14TOP TO BOTTOM 22VALLEY VOICES 30FIELD NOTES 54OUT BELOW 60FAR FLUNG 64LOCAL FLAVORS 72EXPOSURE
WINTER 2015/2016 COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Celebrate
Snow!
THE WIZARD OF WASTE PLIGHT OF THE WOLVERINE LOVING LAVA SUMMER 2014
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We know Teton Valley
TARGHEE RANCH HOME Beautifully landscaped home located just off Ski Hill Road features dynamite Teton views, an open design, thoughtfully designed kitchen, a bonus room and a heated 25’ x 40’ oversized garage. $399,000 R15-2628
DIAMOND D BUILDING SITE This 24-acre building site in the center of Teton Valley offers full Grand Teton views and over 1,000 feet of South Leigh Creek frontage. The community features buck and rail fencing, two ponds, and a trail around the perimeter of the 200-acre development. $350,000 R15-35
CONVENIENT LOCATION AND VIEWS
COYOTE FLATS BUILDING SITE
Just off Ski Hill Road and only 1/4 mile from the Wyoming state line, this location is hard to beat. 2-bedroom/2-bath home on a landscaped acre is cozy and bright. Includes two sturdy storage sheds and all appliances. $219,900 R15-2413
This conveniently located 2.1-acre building site is located just off of a paved county road a short distance from Driggs and Victor, ID with easy access to both Grand Targhee and Teton Pass. $61,000 R15-1811
COUNTRY BUILDING SITE This flat 1.1-acre parcel is a great location for the busy commuter or anyone looking for a quiet building site that’s close to town. Smart CC&R’s and water rights add to the value of this building site minutes from Victor, ID. $49,500 R15-2414
BROKER Ken Dunn ASSOCIATE BROKERS Julie Robinson Erica Tremblay Kent Wagener SALES ASSOCIATES Ann Goodell Matt Hail Nell Hanson Kathy Kilgallon Mark Northcott Cricket Romanzi Glenn Vitucci
PEACEFUL AND RELAXING CONTEMPORARY HOME ON 20 ACRES
189 NORTH MAIN DRIGGS IDAHO 83422
208.354.9955 888.750.9955
sagerg.com 4
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Enjoy this horse-ready property in Victor, in a natural riparian area with abundant wildlife and a creek running through the property. Horse lovers will cherish the outbuildings and riding facilities. Home features a chef’s kitchen open to the living room and dining room. Existing artist studio could be converted to guest area. $795,000 R15-2177
SUMMER 2014
Plan to sit down and soak up the views! This home is warm and inviting with hardwood floors and tongue-and-groove ceilings. Well laid out 5 bedroom, 3 bath home with sitting room, 2 bedrooms and one bath in the well-lit basement. Enjoy over 3,100 sq. ft. and a 2-car attached garage. $369,000 R15-2035
LLC
Frame, Post and Log Construction and Remodeling
Moyer Builders has a strong reputation for guiding our customers through the building process with respect, thoroughness, and quality construction. We are committed to serving our customers responsively and responsibly to assure that their expectations are exceeded in all aspects of their home construction experience.
40 Years’ Experience in all Types of Construction • Plan Designing Available • Remodeling and Additions • New Home Construction • New Frame, Post, Log and Contemporary Construction
Moyer Builders LLC. 10125 Rammell Mt. Rd.
Tetonia, Idaho 83452
208-456-2385
moyerbuildersllc.com moyerbuilders@silverstar.com Idaho Contractor Registration: RCE-60 Licensed Resident Contractor Class C Town of Jackson, Wyoming
WINTER 2015/2016
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GOT ICE?
Kotler Ice Arena 380 S. Agate Ave. Victor, Idaho
Public Open Skating Adult Pond Hockey Youth Hockey Skating Lessons Women’s Hockey Pick-Up Hockey
Go to www.tetonvalleyfoundation.org for the 2015/2016 rink schedule and pricing
Contact us:
rink@tetonvalleyfoundation.org 208.399.2ICE (2423)
Teton Valley Foundation is a donor and sponsor supported nonproďŹ t organization that works to make the good life in Teton Valley even better. TVF provides cultural and recreational events and facilities that boost the local economy and make our community a better place to live and to visit. Signature programs include the Kotler Ice Arena, Music on Main, and the Teton Valley Great Snow Fest from Jan 22 - 31. For more information visit www.tetonvalleyfoundation.org 2
2015/2016 POmagazine Box 50, WINTER Victor, ID 83455 | (208) 201-5356 | info@tetonvalleyfoundation.org
teton valley FOUNDATION
Get Back out there with the hip, knee, or shoulder replacement you need
proGram features: Short average hospital stay (1-2 nights) Private rooms dedicated to joint replacement patients Patients wear their own clothes (not gowns) Structured schedule with group activities Research-based protocols for all phases of care High-tech operating suites Minimally invasive surgical techniques Advanced pain management Pre-operative patient education classes (sign up at tetonhospital.org/jointclass) Orthopedic program manager dedicated to overseeing the care of every patient
tetonhospital.org/joints 307 739 6199
625 East Broadway Jackson WY WINTER 2015/2016
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TVCS SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS 2014 GRANTEE
AL UP CH TIN C 2015
LENG
E
TS GRAN YOUTH PY O R H T HILAN
P
Y T I S O R E N E CUP H
T S E V I ING L
V IMPRO
G F O R E W PO
VARD FARM TOUR 2014 GRANTEE
E
H T H G ROU
TVSEF CAPITAL INVESTMENT 2014 GRANTEE
TIN SHOPS K R O W ROFIT P N O N RKING O W T NE
TVCAS KENNEL ENRICHMENT 2014 YOUTH PHILANTHROPY
We believe that generosity can be a powerful force for improving lives and we know that you do too! Join us in our shared belief through a gift to the Community Foundation of Teton Valley • Provide local nonprofits with education and grant opportunities • Fund the Youth Philanthropy Program • Become a catalyst in addressing critical community needs
Community Foundation of Teton Valley PO Box 1523, 175 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 | (208) 354-0230 www.cftetonvalley.org | info@cftetonvalley.org 4
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Beautifully designed Teton Springs home offers
58 Acres within walking distance to Driggs
Text: T205861 to 81035
Text: T205862 to 81035
Large five3bedroom house on 2000 barnwood South. Sitssiding Exceptional Teton andaway easy access to Horseyet views a World with live water, bdrms, 5farm baths, reclaimed lovely and mountainDriggs views. and top of the line amenities throughout. shoe Canyon from on five private acres surrounded by farmland. thismeadows impeccably maintained Fully fenced and recently reduced to pond and golf views hydronic in floorFishable heat, 3 stall garage, no CCR’s. home. 4.65 acres, outbuildings, 3-car garage and so $745,000 $1,299,000 Listed at $370,000 Motivated Seller. much more. Come see true value at $795,000.
Lovely & well kept 3 bdrm, 3 bath in Spoon
Every inch of this distinctive qualityview! home2 exudes Creek Acres w/Grand river rock fireplaces, spacious main floor oversized style. Southern exposure and views canmaster, be found car garage, convenient location West of Victor. in every2 room of this 6,117 sq. ft. home within the $399,000 Teton Springs All Season Resort Community offers 4 Text: T205863 to 81035 bedrooms, 2 offices, game room, great room, 3-car garage and so much more. $1,400,000.
Properties that are a World Apart ... Service That is World-Class
SERVING Buyers and Sellers in IDAHO and WYOMING Two convenient locations! Victor—TETON SPRINGS Driggs— 40 EAST LITTLE AVE
208.787.8000 Toll Free 866.445.3328 www.allseasonresortrealty.com
Homesites
Condo/Hotel
Fractional Ownership Opportunities
Variety of Homes WINTER 2015/2016
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contents
WINTER 2015/2016
8 Editor’s Note 12 Contributors
top to bottom 14
30 Ways to Play | Winter Harvest | Accessible Snow Driggs Wayfinding | Anicca Bags Mending by Vending
our neighbors
22 valley voices
26 all in a day’s work
30 field notes
34 familiar faces
Potter and Painter The Wizard of Waste
36
Lonely Jed
Winter on Display
Tanya Alexander in the Cold 48 Critters
features
36 Winter on Full Display 42 The Impasse of Education
48 Farm Critters in the Cold
compass points
54 out below
58 body & soul
Lava Hot Springs Fit to Be Tried
54
Lava Hot Springs
60 far flung
64 local flavors
Habitats for Uspantán Marigold Café Potter and Painter
directories
22
13 66 69 71 71
Advertiser Directory Dining Guide Lodging Guide Church Directory School Directory
exposure
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN
72 Rarin’ to Run
42
Education Impasse
Flavors 64 Local
on the cover The Dale Robson Memorial Snowplane Rally, one of many events at the annual Teton Valley Great Snow Fest, recalls the heyday of the hybrid machines known as “Windjammers of the Snowdrifts.” Photo by Jamye Chrisman.
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editor’s note Welcome to winter and another snowy edition of Teton Valley Magazine. In the up-front “Our Neighbors” section of this issue we visit with Jared Gunderson, the man responsible for managing both the drinking water and wastewater of many valley residents. We also meet artist Cynthia Stoetzer, program director of Teton Arts (formerly the Teton Arts Council); Tanya Alexander, founder of a pair of local restaurants who is now cooking for the U.S. Ski Team; and Lonely Jed—not some bearded hermit living up in the hills, but a solitary wolverine that has called the Teton Range home for at least fourteen years. Our feature stories focus on the popular Teton Valley Great Snow Fest, farm animals in winter, and one of the most challenging and controversial issues we face as a community: the state of our education system. Now, with chatter heard about the possibility of adding a charter school, the discussion may grow even louder. Educator and freelance writer Liz Onufer takes on parts of the conversation in this issue of the magazine. On lighter notes, in the back-of-the-book “Compass Points” section we invite you to vicariously 1) enjoy the soothing hot waters of Lava Hot Springs, 2) sweat through a CrossFit workout, 3) travel to Guatemala with a local couple who volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and 4) grab lunch at MD Nursery’s Marigold Café. Incidentally, if you haven’t already joined in the fun, please like us on Facebook (facebook.com/TetonValleyMagazine) to receive notifications about the history stories we’re posting twice a week in celebration of Teton County, Idaho’s 2015 centennial. This magazine has been around for almost twenty years, and a lot of the content has been history-based—more than three dozen stories in all. The fascinating tales and photos you’ll find there involve cowboys and Indians, mountain men and midwives, outlaws and in-laws, pioneer trails and railroad tracks, pea-picking and coal-mining, snowplanes and sheepherders, and a whole lot more—a treasure trove for anyone interested in Teton Basin lore.
PHOTO: TERIMAE LUND-BOLIVAR
Like I said in last summer’s edition, it’s our unofficial slogan and constant guiding light: “Exploring the heart and soul of Pierre’s Hole.”
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Everyone creates waste, whatever your lifestyle. Start recycling today to improve our community. In Teton Valley, Idaho, landfilling waste costs $76 per ton. Recycling only costs ~ $20 per ton. Recycling represents a ~ 75% cost savings! Additionally, recycling operations create 5x as many jobs locally. It’s a win-win, save money & create local jobs. Over the next ten years, recycling represents a multi-million dollar savings opportunity for Teton Valley. Call RAD today to have trash and recycling services at your home, business or construction site.
Lynsey Dyer Unicorn Picnic | Sego Skis
DivERSE CultuRES
One Community
208.220.7721 RADCurbside.com
RAD proudly donates 4% of its annual gross revenue to Educational Outreach & Community Sponsorships
Leveraging the Value of Waste to Improve the Community
MORALES HOME MADE TACO NIGHTS: FRI/SAT 4-8PM
BURRITOS, SMOOTHIES AND NAUGHTY FRUIT SNACKS MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 10AM TO 3PM
Morales Home Made is about delicious, fresh home made recipes.
Victor, Idaho
behind SUBA next to the Emporium
(307)203-9380 like us on Facebook
WINTER 2015/2016
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WINTER 2015/2016
publisher
Happy Powder People
Nancy McCullough-McCoy
nancy@powdermountainpress.com
editor in chief
Michael McCoy
mac@powdermountainpress.com
art director
Sage Hibberd
graphics@powdermountainpress.com
photographer
Jamye Chrisman jamye@jamyechrismanphotography.com
marketing + sales representative
Simply the best service
sales – service – tunes – rentals - boot fitting
Providing happy faces to powder soldiers since day 1 Open 7 days a week Inner City Driggs
208 354 7669 ridethetetons.com
Nancy McCullough-McCoy
nancy@powdermountainpress.com
marketing + sales assistant Joan Mosher
info@powdermountainpress.com
editorial assistant Kate Hull
kate@powdermountainpress.com
contributors
Time For New Paint?
Lukas Boone David Fischel Kate Hull Rebecca Huntington Liz Onufer Mel Paradis Jenn Rein Winner of 1st place in the Magazine–General Excellence category, Idaho Press Club’s Best of 2014 Awards.
Teton Valley Magazine is published twice yearly by Powder Mountain Press, Inc. 18 N Main #305 | PO Box 1167 | Driggs ID 83422 (208)354-3466 tel TetonValleyMagazine.com
Open 7:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri 8am-3pm Sat 208.787.WOOD • 9 Sagebrush Drive • Victor, Idaho 10
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©2015 by Powder Mountain Press, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Editorial comments, ideas, and submissions are welcomed. The publisher will not be responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, articles, or other materials unless accompanied by a SASE. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 19, No. 2
Doctors Toenjes, Brizzee & Orme P.A. COSMETIC & FAMILY DENTISTRY 305 East 5th North • St. Anthony • 624-3757 204 Main Street • Ashton • 652-7868
tbodental.com
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Dr. John Toenjes, D.D.S. Se habla espanol
Dr. Gabe Brizzee, D.D.S.
Dr. Drostan Orme, D.D.S..
Teton Valley is well groomed 2015-16 Grooming Schedule & Maps
Visit tvtap.org/Nordic-grooming
) Help us earn
because of YOU!
a $50,000 match! Donate by 12/11/15
DONATE TO TVTAP TODAY! Your support keeps Nordic skiing in Alta, Driggs and Victor available and FREE to visitors and locals. Please contribute to our Nordic Capital Campaign so that you don’t have to imagine Teton Valley without Nordic skiing. Donate online at http://tinyurl.com/TVTAPNORDIC
DECEMBER 13, 2015 15th Annual Nordic Dinner JANUARY 2, 2016 Teton Canyon Meet & Greet
Join us - Winter Events JANUARY 9 Teton Ridge Classic Nordic Race
JANUARY 22 Backcountry Skiing Film Festival Teton Valley Great Snow Fest
FEBRUARY 27 Alta Vista Freestyle Nordic Race
Teton Valley Trails and Pathways - www.tvtap.org - tvtap@tvtap.org WINTER 2015/2016
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contributors
A multi-media journalist, Rebecca Huntington [The Wolverine’s Woes, page 30] is a regular contributor to Wyoming Public Radio, reporting on everything from national parks to mountain rescues to entrepreneurs. She wrote the 2015 documentary film Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, featuring Jackson Hole conservation icon Bert Raynes. Rebecca also co-wrote The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads (2012), a film about the roadhouse situated at the eastern base of Teton Pass where millionaires, drifters, cowboys, tourists, and other eclectic characters all mingle. Liz Onufer [The Impasse of Education, page 42] began her career in education over a decade ago, teaching English at Teton High School from 2005 through 2012. Since that time, Liz has transitioned to adult education, instructing at MiraCosta College in California, Idaho State University, and Central Wyoming College. When not teaching, freelance writing, trail running, or backcountry skiing, Liz is working on her Ph.D. in English. Her other passion is serving youth as the executive director of Camp To Belong, which reunites siblings separated in foster care. In the spring of 1973, as he was finishing up his internship at the University of New Mexico and preparing to spend two years with the Indian Health Service, David Fischel [Far Flung, page 60] had a conversation with an orthopedic resident who had worked as a ranger in the Tetons. “He recommended that we check out the lesser known Idaho side of the mountains, so we did,” David says. “And we wound up spending a fair amount of our free time here, particularly skiing in the winter. I retired in 2005 and we turned the cabin we built in 1980 into our full-time residence.” David also enjoys checking out his grandson Niles’ bicycle. A Texas native, Kate Hull [The Wizard of Waste, page 26, and Out Below, page 54] moved to Teton Valley in 2012. Her work has also appeared in Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, and Teton Home and Living. When not writing or serving as the marketing coordinator at Grand Targhee Resort, Kate can be found exploring the Tetons with her fiancé Kenny or fishing on the South Fork. In fact, she earned the coveted title of “Whitefish Queen” on that river while covering the Stripping for a Cure all-women fly fishing event for this magazine.
