Teton Valley Magazine Winter 2021/2022

Winter Wildlife

Representing

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*From left to right: Paul Kelly, Brooke Saindon, Carl Struttmann, Andrea Loban, Brice Nelson, Kim Beres. Not Pictured: Chloë Pierce

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Lately, I have spent many late-night and pre-dawn hours up with my newborn. In between moments of consoling, shooshing, and fending off exhaustion, I’ve taken particular notice of the stunning star-packed and twinkling sky illuminating through our loft’s picture window. Thanks to Nate’s insistence on waking at 3am, I’ve spent more time than ever admiring how remarkable these celestial views truly are—and realizing how increasingly rare viewing a true dark sky in all its glory is becoming.

Which brings me to the contents of this latest issue of Valley Magazine showcasing all aspects of our community—from a profile of taking animal rescue to the skies (page 30) and a piece diving into the ins and outs of foraging for and chopping wood (page 40), to a tale of powder day wonder at nearby mom-and-pop Kelly Canyon Ski Resort (page 84) ... to name a few. You may also notice, as I have, a shared thread in our feature articles connecting the concept of preserving.

In Illuminating Dark Sky Values (page 56), writer Christina Shepherd McGuire dives into the rise of Dark Sky Tourism led by Jackson Hole-based nonprofit Wyoming Stargazing— as well as the fledgling efforts to maintain our own starry skies on the west side of the Tetons.

Kristen Pope explores the survival skills of our native creatures in Winter Wildlife (page 78), from hibernating bears to great grey owls and trumpeter swans. Note the importance of ensuring their survival during these sometimes harsh months hangs on humans respecting winter closures and keeping their distance.

And in Grand Targhee Growing Pains (page 64), Molly Absolon reports on the push and pull of growth at the Alta resort as Grand Targhee’s future expansion plans are underway. As the resort looks to future possibilities, some are holding a grip on preserving its past. Can a balance be found? Expect to see updates in the first half of 2022.

In between time spent on the trails, on the slopes, or cozied up by the fire, we hope you enjoy this latest issue that captures the wonder and excitement of our winter season and more. It’s a feeling we at the magazine always hope to encapsulate in print.

As for me, while I hope my admiration of the night sky can become a bit more intentional, maybe even enjoyed during a program with Wyoming Stargazing, I know I may come to miss these sleepless late-night moments. But maybe not enough to preserve them.

Publishers Kate Hull (top) and Sage Hibberd (bottom) with their children.

publisher + editor in chief

Kate Hull kate@powdermountainpress.com

publisher + art director

Sage Hibberd sage@powdermountainpress.com

sales manager

Jessica Pozzi

jessica@powdermountainpress.com

publisher emeritus

Nancy McCullough-McCoy

editor at large

Michael McCoy

design advisor

Linda Grimm

designer

Dave Stein

contributors

Molly Absolon

Lara Agnew

Judy Allen

Ryan Ariano

Jeannette Boner

Katie Cooney

Shannon Corsi

Camrin Dengel

Mark Gocke

Tom Hallberg

Kisa Koenig

Smith Maddrey

Michael McCoy

Christina Shepherd McGuire

Kristen Pope

David Stubbs

Geena Toxby

Cy Whitling

Molly Absolon

Molly (Grand Targhee Growing Pains, page 64) covers everything from outdoor risk and adventure to lifestyle and the arts in order to support her own mountain adventures. She lives in Victor with her husband—her daughter Avery is now off to college—and supplements her writing work with occasional outdoor education gigs. She just finished her second term on the Victor City Council.

Camrin Dengel

Camrin (Labor of Love, page 72) is a Teton Valley based photographer. With an education in natural resources she focuses on telling stories that overlap with her values in sustainability. Her photojournalistic work ranges from projects for editorial clients, to national brands and global nonprofits. She has love for slow food, minimalism, and modern design.

Jeannette Boner

Jeannette (Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, page 84) continues to happily explore the Tetons with her husband, Brad, and two kids, Will and Adeline. Over the last two decades Jeannette has worked as an editor and journalist covering some of the most historic headlines in Teton Valley and the Greater Yellowstone region. However, she says, there is nothing more exciting than watching her children explore the surrounding wild places with joy and wonder.

Mark Gocke

Mark (Winter Wildlife, page 78) has called the Tetons home for the past 25 years. He spends much of his time photographing most anything outdoors, whether it be for his day job with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department or on any number of misadventures in the backcountry with family and friends. Capturing special moments with wildlife in their natural habitat is his passion. You can view more of Mark’s unique images at markgockephotography.com.

Smith Maddrey

Smith (Art Bearing Witness, page 88) made a beeline westward from North Carolina in 2000 to explore the mountains, the rivers, and wild places of the Rockies. He first came to Teton Valley in 2001 as an itinerant outdoor educator and returned with his family in 2008 to reside here full-time. In addition to teaching English at the Jackson Hole Community School, Smith works as a mountain guide and occasional writer. He lives in Driggs with his wife, Susan, and their three kids.

JANUARY 18 - 22, 2022

Driggs Snow Ball

January 22

Event schedule updates at www.downtowndriggs.org @downtowndriggs

Visit Driggs to celebrate winter. Stay to enjoy the arts, culture, dining, shopping, and amenities.

Enriching Our Community Through Arts & Culture

Ways to Play

* Activities/operating hours may be adjusted according to COVID-19 guidelines for the safety and health of the community. Please call ahead for current information.

