nonskiers hungry for a waffle can buy a sightseeing ticket for $29. Yes, the waffles, which also come with views you’d never otherwise see, are worth it. Waffles start at
Hot toddies at The Handle Bar aren’t ho-hum. The restaurant, celebrity chef Michael Mina’s first offering in the valley, has three types to choose from: The Flying Dutchman includes Hangar One Mandarin Vodka, chamomile tea, honey, and mint whipped cream. Yodelayheehoo has whiskey, orange jasmine tea, maple, and scotch whipped cream. Then there’s the Bombardino—brandy coffee and cocoa whipped cream. Tod-
160 N. Cache Street; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; 307/200-6071
dies start at $10; inside Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, slopeside in Teton Village; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; 307/732-5157
$5.89; 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, while the tram is open; 307/739-2688
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LOCATED ON THE TOWN SQUARE JACKSON HOLE, WY WWW.JDHCOUTFITTERS.COM 307.733.3270 68
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
LOCATED IN TETON VILLAGE, WY WWW.PEPISTIEGLERS.COM 307.733.4505
Simply S’moreS As far as we know, the Snake River Brewery & Restaurant was the first place in Jackson Hole to have a s’more on its dessert menu. (Nowadays, the Snake River Grill, Trio, and Persephone Bakery Café also do variations of s’mores.) We think the one here is still the best: a thick homemade graham cracker on the bottom, an entire Hershey’s Bar in the middle, and a layer of toasted marshmallow on top. $5; 265 S. Millward; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; 307/739-BEER; www.snakeriverbrewing.com
Cocolove. You know from the name this is the place in the valley to go for chocolate. Food Network and Travel Channel have featured Oscar Ortega’s bonbons and viennoiseries. Locals line up at cocolove for Ortega’s Mexican Hot Chocolate: dark chocolate with vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove, anise, and, for an extra kick, chile. $3.50 for Mexican hot chocolate, chocolates and sweets start at $1.75; 55 N. Glenwood; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; 307/733-3253 JH
BRADLY J. BONER
Hot chocolate, with a kick
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Private Powder
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At Yellowstone Club, we don’t have powder days, we have powder weeks.
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The World’s Only Private Ski and Golf Community —
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BRADLY J. BONER
The
Liftie
COURTESY PHOTO
Life It’s a simple job, but loading lifts can change lives. BY REED FINLAY WITH REBECCA HUNTINGTON AND DANI SPENCE Author Reed Finlay started at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort as a liftie (below). Today, he’s on the resort’s ski patrol (above). 72
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VERY WORKDAY STARTS with a cold bus ride in from the employee parking lot. You shuffle uphill, fresh corduroy crunching underfoot as you pass Walk Festival Hall, Jackson Hole Sports, and Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole. You can’t count how many times your older coworkers have told you about the Forest Service cabin that used to sit where the latter now does. The cabin was the site of bonfires and parties evidently memorable enough they’re still talking about them years later. (The cabin was razed more than a decade ago.) Arriving at the MOB (Mountain Operations Building), fluorescent lights blazing overhead and the air ripe with the smell of dried sweat and stale boots, you squeeze by and around ski patrollers and instructors to get to your locker. It seems everyone is trying to wake up or sober up. Changed into your uniform, boots on and skis in hand, you head back outside and toward your lift. “What better way to start your day?” asks Dani Spence, who began working as a liftie at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) in the winter of 2002-03. Running JHMR’s thirteen lifts—everything from a magic carpet to a state-of-the-art aerial tram—requires about 125 lift operations workers. Lift ops includes lifties, ticket checkers, foremen, and supervisors. The responsibilities of ticket checkers are obvious. Foremen, of which I was one from 1999 to 2005, assist supervisors in overseeing two or three lifts over the season. Supervisors manage lifts and handle the staffing and day-to-day operations of a particular lift. Lifties—I was one of these, too, from 1992 to 1997—are the most public face of the department. A liftie working a fixed-grip chair loads about four hundred chairs an hour— coming into contact with about 1,600 people. They work ten-hour days, four days a week. Each day is broken into three shifts—top, bottom, and rover. Within these shifts, lifties rotate duties hourly. Together, the three shifts operate with the precision of a Swiss watch, shoveling the maze, brushing off seats, loading skiers, unloading skiers, counting skier numbers, keeping tissue boxes full, and making sure the lift itself is running smoothly. As a former lift mechanic put it, lifties are “the eyes and ears” of the lift mechanics. Mostly, lifties love it. They love working outside. They love the immediate access to skiing the job affords. They love the camaraderie. At each winter’s orientation, Tim Mason, JHMR’s vice president of operations and a former liftie himself, says, “A lot of my best friends I’m still in contact with aren’t guys from high school or college. Most of them I got to know through the ski industry, and a lot of them are ex-lifties and patrollers.” Says Susanne Knighton, who worked the Teewinot lift at the bottom of the mountain for a season, “Everyone was just excited to go to work every day. You don’t find that in a lot of places, and I found that working as a liftie here. Even though I was a bottom feeder, I found a lot of joy at the bottom.” On average, 75 percent of JHMR lifties return the next season. >>>
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BRADLY J. BONER
A LIFTIE YEARBOOK
COURTESY PHOTO
BRADLY J. BONER
Susanne Knighton (top left) has gone from bumping chairs to founding and running an academic tutoring business. JHMR VP of operations Tim Mason (lower left) started his career in the ski industry in the early ’80s. His first job was as a liftie. Detective Danielle Spence (below) says her time as a liftie has helped her close cases.
IT’S SPRING OF the 1995-96 ski season, my first working as a liftie on the Sublette chair. Locals have nicknamed this winter “ninety-five/ninety-sick” because of how much snow we’ve gotten: five hundred inches so far. It’s not stopping. Assigned to Sublette chair on the upper mountain—one of the most coveted liftie assignments because 1) of the terrain you can ski on your breaks and 2) you have to take the early tram, the 8:12, to get to your post—my legs have been rubber since, well, December. I’ve been skiing that much powder. I occasionally consider taking it easy, actually resting on my breaks instead of cramming in three 1,500-foot powder runs each one—but I can’t. How can I not ski when there’s yet another foot of new snow? Skiing is why I took this job in the first place. I knew I wanted to move to Jackson Hole to ski after graduating, in 1992 with a degree in history, from Davidson College in my home state of North Carolina. The summer after graduation, 74
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I worked at a dude ranch in Montana. Some of the other ranch hands had worked at ski resorts in Colorado. They made being a liftie sound like the ultimate job for someone who wanted to ski. Which was just what I wanted to do. Other ski-town jobs good for racking up serious ski time are bartending and waiting tables. Both pay (much) better, but I liked the idea of being a liftie more. Lifties worked outside and right on the mountain. My breaks would be other people’s vacations, skiing some of the best in-bounds terrain in the country. That following winter, 1992-93, I was living in Jackson Hole and bumping chairs on Après Vous. But back to my first year on Sublette, because that winter was just sick. Almost every morning in the locker room that season was wonderfully the same—fellow Sublette liftie Steve Romeo bouncing all over the room, giggling over the fact the resort was again reporting new snow accumulations in the double
digits; Rick Swanker, another Sublette colleague, cracking coffee-fueled jokes. Even the lifties on Thunder—the other quad on the upper mountain—are lively; in past seasons, Thunder was a hardpartying crew that showed up each morning in a zombie-like state. The exuberance only grows as we board the 8:12 a.m. worker tram and see the extent of the previous night’s dump. Most days, we’d see that all tracks had been obliterated, leaving the mountain a blank slate. By the time we pass the second tram tower, my thoughts are calculating how to sequence my runs during breaks and shift changes. I want to get as much powder as possible, hitting the main runs first and saving my secret stashes for last. But first I have to get to Sublette. I traverse halfway across Rendezvous Bowl so I can drop straight down the fall line. Another morning, another set of fresh tracks down the bowl. The face shots— powder flying up into my face—choke
oyster perpetual subma riner date
rolex
oyster perpetual and submariner are trademarks.
me, and clumps of snow stick to my goggles. Still, I can see on both sides of me the contrails of other lifties enjoying their own fresh tracks. When I stop at the bottom, Swanker is straight-lining down on his snowboard; his lanky frame, slicing the deep snow like a shark fin, leaving a trail of cold smoke hovering in the air. He arrives at work, like we all do, with a humongous grin. Getting to work, we crank up the snow blower, shovel the ramp and start the lift just before the first tramload of ski schoolers and diehards arrives. It’s been more than seventeen years since that winter and sixteen years since I last bumped a chair for an entire season. (I bumped chairs, again assigned to Sublette, for one more season before moving on to other lift-related, onmountain jobs.) Still I remember those days like they were yesterday. This could perhaps be nostalgia—they were a carefree time when my biggest concerns were quaking quads. Or perhaps it is because every workday all winter long I still see and talk to lifties. Working as a liftie changed my career path and was the initial reason I stuck around this valley.
detective. “By understanding the Jackson community, and also the ski culture, language, and lifestyle, it’s made it easier to navigate some of my cases in the valley,” Spence says. “I remember what it’s like to move here bright-eyed and looking to ski and have fun.” “During the winter months, at any given point during the day, it’s possible the majority of the Teton County population is out at JHMR and Teton Village. At the sheriff ’s office, we deal with a lot of calls for service out there—citizen assists, crimes, emergencies—and there are resources I have from being a liftie. I’ve helped close cases because of having been a liftie,” Spence says. “I know who to talk to out there and how to approach them. There are contacts throughout the community I made that help when I need to track down people or resources. Knowing ski patrollers and the layout of the mountain has helped me talk a few people out of the backcountry and give a heads-up to responding deputies about the terrain or possible equipment needed to rescue someone. I know where the service roads are on the mountain: Can we drive right to an in-
“You don’t become a liftie to be rich. You work as a liftie to live a few rich months in near-poverty. We weren’t stuck in office buildings in the city with only a week a year to recreate.” — Teton County Sheriff’s Office Detective and former liftie Danielle Spence
From liftie, I worked my way up to foreman and then supervisor. Since 2005, I’ve been a full-time JHMR ski patroller. ONE OF THE lifties I supervised after I began climbing up the ranks, Dani Spence, is now Detective Danielle Spence. She works for the Teton County Sheriff ’s Office. Spence says interacting with the public as a liftie and getting to know the community and mountain helped the growth of her career as a sheriff ’s office 76
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cident or do we need a helicopter and Search and Rescue?” Today, Mike Nichols, who bumped chairs between 1997 and 2000, works behind the concierge desk at Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole. He advises the property’s guests on how to make the most of their time in the valley. “Having been a liftie makes me more effective as a concierge,” Nichols says. “I know the mountain in all weather and snow conditions, and can guide guests to the best
terrain for their level.” “I barely knew how to ski and had never been on a snowmobile before,” says Knighton, who was a twenty-yearold petite blonde from North Carolina when she started as a liftie in the 19992000 season. “I was a Southern bell in a stinky locker room” dominated by men, she says. Given Knighton’s limited skiing skills, she was assigned to the Teewinot chair. She worked as a liftie just one winter before heading back to school to finish her biology degree. But she didn’t stay away. Degree in hand, she came back to work at JHMR. “I wasn’t going to be a bottom feeder anymore, though,” she says. (“Bottom feeders” are the lifties assigned to the resort’s lower-elevation lifts: Teewinot, Union Pass, Eagle’s Rest, Moose Creek, and Granite Ridge.) With the ski skills she had honed during her time as a liftie, she secured a job as a ski instructor and eventually, a Kids Ranch supervisor in the ski school. Knighton also worked as a ski host and conducted surveys for the resort. She has since earned a master’s degree in education and started her own tutoring business. I’m not the only liftie who has opted to stay and rise in rank within the industry. Mason got a job as a liftie in the early 1980s. He bumped chairs on the Mary Jane side of Winter Park Resort in Colorado. At the time, he thought it was more a job than something that would lead to a career. “I decided I wanted to work outside, I wanted to be a lift operator, and I wanted to do it for one year,” Mason says. Mason moved to Jackson in 199697, also known as “ninety-sick/ninetyheaven”—lifties, and locals, give most winters a nickname. With fifteen years of lift-related jobs under his belt when he arrived here, Mason started at JHMR as lift operations supervisor, overseeing the resort’s one hundred-some lifties, including me. Now, as vice president of operations, Mason is still head of all lifts at JHMR and also of snowmaking, grooming operations, and ski patrol. Lifties remain close to his heart; he makes sure to check in with the culture by riding every lift at least once every three days. WHILE THE BENEFITS are hard to beat, bumping chairs can be one of the toughest and least-appreciated jobs on the mountain. Knighton is just five feet
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Bang the Chimes In the late 1990s, on a day when the skiing was less than ideal, Sublette liftie Rick Swanker (who is now mountain manager at Grand Targhee Resort on the west side of the Tetons) found a new way to occupy himself: making ski chimes. Swanker, trying to stave off boredom, took a broken ski—or maybe it was a broken snowboard—and an array of broken/bent ski poles and, using cord, hung the latter from the former. Then he hung the whole contraption where skiers and boarders could hit it before they loaded the lift. Kind of like spinning a prayer wheel for snow, skiers swat the chimes with their pole. Boarders fist-bump them. Designs have evolved to be more sophisticated; some ski chimes now come with a separate stick with which to ring them. Because ski chimes look almost as good on a deck as they do hanging from a lift, here are instructions for building your own. 1 Gather the materials: You’ll need a section of an old ski or snowboard—we recommend one that is twelve to twenty inches in length—and also various lengths of broken ski poles. They can have baskets or not. If you don’t have these things lying around, Browse N’ Buy at St. John’s Episcopal Church is a good place to find skis and poles you won’t mind destroying. The bases of ski lifts are also a good source for broken poles; people tend to bring them down to lifties. 2 Drill rows of holes in the snowboard/ski base, one hole for each ski pole you have (FYI, a plain wooden disk works as well). 3 Drill a single, horizontal hole through each pole near one end. 4 Thread cord (we recommend the most rugged cord you can get) through the hole you just drilled in the pole like threading a needle and then through one of the holes you drilled in the snowboard/ski. 5 Knot the cord on the base of the snowboard/ski (so it should be the top sheet that faces the poles). Again, you’re looking for rugged. This knot needs to withstand being beaten with a ski pole. 6 Screw an eye bolt through the center of the base of the snowboard/ski to hang it. Use a thin chain or thick cord to hang it. 7 Use your ski pole to swat it like a piñata. 78
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tall and weighs 105 pounds. “The hardest part of the job was lifting kids weighted down with ski gear onto the lift,” she says. But some mornings, lifting kids paled in comparison to the meteorological phenomenon of an inversion, which we get fairly frequently. On inversion days, the upper mountain, and the lifties assigned to its lifts, bask in sun and (relative) warmth while the lower elevations and its workers must endure temperatures that can be twenty to forty degrees colder. Other mornings, Spence recalls, the “commute” to work is horrible. “You’d have to try to keep the fillings in your mouth as you raced over frozen corduroy and bumped down slopes trashed from the previous day,” she says. “Those were the mornings you just tried to survive the first run. Then you get to your lift and that’s when the work really set in.” “We weren’t spoons, carting around food and tucked away in warm cafeterias all day. We weren’t the local skids who had trust funds and no idea what it meant to earn a dollar. We weren’t the high-and-mighty ski schoolers with their pompous attitudes. We weren’t patrollers, who actually were pretty cool,” Spence says. “We were lifties—we were the ones who started the magic every morning. We were the keepers of fun. A liftie knew the beep code and what would happen if you couldn’t get the backup generators going if something took the main power out. We kept the mountain running, the maze shoveled, the seats brushed off, and the pit snow-blown. We endured backaches or repeated sore shoulders from a bad bump of the chair. We did it all so that the bull wheel kept turning.” Also, because we love it. “You don’t become a liftie to be rich,” says Spence, who, simultaneously with bumping chairs, worked the second shift at Albertsons bagging groceries. “I had to pay my student loans and bills. But it was worth it. You work as a liftie to live a few rich months of your life in near-poverty. The funny thing is that a lot of lifties have the education and skills to get jobs that make serious money. I have a four-year college degree and many of my co-workers also had bachelor’s degrees, if not master’s degrees or even doctorates. We joked that we were the smart ones with our current employment choice, though. We weren’t stuck in office buildings in the city with only a week a year to recreate.” JH
CONTEMPORARY
|
TRADITIONAL
|
HISTORICAL
Major Collection of Museum-Held and Exhibited Artists On the Town Square | 35 E. Deloney Ave. Jackson Hole, Wyoming | 307-733-4016
www.astoriafineart.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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photo gallery
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HENRY H. HOLDSWORTH
THRIVE or SURVIVE?
JH Living
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“Photographing wildlife in the winter, you gain such a high level of respect for what they have to go through on a daily basis just to survive,” says Henry Holdsworth. Holdsworth has been photographing wildlife in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks since 1982. “Winter is a different world for animals. It changes the playing field,” he says. “Wolves have the advantage over their prey when there’s snow. It doesn’t seem winter fazes otters at all.” Holdsworth has spent hours watching otters making slides in the snow and then playing on them. “They look like they’re having so much fun,” he says. He’s seen snowshoe hares and ermines wearing their white coats (both are brown in the summer) and wolves, with their oversize paws, run on top of the snow—“they’re like built-in snowshoes,” he says. “Elk are majestic and strong in the summer—seemingly invincible—but, come winter, it’s obvious they’re just trying to hold on and survive,” Holdsworth says. He has watched elk and bison, in temperatures hovering close to forty degrees below zero, standing in rivers, where wolves won’t come after them. “They’ll stand there until they’re hypothermic. Then they get out and are pretty much doomed. Just trying to move around in the snow, they’re post-holing up to their waists with every step,” he says. One bitterly cold morning—thirty degrees below zero—between Mammoth and Tower Junction in Yellowstone, Holdsworth came upon a cow elk that had fallen through thin ice and partially into a thermal feature. “You could see she tried to get out, but couldn’t get purchase. By the time we got there, it was long over. She was covered in completely frozen mud. It was one of the most heart-wrenching things I’ve seen. Still, her loss was a gain for coyotes. That’s the way it always works for wildlife, but in the winter, the survivors and thrivers are often more obvious.” JH
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Holdsworth shot Snowed In near Soda Butte in Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. He had been photographing other bison nearby for nearly thirty minutes before noticing this bull. It was so camouflaged by snow he thought the animal was a snowdrift, its horns sticks protruding from the snow. When the bison finally moved, its blanket of snow cracked, and Holdsworth captured this image.
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Top left: This young great gray owl sat through a storm solo while his parents hunted nearby. Most great grays that nest in the valley stay through the winter but sometimes do migrate regionally in search of better hunting grounds as snow conditions change. Top right: A herd of elk crosses over Canary Springs, a section of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone. Elk and bison often stick close to thermal features to take advantage of their warmth. Bottom left: Come winter, snowshoe hares change color to better hide from predators. Holdsworth spotted this animal near Mammoth Hot Springs and took a photo just as a snowflake came to rest on its eyelash. Bottom right: “November and December are great months to photograph moose in the snow,” Holdsworth says. “Their winter coats are still sleek, and bulls still have their antlers, which they will shed by early January.”
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Top: “Winter gives wolves the upper hand when it comes to hunting,” Holdsworth says. “As snow piles up, ungulates, such as this elk, have a harder time moving as their narrow hooves plunge through.” Wolves’ wide, furry paws act like snowshoes, though. Middle left: At Blacktail Ponds in Yellowstone National Park, this unfortunate cow elk wandered over a thermal area hidden below a thin sheet of ice, fell through, and died. Middle right: Ermines’ coats change with the seasons and camouflage them from predators. Bottom: A red fox soaks in the last warmth of the day in Hayden Valley in Yellowstone before temperatures plummet after sunset. Foxes use their fluffy tails to keep their noses warm while sleeping.
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FORT Y YEARS OF SOLITUDE
“Most snow in our contemporary world is plowed, piled, fouled, and messed with as it falls or soon thereafter,” Fuller says. “Here in Yellowstone, I have the great pleasure of enjoying snow as the gods made it and as they intended that we should marvel at the perfection of their creation.” Fuller took this photo of snow “dunes” in Hayden Valley in February. 86
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In Steven Fuller’s neighborhood, there are a few sacred, unspoken rules his guests are expected to abide by: 1) Don’t deface the landscape, especially when it glitters with a patina of pure virgin snow. Carving artless ski tracks through its middle is almost considered an act of vandalism. 2) Don’t intrude into the space of other animals. 3) Listen
overlooks the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. His wild neighbors, which vastly outnumber those on two legs, include elk, moose, bison, and grizzly. Winter temperatures often dip well below zero, and upwards of ten feet of snow can bury his front yard, crisscrossed by hoof and paw prints. As far as anyone knows, no human has lived con-
Steven Fuller is Yellowstone’s longest-serving winterkeeper. He might also be the park’s last. His photography portfolio will, however, remain a monument to one of the world’s most unique jobs and also to Yellowstone itself. BY TODD WILKINSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN FULLER
more than you speak. 4)Bundle up and wear plenty of layers because even in an age of global warming, it still gets damn cold. Your host, after all, has little tolerance for frostbitten wimps. Fuller sets these rules because he has a deeply evolved understanding of and appreciation for his habitat: the remote hinters of Yellowstone National Park. The front stoop of his pine-shingled cottage
tinuously and year-round in Yellowstone longer than Fuller. That includes, some historians say, Native Americans. This is Fuller’s fortieth consecutive season as a winterkeeper, a job—an existence—that is hermetic, to put it mildly. “Winterkeeper” is an official job in Yellowstone. In 1973, Fuller was hired, like winterkeepers before him, to clear, by hand and using only shovels and saws, the WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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accumulated mountains of snow that threaten to collapse the roofs of hundreds of cabins used by tourists come summer (and also to watch that pipes don’t freeze or break). Keeping up with the icebox conditions may be one of the most difficult jobs in the National Park Service. Yellowstone gets an average of three hundred inches of frozen precipitation annually, and average winter temperatures are close to zero degrees Fahrenheit. The roof of one of Canyon’s larger buildings has taken upwards of seventy days to clear. For a person doing the work solo, there’s also the isolation. In Fuller’s case, he calls it “splendid solitude.” Looking back across four decades, it’s maybe no surprise that when Fuller and his then-wife, Angela, expressed naive interest in the Canyon Village winterkeeper job, they were hired on the spot. They were the only applicants. The couple’s salary was a few thousand dollars, justified in part because where they were living there was no need for material luxuries. A California-born son of a National Park Service ranger, Fuller studied history at Ohio’s Antioch College. He spent two years in Europe, where he met Angela. Angela was born in Britain and, until meeting Fuller, led a cosmopolitan life. Eventually tiring of European cities, the young couple set off for Africa, a
continent that continues to pull Fuller back every year. In Uganda, Fuller taught in a Shiite Muslim middle school. He sailed to India and Southeast Asia, the only European traveling in steerage class on his boat. Returning to the States, Fuller interned for The Associated Press, covering the U.S. Senate. He also worked as an emergency-room technician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Then he and Angela made their way to West Yellowstone, Montana, where they spent one winter. The next winter, they moved to Canyon as winterkeepers. As Fuller and Angela were taken to Canyon for that first season, they were essentially told to get lost. Superiors made it clear they didn’t want to see or hear from the two until the plows pushed through in April. Considering the Fullers were a forty-mile snowmobile ride from both civilization and brusque bosses, this was not a difficult directive to follow. If they were to run out of provisions, an old-timer persuaded them they could always poach a deer or elk. Fortunately, that proved unnecessary, though in the early years, they did wonder where they fit into the food chain. Grizzly bears broke the kitchen window and tried to climb in. The only news came from short-wave BBC radio broadcasts. Still, for the most part, the
two thought it an idyllic existence. Steve and Angela raised and homeschooled two daughters, both now grown. And, as his own way of interpreting what he saw, Fuller, a lifelong photographer, took pictures. “Some people claim the camera represents a barrier to their seeing, that the technology inhibits their experience,” Fuller says. “Not for me. It heightens my perception and often brings greater clarity.” Fuller today has a photo portfolio of hundreds of thousands of images of Yellowstone. He has visual impressions of the park’s wildlife and landscapes in all seasons, representing a library that, when it comes to chronicling the more intimate side of America’s first national park, is likely unsurpassed. Fuller’s eye and technical skill first gained national attention when his pictures appeared in a National Geographic feature, “Winterkeeping in Yellowstone,” in 1978. The story, unprecedentedly long for the time, made him a bit of a folk hero, albeit a reclusive, hard-to-reach one. He exchanged letters (handwritten, this was long before email) with a cast of characters that included Edward Abbey and Kurt Vonnegut. Institutions around the world—National Zoo in Washington D.C., South Africa’s Endangered Wildlife Trust, and the Royal Geographical Society in London—began to ask him to speak and give slideshows. Fuller’s portfolio remains relatively unheralded in the region. His website, stevefuller.net, only exists because friends set it up. Still, his images may, in hindsight, become as synonymous with Yellowstone as those of Ansel Adams are with Yosemite, the Tetons, and California’s redwoods. Scientists familiar with Fuller say that his photographs are not only fine art, but also invaluable as reference material about the park, serving as a chronicle to geographic change. FULLER AIMS HIS camera across vistas—capturing the variegated palette of thermal pools, glowing sunrises and sunsets, the churn of earth-belching mists, and atmospheric clouds—as if With a seven-foot snow saw, Fuller prepares to remove the snow cornices from one of more than one hundred buildings in Canyon Village. “Harvest no cornices until they are ripe,” he says. “Gravity is our only ally, and if properly cut, cornices will fall of their own weight.”