WE DO IT ALL!
With over 69 years of serving the public in the same location— We “moose” be doing it right! 12
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On-The-Farm Service 4x4 Bearing Packs ” Oil Changes “ Alignments Brakes On-The-Road Service Safety Siping & Studs Best Buy on Tires
80 W. Little Ave., Driggs • 354-8161
advertiser directory All Season Resort Realty Alliance Title Anytime Fitness/Spin Cave
5 31 8
Barrels & Bins Community Market
53
Chircop & Colyer
57
Community Foundation of Teton Valley
4
Corner Drug
65
Dining In Catering, Inc
13
Drs. Toenjes, Brizzee & Orme, P.A.
11
Fall River Propane
8
Fall River Rural Electric Co-Op
70
Festive Living
29
Fin and Feather Inn
24
Fitzgerald’s Bicycles
33
Grand Targhee Resort
BC
Grand Targhee Resort Property Management 65 Grand Valley Lodging Guchiebirds
21
Habitat
10
Hellroaring Powder Guides
41
High Peaks Physical Therapy
63
Kaufman’s OK Tire
12
Linn Canyon Ranch
29
McDonald’s® of Jackson Hole
20
MD Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. Morales Home Made Moyer Builders Powder Mountain Press RAD Curbside
17, 19 9 1 20, 68 9
Sage Realty Group
IFC
Seoul Restaurant
56
St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church St. John’s Medical Center
24 3, 41
Teton County School District 401
28
Teton County Title
70
Teton Valley Bible Church
20
Teton Valley Cabins Teton Valley Foundation Teton Valley Health Care Teton Valley Health Clinics Teton Valley Magazine Teton Valley Realty
“Teton hospitality at its finest for over 20 years”
13
31 2, 33
800-787-9178 or 208-787-2667 • diningincateringinc.com
Est. 1992
Grand Valley Lodging
The Premier
Property Managers in Teton Valley! Serving Teton Valley since 1992, we are growing with the demand for both residential and vacation rentals in the valley. Are you maximizing the income on your investment property? Grand Valley Lodging offers a variety of partial and full services to maximize your rental income.
IBC 25, 57 68 6
Teton Valley Trails & Pathways
11
The Driggs Stovehouse
63
The Rusty Nail
25
Valley Lumber & Rental
10
Victor Emporium
53
Victor Valley Market
56
Yöstmark Mountain Equipment
28
Give us a call today! 800.746.5518 www.grandvalleylodging.com WINTER 2015/2016
magazine 13
Grab a latte and freshly baked quiche at Pendl’s Bakery & Café Explore the Teton outback on skis with Yostmark Backcountry Tours Cozy up with a morning cup of joe at Cicero’s Bistro & Bakery Take to the snow on two wheels! Rent a fat bike at Habitat and explore the valley’s groomed trails Learn about critters in winter on a snowshoe hike with Grand Targhee Resort’s naturalist Skate or classic ski on Teton Valley Trails & Pathways’ groomed Nordic trails Refuel with a smoothie and mouth-watering burrito at Victor’s Morales Home Made Beat the crowds and enjoy fresh powder during an Early Tracks session at Grand Targhee Resort Search open waters for snow-white trumpeter swans (but keep your distance, please) Soar over the Tetons on a glider ride with Teton Aviation
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Visit our Dining section for more bodacious breakfast ideas
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; HAT, COURTESY OF WENDY ALLEN
Ways to Play
Midday
top to bottom
Morning
30
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Evening 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Sip through a fine lunch at Three Peaks Dinner Table Slip into Guchiebird’s and try not to buy something Inspect the legendary Colter Stone at the Teton Valley Historical Museum Tackle the famous Wydaho Nachos at the Trap Bar & Grill; stick around for après live music! Slurp a soda at the Victor Emporium or Corner Drug in Driggs Volunteer to walk a dog or three at the Teton Valley Community Animal Shelter Head over Pine Creek Pass to relax in Heise Hot Springs’ soothing waters Find out how Idaho’s homegrown potato vodka is made at Grand Teton Distillery Prepare to be wowed at the Teton Geotourism Center Work out the knots with a massage from Stillwaters Spa & Salon
*
Turn to our Dining section for additional lunch possibilities
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Forage for your food at Forage in Driggs Laugh your way through a broomball match at Kotler Ice Arena Kick back under the lap blankets on a Linn Canyon Ranch sleigh ride Join the Wildwood Room’s Monday night Teton International Table Tennis Society Sample sushi with a side of Kimchi Pancakes at Seoul Restaurant in Driggs Share stories from the slopes and sip specialty brews on tap at West Side Yard in Victor Order a pie and a pint of Point It! at Wildlife Brewing and Pizza Catch a first-run movie at Pierre’s Playhouse Enjoy a runway-side repast at Warbirds Café, then check out the vintage aircraft Get down and get funky with some late-night live music at the Knotty Pine
*
Flip to the Dining section for more delectable dinner options
WINTER 2015/2016
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Seniors
Winter Produce
top to bottom
Extending the Harvest Nourishing the Community Their mission says it all: “Ripping into the twenty-first century with humor, fun, wellness, and community outreach.” The nonprofit group Seniors West of the Tetons provides an unparalleled resource for Teton County’s senior citizens with a smile, a homecooked meal, and what seems to be a heck of a good time.
Slated to take place on the first and third Saturdays in January through mid-March from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the weekly event extends the fruits of Teton Valley’s short growing season into the heart of winter. Although produce at this time of year is sparse, regional growers like Blackfoot’s Green Thumb Nursery bring a supply of seasonal and greenhouse goods to the market. “It was a great success last year and it brought together people in the community during the winter months in a nice atmosphere,” says Carrie Baysek, MD Nursery’s retail manager. Baysek expects twenty-three booths each week, as well as weekly musicians and a nonprofit booth showcasing the many philanthropic efforts going on in the community. Come stock up on winter goodies and tuck into Marigold Café’s homemade soups and baked goods, perfect for a cold winter day. For more information and/or to sign up for a vendor booth, stop by MD Nursery or visit mdlandscapinginc.com/ farmers-market.html. 16
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Programming ranges from Tai Chi classes and bus trips to nourishing lunches served at the Senior Center or delivered to the home bound. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at noon in Driggs, the Senior Center, located inside the Community Center on Main Street, is bustling with chatter, laughter, and full plates. Offering a changing menu of Salisbury steaks, spaghetti and meatballs, pot roast, and a variety of other dishes, seniors ages sixty and over are invited to dine for $4; the rest of the public is welcome to dig in for $6. For more information, visit tetonseniors.com.
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; SKIERS, COURTESY OF GRAND TARGHEE RESORT
Fresh produce, artisan breads, gourmet local cheese, and homemade jams are just a few items on the lineup for MD Nursery’s Winter Farmer’s Market, heading into its second year this winter.
Diversity
Making Snow Accessible With a goal of making the mountain accessible to all who love recreating in the snow, for a decade now Teton Adaptive Sports has been working to support and create opportunities for people with disabilities living in the greater Teton area. The nonprofit is the first Wyoming affiliate of the national group Disabled Sports/ USA. Teton Adaptive Sports supports programs at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort to provide funding for adaptive ski equipment, instructor training, and financial assistance for individuals taking adaptive lessons. This winter, Teton Adaptive Sports will host events at each resort promoting and raising money for the program, including a Grand Targhee All Mountain Adaptive Ski and Ride Camp held in late February, and the 7th Annual Teton Adaptive Sport Fundraiser Fun Race in early March. For precise dates and more information, visit tetonadaptivesports.com.
Authentic Fare
The region’s premier landscape contractor & garden center. Serving Jackson & Eastern Idaho for more than 20 years
Victor’s newest eatery, Morales Home Made, opened this past summer serving up traditional Mexican food from owner Juan Morales (at left in photo) and his family. Morales found inspiration after ongoing requests for his mother Rosa’s locally famous tamales. Offering burritos, street tacos, smoothies, and the family’s famous Naughty Fruit—dehydrated raw fruit with spices—Morales Home Made is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m; taco night hap-
208.354.8816 • 2389 S. Hwy 33 • Driggs, ID
www.mdlandscapinginc.com
pens both Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Stop by at 55 North Main Street in Victor to enjoy the
Dining
scrumptious fare, or visit facebook.com/moraleshome made for more information.
Open 9-4 Mon-Sat WINTER 2015/2016
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Directions
top to bottom
Finding Your Way in Driggs
Unsure of where the Geotourism Center is located or where public parking is available? Driggs will soon boast a sleek new universal wayfinding system throughout town directing visitors and residents to key attractions and resources. Installation is slated to begin this winter. Residents and tourists alike have voiced concerns to the city about the lack of signage for easy navigation. Now, thanks to Driggs’ community development director, Doug Self, a team of community members, and available grant dollars, the project to upgrade signage with a custom-designed, regional-specific theme has come to fruition.
A total of twenty-two signs are in the plan, and the city expects around four to six of them to be installed each year, starting this winter. The project could eventually expand to neighboring Victor and Tetonia for added wayfinding fluidity. “This will impart a sense of a larger community—a connected region,” Self says.
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Tracking
Naturalist News at Grand Targhee Exploring some of the 2,602 acres that make up Grand Targhee Resort while enjoying unbeatable snow and beautiful scenery is sure to be a memorable experience. It is also an opportunity to learn about the rugged Caribou-Targhee National Forest region. The resort is committed to continually furthering sustainability efforts, from recycling lift tickets to encouraging guests to donate to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters. Resort naturalist Brigid Sinram takes this mission to heart by incorporating education into activities like daily snowshoe tours and weekly ski tours. This year, Sinram is spearheading plans to update the beginner ski area with kid-friendly signage answering such questions as why do aspen groves get the name “Eyeball Forest,” and what critters inspired the run “Whacky Weasel Way.” “It is a great opportunity, when you are outdoors enjoying the environment, to incorporate learning about the flora and the fauna,” says Sinram.
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; ILLUSTRATION, COURTESY OF CITY OF DRIGGS; BAGS, COURTESY OF ANICCA BAGS
“The timber structure used reflects our agricultural and ranching heritage and mirrors other construction in town, such as the new Tribute Stage,” Self says of the design by Vermont-based LandWorks. “The outline of the Tetons was an easy choice for everyone, as it appears in just about every logo across the region and has always been the unifying icon for the area.”
Made in Teton Valley
Anicca Bags: Jeremy Holmstead Self-taught craftsman Jeremy Holmstead first learned how to sew his vibrant, one-of-a-kind bags after a fractured femur left him unable to ski. Out of boredom came creativity. Now, from a small studio space in Driggs, or friends’ attics, or wherever he can fit his sewing machine, Jeremy creates custom backpacks, purses, and accessories “to help make life more enjoyable,” he says. When sewing and designing a bag, Jeremy strives to blend creativity into a product that is burly and durable for everyday use, from the active mountain-town lifestyle to city commuting with laptop in tow. Anicca, pronounced “A-Knee-Cha,” refers to the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence. It’s a great fit for Jeremy’s style, he says, because “we are all constantly changing from moment to moment and such are the bags that I make.” Bags are custom-made to fit the style, color, and use desired. After a full summer, Jeremy recently launched a new website and local retailer Habitat now sells the bags, as do shops in Boise and New York City.
Recreating
The future of the custom bag line looks bright and busy. Jeremy is welcoming a Portland friend to join the sewing team this winter and help keep up with demand. To buy an Anicca bag, stop by Habitat or visit aniccabags.com.
Two Wheels on the Snow
December 2014 marked the first time winter visitors to Grand Targhee Resort could fat bike on groomed trails meant for biking, and not just share Nordic trails with cross-country skiers. They now take on the new Jolly Green Giants, one of the first purpose-built fat-biking singletracks in the country. Jolly Green is a three-mile trail winding through old growth conifers with rolling hills and scenic views of Teton Valley below. More info: grandtarghee.com.
Seasonal Home & Garden Décor Full Service Florist Unique Gifts Winter Farmer’s Market Saturdays, January - March Open Year Round 9-6 Monday-Saturday
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Open 9-4 Mon-Sat WINTER 2015/2016
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Fast, Affordable, and On Your Way. McDonald’s® of Jackson Hole
Open & Serving your favorites 5:00am - Midnight Daily
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AND TWEENS 14TOP TO BOTTOM 26TEENS
E 64LOCAL FLAVORS 72EXPOSUR BELOW 60FAR FLUNG 34GROWING THINGS 54OUT
SUMMER 2015
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14TOP TO BOTTOM 22VALLEY VOICES 30FIELD NOTES 54OUT BELOW 60FAR FLUNG 64LOCAL FLAVORS 72EXPOSUR E
Band of Sisters Lucky Dogs BicycLe centraL seek HigH–tecH HiDe &
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Celebrate
Snow!
THE WIZARD OF WASTE PLIGHT OF THE WOLVER INE LOVING LAVA SUMMER 2014
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Healthcare
Representing over 150 American artisans
Mending by Vending
In response to receiving between ten and fifteen requests for urgent (but nonemergency) medications and supplies every month, the staff at Teton Valley Hospital reports that a new type of vending machine has been installed in the hospital’s public entryway. Instead of the usual fare of candy and soda pop, it dispenses items like bandaging and pain relievers. “Our current selection is based on what people seem to ask for the most, usually in the middle of the night,” says Chief Nursing Officer Angela Booker. “By law, our nursing and medical staff aren’t permitted to give over-the-counter supplies, yet we want to help people avoid checking into the ER for a condition that’s relatively simple to fix.” Other inventory items include oxygen tank tubing, children’s diapers, anti-acids, bandaging, and contact lens rinse. Items will be added or replaced based on demand. The machine accepts cash and credit cards. Call (208) 354-6301 for more information.