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Cozy up with brunch at Butter, or try sister restaurant Wanderlust Bistro, both in Victor

Beat the crowds and enjoy fresh powder during an Early Tracks session at Grand Targhee Resort

Grab a coffee from Victor’s Alpine Air Coffee Hut serving up locally roasted coffee

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

Prepare to be wowed at the Teton Geo Center’s terrific avalanche dog exhibit and more

Refuel with a smoothie or freshly squeezed juice at the Barrels & Bins Smoothie Bar

Explore the Teton outback on skis with the professional and savvy guides at Yöstmark Backcountry Tours

Search open waters for snow-white trumpeter swans (but keep your distance, please)

Book a wildlife tour in Grand Teton National Park with EcoTour Adventures

Nosh on a fresh baked pastry and hot tea from Driggs’ Rise Coffee House (more on page 96)

Explore Victor’s Makers District for artisan goods from Sego Ski Co., New West KnifeWorks, and more

Pop into The Velvet Moose in Driggs for mountaininspired apparel, jewelry, gifts, and more

Find must-have gear and outerwear at Peaked Sports, Habitat, or Yöstmark, all located in Driggs

Practice your skills on skinny skis and book a lesson with Teton Nordic Ski School

Take a day trip to Island Park and explore Harriman State Park’s twenty-four miles of Nordic trails

Shop for gardening supplies, florals, gifts, and more at MD Nursery located just outside of Driggs

Take a day trip to Jackson’s National Elk Refuge for a winter sleigh ride that’s sure to delight

Shop for decor and homegoods at Driggs’ The Rusty Nail or Farmhouse 208, or Victor’s Festive Living

Soothe your aching muscles at the sub-zero wellness center and sauna, CRYO Therapy Idaho

Satisfy your inner foodie’s cravings at Forage in Driggs, named the best restaurant in Idaho

Glide to your favorite tunes at Kotler Ice Arena’s Friday Night Ice public skating

Sip a crisp craft beverage like the Tram-Line at Victor’s new High Point Cider

Save the date for Downtown Driggs Association’s stellar snow sculpting festivities in January

Kick back under the lap blankets on a Linn Canyon Ranch sleigh ride before enjoying a gourmet dinner

Sample Northern Thai cuisine like khao soi or nam prik ong at Victor’s Chiang Mai Thai Kitchen

Enjoy a custom culinary experience in your home or vacation rental with Tiny Town Culinary

Be mesmerized by the night sky on a stargazing tour with Wyoming Stargazing (more on page 56)

Toast the season at Citizen 33, a Driggs brewery and pub from the team at Tatanka and Forage

Order up Italian fare at Driggs’ Pizzeria Alpino, known for dishing out flavorful, inventive pizzas

MoveWell

Driggs-based mind-body fitness studio MoveWell is just what its name implies: An exercise studio focused on the joy and importance of movement. Using the Gyrotonic method, owner and instructor Colleen Downard leads students through a movement system composed of two modalities: the Gyrotonic & the Gyrokinesis methods. Both methods, she says, aim to lengthen and strengthen the entire body while decompressing the spine and other joints. Colleen has been teaching in the dance, exercise, and Pilates industry since 1997 and was first introduced to the Gyrotonic method in 2002. She credits her ability to ease her chronic pain and continue her active life to this style of exercise.

“I’m basically a huge movement geek,” Colleen says. “I love to share this knowledge with those in my community and help guide students on their personal journey through the body.”

This kinesthetic experience is aimed at helping students develop better mobility and more easeful postures, and find improved strength and more joie de vivre. At a minimum, Colleen hopes students will leave classes at MoveWell with a better understanding of how to manage and minimize any discomfort in the body. “But ideally students find the joy of movement,” she says. “That’s really exciting to see as a teacher.”

MoveWell is located at 30 North First Street in Driggs. Interested students can book a class online at movewelljh.com or call 307.699.1910. Class offerings include a free thirty-minute consultation, as well as a variety of different introductory packages. Students can start privately or in a small group of up to three people.

Piedaho

For Rebecca Bloom, owner and baker at award-winning bakery Piedaho, enjoying a delicious pie is universal and nostalgic. “So many of our customers tell us stories of their mom or grandma’s pies and the fruit they had in their gardens,” she says. Rebecca’s Hailey, Idaho-based bakery catapulted to popularity in 2019 when the artful pies were spotlighted on the coveted Oprah’s Favorite Things, a list of gifts, goods, and eats for the holiday season. And the appeal is no wonder. Rebecca’s swoonworthy fruit-packed pastries are known for creative flavors like salted caramel apple, blackberry apple with thyme crust, and mixed berry ginger.

“I like to play with flavor profiles, designs, and techniques,” Rebecca says. “I am not a perfectionist as I think perfection is impossible with pie. It’s the process that I enjoy most.”

Grab a Piedaho pie for the holidays—or just because—at Food Shed Idaho in Victor. There’s always a reason to have a slice. Order for local pickup or delivery at foodshedidaho.com.

Pack It

Exploring the backcountry via skis, snowboard, or snowmobile is an exciting adventure, but with it comes important responsibility to yourself, your group, other backcountry users, and the volunteers with Teton County Idaho Search and Rescue (TCISAR). Before you go, pack all the gear you need in your backpack and on your sled. TCISAR recommends snowmobile users always carry a way to get out, in case of breakdown, like snowshoes and ski poles. Without them, you’re really stuck.

Phones are great for communication and navigation. Be sure to carry an extra power source and keep all electronics warm—try using a disposable hand warmer. Always have a working, charged, and switched on beacon on your person at all times.

Inside your pack, have essential items like adequate water and food, a first aid kit, a probe and shovel, headlamp, extra clothing, and a way to start a fire.

And remember:

• Have a plan and a partner.

• Know the conditions.

• Take an avalanche education course.

More information: tcisar.org and backcountryzero.com.

XC Ski School

Jan Borstelmann and Celeste Young, the duo behind Teton Nordic Ski School, connected over a passion for Nordic skiing and teaching. In 2019, the avid skiers decided to link up and offer lessons in Teton Valley.

“Nordic skiing uses my whole body, and when I am skiing well, it feels like I am my own symphony,” Jan says. “I love the fact that most people can ski. If you can walk, you can ski. It is one of the most peaceful activities that you can do, slow or fast.”