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they were canvases. “Through Steve’s photographic vision, we all get to experience Yellowstone in a way that few of us will ever witness, regardless of how many times we visit the park,” says Duboisbased nature photographer Jeff Vanuga. Vanuga, who has led safaris around the world and taught and shot with some of the biggest names in photography, says Fuller’s perspective is novel among photographers, past and present. Vanuga instead groups Fuller with nineteenthcentury romantic landscape painters like Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran— luminists who exalted in portraying panoramas glowing in the backlight of sun, mist, and moon. “Steve’s work has influenced my own vision of Yellowstone by allowing me to see the nuances often overlooked by the casual observer,” Vanuga says. “The predatory spider in a thermal pool, a bone fragment from an expired animal lying in a crystal-clear thermal feature, a backlit orb web covered with dew, or the luminous grand landscape.” Fuller himself likens his photographic style to Sfumato, a painting technique used by many Renaissance artists including Leonardo da Vinci. The
shading around Mona Lisa’s eyes is Sfumato—areas of different colors blend together, and there are no harsh outlines. (Sfumato comes from the Italian “sfumare,” which literally translates as “to tone down” or “to evaporate like smoke.”) Da Vinci described Sfumato as “without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus plane.” Fuller’s photographs have no hard edges, save for animals in silhouette. Elsewhere, edges retreat into blurs, pulling viewers deep into his scenes. The way Fuller treats landscapes is often in juxtaposition to the landscapes themselves. “I’ve always been drawn to stark, fierce landscapes,” he says, “whether in the sunburned deserts of Africa or the deep, cold, albino winter landscapes of Yellowstone, especially when either is animated by archetypal wildlife.” Animals in Fuller’s viewfinder—and wildlife does frequently appear—are never fierce or imposing. Fuller is not a sharp-focused, headshot opportunist interested in portraying wildlife as trophies. Instead, creatures more often are smallish—reference points for conveying the scale of a vast landscape. In Yellowstone, he has par-
“For a few days in perhaps two out of five years, ice skating on Yellowstone Lake is perfect,” Fuller says. He snapped this shot of his daughters, Skye and Emma, enjoying rare perfect skating ice on the lake one late December day in the 1980s.
ticular reverence for bison. In Namibia, his favorite getaway, he has encountered lions, elephants, rhinos, and hyenas, on foot and next to his tent. Though at opposite ends of the temperature gauge, he craves what these stark landscapes represent: fleeting wildness. AT AGE SIXTY-NINE, Fuller’s shortcropped albescent locks now mirror the winter fur of the ermines living around his cottage. The stout house, which he has lived in since his first winter in the park, dates to at least 1910. Fuller knows this because he once pulled a 1910 newspaper out of the wall; most likely, it had been put there for insulation. The cabin, which hunkers unpretentiously into a hill, sat near the Canyon Hotel until that architectural wonder was destroyed by fire in 1960. (Canyon Hotel was designed by Robert Reamer, the same architect who did the Old Faithful Inn.) The misty Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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short distance from Fuller’s cottage, and the thunder of water roaring through the chasm is always in the air, accented often by wind and the calls of wildlife. Today, Fuller is witness to a unique paradox. As expanded tourism and technology—where he once only had a short-wave radio, today there are phones and Internet—have intruded upon his job and isolated winter existence, by
THE FUTURE OF Yellowstone’s winterkeepers is more predictable, and it does not look good. Fuller and Dale Fowler, a winterkeeper since the 1980s and now stationed at Lake Hotel, are the only ones left who still live solo and full time in the park during the winter. There are a handful of other people in the park whose job descriptions call them “winterkeepers” but none emanate as authentically as
Winterkeepers mentioned in the annals of Yellowstone were an eccentric lot, a mixture of antisocial, hard-drinking libertarians who wanted to get away from people (and suffered occasional mental breakdowns) to hardy, rugged individualists. “Going back to the nineteenth century, winterkeepers tended to be basically backwoods good ol’ boys, and not necessarily with a high level of education. They
Fuller took this image of a bull moose feeding on emerging aquatic vegetation in the Yellowstone River following a mid-August thunderstorm a couple of decades ago. Today, there are fewer moose here, and this wetland is often dry by August.
some metrics Yellowstone is wilder than it was in 1973. Then-addicted to feasting on trash and in danger of disappearing, the park’s grizzly population is now stable and subsists on a natural diet. Wolves were exterminated from the park in the 1930s. At present, close to one hundred of them now live in Yellowstone. Fuller hears their howling from his front porch. Still, the arrival of wildlife at certain times is more unpredictable and the weather less reliable. At a marsh where he, ages ago, made an award-winning photo of a moose at sunset—later printed on postcards, circulated worldwide, and pictured above—the wetland is now dry. “The joker card being played is climate change, and Yellowstone isn’t an insulated island,” Fuller says. “How will grizzlies be faring in twenty or thirty years? How will all of the megafauna worldwide be? We don’t know. We don’t know if the season that we call winter will be as it is or be a pale imitation.” 90
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Fuller and Fowler, witnesses to and survivors of the old school. Whenever it is that he and Fowler retire, Fuller thinks they’ll be the last winterkeepers. New materials used in construction have produced stronger roofs better capable of handling the snowpack, rendering winterkeepers’ shoveling less necessary. And if shoveling is still necessary, contracting out to workers who don’t live in the park is less expensive. Rumors have also been circulating for years that Canyon Village may begin offering year-round services and lodging, meaning it will no longer go into hibernation like the resident grizzlies. In his transcendental classic, Walden, Henry David Thoreau reflected, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Fuller’s Yellowstone winterkeeper life is eminently more remote than Thoreau’s.
were looked upon as refugees from civilization, trying to get away by hiding out as hermits,” Yellowstone Park historian Lee Whittlesey told me years ago. “Steve Fuller has done a lot to change that prosaic image, but he has his own Thoreauvian place as an anomaly in the twenty-first century.” Yellowstone’s first winterkeeper was George Marshall, who spent the winter of 1880-81 at his Marshall Hotel in the Lower Geyser Basin. By 1887, there were also winterkeepers at Old Faithful, Canyon, and Norris. Until the advent of motorized transportation—snow planes in the 1940s, and snowcoaches and snowmobiles in the 1960s—there was no winter tourism to speak of in Yellowstone. It was the sole provenance of its winterkeepers. In 1970, the only heated building open to tourists at Old Faithful in winter was a bathroom. In 1971, the first Old Faithful Snow Lodge opened, ushering in the modern era of
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Porkchop Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin was once a small hot spring that occasionally erupted. In 1985, it began erupting continuously. Come winter, its spray would freeze into a spectacular ice cone like in this image Fuller captured. In 1989, the geyser exploded. Rocks that had surrounded the vent were thrown more than two hundred feet away. Today, the geyser is once again a small hot spring.
Yellowstone winter tourism. Today, close to 100,000 people visit the park every winter. “There were no yearround rangers at Canyon then. No other people. It was total self-reliance,” Fuller says. “When I first got here more than half my life ago, the true winterkeeping experience was already in its twilight. This is the afterglow.” STILL, FULLER CONCLUDES that he is lucky to be alive in this time and place. “The older I’ve become, the more I’ve begun to appreciate the sentient connections between living things here and the places they inhabit,” Fuller says. Standing in his quaint living room, the walls dominated not by his own photographs but row after row of several thousands of books he’s read, Fuller glances out the window. On a clear day, he can see the Tetons, one hundred miles distant. He recalls the day a treasured acquaintance, an old bison bull, died in Hayden Valley. Long part of the neighborhood, the bull succumbed to the elements and old age. Afterward, Fuller watched as another old bull stopped at the carcass for long minutes, appearing to contemplate the lifeless body and the loss. When that bison moved on, the park’s scavengers— coyotes, foxes, and ravens—moved in. 92
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They made quick work of the remains. Fuller says people who dismiss this anecdote as groundless New Age anthropomorphizing—he isn’t a New Ager—need to spend more time in nature. He points out there are similar accounts of African elephants saying “goodbye” as he witnessed in these Yellowstone bison. Fuller tells of cow moose and cow elk that lived in the meadows around his home. Each year, they bore calves. In recent years, though, they’ve vanished. The consequences of growing wolf and grizzly populations have been profound for some of the things he loves. “One day, I returned home on my snowmobile and happened upon a pack of wolves standing over the steaming carcass of one of those elk that had lived in the neighborhood for years. I appreciate the importance of predator and prey, but this was personal,” Fuller says. “I have great appreciation for wolves, and the ecological intactness they bring to the ecosystem, but I’m not a wolf groupie.” These are the kinds of stories Fuller tells, even though he could be a raconteur, holding forth with tales of harrowing run-ins involving the weather or animals. “You live here, stuff can happen, you accept it, but is it any different, really, from anywhere else?” he
asks, saying he prefers his perils—avalanches, hypothermia, being eaten by a bear, getting stomped by a bison—to being run over by a truck while crossing an urban street or dying of a heart attack in an office cubicle. Still, one of his ambitions is to stay out of historian Whittlesey’s classic book, Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park, which chronicles upwards of three hundred fatalities in the park. In his four decades in Yellowstone, Fuller has had countless close calls with lightning, with wildfire, and with blizzards that forced him to bivouac miles from the nearest human. During Yellowstone’s 1988 fires, trees burned to within feet of his cabin door. He has busted skis and had snowmobiles break down when he’s been miles from safety and shelter and temperatures are fifty degrees below zero. Then there was a grizzly bear incident in Hayden Valley. This story begins with the death of Fuller’s beloved horse, Ishiwah, with whom he had covered and explored thousands of miles of Yellowstone’s backcountry over eighteen years. “Ishiwah was as in tune with Yellowstone as I was,” Fuller says. “Together, we were a centaur. Next to my family, he was my most
valued companion. Some of my most memorable photographs were taken from a saddle on his back or from the vantage of terrain we went to together. Nothing rattled him, not lightning and thunder, not people doing crazy things, not grizzly bears, or a fool hen flying in his face.” Ishiwah died in 2002 in an accident in his winter pasture outside Yellowstone. Fuller was in Africa at the time and, when he returned, was devastated. “I dream of meeting him on the other side,” Fuller says. Ishiwah’s passing meant that in the summer of 2005, when Fuller entered the mouth of Nymph Canyon, deep in Hayden Valley, he did so riding a newish horse, Rivers. The two had been exploring together only since 2002 and hadn’t yet morphed into a centaur. As the duo made their way up the canyon, a short distance in front of them, without warning, a four-hundred-pound grizzly, startled by their approach, rose from its daybed. As the furry mass lumbered to full height and growled, its ears pinched back, Rivers, terrified, flipped over backwards. Fuller rolled free and, unhurt but shaken, got to his feet, bracing for the bear’s onslaught. He expected it to be upon him in a few seconds. As the dust cleared, though, Fuller saw the grizzly was gone. Rivers was, too. Fuller was alone. After searching and finding Rivers on a sagebrush flat more than a mile away, Fuller walked the five and a half miles home, leading the traumatized horse. Back at his cabin, Fuller drank beer to unwind. Rivers, however, has never been the same. Fuller himself could retire and no longer worry about startling grizzly bears, broken-down snow machines, and falling off roofs twenty-five feet above the ground. The thought of retiring to the so-called real, outside world is, at best, an illogical, bizarre abstraction to Fuller, though. He asks, “Where could I possibly go on Earth that would be more spectacularly special than this place?” He knows the answer. There is no other place like his Yellowstone home. JH — Todd Wilkinson, who has been writing about the West for more than a quarter-century, is author of the critically acclaimed book Last Stand: Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet.
The Jackson Bootlegger 36 East Broadway Jackson, WY 83001 On the Square www.thebootlegger.com (307) 733-6207
HELEN HORN
MUSSER <
The Wild West required a great deal of work and perseverance; even along the trail to get there. Cooking and taking care of livestock was possible because families pulled together to make it happen. This painting is dedicated to Fathers who teach their children to work.
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looking back
COURTESY PHOTO
JH Living
A band plays in the balcony of Teton Village’s Mangy Moose Saloon as revelers party below shortly after the bar opened in 1967.
Après-Ski The ski day has never ended when lifts stop. by MOLLY ABSOLON
SKI BUMS, THEIR long hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing damp army surplus wool trousers that smell vaguely like wet dog and Gerry down parkas patched with duct tape, gather at Fish Creek Inn. They’re tired from a day of skiing on Teton Pass, but not so much so they don’t notice the cute waitresses, have opinions as to what should be playing on the sound system—which includes $4,000 speakers, the best the valley has to offer—pound cheap beer, and trade tales of the day’s skiing adventures. It’s 1972 and Fish Creek Inn, in Wilson at the base of the pass, is one of the valley’s hottest après-ski scenes. It’s also one of the valley’s only après-ski scenes. In the early 1970s, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) had yet to become a major destination ski resort. A fair amount of locals skied, but the valley’s entire population was only about 3,900. On a busy afternoon, the après-ski crowd at Fish Creek peaked at around twenty, consisting mostly of young men without a dime to their names. There was also Calico Pizza on the Village Road, Glory Bowl Athletic Club on Teton Pass in the Heidelberg, and the Alpenhof and Mangy Moose out at the ski resort. That was pretty much it. SKIING HAS BEEN part of Jackson’s culture for more than one hundred years. Early valley residents—Mormons and
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APRÈS-SKIING HAS been around in Jackson Hole almost as long as skiing has, its history and transformation mirroring that of après-skiing on the world scene. Looking beyond this valley, ski historians trace the beginnings of après-skiing to the 1870s. At the time, Norwegian ski clubs—mostly friends out skiing together—were growing in popularity. These groups, after a long day out in the cold, would retreat to someone’s home for hot toddies and a meal of potatoes. The gathering was both utilitarian—eating and drinking hearty fare intended to rewarm them—and also social—prolonging their day’s adventure. As more and more people began to take up skiing, and as the sport spread around Europe, après-skiing outgrew private homes and moved to public bars
BRADLY J. BONER
ranchers who first began arriving in the 1880s—used skis only for transportation. By the 1930s, though, skiing wasn’t just a practical way of getting around in seven-month-long winters that often saw upwards of twenty feet of snow. Some valley residents realized the activity’s recreational potential. Or maybe they were willing to try anything to ward off cabin fever. In the 1930s, the Teton Ski Club built lifts and cleared runs in Moose Creek, on the western side of Teton Pass. There was also a rope tow on Signal Mountain in what is today Grand Teton National Park and, off Togwotee Pass, on Angle Mountain and Two Ocean Mountain. In 1937, one of the valley’s first downhill races was held on Snow King, a steep, north-facing mountain just above the town of Jackson. The course was down a hiking trail cut by Forest Service and Civilian Conservation Corps workers. In 1939, Snow King installed a rope tow. It was the skiing here that convinced New Mexico native Betty Woolsey, who competed in alpine skiing for the United States in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, to move to the valley in 1942. Snow King, in 1946, installed a chairlift. In 1965, JHMR opened with the goal of becoming the first destination ski resort in the state.
The Village Café’s bar in the basement of the Village Center was popular with valley ski bums until it was torn down in October. The bar and associated cafe have relocated to the Inn at Jackson Hole.
R.I.P.
Housed in the 1960s-era Village Center next to the tram dock, the Village Café—originally called the Bear Claw Café—was the center of Jackson Hole’s hard-core, local ski scene for decades. The VC served its last beers and $4 slices of pizza early this past September, however. In October, the entire building, which was also home to offices and ski shops, was razed. Luxury condominiums will be built on the space. A ratty, no-frills establishment decorated with neon beer signs, the VC sold Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boys from a walk-up window, rolling papers from behind a tiny basement bar, and pizza slices, baked goods, and breakfast burritos in a ground-floor cafe. The goggle-tanned skiers and boarders congregated at its bar and swarming the picnic tables on the deck off the cafe weren’t the Four Seasons crowd; these were the guys and gals who skied first tram to last, their jackets and pants often more duct tape than Gore-Tex. “The Village Café was pretty much the epicenter of the hard-core ski scene,” Jackson ski patroller Kevin Brazell says. “Tourists occasionally would come in, but they’d look down the first six steps and turn around and run,” he said. “It was just the vibe; it said, ‘Locals only.’ ” Late this fall, the VC announced it had found a home for this winter in the Inn at Jackson Hole. This new VC space was previously home to après-ski spots Beaver Dick’s and Vertical. Read more about the VC in an interview with its owner, Dom Gagliardi, on page 34.
and restaurants. By the time of the first winter Olympics, in Chamonix, France, in 1924, the term “après-ski” had come into use, and the activity had morphed from merely post-skiing rewarming to full-on revelry. Jackson Hole’s après-skiing didn’t really make the move from private homes to public spaces until JHMR, called Jackson Hole Ski Corporation at the time, opened in 1965. It wasn’t until 1967 that skiers had a choice of aprèsski spots in Teton Village. The Alpenhof raced to open in time for Christmas 1965. The next bar, The Mangy Moose, didn’t open until 1967.
JHMR’S FOUNDER, PAUL McCollister, wanted a European-style alpine village at the base of Rendezvous Mountain, and the Alpenhof epitomized that vision. Built to mimic a Bavarian mountain chalet, the Alpenhof featured ceramic beer steins with pewter lids, carved wooden furniture, cowbells, and waitresses in dirndls. Ski instructors and their clients packed the lodge’s bar, The Bistro, after lifts closed for the day. Ski bums stayed away, unable to afford the fine food and fancy drinks. “I came out to Jackson in 1971,” says Gary Beebe, a self-described “ski bum hippie.” “When I first got to the village, WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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PRICE CHAMBERS
The “sport” of gelande quaffing, where participants slide a mug of beer down a table to a waiting teammate—who must catch it mid-air and drink it—was founded at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1986.
The year was 1986. An epic dump—fourteen feet—was too much for patrol to keep up with. Backcountry avalanche conditions were unsafe. There was snow but no way to access it, and skiers were going stir-crazy. Drinking was a way to alleviate boredom, and the Bear Claw Café—a favorite hangout of the Jackson Hole Air Force (JHAF), an informal brother- and sisterhood of hard-core local skiers whose motto is “Swift. Silent. Deep.”—was packed. The bartender sent a beer sliding down the bar. The JHAF skier it was meant for didn’t see it coming until the glass had passed him and flown off the end of the bar. It was surely going to crash to the floor. But he caught it. And drank it. Gelande quaffing was born. Today, gelande quaffing has become official. There is an annual world championship held in Teton Village. Qualifying events are held from Whistler to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and California. Teams of four work in pairs that stand at opposite ends of a polished bar, waiting for a teammate—the pitcher—to send a pint-size stein, filled with beer, sliding down to the waiting quaffer. The quaffer must catch and then chug—quaff—the beer. The pairs rotate and repeat. In the first round, each team has two minutes to complete as many quaffs as possible. Style points are awarded for catches involving athleticism, artistry, and/or imagination: Spectators are often treated to 360-degree rotations and under-the-leg snags. Puking results in immediate disqualification; quaffers are required to drink the beer, not wear it.
Slide, Catch, Drink
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the ski bums, patrollers, cowboys, and Mormons were all segregated.” Each group had its own scene. Bernie’s Boom Boom Room was the most exclusive après-ski spot—for patrollers and their invited guests only. Really just a keg of beer in the patrol’s locker room under the tram—imagine piles of skis lining the walls, boots opened up to dry, and heaps of whitecrossed red jackets—Bernie’s Boom Boom Room was named after two things: 1) John Bernadyn (Bernie), who was a post-work fixture in the locker room until he retired in 1996 at age seventy. 2) A big table in the center of the space was where, each morning, patrollers sat and inserted fuses into explosives used for snow control (Boom Boom). Patrollers bought “season passes” for the keg, which was always tapped. With his season pass—JHMR ski patrol was all-male until 1978 when Melissa Malm was hired on—a patroller could drink all the beer he wanted all season long. “That season pass hurt a lot of people,” patroller Robert Nelson says in the book Jackson Hole: On a Grand Scale by David Gonzales. Ski bums moved around. There was the speakeasy darkness of The Pub in the basement of the Sojourner Inn. The Mangy Moose, which was a drafty beer joint in the early days after its opening in 1967, was popular with ski bums, too. Within a couple of years came the Seven Levels bar and Bear Claw Café, which later was renamed the Village Café. All of these places had cheap food and beer and didn’t prioritize matching furniture or ambiance, all selling points with ski bums. “The Pub at the Sojourner had a set of icy, dark stairs leading down to the bar,” ski instructor Rusty Hall says. “You had to know where it was. The place had low ceilings, a pool table, and pizza by the slice. Everything was cheap if the bartenders weren’t giving it away. Sometimes people would end up spending the night sleeping on the couch there. It was mostly a locals’ hangout, mostly a bunch of guys.” RESORT AND TETON Pass crowds mixed at Calico Pizza, which was in an old Mormon church relocated to a site on the Village Road. Calico opened in 1966. According to local legend, the price of the church, before moving it to Wilson
from Mormon Row, was $1,966 because of the year. In the heart of Wilson, right at the base of Teton Pass, there was Fish Creek Inn, which was open 24 hours a day. About one mile up Teton Pass, Glory Bowl Athletic Club was tucked into the basement of the Heidelberg. Dark and selling cheap alcohol, the only thing
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In the 1970s and early ’80s, skiers thought the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson was “too country” to hang out at. “athletic” about this club was its pingpong table. “I remember you could run a tab there,” says Lynne Wolfe, who moved to the valley to ski in 1981 and today guides for Exum Mountain Guides and is the editor of the American Avalanche Association’s The Avalanche Review. “Occasionally, a plea would go out to all the skiers to pay up. I’m sure that’s why they didn’t make it. But it was a great place to play pingpong, drink a beer, and talk about the day’s skiing.” Beebe says most ski bums stayed away from the bars in the town of Jackson. “It was too ‘cowboy,’ ” he says. As was the Stagecoach Bar, which had been in Wilson since 1942. “One day hanging out at Fish Creek, someone’s girlfriend decided she wanted a cocktail,” Beebe says. The Fish Creek Inn didn’t serve hard liquor, though, but the Coach, which is right across the highway, did. The couple wandered over. “We all thought they were going to get beat up, maybe killed,” Beebe says. Shortly after, the Fish Creek Inn skiers heard sirens. They feared the worst and went running across Highway 22 to save the two. They found the couple inside the Coach, sitting at a table; the woman had a cocktail in her hand. There had been a fight, but the skier won. He had decked two cowboys. JH
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JH Living
outdoors
Lungs, Not Lifts
The growing sport of randonee racing challenges competitors to climb up before skiing down. Over and over. by DINA MISHEV | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADLY J. BONER Jackson Hole held the first randonee, or ski mountaineering, race in this country in 2000. Today, there are several dozen rando races across the country, and U.S. athletes travel to Europe, where the sport is much more popular, to race.