Community
RAD Curbside
RAD Curbside, a local provider of recycling services
PHOTO: VENDING MACHINE, COURTESY TETON VALLEY HOSPITAL
and trash pickup, has signed exclusive agreements with Teton County and the City of Victor to provide trash and recycling services to Victor and the unincorporated parts of the county. Addresses within the city limits of Driggs and Tetonia have varying options to pick between RAD and the former county contract holder, Voorhees Sanitation. Residents can find their trash provider, based on
208-354-GIFT(4438) Open 10-6
six days a week
Closed Tuesdays 160 E. Little Ave. Driggs, Idaho
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their address, by visiting tetonidaho.maps.arcgis. com and searching Waste Collection Services. WINTER 2015/2016
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our neighbors
Valley Voices
Passing It On
Potter and painter Cynthia Stoetzer loves creating, and sharing what she knows BY JENN REIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
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W
LEFT: CYNTHIA STOETZER AT THE WHEEL. ABOVE TOP: COVERED JARS ARE OFTEN HARD TO NAIL DOWN, CYNTHIA SAYS. CREATING A LID THAT FITS PERFECTLY MAY REQUIRE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. ABOVE LOWER: TEST TILES AT THE TETON ARTS STUDIO AID IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS, AS THEY DEMONSTRATE HOW GLAZES WILL LOOK POST-FIRING.
atching Cynthia Stoetzer throw clay on a potter’s wheel in her Driggs home studio spawns creative desire. As the wheel turns and the clay bends to her practiced hands, she makes it look easy. Your own hands might twitch a little, wanting to give it a try. But her technique has been honed for years in classroom and private studio environments. A longtime resident and working artist of the region, she currently presides as the program director of Teton Arts, formerly the Teton Arts Council. Trained in graphic design and painting at the Rochester Institute of Technology, then at San Francisco’s California College of the Arts, Cynthia’s foray into ceramics was initiated through community classes held in Jackson Hole in the early 1990s. “Years ago, I started picking these classes up at the high school,” she says. “I took every class I could.” After taking full advantage of that curriculum’s options, she found herself pursuing a course of study at Utah State University in their master’s program. Under the tutoring of renowned ceramicist John Neely and other members of USU’s arts faculty, the painter achieved her MFA in sculpture with a heavy focus on ceramics. A potter had been born. Cynthia continued to paint and to teach 2D methods in the region. She nurtured her love of landscaping—having created outdoor sculpture during her graduate studies—and started her own business in that field. She flirted with the fiddle as a member of a local bluegrass trio. She kept bees, trained her horses, and built a home with her husband, John. Through the course of the journey, her body of work grew. In 2008, she received the Idaho Governor’s award for Excellence in the Arts. By that time, after numerous solo and group exhibitions, she had become enmeshed in the Teton Valley community as a successful local artist.
Cynthia’s love of ceramics did not wane, and her connection to Teton Arts grew from a gallery director volunteer position into her current role of program director. Far beyond her beginnings as a volunteer, she currently develops the curriculum for the entire organization. She still fills the role of teacher and, above all, continues to envision big things for Teton Arts. “The property is already a campus,” Cynthia says. “But we have room to grow, and we’re doing it.” The growth of the curriculum means facility expansion and providing new methods to students. This process has already resulted in the construction of a salt kiln that was grant-funded. Teton Arts runs five kilns at its facility near the Driggs airport, and houses eight electric potter’s wheels. With the guidance of her board of directors composed of other artists, the program director does not intend to stop there. With the recent inclusion of a printmaking studio under the same roof, there are opportunities here to learn and be exposed to art that cannot be found anywhere else in the valley. Including Cynthia in the mix has already created success for this Teton Valley nonprofit. Their largest fundraiser of the year, the Souper Bowl, is a community favorite. It celebrated its seventh year in November. Created by Cynthia as a means of funding the ceramics program, the event has proven so popular that the proceeds are now applied to the general needs of the nonprofit. “It seems a little scary every year, the amount of bowls that need to be made,” Cynthia says. “But everyone involved always wants to do it. From the people who throw the bowls to the people that buy them, it cannot be stopped.” She laughs at this a little, revealing her own surprise at the event’s success. The Souper Bowl is in fact one of the largest annual nonprofit affairs going in Teton Valley, presumably due to its accessibility to the public. Held at the City Center in Driggs, this forum of handcrafted-art-meets-culinaryWINTER 2015/2016
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e
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ece The Fin and Feather Inn is a small Bed and Breakfast in Teton Valley along the scenic byway. We combine luxury and country hospitality making for a very relaxing and comfortable stay. Our three rooms feature Grand Teton views, spacious bedrooms, private bathrooms, dual-head showers, a deep soaking bathtub, HD/Direct TV, and free wireless Internet. Come stay at the Fin and Feather Inn and experience the wonderful adventures in Teton Valley.
art goes something like this: You walk in, then buy a ceramic bowl made by a local artist or student. You take your new, one-of-a-kind purchase into a room full of pots steaming with soups whipped up by local home cooks and professional chefs. You then commence sampling soups for an hour or two. The concoctions are in fact competing with one another, in “people’s choice” fashion. One would be hard pressed to come up with a better means to be introduced to a community, and community involvement is what feeds Cynthia. Though much of the revenue earned by Teton Arts is related to enthusiasts paying for studio time, she cannot stress enough the need for an expansion of course work. 24
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ABOVE: THIS PIECE HAS BEEN BISQUE FIRED, AND HAS YET TO UNDERGO THE GLAZING PROCESS. GLAZE-FIRING TEMPERATURE VARIES, DEPENDING ON WHICH KILN IS USED. A SALT-FIRED PIECE COULD FIRE AT 2,300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
You teach your daughter more than manners.
LEFT: THE SKUTT ELECTRIC KILN BEING LOADED BY DOUG CASSIDY. STUDIO ACCESS AT TETON ARTS INCLUDES THE USE OF ALL KILNS, INCLUDING ELECTRIC, SALT, AND RAKU.
“As much as we want the studio to be used, we want to draw people in by the possibilities of what they could be learning,” Cynthia says. She talks about the long-term, about perfecting the chemistry behind a kiln fire—a balance that can be achieved only if there are enough students around working to fire for hours at a time. “There is a lot more to do.” The work seems a perfect match for Cynthia Stoetzer, a life-long learner and creative soul. She is willing to try different mediums, and not just for her own growth as an artist, but so that she may pass on her knowledge to others wanting to try something new. And no matter what she takes on, this local potter is good at making it all look pretty easy.
Get your recommended mammogram and show her it’s important to take care of her health.
Call today to make an appointment. Driggs Health Clinic (208) 354-2302 Victor Health Clinic (208) 354-6307 www.tvhcare.org
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our neighbors
All in a Day’s Work
The Wizard of Waste
Behind the water-treatment scene with Jared Gunderson BY KATE HULL
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On any given day, Jared Gunderson can tell you if Teton Valley is busy with an influx of tourism, what time residents get up to go to work, when students get a break between classes, and who keeps flushing dental floss down the drain by retracing where the floss got stuck in the pipe. “A sewer plant is a tattletale machine for the community, in a lot of ways,” he says with a big grin. Tattletale may be a stretch, but Gunderson does know the ins and outs of a certain aspect of Teton Valley like few people do. As the public works director for the City of Driggs, and with a staff of just four, his responsibilities are many. Generally speaking, Gunderson is responsible for making sure the county’s wastewater treatment plant, as well as the Driggs and Victor drinking water system—Tetonia has its own—is running smoothly and in compliance with federal and state regulations. And the treatment plant he is responsible for is
a sophisticated, environmentally friendly system almost unheard of in a community of this size. Gunderson knows its nooks and crannies like no one else. Every day at 7:00 a.m., Gunderson heads down Little Avenue through Driggs and continues about a mile west to the wastewater treatment plant. There he starts his busy day behind the scenes of one of the most important pieces of the valley’s infrastructure. He let me tag along during his daily rounds one day last summer. “It takes about four hours to do our complete rounds,” he says, laughing. “I will take you through it in about an hour and a half.”
PHOTOS: THIS PAGE, KATE HULL; OPPOSITE PAGE, JAMYE CHRISMAN
A tour of the facility is a favorite among middle school students. And that he did. Until then I knew almost nothing about the impressive, state-of-the-art facility, housed in a building with an exterior that’s rather unobtrusive relative to the magnitude of its importance to the community. Gunderson’s enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment for the job made the morning all the more enjoyable—I hear the tour is a favorite among middle school students, but I would recommend it for anyone and everyone in the community. Gunderson, forty-three, has been in public works for twenty years. A Ririe native with a wife and three kids, he says he now considers Teton Valley home. He received his training in Utah and worked in Hyrum, just south of Logan, where he learned about cuttingedge systems being used in water treatment plants; a familiarity that led to his helping Teton Valley secure its plant. When Gunderson started working for Driggs in 2006, the plant was struggling to meet federal and state compliances. The City began working with an engineering firm to conduct a study on how best to relieve the ongoing prob-
lem. The firm came back with a plant recommendation that carried a hefty $26 million price tag. “I contacted some engineering friends in Utah about these other treatment processes,” Gunderson says. “We found the Aquarius MSABP. We talked to the State of Idaho and the Department of Environmental Quality, and they gave us the green light to do a pilot study here to see if the process would work.” MSABP stands for Multi-Stage Activated Biological Process, a fairly new treatment procedure that was entirely new to Idaho. The results came back positive. The project began, and came in at the dramatically lower cost of just over $8 million. By November 2013, the wastewater treatment plant was up and running. The process itself is rather complicated, but Gunderson manages to break it down in an easy-to-follow manner— probably thanks to all the practice he’s gotten on those field trips. “Your digestive system is a miniwastewater treatment system,” he says. “What happens in this plant is the same thing that happens in your body. Food comes in and it is processed and the waste is discharged. Here, we take the waste and go a little bit farther with the discharge in an environmentally friendly way.” So what’s actually happening? Wastewater from Victor and Driggs comes in to the headworks building, the first structure you see on the property. It’s where all the influent flows through, and it was the only building Gunderson actively avoided on the tour, calling it the smelliest. (None of the rooms I entered were smelly, for the record.) There the wastewater passes through quarter-inch screening that filters out larger material. Subsequently, the wastewater continues to and through a series of progressively finer screens, which catch smaller and smaller debris. Finally, it flows through a pipe where grit is removed—think fine sand. The filtered-out waste debris is deposited
OPPOSITE PAGE: THE AQUARIUS MSABP CAN FUNCTION EVEN IN TETON VALLEY’S BLISTERINGLY COLD WINTERS. BELOW: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR JARED GUNDERSON BEGINS EVERY MORNING BY CHECKING THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
WINTER 2015/2016
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PHOTO: KATE HULL
PHOTO: ROGELMEDIA.COM
TETON VALLEY’S PREMIER BACKCOUNTRY SHOP
into large bags and properly disposed of at the transfer station. What we are left with at this juncture is dirty water that needs to be cleaned, which is where the MSABP comes in. Outside the main building are large, partially covered and aboveground pools sectioned off into cells. We walk across the top of a pool as Gunderson explains the next step, calling the pools and their cells the “trains.” There are two of them, and each is eighteen feet deep. With the addition of running water and oxygen, an environment is created for a naturally occurring microbial food chain. Organisms, or “bugs” as Gunderson calls them, develop onto the media in each cell—a nylon-like material that they naturally adhere to—and eliminate pollutants in the wastewater, then they continue through the train in an “S” pattern. “The bugs aren’t forced to attach themselves,” Gunderson says; “they are given the environment to grow [in] and, with the water flow, they choose the natural environment they best thrive in. The big dog survives and the big dog is the clean guy. Sort of like suckers in the river; the guys that do the polishing act.” After the water goes through the system, we are left with clean water— and without the generation of waste sludge common in other wastewatertreatment processes. Most water treatment plants haul waste sludge at both the influent and effluent stages of the treatment process. The MSABP system hauls only at the influent stage, when the initial sludge is removed. The MSABP effectively cleans the water in twenty-four hours, versus the nearly month-long process it took in the old lagoon-based system. This saves energy and cuts costs.
JARED GUNDERSON IS BEHIND THE SCENES MOST DAYS ENSURING TWO ESSENTIAL TETON VALLEY FACILITIES ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY: THE DRIGGS AND VICTOR DRINKING WATER
WESTERN Mountain Modern
SYSTEM AND THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
“There are not a lot of these [MSBAP systems], they are just catching on,” Gunderson says. “They were designed in Israel. The gentleman that founded the technology over there came to Wisconsin, where he is based. There are systems in the Chicago and Denver airports; [and in] California and Colorado.” The process is quite simple, but also vulnerable. Gunderson’s entire week can be thrown off by kitchen grease getting into the media, or dental floss tangling up in the lift stations, which are pumps that force the water to a higher elevation to encourage flow. “We have a massive problem with grease in our system,” Gunderson says; “it plugs the system up.” When grease gets in, it kills the bugs by adhering to the biomasses and taking their needed oxygen. Gunderson and his crew then have to power wash the media and constantly check for more of the offending substance. But Gunderson says the community is getting much better at understanding what not to flush or send down the drain. “Some people don’t even know they are doing it, so we are trying to really educate them now on how to fix this.” After his duties are completed at the wastewater treatment plant, Gunderson heads out to check the community’s drinking water system, located at a spring in Alta and at seven wells distributed around Driggs and along State Line Road. Then he tends to any city projects going on, or helps out with whatever else the day may bring. “I love the change of scenery every day; nothing is the same,” he says. “There is always a new challenge, and I love dealing with the people in the community.” So, if you’re heading to work and see Jared Gunderson driving around in the city truck, give him a wave! And remember to store your grease in a can under the sink. Gunderson and his crew will really appreciate it.
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our neighbors
Field Notes
A WOLVERINE EMERGES FROM A TRAP IN CENTRAL IDAHO. RESEARCHERS LIVE-TRAPPED THE ANIMALS TO OUTFIT THEM WITH GPS COLLARS AS PART OF THE WOLVERINE–WINTER RECREATION RESEARCH PROJECT.
Future dicey for this snow-dependent wilderness icon BY REBECCA HUNTINGTON
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The guttural rumble sounds like it’s coming from a critter about the size of Sasquatch. The vocalist, however, is about half the heft of your average pet Labrador. “It almost sounds like a big pig,” says Jeff Copeland as snarling reverberates from his desktop computer where he has a trove of wolverine videos. Copeland, who retired to a backwoods cabin in Tetonia in 2010, has studied wolverines for more than twenty years—first for the Idaho Fish and Game Department and later for the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana. Copeland still serves as executive director of The Wolverine Foundation. Sounding huge and scary is a savvy survival strategy. “Rule number one when
you’re a carnivore [is] don’t start a fight that you can’t win. If you get injured, you can die,” Copeland says. So a better plan is to bluff the other guy. If a wolverine sounds like Sasquatch, a wolf or bear might decide to give up the fight before it even starts, Copeland explains. That’s not to say wolverines can’t handle a fight. The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family, a species Copeland describes as fierce by design. “No animal is more ferocious pound for pound,” he says. “I’ve seen wolverines dive off almost vertical cliffs, where you’re thinking ‘dead wolverine.’” But beyond all the bravado, the “devil bear,” “mountain devil,” “demon of the taiga,” or Gulo gulo (its scientific name, and Latin for “glutton”) faces potential threats that can’t be bluffed away.
PHOTO: CHRIS KLINGLER
The Wolverine’s Woes
TRACKING A GHOST SPECIES Inside the airy timber-frame cabin that Copeland shares with his wife, wolverine screensavers flit across the computer monitor. Next to the computer sit green notebooks with labels such as “Wolverine, Snow Data Notes” and framed photos of, well, wolverines. Copeland hasn’t just studied wolverines, he’s tried to find new ways to track this ghost species, which is notoriously hard to observe. A “holarctic” species, these rangy brutes roam the snow and ice of northern North America, Scandinavia, and Russia, where people are sparse and wolverines even sparser. With their vast territories and solitary behavior, wolverines make grizzly bears seem almost communal by comparison. Copeland has been hands-on with this elusive critter in ways few researchers have. He can even tell you how they smell: sweet musk, a scent he jokes that he once thought about synthesizing into candles, ideal for any mountain man or mountain woman’s abode. He shows a video of a wolverine “abdominal rubbing”—a common behavior among weasels—on a log. The video comes from a three-year project during which Copeland studied wolverines at a captive facility in Tacoma, Washington, trying to find the “magic elixir” to attract a wolverine to hair snares or camera traps to collect a hair sample or photograph. Although he “never found the magic elixir,” Copeland says, “it was the most fun science I ever did.”