Nordic skiers looking to learn or brush up on their technique can sign up for group or private classes in both skate or classic techniques. Celeste recommends first timers dip their toe in with a private lesson in classic before moving to skate style. “There are also many aspects of classic skiing that will translate to learning skate skiing,” she says.

For solitude, fitness, or a simple way to enjoy the snowy season, book a lesson at tetonxc.com.

Don’t let the name fool you. These snow machines don’t take flight. With skis and a motor, the planes glide across the snow and are the forerunner of today’s snowmobile. Save the date for the Dale Robson Memorial Snow Plane Rally & Exhibition held in January at Tetonia’s city park.

Pizza Roundup Snow Planes

Find pizza served up every which way you like it in Teton Valley. In Driggs, Tatanka Tavern is known for wood-fired varieties best enjoyed with a pint. Try the Fungus Amongus. Pizzeria Alpino celebrates the cuisine of the Italian alps with flavorful pies and fare. O’Rourkes serves up traditional comfort-style favorites in addition to their stacked menu.

Make a night of it with a pitcher and pizza at Wildlife Brewing in Victor. Or cook up a takeand-bake creation at home from Driggs’ Get Baked Prepared Food Emporium.

Grain to Glass

Since 2011, Grand Teton Distillery has produced award-winning vodkas, whiskeys, and bourbons from its Driggs operation. Known for using Idaho potatoes and glacial snowmelt water, the distillery is celebrated for its attention to local ingredients and sustainable practices. The family-owned and -operated distillery is expanding, with the addition of a 2,000-square-foot tasting room and increased storage for the facility slated to open this winter.

“I’m so excited it’s happening and going to be in Driggs,” says Andrew Boczar, vice president of Grand Teton Distillery.

As part of their ten-year anniversary celebration, they have also released the first whiskey from the new Grand Teton Private Stock Whiskies series. Whiskies and more will be on the menu at the new tasting room, set to accommodate fifty guests. The space will allow the distillery to host more locals, tour groups, and private events with complimentary tastings. There are also tours of the facility and ample room to enjoy Teton Valley’s spirts. Learn more about the new releases and expansion in the works at tetondistillery.com

This is all-in western living. A basecamp for the human spirit. It’s a rare but reachable respite amidst a confluence of adventure and luxury. Rich in wildlife, abundantly stocked ponds, and charming mountain town culture, this 1,500-acre low-density community is the Rocky Mountain West’s last best-kept secret. An invitation to discover more than place; but your place within it. TAKE A MOMENT TO

ABOVE An excited pup is welcomed by Paws of Jackson Hole. This lucky canine was transported from an overcrowded shelter by Dog Is My Co-Pilot and brought out West where ample potential adopters await.

BY KATE HULL PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARA AGNEW

Dog Is My Co-Pilot

Nonprofit takes animal rescue to the skies

There isn’t typically much activity in the predawn hours at Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport. But on any given day, from early spring until the snow flies, you might catch a glimpse of a brightly painted blue plane taking flight on a unique mission: rescuing dogs across the Southwest.

Throughout the country, more than six million dogs and cats enter shelters each year. And while some shelters have been able to move to a no-kill model and find homes for each pet, many, predominantly in the South and Southwest, are still at capacity and find themselves without options—due to a myriad of problems like a lack of spay and neuter programs. But in the West, some shelters find themselves with more potential adopters than available animals. Enter Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Jackson resident, nonprofit founder, pilot, and animal lover Dr. Peter Rork saw a way to connect the dots. Since 2012, Peter, alongside executive director Kara Pollard, has partnered with animal shelters throughout the Southwest, acting as the middleman of sorts rescuing dogs at risk of euthanasia, and transporting them to shelters in the West.

Peter started with humble beginnings as the sole pilot for the effort, operating out of his small personal plane and transporting a few dozen dogs at a time to willing shelters.

This past summer, he was able to add an additional six pilots to his roster, including Driggs resident Tim Riley.

“It’s a wonderful mission I am happy to be a part of,” Tim says. “We get to fly, see the country, we get to see a lot of happy people, and help rescue dogs. The whole thing put together is just truly fantastic.”

One of Tim’s favorite stops is a shelter in Oregon. “In Oregon, they place all the dogs with fosters before arrival, so when the plane lands, the foster parents are standing at the airport welcoming the dogs,” he says. “It’s a wonderful thing to see.”

In addition to a larger team, they now have a new Dog Is My Co-Pilot Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane with greater capacity, allowing the nonprofit to go from saving one thousand animals a year to one thousand a month.

During the warmer months, the colorful plane takes off on nearly daily trips from its homebase in Driggs heading to destinations as far south as the Texas and Mexico border, as well as shelters in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The plane then heads to a variety of receiving shelters en route back to Driggs, the final destination.

“At some dropoff sites, we will have ten or twenty people involved because

ABOVE Jackson resident and pilot Dr. Peter Rork founded Dog Is My Co-Pilot in 2012 to help connect the dots between overcrowded shelters, ones with capacity, and hopeful adopters.

we are sending so many animals to different groups,” Kara explains.

Locally, Dog Is My Co-Pilot partners with the Animal Adoption Center and Paws of Jackson Hole in Jackson and the Teton Valley Animal Shelter and Aska’s Animals in Victor.

“Animal shelters in our nation are over capacity, everyone is panicked,

“We get to fly, see the country, we get to see a lot of happy people, and help rescue dogs. The whole thing put together is just truly fantastic.”

Tim Riley, Pilot

and everyone is stressed,” Kara says. “I am fielding a few calls a day from Texas or California saying ‘I need help.’ We reach the partners who need it most.”