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A RED TRAM car sits in its dock at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It’s a couple of hours before the resort’s lifts open. Still, close to one hundred skiers, helmeted and colorfully dressed—construction-cone orange, sky blue, neon green—with race numbers pinned to their thighs, mill around the base area. Some are stretching. Others glide around. One skier, out of his skis, sprints in place, first bringing his knees high in front, and then kicking his heels to his butt. A man walking around with a megaphone announces, “Two minutes until we start.” Warm-ups stop. The skiers—whose outfits are revealed to be one-piece Lycra suits upon closer inspection, their helmets closer in weight and style to bike helmets
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than downhill ski helmets—all click into their skis and mass behind a red line spray-painted in the snow. A whistle blows and they take off. Running. Uphill. On their skis. This is the Jackson Hole Randonee Race. Over the next several hours, these skiers, or, more correctly, randonee ski racers, climb up and then ski down 8,200 vertical feet using specialized and expensive high-tech, low-weight ski gear. Together, a rando racer’s setup—skis, skins, bindings, boots, and poles—weighs less than a pair of traditional downhill ski boots ... and can cost upwards of $3,000. During the race, skiers transition—locking or unlocking the heels of their bindings, taking off or putting on climbing
Over the course of the race, competitors skin, boot pack, and climb up this ladder in Corbet’s Couloir for a total of 8,200 feet of climbing. They ski down an equal distance.
skins that adhere to the base of skis and allow them to ski uphill without sliding backwards, attaching or removing their skis from their backpack— over half a dozen times and, each time, do it faster than most people can step out of their skis. The fastest racers will finish in about two hours. Others will take five hours. One of the final climbs is up a ladder installed in Corbet’s Couloir specifically for this race. Descents include Tower 3, Alta Chutes, and Central Couloir. “There’s little doubt Jackson’s course is the toughest in the country,” says race co-organizer Forest Dramis. “That’s exactly how we designed it. We want to challenge racers both when they’re going up and skiing down. There’s no resting or recovery.” Meet the sport of randonee ski racing. The name comes from the French word rando, which means “tour.” It is also called ski mountaineering, or skimo, racing. The sport has a long history in Europe. It was included in the Winter Olympics from 1924 until 1948. Several European races still held today can trace their roots as far back as the 1930s. Even small European races have hundreds of competitors. Large events can
have one thousand racers. Crowds of spectators, often armed with giant cowbells and flasks of spirits, are even larger. In the U.S., though, skimo racing is just catching on. When it was held for the first time in 2000, the Life-Link Jackson Hole Randonee Rally, which nowadays is called the Jackson Hole Randonee Rally (January 5, 2014), was the only rando race in the country. Today, there is a national governing body, the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association (USSMA), that decides on a men’s and women’s national team and awards athletes on it a small stipend—it was $500 per racer last season—to compete at World Cup races and world championships in Europe. In the U.S. this season, upwards of twenty skimo races will be held from Ski Santa Fe in New Mexico to Montana’s Whitefish Mountain Resort. “U.S. SKI MOUNTAINEERING racing has its roots in Jackson Hole,” says Pete Swenson, the USSMA director, the founder and promoter of the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup (COSMIC) series of rando races in Colorado, and a threetime national ski mountaineering champion. Cary Smith, the 2007 U.S. National Ski Mountaineering Champion and co-director with Dramis of the Jackson Hole race since 2008, adds, “For the first few years, ours was the only race in the country.” It was in 2006-07 that Swenson founded the COSMIC series. There were five, all taking place in Colorado and on weekends. Each race averaged about 40 competitors. During the 2012-13
Jackson’s randonee race course is the toughest in the country and includes a climb up Corbet’s Couloir and descents of Tower 3 and Alta Chutes.
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race season, COSMIC held ten races. The entire series saw 606 entries with 417 unique racers. This year, COSMIC is slated to be even bigger: There are twelve weekend races and also midweek races—at Crested Butte, Aspen Highlands, A-Basin, Sunlight Mountain, and Echo Mountain—and race clinics. “Americans just needed to see it,” Swenson says. “We have plenty of great skiers and great mountaineers, but if you’ve never seen a sport, it’s difficult to be attracted to it.” As the sport has grown, Jackson Hole remains important. This past fall, Janelle Smiley, one of the highest-placing Americans ever at the Ski Mountaineering World Championships—she and partner Stevie Smith placed sixth in the women’s team race—and her husband moved to the valley from Crested Butte, Colorado, so she could train better. “Jackson is further from the Racers take their skis off and attach them to lightweight backpacks for the boot pack up the Headwall above Bridger Gondola. This is one of six climbs in the Jackson Hole race.
Randonee racing gear—specialized skis, bindings, skins, and boots—is shockingly light and small (compared to regular ski gear) but the best racers can still ski anything on them.
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Light Is Right
Of course, credit for raising skimo racing’s popularity goes to the athletes doing it. “But advances in gear have made it appealing to more athletes,” says Cary Smith, the 2007 national ski mountaineering champion. “None of the lightweight race gear that is standard today was available when I did my first race. In the beginning, it was people on telemark gear and regular backcountry gear. For my first race, I borrowed the lightest skis, boots, skins, and bindings I could, wore cycling clothes and a bike helmet, and away I went.” Smith did his first skimo race in 2001. In skimo racing, light gear is important because racers spend the vast majority of the race moving uphill. “Fitness being equal, do you think the guy with ten pounds on his feet or the guy with two pounds on his feet will climb faster?” asks Smith. Also, “When you go out with your regular—heavy—backcountry stuff, you’re relegated to walking. With lightweight gear, it’s more running and gliding.” Lightweight gear began appearing in this country gradually. The U.S. sent its first competitors to the Ski Mountaineering World Championships, held in Europe every other year, in 2006. “That was a real eye-opener for us,” says Smith, who was one of the U.S. racers that year. “Seeing what those guys had—all of the next year’s stuff, skins that were way faster—we saw it wasn’t just fitness. There were gear adjustments we could do to try and catch these guys.” (Skins are mohair or synthetic strips that adhere to the base of skis and allow skiers to ski uphill without sliding backwards. At the top, skins are removed.) “Five years ago, it was hard to get good skins in the U.S.,” says Pete Swenson, the president of the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association. “We would get them when we went to Europe to race. Now you can walk into any number of good ski shops in this country and buy a race suit, mohair skins, and racing bindings and skis. If you’re at the starting line of the competitive class of a race today without these things, it’ll be difficult to get a good result. In the beginning, you could get by with fitness, but that’s not enough anymore.” At the COSMIC races at both Aspen and Breckenridge last year, 100 percent of the racers in the competitive class were on rando-race-specific gear. How light is light? A regular alpine touring boot weighs more than three pounds. That’s one boot. The average pair of skimo race boots weighs about three pounds. A pair of La Sportiva’s Stratos Cube boots, the lightest skimo race boots currently available, weighs in at less than two and a half pounds. (They sell for $3,000.) A pair of 2014 Atomic Charter backcountry touring skis is one hundred millimeters underfoot and weighs in at nearly nine pounds. The Trab Piuma Gara World Cup rando race ski is just a smidge over three pounds per pair. Dynafit Low Tech Race bindings are a quarter of a pound; Marker’s Baron AT bindings are nearly six pounds per pair. While the weight difference between the gear is remarkable, even more so are the terrain and conditions rando racers tackle with it. Whether it snowed two feet overnight or hasn’t snowed in two weeks, bombing down Rendezvous Bowl to Central Chute to Cheyenne Bowl to Sublette Ridge—the longest single descent in the Jackson Hole race—on skis that weigh about as much as a gallon of ice cream, and are thinner underfoot than a dollar bill is tall, is a daunting proposition.
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majority of races, but the ski mountaineering terrain, the snow conditions, and the snowpack here more than make up for it,” Smiley says. IT’S NOT JUST skiers and mountaineers that are taking up rando racing. “Our feeder sports are trail running and mountain biking,” Swenson says. “Early on, I had thought it’d be Nordic racers that got into it, but that hasn’t been the case.” Swenson estimates 80 percent of the current top U.S. skimo racers are elitelevel trail runners or mountain bikers. Smith, who has continued to be a top national skimo finisher since his 2007 win, also has five national championship mountain bike titles across a variety of disciplines and distances to his name. He says, “It turns out that Nordic skiers are focused on their Nordic skiing; they’ve already got an outlet for competition in the winter. Trail runners and bikers who are backcountry skiers in their off-seasons didn’t have winter races, though.” Smith showed up at his first rando race, “because I thought it would be a good challenge,” he says. “I was racing bikes and was generally fit, and I knew that when I went skiing in the backcountry, I was faster than most.” But skimo racers don’t just need giant lungs and fitness. There’s the whole downhill skiing part, too. “The perfect athlete for this sport is someone with a big motor who can go downhill really fast on gear that doesn’t make it easy to go downhill fast,” Swenson says. Skiing from the top of the tram to the base without stopping or skiing the Alta Chutes is tiring for skiers using beefy boots, bindings, and skis designed for going down steep terrain. Rando racing skis look like they’d fit in the Barbie Dreamhouse: 160 centimeters in length and about 60 millimeters underfoot. “Most expert resort skiers would have problems skiing Casper on this tiny gear, and racers ski double black diamond runs on it,” Dramis says. “And they’re skiing it fast.” (See the sidebar for more details about rando race gear.) Swenson says, “Skimo racing will always be a fringe sport in the U.S.— the skills and the amount of suffering it requires are too much for the masses—but it could get as big as cyclocross. We will be able to compete with the Europeans.” JH
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JH Living
as the hole deepens
Nature Abhors an Empty Bedroom BY TIM SANDLIN ILLUSTRATIONS BY BIRGITTA SIF
George and Jazmyne Finch recently committed the faux pas that leads so many Jackson Hole newcomers to ruin. After five years of living here, they married and bought a house. Getting married and buying a house aren’t the faux pas I’m talking about. You can harbor your own cynical-to-romantic notions of a marriage lasting in paradise. George and Jazmyne’s fatal error was that they bought a house with more bedrooms than they needed. The cute couple went so far as to buy a three-bedroom home—two more than they would occupy for sleeping and watching late-night TV. George had a vague plan for a home office—he’s a drywall contractor—and Jazmyne, an elementary school teacher, had an even vaguer plan for babies in the distant future. They still could have minimized the damage by collecting a mountain of 102
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sports junk and filling the rooms to the point of no safe entry. Instead, Jazmyne said, “Our loved ones can visit. We’ll have a place for them to stay.” I said, “Famous last words.” Any long-term local could have told them Jackson Hole abhors a vacuum. If you have space, they will come. George said, “We love guests.” I said, “Right.” First, Jazmyne’s cousins Dothan and Opp showed up for hunting season. The cousins installed an arsenal and a pony keg in the spare bedroom. Dothan said, “We’ll be in the field all day. You won’t even know we’re here.” The word field should have set off bells. Dothan and Opp were from south Texas where hunting is done in a field. Their
version of fair chase is to sit in a lawn chair in the bed of a pickup truck, sipping Jim Beam and blasting feral pigs. When George told them you can’t kill Wyoming animals from a pickup truck, they got so disgusted at the federal government’s interference with their God-given rights they decided to drink the keg and watch ESPN till their vacation was over. The day Dothan and Opp finally cleared out, George’s roommate from prep school—Chet—showed up with his lovely wife and two precocious toddlers. George and Chet greeted each other with a secret handshake and called each other preppie names—“Camel” for George, “Stone Fly” for Chet. Camel referred to an old joke about one hump or two that Jazmyne had no desire to hear. Chet’s wife—LouLou—said Jazmyne wasn’t doing anything anyway, so would she babysit the kids while she and Chet went on a tour of the historical bars of Jackson Hole? Chet brought up a sacred oath to shame George into going with them. After a week of this, Jazmyne rebelled against babysitting the brats, and Stone Fly and LouLou left in a huff. The friendship of a lifetime was destroyed. The very airplane that swept Chet away brought in Annabel and Murray Oaks, golfing buddies of Jazmyne’s Aunt Holly, the aunt Jazmyne hadn’t seen since middle school graduation. “Holly made us promise we’d look you up. She said she’d never forgive us if we came all this way and didn’t say, ‘Howdy.’ Do you know a hotel that takes smokers? We can only afford thirty dollars a night.” So Annabel and Murray moved in with their skis, a commercial-grade espresso machine, and a veritable array of iPods, Pads, and Phones, not to mention a machine that made city noises so they could sleep at night. Not that Murray slept. He had perfected a ratio of vodka to Red Bull that enabled him to stay awake and drunk for days on end. The Oaks skied all day while George and Jazmyne worked their jobs, then they insisted on taking the Finches out every night—Dutch treat. This might never have ended had Annabel not blown an ACL. Murray said, “Thanks a bunch,” and left her. After four days of waiting on Annabel like a bumptious servant, George bought her a firstclass plane ticket—can’t expect a woman with a bad knee to sit in coach—home. Next came Jazmyne’s mother. Mildred has high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, stage four anxiety, and a spastic colon. She can’t be left alone. George had to take off work to care for her. Mildred watches nothing but reality TV and she can’t hear, so our cute couple was blasted out of the house by Say Yes to the Dress and Duck Dynasty.
A few days after Mildred’s arrival, Cassie Strong telephoned. Since Cassie lives in Teton Village, Jazmyne picked up the phone. She was over out-of-town caller IDs, but she felt safe with local numbers. Fat chance. Cassie said, “I’m in charge of housing for the Up With People crew coming to town and since you have so much room, I put you down for three girls. They’ll be no trouble. All you have to do is feed them and drive them to their appointments.” Yeah, well, feed them. One girl had a wheat allergy, another was lactose-intolerant, and the third was a strict vegan—she couldn’t eat plants cooked in a pan that had ever touched meat. Their hair paraphernalia blew a fuse before each performance. The one good thing to come from housing three Up With People singers for a week was Jazmyne got over her desire for babies. She said, “If wholesome girls are this much work, I’m not about to risk raising a normal kid.” The other good thing is her mother flew back to her brother’s house in Hawaii. The straw that broke Camel’s back, so to speak, landed when the wife of Bibs Colander—a counselor at Jazmyne’s school—kicked Bibs out of the house. George said, “Absolutely not,” but after two nights of Bibs sleeping in his car at twenty-five below zero, George caved. He said, “Three days and he’s out of here. No more.” More famous last words. Bibs’ moving in would not have put the Finch house on the real estate market, in and of itself, but Bibs brought four cats and a box turtle. “He also has a snake,” Jazmyne said. “Big honker, like a fire hose. I think the snake is what motivated his wife to boot him.” “A python, I suppose,” George said. She nodded. “Named Monty.” “Of course, nobody names pythons anything else.” It goes without saying that the snake escaped, ate one of the cats, slithered into the crawl space, and died. Bottom line: George hopped on the Internet and found the American town least likely to be visited by tourists. You know where I’m talking about—Zanesville, Ohio. The Finches sold their Jackson home almost immediately to a young couple from Tennessee who wanted room for loved ones to visit, and they bought a two-story, five-bedroom home in Zanesville with money left over for a twelve-jet hot tub and a gazebo. I got an email from Jazmyne last week: “We have lived in Zanesville a year now and have not had a single house guest. This is the true paradise.”JH
“You won’t even know we’re here.” Every local who has entertained house guests has heard it. But none have experienced it.
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I IMAGINE EAGLES feeling right at home on the snowy, exiguous, exposed perch where seven ski mountaineers and I presently stand. Just below the craggy, granite summit of Spalding Peak, high above Garnet Canyon in Grand Teton National Park, it’s not particularly relaxing for us humans. Behind us, to the south, the rock, too vertical to hold any snow, falls away into an abyss that ends several thousand feet below in the North Fork of Avalanche Canyon. Below us, where we ascended, the slope is icy and steep, varying between thirty-five and fifty degrees in pitch. More than one thousand feet down, boulders grow from the snow like snaggletoothed mushrooms. Clustered together in a space about the size of a minivan, we must each remove our skis from our backpacks (we climbed up kicking steps in the firm snow), place them onto the slope, and step into our bindings. Someone also has to go to the bathroom. Before any of us do anything, however, we must secure ourselves. If one of us were to lose our footing and fall, it’s likely we’d slide 1,500-some feet until a boulder stopped us. And that wouldn’t be good. We’re here at Exum Mountain Guides’ first Live to Ski camp to learn skills that will make us safe and successful ski
JH
Live to Ski Looking to get into ski mountaineering? Exum has a new camp for you. BY DINA MISHEV PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID STUBBS Exum Mountain Guides’ Live to Ski camp aims to teach accomplished backcountry skiers ski mountaineering skills so they might ski a committing line like the East Face of Buck Mountain, pictured above. WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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mountaineers rather than statistics in the annual book Accidents in North American Mountaineering. “This camp is for high-end skiers to take their skills to the next level,” says Zahan Billimoria, an Exum guide and a founder of the camp. “There’s a huge gap between being a proficient backcountry skier who hunts for powder all winter long and developing the skills to go ski steep, high-consequence terrain that might involve a rappel or some belaying. That’s what this camp was designed for—to help skiers bridge that gap to becoming solid ski mountaineers.”
TOP: West Hourglass Couloir is a popular line for area ski mountaineers. A group of Live to Ski campers climbed and skied it the first day of the four-day camp. BOTTOM: The camp includes instruction in not only steep skiing techniques, but also building anchors and belaying. 108
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SKI MOUNTAINEERING COMBINES skiing and mountaineering. General backcountry skiing—most of what is done nearby around Teton and Togwotee passes—involves skiers skiing up (also known as skinning) a mountain before skiing down. Ski mountaineers do the same, but often use climbing skills and
gear such as harnesses, ropes, crampons, and ice axes. Ascending a route, ski mountaineers might take their skis off and put them on their backpack so that they can climb up an ice waterfall. Skiing down, ski mountaineers might rappel a section that is unskiable. General backcountry skiing has little objective danger aside from the current avalanche hazard and obstacles such as trees. Ski mountaineering is often in high-consequence and steep terrain where a slip or fall, on the ascent or descent, may result in serious injury or death. A ski mountaineer might ski on belay, with a rope attached to his/her climbing harness while a partner above works the other end to prevent significant sliding after a fall. Glory Bowl on Teton Pass would fall under general backcountry skiing. The Grand Teton is ski mountaineering. It’s easy to make the arguments that: 1) the Tetons are the birthplace of North American ski mountaineering; and 2) the
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TOP: To challenge Live to Ski participants, the camp ascended Buck Mountain via the exposed East Ridge rather than the easier and more usual East Face. BOTTOM: The final two days of the camp are an overnight. Last year, campers skied up to Timberline Lake below Buck Mountain, spent the night there, climbed to the top of Buck the following morning, and then skied the peak. 110
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Tetons offer the best ski mountaineering in the country. Ski mountaineering has no single inventor or father, but in the U.S., Bill Briggs, who first moved to Jackson Hole in the late 1950s, is pretty close. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he did first ski descents of the Middle Teton, South Teton, Mount Moran, and Mount Owen. But it was his 1971 ski descent of
the Grand Teton that really showed what was possible with the sport. In 2008, Briggs was inducted into the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Closer to the present, few people have done more to promote and celebrate ski mountaineering in the Tetons than Steve Romeo, who, before his death in an avalanche in Grand Teton National Park in March 2012, blogged about ski mountaineering adventures big and small in the range on TetonAT. com. “He helped put the Tetons on the map for our generation as the premier destination in North America to test your skills as a ski mountaineer,” says Billimoria, who was a former ski partner of Romeo’s. Exum took Romeo’s motto, “Live to Ski,” as this camp’s name. “We wanted to be part of Steve’s legacy,” Billimoria says. TO SECURE MYSELF to the side of Spalding Peak, I use a trick Billimoria, one of the camp’s lead guides, showed me only thirty minutes ago. Using a loop of webbing girth-hitched to my climbing harness, a carabiner, and an ice axe, it is simple, elegant, takes five seconds, and
provides near-absolute security. Even if both legs collapse beneath me now—not entirely implausible as we did climb nearly six thousand feet up to get here— I won’t go anywhere. To make sure my backpack doesn’t go sliding down the slope either, and because it’s so easy, I use another carabiner to clip it to the same loop of webbing. Less than five minutes later, everyone in my group—which includes five other campers ranging in age from fifteen to forty-something—has their skis and backpacks on, and is ready to start skiing. Almost. Each participant is a highly skilled skier, but, because a fall here could be catastrophic, we’re going to ski on belay. “Why risk it?” asks Billimoria. “A rope isn’t a weakness, but a really valuable tool.” While putting our skis on, Billimoria and our other guide, Nat Patridge, a part-owner of Exum, set up a belay station. It turns out that skiing on belay is more dependent on the skill of the belayer than of the skier being belayed. Because both guides are experienced ski belayers, I don’t find that it makes skiing significantly different. I do find that instead of the steely taste of fear mixed with bile that I usually get at the top of a serious ski descent, I am smiling, but remain focused: I am skiing a fifty-degree, icy slope, after all. If I fall, being on belay saves me from crashing into the boulders at the bottom of this face but not from the ribbing of fellow campers. JH
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NUTS & BOLTS Because of avalanche conditions in the winter, the Live to Ski camp is held in the spring. In 2014, there are two Live to Ski camps: April 30 to May 3, and May 7 to 10. There is about 5,000 feet of climbing and skiing daily. The first two days, campers tackle one-day objectives while developing skills in high-angle ski techniques, anchor construction, belayed skiing, and rappelling, returning to Jackson in time for dinner. The third and fourth days are an overnight, culminating in the ski descent of a route off a major Teton peak such as Buck Mountain or Mount Moran. The camp is $995 and, “you can’t buy your way into this,” says Billimoria. “We need skiers with a certain set of skills—advanced backcountry skiing, fitness, and motivation to learn ski mountaineering.” Exum screens all camp applicants and says last year, they turned away about 30 to 40 percent. There were eleven campers last May and six guides. Exumguides.com; 307/733-2297 WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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getting out
Pull the Trigger Jackson Hole Shooting Experience entertains and educates. BY DINA MISHEV PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRADLY J. BONER
Jackson Hole Shooting Experience tries to make shooting fun while also teaching gun safety and allowing shooters to try a couple dozen different firearms. 112
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“SHOOTING DOESN’T HAVE to be about politics, hunting, conservation, fear, or religion,” says Lynn Sherwood, co-founder of and lead instructor at Jackson Hole Shooting Experience. “It really can be just fun!” Pulling up to the Jackson Gun Club, I am unsold on the idea of shooting as fun. I am fully nervous. And would much rather be heading out to ski. Calling my prior shooting experience even “negligible” is an overstatement. A decade ago, I fired two shots from my roommate’s shotgun. My hearing and shoulder both took several weeks to recover. Unlike my roommate, whose goal it was to see a vegetarian, city-slicker sorority girl get knocked onto her butt, my JH Shooting Experience instructors—cofounder Shepard Humphries and John Morgan—are about safety. And fun. They want me to leave the range with photos and a big smile, not ringing ears and bruises. They also want me to leave with a basic education about firearms and firearms safety.