LONELY JED While Copeland has followed the trail of many a wolverine, one individual really stands out. “This is Jed’s data,” he says, clicking on a Google Earth map. “This is the oldest wolverine that I’ve ever encountered.” Copeland first started looking for wolverines in the Tetons in 1997 while helping coordinate a cooperative study at Grand Targhee Resort. The local 4-H club built three live-traps, essentially a
log box with a trap door that snaps shut when a wolverine ventures inside to tug on pungent bait. Wolverines disappeared from the western United States in the 1920s due to large-scale trapping and efforts to poison predators, but they had recolonized much of their historic range by the 1970s. Still, fewer than three hundred likely remain in the Lower 48, mostly in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, with a handful in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and in northeastern Oregon.
“No animal is more ferocious pound for pound,” says wolverine researcher Jeff Copeland. Although occasional wolverine sightings and tracks hinted at a return to the Tetons, the 4-H study in 1998 was the first attempt to confirm a resident population. 4-H kids and their parents monitored the traps, capturing their first wolverine, a female, the first year. Around the same time, Copeland and fellow wolverine researchers started The Wolverine Foundation to support research of the elusive critter. Volunteers captured three wolverines before the Teton project transferred to the Hornocker Wildlife Institute and, later, to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Fast-forward to the winter of 201314, when researchers returned to the Tetons to trap at the same sites. They caught just one wolverine: Jed. He already had an implant, and DNA tests confirmed that Jed was one of the wolverines caught by the Wildlife Conservation Society a decade earlier. “The fact that he’s still in his territory and he’s fourteen years old, he should have been kicked out of here years ago,” Copeland says. Finding Jed, geriatric in wolverine terms, tells Copeland that no young wolverines are coming into the range.
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“There used to be resident, reproducing females in the Tetons, and they’re not there [now],” Heinemeyer says. “It could just be a lull in the population, but we don’t know.” For Heinemeyer and Copeland, the case of Lonely Jed illustrates why it’s not safe to assume wolverine populations are prospering in places where they’ve been found before. “I’m not saying it’s a crisis,” Heinemeyer says. “We just don’t know. It’s one of the least understood species in North America.”
EXPANDING THE SEARCH THOUGH RETIRED FROM AGENCY WORK, JEFF COPELAND STILL SERVES AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WOLVERINE FOUNDATION.
Jed is named for his home, the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, snaking terrain that runs along the western slope of the Teton Range. The wilderness is named for Jedediah Strong Smith, an educated, trailblazing mountain man, originally from New York, whose explorations helped open the American West to settlers—just the kind of explorer who might have favored a wolverine muskscented candle. “[Jed] seems to be the only one home, and we looked pretty hard,” says Kimberly Heinemeyer, lead conservation scientist with the Salt Lake Cityand Bozeman-based Round River Conservation Studies, which is leading the Wolverine–Winter Recreation Research Project with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station. In contrast, when the Wildlife Conservation Society trapped in the same area from 2001 to 2008, researchers found four adults occupying the Tetons and a population of up to seven when kits were being raised. 32
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Heinemeyer is glad to see a new multi-state effort to change that. Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, along with other partners, are launching a first-ever, range-wide survey to define where wolverines currently reside in the Lower 48. Wolverines’ low densities, vast home ranges, and preference for rugged terrain make such an undertaking difficult and expensive. The multi-state project is being funded with $200,000 from a competitive multi-state wildlife grant, matched with state money. Wyoming started looking for wolverines last winter before the multistate project officially launched. Biologists set up remote cameras and hair snares at eighteen sites in the Salt River, Gros Ventre, Absaroka, and Wind River mountain ranges. Cameras documented wolverines’ presence while snares snagged hair for DNA analysis. The study detected wolverines at three sites in the Wind Rivers and one site in both the Gros Ventre and southern Absaroka mountains. The find in Wyoming’s Gros Ventre Range marks the first confirmed presence there. “We do now know that there’s wolverines out there in more areas than we thought,” says Zack Walker, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s non-game bird and mammal supervisor. This winter, he adds, researchers will use cameras, hair snares, scent lures,
and, if possible, bait, all of which will be checked monthly. The study will include the Tetons, offering a chance to see whether or not Lonely Jed has any company.
CLIMATE CHANGE & RECREATION Researchers such as Copeland predict habitat loss from climate change as a retracting snowpack could make it harder for females to find a deep, dependable snowpack for denning. Females build dens in places where snow piles high enough to cover truck-sized boulders and downed logs. The theory is that snow provides cover to evade predators and a buffer against cold winter temperatures. Research suggests that female wolverines require persistent, stable snow more than five feet deep to den. A 2010 study by Copeland and others found that almost 98 percent of 562 verified wolverine dens in North America and Europe fell within areas that consistently held snow coverage until at least May 15. Another peer–reviewed study modeling how the snowpack might be impacted by a changing climate found that those areas’ snowpacks could be down 31 percent by 2045 and 63 percent by 2085.
“[Jed] seems to be the only one home, and we looked pretty hard,” says researcher Kimberly Heinemeyer. What is motivating states—and making wolverine research a priority for funding—is an effort to list wolverines for protection under the Endangered Species Act. In 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended listing wolverines as “threatened.” But in 2014, the agency reversed course and decided not to list it. Wildlife conservation groups are suing the federal government to
THE WOLVERINE (GULO GULO) IS THE LARGEST LAND-DWELLING SPECIES OF THE WEASEL FAMILY, OR MUSTELIDAE. THIS YOUNGSTER WAS PHOTOGRAPHED IN CANADA’S
PHOTO: DAMIAN SEAN POWER; OPPOSITE PAGE, JAMYE CHRISMAN
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
change that decision and gain more protection for the animal. Designating wolverines as threatened could provide funding to study and protect existing habitats, and impose restrictions on trapping and other activities if shown they impact these solitary creatures. As the listing decision lingers in court, snowmobile advocates have been proactive in supporting wolverine research. Copeland says the Idaho State Snowmobile Association asked to partner on research to learn more about where wolverines are, in hopes of staving off arbitrary closures of public lands. Both snowmobilers and backcountry skiers have voluntarily carried GPS devices to track where they recreate as part of the project, which covers the Payette, Boise, Sawtooth, CaribouTarghee, and Bridger-Teton national forests and Grand Teton National Park. Still crunching data, Heinemeyer is beginning to tease out some trends. Jed, for example, shows that wolverines don’t spend all their time at the highest, loneliest elevations of rock and ice. In fact, Jed has frequently traveled the same slopes prized by skiers and snowmobilers. Preliminary findings indicate that wolverines will tolerate winter recreation in their home ranges, but may exhibit higher movement rates in areas where activity is intense. Just how much winter recreation wolverines can tolerate remains to be seen. But as technology improves for snowmobilers and skiers alike, there’s little doubt an increasing number of winter enthusiasts will venture farther into the once remote and rugged domain of a species that defines our ideals of wild country.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 Snowscapes Snow Stomping Backcountry Film Festival
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 Skijoring Competition
Snowplane Rally & Exhibition Spud Chase Nordic Race Avalanche Awareness Clinic Cowboys, Sledheads, & Skibums
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 Skijoring Competition
Fat Bike Clinic & Demos Ice Skating Kotler Arena
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Backcountry Skiing 101 Nordic & Skate XC Ski Clinic Snowscapes Snow Sculpting
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Snowscapes Viewing & Awards
January 22nd-31st 2016 Teton Valley, Idaho
Eukanuba Stage Stop Sled Dog Race Backcountry Skiing 101 Snowball V
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Snowscapes Viewing
XC Wildlife Ecology Tour Snow Tubing & S’mores Women’s Skate Ski Clinic
www.TetonValleyFoundation.org/greatsnowfest 208-201-5356 • info@tetonvalleyfoundation.org
What do you do when it’s not a Powder Day? Teton Valley’s
FAT BIKE Experts
Mention this ad for 10% off a Fat Rental 208-787-2453 | www.FitzgeraldsBicycles.com | N. Main St. Victor, ID WINTER 2015/2016
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our neighbors
Familiar Growing Things Faces
TANYA ALEXANDER, WHO HAS LAUNCHED TWO POPULAR TETON VALLEY RESTAURANTS, NOW COOKS ON THE WORLD STAGE WITH THE U.S. MEN’S ALPINE SKI TEAM.
From Fusion Cuisine to Comfort Food Tanya Alexander is flexible when it comes to cooking
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It is not always easy to make a living doing something you love. And it may be even harder in Teton Valley than in many places. Some residents create a position for themselves nearby, while others travel, sometimes great distances, for their ideal job. Tanya Alexander is a woman who has done both. Over the past sixteen years, the self-taught chef opened two local dining hotspots and more recently landed a position as the traveling chef for the U.S. Men’s Alpine Ski Team. Originally from the East Coast, Tanya bounced around quite a bit be-
PHOTO: MARLENE WUSINICH; OPPOSITE PAGE, COURTESY OF TANYA ALEXANDER
BY MEL PARADIS
fore finally setting roots out West. New Hampshire, France, and Sweden are just a few places she has called home. The “mountain vibe” landed her first in Jackson Hole, where she waited tables and bartended at several popular restaurants. Wanting to own a piece of property, she moved over the hill to Tetonia. After commuting to Dornan’s in Moose for one summer, Tanya realized, “something’s gotta give,” she says. Service industry jobs in Teton Valley during the late nineties were slim. Tanya knew she had to take matters into her own hands. She, along with a few friends, conceptualized a West Coaststyle coffeehouse with “hippie food,” art openings, and open-mic nights. They rented a “beat-up old house” on Driggs’ Main Street and opened Miso Hungry. The counter-service restaurant gave Tanya a chance to move from serving meals to creating them. The cafe’s menu differed greatly from the fare found in Teton Valley restaurants at the time. In lieu of hamburgers and pizza, Miso served peanut noodle bowls and warm kale salads. They also offered the occasional Friday night theme dinner featuring Indian, Moroccan, South African, and other cuisines. After eight years of serving mostly lunch at Miso, Tanya longed for a change. “Nights have a different pace and atmosphere,” she says. “You can take your time and put more into your dishes.” She and a fellow Miso owner opened Forage Bistro and Lounge in Driggs, using the new restaurant as a platform for their ever broadening culinary styles. At Forage, Tanya liked to borrow techniques from different cuisines and combine them with new flavors. “It doesn’t always work out, but it is exciting to try,” she says. Tanya’s menu was not the only thing changing. Five years into owning Forage, she longed for a new adventure. “When you open up to possibilities, things happen,” she says. The “thing” that happened this time was a call from her sister who worked for the United
ABOVE: TANYA PREPARES TO SERVE MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN TO U.S. SKI TEAM MEMBERS AT THE SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS IN 2014. LEFT: IT’S NOT ALL WORK AND NO PLAY. HERE TANYA TAKES IN THE SIGHTS OF ROSA KHUTOR ALPINE RESORT, SITE OF THE ALPINE EVENTS IN THE 2014 WINTER GAMES.
States Olympic Committee (USOC). She had seen an interagency ad that the USOC was looking for a chef to cook for the U.S. Men’s Alpine Ski Team and thought her sister might fit the bill. Tanya applied for the post and the adventure she dreamed of became a reality. Her first gig was cooking for approximately thirty athletes and support staff at a three-week training camp in New Zealand. Next, she headed to the big show, cooking for more than a hundred athletes, coaches, and staff at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She and three other chefs were put to the test, creating buffet meals that ran from morning through night. “It still seems unreal,” Tanya says. “The other chefs were used to [cooking at] big training centers, while I was used to boutique food.” When she started cooking for the ski team, she had to switch gears from preparing New American fusion cuisine to serving up American comfort food classics. “The food needed to be simple and nutritious,” she says. “[The skiers] like recognizable foods … Mexican was a favorite.” Pancakes, curries, and meatballs were just
a few of the other items served to the Olympians. Upon returning to restaurant life, Tanya found things simpler. “It was like running a marathon and then running two miles the next day,” she jokes. Nevertheless, with the ski team job going so well, Tanya decided it was time to pass the baton of restaurant ownership on to someone else. Last winter, she quietly sold Forage Bistro and Lounge. Since then, she has cooked for the ski team out of an apartment kitchen in Austria, a large RV/bus-like food truck in Slovenia and France, and a condo kitchen in New Zealand. “Sometimes I show up and I’m like, ‘Do they need me here? Am I useful?’ Then I go into town [in Austria] and realize, you can’t get that many nutrients from a meal of wiener schnitzel with fries or a salad with a tomato. So they do need me.” When asked what’s next, Tanya avoids specifics. “I’m in a good spot right now,” she says. “You don’t always know what’s around the corner, but you get what you need in this life.” Even if sometimes you have to create it yourself, or even travel for it. WINTER 2015/2016
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Winter on Full Display
Musher Stacey Teasley of Jackson Hole races up Packsaddle Road with her team of ten dogs in the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. 2015 was the first time the race, which takes place predominantly in Wyoming, held a stage over the hill in Idaho.
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Celebrating our snow-filled heritage and landscape
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
BY MEL PARADIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
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en days. Nineteen events. More than three hundred competitors from around the country. An estimated 4,500 attendees, from as far away as Australia. More than 1,500 volunteer hours. Eight thousand cubic yards of snow moved. These numbers give only a glimpse into the hard work accomplished, and camaraderie and excitement generated, at the 2015 Teton Valley Great Snow Fest.
The idea for the event was conceived back in 2011. With the rousing success of the summer concert series, Music on Main, several founding members of the Teton Valley Foundation (TVF) sought to bring a winter component to the foundation’s mission of “Making the good life in Teton Valley even better.” A winter festival that would give valley residents something to rally around seemed the ideal solution. WINTER 2015/2016
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“Our dog Tazzy is absolutely nuts for ski-joring. On the trip to Driggs that day he was so psyched that he shredded the bed in his kennel. It was a warm, sloppy day, but Tazzy didn’t seem to mind. He pulled us to first place and, thanks to the generous sponsors, won himself a new dog bed.”
–Adam Riley, Dog-joring Fun
Race winner
Over the course of its first three years, TVF brought together existing events under its umbrella, while also creating new ones. The Backcountry Film Festival, skijoring competitions, and the Dale Robson Snowplane Rally, all popular events that had been drawing crowds in previous winters, were joined by snow sculpting and the gala Snow Ball. In the spring of 2014, Erica Linnell took over as executive director of the Teton Valley Foundation. Linnell noticed that while Music on Main continued to attract more and more attendees each summer, Snow Fest was not growing at a similar pace. She met with several involved entities, such as the Downtown Driggs Community Association, and set into motion a plan to make Snow Fest the celebration of the season. First, the group elected to spread the events out over two weekends, rather than just one. They hoped this would cut down on the competition for attendees that resulted from simultaneous events, or from simple event overload. Next, they created a central location at 300 North Main in Driggs, where most of the events would take place. Finally, they decided all events would be about the white stuff so prevalent in a Teton Valley winter, and brought in new snow-related activities such as Backcountry Skiing 101, an Avalanche Awareness Clinic, and the Spud Chase Nordic ski race. 38
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Brent Robson, son of the event’s namesake, stands next to his machine prior to setting out on the poker run of the Dale Robson Memorial Snowplane Rally.
“We have an amazing winter recreation niche in this valley,” Linnell said. “We [realized we] should be highlighting that.” TVF took on the role of puppet master, focusing on marketing, promotion, scheduling, and logistical coordination. The foundation also procured a $5,000 grant from the Idaho Travel Council to hire Fisher Creative to produce a promotional video for future Snow Fests. The three-minute video, which can be found at the TVF website, tetonvalley foundation.org, juxtaposes panoramic shots of the snow-smothered Tetons and the valley with images of snow-related activities from both the Snow Fest and beyond. Local organizers and competitors explain what it is that makes the valley and/or their event special. A major hitch occurred last winter, when Mother Nature was most uncooperative. While the temperature averaged in the mid-teens the week of snow sculpting, the day after awards were handed out the mercury began to rise. The massive and beautifully crafted snow sculptures quickly melted away in the forty to fifty degrees of a January thaw. The valley snowpack was relatively low to begin with, so the base at 300 North Main was not adequate for building up a racecourse for the Sno X snowmobile racing and other events. In a scurried effort to add jumps and hills, Teton County employees and local excavation companies donated their time, machinery, and fuel to move snow to the course from mounds piled up at area parking lots. On the first weekend of Snow Fest, the Fat Bike Criterium and the Dog-joring Fun Race utilized the course, although Dog-joring was cut short due to increasingly slushy conditions. On the other hand, the Nordic Sprint Relay Races had to relocate to Alta, while stage three of the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race—it was the first time Teton Valley has hosted a stage in the heralded, mostly Wyoming race—headed into the hills up Packsaddle Road.