Peter hopes to soon add another plane to reach more and more animals and expand to other parts of the country, particularly out East. But for now, the impact is worth celebrating.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the people who have helped get this going,” Peter says. “We are really happy with the direction it has gone. We had to scale up and get a bigger plane, then scale up and

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Volunteers and staff from Jackson’s Animal Adoption Center pose with pilot Dr. Brent Blue (far left). Adoption center staff get crates ready to transport the dogs. Volunteers carry and cozy up with the newest four-legged arrivals to the Tetons.

Island Park Hydro Buffalo Hydro

Chester Hydro

Felt Hydro

“We couldn’t be prouder of the people who have helped get this going. We are really happy with the direction it has gone.”

Dr. Peter Rork, Founder

The nonprofit increased carrying capacity this past summer with a new plane and the addition of six pilots. The changes allowed the group to go from transporting one thousand animals a year to nearly one thousand every month. This summer, Dr. Rork and his team surpassed twenty thousand dogs rescued.

bring on more pilots. Now, we are looking to scale up [again] and add another plane so we can help on the East Coast.”

While the problem of overcapacity shelters is never-ending, the nonprofit is working to make what impact they can, by reaching the shelters that need help the most. And as always, Peter and Kara encourage potential pet owners to adopt.

“One thing people can do is work to be part of the solution and not part of the problem: Opt to adopt and not shop,” he says. “Or, go by your local shelter and foster an animal so they can be ready for adoption, or volunteer. There are so many ways to help.”

There might not be a happier sight than watching the Dog Is My Co-Pilot plane land at Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport. Excited shelter volunteers cheer and welcome the canines, who seem to know they are getting a second chance at life. Pooches from El Paso, Abilene, Albuquerque, and elsewhere are loaded up to make their way to their next stop: A new home in the Tetons.

Armed with passion and enthusiasm, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Director Megan Bybee provides support beyond the call of duty to Teton School District 401.

Megan Bybee

BY JUDY ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE COONEY

Curriculum Director provides system-wide support to school district

It was the fall of 2020, and Teton School District 401 was facing the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, grappling with how best to serve students and keep them safe given the ongoing threat. Administrator Megan Bybee was in charge of implementing the district’s decision to offer online school at home to all students.

“I went to a lot of houses and stood on porches with computers,” Megan recalls. On many of those porch visits she communicated in Spanish.

Though Megan’s job title for the school district—Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Director—might imply a lot of time behind a desk, her work reality is much more dynamic. “I respond to the biggest need,” she says. “I’m a handsin-everything type of person.”

Even during a “normal” school year, Megan’s tasks are diverse. She’ll meet weekly with individual teachers to demonstrate how to use instructional materials, most of which involve technology’s ever-present learning curve. Later in the year, she’ll follow up by evaluating the effectiveness of new teaching tools. She also meets weekly with the administrative team, which includes all principals, program directors and supervisors, the business manager, human resources personnel, and the superintendent. She inputs reams of district data, including entries for every student into every program and every assessment tool. In addition, as the Spanish-speaking director of the English Language Learners

(ELL) program, she identifies non-English speaking students by making lots of phone calls to lots of parents. And every September, Megan helps with uploads to the state, “fixing 50,000 errors,” as she describes it.

Megan’s path to her current position with Teton County’s schools was circuitous. Alongside her twin sister, Kristen, she grew up in Wilson, Wyoming. Long-time Jackson residents will remember photos of the Bybee twins with their dad, Alan, that showed up every Father’s Day, first in the Jackson Hole Guide (taken by Liz McCabe), and then in the Jackson Hole News & Guide. The tradition has continued for 31 years, and Megan has copies of most of those photos. “They include us and our bikes, us riding the Snow King chairlift, us eating ice cream under the antler arches,” she says, laughing.

“Megan strives to focus on all students and often brings resources and ideas up to meet the needs of the most challenged students in our community. She goes above and beyond by making home visits, translating for Spanish-speaking students and families, and offering to be the tech support for those who need her.”

Monte Woolstenhulme, District Superintendent

After graduating from Jackson Hole High School in 2000, Megan attended

the University of Utah, earning a bachelor’s degree with honors in elementary education in 2005. Her first teaching positions were in schools with projectbased curricula. At Kanuikapono Public Charter School in Kauai, where the focus is on native Hawaiian culture and language, Megan’s initial teacher training included three days of learning Hawaiian chants and practicing traditional rituals. Then she moved to Oak Grove

“I appreciate the values here. It’s important to me to participate in the community I live in.”

Megan Bybee

School in Ojai, California, where she was a teacher and then principal.

In 2010, serendipitous life circumstances boomeranged Megan close to her home base, when she landed a job as principal of Driggs Elementary School. “I came with some hesitance, not knowing the valley,” Megan admits. “But this is a phenomenal community; I’m proud to be part of it.” Always a mover and shaker, with Jan Cooke, then principal of Victor and Tetonia Elementary schools, Megan pushed to establish full-day kindergarten in the district. In 2011, at the ripe age of 29, she became the first principal of Rendezvous Upper Elementary School, a new program she also initiated, as well as principal of the developmental preschool. During this time frame, she earned a master’s degree online in educational leadership from Western Governor’s University and is currently working on a combined master’s and education specialist degree in school psychology from Idaho State University.

Megan contemplates her rapid transition from teacher to principal to administrator, a role she took on in 2018. She appreciates the opportunity she now has to provide system-wide support: “I can help with things teachers and principals aren’t getting to,” she says. In her role as ELL director, she still maintains contact with kids and parents, frequently serving as trans-

lator. She is especially keen on deciphering district and state finances and serves on the finance committee of the school board.

“Rather than be a victim of poor state funding, what can we do to maximize the funding we have?” says Megan, always the optimist.

It’s no secret that our local school district has lost employees to positions over the hill in Jackson Hole, where the state of Wyoming provides higher salaries—Jackson, Wyoming, teacher salaries begin at $61,689 according to the 2021 compensation package versus a range of $40,369 to $64,212 on the Idaho side. So, what keeps Megan in Teton Valley? “Nobody gets into education for the money,” she says. “I appreciate the values here. It’s important to me to participate in the community I live in.”