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WALKING INTO THE gun club and to the area Humphries and Morgan have set up for my Multi-Gun Rifle and Pistol Shooting Experience, more guns than I’ve ever seen greet me. There are rifles, shotguns, revolvers, and pistols. Not that I yet know the difference between a revolver and a pistol. I don’t count but guess there are upwards of four dozen firearms— stacked against the back wall, displayed in open cases, and on the shooting table. But before I get to touch even a single one, Morgan and Humphries tag-team teaching me about the rules of the range, and the most basic bits of firearm safety. No shooting when someone is standing in front of a line painted on the ground. No pointing the muzzle of a gun anywhere near anyone. Ear and eye protection are musts. “You’re going to learn about firearms and firearms safety, but we’re not going to waste your time with fluff,” Sherwood says. “Our goal is to have you shooting within minutes of arrival. Then we’ll keep teaching you as we go along.” I pick out ear protection— giant pink earmuffs—and am given eye protection—clear glasses. HUMPHRIES AND SHERWOOD founded JH Shooting Experience in 2010. Humphries is a retired law en-
During its three-hour Multi-Gun Rifle and Pistol Shooting Experience, you can shoot twenty-some different firearms.
forcement officer, provides executive protection and security consulting, and is a National Rifle Association (NRA) training counselor in pistol, rifle, personal protection inside the home, shotgun, and home firearm safety. Sherwood came to shooting more recently. “I was afraid of guns for over twenty years,” she says. “Then I realized it wasn’t guns I was afraid of, but the bad guys behind them.” Now Sherwood is a competitive shooter and also an NRAcertified instructor in a variety of firearm disciplines. Paying to shoot an arsenal of firearms is not a novel idea. In the last several years, Las Vegas has had two shooting experiences open, Guns & Ammo Garage and Machine Guns Vegas. Both are sleek and sexy. At Machine Guns Vegas, wannabe shooters are greeted by Lara Croft-like women wearing thigh holsters and armed with iPads. Humphries says he’s heard of similar businesses in Dubai. “We’re not the only company offering clients the chance to shoot some cool guns, but I don’t know anyone else that does it the way we do.” Humphries says the Vegas outfits “don’t let you touch the gun other
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than to pull the trigger. They set everything up and line everything up. All you get to do is sit down and use your finger.” In addition to a variety of shooting experiences—there’s the Multi-Gun & Rifle Shooting Experience I’m doing, and also a Multi-Gun Pistol Experience, a Shotgun Clays Experience, and even an Archery Experience—Humphries and Sherwood offer ongoing education, private instruction, and skill development. LESS THAN FIVE minutes after meeting Morgan and Humphries, I’m holding a Ruger 10/22 rifle. Humphries says I can stand or sit at a shooting table. Morgan points out fewer things can/will shake if I sit. I sit. After all, this is the first time in my entire life I’m shooting a rifle. I want to set myself up for success as much as possible. Morgan suggests I aim for a blue rectangle fifty yards away. Even through the rifle’s scope the rectangle looks to be the size of a sandwich. I think his suggestion a bit ambitious for a firsttime shooter—I want to go for the cutout cowboy thirty feet away—but still I center the scope’s crosshairs on the blue rectangle. I pull the trigger. Milliseconds later, a “ping” reverberates back to me. After hitting the blue rectangle a couple more times, Morgan ups the challenge. At the same distance and directly above the rectangle is a row of three blue, hourglass-shaped cutouts. My iPhone looks bigger. Morgan wants me to hit the crumb on the left. Amazingly, I do. In my resulting excitement, I almost swing the Ruger’s barrel around so that it would be pointing out not at the empty hillside, but in and directly at Morgan. I catch myself, though. Before moving on to handguns, I try a Savage Mark II .22-caliber rifle and also a .223-caliber LWRC AR-15 M6 rifle with a red dot sight. I learn what caliber means. I hit a target more than one hundred yards away. I start to think this beats a day of skiing. HANDGUNS. I’VE SEEN enough movies and television shows, I assume firing a handgun is easy. That assumption is astonishingly wrong. My first shot with Humphries’ Ruger single-action revolver easily misses the target—and I am finally given the go-ahead to aim at the closeup cowboy, which is about the size of a Hobbit—by ten feet. Morgan reinstructs
MORE THAN JUST A GREENHOUSE
me how to line up the front and rear sights. Ahhh! I hadn’t done that properly my first shot. I get the cowboy with bullet #2. And #3. Next are semi-automatics. Movies and television shows never indicate these handguns are fairly heavy. Holding a Sig Sauer P226 9mm with both arms outstretched and taking my time to aim, I must drop my hands every few shots to rest my quaking arms. Then, just when I think my shooting experience is over, Sherwood, who is Humphries’ wife, rolls up. She shows me her new gun. I know next to nothing about handguns, but even my newbie eyes can see Sherwood’s Desert Eagle is closer to a hand-held rocket launcher than to the Sig Sauer I just shot. It is .50-caliber. Earlier, I shot a .50-caliber rifle. Sherwood asks if I want to shoot the Desert Eagle. Humphries advises me to take a very athletic stance, leaning forward with my weight evenly balanced between my two legs, hip-width apart. “It’s got a kick,” he says. Sherwood warns me where not to put my hands, lest they get in the way of the recoil. I don’t know this at the time, but looking back at the photos and video Morgan is shooting, I can see Sherwood take up a position behind me, ready to catch me. I am told to aim for a target two hundred yards out. If the Sig Sauer is hefty, the Desert Eagle is an anvil. I lean forward, aim,
Katie Lewis, twelve, lines up a shot with a .22-caliber revolver during her Multi-Gun Experience. JH Shooting Experience has had clients as young as eight.
grit my teeth, and pull the trigger. And pull. And pull. This trigger is serious business. In the video, at this point you can see my arms start to tremble. Finally, the bullet explodes from the gun. I miss the target, but don’t care. The Desert Eagle is as much fun as most any powder day. JH
NUTS & BOLTS Jackson Hole Shooting Experience offers the Multi-Gun Rifle & Pistol Experience, which includes an introduction to up to two dozen different firearms over three hours, yearround, as long as the temperature is above fifteen degrees. “Any colder than that and a trigger finger on a metal trigger slows down,” Sherwood says. The Archery Experience is not available in the winter. All JH Shooting Experiences must be arranged in advance and can be done at a variety of locations, including private property. “We’ve certainly gone to clients’ homes and ranches before,” Humphries says. The Multi-Gun Rifle and Pistol Experience is $600 for the first person and $150 for each additional shooter. There are no hard-and-fast age limits. “As long as a child can understand and follow safety rules, we can work with them,” Sherwood says. “We’ve done family reunions with four generations, and the youngest was eight.” 307/690-7921; www.shootinjh.com
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Best of
getting out
PRICE CHAMBERS
JH
EnRAPTured Teton Raptor Center saves lives and educates. BY MOLLY LOOMIS
Teton Raptor Center program director Jason Jones and Len Carlman release a rehabilitated adult bald eagle that had been injured. 116
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IT’S A SNOWY March morning and a group of schoolkids from Washington, D.C., are well prepared for the weather: goggles perched on their foreheads, bright new Gore-Tex jackets zippered tightly, and neck gaiters yanked up to their chins. These visitors aren’t about to load onto a chairlift to experience the area’s renowned powder, though. They’re here to experience something else the Tetons are famous for: extraordinary wildlife. “Smells like rotting birds,” says one astute young man, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He’s right, partially; a heavy organic odor hangs in the air. But the birds here aren’t rotting—they’re very much alive. He and his classmates are at the Teton Raptor Center (TRC). Former Grand Teton National Park research biologist Roger Smith and outdoor educator Margaret Creel began rehabilitating raptors in 1991, first in their home in Rafter J and then in limited facilities at 3 Creek Ranch, an
exclusive golf community three miles south of the town of Jackson. (At the time, Smith was still working for GTNP.) In 1997, the two officially established Teton Raptor Center and secured nonprofit status. The organization’s mission was to help birds of prey through education, conservation, and rehabilitation. TRC has both U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State of Wyoming raptor rehabilitation and education permits. In 2009, TRC moved into the historic Hardeman Barns—built in the 1940s— at the base of Teton Pass in Wilson. Although many raptors leave the Tetons for the winter, TRC’s staff doesn’t follow suit. The iconic red barns where TRC roosts buzz with activity year-round.
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ONE OF TRC’s missions is education, so when program director Jason Jones asks the students for the three defining characteristics of a raptor, I don’t mind admitting I’m stumped. The D.C. city kids aren’t, though, and call out facts about hooked beaks designed to shred prey, taloned feet for grasping prey, and astounding eyesight that can pinpoint prey from high in the air. At least I don’t get squeamish when Jones offers a talon to the group to pass around. “You don’t have to hold it,” he says, much to the relief of a few of the students. However, the group’s teacher interjects: “I want everyone to hold it. It’s not an option.” Eventually, Jones graduates from showing us raptor parts to showing us the birds themselves. The group goes silent as he first brings out a bald eagle. It came to TRC in June 2012 as a fledgling after landing in someone’s backyard after its first flight went afoul. Now the bird is huge, powerful, and regal— just as a national symbol should be (although, apparently, Ben Franklin objected to this scavenger and voted for a turkey instead, but that’s another story). Yet this eagle’s beak is disfigured. Unable to eat prey in the wild, it will live out its days at either TRC or a natural history museum in Vermont. Owly, a great horned owl, is one of TRC’s star personalities and has been around for nine years. Amy McCarthy, TRC’s executive director, half-jokes that every kid in Teton County has met Owly at some point. Struck by a car in 2004 when she wasn’t yet a year old, Owly
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bradly j. boner
ABOVE: Jones has trained a captive-bred gyrfalcon to do flight demonstrations. This demo was at the organization’s annual RaptorFest in June. OPPOSITE PAGE: This great horned owl was brought to TRC with a broken wing. It underwent about a month of rehabilitation before being released.
Teton Raptor Center’s mission is to help birds of prey through education, conservation, and rehabilitation.
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sustained a break in her wrist that extended into her wing joint. Even after the break healed, she was unable to fly and became a permanent TRC resident. (TRC has three permanent residents: In addition to Owly, there’s Gus the golden eagle and Ruby the red-tailed hawk.) Owly’s amber eyes stare back at the children as she sits on Jones’ arm. The kids scatter back like mice when she expands and flaps her wings. “How much do you think she weighs?” asks Jones. “Thirty pounds!” “Fifty pounds!” Different numbers ring out from the group. Jones doesn’t answer and instead sticks his finger into Owly’s chest of feathers. His finger disappears up to the first knuckle, and Jones reveals that the bird, the height of two fists stacked upon each other, is surprisingly petite. Owly weighs in at just three pounds. Her thick robe of downy feathers not only gives her additional bulk that intimidates other owls, but—more importantly—enables her to survive the harsh Wyoming winter. (Great horned owls are not the valley’s only wintertime resident raptors, though. A number of different owl, hawk, falcon, and eagle species can be found in Jackson Hole between November and April.
Some raptors such as the rough-legged hawk even migrate here from the Arctic and subarctic, and are only seen in the area in winter.) Students fall still as Jones rattles off facts about great horned owls: Their hearing is superb, and unlike other raptors, they are very slow fliers. Cruising at just ten miles per hour, great horned owls can capture prey in the dark, even if the prey is under eighteen inches of snow. A few kids look at each other in astonishment as Jones explains how Owly can hear our hearts beating inside our chests. NOT ALL BIRDS at TRC are permanent residents. The center receives injured birds from all around Idaho and Wyoming. TRC’s team of veterinarians and volunteers works diligently to help the birds regain their health with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. “One of the most satisfying components of the job is returning birds to the wild,” says McCarthy. “There’s nothing as exciting, as heartwarming, and as inspiring as the release of that bird and knowing that you’ve given it a second chance at freedom.” Since 2010, which marked TRC’s first full year at the Hardeman Barns, the group has taken in 218 injured, ill,
bradly j. boner
and orphaned birds of prey, amounting to more than five thousand patient care days. An average of 42 percent of these birds are released back into the wild. “I know that may not sound high,” says McCarthy, “but these birds need to be in peak performance. The standard for release rates in our line of work is generally closer to 33 percent.” TRC raptors unable to be returned to the wild have ended up at educational centers and facilities such as Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, Maryland, and Wild Wings Environmental Education in Centennial, Colorado, among other places. WE MAKE OUR way outside to the parking lot and wait for Jones and his gyrfalcon to deliver the grand finale. Captive-bred at a raptor propagation program in Washington, the bird will be two years old this summer. As Jones makes his way toward the group with the bird perched on a gauntlet on his left arm, a Labrador retriever locked in the bed of a pickup goes ballistic with excitement. Jones’ gyrfalcon is smallish now, but will grow; gyrfalcons are the largest of the falcon species. White- and brownspeckled, the bird is hooded in a miniature leather cap. In the middle of the field south of the main barn, Jones raises
his hand into the air and the bird rockets into the sky. One of Jones’ trained falconry birds, the gyrfalcon swoops up and over the red barn’s pitched metal roof and down to the field, where Jones stands swinging a small leather lure at the end of a sixfoot cord. The gyrfalcon returns to the swinging lure again and again, as Jones has trained it to. Eventually, the raptor will return to Jones and perch on the leather gauntlet on his arm. But for the moment he is free, and the kids from Washington, D.C., are rapt. JH
NUTS & BOLTS Teton Raptor Center has hourlong scheduled programs at noon and 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Private tours are available by appointment, which TRC recommends you make a week in advance (although, sometimes they can accommodate less notice). Tours, which offer guests a chance to see resident raptors, including a great horned owl, a red-tailed hawk, and a golden eagle—and sometimes also a flight demonstration—are $12 for adults and $10 for ages 4-12 and seniors 65+. Children under 3 are free. 5450 W. Highway 22; 307/203-2551; www. tetonraptorcenter.org WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
JH
body & soul
TURN UP THE HEAT Saunas, steam rooms, and hot springs are good for your body and mind. BY BRIELLE SCHAEFFER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PRICE CHAMBERS
FIVE MINUTES IN, I have a shiny coat of sweat over my body. In two more minutes, my skin starts to feel prickly. Then my eyes begin to sting. At that point, the heat becomes overwhelming—what I imagine the inside of a kiln must feel like. After a below-freezing but amusing morning of watching adventurous souls on skis and snowboards pulled behind horses negotiate an obstacle course— this is called skijoring—I was ready for Bear and Doe Banya Spa’s 210-degree sauna. And the warmth feels wonderful. 120
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When it’s not overwhelming. I’m in a swimsuit and, to protect my head from the heat, wearing a Russian-style, boiledwool hat borrowed from the spa. Ten minutes is my “I-can’t-stand-itanymore” limit in the cedar-planked sauna. Then it’s time to take the plunge— the cold plunge, that is. A hot tub converted into a cold plunge sits outside in the backyard of the spa on East Simpson Street. Walking from one to the other, my wet feet are slick on the snow—it’s about twenty-something degrees outside—and I maneuver carefully. The cold
tub is warmer than the ambient air but it’s still not pleasant. I go in as far as my waist but am too chicken to dunk to my neck, which owners and massage therapists Lisa Rung-Kolenich and husband Gary Kolenich recommend. A few seconds in the plunge are enough to make me crave the warmth of the sauna; I race back inside. FOR CENTURIES, CULTURES have been using heat and hydrotherapy for overall wellness and relaxation. The ancient Romans had hot rooms or “caldariums” in their bathhouses. Islamic cultures have had hammams for more than a millennium. Native Americans have sweat lodges. According to the East Slavic Primary Chronicle of 1113, the apostle Andrew marveled at Russian saunas as he traveled through the area on a missionary journey nearly two millenia ago. Contrary to popular belief, Finns did not invent the sauna, but they have perfected them over the last one thousand
OPPOSITE PAGE: Heat like the kind found in this 210-degree sauna can help with relaxation and detoxification, improve joint mobility, and alleviate pain. UPPER LEFT: Granite Hot Springs is the nearest natural hot spring to Jackson Hole. In winter, the road to it is closed to cars. It is accessible via dog sled, fat bike, cross-country skis, and snowmobiles. LOWER LEFT: Bear and Doe Banya Spa’s cold plunge looks like a hot tub, but it’s not. Its water is between 45 and 55 degrees. Neither is the cold plunge set in a Pacific Northwest forest. The trees are merely a fake backdrop.
the U.S. for $60,000 with the caveat that a portion of them always be reserved for free public use. In the southern part of the state, different tribes—even ones warring with each other—soaked together in Saratoga’s hot springs. The springs there were known as “the place of magic waters” and were considered neutral ground.
years. Finland has a population of 5.4 million and an estimated three million saunas. For years, a popular Finnish television talk show invited famous people to take a sauna with two male hosts. Dozens of government ministers and members of parliament agreed and were interviewed in the sauna, generally only wrapped in a towel. Native Americans think hot springs are sacred spaces and greatly believed in
the powers of the healing heat and mineral waters. Sweat lodges were important parts of some ceremonies and rituals. Here in Wyoming, where natural hot springs are plentiful, the Shoshone Indians called Thermopolis’ Big Horn Spring “the smoking waters.” Once a part of the Wind River Indian Reservation (home to Eastern Shoshone and Arapahoe tribes), Thermopolis’ hot springs were sold in 1897 by Chief Washakie to
HEAT HAS BENEFITS in all different forms. In her practice, Jackson naturopathic physician Monique Lai uses heat and hydrotherapy to flush out skin infections and also prescribes warm baths with baking soda and magnesium-rich Epsom salt. The latter is not only good for reducing stress levels and helping patients unwind, but also, because it induces sweating, detoxification. (You don’t need the baking soda and Epsom salts to sweat/detoxify, though.) Our bodies can eliminate toxins— poisons from air, water, or certain foods that can be damaging to us— through breathing, urination, defecation, and sweating. Sweating, because it uses our largest organ, the skin, is WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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among the fastest ways to detoxify. Saunas are one of the fastest ways we can begin to sweat. Saunas have benefits beyond helping us detox. A November 1999 article in the American Journal of Medicine cites studies suggesting saunas help lower blood pressure, increase heart function, and can relieve asthma or bronchitis. Additionally, saunas may alleviate pain and improve joint mobility
in certain people, the article says. Heat from saunas also can soothe muscles sore from skiing, boost metabolism and the immune system, and help sweat out a hangover for those who may have overindulged après-ski. Alternating between hot and cold, like I’m doing with the sauna and cold plunge at the Russian-style Bear and Doe, is supposed to help with circulation—heat draws blood to an area and
Kaity Novikova is whacked with bundles of birch branches soaked in cold water while lying in Bear and Doe’s 210-degree sauna. Alternating heat and cold can help stimulate circulation.
WHILE PEOPLE WITH heart conditions were advised not to partake in saunas in the past, a Japanese study published in January 2012 in the American Journal of Cardiology shows heat can help the heart. Researchers at Japan’s University of Toyama found repeated sauna treatments can improve cardiac functions as well as exercise tolerance in people with chronic heart failure. The study observed forty-one patients with heart failure before and after taking saunas five times a week for three weeks. (Repeated saunas are known as waon therapy in Japan; “waon” means “soothing warmth” in Japanese.) Before and after the waon therapy began, researchers gave participants a six-minute walk test to see how far they could go in that time, took a sonogram of their hearts, and tested circulation and heart function. After the waon therapy, study participants had increased amounts of blood being pumped out of their hearts’ left ventricle and were able to walk farther in six minutes. (Still, we advise people with cardiac conditions to talk to their doctors before exposing themselves to extreme heat.) Pregnant women are advised to avoid heat because body temperature increases may negatively affect the fetus. People with high blood pressure should also take precautions, as they are more prone to heat exhaustion. In anyone, heat overexposure can cause lightheadedness, dizziness and elevated heart rate, nausea, and fatigue. It is not recommended to spend more than fifteen to twenty minutes at a time in a hot tub, sauna, or steam room. Average people will sweat about a liter during fifteen to twenty minutes in a sauna. Our normal daily rate ranges from a half- to one and a half liters. Because of the increased sweating, hydration is key after heat therapy. You should drink two to four eight-ounce glasses of water after soaking in a hot tub or sauna.
Sauna dos and don’ts
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cold pushes it away—and also with heart and lung function. I don’t know if there’s an optimal ratio between the two, but at Bear and Doe, each time I return to the banya, my time inside gets shorter; each time I head for the cold tub, I get braver. Eventually, I also try the spa’s smaller, far-infrared sauna, a type of sauna created in Japan in the 1970s that uses light to create heat, and is able to penetrate the skin more deeply than a normal, wood-fired sauna. It’s only 150 degrees instead of 210 degrees. Traditional saunas, which use heat and some humidity to warm the air, only penetrate one-quarter inch of the skin; the radiant heat of an infrared sauna can take the warmth as deep as one and threequarter inches. This means more benefits. Thirty minutes can do wonders like improve arthritis, relieve pain, and burn as many as six hundred calories to help weight loss. The infrared heat—warm and glowing—reminds me of a toaster, or of being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. It’s comfortable rather than overbearing. I ALSO TRY a eucalyptus-oil-infused steam room with a waterfall shower overhead. The steam is a comforting cocoon. Inhaling the oil clears my sinuses. I relax until it gets too hot and the humidity gets muggy and stifling. This is not the dry heat of the sauna or the toasty warmth of the infrared light. Steam rooms, also known as wet saunas, “increase your body temperature more,” Lai says. “Sweating is a mechanism of cooling yourself off and a wet sauna doesn’t allow you to sweat. Therefore, your temperature goes up higher.” A rise in body temperature is our body’s natural way of killing bacteria, bugs, and viruses. This is why we get fevers with colds and the flu. A steam room is an assisted way of killing bacteria, bugs, and viruses. At the Body Sage Spa at the Rusty Parrot Lodge, therapists sometimes place steam tents over clients’ bodies before or after a massage. Done before a massage, the wet heat from the steam helps loosen muscles for deeper tissue work. Postmassage, a steam tent helps seal in essential oils by opening pores. I get steam tent-ed after a short massage. Therapist Sarah Johnson puts the tent over the massage table, hooks the steamer into it, loads the steamer with water and grapefruit essential oil, and
I’m steaming. It’s an interesting and exhilarating sensation: My body heat skyrockets, yet I’m still breathing fresh air. Johnson puts a cool compress on my head. I feel looser than after any other massage I’ve ever had. After about ten minutes, Johnson quickly pulls off the tent and cold air—really room temperature, but it feels cold—floods my body, sealing moisture and oil into my pores. I don’t doubt spa owner Heidi Harrison when she says, “Doing a massage plus a hydrotherapy treatment is much more effective than doing just a massage.” NATURAL HOT SPRINGS and hot tubs are other ways to enjoy the health and relaxation benefits of heat. A soak in the hotel hot tub after a day playing in the snow can soothe tired muscles. However, because heat opens pores, some soaks— like natural hot springs or pools that use salt water instead of chemically treated water—can be more beneficial than others. Chemically treated water can leave you with chlorine in your skin. Natural hot springs, on the other hand, are often chock-full of minerals like magnesium, which is soothing, and sulfur, which is antibacterial. The closest commercial natural hot spring to Jackson is Granite Hot Springs, in the Hoback Canyon and a thirty-mile drive southeast from town. Granite’s pool, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and is deep enough to swim in, is only accessible by skis, snowmobiles, or dog sled. In winter, the pool averages 112 degrees. Come summer, when you can drive to the hot spring, more cold water from a nearby creek is added; the pool’s temperature is then about 100 degrees. If Granite is too much of a journey— it’s a ten-mile trip (one way) from the nearest plowed road—the Teton County Recreation Center has both a steam room and a hot tub.