“Everybody realized that Snow Fest is starting to build momentum. It took five local contractors and the county to put their feet in the middle and make it happen. People are starting to be more decisive about contributing to our community.”
–Wade Kaufman, president of Skyliners Motor Club and coordinator/
builder of the 300 North Main race course
Christian Cisco skis as Charlie Little handles the horsepower, provided by Jake. Aaron Cisco, Christian’s brother and a former skijorer himself, designed the Snow Fest skijoring course. “To me,” Aaron says, “skijoring certainly captures the classic western, ski town feeling. People of all different interests seem to be drawn to the sport. The combination of horse, rider, skier/ snowboarder, and course always provides an exciting show.”
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“It is a community event. From putting up the forms to directing the backhoes. Seeing the volunteers stomping the snow … it takes an army to put on this event, and for a small town that is a pretty impressive feat.” –Doug Cassidy, lead sculptor of the 2015 winning Snowscapes snow-sculpting team. The name of their creation: That’s Snow Bull (see model to right). 40
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Delivering More! Delivering More! -
Snow Ball attendees
danced the night away to the sounds of the Chanman Roots Band.
Despite the deteriorating conditions, Linnell sensed not all was lost, and she put out several calls to ensure that the second weekend of Snow Fest would happen. Once again, the excavation companies came to the rescue. Friday morning, trucks made laps back and forth between the Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport and 300 North Main, hauling snow and more snow. The following day, Sno X and skijoring went off without hitch or injury, and even drew a record number of spectators. Through flexibility and fast-thinking, along with a little luck and lots of people stepping up to the plate, every event of the 2015 Teton Valley Great Snow Fest took place. Prior to the 2015 event, Linnell said, “The goal this year is to have Snow Fest be well attended by both locals and tourists, and for it to be a sort of launchpad. If it gets bigger this year, I have no doubts that it will grow. “[Snow Fest] would be a success if we outgrew it and someone else was able to take it on,” Linnell added. “This is a community-oriented event, but it is also a potential economic driver for the valley. People are already interested in the area, so this gives them one more reason to choose us over other places.” And despite the poor conditions, Snow Fest did grow in 2015, with a 25 percent increase in attendance over the previous year. Now let’s hope Mother Nature gets on board for 2016, so we can all enjoy more growth and have tons of fun in the snow.
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WINTER 2015/2016
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The
Impasse of Education It takes a community to build a school by Liz Onufer
Teton School District 401 Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme.
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Teton Valley students boarding the bus to Jackson.
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; BACKGROUND, COURTESY OF TETON VALLEY NEWS; MONTE, COURTESY OF MONTE WOOLSTENHULME
Author’s note: Given the word count I had to work with, I needed to be very selective in the voices represented and the points presented herein. Education in Teton Valley is a personal and important topic to many local families. This piece is intended to be part of a much larger conversation, not a comprehensive overview of the state of education. hirty plus children wait in idling cars in a dirt parking lot on a cold winter morning in Victor. When the bus comes into sight, they scramble out of warm SUVs and line up in orderly fashion. The size differences are obvious—high schoolers to kindergarteners. This is not a school bus, but it is their bus to school. The stairs are big, the seats soft and large. These students commute over Teton Pass to attend schools in neighboring Jackson Hole rather than locally in Teton School District 401 facilities. The issue is becoming more and more frequent: People move to Teton Valley for the quality of life and their kids leave because of the quality of education. Is it possible to have both be top-notch in this one place? Some pin the issue on the valley’s conservative Mormon culture. Others look to Idaho’s embarrassing national ranking in education, consistently in the bottom half. Locally, the reputation of an ineffective school board and inadequate administrators clouds perspectives. Perhaps the failing label, induced by the No Child Left Behind Act, provides the quantitative support. The truth is, the problem, which is difficult to name and is defined in many different ways, can always be blamed on politics, place, or a group of people. What some see as the valley’s greatest attributes—its rural nature, tight community, small town politics—become the biggest detriments in the landscape of education. But when all the news headlines and varying perspectives are plowed away, the diverse group of stakeholders, from recent immigrants to fourth-generation farmers, typically agree on one foundational principle: The community wants the best for Teton Valley’s children. And lying in this one simple seed, where decisions are made and opinions formed, is the greatest division: how to define best. For a small group of Teton Valley parents, the best means bussing their children to Jackson, where money spent is seen as an academic investment. Tuition at the Jackson Hole Community School is almost $20,000 annually; at the Journeys School it rests at just under
$21,000. Whether public or private, the numbers are hard to argue. Teton School District 401 (TSD 401) in Idaho spends approximately $6,945 per student, a bit more than Idaho’s average of $6,157. Teton School District 1 in Jackson? Close to $18,000 per student. The national average totals just over $12,000 per student, placing Idaho at the bottom of the list, while Wyoming ranks sixth in the nation. But Jackson schools are not the only ones luring students out of the district. A small number of private schools have cropped up right here in Teton Valley, and homeschooling options have also expanded. Today, an estimated 27 percent of school-age youth in Teton Valley are not enrolled in TSD 401. Financially, Teton County, Idaho, cannot compete with Jackson. Residents are well aware of the divide, a barrier as significant as the mountain pass that must be tackled to get from one to the other. But does living in Teton Valley have to mean fewer opportunities and settling for less when it comes to education? Monte Woolstenhulme, superintendent of TSD 401, doesn’t believe so. “The balance is providing the opportunities, and then students and families taking advantage of those opportunities,” he says. In fact, the opportunities in the school district are growing each year, in part a response to the demands of parents and other community members. Nola Bredal, a school board member from 2004 to 2013 and founding member of the Teton Valley Education Foundation, has witnessed the shift in community participation: “When I look at when I was on the board, the only time [the public attended meetings] was on Boy Scout night and when we discussed the calendar. Now there is always someone there.” The numbers reflect these opportunities as well; the Teton High School (THS) class of 2015 earned 679 college credits through Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses at Teton High. For the graduates going on to postsecondary education, close to $1.5 million was awarded in scholarship money. Parents are taking notice, and so are alumni. “I look at it now and think ‘I wish I could’ve had this,’” says Juan Morales, a member of the THS class of 2004 and a school board candidate in the 2015 election. WINTER 2015/2016
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Left: Teton Middle School. Below: Driggs Elementary School.
I
n recent years, the positives have gotten buried under the headlines of contentious issues—a decision to change the Redskins mascot at Teton High School (it hasn’t happened), the controversial proposal to adopt a four-day school week across the district, and the suspension of the novel Bless Me Ultima in tenthgrade English classes. Small victories in the classroom and the slow progress of institutional change become side notes to the front page stories. “As educators, we are good at working hard, but not at telling the story of the work we are doing,” Woolstenhulme says. Not everyone in the community believes it is just an issue of not telling the story. The narrative of TSD 401 depends on the perspective. And that perspective, Bredal acknowledges, is hard to define as a community. “People look at education through their own lens,” she says. The majority of Teton Valley residents have some level of education, and this educational experience often lends citizens a sense of expertise—more so than in other public sectors, such as planning and zoning or roads and transportation, where people have opinions but minimal expertise or personal experience. This makes defining the specific issues at TSD 401 difficult to pinpoint. Led by a small group of parents desiring to improve the valley’s public education system, Parents Lobbying for Educational Advancement, or PLEA, recently formed in Teton
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Valley. Of great concern to the group, says Sue Muncaster, one of the group’s founders, is the “old culture of mediocrity and [just] meeting the standards, rather than [fostering] a culture of being the very best and exceeding standards.” The issues of traditional culture versus new culture surface in multiple contexts around the valley, because as the demographics shift, so do the expectations. The average level of education has swung upwards. In 1990, roughly 17 percent of the valley’s residents held a bachelor’s degree. By 2012, that number had nearly doubled to 33 percent. These numbers have a direct correlation to the district’s own goon rate, which is the percentage of students pursuing postsecondary education. Studies show that parents’ education levels often set the expectations for their children. Students whose parents have attended college have a much higher probability of going to college themselves. Likewise, parents whose highest education is a high-school diploma often see the same outcome for their children. The go-on rate for THS graduates falls somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. Compare this to the average of 52 percent in Idaho and 66 percent in the nation. “Our mission is ‘career and college ready,’ and we help each graduate work hard to reach their potential,” says Woolstenhulme. “This is partly the work of the school—but even more important, it’s what parents and students choose.” It’s no secret that parental involvement is key to a student’s success. Wade Kaufman, THS class of 1992, father of five, and Driggs City Council member, asserts that parents
PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; BACKGROUND, COURTESY OF TETON VALLEY NEWS; NOLA, COURTESY OF NOLA BREDAL
Wade Kaufman, Teton High School class of 1992, is now the father of five and a Driggs City Council member.
Nola Bredal (with her son, Paal) served on the local school board from 2004 through 2013. She also helped found the Teton Valley Education Foundation.
Full Circle Education has helped deliver lessons about food and gardens to a variety of schools in Teton Valley, both public and private.
TVEF
Teton Valley Education Foundation Since 2005, TVEF has raised over $800,000 to fund critical projects within Teton School District 401. Closely aligning their work with the TSD 401 strategic plan, the nonprofit organization supports annual and year-round school programs, a three-timesper-year teacher grant cycle, and the Volunteers in Public Schools program. Over the past ten years, with support from the community, businesses, and local schools, TVEF has funded: • • •
must take an extremely active role. “Kids whose parents don’t have the time fall through the cracks,” he says. Pointing the finger in both directions—at the district and at families—paints a more comprehensive picture of the issues at hand. Changing demographics and shifting expectations lead to a diversity that can be challenging to rectify under one roof, that of the school. “Segregation of our community is the elephant in the room that has plagued every growth discussion in our county,” Kaufman says. “We all have to come to the table and realize this county will never be what it was thirty to forty years ago. People have to stop beating that dead horse. We have to learn to grow with what we have seen and what we’re going to see.” For his part, Woolstenhulme sees it as both one of the district’s greatest strengths and its biggest challenges. “I love the diversity of our community, but it also leads to divisiveness,” he says. The district has an open-door policy, yet the superintendent says the invitation for parents to visit classrooms isn’t often accepted. Therefore, he believes, some parents’ educational choices for their children are being made on secondhand and thirdhand information. “If people are making decisions based on firsthand knowledge and experience, then I respect their choices,” he says. But, he adds, those who do know from personal observation what the district is doing “are impressed. My frustration is that people are making choices not knowing.”
• • •
• •
Nearly $20,000 for ArtReach to bring art instruction to grades K-5 $6,000 for English Learner Language programs Nearly $2,600 in eyeglasses for students with vision impairments Nearly $60,000 for the Driggs Kindergarten playscape $14,000 to support community volunteers in the district Over $20,000 to support the VOICE peer-to-peer mentoring program at Teton High School Over $52,000 in teacher grants in the last five years $10,000 in post-secondary scholarships to Teton Valley graduates
Looking ahead, TVEF will: • •
•
Continue its existing programs and expand them with additional fundraising Further evaluate the community’s needs and target critical areas for meeting those needs Further align with the district’s strategic planning to better serve students WINTER 2015/2016
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PLEA
Parents Lobbying for Educational Advancement In the summer of 2013, a small group of Teton Valley locals began gathering to discuss ways to improve the local schools. Questions arose about how to push leaders to engage in bigger conversations and how to advocate politically for teachers and students. Since that time, PLEA has: • • • •
•
Attended every TSD 401 School Board meeting Rallied the public in opposition to the Bless Me, Ultima book banning Supported campaigns to elect new school board members Hosted monthly meetings with a diverse group of parents, teachers, and community leaders to discuss educational issues Advocated for the Teacher’s Association master contract
The goals ahead for PLEA include: •
•
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Supporting the TSD 401 School Board and administration in phase 2 of the district’s strategic planning process Accomplishing the passage of the new school bond proposal
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PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN; BACKGROUND, COURTESY OF TETON VALLEY NEWS
Victor Elementary School.
hese issues in education are not unique to TSD 401. “Teton Valley is a microcosm of what’s happening nationally,” Woolstenhulme says. The negative perception of public education is pervasive across the country, and many places echo the sentiments heard in our community: ineffective teachers, poor return on fiscal expenditures, and declining student aptitude. With a laundry list of problems, and the slow-moving bureaucracy of politics and education, making improvements is a Herculean task, one often tied more to financial fixes than systemic changes. Budget cuts take the bulk of the blame in the decline of the quality of public education. The problem, according to Idaho Ed Trends, an organization providing data on public schools in the state, is that “schools need money to provide students with a quality education. How much money is reasonable and how it is spent are the tough decisions facing lawmakers, taxpayers, and educators. Research shows that supporting high-quality teachers can help ensure students are successful beyond high school, including at two- and four-year colleges and universities and in technical programs.” But this is a catch-22. Voters and legislators are hesitant to increase funding to schools with poor track records. Without additional funding, however, issues are only perpetuated. In August 2014, and again in November 2014, TSD 401’s $19 million bond failed to pass with the necessary two-thirds majority. Kaufman views the bond as an opportunity for the district to prepare and plan for the next ten years. “But the community is shutting them down,” he says. “We can’t just maintain things.” This begs the question: How do schools create the best education for their students when they lack the needed resources? And, at the same time, how can a community be persuaded to invest more money into a system they perceive is not working? As a city council member working through many of the same challenges for the City of Driggs’ future, Kaufman poses this question: “What precedents does the community want to set for their own education?” From Juan Morales’ perspective as an alumni and local business owner, the solution is in the members of this community. He explains what he considers a common mentality: People live in this county but don’t know very much about it, because they work every day and don’t have the time or energy to learn. At the heart of this truth is an attitude shared by Woolstenhulme: “It’s all interconnected. Good schools need a good community. And a good community needs good schools.” Few would argue that Teton Valley does not have a good community; it’s often why people choose to live here. Just consider a few of the many successful events held through-
Victor restaurant owner Juan Morales graduated from Teton High School in 2004.
out the year: The Tin Cup Challenge, which has raised more than $8 million for local nonprofits in its eight-year history. The Teton Valley Foundation’s Music on Main, bringing topnotch national performers to the stage in Victor for eight consecutive Thursdays in the summers. And Family Safety Network’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, along with activity venues like the Kotler Ice Arena and the Teton Rock Gym. Morales sees an answer in local business people, politicians, and farmers. “Every community member can be open minded to teaching, giving time, and getting involved,” he says. “In essence, we’re all sharing this community.” The call to action is not isolated to Teton Valley. Rural communities across the country are asking the same questions: How do we keep educated and talented people in the community, while creating the economy and jobs that will draw others back? Morales believes his experience illustrates the point. He graduated from college, traveled the world, and then returned to Teton Valley, recently starting his own restaurant in Victor. “We have to give individuals reasons to come back,” he says.