Regarding Megan’s contributions to the district and community, District Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme cites Megan’s tireless leadership and compassion. “She understands complex systems and can explain and guide others to learn how those systems can improve education,” he says. “Megan strives to focus on all students and often brings resources and ideas up to meet the needs of the most challenged students in our community. She goes above and beyond by making home visits, translating for Spanish-speaking students and families, and offering to be the tech support for those who need her.”

Megan’s enthusiasm and ambition carry over to her passion for golf, which she describes as the sport she’s constantly working to improve at. As coach for the Teton High School golf team, she shares that passion with team members from the end of March to midMay. Last season, the girls’ team barely missed qualifying for the state tournament, while the boys’ team placed first in the district tournament and traveled to Coeur D’Alene for the state tournament. Alongside her mom, Sue Bybee, Megan also participates in (and wins) local golf tournaments in both Jackson Hole and Teton Valley.

With family close by, working at a job where she has an impact, and living in a community that she has chosen, Megan exudes gratitude. “I feel lucky to have found my place,” she says. “I love my job. Who gets all that?”

THIS PAGE Hilary Hays chops kindling on a snowy day.

OPPOSITE PAGE A tree is cut into rounds, an early step in the firewood gathering process. Next up, loading and then splitting rounds into smaller pieces sized for the fireplace.

BY MICHAEL M c COY PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARA AGNEW

Wood Work

The art of gathering firewood

Few things are more satisfying on a frigid winter’s eve in Teton Valley than cozying up to a wood-burning stove, watching the flames do their dance … and listening to the pops and crackles of steam pockets bursting open (although excessive crackling and popping are signs of insufficient firewood seasoning … read on).

If you fell, delimb, buck, haul, split, and stack your own firewood, a large measure of satisfaction comes from reflecting on a whole bunch of hard work well done.

If you’re new to the art, try to get some on-the-job training by going out with an experienced friend. They’ll welcome the help loading the logs or rounds into their truck or trailer, and you’ll learn a lot through observation and participation.

Eventually, you might become one of those who turns firewood gathering into a family affair. “Firewood cutting equals our fall and late summer family outings,” says Kristi Yorks of Victor. “We like our adventures to be purposeful; plus, the kiddos, four and one, definitely enjoy it.”

The same goes for Denise Bertsch Gardner, also of Victor, whose kids are a bit older: “We all scout for dead standing [trees], hubby fells and bucks, and the kids and I load and unload the truck. The kids have fun playing in the woods while the bucking is accomplished.”

What to Cut and Where to Cut It

To harvest firewood on the CaribouTarghee National Forest, which com-

prises most of the mountainous public lands surrounding Teton Valley, a firewood permit (granting permission to cut fallen and standing dead trees) must be obtained—locally, at the Teton Basin Ranger District office in Driggs. A fourcord minimum purchase is required, at $6.25 a cord. Permits for up to eight cords per household may be obtained, for a grand total of $50.

A cord measures four-by-four-byeight-feet, computing to 128 cubic feet. A cord of Douglas-fir or lodgepole pine can weigh close to a ton, so a half-ton pickup can typically haul about half a cord. That would be eight sweat-and-toil outings for eight loads to accumulate four cords, a reasonable target for those wanting to heat an average sized home. (Maybe signing on with Fall River Propane is sounding better all the time?)

In the field, after it’s delimbed, a tree can be cut into six- or eight-foot lengths, sizes reasonably easy to handle if the girth of the log is not too great; if it is, the weight will require that shorter lengths be cut. Logs are subsequently cut into rounds, which some people do in the field and others accomplish after

returning home. These are then split into firewood pieces.

Heat output is measured in British Thermal Units, or BTUs. One BTU equals the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Species with dense wood, such as certain eastern deciduous trees, provide the best firewood, releasing more BTUs than species with lighter-weight wood. Some, like oak and hickory, rival coal for their heat output.

However, our surrounding national forest lands tend not to support stands of hickory and oak. Of the conifer species that are common in our canyons and foothills, Douglas fir (#1) and lodgepole pine (#2) are the two that produce

With your well-seasoned wood, burn small, hot fires, which will help the fuel burn cleanly. Never allow the fire to smolder. Outside, the plume from your chimney should appear only as heat waves.

the most BTUs. Aspen, another local tree that we love for its shade and quaking nature, is fairly far down on the BTU scale. Not your best choice for firewood.

If you’ll be felling a dead standing tree rather than a tree that’s already down, pick your target carefully. Big snags, as well as any dead trees with cavities or other obvious signs of bird or animal habitation, should be left standing. Douglas fir snags are used for foraging and nesting by various woodpecker species, and the mistletoe “brooms” on snags may be utilized by owls for nesting, and for cover by martens, fishers, and porcupines. Lodgepole pine trees are typically more abundant and “gettable,” anyway.

Cross-county travel, no farther than 300 feet from an open road, is permitted for firewood gathering, if the slope

is less than 40 percent and the ground is not wet. The intent is to enable a firewood gatherer to drive to a downed tree, cut it up and remove it, and drive back to the road.

Open roads are identified on the forest travel plan map available at the Teton Basin Ranger District office, where you can also inquire about a

good place to search for firewood trees … and then maybe consider going to the next legal drainage over, because you’re probably not the first party to be directed to that good place.

Tools of the Trade

There are at least two things inherently hazardous about felling a tree: the falling tree itself and the chainsaw used to cut it down. The chainsaw is a tool not to be taken lightly, even if you’re not using it to drop big trees. Never cut firewood when you’re tired, buzzed, or alone. Chainsaw chaps and steel-toed boots should be worn, and so should a hard hat when you’re felling a tree. Ear and eye protection should also be employed.