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After an hour and a half jumping between the superheated dry sauna, cold tub, steam room, and infrared sauna at Bear and Doe Banya Spa, my skin is pink and soft. It’s been some time since I last cold plunged, so I am warm to the core and relaxed. Evidently, I’ve eliminated a fair amount of toxins and burned calories. And did I mention I’m warm and toasty in the middle of Jackson’s brutal winter? JH WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
nightlife
PRICE CHAMBERS
JH
Dance the Night Away Newbie or old hand, there’s a place for you to kick up your heels cowboy-style. BY JAYME FEARY
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“LET’S BURN IT down, burn it down,” The Silver Dollar Bar has live whines the lead singer for One Ton Pig, an music several nights a week. outlaw Americana band that has packed the Silver Dollar Bar’s small dance floor with cowboys, faux cowboys, outdoor enthusiasts, skiers, granola heads, moneyed ranchers, and hippies. The booty shakers and swing dancers in tennis shoes, flips-flops, and penny loafers wag their tails in the middle while couples in boots three-step around the perimeter in a swirling mass. It’s like this every Tuesday night here. Snow flitters down outside. The pink neon stripe around the top of the S-shaped bar tints the place the color of sunset. Spotlights illuminate the cedar walls and the original Ray McCarty paintings of cowboys and saloon girls hanging on them. On this best night of the week to dance at the Silver Dollar, inside the Wort Hotel in downtown Jackson, everybody is here: locals, seasonals, and tourists. Local chiropractor and horseman Chris Koch, wearing boots, baggy Wranglers, suspenders, and a cream-colored felt hat, grabs Deb Kanter,
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one of the best women dancers in town, and in his trademark hoedown style, rocks and spins her. Her skirt wheels, and Chris’ white Fu Manchu mustache, surrounding his mouth like a door frame, widens into a smile. In comes Ralph Boyack, a TSA agent at the airport, sporting his goatee, potbelly, and a black hat, which covers his bald head. Ralph lives to dance. In seconds, he has identified every danceable hottie in the saloon. He grabs the hand of a tall one—a well-endowed twentyish brunette with a newscaster hairstyle, Daisy Dukes, and western boots—and triple-steps her around. The closer he draws her, the more strained her smile becomes, but he’s Fred Astaire in boots so she squelches her objections and enjoys the ride. As the song ends, he spins her one last time and extends his leg. Every local knows what is about to happen. Using his thigh as a fulcrum, he dips the girl, tilting her legs upward. Before she can exit the floor, he whisks her off for another. Six songs pass before she breaks free. It goes on like this until late. Food and libations flow, the music blares, and the whole joint pitches and rolls. THE WHATCHAMACALLIT musicians at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar sound like the house band for a Ramada Inn lounge, but the drummer, bass, and lead guitarist get on the same beat long enough for dancers to make a turn or two around the floor. Tourists sit on saddle barstools, shoot pool, people watch, or stare around the room at miles of knotty pine, western murals, and a full-mount grizzly standing on its back feet with its paws forward like Muhammad Ali. Most of the tourists must’ve missed the Cowboy’s free Thursday night dance lessons (they start at 7 p.m. every Thursday during the winter and summer), for at first they only observe. The seven locals here this Saturday night have their choice of partners. Dressed in jeans, boots, and a western hat, one elderly man plays the role of teacher and dances with every young girl he can. Without rhythm, he twitches around the floor as if having an epileptic seizure. A seasonal visitor—a seventyish hippie in polyester
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BRADLY J. BONER
Get Out Tonight! Silver Dollar Bar Best night to go: Tuesday (Bluegrass Night) Location: In the Wort Hotel one block west of the Town Square Music starts: 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss: See the 2,032 1921 Morgan silver dollars embedded in the bar Crowd: Many locals and lots of tourists, too Million Dollar Cowboy Bar Best night to go: Friday or Saturday (more locals on Friday); Thursday if you need a lesson Location: Town Square Music starts: 9 p.m. (lessons Thursday 7 p.m.) Don’t miss: Sip a drink while sitting on a saddle barstool Crowd: Mostly tourists Stagecoach Bar Best night to go: Sunday Location: On Highway 22 at the base of Teton Pass in Wilson Music starts: 6 p.m. Don’t miss: Dance to the famous “Roll Down the Line” song Crowd: Mostly locals 126
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pants, tortoise shell glasses, and a newsboy hat—throws down make-love-notwar dance moves, thinking he is impressing a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. She dances three feet from him and avoids eye contact. Deb is whirling her skirt again tonight. Eighty-something Claire is here, too. (It’s funny, everyone knows Claire, but no one knows his last name or how to find him away from the dance floor.) Dressed in Wranglers and a western shirt and ball cap, Claire thrills every woman he dances with because he looks like everybody’s grandpa and can keep the beat. One after another, tourists work up the nerve to dance. Once on the floor, they remain. And wouldn’t you know, here comes Ralph. As usual, he favors the young and beautiful, drawing them close and dipping them at the end of every song. The big surprise tonight is an appearance from Ted Benson, maybe the mostappreciated male country dancer in Jackson. Only fifty-one, Ted was nearly killed by cancer. It ripped him away from dancing until a bone marrow transplant gave him a fighter’s chance. After each song, he wipes his forehead and leans against the railing. His presence makes
Tuesday night is Bluegrass Night at the Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel in downtown Jackson.
the Cowboy Bar seem whole again. Off he goes, a bowling ball of a man gliding across the floor. A few tourists ask him to dance, and he obliges even the beginners. Ted doesn’t last long, though. The clock ticks on, and the band shifts from country music to rock. Locals abdicate the place to tourists, who stream onto the floor gyrating and twerking. Music and alcohol lubricate the party until closing time. DEREK THE DYNAMO rakes his electric guitar while Phil Round leans into the microphone: “The road goes on forever, and the party never ends!” Having played at the Stagecoach Bar every Sunday night since 1969, The Stagecoach Band is overheating this concrete-floored box at the base of Teton Pass in Wilson. The temperature outside lingers near zero and the windows stand open, but the dancers are dripping sweat. Every type of person in the valley is here: cowboys real and fake, skiers and snowboarders, snowmobilers, hippies, and corporate magnates. The crowd’s age averages fifty or so. A middle-aged guy wearing khakis like Jungle Jack Hanna dances with a Janis Joplin lookalike. Beyond caring what people think,
PRICE CHAMBERS
he flails like an octopus on speed. Onto the stage steps silver-haired Hort Spitzer decked out in a silk scarf and a pinched felt hat with a hole in the crown. The locals—80 percent of the crowd—know the routine. For the umpteenth time, Hort yowls like a coyote in heat to the polka “Airplane Yodel.” When the song is nearly over, everybody cheers. The last drumbeat sounds, and Hort throws his hat onto the floor. Barb Conitz perches on her usual stool at the end of the bar. A few years back, she nearly died in a car crash. No one minds that she dances a little slower now. Having her here is enough. After dancing with the same men for years, she knows their every move but doesn’t complain about the repetition. She simply holds on tight, bobbles her head, and smiles. A few songs later, everybody but the onlookers grabs the first available partner. The dancers form two long lines and hold their partners’ hands in the air like “London Bridge.” It soon stretches almost to the pool tables from where the couple on the end peels off, dances back, and ducks through the bridge. Deb spins.
Mr. Octopus-on-Speed almost throws out a hip, and Ralph hugs up some sweet young thing that he holds onto for five more songs before finally dipping her over his knee. The music builds until the regulars recognize the final tune. Again, everyone scurries to find a partner. “Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side. Keep on the sunny side of life. …” The dancers and onlookers clap and cheer because the song embodies everything these nights are about. Outside, the snow falls hard, but no
The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar welcomes locals and visitors to its dance floor. It’s mostly the latter at the free Thursday night western swing lessons.
one notices or cares. The crowd rotates like a hurricane, dancers kicking up their heels and smiling at anybody whirling by. “It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way, if we keep on the sunny side of life.” A woman reaches out and drags this writer from his dark corner of observation onto the floor. And the night wheels. JH
THE WYOMING TRADITION
AN UPSCALE AMERICAN BEER HALL featuring a wide selection of American and International beers, whiskeys and provisions. The menu offers a modern twist on classic pub grub. Open daily from 11am to 11pm.
OF VAST RANCHES AND FARMS INSPIRES OUR CULINARY TEAM TO SHARE AN UNPRETENTIOUS JOURNEY OF ADVENTURES FILLED WITH INDIGENOUS FLAVORS AND NEW DISCOVERIES.
INSPIRED BY SURROUNDING PEAKS, MOUNTAIN STEAKHOUSE ( 307) 732 5000 @FSJacksonhole
featuring local meats, house made charcuterie, artisanal cheeses, seasonal sides and extensive wine list. Open daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Complimentary Valet.
Ascent Lounge captures our mountain spirit with a creative menu of East meets West offerings, cozy outdoor fire tables and slope side location. Open daily 11am - 11pm.
WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
JH
dining
Meat Your Butcher Our area’s artisan butchers are a cut above the rest. BY SUE MUNCASTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAULETTE PHLIPOT
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JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
ar·ti·san: a person who makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, often by hand or using traditional methods. IN DECEMBER 2009 Epicurious.com, the authoritative and award-winning digital voice of the food world, boldly predicted 2010 would be “The Year of the Butcher.” Earlier that same year, Kim Severson wrote the article “Young Idols with Cleavers Rule the Stage” in The New York Times. Severson, who has won four James Beard awards for her reporting, revealed how a new meat consciousness has led to the rise of the “rock-star butcher.” The rise (or revival) of artisan butchery here in the Tetons has certainly followed Epicurious’ predictions and Severson’s observations. Fifteen years ago, the only prosciutto to be found in Jackson Hole—if any was to be found at all—was packaged. Menus didn’t mention where your steak came from. Today, we have multiple restaurants making their own sausages and salumi. You can walk into a market and chat with the man behind its house-made bresaola and guanciale. Buy a rib-eye at Aspens Market and it won’t just be a rib-eye, but a hormoneand antibiotic-free, grass-fed Robinson Family Farms rib-eye. The butcher can show you a dozen other cuts he made from the same cow. Jacksonholefoodie.com blogger and retired physician Annie Fenn loves this shift. “The mom in me wants to know that the meat I serve my family is safe and humane. Because my butchers [Joel Cox from Aspens Market and Derek Ellis of Ellis Custom Meats] have a track record with the ranchers who supply them, I know the product is good,” Fenn says. “The foodie in me loves playing around with unique cuts of meat and having a huge variety in what I cook.”
knife. Cox butchers one grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free pig per week and also, depending on demand, a cow or two per month. He buys his animals from Robinson Family Farms in Bedford, Wyoming. Cox works like most any other artisan who takes great care in the details of what they do. Strong and sure, he sharpens his knife before doing anything else. His first slice, along the diaphragm of the hanging pig, goes through the flesh, muscles, and tendons like butter. Moving through the animal, he wastes nothing: organ meats are used for pâtés, while bones are used to make stocks for the market’s soups or are treats for lucky dogs. Cox renders the pork fat, melting it slowly so the pure lard separates from everything else. At the end, he’s left with coarse, crunchy bits—“cracklings”— that can be sprinkled on salads. When Cox does Market Table Dinners, the menu often includes a course or two featuring a specialty cut you’ve most likely never heard of and which Cox can rhapsodize about for hours. Like most artisan butchers, Cox learned by studying under a master. Or, in his case, two: Morgan Brownlow, the
Lines stretch out of Cecchini’s shop in Panzano. At Aspens Market, people queue for Cox’s hand-packed breakfast and specialty sausages, peppered beef tenderloin, and pork chops and loins. He loves to experiment and is most proud of his cured meats made from pork: coppa and lardo. The former is from the shoulder muscle and is a wonderful combination of meat and fat, heady from the aromatic spices and herbs in which it is cured. The latter is made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs, then wrapped in cheesecloth and hung to dry. Cox guesses only 40 percent of his clients are aware of his “whole animal” sourcing. He likes to educate, but not preach. When asked why someone should buy a handcrafted sausage made by him versus a packaged, less expensive one from the supermarket, he glances up from slicing a giant pork shoulder: “Flavor. When it’s fresh, nothing is being masked. It’s not industrial and it’s not processed. Once you’ve had it, it’s hard to go back.”
chef and butcher behind some of Portland and Seattle’s most lauded restaurants, and Dario Cecchini, quite possibly the most highly regarded butcher in butcher-rich Italy. During his nineteen months abroad, Cox studied cured meats, pasta making, cheese making, and Italian cooking and interned under Cecchini, who was introduced to American foodies by writer Bill Buford, first in an article for The New Yorker and later in Buford’s best-selling book, Heat.
Joel Cox does whole-animal butchery at Aspens Market on the Teton Village Road.
“GOT KNIVES, WILL travel” is the motto that landed Cox at Aspens Market in 2011. Behind the market’s meat counter almost every day, you can’t miss him—tall, strapping, with dark, curly hair and often brandishing a razor-sharp
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Aspens Market
“ARTISAN” AND “FANCY” need not go hand in hand. Dee J Rammell, proprietor of Hog Island Meats, a Wyominginspected processing facility for domestic animals and wild game south of
Jackson, is every bit as artisan as he is the salt of the earth. If you want to make headcheese, he’ll happily process the head. Rammell learned his craft from three generations of family butchers. Rammell figures butchering is in his blood. “I remember helping my father and grandfather as a five-year-old at Rammell Valley Pack in Tetonia, Idaho,” WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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he says. “Ever since I was in high school, I’ve been processing meat.” Today, he and his wife, Tamara, run their shop just steps from their home. Their five children, ranging from kindergarten to high school, help out. Whatever the beast, the Rammells’ business motto is “Your Meat, Your Way.” They’ll entertain any special request. They can slaughter an animal in accor-
Hog Island Meats
Dee J Rammell is a third-generation butcher at Hog Island Meats.
dance with religious traditions. They can dry-age meat for up to three weeks, or brine it, wet-age it, or smoke it. Their specialties are homestyle hams, bacon, Italian and breakfast sausages, and jerky. If you want to roast a whole pig for a luau, they’ll prep it just right. And they’re happy to help you make headcheese. TETON VALLEY’S DEREK Ellis runs Ellis Custom Meats, which he opened in 2010, in the same vein. For years prior, Ellis had helped his friend Jed Restuccia, the founder of Cosmic Apple Gardens organic farm in Victor, Idaho, with crops and chores. Ellis knew Restuccia was bothered for many reasons about the distance his certified organic and biodynamic animals had to travel to be slaughtered—about eighty miles to Rigby, Idaho. Restuccia saw firsthand that the trip stressed his animals. He believed stressing 130
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
the animals was not only inhumane, but also affected the taste of the meat. Ellis, who had been working at Intermountain Aquatics, happened to be looking to make a life change. Ellis took on an intensive threemonth internship at one of America’s most celebrated butchers, Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats, which Joshua and Jessica Applestone opened in
animals miles to slaughter. Competition for a Fleisher’s internship is intense. Some interns pay $10,000 for six to eight weeks of instruction and a bed in the Applestones’ Airstream trailer. Ellis was in the Hudson Valley for three months. Ellis’ philosophy is to work with animals raised on small, local, sustainable farms on an antibiotic- and hormonefree vegetarian diet. He has certifications
Ellis Custom Meats
PIZZA
NTICA
Derek Ellis, owner of Ellis Custom Meats, spent three months interning at Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, New York.
2005 in Kingston, New York. (Even though the Applestones only opened their butcher shop in 2005, Joshua Applestone’s grandfather opened the original Fleisher’s kosher butcher shop in Brooklyn in 1901.) Since opening, the Applestones have trained dozens of young butchers, releasing them to go on to become rock stars of their own (Tom Mylan of Brooklyn’s Marlow & Daughters), write books (Julie Powell, who authored the best-seller Julie and Julia, which was later adapted into a blockbuster movie of the same name, wrote Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession about her time at Fleisher’s), and save Teton Valley farmers from having to ship their Local 55 N. Cache; open for lunch and dinner daily; localjh.com; 307/201-1717 Aspens Market 4015 N. Lake Creek Dr., Wilson; open daily; aspensmarketjh.com; 307/200-6140 Ellis Custom Meats elliscustommeats.com; 208/821-0889 Hog Island Meats www.hogislandmeats.com; 307/413-0343
for both mobile slaughter and custom processing from the State of Idaho Department of Agriculture. The mobile slaughter license allows him to kill animals on-site at area farms and ranches before transporting them to the commercial kitchen in Victor where he does his custom processing. At the same facility, Ellis also processes game meat that hunters bring him. For consumers without their own animals, Ellis runs intermediary with local farms. Clients can buy portions of lamb, pig, bison, or cow through him and then specify how they want him to process it. In addition to the usual rib-eyes and tenderloins, Ellis does smoked bacon and pancetta, guanciale (Italian bacon made with pig jowls), pork rillettes (similar to pâté), and a wide variety of smoked or fresh sausages prepared from everything from lamb to elk. AT LOCAL, THEIR contemporary steakhouse on the Town Square, chefs Will Bradof and Paul Wireman’s mission is meat, butchered and prepared in-house. Bradof trained for two years at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He was further inspired toward artisan butchery while working at Napa Valley’s Tra Vigne. There, chef Michael WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Chiarello, the Culinary Institute of America’s Chef of the Year (1995) and Alumni of the Year (2011) and host of shows on PBS, Food Network, Fine Living, and the Cooking Channel, taught Bradof how to make charcuterie—prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit. Bradof also learned how to incorporate them into a menu. After Tra Vigne, Bradof moved to Tuscany and exchanged work for six months’ board with an Italian couple who owned a wine bar and restaurant in Volterra. Bradof and Wireman had housemade charcuterie on a small scale at their first Jackson restaurant, Trio: duck prosciutto, bresaola (air-dried, salted beef), and foie gras torchon (a very traditional yet complicated terrine). People loved it. This success was the impetus to open Local, where a much larger kitchen houses a huge grinder, meat saw, and sausage-stuffer. Every week now, Bradof and Wireman buy a whole grass-fed, organic cow from the Lockhart Cattle Company, a family run ranch in South Park that has been raising Herefords since the 1930s. Less frequently, the two men experiment with locally sourced pigs, duck, elk, and pheasant. Depending on which of these are available, you might find on Local’s (or Trio’s) menu prosciutto, guanciale, foie gras, country-
Local
Chef Will Bradof butchers and serves beef from Lockhart Cattle Company at Local.
style pork pâté, and elk or pheasant sausages. “People are really excited about the food, and I’m excited about making it,” Bradof says. JH
Roast Beef Perfection My grandmother claimed the perfect way to roast any size of prime rib to medium-rare was to cook it at a very high temperature for an hour and then let it sit in the warm oven for the rest of the afternoon. Many old cookbooks agree … so do our artisan butchers. For a prime rib roast of any size, to be served around 7 p.m.:
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n
At 3 p.m., preheat the oven to 375˚F.
n
Rub the entire roast with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any dry herbs or seasonings you like. Fresh garlic inserted into small slits made in the fat will produce a crispy, savory crust.
n
Place the roast on a rack in a large roasting pan.
n
Cook the roast for one hour. After an hour, turn the oven off, but do not open it. Leave the roast inside.
n
An hour before serving, turn the oven back on, this time to 300˚F. Remove the roast after forty-five minutes. Allow it to rest for fifteen minutes before serving. The center will be medium-rare; the end cuts will be medium-well.
Best of
JH
dining out
Restaurant
Location
Phone
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Blue Collar Group Bubba’s
Jackson
307-733-2288
Ignight Grill
Jackson
307-734-1997
$$
Merry Piglets
Jackson
307-733-2956
$$
$$
Pizza Antica
Jackson
307-734-1970
$
$
Sidewinders Tavern
Jackson
307-734-5766
$$
$$
The Bunnery Bakery & Restaurant
Jackson
307-733-5474
$
$
Café Bohème
Jackson
307-733-5282
$
$
$
Cafe Genevieve
Jackson
307-732-1910
$
$
$$
Bin22
Jackson
307-739-9463
$/$$
$/$$
The Kitchen
Jackson
307-734-1633
$$$
Il Villaggio Osteria
Teton Village
307-739-4100
$$
$/$$$
Q Roadhouse and Brewing Co.
Teton Village Road
307-739-0700
$$
$/$$
Rendezvous Bistro
Jackson
307-739-1100
$/$$$
$
$
$
Fine Dining Restaurant Group
Four Seasons Resort
Teton Village
Ascent Lounge
Teton Village
307-732-5000
$$
The Handle Bar
Teton Village
307-732-5157
$
$$
$$
Westbank Grill
Teton Village
307-732-5620
$
$$
$$$
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
134
Teton Village
Cafe 6311’
Base of Bridger Gondola
307-739-2596
$
$
Casper Restaurant
Base of Casper Chairlift
307-739-2624
$
$
Corbet’s Cabin
Aerial Tram Summit
307-739-2688
$
$
Couloir
Bridger Gondola Summit
307-739-2675
Headwall Pizza
Top of Bridger Gondola
$
Nick Wilson’s
Next to the Aerial Tram
$
Rendezvous
Top of Bridger Gondola
$
The Tin Can Cantina
Base of Bridger Gondola
$
307-739-2738 $
$$$ $
Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse
Jackson
307-733-4790
$
Nikai
Jackson
307-734-6490
$$$
The Rose
Jackson
307-733-1500
The White Buffalo Club
Jackson
888-256-8182
$$$
The Silver Dollar Bar and Grill
Jackson
307-732-3939
$$$
Snake River Brewing Company
Jackson
307-739-2337
$/$$
$/$$
Spur Restaurant & Bar
Teton Village
307-732-6932
$$
$$/$$$
Thai Me Up
Jackson
307-733-0005
Terra Café
Teton Village
307-739-4025
Teton Pines Restaurant
Teton Village Road
307-733-1005
$
$$$
Teton Thai
Teton Village
307-733-0022
$$
$$
Three Peaks Cafe & Catering
MD Nursery
208-354-8816 ext 114
$
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
$ $$ $
$
$
$$
$$
$
Kids’ TakeCredit Cards Cocktails Menu Out Description C C C C C C C C
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R R R R R R R R
BBQ. A local’s favorite for years
R R R R R
Wine, tapas bar. Specialty grocer. Bottle shop
Asian fusion Fresh, house-made Tex-Mex food for 45 years Neapolitan-inspired pizza American grill The bakery that’s a restaurant Locals’ favorite for breakfast & lunch! Free Wi-Fi Serving inspired home-cooked classics
Modern American cuisine in the heart of Jackson Wood-oven-fired pizzas, house-made pasta Eclectic roadhouse fare. Craft beer. Brewery Locals’ favorite! Classic bistro fare
R Sushi & East-meets-West cuisine R An American pub & beer hall R Mountain steakhouse with signature side dishes
J R C J R C s J C s J C J R C s J R C J R C s J R C s J C s J R C s C s R C s J R C s J R C s J R C s J R C s J R C s J R C s R C J R C
Bagels, fresh salads, gourmet wraps Classic gourmet ski comfort food Top-of-the-world waffles Contemporary fine dining at 9,095 feet Pizza, grab & go Pub favorites & vibrant après-ski mecca Asian bowls, sushi, grill meals, salad bar Authentic tacos, burritos, chips and guacamole Elegant dining with a Western flair Jackson’s favorite sushi bar Classically inspired cocktail lounge and restaurant Modern American steakhouse cuisine Regional cuisine, live music, happy hour Award-winning brews and incredible food Serving elevated mountain cuisine The best IPAs in the world & late-night dinner menu
Coffee, breakfast and lunch Spectacular setting, creative cuisine Outdoor patio and amazing views A cozy second-floor cafe with Wi-Fi
Average entree; $= under $15, $$= $16-20, $$$= $21+ WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Inspired Home Cooking Home of the famous
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pig Candyâ&#x20AC;?
Brunch Daily â&#x20AC;˘ Happy Hour Dinner Nightly Full bar and eclectic wine list
Located 1/2 block East of the Town Square 135 E. Broadway â&#x20AC;˘ 732-1910 www.GenevieveJH.com
professional catering for any event
Teton Hospitality at its Finest! Double R Ranch and Dry Aged Steaks, Rocky Mountain Game, Fresh Alaskan and Hawaiian Seafood. Local Brews and Top Shelf Libations. Enjoy our mouth watering bar and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menus!
25 North Cache â&#x20AC;˘ 307-733-4790 Dinner Only â&#x20AC;˘ Open at 5:30 nightly Reservations can be made online at www.cowboysteakhouse.net. 136
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Bill Boney | CIA 1986 | Owner
800-787-9178 | 208-787-2667 diningincateringinc.com
Produced and cellared at 6,229 feet above sea level at the base of the Tetons.
307-201-1057 • www.jacksonholewinery.com facebook.com/jacksonholewinery.
MAHO CATERING New American Cuisine JACKSON, WY
nikai asian grill & sushi bar
mahocatering@gmail.com www.mahocatering.com (307) 734.9698
225 north cache • 2 blocks north of town square 307.734.6490 • www.nikaisushi.com reservations suggested jackson’s favorite sushi bar WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
137
WHERE THE LOCALS GO
Your Pub, Our Passion 2x Small Brewery of the Year Winner
BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER LIVE MUSIC & HAPPY HOUR IN THE BAR STEPS FROM THE TOWN SQUARE
7$ Lunch Menu Daily Specials Happy Hour 4pm 265 S. Millward | (307) 739-BEER (2337)
INSIDE THE HISTORIC WORT HOTEL BROADWAY@GLENWOOD • 307-732-3939 • WORTHOTEL.COM
www.snakeriverbrewing.com
Delicious
Award Winning Creations from
Melvin Brewing Made with
Nano-Technology and Plenty Of Hops Jackson's best service counter come get your booze spacious patio seating with heat lamps, a fire place and expansive views 7342 Granite Loop Road Teton Village 307-734-0022 • www.tetonthai.com Driggs, Idaho Location 208-787-8424
138
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
75 East Pearl • Located in Thai Me Up • (307) 733-0005 • thaijh.com
SIMPLIFY
your real estate search.