B
ut comparing our financial resources, community involvement, and go-on rates to the national education statistics still does not solve the issue of defining best at the local level. Here, we must discuss the intersection of the quality of life and the quality of education. TSD 401’s open-door policy presents many opportunities to
engage in the conversation—welcoming phone calls, emails, and school visits; taking comments at the beginning or conclusion of school board meetings; urging community members to visit the district website to better acquaint themselves with policies and finances. So do the school board elections, which historically draw low voter turnout. First, however, the conversation must start at home, defining best for the individual student, and then seeking out the resources needed to achieve this. Today, certain students who once lined up for their daily commute to Jackson Hole can be seen boarding a TSD 401 school bus. After weighing the pros and cons, the long days and extra costs, involved with sending their kids over the hill for an education, a small number of families here are recognizing the local district as the best option for their children. Nola Bredal, the former school-board member, has a son, Paal, who recently transferred to Teton High School from a private Jackson school. “No system, private or public, is perfect,” Bredal says. “The goal is merely to find the best fit for the student. We are happy to live in a community that values education and where there are options.” The recognition that academic excellence cannot be measured exclusively in the amount of tuition paid or state dollars spent per student, but also by community commitment and involvement, contributes to an improving educational landscape. These families are acknowledging and accepting the diversity of the community—finding that best cannot be defined by one model. The very characteristics that drew families here in the first place can be the same ones that keep their children here. WINTER 2015/2016
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Hockey Puck, an Alpine goat at Thistle Brooks Farm, soaks up the rays on a clear blue day.
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Farm Critters in the Cold
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
Above, from left to right: A Huacaya alpaca from Peru at the Portas Nirvana Alpacas ranch; the sheep at Flying Dog Farm will be sheared to make naturally died yarn; one of Jen’s Hens at Endless Winter Farm. WINTER 2015/2016
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Below: Rex Hansen, a third-generation Teton Valley resident, feeds his twenty-five head of cattle through the winter using the horsepower of two Shire horses and a bobsleigh. Left: While intimidating in stature and muscular build, Bud and Duke are docile in nature and eager to pull the sleigh, even in frigid temperatures.
Left: Paradise Springs Farm raises Brown Swiss cows like Rose, and milking is one of the daily chores. Right: Tibby Plasse of Paradise Springs feeds the chickens on a sunny day, as son Loren looks on.
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Paradise Springs Farm
Rockin J
Jen Hays of Endless Winter Farm with her pregnant Nubian goat, Bertha.
Endless Winter Farm
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Portas Nirvana Alpacas Marianne Sturken, owner of Teton Goats, makes locally popular cheeses from her animals’ milk. 52
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Teton Goats
Organic Produce • Local Milk • Beer & Wine Fresh Eggs • Artisan Bread • Pet Foods Nutritional Supplements • Gifts • Grab & Go
Huacaya alpacas raised by TC and Carrie Cleary at their place off Packsaddle Road west of the Teton River.
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compass points
Out Below
Lava Hot Springs
A haven of fire and ice BY KATE HULL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
FOR DECADES, PERHAPS CENTURIES, LAVA HOT SPRINGS HAS BEEN A POPULAR PLACE FOR SOAKING AWAY THOSE ACHES, WORRIES, AND PAINS. 54
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before the town was incorporated in 1915 and became known as Lava Hot Springs (the locals tend to refer to the hot springs as “hot pools” to avoid confusion). After buying the deed from Hall, Mary Ann Ray built the Home Hotel, originally called the Raya Hotel, in 1918. Each room is newly renovated with simple details that mix the modern and historical seamlessly. You can choose from half a dozen rooms named for famous artists, from Frida Kahlo to Charles Mackintosh. Had it not already been reserved, the Georgia O’Keeffe Room would have been our first choice. The naturally heated waters bring a diverse group of visitors to Lava Hot Springs 363
Seek & Soak
A
fter a Teton Valley winter— albeit an unusually mild one this past year—the freezing temperatures, lingering snow on the ground, and busy days spent burning the candle at both ends all but demand an escape. One where we do nothing but relax and rest weary bones. For my fiancé Kenny and me, escaping at the tail end of winter is a must. In the past, we’ve headed south to Utah or much farther south to Texas in search of warmth. This year, we found warmth just a few hours away at Lava Hot Springs. Legend says that in the late-1800s, the Shoshone and Bannock nations declared the replenishing geothermal hot springs along the Portneuf River as neutral ground; a place of peace. Called Poha-Ba or “Land of Healing Water,” the hot springs served as a gathering place to rest, bathe, and worship, despite decades of turmoil between the bordering tribes. Whether completely true or not, the rich cultural folklore embedded in the region only adds to the springs’ cleansing charm. Surrounded by scenic views, mountainous landscapes, and flowing rivers, the town has been welcoming “modern” tourists since 1905, when the first railroad connected the area to bigger cities. Now, it bustles year-round with visitors looking to find respite. We hit the road early one morning for an overnight stay at the Home Hotel, one of the original four buildings that made up the downtown of Lava Hot Springs. Today the business district is no more than a five- or sixblock area; think Driggs, roughly from Broulim’s to Big Hole Bagel. But its appeal and color are endless. “Lava” is full of renovated hotels and bed-andbreakfasts occupying places that were part of John Hall and his wife Salina’s original 160-acre homestead along the river region then called Dempsey—
days a year—the pools close for Thanksgiving and Christmas days. The hot water is just what the doctor ordered for those looking to relieve aches and pains and/or to reduce stress. It’s also the perfect place for a date night that’s a bit out of the ordinary. This super-scenic route from Teton Valley takes about twenty minutes longer than the most direct route via Rexburg and Idaho Falls: From Victor, take State Route 31 to Swan Valley, then follow US 26 to Alpine, Wyoming. From there, proceed sixteen miles south to Freedom, Wyoming, then drive west to Soda Springs via State Route 34. Lava Hot Springs is twenty-one miles west of Soda on US 30.
We stayed in the east wing of the building, where motel units were built in the 1970s. Equally as nice and cozy as the main hotel options, the room came complete with a bath fed by geothermally heated water and a hot springs hot tub for guests. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to explore the town before enjoying an early dinner and an evening soak. Although the snow had stayed behind in Teton Valley, the cool early spring air reminded us that winter was not completely gone. We threw on our swimsuits under warmer clothes and jackets, and perused the town. It was a relatively calm time of year for Lava Hot Springs, before the busy summer started up and after the busy holiday season—not to mention that we arrived mid-week. We encountered few fellow tourists, and welcomed the quiet walk. Kenny explored Dempsey Creek WINTER 2015/2016
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Every Day | 7 AM to 9 PM
This winter, consider marking
Fire & Ice
Every day, every grocery/deli need... we have you covered
your calendar for the annual Fire & Ice Winterfest, held the first full weekend in February. The community steams up with a celebration of their famous hot pools during one of the year’s coldest months. You can take part in the Sub Zero Superhero Endurance
787-2230 Main & Center in Victor
Swim, enjoy the Polar Float Parade in the chilly Portneuf River, and turn up the heat with fire performers during the Torch Light Parade. And there’s
Seoul Restaurant authentic Korean food Kimchi Jjigae
Bulgogi
Galbi
Seafood Soon Do Boo
Seoul Restaurant will definitely fulfill your appetite Very Happy Sushi Roll this summer. Open 7 days a week. We also have sushi! 528 Valley Center Drive (North of Driggs)
(208) 354-1234 • seoulrestaurantdriggs.com 56
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a lot more on tap; check it all out at fireice.lavahotsprings.org.
Trading Company, a self-described “throwback” store celebrating traditional American Indian jewelry, carvings, leather, and ceramics. Then we stopped in at the Wagon Wheel for happy hour, joining a bar-top full of welcoming locals sipping a beer or two to end the workday—much of the same crew we would encounter at the Chuckwagon Cafe the next morning, where we munched on omelets and French toast. I asked for a recommendation for dinner; the top three mentioned were the Riverwalk Thai Restaurant (“spicy, but great”), the pizza at The Royal, and, if we felt like something a bit fancier, the Portneuf Grille & Lounge at the Riverside Inn. We decided to go the Portneuf route and treat ourselves to a lavish dinner. We enjoyed Crostini Tasters with a variety of toppings, from goat cheese and braised fennel to duck and apricot spread. We finished with grilled salmon and a glass of champagne. Feeling full and ready to relax, we headed to the hot
THE POOLS AT LAVA HOT SPRINGS ARE OPEN IN THE EVENINGS, TOO.
pools. The sun had set and an icy drizzle began, making for a brisk walk. For a moment, sitting outside in our swimsuits did not sound like the best plan. But a few blocks down the road we saw steam rising from the pools. We were recommitted and ready to enjoy the hot water. Inside, the pools seemed crowded with more people than we had seen all day. We looked around to find a spot and noticed one pool on the far right, up against a rocky garden, that was completely vacant. This, we learned, was the hottest pool, at 110 degrees. The five hot pools ranged in temperature from that down to 102 degrees, fed by all natural mineral water. The source of the hot water was closest to this pool, and it gradually cooled off as it flowed toward and into the remaining hot pools—where families, couples, and individual soakers enjoyed the crisp night. Kenny and I felt confident that we could handle the heat, so we headed straight for the hottest pool. We quickly learned, especially for newbies like us, that it’s best to work one’s way up the temperature scale. So, we started out cooler, and moved from one pool to the next, attempting to build up our heat tolerance. Finally, we headed back to the hottest pool. It was still drizzling, but that only added a welcomed icy complement to the fiery water. Once we settled in and had the large pool all to ourselves, the remnants of long work hours, stiff muscles, and weary minds drifted away.
As the family patriarch, you have a lot to live for. A prostate exam could ensure you’re around when your grandkids graduate high school.
Call today to make an appointment. Driggs Health Clinic (208) 354-2302 Victor Health Clinic (208) 354-6307 www.tvhcare.org
Services include
Tax Planning & Preparation, Payroll, Accounting, Bookkeeping & Consulting 208.354.1023 | www.chircopcolyer.com WINTER 2015/2016
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compass points
Body & Soul
Fit to Be Tried Approached with prudence, CrossFit might be the workout for you BY MICHAEL MCCOY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
Unless you’ve been living in a cave or on the Zumba dance floor, you’ve probably heard that CrossFit is the indoor group workout of the 2010s. Approximately 11,000 affiliates—often called “boxes,” or barebones gyms—are found worldwide, serving hundreds of thousands of devotees. In May 2015, the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes even aired a piece on CrossFit and its impetuous founder, Greg Glassman, who said through his exercise program he can “deliver you to your genetic potential.” Certain aspects of CrossFit have stirred up controversy, such as its ties to the high-protein, low-carb Paleo diet; reports that the risk of injury is high due to the intense, often competitive nature of the workouts; and the minimal training required of its instructors. No doubt these are among the reasons that, as he told 60 Minutes, in addition to his legal staff of twelve, Glassman has hired another eighty outside law firms to defend CrossFit’s reputation and trademark. In view of the above, Las Vegasbased blogger and CrossFit practitioner Max Jacobson-Fried offers this advice at his blog, Awkward Athlete: One of the major foundations of CrossFit is “intensity,” the idea of doing “more work in less time (without overdoing it).” The competitive nature of CrossFit is where I can find myself getting into trouble, losing sight of the real goal of “fitness” and replacing it with “winning.” … If something’s too heavy, no one should know that faster than me. Your ego will get you injured quicker than CrossFit will. [And] not all CrossFit affiliates are created equal, so make sure to spend at least as long deciding on which gym is right for you as you do deciding on the right shampoo for your hair type. I wanted to see it for myself, so early last fall I sat—and I do mean sat—in on a class at our local affiliate, Targhee CrossFit. Their facility is located behind the Best Western Teton West at the
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north end of Driggs. (The local Blue Ox Box merged with Targhee CrossFit late last summer.) I walked through the big garagedoor opening and into the warehouselike structure to see a rubber-matted floor, beefy training ropes and gymnastic rings hanging from above, and an abundance of free weights, pull-up bars, plyo boxes, and resistance bands. What I didn’t see were stationary bikes, treadmills, or ellipticals. Obviously not your daddy or mama’s fitness center. A big digital countdown clock hung high on one wall, and low-volume rock music emanated from somewhere.
Plenty of moaning and groaning came from the crowd during warm-up. White boards lining the walls contained scribbles in a rainbow of dry-erase marker colors. One included around forty-five names, with a matrix of jottings that had to do with the individuals’ progress and accomplishments. Another listed three-month goals, which ranged from “Lose 10 lbs.” to “Dead lift 160 lbs.” to “Pierre’s Hole 50-mile SS.” The final I interpreted to mean racing the 50-mile mountain bike race at Grand Targhee Resort on a single-speed bike. This Wednesday 5:30 p.m. class would be coached by Targhee CrossFit co-owner Joshua Rempel, with aid from fellow coach and co-owner Dayne Toney. A warm-up of ten to fifteen minutes would lead into several minutes of strength and skill moves, followed by the big one: the WOD, or Workout of the Day. This would include intensity, Joshua assured me, but not at the expense of form, or proper technique. A dozen class members, about half of them female and half male, milled about before the workout began, chatting. Most wore T-shirts with the Tar-
ghee CrossFit logo on the front; and, on the back, at just above butt level, one of two slogans in caps: either STRONGER BETTER or LEGS FEED THE WOLF. Plenty of moaning and groaning came from the crowd during the warmup period of squats, stretches, and corecrunching clamshells and bear crawls. I got sweaty just watching (but it was pretty warm in the room); I could only imagine how much pain the WOD would dish out. All the while, the coaches provided tips and guidance: “Don’t let hips get out to your side!” “Baby steps!” “Maintain that athletic stance!” After the twelve-minute strength/ skills session, the volume of the music cranked up, and so did the intensity of the workout. The WOD consisted of two moves—“hang squat cleans” with barbell and weights (with poundage appropriate to the athlete) and “toes to bar” on the chin-up bar—in a descending series of 15–12–9–6. Each except the fourth and final was capped by a 400-meter run outside. Throughout, the coaches continued to give technique instruction, while jotting down what I assumed were the athletes’ “scores,” or X number of moves accomplished in X amount of time. It looked intense, alright, with plenty of grimacing and grunting. Yet from what little I’ve seen of CrossFit, I wouldn’t hesitate to tiptoe into those waters. As Jacobson-Fried writes at Awkward Athlete: CROSSFITTERS’ GOALS
… while CrossFit may not be right for everyone it may very well be right for you. ... be wary of creating an opinion based solely on the belligerent works of Internet trolls and squabble peddlers. Find a qualified affiliate close to home and give it a shot.
AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE RECORDED ON WHITE BOARDS IN THE GYM.
The monthly fee for unlimited classes at Targhee CrossFit ranges from $137 for one month to $117 if you sign up for six months. Fundamentals, a four-week introductory course, costs $155. More info: targheecrossfit.com. WINTER 2015/2016
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compass points
Far Flung
Habitats for Uspantán
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: HOTEL IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA; DAVID FISCHEL IN SAN MARCOS, GUATEMALA, IN 2013, REBUILDING A HOUSE DESTROYED BY AN EARTHQUAKE.