Cutting down on the top of a log with the chain on the bottom of the chainsaw’s bar is the most common and comfortable way to cut. But you’ll find it’s often necessary to use the top of the bar to cut upward from the

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underside of a branch or log. This is a bit unsettling at first, because the movement of the chain through the log forces the saw toward you. Note this should be attempted only by seasoned chainsaw users.

Avoid cutting with the portion of the chainsaw known as the “kickback zone,” which is the upper half of the bar’s tip. It can be tempting to do so, especially when delimbing a downed tree. But if that portion of the bar contacts wood while the chain is moving, the saw can kick up and back toward you.

Other tools that will come in handy in the harvest and preparation of forest products include an axe for delimbing; and—back home—a wedge, sledgehammer, and maul. You’ll use the sledge to slam the wedge into the rounds, creating sections small enough to be further split into firewood pieces with the maul. Important: Make sure rounds are sized such that the pieces split from them will fit into your woodstove.

Clean Burning for Cleaner Living

A hot fire may be a cool way to heat your home, but it’s not necessarily the most eco-friendly way to do it.

Dry, or season, your wood—cut to firewood length and split—for at least a year. It should be loosely stacked under cover, more than 25 feet away from your abode. A shed or shelter is best; if you use a plastic tarp, provide ventilation to prevent condensation. The greater the interior surface area exposed to the air, the more rapid and complete the process of eliminating moisture from the wood will be.

With your well-seasoned wood, burn small, hot fires, which will help the fuel burn cleanly. Never allow the fire to smolder. Outside, the plume from your chimney should appear only as heat waves. If you can see smoke, the wood is not burning completely, and the air supply to the fire should be increased.

Now, kick back and watch that fire do its dance. Lots of work to get to this point, yes, but also fulfilling and lots of fun. And to up that fun-factor, consider this tip from Driggs resident Ash Alexander: “Firewood gathering is even better when you combine it with huckleberry picking!”

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ABOVE Patrons enjoy an evening concert at the Tetonia Club. The event was part of a summer concert competition series organized by the Teton Valley Music Alliance to showcase local talent.

BY TOM HALLBERG PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEENA TOXBY

Musicians Helping Musicians

Teton Valley Music Alliance helps local artists get their time on stage

Teton Valley can be a hard place for musicians. Not for a lack of inspiration—there’s plenty of natural beauty and connection to the land to satisfy a singer-songwriter—but for its lack of a local music scene.

The talent also isn’t lacking, of course, but it doesn’t have plentiful open mics and studio spaces where artists can organically meet and perform. Tom Toxby and Paul Monk want to change that.

As co-founders of the relatively new Teton Valley Music Alliance, they aim to build that kind of scene, creating exposure and supporting artists along the way.

“Really, the Teton Valley Music Alliance is realizing my dream to help promote local musicians and provide more awareness to what we’ve got going on here in the valley,” Tom says.

Nearly forty years into his music career, Tom has lived around the country, from New York to California to Colorado, and brings the experience of playing in big cities, like Denver, and with original bands, including locally with Switchback and Ticket to Space. Though he generally sticks to the bass and guitar, he sings “when pressed into service.”

Likewise, Paul, who grew up in southern Minnesota before heading west, is an accomplished musician who mostly plays guitar and sings, though he dabbles in other fretted instruments like the bass and ukulele, as well as the accordion. He’s had a varied career, play-

ing in punk, folk, and alt-country bands, with a good stint in Missoula, Montana, before he moved to Teton Valley.

Playing together in the band Switchback, the duo came up with the idea of growing the local music scene. Paul, who in the past hosted an open mic night at Victor’s Westside Yard, says they wanted a way to support local musicians, especially the ones who haven’t caught their break just yet and snagged prominent shows like the opener spot at one of the Music on Main summer music series shows or a set at the Trap Bar at Grand Targhee Resort.

The organization’s website acts as a clearinghouse for artists, with links to emails for many and descriptions of styles. For instance, the entry for Blu Dog Howlin’ says the band, fronted by Fred Marmsater, plays a wide range of music from the 1960s onward, and originals, and that they are available to hire for events and open to collaborating with other artists.

ABOVE Teton Valley Music Alliance co-founders Tom Toxby (left) and Paul Monk aim to support local musicians and amplify the music scene.

While that might not seem like much, this kind of support can be huge for lesser-known artists.

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“They really don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a website,” Tom says. “They don’t have to have a generic Facebook for the band; they can actually do that via the TVMA website.”

Besides helping musicians get off the ground, the alliance has a long-term vision of helping to foster musical interest and to create new players.

“The other goal is to promote music instruction,” Tom says. “We want to get musical instruments into more people’s hands.”

Like its directory for bands, the alliance’s website includes a list of music instructors like Tom Murphy, who teaches mandolin and guitar; Liam O’Neil, a drumming instructor; and others. Though the lists are still in their fledgling stages, Tom hopes adding more names will lay the groundwork for the burgeoning music scene.

When it comes down to it, however, a good music scene is ultimately built on concerts. Despite the pandemic continually tossing the past couple of years

into turmoil, Tom and Paul teamed up with Scott Kauf, the owner of the Tetonia Club, to throw an outdoor concert competition over the summer showcasing local talent.

Guitarist and singer Joe Champlain took the stage solo in August for the series finals. Having grown up in the area with a musical dad, he’s no stranger to the Teton Valley music community. He has played shows with The Cadillacs and sung at bars but being the focal point of the show was a unique opportunity.

“It was one of the most memorable gigs that I’ve ever done,” Joe says. “Just having people sit there and listen to the words, for a songwriter that’s the greatest compliment you can ever give them.”

For Tom and Paul, that’s music to their ears. Remembering their experiences in cities with bustling music scenes, they both say those moments of connecting with fans and peers were stepping stones to finding their places.