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ONE SITE. Jackson Hole’s most complete forum for real estate news, information and property listings.
WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
139
Best of
art scene
Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
JH
A Flurry of Creativity
The Grand Teton Music Festival and the Center for the Arts co-present streamed performances of five The Met: Live in HD operas this winter, including Dvorák’s Rusalka.
Jackson Hole’s arts scene flourishes in the winter. BY RICHARD ANDERSON
Winter in Jackson Hole brings skiing. After all, we’ve got the No. 1 overall ski resort in all of North America, at least according to SKI Magazine’s readers. But over the last decade, winter has begun to bring so much more. We’re not just talking about the newish ice climbing park at Snow King, the growing popularity of snowshoeing, or ice skating. Creatively, this valley shines come winter. Sure, spend as much of your days skiing or ice climbing or snowmobiling as you want. Or don’t do any of these things. We’ve got plenty of culture to fill your free time: musical performances, art, dance, theater, gallery events, films, benefits, and lectures. Even opera. You can always check with the weekly Jackson Hole News&Guide for the full, current cultural calendar. But allow us to highlight a few organizations and events you don’t want to miss. 140
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Grand Teton Music Festival Perhaps the biggest surprise for visitors to Jackson Hole is finding world-class classical music here. For fifty-two years, the Grand Teton Music Festival has welcomed orchestral players from the country’s finest ensembles for a seven-week summer season. Current GTMF Music Director, Maestro Donald Runnicles, calls GTMF the “best-kept secret” in classical music. In addition to seven weeks of chamber, crossover, and orchestral concerts—the season runs early July through mid-August—the festival also stages winter concerts and events at its Walk Festival Hall. The hall opened in Teton Village in 1974, long before most of the lifts and buildings were constructed around the base area of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). GTMF’s founding preceded the opening of JHMR by three years. Walk Festival Hall was built decades before the resort’s Bridger Gondola, which today is its immediate neighbor. “If our concert hall hadn’t been built first, there’s no way that
would have happened,” says Andrew Todd, the festival’s charismatic new executive director. “But it’s great that it happened the way it did: a concert hall next to a gondola!” This winter, the festival presents three concerts and five The Met: Live in HD operas. The former features members of the summer orchestra in intimate chamber music settings. The latter, because the festival is upgrading Walk Festival Hall’s lighting system, is at the Center Theater in Center for the Arts. The three concerts are only one part of three weeklong residencies. Before and after their Walk Festival Hall concert, the performing groups—all small, but varying from string ensembles to winds and mixed bands—spend time visiting valley schools. In schools, the professional musicians work with middle and high school music programs. This year’s residencies start the weeks of January 14, February 4, and March 4. Although more difficult to do during the winter when there is only a fraction of the performances held during the summer, Steve Friedlander, the festival’s managing director of artistic operations, says the goal is “many genres, many types of performances, many types of music.” You can’t get much different from small ensembles than opera. GTMF is one of only four organizations in Wyoming that streams The Met: Live in HD. (The other three locations are in Lander, Laramie, and Sheridan.) “There’s something special about being in The Met in person—watching the chandeliers go up, feeling the buzz—but I know plenty of people that like the HD performances better than their house subscriptions,” says Met Opera Orchestra and Festival Orchestra cellist Jackie Mullen. Another musician who plays in both orchestras, Steve Norrell, says, “There’s a sense of intimacy that someone watching the HD performances gets; I’m spoiled because of where I sit in the pit—if I’m not playing, I have a front-row seat—but most of the auditorium can’t see the subtle gestures the artists make. HD audiences see all of that, though.” GTMF shows five Met performances through April, including, for the first time, some shows on weekday evenings. Walk Festival Hall: 3330 Cody Ln., Teton Village; winter concerts are $25/ adults, $5/students; Live in HD is $20; GTMF.org; 307/733-1128
Moose
Lazy
RANCH
A WYOMING LEGACY HOMESTEAD
A storied Wyoming homestead, Lazy Moose Ranch boasts approximately 114 acres just north of the idyllic town of Wilson, Wyoming. Sited above the valley of the Teton Range is a peaceful, private retreat with stunning views of five mountain ranges overlooking Fish Creek and the pastures of the valley floor, and one on the area’s most wellknown mountains, the “Sleeping Indian”.
the ranch
Amid a sought-after area of large properties and very high-end homes, the lush pastures of Lazy Moose Ranch create an ideal setting for horses, while the National Forest forms a majestic hilltop boundary. Properties of this magnitude rarely become available and, with its varying landscape, Lazy Moose Ranch offers numerous building site options. The land may be used for a main residence, an addition to the existing log home, or it may be divided into three separate properties. $11,000,000 / 13-863
www.budgerealestate.com
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COURTESY PHOTO
Art Association of Jackson Hole
TAY LO E PIGGOTT J E W E L RY 62 SOUTH GLENWOOD STREET JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING TELEPHONE 307.733.0555 TAYLOEPIGGOTTJEWELRY.COM
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What makes an art community? David Muskat, board president of the Art Association of Jackson Hole, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2013, suggests a formula: talented residents practicing their art, venues to present their work, and audiences eager to experience the work (and maybe even join in on the creative fun). “The idea is to have infrastructure to facilitate the arts,” Muskat says, “whether that’s a studio, gallery walls, or artists.” The Art Association has all three and more. The Art Association was founded in the early ’60s to bolster what its creators considered to be a dearth of art education in area public schools. Since then, the nonprofit has delivered on its mission in spades. Housed in the Center for the Arts in downtown Jackson, its studios (third floor) serve thousands of adults and children each year with classes and workshops, and its galleries (ground floor) provide local artists with the opportunity to show and sell their work. The Art Association’s galleries—it has three—also present exhibitions by visiting painters and sculptors. Regional artists show in the Teton Plein Air Painters’ expo, which hangs through January 10. Art Association member artists exhibit work during the Jackson Salon Show, up January 17 through February 21. The annual Whodunnit? show is March 7 this year. More than two hundred artists create six-by-six-inch works and don’t sign them on the front. Collectors are left to specu-
TAY LO E PIGGOTT J E W E L RY
The annual Whodunnit? show at the Center for the Arts is March 7 this year. It features more than two hundred six-bysix-inch paintings, which artists don’t sign on the front. Bidders are left to speculate whodunnit.
late who has painted what. Past participating artists include Amy Ringholz, September Vhay, and Kathryn Mapes Turner. If you like a piece, you can sign up to buy it for $99. (When/where else can you find an Amy Ringholz, the 2012 Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival’s featured artist, painting for $99?) Ten people are allowed to sign up for each painting, and the winner’s name is selected randomly. For art that’s more outré—geographically and stylistically—February 28 brings San Francisco abstract landscape artist Jeremy Morgan back to town. A popular instructor who has taught many Art Association workshops, Morgan shows his bright—and often huge—acrylics alongside works by several regional artists he has taught over the years. Visiting the Art Association galleries in the Center for the Arts, 240 S. Glenwood, is free. The main gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; the lobby and theater galleries are open whenever the center is: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. ArtAssociation.org; 307/733-6379
National Museum of Wildlife Art A few miles north of town, en route to Grand Teton National Park, the National Museum of Wildlife Art continues to expand upon the definition of “wildlife art.”
to Renaissance Europe, the “wunderkammer” was a literal cabinet of wonder—in it lived rocks, fossils, specimens, and other relics often beyond the science of the time. Wonder Cabinet is the museum’s contemporary take, featuring objects gathered by assistant curator Bronwyn Minton. “Artists have created objects specifically for this exhibit, and we are using rarely shown objects from our permanent collection,” Minton says. “I have asked for natural history-type object and oddities and have received some unusual skulls, fossils, bird and insect nests, small antique weights, and sculptural and fantastical interpretations of nature.” National Museum of Wildlife Art: $12/ adults, $10/seniors, $6/children, kids under 5 are free; daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 2820 Rungius Rd.; wildlifeart.org; 307/733-5771
Dancers’ Workshop The two big events this season at Dancers’ Workshop are its annual winter production—a huge undertaking involving more than one hundred children, community members, and dance professionals—and the return of the Brooklyn, New York, troupe Gallim Dance.
Jonathan Crosby
In its twenty-five years, the nationally designated institution has built a permanent collection that includes artists from Dürer to Picasso, Audubon to Warhol. The museum also offers a choice view of the 25,000-acre National Elk Refuge, particularly from the tables of its restaurant, the Rising Sage Café. You can enjoy a lunch at Rising Sage without having to buy a ticket to the museum, not that we’d ever recommend doing that—especially given this winter’s temporary exhibitions, many of which explore the themes of science and conservation. Wild Wonders of Europe, hanging through January 5, presents forty-eight images by thirty photographers. The images document conservation and preservation success stories from the most densely populated continent on Earth. “There’s been a resurgence of wildlife over the last couple of decades in Europe,” says Ponteir Sackrey, the director of development and marketing at the museum. “Wild Wonders of Europe tells a surprisingly hopeful story.” Another highlight is Wonder Cabinet, at the museum through April 13. Traced
Coyote Skull is part of the Wonder Cabinet exhibit at the National Museum of Wildlife Art through April 13.
The winter production is based on The Princess and the Pea, but at Dancers’ Workshop, “based on” doesn’t mean much. “There will probably be chain saws under the mattresses,” says artistic director Babs Case. Erin Roy, director of the nonprofit’s Junior Repertory Company, says the theme of the fairy tale-inspired work is shaping up to be about storytelling and where imagination can take us. The Princess and the Pea is slated for holiday time.
Experience the wonder of nature through the lens of Thomas D. Mangelsen. 170 North Cache, Jackson WY | 1/2 block north of the town square | 888-238-0177 | www.mangelsen.com CO LL EC TO R ED I T I O N PR I N T S | A R T I S T PRO O F PR I N T S | B O O K S | C A L EN DA R S | A R T C A R D S
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Experience Adventure Indoors & Out Named “Best Chef in Jackson,” Executive Chef Kevin Humphreys incorporates local and organic products to create his delectable meals at Spur Restaurant & Bar.
Solitude Spa is recognized as a Top Spa by Conde’ Nast Traveler. Experience holistic, natural treatments designed to restore both body and soul.
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Theater
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Andrea Miller’s Gallim Dance returns for four days in February. The company was most recently in the valley last summer, during which it used a residency to hone Miller’s already tack-sharp work-in-progress, Fold Here. Gallim had open rehearsals that hundreds of residents and visitors attended. This winter’s three Fold Here performances—February 7 to 8—are not works in progress, but the final product. Dancers’ Workshop performs at Center for the Arts’ Center Theater; 265 S. Cache St.; call for ticket prices; DWJH.org; 307/733-4900
Jackson’s population might only be slightly greater than its elevation (about 6,300 feet above sea level), but we’ve got four theater companies. All present productions this winter. Housed in one of Jackson’s oldest buildings, the Jackson Hole Playhouse has for years done an original Christmas production through the holiday season— comic revues that stitch together favorite carols as well as new songs. JacksonHole Playhouse.com; 307/733-6994 Jackson Community Theater has its popular Evening of One Acts slated for late January or early February. In late March, it does Bark! The Musical. Bark! is the third-longest-running show in Los Angeles history. Telling its tale about love, life, and getting off the leash from a doggie point of view, it seems tailor-fit for canine-crazed Jackson Hole. JHCenterForTheArts.org/residents/jackson-community-theater; 307/733-4900 The eleventh season of edgy upstart Riot Act includes Oscar Wilde’s Victorian slapstick, The Importance of Being Earnest. Earnest opens February 27 and runs for two weekends. Later in the season—opening May 1—Riot Act presents
CASUAL TOM CARAVAGLIA
M O U N TA I N ELEGANCE
February 7 through 8, Gallim Dance company returns to the Center for the Arts for three performances of its Fold Here.
Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Lisa Loomer’s serio-comedic Distracted. Distracted explores issues surrounding mental health conditions, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the rash of diagnoses that seems to have come with the informationjammed electronic age. RiotActInc.org; 307/203-9067 Finally, Off Square Theatre Company, the area’s only year-round professional theater nonprofit, has two shows and one gala party this season. On January 25, Off Square’s annual Madame X fundraising gala has a Roaring ’20s theme. Although specifics weren’t available as of press time, February’s show is an adult musical directed by guest director James Alexander Bond, who was at the helm of Godspell last year and The 39 Steps in 2012 and 2011. May’s performance is a contemporary play. OffSquare.org; 307/733-3021
T H E P I N E S R E S TA U R A N T Lunch | Happy Hour | Dinner
Other Music What would skiing be without après-ski? And what would après-ski be without live music? Venues such as Town Square Tavern, the Pink Garter Theatre, the Mangy Moose, the Silver Dollar Bar, and The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar regularly bring local, regional, and national bands to their stages. Genres range from bluegrass to hip-hop, alt rock, and hybrid jazz. Last winter, Public Enemy performed at Pink Garter. The Center for the Arts has less-regular but bigger-name shows. Past winters have seen Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Cray, Del McCoury, Ziggy Marley, Greg Brown, and Lyle Lovett on the Center Theater’s stage. Just this October, the world’s coolest ukulelist, Jake Shimabukuro, played at the Center. Keb’ Mo is on the slate this winter. JHCenterFortheArts.org; 307/733-4900 JH
T E T O N P I N E S C O U N T RY C L U B Indoor Tennis | Cross Country Skiing | Weddings & Events Public Welcome Teton Village Rd. | www.tetonpines.com | (307) 733-1005
Flip Over History!
Come join us at 225 N. Cache 307-733-2414 jacksonholehistory.org WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
JH
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. Begin by visiting some of the galleries highlighted here, where you can pick up a copy of our summer/fall arts magazine, Images West. In it you will learn more about the valley’s artists, galleries, and arts-related classes and events. 146
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ALTAMIRA FINE ART 172 Center Street Jackson, WY PH: 307-739-4700 www.altamiraart.com Altamira Fine Art focuses on exceptional, Western Contemporary artwork, photography, Indian Art, and sculpture in wood, bronze, and stainless steel. Altamira is one of the "must see" galleries in the exhilarating Jackson Hole art district.
Astoria Fine Art 35 E. Deloney Ave., Jackson Hole On the Town Square PH: 307-733-4016 www.astoriafineart.com A spectacular collection of award winning and museum-held artists, both living and deceased. Featuring both traditional and contemporary works, Astoria’s reputation for quality makes the gallery a highlight of the Jackson Hole art scene. Open 7 days a week.
Western Design Conference jewelry and fashion show at the Center for the Arts
THE LEGACY GALLERY DIEHL GALLERY 155 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-0905 www.diehlgallery.com Diehl Gallery is the home for contemporary art in Jackson Hole. The artists we represent and the works we exhibit highlight our gallery’s aesthetic and our firm belief that beauty has a place in contemporary art. We offer a range of works, from abstract to figurative, landscape and wildlife, but throughout there is a thread. There is the commonality of work with organic roots. A visit to the gallery is a visual, emotional and intellectual joyride.
75 N Cache, Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-2353 www.legacygallery.com Serious art lovers know that no trip to Jackson Hole is complete without a visit to The Legacy Gallery. Original paintings and sculpture in western, wildlife, and landscapes are offered in the 7000 square foot gallery on the north west corner of the square. Given the caliber of Legacy, you might be surprised to learn that the gallery offers a selection accessible to new purchasers or the art collector. Celebrating 25 years in business with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Bozeman, Montana.
national museum of wildlife art MANGELSEN – images of nature Gallery 170 North Cache, Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-9752 www.mangelsen.com Legendary nature photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen has traveled throughout the natural world for 40 years observing and photographing the Earth’s last great wild places. Mangelsen has captured wild moments and vast panoramas from all seven continents. We invite you to visit the Mangelsen Images of Nature Gallery located one block north of the historic town square. The gallery features over 200 limited edition and artist proof prints in a variety of display options.
Overlooking the National Elk Refuge Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-5771 1-800-313-9553 WildlifeArt.org Featuring a world-class collection of more than 5,000 items, stunning architecture, 14 galleries, Sculpture Trail, Museum Shop, Rising Sage Café, and Children’s Discovery Gallery, the National Museum of Wildlife Art provides an exciting calendar of events and exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe. Open Monday through Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sundays, 11am-5pm.
RARE Gallery of Jackson Hole 60 East Broadway, 2nd Floor Jackson Hole, WY PH: 307-733-8726 www.raregalleryjacksonhole.com RARE Gallery….. a Collectors Destination! This 6000 sq' Rick Armstrong signature gallery continues to debut “Art for the New West” in Jackson Hole! Our collections include blue chip works, masters’ collections, museum quality designer jewelry and art from the most acclaimed emerging artists of today. Featuring paintings, sculptures, photographs, glass, 3 dimensional art, and designer jewelry. Specializing in art consultation and collection management.
West Lives ON Traditional & Contemporary Galleries trailside galleries 130 East Broadway, Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-3186 www.trailsidegalleries.com A preeminent force in launching the careers of renowned artists throughout the United States, Trailside Galleries is the discerning collector's first choice for the finest in representational works of art. Since 1963, the gallery has showcased an unparalleled collection of western, impressionist, landscape, figurative, still life and wildlife art as well as works by many deceased masters. Trailside Galleries is home to the Jackson Hole Art Auction, an internationally recognized auction and one of the signature events of the Fall Arts Festival.
TAYLOE PIGGOTT GALLERY a collector's jewelry box 62 South Glenwood Street Jackson, WY PH: 307-733-0555 www.tayloepiggottgallery.com www.tayloepiggottjewelry.com Tayloe Piggott Gallery focuses on contemporary artists that tell the story of our age through their love of material and process, whether it be painting, sculpture, or fine jewels. Specializing in the sale of contemporary art and fine jewelry, the gallery weaves together a picture of modern luxury and timeless style.
55 & 75 N. Glenwood, Jackson, WY PH: 307-734-2888 www.westliveson.com Discover an extraordinary collection of traditional and contemporary Western art. Both galleries display works depicting the rich heritage of the American West featuring Western, wildlife and landscape art in original oils, acrylics, watercolors and bronze. Come see these impressive pieces from over 100 regional and national artists. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in finding that special piece you are looking for in our vast collection, ranging in style, mediums and price range. Visit both galleries on Glenwood St. across from the Wort Hotel. WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
JH
mercantile
Lodging Hotels
Hotel Terra Where luxury comes naturally, Hotel Terra is a 4-diamond, eco-hotel located slopeside to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Contemporary and elegant, sustainable and luxurious, no detail has been overlooked for the perfect winter vacation, including heated floors, in-room boot warmers, and an indoor ski valet. Enjoy breakfast/lunch at Terra Café or spoil yourself at Chill Spa. (800) 631-6281, hotelterrajacksonhole.com. Teton Mountain Lodge Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, located just one mile from Grand Teton National Park and slopeside to the legendary ski slopes of Jackson Hole, takes Western hospitality to a new level of luxury. Named one of the top 40 Hotels in the West by Conde Nast Traveler, the 4-diamond lodge is home to Solitude Spa and Spur Restaurant & Bar – Chef Kevin Humphreys is “Best Executive Chef” in JH, 5 years in a row. (800) 631-6271, tetonlodge.com. The White Buffalo Club Jackson’s chic luxury hotel is all about location. Located only three blocks from the charming town square, and close to dining, shopping and nightlife, you’ll enjoy having Jackson at your doorstep. Enjoy dining at our on-site modern American steakhouse, take part in a relaxing yoga class in our expanse fitness center, or find your Zen in our intimate boutique spa. Relish in our unique mountain contemporary suites, or kick back in our Soho style loft spaces. Blended together, the White Buffalo Club offers a recipe for the perfect Jackson getaway. Welcome to the best address in Jackson. Phone: (888) 256-8182, Fax: (307) 734-1998. 160 West Gill Avenue Jackson, WY 83001. whitebuffaloclub.com. Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Just a 40-minute flight from Anchorage, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is a remote, multi-sport property in the heart of the Alaska Range on the banks of the Talachulitna River and Judd Lake. A blend of posh amenities and rustic Alaska architecture, this 5,600-foot log structure has walls of windows and three large cedar decks that overlook the lake and the Alaska Range. Options for guests include winter, Cast and Carve and summer activities—something for everyone in every season! tordrillomountainlodge.com. info@ tordrillo.com. (907) 569-5588.
Resorts
Four Seasons Resort and Residences At Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole, we love to share our passion for America’s greatest wilderness playgrounds, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park. Experience AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star mountain luxury amidst the grandeur of majestic mountains with abundant wildlife & pristine natural beauty. Enjoy ski-in/ski-out luxury at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with 156 guest rooms, suites and private residences. Professional meeting services with the largest 148
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Vacation Rentals
your luxurious slope-side accommodations, and get ready to live big again tomorrow. Ski and Stay packages starting at $114 per person/ night includes slope side lodging, lift tickets and daily breakfast- call for details. (800) 548-4486, bigskyresort.com/biggest.
Activities
Grand Targhee Resort Grand Targhee Resort is located in Alta, Wyoming. Tucked into the western slope of the Teton, a powder sanctuary awaits. Trapped against a high alpine barrier, the resort receives the most snowfall in Wyoming, averaging 500” annually. Grand Targhee Resort has 2,600 acres of diverse terrain, with 600 acres dedicated to cat skiing, a Kid’s Fun Zone, terrain park, 15K of groomed Nordic and fat snow bike trails, tubing, backcountry tours and more. For more information and slopeside accommodations, call (800) TARGHEE or visit GrandTarghee.com.
meeting and banquet space in Jackson Hole. Relax in any one of our restaurants while dining on the freshest regional cuisine. (307) 732-5000, Fourseasons.com/Jacksonhole.
The Clear Creek Group The Clear Creek Group provides care-taking, vacation rental, and real estate brokerage services in Jackson Hole. From fire-lit log cabins to grand, mountain estates, rental guests enjoy a luxury hotel experience in exceptional private properties, homeowners simply kick back, relax, and enjoy their home and time with family, and our real estate professionals are dedicated to providing a positive, professional experience. (307) 732-3400, 120 West Pearl Avenue, Jackson WY 83001, theclearcreekgroup.com.
Teton Valley Ranch Camp Since 1939, Teton Valley Ranch Camp has taught children the values of the American West: hard work, honesty, integrity, perseverance, responsibility, and reverence for the natural world. With horseback riding and backpacking at the core of our program, we offer month long sessions for boys and girls, family camp and high school leadership programs. Contact us at (307) 733-2958 or tvrcamp.org. Western Design Conference The Western Design Conference, sponsored by Teton Home and Living magazine, is the world’s preeminent exhibition and celebration of western furniture, fashion, and home accessories. The 22nd annual Exhibit + Sale is a 3-day, multi-million dollar event featuring oneof-a-kind works of museum-quality functional art. Designers and artisans from throughout North America applied to be among the more than 100 juried artists displaying their work during this kickoff event of the 30th annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. Works in leather, metal, home accents, woodworking, mixed media, jewelry, and fashion will be showcased and sold. Don’t miss our Thursday kick-off events: A live model jewelry and runway fashion show, Winners’ Circle Art Auction, and Gala reception with food by Dining In Catering. September 4-7, 2014 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For more information and tickets: WesternDesignConference.com.
Ski Resorts Big Sky Resort It’s a new era at Big Sky Resort. Come discover all 5,750 acres and 4,350 vertical feet. It’s the Biggest Skiing in America, but it’s not just the stats that are giant: vast diversity of terrain, massive wildlife in nearby Yellowstone National Park, and a huge helping of Montana hospitality make for epic experiences and big smiles. The only things that aren’t big are the lift lines, ensuring you get all the vertical your legs can handle. Unwind after a powder-filled day in
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Ranked Number One Overall Resort for 2014 by SKI Magazine readers, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a year-round adventure mecca for skiers and snowboards in the winter and hiking, biking and sightseeing in the summer. Ride to the top of the Tetons with the famous Aerial Tram that takes passengers from the valley floor up to the summit of Rendezvous Peak, providing access to over 4,000’ vertical feet of terrain and unbeatable views of the Tetons, the Snake River and Gros Ventre wilderness. (307) 739-2654 or jacksonhole.com.