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BY DAVID FISCHEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELANIE FISCHEL
The Rough Guide to Guatemala describes Uspantán as “a small town lodged in a chilly gap in the mountains and often soaked in a steady drizzle. The only reason you’re likely to end up here is in order to get somewhere else.” Unless, of course, you’re planning to spend a week there helping to build houses. Which is exactly why we were there. My wife, Melanie, and I had flown into Guatemala City on a Saturday and rendezvoused with the other volunteers that would make up our Habitat for Humanity team. We were co-led by a Coloradan and an Ontarian, so we were a combination of Americans and Canadians. Numbering about twenty, we represented a spectrum of ages and volunteering experience. We spent the first night in hostellike lodgings—girls sleeping in one room, boys in another. We initiated the getting-acquainted process Saturday evening and continued it on Sunday as we squeezed ourselves into two
minibuses, braced for the seven-hour drive from noisy, crowded Guatemala City into the central highlands and Uspantán. The Maya are thought to have founded the town in the sixth century, and named it “the place of the hummingbirds.” Uspantán sits at an elevation of 5,987 feet, just a little lower than downtown Driggs, and is primarily populated to this day by people of Mayan descent. The indigenous inhabitants of Uspantán and the surrounding department of El Quiché were victims of severe repression during the armed hostilities of the 1980s. Some of the present residents, survivors of those times, can recall the sight of corpses in the streets. After arriving on Sunday afternoon—our trip nicely broken up by the repair of a flat tire and then lunch in the market town of Chichicastenango—we volunteers gathered with local Habitat for Humanity staff, the families whose homes we would be working on, and
PHOTO, BOTTOM RIGHT: DAVID FISCHEL
Building walls while forging friendships
TOP PHOTO BELOW: DAVE’S WIFE MELANIE BENDING REBAR IN SAN MARCOS, 2013. BOTTOM: MARKET ON THE MAIN ROAD FROM GUATEMALA CITY TO QUETZALTENANGO, 2013.
the masons who would be supervising our labor. Introductions were made, providing volunteers an opportunity to try out their Spanish. Welcoming speeches and prayers were offered. And then, over cake, the gringos and locals, overcoming shyness and language differences, started to get acquainted. Our accommodations for the week consisted of a motel-like structure with rooms that opened on a chilly and often misty courtyard. The showers provided warm water on a sometimes basis. Given the paucity of eating establishments in Uspantán, the local affiliate had contracted with the owners of the local museum. This enterprising couple had cleared the premises of its usual artifacts and set up tables in a U-shaped configuration. Sitting in this manner allowed us, despite the large size of the group, to exchange stories as we ate.
generally stop to visit on his descent. Taking a break from our labors and seating ourselves on concrete blocks, we enjoyed some great conversations. He expressed amazement and gratitude at the thought that these foreigners would care enough about his community to spend a week moving dirt and mixing cement. Observing the women on the team attacking the hard clay with pickaxes and shoveling dirt into buckets, Santos commented that Guatemalan women would never work that hard. Rallying to their defense, Melanie reminded him of who it was that cooked meals over an open fire, washed all the clothes by hand, tended the garden, cared for the children, and harvested the corn and carried it to the mill to be ground so she could make tortillas for the family every day.
Blocks are cut to size with a machete; scaffolding is made with scrap lumber. The museum staff prepared us a lovely breakfast and dinner each day and sent us on our way every morning with a sack lunch. Our large team divided into three groups, working at three different build sites. Melanie and I worked at a site on a hillside above and away from the center of town. It was a corner lot, which meant we were exposed to a lot of foot traffic going in and out of town. Curious passersby would frequently stop and engage us in conversation, wondering why there was a bunch of gringos digging and moving dirt. On our very first day an older gentleman stopped by. Mistakenly assuming that the Norteamericano with the white beard might be an authority figure of some sort, he came over and introduced himself to me as Santos. That began a series of daily conversations. Santos would walk his pig up the hill past our site in the morning and return to retrieve it in the afternoon. He would
From our hillside site we could watch the morning mist clear from the ridges and hilltops, offering us lovely views of the surrounding highlands, a softer vista than the more alpine views of our home mountains. From the town below we could hear the motor from the mill fire up whenever a woman, balancing a basin of corn on her head, arrived to have it ground. The family on whose home we were working—mom, dad, and five children—lived in a small, sparsely furnished two-room house on the lot where we were to help build the new one. Dad functioned as our mason and supervisor. The twelve-year-old boy worked alongside us and every bit as hard as any of us. Mom cooked her tortillas and beans over an open fire in the far corner of the main room, blackening the walls with soot and smoking up the interior of the house. She did her washing—clothes, dishes, vegetables, children—outdoors in the pila, a conWINTER 2015/2016
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Better Than a Vacation The Guatemala affiliate of Habitat for Humanity is very well organized and ranks second to the U.S. in the number of houses built. It welcomes volunteers from all over the world. In 2006, when we first visited there, a house could be built for $3,000. The “tithe”—generally $350 per person—from a group of twenty volunteers would cover the cost of two houses. As of our most recent visit a year and a half ago, that construction cost had gone up to $4,500. Still, the tithe from a group of fifteen can fund a house. Each volunteer pays his own travel to and from the country. He or she also writes a check to Habitat for Humanity, which covers in-country expenses—travel, food, and lodging—as well as the above-mentioned tithe. It is not an inexpensive volunteer trip. One could argue that it seems foolish to spend all that money on travel in order to spend a week doing physical labor. Why not just write a check and donate that money? Wouldn’t that be a better use of resources? My sense is that most people who have participated in a Habitat build would argue that the fostering of relationships is at least as important as the actual work completed. I would suggest that the presence of volunteers in a community working alongside the members of that community conveys, in a very tangible way, the message that there are people who care about them. It’s not a vacation. It’s better.
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crete structure containing three sinks and a work surface. Chickens and turkeys cruised the yard. A patch of planted corn grew next to the house. Water came from an outdoor standpipe and was carried to wherever it was needed. The toilet was situated in its own little enclosure separate from the house. Habitat houses in Guatemala are built of concrete blocks, with a concrete slab for a floor and a metal roof. And because Guatemala is earthquakeprone, these houses contain a lot of rebar. That means the volunteers are taught early in the week how to bend, tie, and otherwise shape rebar—rebar for the footings, rebar for the vertical concrete columns, and rebar that runs horizontally every fifth course of blocks to tie the columns together. The tool most often used, however, is the shovel. When we arrived our first day at the work site, we found bare dirt. There were stakes and string lines marking placement of the perimeter and interior footings. There was no backhoe. With pick and shovel we dug trenches through hard, rock-filled clay for the footings. Nor was there a wheelbarrow. We removed dirt from the site in plastic buckets. And, when it came time to pour concrete, there was no Guatemalan equivalent of Walters Ready Mix. On bare ground we shoveled the dry ingredients—sand, aggregate, cement—into a volcano-shaped pile. We then scooped out a crater at the top of the volcano into which we poured water. More shoveling and mixing created a mezcla of the perfect consistency, which we then shoveled into those same plastic buckets and passed them, hand-to-volunteer-hand, to their final destination in a footing trench or column form. Tools are basic. Block walls and columns are checked for plumb with a plumb bob, a heavy chunk of pointed metal suspended from a string. Level is ascertained using a clear plastic hose filled with water. Blocks are cut to size with a machete. Scaffolding is fashioned
OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: TRENCHES DUG FOR FOOTINGS BY VOLUNTEERS IN SAN MARCOS; MASON AND HELPER SETTING REBAR FOR COLUMNS; MASON’S YOUNG SONS HELPING MOVE BLOCK; MASON’S WIFE AND CHILDREN AT “DESPEDIDA.” BELOW: FINAL TEAM DINNER, ANTIGUA.
SERVING THE TETON VALLEY AREA SINCE 1987 Dedicated to helping you get back to the things you love.
LIFE MOVES
PHYSICAL THERAPY // MASSAGE THERAPY FITNESS GYM // SPEECH THERAPY // COUNSELING highpeaksphysicaltherapy.com // 208-354-3128 500 Ski Hill Rd. Driggs ID 83422 with scrap lumber that’s used and reused over and over. It was fun to watch the team dynamics evolve over the week. The masons, clearly dubious at first, developed respect for the work ethic and capabilities of the volunteers. So they became more comfortable delegating and assigning tasks with less and less direct supervision as the week progressed. At the same time, the volunteers became more confident in their skills and began to initiate tasks rather than wait for instructions. There was plenty of time to talk while standing side by side tying rebar or standing in a bucket brigade. Relationships developed as work progressed on the house. On Friday afternoon, at the end of the workweek, a despedida (farewell) took place at the work site. The accomplishments of the week were celebrated: the trenches dug, footings poured, walls taking shape. Food was shared. And it became clear, as goodbyes were said, that the relationships formed may be as meaningful as those walls going up.
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quadrafire.com Authorized dealer for Gas Stoves • Wood Stoves • Pellet Stoves Fireplaces • Installations • Chimney Sweep 208.354.8027 • stoveman@silverstar.com 720 N. Hwy 33 • Driggs, Idaho 83422 WINTER 2015/2016
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compass points
Local Flavors
Marigold Café A fun place with good food
BY LUKAS BOONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
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CORNER DRUG
H
iding out a flight of stairs above MD Nursery’s semichaotic cornucopia of gifts, kitchen gadgets, and growing things is one of the valley’s best-kept and bestcooked secrets: Marigold Café. The Marigold shares its upstairs space with MD’s administrative offices and a spacious reading lounge. Cushy leather couches and chairs practically beg you to sink in and sip a hot drink from the Marigold. The café wing itself is bright, open, and unpretentious, with lots of color and a half dozen tables. After stepping up to the counter and ordering, I had delivered to the table a scrumpdillyicious grilled hamand-bacon sandwich on sourdough with shaved parmesan and mustard sauce. As a side I picked the “loaded” potato salad. My dining partner ordered the Mediterranean chicken wrap, with spinach, pepperoncini, olives, sliced onion, and feta tossed in lemon vinaigrette. Both entrees were priced reasonably at $9. (For my next visit I have my eye on the golden beet salad.) Lunch specials on that particular fall day included pumpkin enchiladas, a mini-pizza featuring barbecue pork with black beans and cheddar, and Cuban black bean soup. Smaller plates are also available, as is a kids’ menu with items like grilled peanut butter and jelly on sourdough. For breakfast—the Marigold’s winter hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday—you can choose from such items as quiche, a baconcheddar crepe, and the breakfast burrito. There’s also a machine dispensing frozen yogurt, with available toppings like almonds, blueberries, and orange poppers. A revolving menu of housemade sweets and other treats might include espresso brownies, muffins, orange-walnut cinnamon rolls, and petite pies. For more information visit mdland scapinginc.com/garden-cafe.html.
10 S. Main, Driggs • 208-354-2334
OLD-FASHIONED SODA FOUNTAIN • pharmacy • lime freezes • huckleberry milk shakes • specialty toys • children’s books • fish & game licenses • • sporting goods • hand-tied flies • Idaho souvenirs
GTR_PropertyManagment_TVM_out.indd 1
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dining guide
Agave
310 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2003 Open daily 11am–10pm
From the owners of El Abuelito in Jackson comes Agave, Teton Valley’s very own family Mexican restaurant! Serving fajitas, burritos, and all of your Mexican favorites cooked to perfection seven days a week, with lunch specials from 11am to 3pm daily. Bienvenidos amigos, mi casa es su casa!
Barrels & Bins
36 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2307 Open Daily 9am–7pm
Teton Valley’s source for all-natural and organic products including local and organic produce, meats, cheeses, and bulk food; 460 Bread baked fresh daily; beer and wine; nutritional supplements; health and beauty products; all natural pet foods; and much more! Juice & Smoothie Bar is now open 9am to 2pm daily. Check in for a sandwich-of-the-day selection, as well as other various grab-and-go takeout options. [p. 53]
Broulim’s Food and Pharmacy 240 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2350 Open Mon–Sat 7am–11pm broulims.com/driggs
Order sandwiches to go made from your choice of Columbus meats and cheeses and breakfast sandwiches and paninis made fresh daily. There’s a full menu at the Pack Saddle Grill, with burgers and sandwiches, as well as hot baked or rotisserie chicken, take-and-bake pizza, and other meals to go. Check out our display of hand-cut specialty cheeses! Freshly prepared salads, our own Sushi Bar, and hot Asian food. Daily specials of smoked meats available. Inquire at the Deli for catering services.
Corner Drug
10 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2334 Open Mon–Sat 9am–6:30pm driggspharmacy.com Located at the stoplight in historic downtown Driggs, the familyowned and -operated Corner Drug has been a local favorite for satisfying that ice cream craving for more than a hundred years. Try a fresh lime freeze or a huckleberry milkshake. Corner Drug also has your weekend essentials and a full-service pharmacy. Hunting and fishing licenses and tackle available. [p. 65]
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Dining In Catering, Inc.
Bill Boney, Owner & Executive Chef 208-787-2667, toll-free 800-787-9178 diningincateringinc.com
Dining In Catering, Inc. is the region’s most experienced outdoor event catering company, receiving rave reviews for great food and service. Owner and executive chef Bill Boney and his staff have catered the biggest events, weddings, and corporate retreats to take place in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley. Dining In Catering also offers a banquet location in Teton Valley—Wildwood Room, the gathering place for Teton Valley’s best events since 2003! [p. 13]
Forage Bistro & Lounge
285 Little Avenue, Suite A Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2858 Tues–Fri 11am–9pm, Sat and Sun 10am–9pm forageandlounge.com Forage Bistro & Lounge, specializing in seasonal regional cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients, offers creative, chef-inspired lunch, brunch, and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Enjoy halfpriced bottles of wine every Wednesday, as well as Happy Hour foodand-drink specials daily from 3pm to 6pm. Homemade desserts, local grass-fed beef burgers, craft sodas, and more served from our scratch kitchen. Open kitchen with nothing to hide offers diners a unique experience in Teton Valley.
Grand Targhee Resort
Alta, WY 83414 800-TARGHEE (827-4433) grandtarghee.com
The Branding Iron offers homemade recipes with fresh local fare and Wyoming-raised beef. Come enjoy casual slopeside dining with a full bar, must-try menu, and unbelievable views. At the Trap Bar and Grill you’ll find a wide selection of local microbrews on tap, great food like the famous Wydaho Nachos, high-definition TVs with your favorite sports teams, and the best après live music on this side of the Tetons! Snorkels is your slopeside bistro; enjoy a cup of hot coffee or cappuccino with a Wyoming-style breakfast burrito; return for lunch and a fresh sandwich with a steaming cup of soup. Stop by for dinner on weekends and holidays for authentic Mexican cuisine. At Wild Bill’s, treat yourself to authentic Mexican fare, burgers, house-made chili, soups, pizza, and more! [BC]
Linn Canyon Ranch
1300 East 6000 South Victor, ID 83455 208-787-LINN (5466) linncanyonranch.com
Linn Canyon Ranch is a winter wonderland where sleigh bells ring as you dash through the snow in an authentic horse-drawn sleigh. Join us for a cozy western evening and an elegant dinner in our historic lodge. Experience the fine hospitality the Linn family is known for. Twenty-four hour advance reservations required. We also host holiday and private parties. [p. 29]
McDonald’s®
1110 West Broadway @ Hwy 22 Jackson, WY 83001 307-733-7444 Open daily 5am–12am or later mcwyoming.com/6435 Fast, Affordable, and On Your Way! Whether you’re driving over the pass on your way to Grand Teton National Park or commuting to your job on the “other side,” make McDonald’s® a part of your day. We’re serving your breakfast favorites like the classic Egg McMuffin®, Egg White Delight McMuffin®, and McCafe™ beverages featuring Lattes, Mochas, and Frappes. Premium Salads and new McWraps®, Real Fruit Smoothies, and Fruit and Maple Oatmeal are delicious choices to support your healthy, active lifestyle. [p. 20]
Morales Home Made
55 North Main Street Victor, ID 83455 (Behind Suba) 307-203-9380 Mon–Fri 10am–3pm. Fri and Sat 4pm–8pm for Taco Night Facebook.com/MoralesHomeMade Morales Home Made is about delicious, fresh, homemade recipes like breakfast/lunch burritos, smoothies, tacos, and Naughty Fruit Snacks made with love every time. Delicious food that’s fast and fresh; stop by for breakfast or lunch Monday through Friday. Start your weekend off right with Taco Night on Fridays and Saturdays, offering Mexican street tacos. Choose from carne asada, chicken, chorizo, or fish made fresh on the grill and ready to enjoy! Morales Home Made is also available to cater your party, business meeting, or special event. [p. 9]
Pendl’s Bakery & Café
40 Depot Street Driggs, ID 83422 (1 block northwest of the stoplight) 208-354-5623 Closed Mondays pendlspastries.com Looking for a Latte and fresh Apple Strudel? Find them at Pendl’s, where Kitzbuehel Konditor Fred Pendl has passed his baking traditions on to daughter Martha. From Nussknackers to Florentiners, Old World Austrian pastries and confections continue. Delectable Strudels and fruit-filled Danish pastries baked in-house daily, with homemade muffins, quiches, and cranberry granola rounding out your morning. Relax in our beautiful backyard garden, savor a freshly roasted coffee or hand-crafted espresso drink, and start your day right at Pendl’s!