Joel Ninesling, another finalist in the competition, has had a lengthy career that spans from the Intermountain West to Boston, including performances at the Hootenanny, a folk showcase at Dornan’s in Grand Teton National Park. His music is in the vein of roots artists like Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle, a lineage right at home in the mountains.

As Teton Valley becomes busier and more expensive to live in, he wonders whether artists will continue to have a space here.

“It was one of the most memorable gigs that I’ve ever done. Just having people sit there and listen to the words, for a songwriter that’s the greatest compliment you can ever give them.”

Joe Champlain

“Tom seems to think that there [will be], so it’s great to be here and try to share what I do and try to build community,” Joel says.

If one needs proof of the success of the alliance’s work, look no further than the audiences for Joe’s two Tetonia Club sets. At his first round earlier in the summer, about seven people made up the crowd, but in the finals, he saw “ten times” that many faces.

Tom and Paul want to build on that momentum. It’s gratifying to them to see artists step into the spotlight and have the chance to pursue their creative passions. The more they can create those spaces, Paul says, the more people will realize that Teton Valley is already, in fact, full of skilled musicians.

Learn more at tvmusicalliance.com.

LEFT Joe Champlain plays a solo set at the Tetonia Club. After a year with few opportunities for live music, the summer series was welcomed by both artists and audience members.

Teton County, Idaho, residents are among the 65 million Americans who live in an area with one newspaper or none at all. Supporting local journalism helps ensure that our valley continues to have access to a newspaper.

BY TOM HALLBERG ILLUSTRATIONS BY CY WHITLING

A Dollar Well Spent

Buying the newspaper is an investment in our community

At

least once a week, I stop by Victor Valley Market. Usually, it’s just for a bag of Alpine Air coffee; on very rare occasions, it’s for a frozen pie. Just below the coffee beans are the newspapers. Almost always, I grab a copy of the Teton Valley News (TVN), which runs me $1.

Being a former newspaper reporter, I know I should have a subscription, but I like buying a physical paper in person and perusing the headlines while I wait for an open register. In our digital age, it feels good to be free from my screen, at least for a few moments.

One of my most enduring childhood images is of my dad sitting in his chair next to the radio, tuned to NPR’s Morning Edition, while thumbing through our daily newspaper, The Oregonian, somehow absorbing both sources at once. Even still with a bus ride to get to work downtown, he got up early enough to read the headlines and check the Seattle Mariners score while he drank his coffee.

Obviously, there’s an element of nostalgia for me with newspapers, a soft-hued memory of ink-stained fingers as I flipped through the sports section (my go-to as a kid). As I’ve grown older and started my own weekly habit of buying the paper at the market—and working in the industry—I’ve ruminated on the crucial role they serve in our communities.

In any given week in the Teton Valley News, you might find a story about a local business like Naughty Fruit, our fin-

est purveyors of spicy dehydrated fruit; or amazing accomplishments, like those undertaken by the valley residents who were part of the first all-female team to complete the Great R’Idaho Trail, a brutal dirt-bike ride through central Idaho. Newspapers have always been the record of our community, a way to learn about your high-flying neighbors and for them to be recognized.

As the health and education reporter for the Jackson Hole News & Guide for the past couple of years, I saw firsthand the excitement of students who made it in the paper for their academic accomplishments. I’ve even received several handwritten cards from sources, gestures that filled me with more gratitude than I expected.

At the end of the day, those stories are crucial to how we create our community and applaud our citizens. This publication, Teton Valley Magazine, helps fill that niche, too, with plenty of evergreen features that detail the contours of life here.

The TVN, which gives us news on a weekly basis, serves other vital roles, ones that would be hard to replace. Teton County, Idaho residents are among the 65 million Americans who

At the end of the day, those stories are crucial to how we create our community and applaud our citizens.

live in an area with one newspaper or none at all.

The Brookings Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, D.C., maintains an online map of “news deserts.” In bright red it shows Idaho’s Fremont and Clark counties, just to the northwest of us, as places that have no local paper. That’s an unfortunate reality, and it makes me ap-

Thankfully, on both sides of the Tetons ... all we have to do is pick up the paper to stay informed.

preciate even more that both Teton Valley and Jackson Hole have papers with dedicated reporters and editors (though I’m sure both newsrooms would appreciate another writer or two).

Despite the prevailing narratives in some circles that the media is biased (a criticism I’ve even seen bubble up in regard to the TVN), the prospect of living in a place without a newspaper is a nightmare scenario to me. Teton Valley is an active community politically, and the TVN plays an important role in keeping residents apprised of what’s going on in that realm.

Smaller communities that don’t have a paper like the TVN, and cities that have seen large dailies dwindle in size and scope, have witnessed many negative impacts from the disappearance or shrinkage of newspapers. Fewer people run for elected office; voters split their tickets less often, adding to political polarization; and elected officials spend taxpayer money less wisely, with capital projects and budgets becoming bloated and inefficient—to name a few.

They have no one at public meetings keeping watch. It’s almost impossible for many residents to attend county commission or school board meetings. Many of us work several jobs and/ or hold strange hours to make life work here, so we don’t have the time or energy to attend local government meetings. Thankfully, on both sides of the Tetons, we still have reporters doing that for us—all we have to do is pick up the paper to stay informed.

This fall, I left the News & Guide for the potentially less stressful landscapes of being an editor at Backcountry magazine, though I’ll still freelance for local publications, Teton Valley Magazine included. From my years as a local journalist, however, I can say with certainty that newsrooms require a particular kind of person to be successful. Development documents are boring to most people, but I know reporters and editors around here who enjoy poring through them.

Local reporting is difficult. It’s a lot of work and requires pretty thick skin. You might write a feature about an official’s kid as part of the county fair coverage, then turn around and grill that same official the next week over a policy decision. You’ll absolutely hear from people who think you’re wrong, then you’ll run into them at the grocery store. On the flip side, you’ll be rewarded when you wake up to emails from people thanking you for covering something that is important to them.