Wildlife Viewing
EcoTour Adventures Amazing wildlife viewing and park tours through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Join us for an educational experience that just might be the highlight of your vacation. We offer half-day, full-day, and multi-day options. Small group tours with one of our professional guides assure your desired experience. Jackson’s green and sustainable tour company. Explore with us year-round! Top rated on TripAdvisor.com. (307) 690-9533, jhecotouradventures.com. Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris A guide owned and operated company that strives to educate, entertain and connect our guests with this amazing place. Enjoy small groups, experienced local guides, and unprecedented opportunities to view and photograph the region’s abundant wildlife. Our half day, full day and multi-day itineraries will be the highlight of your vacation. Learn more at JacksonHoleWildlifeSafaris.com or at (307) 690-6402. Wildlife Expeditions of Teton Science Schools You are invited to join a professional biologist in a comfortable safari-style vehicle for a fun, ethical and educational wildlife viewing experience your family will never forget! Learn about the natural and cultural history of the area with a non-profit
WILDLIFE EXPEDITIONS OF TETON SCIENCE SCHOOLS
organization that has been operating in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks for over forty years. Expeditions depart daily, year-round and vary in length from four hours to multiple days. Private and custom expeditions also available. Reserve your expedition today (307) 733-2623 or wildlifeexpeditions.org.
Golf and Tennis
3 Creek Ranch Admittedly, the world-class Rees Jones golf course (ranked #1 by Golf Digest every year it has been open) is one of the reasons that first attracted many of 3 Creek Ranch’s members to the club and community. But it is the bevy of other amenities that keep them coming back. In addition to the championship golf course and state-of-the art teaching facility and practice area, 3 Creek Ranch boasts two clay tennis courts, swimming pool, fitness center, and extensive summer camp program for kids. And that’s just in the summer. When the snow starts to fly, 3 Creek adds a skating rink and world-class groomed track for Nordic skiing. Additionally, this past season was the inaugural season for 3 Creek’s new Ski Club on the mountain located directly adjacent to the Tram. Offering ski in/ski out access, ski and boot storage, and private warming lounge and bathrooms, it has proven the place to be for members during the winter. For membership information, contact Chad Becker, CCM, GM/COO at (307) 7328993 or via email at cbecker@3creekranch-jh. com. You may view more about the club at 3creekranchgolfclub.org.
Grand Teton and Yellowstone Expeditions Departing Daily Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(307) 733-2623 www.wildlifeexpeditions.org Nonprofit Organization · Local Biologists Custom Vehicles · Ecofriendly Adventures
Teton Pines Country Club & Resort Established in 1987, Teton Pines is consistently rated among the world’s finest mountain golf facilities. More than just a spectacular Arnold Palmer Signature Course, Teton Pines also offers year-round tennis, cross-country skiing, fly fishing, wedding and banquet services and dining at The Pines Restaurant - a delicious destination for a drink, lunch, happy hour, or dinner. (307) 733-1005, tetonpines.com, like us on facebook!.
Museums
Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum Explore the unique history, archaeology and culture of the Jackson Hole valley. The museum, book and gift store, and research center featuring a library of Western Americana, photographs, oral histories, newspapers and archives are all located at 225 North Cache, (307) 7332414. Visit jacksonholehistory.org for exhibits, events and photo gallery, as well as donation, membership and volunteer opportunities. National Museum of Wildlife Art Connect with wildlife and the natural world. Featuring a NEW outdoor sculpture trail with major installations, permanent collection of more than 5,000 items, stunning architecture, 14 galleries, Museum Shop, Library, Café and Children’s Discovery Gallery, the National WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Museum of Wildlife Art is not to be missed. With permanent and changing exhibitions from around the world, programming and special events for all ages, there’s always a new reason to experience your museum in Jackson Hole. For information about exhibitions and events, visit us online at WildlifeArt.org. Open daily (9am - 5pm during summer; off-season: 9am - 5pm Mon-Sat; 11am - 5pm Sun) overlooking the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, WY. (307) 733-5771 or tollfree (800) 313-9553.
Yoga Studios
Inversion Yoga Located in downtown Jackson Hole, we are a yoga studio, performance apparel boutique and wellness center committed to supporting our community, friends and visitors along their individual path towards peak health and wellbeing. Tone, lengthen and strengthen your physical body, find clarity and peace in your mind and energize your spirit with our uplifting classes. (307) 733-3038, inversionyoga.com, info@inversionyoga.com.
ARTISTS
Helen Horn Musser Helen Horn Musser has worked toward her artistic goals many years. She has been creating the Wild West Series for several months. Her latest painting in the series is coming to you through Jackson Hole magazine; The title of the piece is “Sunup; Sunset”; using oil on a raymar canvas board. Here we see a father and son working diligently with livestock as they travel cross-country to a new home in the West. This painting is dedicated to all fathers teaching their children how to work. Helen Horn Musser Associate Member OPA. helenmusser.com. helenmusser@msn.com. JK BRAND Custom Designs Western Women’s Wear & Accessories & Western Home Accessories including: custom leather individually handmade shawls, handbags, belts, jewelry, throws, bed coverings, pillows, & window treatments. All items include JK BRAND hand-cut fringe! Jennifer King, jk@ jkbrand.com, jkhollywood@earthlink.net, (303) 908-3459.
ART AUCTIONS
The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction The 29th annual Coeur d’ Alene Art Auction will be held July 26th, 2014 at the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Coeur d’Alene is the nation’s biggest and most successful auction of Western Art with well over $225 million in sales over the last ten years alone. The auction specializes in the finest classical Western and American Art representing past masters and outstanding contemporary artists. For more information please visit cdaartauction.com or call (208) 772-9009. Jackson Hole Art Auction The Jackson Hole Art Auction is a live auction held during the Fall Arts Festival. The eighth annual auction will be held on September 13, 2014. The auction has quickly become one of the premier western art events in the country, defined by the high standard of work offered by both contemporary western artists and deceased masters. (866) 549-9278, jacksonholeartauction.com, or coordinator@ jacksonholeartauction.com.
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Shopping Amaran After 14 great years in New York City, Amaran is now in Jackson Hole offering exquisite one of a kind custom designs, home furnishings, jewelry and unique finds. Located on 36 E. Broadway in Jackson. (307) 200-6757, amaranjh@gmail.com, amaran.com. It’s about beauty! Azadi Rug Gallery Fine Rugs for Fine Living - The premier selection of fine, tribal, nomadic, western, silk/wool blended and antique rugs in the intermountain region - conveniently located in Jackson Hole. Our hand made rugs are woven by master weavers using natural dyes and are truly one-of-a-kind pieces. We buy, sell, trade, clean and repair rugs, but also feature exotic furniture. Always honest, reliable service, and complimentary shipping in the U.S. We’re located at 165 North Center Street, serving Jackson and the mountain west since 2000, (307) 733-3388. Boot Barn Take home the real. The wild. The West. From boots and jeans to shirts, hats and accessories, you’ll find everything you want and everything you need at Boot Barn. Boot Barn has the largest selection of western and work apparel and boots including Wrangler, Lucchese, Old Gringo, Tony Lama, Stetson and more. At the lowest prices, guaranteed. Visit Boot Barn at 840 West Broadway in Jackson or call (307) 733-0247, Bootbarn.com. The Bootlegger Offering a unique shopping experience, we carry an extensive selection of footwear from Lucchese, Frye, Sam Edelman and Dansko; accessories from George, Gina and Lucy, Ellington and Hobo International; and clothing from DL 1961 and Young, Fabulous and Broke. Make an appointment for custom cowboy boots and fittings. Located on the south side of Town Square. Call (307) 733-6207 or visit thebootlegger.com. Estate Collectables Certified Antique Appraiser Estate Collectables is a one-of-a-kind unique store located at 1150 W Hwy 22 in Jackson, WY. Featuring art, antiques, collectables, rugs, jewelry, furniture and much more. We buy, sell, and offer consignment. We can help with estate liquidations. (307) 690-6777. EstateCollectables.com. The General Store Located at the base of the Aerial Tram. Warm up with a gourmet hot chocolate or a coffee drink prepared by a trained barista. Grab and go snacks, beer, wine, liquor and souvenirs. Open daily at 7AM during the winter season. Jackson Hole Sports Located in the Bridger Center at the base of the Gondola, Jackson Hole Sports provides the largest selection of fashion, technical outerwear and accessories from Marmot, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, KJUS, Smith, Oakley and Giro. Skis and boots from Rossignol, K2, Salomon, Fischer, Dynastar and Atomic. Custom boot fitting and precision tunes and repairs from an experienced staff. (307) 739-2687.
JD High Country Outfitters Born of a life in the Tetons, JD High Country Outfitters has the knowledge and equipment to provide authentic experiences that enhance outdoor pursuits and lifestyles. JD High Country Outfitters is the premier destination in Jackson Hole for guided fishing excursions and high country adventure gear. Our longevity and experience bring an unparalleled level of expertise in a wide variety of outdoor sports. We look forward to serving you. jdhcoutfitters.com (307) 733-3270. Kismet Rug Gallery Known for fine masterpieces, outstanding contemporary, antique and western rugs we have been serving the world as a major wholesaler for over 200 years. Extensive collections of Herizes, Serapies, Kilims, Sultanabads, Gashgaies, Caucasians, Kashans, Kermans, Qums, Tabrizes, Sarouks, Bijars and turn of the century tribal pieces. We also specialize in hard-to-find oversized rugs and offer professional hand washing, padding and complete restoration. Featuring complementary in home showings and custom rug design - let our professionals find the rug thats perfect for you. Open 7 days a week from 10-6; visit our brand new showroom, one block east of town square at 150 East Broadway. Kismetrugs.com, info@kismetrugs.com, (307) 739 - 8984. Lees Tees Best selection and widest variety of tees, sweats, long sleeves, and hats. We carry all sizes ~ infant, toddler, juniors, ladies and men to XXXL. Open 8am - 9pm every day. Located in downtown Jackson since 1978. (307) 733-6671. leestees.com. MD Nursery–Gift Shop, Greenhouse & Garden Café At MD Nursery we are more than just a greenhouse. Our gift shop offers a wide variety of home and garden décor, unique gifts, kids toys and outdoor furniture. We are conveniently located on Highway 33 in Driggs, Idaho, just 30 minutes from Jackson, Wyoming. If you are looking for something different to do, stop by our shop and have lunch at Three Peaks Cafe. MD also provides a full service florist for weddings and events. Winter hours are 9am 6pm Monday through Saturday. (208) 354-8816. mdlandscapinginc.com. New West Knifeworks and The Mountain Man Toy Shop Jackson Hole’s own world class knife manufacturer. The highest performance kitchen cutlery made with an artistic flair. The Toy Shop features the finest in custom and production hunting and pocket knives, tomahawks, axes and essential gear and gifts for the modern day mountain man. Located on the Jackson Town Square on the corner of Deloney and Center Street. (877) 258-0100, newwestknifeworks.com. Stio Stio™ is a mountain apparel company designed and developed in Jackson Hole. Founded to inspire connection with the outdoors through beautiful, functional products, Stio is apparel you can live in – in both the epic and everyday moments of outdoor life. Visit Stio on the Town Square at 10 East Broadway (Cache St. entrance), Jackson, Wyoming 83001, (307) 2011890 or online at Stio.com.
Terra, Terra Tots, The Chemist Shop at Terra Everyday contemporary favorites and skincare for women and children newborn to age 10. Find lovingly curated selections from Calypso, James Perse, AG Adriano Goldschmied, Equipment, Tucker, Vince, Current/Elliott, Milly, Clover Canyon, Pink Chicken, Petit Bateau, Native, and so much more! Find Eve Lom, Clarins, Jouer, Philip B., Deborah Lippmann, Noodle & Boo, Ahava, Phyto, Eau d’Italie, Hampton Sun, and Tata Harper. Located on the Jackson Town Square, open daily. 105 E Broadway, (307) 734-0067, terrajh.com. Teton Village Sports Jackson’s oldest and finest specialty ski and snowboard store, demo center, rental and repair shop. Offering premiere brands such as Arc’teryx, Bogner, Patagonia, and the North Face as well as Volkl, Rossignol, Salomon, Tecnica, Blizzard and many more. Located in the Crystal Springs Lodge at the base of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. (307) 733-2181, tetonvillagesports.com. Thoenigs A family-owned and operated business for over forty five years, carrying a unique variety of watches including Breitling, Omega, Ebel, Tag Heuer, Metal.CH, Luminox, Victorinox Swiss Army, Mondaine, Seiko, Pulsar, Timex and Casio. Our diverse jewelry selections include something for everyone. We have sterling silver, turquoise, titanium, tungsten carbide, 14k and 18K gold, and platinum items. We carry beautiful local items such as our Teton pendants, charms, earrings and cufflinks, elk ivory jewelry and a large selection of Wyoming jade, as well as an exciting collection from our talented local artist, Ingrid Weber. We also carry semi precious and precious stones and pearls. Tue - Fri 9 to 6, Sat 10 to 4. Call (307) 733-4916, email sales@thoenigs.com. 125 W. Deloney, a block off the Town Square. See ad on page 59. Twenty Two Home Twenty Two Home is a refined home and lifestyle boutique that showcases beautifully curated pieces from a mix of vintage and contemporary styles. The store offers an inspired and sophisticated collection that evokes both elegance and function. Fullservice interior design services also available. 45 East Deloney Avenue, Town Square, Jackson, WY, Phone (307) 733-9922, twentytwohome.com. Wool & Whiskey Located on the Village Commons next to the Mangy Moose, Wool & Whiskey is a men’s mercantile shop with a fully stocked whiskey bar. Shop for specialty men’s wear and accessories with a modern western twist. Open daily starting at 10AM. (307) 732-4080. Workshop / Susan Fleming Jewelry Workshop is a carefully curated boutique that focuses on hand made objects from local and national artists. Our varied offerings include ceramics, home goods, jewelry, accessories, apparel, and unique children’s gifts. It is also studio home to Susan Fleming Jewelry and her distinct semiprecious and paper jewelry collections. Visit us at 180 East Deloney in Jackson or at workshopjh.com (307)733.5520.
IT’S NOT JUST A NEW HOME,
it’s a new lifestyle, JACKSON HOLE, WY.
Buy • Sell • Stage
Real estate
Nick Czesnakowicz
307-413-3388 • nickczes@aol.com
RARE PROPERTIES
OF JACKSON HOLE
60 East Broadway (2nd Floor) Jackson, WY • 307-733-8726
FROM
Mountain TO Metro
Treat yourself to a full fitness & wellness center and contemporary cuisine at our modern American steakhouse. Indulge in a customized spa service at our intimate boutique spa. Relish in a location in downtown Jackson that is second to none.
Welcome to the Best Address in Jackson.
307-734-4900 | 160 W. Gill Ave www.whitebuffaloclub.com
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Dining Bin22 Wine and Tapas Bar, Small Grocer, Bottle Shop. 200 West Broadway in Downtown Jackson. Open 10am - 10pm daily. (307) 739-9463, bin22jacksonhole.com, @bin22jh. Bubba’s BBQ. A local’s favorite for years. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The American style breakfast serves all the classic’s, biscuits and gravy, omelets, pancakes, and waffles. Lunch and dinner specialize in bbq that is smoked in house daily. St. Louis Ribs, Texas Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken and much more. Don’t miss the freshest salad bar in town with plenty of fresh vegetable options. 100 Flat Creek Drive, (307) 733-2288, bubbasjh.com. Café Genevieve Located 1/2 block east of the Town Square at 135 E. Broadway. Serving a Southern inspired home cooked menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Café Genevieve offers a cozy atmosphere in a nationally registered historic log cabin. Enjoy a specialty cocktail on the shaded patio or a bottle of wine from the eclectic wine list with your meal. Open daily. Reservations (307) 732-1910 genevievejh.com. Couloir Restaurant Located at the summit of the Bridger Gondola at 9,095’, Couloir is Jackson Hole’s most unique dining experience. Chef Wes Hamilton presents American cuisine with Rocky Mountain roots that highlights organic and local flavors. In July 2012 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with Couloir Restaurant became the first U.S. ski resort to join 1% for the Planet. Open daily for lunch at 11:30AM and Wednesday through Friday for Dinner during the winter season, first seating 5:30pm. Reservations recommended (307) 7392654 or opentable.com/couloir. Ignight Asian Fusion. There is something for everyone at this Blue Collar establishment. Sushi, Asian dish’s, home-made flatbreads, fresh fish, and not to mention the hand squeezed specialty cocktail list. Located below Sidewinders, 945 West Broadway, (307) 734-1997, ignightjacksonhole.com. Il Villaggio Osteria Italian Cuisine and Wine Bar. Inside Hotel Terra at Teton Village. Open for lunch (winter only) and dinner (year round). For reservations call (307) 739-4100, jhosteria.com, @jhOsteria. The Kitchen Modern American Cuisine. 125 North Glenwood in Downtown Jackson. Open nightly at 5:30. For reservations call (307) 734-1633, thekitchenjacksonhole.com, @jhKitchen. Merry Piglets Known for fresh, house-made Tex-Mex food for 45 years. Specialties include the carne asada, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas and much more. Don’t miss out on the margarita’s, including the spicy jalapeno margarita. 610 N. Cache St., (307) 7332966, merrypiglets.com. Pizza Antica Neapolitan Inspired Pizza. 14 different pizzas to choose from, all made with ingredients from Italy. Fresh buffalo mozzarella and san marzano tomatoes make up the red based pizzas. Olive 152
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oil and fresh herbs the white based, and don’t forget the home-made gluten free crust option as well. Also offers hand-crafted appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and pasta entrees after 5pm. 690 S. Highway 89, (307) 734-1970, pizzaanticajh.com. Rendezvous Bistro Classic Bistro Fare. 380 South Highway 89. Open nightly at 5:30pm. Happy hour at the bar from 5:30 - 6:30. For reservations call (307) 7391100, rendezvousbistro.net, @jhBistro. The Rose Jackson’s only classically inspired cocktail lounge, conveniently located downtown near the Town Square. This winter, The Rose is offering a new dinner menu to go along with its seasonal cocktail list. Regular entertainment happens across the lobby at the Pink Garter Theatre. Downtown Jackson. Open 5pm - 2am. (307) 733-1500, therosejh.com. Sidewinders American Grill. Brings together the atmosphere of a sports bar with great, fresh food. Plenty to choose from on this menu from the 13 different hand crafted burgers, fresh salads, NY style pizza, and much more. Don’t miss the 30 different beers on tap to choose from daily. 945 West Broadway (Hillside Building), (307) 7345766, sidewinderstavern.com. Spur Restaurant & Bar Voted gold for “Best Chef” 5 years in a row in JH Weekly’s “Best of JH,” Chef Kevin Humphreys’ elevated mountain cuisine has something for everyone. Humphreys uses local, fresh ingredients to create unique variety of appetizers and shared plates, in addition to entrée favorites like Porcini-dusted Steelhead and Zonker Stout braised buffalo short-ribs. Enjoy an après ski cocktail at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located inside Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa (307) 732-6932. Tetonlodge.com. Terra Café Voted Silver for “Best Breakfast Burrito” and bronze for “Best Vegetarian Options” in JH Weekly’s “Best of JH,” Terra Café is an eco-friendly restaurant, dedicated to organic ingredients for breakfast and lunch. Enjoy a selection of crepes, burritos, wraps, sandwiches, salads and smoothies. Enjoy a great breakfast before skiing, slip in for lunch or relax with an après ski cocktail. Located in Hotel Terra (307) 739-4025. Q Roadhouse & Brewing Co. Eclectic roadhouse fare and brewery. 2550 Moose Wilson Road. Open Mon-Sat at 5pm, Sun at 11am. Happy hour at the bar from 5-6pm. For reservations call (307) 739-0700, qjacksonhole. com, @jhQroadhouse.
Catering Bistro Catering If you are in need of a private chef for a romantic dinner for two, or a large wedding or gala event for 200 or more with all the bells and whistles, Bistro Catering is your premier choice for excellent service and creative menu design. Bistro Catering will walk with you step-by-step to create the perfect event so you can enjoy the party. Whatever the occasion or location, Bistro Catering will help you create the perfect event. (307) 739-4682, bistrocatering.net, @ jhBistroCater.
Dining In Catering Teton Hospitality at its finest! Capturing culinary perfection and the rustic nature of the Tetons with every detail just as you had envisioned. Call owner and chef Bill Boney at (208) 7872667 or visit diningincateringinc.com for more information. Maho Catering Maho Catering focuses on New American Cuisine with robust, intense flavors and a strong pull towards sustainable cuisine, artisanal producers and local growers. Whether you choose favorites like the herb crusted bison rib eye or scallop ceviche, you can be sure that it is made with the finest ingredients available. (307) 734-9698 or mahocatering.com.
Wine & Spirits Jackson Hole Winery A family owned and operated winery that takes pride in producing award winning handcrafted wines in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The winery sources fruit from some of the highest quality vineyards in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Then Jackson’s cool mountain air preserves the wine’s aromatics through a slow fermenting and aging process allowing the wine to develop it’s distinctive personality. jacksonholewinery.com, (307) 201-1057. info@jacksonholewinery.com, facebook.com/jacksonholewinery. Westside Wine & Spirits Your one-stop beverage destination on the West Bank. We feature a broad selection of liquors, specialty beers and over 700 fine wines from around the world. Our experienced staff will assist you in planning a party, finding the perfect gift or simply choosing the appropriate wine for any occasion. Located at the Aspens on Teton Village Road. (307) 733-5038. Email westside@ wyoming.com. Wyoming Whiskey The bourbon frontier has moved west. This handcrafted small batch bourbon is made from only Wyoming grains and water sourced from a deep limestone aquifer near the distillery. Grains are milled daily before being cooked, fermented, and distilled under the direction of Master Distiller, and Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Nally, who samples and selects barrels that meet his specific taste profile. Tours are conducted Monday through Saturday from 10am to 3pm in Kirby, Wyoming, located 100 miles from Cody, Wyoming. Call (307) 864-2116 to arrange a tour and a taste, or check us out on-line at wyomingwhiskey.com. Available in Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Utah, Idaho, and Montana.
Transportation Independent Jets Simply the easiest way to charter. We charter exclusive private jets at the best rates with no contracts or membership required, one flight at a time. Independent Jets monitors the hundreds of certified private aircraft crossing the country at any given time. This constant movement creates the opportunity to buy private jet time at the right time for our clients. (877) 501JETS (5387). independentjets.com. info@ independentjets.com. Precision Aviation, Inc. Precision Aviation offers a variety of aviation services including charter, aircraft management,
aircraft maintenance, and pilot service. We are central to all locations in the Western United States with aircraft based in Twin Falls, Idaho and Driggs, Idaho. Precision Aviation can fly you to virtually any destination in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Phone (208) 308-1852, Fax (208) 735-1291, paviation.com.
Precision Aviation, Inc. excellence in aviation since 2002
Detailing Services Automotive Detail Driven Detail Driven takes great pride in offering the highest level of customer service. From a basic hand wash to a 25-step platinum detail, there is surely a package to fit your needs. (307) 7300512, DetailDriveJH@gmail.com, or stop by 940 West Broadway in Jackson.
Real Estate Black Diamond Real Estate Black Diamond Real Estate, established in Jackson Hole, WY in 1989, is an independent, locally-owned agency, uniquely qualified in the sale of second homes and resort properties in Jackson Hole and surrounding areas and is licensed in Wyoming & Idaho. Fred and Linda Walker, known as “The Spouses Selling Houses,” are your Jackson Hole connection to leisure lifestyles in the mountains. buy@bdjh. com (307) 733-6170. BohLand Development For over 20 years, BohLand Development has been planning, designing, developing, managing and marketing exceptional new home communities. Today we have become recognized as a leader in the development of premier neighborhoods in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, MN. Available neighborhoods –RegattaWayzataBay.com & RustenWood.com. BOHLANDDEVELOPMENT.com, (952) 473-2089.