Seoul Restaurant
528 Valley Center Drive, Suite #4 Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-1234 Open every day except Wednesday, 11am–10pm Come in and try Seoul Restaurant, where authentic Korean food will surely keep you warm inside this winter. We serve boiling hot pot soups such as Kimchi Jjigae, along with Dumpling soup and Jombong soup. We also have hearty meat entrees such as Galbi and Bulgogi. Located north of Driggs. Bring in your Grand Targhee 2015–2016 ski pass or day pass to get 10 percent off your dinner (limited to one discounted meal per table). We also offer takeout. [p. 56]
Teton Thai
18 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-787-THAI (8424) Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm; dinner Mon–Sat 5:30–9:30pm tetonthai.com Voted “Best Restaurant, Teton Valley” in the Jackson Hole Weekly, Teton Thai offers something for everyone. Enjoy a variety of exotic dishes, from Crispy Duck Pad Gar Pow to Muslim-style Masaman curry, all made from our family’s recipes first created in Bangkok. Sit at the kitchen counter and watch our chefs prepare your dish while you explore our eclectic beer and wine list. Dine in or take out.
The Brakeman American Grill
27 North Main Street Victor, ID 83455 208-787-2020 Open Sun–Thurs 11:30am– 3:30pm and 5pm–8pm, Fri–Sat 11:30am–3:30pm and 5pm–9pm Freshly ground chuck is where The Brakeman Burger begins. We grind select cuts of beef daily here at The Brakeman and blend it with very special spices. We serve our burgers up on a terrific bun with the freshest lettuce, tomato, and red onion, and pair it with our fresh-cut fries. Our customers insist we’ve got the best burger they’ve ever tasted! We’re all about fresh at The Brakeman American Grill: crisp, tasty, and innovative salads, along with veggie burgers and other sandwiches. Great atmosphere, terrific music. Dine in or take out.
The Royal Wolf
63 Depot Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-8365 Open seven days a week; serving lunch and dinner 11am–late theroyalwolf.com Since 1997, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed discovering this off-Main Street establishment offering a diverse menu of sandwiches, burgers, salads, appetizers, and entrées served in a casual, smoke-free, pub-style environment. Complementing our menu is a full bar serving all of your favorite beverages, including cocktails, wine, and a selection of regional microbrews on draft. Enjoy outdoor dining on our spacious deck during the summer. Daily food and beer specials, Wi-Fi, and billiards. Stop by to meet old friends and make new ones. Snow sagas and fish tales told nightly.
The Storehouse at Teton Springs Lodge & Spa 10 Warm Creek Lane Victor, ID 83455 208-787-7888 tetonspringslodge.com
Located at the Teton Springs Lodge, the Natural Retreats Storehouse is a bistro-style café offering local products and Starbucks Coffee in a relaxed and intimate setting. Stop by for breakfast to sample some of our fresh home-baked goods and then come back in the evening for a specialty cocktail when the café transforms into a wine bar. The Storehouse is also the perfect spot to host a private event or function, with the gorgeous backdrop of the majestic Tetons.
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dining guide
Three Peaks Dinner Table
Victor Emporium
15 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-9463 Open Tues–Sun 10am–10pm Daily happy hours 4pm–6pm threepeaksdinnertable.com Custom-cut steaks, fresh fish, and chops at this great downtown Driggs restaurant close to the stoplight. Boutique wine selection available for takeout or on-site enjoyment. Unique western-influenced menu with game meats, along with gluten-free and vegetarian options. Private in-home or on-site catering and cooking classes available. We feature locally made artwork in our unique, circa 1940s building. Open Tues–Sun 9am–10pm from Memorial through Labor Day and 10am– 10pm the rest of the year. Visit our website or call for reservations.
45 North Main Street Victor, ID 83455 208-787-2221 Open seven days a week
Over one million served! For more than sixty-five years the Victor Emporium Old Fashioned Soda Fountain has served milk shakes, including the World Famous Huckleberry Shake. Gourmet coffee and espresso served daily. The Emporium is also a great place to pick up those unusual gifts. Where the locals meet before and after skiing! [p. 53]
Victor Valley Market 5 South Main Street Victor, ID 83455 208-787-2230 Open daily 7am–9pm
Tony’s Pizza & Pasta
364 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-8829 Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, 11am–11pm tonyspizzadriggs.com At Tony’s Pizza & Pasta we use 100 percent fresh products for our hand-tossed pizzas and Italian entrees, and we bake all of our items in an Italian brick oven. Try our exciting grill items, such as burgers, steak, and salmon. You can choose from our selection of twenty-five beers on tap while you watch your favorite sporting event—including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey—on one of our nine 45-inch flat-screen TVs. Come in and enjoy our vaulted-ceilinged, logcabin ski lodge/Italian restaurant. We deliver to Teton Valley!
Custom Publishing
Victor Valley Market is your local grocer and THE place to get fresh seafood and choice meats in Teton Valley. Offering a unique selection of groceries, from organic and specialty items to your everyday needs, including a full selection of wine and beer. Our gourmet deli counter offers delicious house-made takeout dishes, along with sandwiches made with locally baked bread, fresh salads, house-made soups, and so much more! Victor Valley Market has all that you need to make a delicious meal, whether for eating in or picnicking. [p. 56]
Put our expertise to work for you. Monitoring teton County, idaho’s rapidly Changing eConoMy and population
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lodging guide
Fin and Feather Inn
9444 South Highway 31 Victor, ID 83422 208-787-1007 finandfeatherinn.com
The Fin and Feather Inn is a small bed and breakfast in Teton Valley situated along the Teton Scenic Byway. We combine luxury and country hospitality, making for a very relaxing and comfortable stay. Our three rooms feature Grand Teton views, spacious bedrooms, private bathrooms, dual-head showers, a deep soaking bathtub, HD/Direct TV, and free wireless Internet. Come stay at the Fin and Feather Inn and experience the wonderful adventures that Teton Valley has to offer, while staying at a quality bed and breakfast. [p. 24]
Fox Creek Inn
273 E 5500 S Victor, ID 83455 208-604-0831 thefoxcreekinn.com
Located on the Idaho side of the Tetons along Fox Creek, the Inn features four luxurious rooms with no TV but free Wi-Fi. The Inn is 3.5 miles from Victor, 6.5 miles from Driggs, thirty minutes from downtown Jackson, and one hour-plus from Grand Teton National Park. For skiers, it’s thirty minutes to either Grand Targhee or Jackson Hole ski resorts. A full breakfast is served each morning, and guests enjoy a great room, patio, hot tub, fire pit, and star-studded night skies.
Grand Targhee Resort
Alta, WY 800-TARGHEE [827-4433] grandtarghee.com
After a day of skiing, it’s time to relax with the family in one of a variety of western-style slopeside accommodations. All lodging is located just steps away from an array of shopping, dining, and activities. For those who desire a more intimate family retreat, consider Grand Targhee Resort’s Vacation Rentals in Teton Valley, perfectly situated between Victor, Driggs, and the resort. Call 800-TARGHEE to book your stay. [BC, 65]
Grand Valley Lodging Property Management
PO Box 191, 158 N. First Street Driggs, ID 83422 800-746-5518 mail@grandvalleylodging.com grandvalleylodging.com Grand Valley Lodging is the premier property management company in Teton Valley, operating since 1992. We offer great rates on shortterm rentals that include vacation homes, cabins, and condominiums throughout the valley. We are also the largest long-term (six-monthsplus) property management company in the valley, and can help you optimize income and maintain your property. With our extremely experienced team in the housing rental business, we are happy to discuss the management of your valuable investment in Teton Valley. [p. 13]
Linn Canyon Ranch
1300 East 6000 South Victor, ID 83455 208-787-LINN [5466] linncanyonranch.com
Our lodging combines the best of luxurious accommodations against the backdrop of an Idaho winter wonderland. Sleep peacefully in a timber-frame cabin, nestled in the snowy foothills of the Tetons. Join us for a sleigh ride and dinner during your stay. We are also happy to help you reserve off-site adventures, such as snowmobile tours or cross-country and downhill skiing. [p. 29]
Natural Retreats Teton Springs Lodge & Spa 10 Warm Creek Lane Victor, ID 83455 855-231-7956 or 208-787-7888 TetonSpringsLodge.com
US News & World Report’s #1 Hotel in Idaho, this Natural Retreats destination offers fifty-one elegant guest rooms and suites, as well as luxury mountain log cabins. Nestled on the border of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the year-round resort has the best of summer and winter activities available, all in a gorgeous setting. The Stillwaters Spa & Salon offers a full range of services and the Headwaters Club & Golf boasts two stunning courses. With a range of activities offered, this is the perfect destination for an unforgettable family vacation.
Teton Valley Cabins
34 East Ski Hill Road Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-8153 or 866-687-1522 stay@tetonvalleycabins.com tetonvalleycabins.com Nestled amongst mature cottonwoods, Teton Valley Cabins welcomes you for your special getaway, vacation home base, or family or group reunion. Quaint charm, rustic cabins, and affordable rates await you at Teton Valley Cabins, just one mile from Driggs, with its restaurants and shops. Enjoy our grounds complete with a new Jacuzzi, or explore Teton Valley from here. We are centrally located, with Grand Targhee Resort just up the road, and other recreational opportunities within a few minutes’ drive. Various room types are available. Our rooms are equipped with microwave, fridge, satellite TV, and Wi-Fi. [p. 31]
Teton Valley Realty Management
253 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-3431 mail@tvrmanagement.com vacationrentalstetonvalley.com We hope you will allow us to find that perfect home or condominium to make your vacation a memorable and extra-special one. All of our homes are nicely furnished, meticulously maintained, and fully equipped to accommodate your group at a fraction of what you would pay for a few hotel rooms. All homes come complete with linens, kitchen necessities, cable or satellite TV service, soaps, and paper products; some have high-speed Internet service. Basically, you receive all the conveniences of home, away from home. [p. 6]
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Celebrating 10 Years in Business!
TETON COUNTY TITLE Your title company for the past, present and future
65 S Main Driggs, Idaho
208-354-5050 TetonCountyTitle.com 70
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Pictured (left to right) Ruth Corcoran - Title Officer, Daryl Fauth - Manager, Tiera Parker - Escrow Officer
We take our jobs seriously. When investing in a new home, a new site for your business, or your own Private Idaho ‘getaway’ you need to have peace of mind that the property is truly yours and that the closing is handled professionally. Please feel free to call us…we’re here to help!
church directory 53 Depot Street | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-WORD [9673] ccteton.org Visitors welcome. Our motto is to simply teach the Bible simply—and thus, our pattern of study is verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book, right through the Bible. Sunday service starts at 10am and typically consists of worship, teaching, and fellowship. Dress is nice casual and the service usually lasts about an hour. Children’s church and a nursery room are provided. Wednesday Bible study starts at 7pm and lasts about an hour; dress is casual. One block north of the stoplight in Driggs, then turn left (west) on Depot Street (opposite Wallace Street and the gas station); the church will be on your right.
Church in the Tetons | Pastor Karlin Bilcher
Driggs City Center | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-HOPE [4673] churchinthetetons.org We gather for worship in the Driggs City Center at 9:15 on Sunday mornings. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of the month. On months with five Sundays we go out as the hands and feet of Jesus to serve our neighbors however we may. We are a biblically grounded, Christcentered, mission-focused, witnessing community that exists to serve Teton Valley and the world to the glory of God. We are often described as authentic, relational, genuine, and honest. Nursery is available for infants and toddlers two and under. Education is provided for kids three and over.
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
245 South Highway 33 | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-642-7459 uppervalleycatholic.com Starting November 7th and continuing until Memorial Day weekend, Mass will be held every Saturday at 2pm in Spanish and 4:30pm in English. Adoration is held every Wednesday 2–6pm, Confessions 4:30pm, and a bilingual Mass at 6pm. For more information call the Parish Office at 208-624-7459 or email idahocatholic@yahoo.com.
LDS Driggs Idaho Stake
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Teton Valley Wards Driggs I Driggs II Driggs III Tetonia I Tetonia II Victor I Victor II Victor III
Tom Hill Wade Treasure Mitch Blake Thomas Richins Jim Douglass Lynn Bagley Val Kunz Stan Marshall
354-8211 354-8806 354-2379 456-2871 456-2362 787-2211 787-2026 787-3678
1pm 11am 9am 9am 11am 1pm 9am 11am
St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church
20 Alta School Road | Alta, WY 83414 | 208-353-8100 sftetons@silverstar.com | stfrancis.episcopalidaho.org Join us for Sunday morning worship and Sunday School beginning at 10am. St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church with the Rev. Deb Adams officiating welcomes worshippers of all walks of faith. In the shadow of the Tetons, this historic church offers an opportunity to experience God’s presence and join in fellowship, spiritual renewal, and service to others. [p. 24]
Teton Valley Bible Church
265 North 2nd East | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-8523 tetonvalleybiblechurch.org Teton Valley Bible Church welcomes everyone to join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30. Come ready to give your heart to Christ in worship through singing, the reading of Scripture, expository preaching, and meaningful fellowship. Sunday school for children and adults is at 9am. AWANA meets Wednesday nights at 6:20 throughout the school year. [p. 20]
school directory
Calvary Chapel Teton Valley
Table Rock Christian School
1510 North Highway 33 | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-9674 trcs.us TRCS students say they truly enjoy learning, and often find themselves a year or two ahead in key subjects when compared to those attending many other schools. We work to ensure that our students establish a joy for learning. We teach them how to think, not what to think. We utilize a challenging ‘Traditional Christian Education’ approach, borrowing from time-tested methods including Charlotte Mason, Spalding, McGuffey Readers, and the Bible. Our small, but solidly established school boasts a tutoring-like, peaceful, caring environment. If you have a K–4 student, we would enjoy receiving your inquiry.
Teton School District 401
District Office: 208-228-5923 tsd401.org Teton School District 401 strives to provide a safe and exceptional learning environment, where career and college readiness are the academic cornerstones of a relevant and progressive education. Our daily student focus is having Respect, being Responsible and Ready. [p. 28]
Teton High School
Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5924 tsd401.org As a four-year high school, THS strives to recognize the uniqueness of the individual in preparing him or her for a lifetime of learning. THS provides a safe and academically focused learning environment, where students are challenged for career and college readiness.
Basin High School
Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5928 tsd401.org Basin High School is an alternative option for students who meet the state criteria for enrollment. Students obtain credits through a state-approved independent-study format, with assistance from certified staff.
Teton Middle School
Grades 6–8 | 208-228-5925 tsd401.org Teton Middle School is dedicated to providing a quality education through which students will grow in academic achievement, respect for themselves and others, self-discipline, integrity, honesty, and responsibility.
Teton Elementary Schools
Grades K–3 at Victor 208-228-5929 | Driggs 208-228-5927 | Tetonia 208-228-5930 | Rendezvous Upper Elementary grades 4–5 in Driggs 208-228-5926 tsd401.org The mission of the elementary schools of Teton School District 401 is to be integral in the partnership between school, home, and community in nurturing and encouraging all children to become productive citizens and lifelong learners. WINTER 2015/2016
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exposure
Rarin’ to Run RATHER THAN STANDING AND LYING AROUND, BARKING AND BORED, THESE SLED DOGS WOULD NO DOUBT PREFER TO BE OUT TEARING UP THE SNOW. PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMYE CHRISMAN
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