CHARTERED FLIGHTS • AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENT BASED AT THE DRIGGS-REED MEMORIAL AIRPORT 208.308.1852 • WWW.PAVIATION.COM
Brokers of Jackson Hole, LLC Brokers of Jackson Hole, LLC is a newly formed company created and owned by hand picked and tenured Jackson Hole real estate brokers who are proven industry professionals. Each Broker-Owner was chosen based on their demonstrated work ethic, commitment to excellence and ethical standards. 2012 company sales leaders are Doug Herrick (307) 413-8899 and Jack Stout (307) 413-7118. Over $50,000,000 in combined sales in 2013. Cornish-Lamppa Realty Team with Brokerage of the Tetons Featuring the Jackson Hole Real Estate Search & specializing in buyer’s representation in the Jackson Hole market area. Andrew Cornish, (307) 733-8899 or cell: (307) 413-7799, andy@ jacksonholerealestatesearch.com Todd Lamppa, (307) 733-8899 or cell: (307) 4130590, todd@jacksonholerealestatesearch.com The Double L Ranch Nestled between meandering bends of the Salt River and 9,000 ft mountain peaks, the Double L Ranch affords the most discerning buyers an opportunity to enjoy a true western paradise. Just 45 minutes south of Jackson Hole in western Wyoming’s wild and scenic Star Valley, the Double L is one of America’s most desirable residential sporting communities. (866) 6844159. dblranch.com.
A one-of-a-kind unique store Art ➻ Furniture ➻ Rugs ➻ Antiques ➻ Collectibles Certified Antique Appraiser 1150 W Hwy 22 • Jackson, Wy 83001 • 307-690-6777 • Estate-Collectables.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates Exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate. JHREA is the regions largest real estate brokerage and the proud recipient of the Global Affiliate of the Year Award from Christie’s International Real Estate. The reputation of JHREA for exemplary client service and market knowledge combined with the power of Christie’s International Real Estate, the largest network of independent real estate firms, offers a synergy between local strength and global networking. (888) 733-6060, JHREA.com. LintonBingle - Associate Brokers, Carol Linton - (307) 732-7518, CarolLinton@JHREA. com and Betsy Bingle - (307) 413-8090, BetsyBingle@JHREA.com Richard Lewis, Steve Duerr & Chopper Grassell – (307) 699-3927 info@livejacksonhole.com Mack Mendenhall, Associate Broker - (307) 6900235, MackMendenhall@JHREA.com David A. Neville, Associate Broker - (307) 7349949, DavidNeville@JHREA.com Budge Realty Group Chad Budge, Associate Broker - (307) 413-1364 ChadBudge@JHREA.com Dianne Budge, Associate Broker - (307) 4131362, DianneBudge@JHREA.com Rebekkah Kelley, Associate Broker - (307) 4135294, RebekkahKelley@JHREA.com Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty We outsell all other real estate brokerages combined - 9 local office locations. 185 W. Broadway, Jackson (307) 733-9009 or toll-free (888) 733-9009, jhsir.com. Tom Evans, Associate Broker - (307) 413-5101, TomEvansRE@JHSIR.com, TomEvansRealEstate.com Mercedes Huff, Associate Broker - (307) 690-9000, Mercedes.Huff@JHSIR. com,mercedeshuff.com Pamela Renner, Associate Broker - (307) 6905530, pamela.renner@jhsir.com John Resor, Associate Broker - (307) 7398062, John.Resor@JHSIR.com or jresor@ shootingstarjh.com Brandon Spackman, Associate Broker - (307) 739-8156, Brandon.Spackman@jhsir. com,SpackmansInJH.com Dave Spackman, Associate Broker - (307) 739-8132, Dave.Spackman@jhsir. com,SpackmansInJH.com Jackson Wyoming Real Estate Jackson Wyoming Real Estate is a boutique brokerage offering each and every client personal attention with complete confidentiality. Our mission: work smart, keep it simple, and focus on what’s important – our customers and clients. Teri McCarthy, Broker/Owner is a 24 year veteran of listing, marketing and selling properties in Jackson Hole. (307) 690-6906, JacksonWyomingRealEstate.com. Jane Folgeman Real Estate, Inc. We are a Boutique Realty which specializes in giving complete attention to each and every client. Our most important job is to educate the Buyer or Seller as to market conditions and the “how to” of the Real Estate business. Jane has been working in Jackson Hole for over 35 years with huge success, and has a deep knowledge of the community. Our accountability will delight you. Intelligence and humor are our trademark. jane@ folgeman.com, folgeman.com, (307) 413-5263. 154
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jhpropertyguide.com Serving real estate buyers and sellers, jhpropertyguide.com responds to the increasing number of real estate searches beginning on the Internet by combining three relevant areas of content important to consumers seeking real estate: active real estate listings, market news and information and business resources. It serves as Teton County’s most complete and neutral online forum for real estate—with the ultimate goal of connecting buyers with their dream property. For more information: (307) 732-7070. jhpropertyguide.com Prugh Real Estate Prugh Real Estate is an independent, locallyowned agency specializing in commercial, residential and development sales in Jackson and the surrounding Valley. Our team offers more than 60 years of experience in this specialized market. Contact Prugh Real Estate to learn more about opportunities to live and work in Jackson Hole. Greg Prugh (307) 413-2468, g@prugh. com, prugh.com. Ranch Marketing Associates Ranch Marketing Associates represents the top echelon of ranch and recreation real estate brokers throughout the American West. RMA’s brokerage team consists of highly experienced business executives who listen and understand their client’s needs. Using inherent knowledge and combined proficiency in real estate negotiations, sales, land use, real estate law, land management, and effective marketing strategies, RMA provides clients with unequaled representation. RMABrokers.com. Ron@ RMABrokers.com, (970) 535-0881 and Billy@ RMABrokers.com, (970) 948-1333. RARE Properties of Jackson Hole RARE Properties of Jackson Hole is your Jackson Hole Brokerage. We are locally owned and intently focused on our clients needs! Our team offers decades of experience in this market to effortlessly guide you through buying and selling property. Our Brokers all live and breath the Jackson Hole lifestyle, making your transition a breeze. Our comprehensive market report is noted as the best in the valley. Come in and see why RARE Properties is the Brokerage of choice. “A life lived well is a RARE thing!” 60 E Broadway, 2nd Fl - on the Town Square, rarejh. com - (307) 733-8726. Rick Armstrong, Owner-Broker-Curator, (307) 413-4359, rick@rarejh.com Hollee Armstrong, Owner-Assoc Broker-Director, (307) 413-4772 ,hollee@rarejh.com Nick Czesnakowicz, Sales Associate, (307) 4133388, nickczes@aol.com Realty Group of Jackson Hole Realty Group of Jackson Hole has realized homeowner dreams for Jackson Hole clients since 2003. Consistent leaders in the Jackson Hole brokerage community, Realty Group was Jackson Hole Sotheby’s Top Fifth Producer in 2012. A comprehensive mix of business experience, including structuring construction equity, hotel/property management, building programming, innovative marketing, contract management and extensive real estate sales track record, realizes expert market intelligence. rgjh@ jhsir.com, (307) 739-8070, realtygrooupjh.com. Rob DesLauriers, rob.deslauriers@jhsir.com (307) 413-3955
Jake Kilgrow, jake.kilgrow@jhsir.com (307) 413-2822 Kelli Ward, kelli.ward@jhsir.com (307) 690-5286 Jeff Ward, jeff.ward@jhsir.com (307) 690-0873 Yellowstone Club Yellowstone Club, the world’s only private ski and golf community, located in Big Sky, Montana, offers member access to 2,200 private skiable acres, including over 60 runs and 15 lifts; the Club is also connected to neighboring ski resorts creating the largest contiguous skiing in America, totaling 7,732 skiable acres. The property itself is 13,600 acres, supplying unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation in both winter and summer. This private community also includes a spectacular 18-hole Tom Weiskopf designed golf course in a beautiful mountain setting, along with world class fly fishing and unlimited outdoor exploration in the summer. For more information please visit yellowstoneclub. com and contact YC Realty at (406) 995-4900 or ycsales@yellowstoneclub.com.
Rustic Barn Homes Sand Creek Post & Beam The trusted source for traditional wood barns kits and rustic barn homes across the country. Whether you need a place to store the horses or have always dreamed of building a barn home, we can help custom design the barn that’s right for you. Give us a call to request a free catalog: (888) 489-1680 or visit us at sandcreekpostandbeam.com.
For the Home Landscaping
MD Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. For over 20 years we have been serving Jackson and Eastern Idaho. We are the region’s premier landscape contractor, garden center and floral shop. We are conveniently located on Highway 33 in Driggs, Idaho, just 30 minutes from Jackson, Wyoming. Our landscaping department offers concept to design services as well as full installation of natural landscapes ranging from water features, rock work, ponds, trees & shrubs, sod and irrigation. Stop by and visit our full service greenhouse, gift shop, floral shop and café. Winter hours are 9am - 6pm Monday through Saturday. (208) 354-8816. mdlandscapinginc.com.
Interior Design
Grace Home Design, Inc. Interior designer Jennifer Visosky has a brilliant way of putting colors and textures together that I wouldn’t have thought to do in my own home. Grace Home Design has always risen to the occasion to bring each space its’ own sense of place and inspired design. Featured in Design Bureau & Mountain Living magazines, Grace Home Design creates beautiful residential and commercial spaces in Jackson Hole and around the country. Contact our team at (307) 733-9893 or visit our website gracehomedesign.com. Harker Design Harker Design has been providing high-end interior design services for over 30 years. Our long-standing tradition has been to exceed the expectations of our clients by individually customizing each project from concept to finished installation. Visit our showrooms located in Wilson, Wyoming (307) 733-5960 and Idaho Falls, Idaho (208) 523-3323. References available. harkerdesign.com.
Laurie Waterhouse Interiors Laurie Waterhouse Interiors is a full-service interior design firm with more than fifteen years experience. Both the retail store and design studio feature home furnishings and accessories including an abundance of design resources. Laurie Waterhouse Interiors offers their clients the opportunity to create the home of their dreams. 90 E. Pearl Ave. in Jackson, WY. (307) 732-0130, laurieinteriors.com, lwi@ laurieinteriors.com.
Danny Williams Architect Atelier One, Ltd. - Danny Williams, AIA, Architect & Planner, is fully qualified to provide all the architectural, planning, programming and interior design services you require. Located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, our firm brings to your project more than thirty years of experience with all types of construction in the intermountain area. (307) 733-4307, dannywilliamsarchitect.com.
Publishing Companies
Shannon White Design Shannon designs beautiful, functional, healthy interiors that reflect her clients’ lifestyles and fit the project’s architectural intent. As a member of 1% for the Tetons since 2008, Shannon believes in thinking and sourcing locally and integrates sustainable and reclaimed materials when appropriate. Shannon White Design is based in Jackson with projects in the Tetons and the San Francisco Bay Area. Shannon White, Allied ASID, (307) 690-1594, shannonwhitedesign.com.
Gibbs Smith Publisher If you’re not familiar with Gibbs Smith Publisher, think smart. Think stylish. Think sophisticated. Think original and handcrafted. This mind-set encompasses every category the trade division publishes in, which includes children’s, cooking, design, western, holiday, and more. Both the company and its impressive collection of titles are internationally renowned and respected. Online at gibbs-smith.com.
Snake River Interiors Snake River Interiors is a full service interior design firm and showroom which features home furnishings, fine art, antiques and accessories from an eclectic fusion of established and emerging artisans and furniture designers within a constantly evolving inventory. They are dedicated to the art of creating spaces and are firmly committed to providing the highest quality level of service to their clients. 164 East Deloney Avenue, Town Square, Jackson, WY, (307) 7333005, snakeriverinteriors.com.
St. John’s Joint Replacement Center The St. John’s Center of Excellence in Orthopedics is a multidisciplinary endeavor focusing on total joint replacement for hips, knees, and shoulders. All joint replacement patients are treated with the latest evidencebased technology and protocols to maximize their
Medical Centers
safety, comfort, and clinical success. St. John’s Medical Center, 625 E. Broadway, (307) 7397501 or (888) 739-7499, tetonhospital.org/coe.
Matchmaking Services Street-fox Street-fox is a matchmaking service tailored to busy professionals who are ready to find a lifelong partner. Our exclusive process and impeccable skills are in place to serve by providing a highly personalized matchmaking service that changes people’s lives forever. Please contact Christy by email at christy@ street-fox.com or by phone at (307) 699-4574.
Personal & Family Protection Dogs Snake River K9 Your best friend; your best protector. We specialize in the sale of world-class personal & family protection dogs. Bred, raised and fully trained in-house, our dogs are highly obedient, social, loving and excellent with children and other animals. We focus on three breeds – German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. Based in Jackson Hole, we deliver dogs worldwide. Please contact us directly for appointments or personalized demonstrations. Snakeriverk9.com. (307) 699-7432.
Willow Creek Home Furnishings Visit our showroom, just off the town square at 115 East Broadway. Willow Creek Home Furnishings is an eclectic mix of unique home furnishings, one of a kind local artisan pieces, antiques and area rugs. Our large showroom also features home accessories, jewelry and gifts. Our design team at Willow Creek understands that your home is as unique as you and your lifestyle and we are always available to discuss your interior design project needs. (307) 733-7868. willowcreekhf.com. WRJ Design Associates WRJ Design Associates creates luxurious interiors with sophisticated, alpine elegance inspired by the natural beauty and textures of the Tetons, and informed by contemporary European styles and worldly knowledge of art, design, antiques and architecture. WRJ designs are complemented by worldwide sourcing of furnishings, fabrics and decorative objects with rich patinas, tactile sensuality, artistic taste and unusual provenance. 30 South King Street Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm. (307) 200-4881. wrjdesign.com.
Carney Logan Burke Architects Carney Logan Burke Architects maintains a commitment to enhance mountain communities through thoughtful, innovative design and to create a legacy of buildings in tune with the region’s natural beauty. The practice includes community facilities, commercial buildings, resorts, mixed-use complexes, affordable housing and residential architecture in Wyoming and the greater west. The studio is located at 215 South King Street. (307) 733-4000, design@ clbarchitects.com, clbarchitects.com.
BRADLY J. BONER
Architects
WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Just a few things TO DO In
Jackson Hole 156
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
Jackson n n n n n
Warm up with a house-made s’more at Snake River Brewery & Restaurant (p. 69). Cheer on broomball players at the Rodeo Ice Rink (p. 22). Relax with a sauna (p. 120). Climb a wall of ice at Snow King (p. 62). Root for the Jackson Hole Moose Hockey team (p. 22).
n n n n
Enjoy an aria—and the rest of an opera—at The Met: Live in HD (p. 140). Sip a cocktail at The Rose (p. 34). Take a sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge (p. 64). Laugh with improv comedy troupe Laff Staff (p. 26).
Teton Village n n n
Bite into a hot-from-thegriddle waffle at Corbet’s Cabin (p. 68). Grab a Yodelayheehoo hot toddy at Michael Mina’s restaurant, The Handle Bar, inside Four Seasons (p. 68). Watch the country’s best randonee racers compete on the country’s most challenging course (p. 98).
Wilson n n
Après-ski at the Mangy Moose (p. 94). Pick up the ultimate souvenir (p. 20).
Grand Teton National Park n n
Strap on historic snowshoes for a ranger-led walk (p. 60). Snowshoe around Bradley and/ or Taggart lakes (p. 61).
n n n n
Dance to the Stagecoach Band (p. 124). Snowshoe or cross-country ski up Old Pass Road. Grab a reservation for an Aspens Market Market Table dinner (p. 129). Meet Owly at Teton Raptor Center (p. 116).
Further Afield n n n
Shoot more than a dozen pistols, rifles, and shotguns (p. 112). Get more comfortable skiing backcountry steeps (p. 107). Check out Yellowstone in winter (p. 86).
If you love this map as much as we do, you can buy prints online at www.jhmarketplace.com (it’s under the “arts” tab). WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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Best of
calendar
of events
Winter 2013-14
With events like skijoring (pictured), snow sculptures on the Town Square, dodgeball on ice, snowshoe softball, and a fat bike race, Jackson Hole spares nothing in the Winterfest celebration from Feb. 14-24.
Area code 307 unless noted
ONGOING The Big One Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village is open for skiing and snowboarding from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through April 6. Aerial tram, gondola, and nine other lifts access 4,139 vertical feet and 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain. Mountain Sports School offers ski, snowboard, telemark, and adaptive lessons for all ages and abilities. 888/DEEP-SNO, www.jacksonhole.com The Town Hill turns seventy-five this year! Snow King Resort, which looms over downtown Jackson, is a local favorite, even if it can’t compare to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Adult 158
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
lift tickets start at $20. Lifts open at 10 a.m. daily (except Mondays, when it’s closed), and the season runs through March 30. There are 400 acres of skiable terrain with night skiing available until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday starting December 28; on Saturdays and Sundays, lifts close at 4 p.m. King Tubes snow tubing park is open Fridays 4 to 7 p.m.; weekends and holidays 2 to 7 p.m. 733-5200, www.snowking.com Powder Paradise Grand Targhee Resort on the west slope of the Tetons above Alta, Wyoming, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through April 20. Four lifts, 2,400 vertical
feet, and 2,000 acres of skiable terrain. Guided snowcat skiing available. Also, fifteen kilometers of pristine cross-country ski trails, a tubing hill, and more. 800/TAR-GHEE, www.grandtarghee.com Learn More at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center (532 N. Cache St.). This newly updated facility includes information and representatives from seven government and private agencies. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A variety of programs and activities are available. 734-9378, www.fs.fed.us/jhgyvc
PRICE CHAMBERS
JH
The National Museum of Wildlife Art has First Sunday Celebrations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Museum of Wildlife Art on, duh, the first Sunday of every month. Enjoy kids’ art projects, refreshments, galleries, and for locals, free admission. 733-5771, www.wildlifeart.org Hootenanny! Enjoy two-song sets by local acoustic musicians every Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Dornan’s Pizza & Pasta Co. in Moose. You’ll get everything from western to bluegrass, country, folk, and blues. Dornan’s food is pretty tasty, too! 733-2415, www.dornans.com Puck Fever The Jackson Hole Moose Hockey team plays full-check hockey against other regional clubs. They’ve got a thirty-game home schedule, with matches usually firing up at 7:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays through March at the Snow King Center. www.moose.pucksystems2.com Wapiti Watch Sleigh rides onto the National Elk Refuge—and into the middle of the elk herd—depart from the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center (532 N. Cache) daily (except Christmas) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations for groups of twenty or more are required; reservations for smaller groups are not necessary but can be made by calling 733-9212. www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge/ Music Under the Tram Local bands play live music under the tram dock at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at 3 p.m. on Saturdays in March and April. www.jacksonhole.com Après-Ski & Art Every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. between December 20 and March 28, stop by Diehl Gallery for a glass of wine and some of the finest contemporary art in the West. 155 W. Broadway, 733-0905, www.diehlgallery.com
December 14 to 23 Santa on the Square The Town Square hosts Santa Claus every evening from 5 to 7 p.m. 28 Betty Woolsey Classic A twelve-kilometer Nordic ski race at Trail Creek Ranch honors Woolsey, who, in 1936, was the captain of the first women’s U.S. Olympic ski team. 733-6433, www.jhskiclub.org 31 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort New Year’s Eve Celebration Festivities kick off with a kids’ glow-worm parade; a traditional torchlight parade on Après Vous Mountain starts at 6 p.m. The evening ends with a bang (fireworks). 739-2770, www.jacksonhole.com 31 Snow King Resort New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade This open-to-thepublic torchlight parade starts at 6:15 p.m. and is followed by fireworks provided by the Jackson Jaycees. 31 Grand Targhee New Year’s Torchlight Parade and Celebration The torchlight parade is followed by fireworks. Live music at the Trap Bar starting at 10 p.m. 800/TAR-GHEE, www.grandtarghee.com
January 4 to 5 Wyoming Randonee Rodeo The country’s best skimo racers tackle a course at each of the area’s ski resorts during this randonee stage race. Saturday morning is the USSMA Ski Mountaineering Classic at Grand Targhee. That evening, there’s an uphill race at Snow King Mountain. The following day, racers tackle the continent’s most challenging course, at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Don’t want to race? There’s a recreational class in addition to the race class. 733-2292, www.jacksonhole.com WINTER 2014 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE
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LEFT: Snow King Mountain celebrates the final day of their ski season March 30 with pond skimming, costumes, and entertainment at the base. BELOW: The Jackson Hole Moose play full-check hockey against other regional clubs at 7:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays through March at the Snow King Sports and Events Center.
18 3rd Annual Fat Bike Race at Grand Targhee Resort 353-2300, www.grandtarghee.com 31 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race Kicking off in downtown Jackson—mushers race their dogs along a spectator-friendly course—the ceremonial start of the race, the largest sled dog race in the Lower 48 states, is followed by all sorts of free activities. The race course covers nearly 350 miles, hitting four states before finishing in Uinta County on February 8. 733-5200, www.wyomingstagestop.org
February 4 to 6 Wyoming Winter Special Olympics Jackson Hole hosts this annual competition including alpine and crosscountry skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. 800/735-8345 14 to 24 Winterfest With events from the Shriner’s All American Cutter Races to skijoring (skiers being pulled behind 160
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
galloping horses), snow sculptures on the Town Square, dodgeball on ice, snowshoe softball, and a fat bike race, Jackson Hole spares nothing in this celebration of the season. 733-3316 15 Moose Chase Nordic Ski Marathon Skate skiers of all ages and abilities compete in a 25K, a half-marathon, and a Mini-Moose Chase. 733-6433, www.jhskiclub.org
March 1 to 2 32nd Annual Jackson Town Downhill This annual race with all sorts of different categories—race, telemark, fat and baggy—decides who’s the fastest of them all. At Snow King. 733-6433, www.jhskiclub.org 20 to 23 World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb Vroom! Vroom! Racers climb the steepest run on Snow King Mountain on stock and souped-up sleds—different classes—to take the titles of King and Queen of the Hill. 734-9653, www.snowdevils.org
29 39th Annual Pole Pedal Paddle This rite of spring challenges individuals and teams to downhill ski, Nordic ski, bike, and paddle between Teton Village and the Snake River Sporting Club south of Hoback Junction in the Snake River Canyon. Some take it seriously, others “race” in costume. 733-6433, www.jhskiclub.org 30 Snow King Closing Day In recent years, Snow King’s end-of-the-season party has gotten more and more crazy with pond skimming, costumes, and entertainment. www.snowkingmountain.com
April 6 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Closing Day Whatever the weather—raging storm or sun—locals come out in outrageous costumes and clothing (or lack thereof). 739-2770, www.jacksonhole.com 12 14th Annual Cardboard Box Derby at Grand Targhee Revelers slide down the slopes in comical handmade crafts. 353-2300, www.grandtarghee.com 19 Annual Town Square Easter Egg Hunt Sponsored by Wells Fargo, this eggstravaganza (sorry, we couldn’t resist!) begins at 10 a.m. 733-3316 20 Grand Targhee Resort Closing Day Send the season out with a bang. 353-2300, www.grandtarghee.com JH
BRADLY J. BONER
BRADLY J. BONER
26 to 30 “The Rendezvous” Skiing is always more fun when there’s a party going on. This is JHMR’s festival of the season with concerts by local bands and nationally touring musicians (Michael Franti on March 29) and assorted other shenanigans. 733-2270, www.jacksonhole.com
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David A. NeVille, Associate Broker | Susan NeVille | Shawn M. Asbell, Sales Associate | Douglas Howard, Associate Broker 307.734.9949 | 307.690.3209 | tng@jhrea.com
Find out why now is the PERFECT TIME to make JACKSON HOLE your home. 52%
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JACKSON HOLE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 185 W. Broadway Jackson, WY 83001 |
888.733.9009 www.jhsir.com
®,™ and SM are licensed trademarks to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty is Independently Owned and Operated.
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Find yours in Jackson Hole.
Immerse yourself in the sanctuary of Jackson Hole. Mercedes Huff, Laurie Huff, Mindy White and Molly Hawks deliver unparalleled service with an easy going approach. Let them find your perfect Jackson Hole location. MERCEDES HUFF, Associate Broker mercedeshuff.com phone 307.690.9000
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