I have been honored to be a part of that club, to work with local journalists in action, people who find a strange pleasure in working long, low-paid hours to tell important stories and keep our community running effectively.

So, the next time you’re in line at the grocery store, grab a newspaper—it’ll be the best dollar you spend this week. And please, join me in hoping Teton Valley never becomes one of those communities that shows up in bright red on a map of news deserts.

Editor’s Note: The Teton Valley News is published by Pioneer Newspapers and located just across Main Street in Driggs from Powder Mountain Press, the publishers of this publication, Teton Valley Magazine . Although we are not affiliated, we share in celebrating the critical importance of this anchoring part of our community: local journalism—whether in newsprint or glossy form. We hope you do, too! Thanks for reading.

Teton Valley Rewards the Curious

ILLUMINATING DARK SKY VALUES

BY CHRISTINA SHEPHERD MCGUIRE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID STUBBS

As the summer night dims, Dr. Samuel Singer of Wyoming Stargazing breaks out his enormous telescopes, while eager onlookers in downtown Driggs stare up at the sky.

Dark matter … dark energy … nebula … galaxies … light years …

These terms are tossed around as we peer into scopes, watching the first of the evening’s stars—celestial bodies composed of hydrogen and helium— crest the horizon. Dr. Singer names each one as he navigates the telescopes’ viewfinders over and over again for spectators, in an attempt to keep up with the earth’s rotation that quickly turns dusk into dark sky.

“What we’re looking at is twenty-five light years away,” Dr. Singer says eagerly.

“Does that mean if we traveled there, I’d be twenty-five years older upon arrival?” asks a person in the intimate audience.

This is where I get lost. I can’t truly wrap my head around twenty-five light years of travel.

What is not lost on me, however, is the beauty and wonder of looking up at the night sky, free of a crowded city’s light pollution. And, as the sky gets darker and the Milky Way comes into view, it makes me feel like a minute part of an energy much greater than my human experience on earth.

Traveling to remote locales in search of astronomic wonders, or Dark Sky Tourism, has quickly become a thing in the Mountain West, as places like Teton Valley and Jackson Hole aim to maintain their dark night skies, free of the artificial light that typically comes with a growing population base. Cities like Driggs, Victor, and Jackson have all implemented outdoor lighting standards so that residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the sense of peace that comes from experiencing nature in its rawest state.

DR. SAMUEL SINGER launched Wyoming Stargazing in 2013. While earning his degree in physics and astronomy at Hampshire College, he realized he wanted to focus on helping people experience and enjoy the night sky rather than pursue a career in academia.

DR. SAMUEL SINGER’S telescope has a mirror diameter ranging from twenty to twenty-five inches, allowing viewers to see striking details of stars, the moon’s surface, and more.

A Case for Dark Skies

There is perhaps no privilege greater than sharing our space with the natural world. As humans living among wildlands, we must become stewards of both the earth and the animals that occupy it. Wildlife relies on the predictability of the rise and fall of the earth’s light cycles. Predators use the night sky to hunt by, and prey use the darkness as an important source of camouflage. The patterns of nocturnal animals, especially, can become severely disrupted by the introduction of artificial light. And many species of insects, birds, and amphibians suffer deadly repercussions due to artificial light, issues that directly affect nature’s food web, according to the nonprofit International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

While our modern human life has strayed far away from that of our huntergatherer ancestors, daylight and darkness still affect our circadian rhythms.

In recent years, the debate around the negative health impacts of blue light—which radiates from computers, televisions, and phones—have gained growing attention. Artificial light has been said to not only affect sleep patterns, it can also increase our risk of obesity, depression, diabetes, and breast cancer. Some turn to using protective eyewear and computer screen filters to shield themselves from blue light. Doctors recommend turning off screens an hour or more before bedtime, and some alternative healers advise us to go outside and witness the rise and fall of the sun for several mornings and nights in a row to reset our rhythm. Similarly, studies have shown that camping resyncs our internal clocks with nature.

Lastly, using unnecessary lighting wastes both energy and money. The IDA estimates that at least 30 percent of all outdoor lighting in the United States is wasted. Outdoor lights that are left on, or used at maximum wattage for no good reason, suck power from an already taxed grid and cost cities sometimes millions of dollars. Implementing the use of LEDs, compact fluorescents, light shields, motion sensors, and timers helps reduce illumination loads and saves energy.

Night Sky Neighborhoods

The International Dark-Sky Association celebrates and protects a night sky filled with stars. It is a recognized authority on light pollution worldwide, as its experts provide guided strategy, monitoring

tools, and resources for individuals, policymakers, and industries wanting to adopt responsible outdoor lighting practices. The organization offers five official designations of International Dark Sky Places:

• International Dark Sky Communities: Legally organized cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and efforts.

• International Dark Sky Parks: Protected conservation spaces that implement good outdoor lighting standards and provide dark sky programs for visitors.

• International Dark Sky Reserves: A dark zone surrounded by a populated area, where policy controls protect the darkness of the core.

• International Dark Sky Sanctuaries: The most remote and darkest places in the world, needing the utmost protection.

• Urban Night Sky Places: Sites near or surrounded by large urban environments whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience.

Locally, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve holds the designation of an International Dark Sky Park, and Central Idaho—the fourteen hundred square miles of Blaine County, Custer County, and surrounding areas—is considered the United States’ first Dark Sky Reserve. Dr. Singer has helped Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks gather the preliminary data for their International Dark Sky Park applications. This winter, he hopes to try to get things moving forward again.

According to Driggs’ Community Development Director, Doug Self, the City of Driggs is well on its way toward making the decision to pursue an International Dark Sky Community designation.

“Driggs already meets most of the base criteria for this designation and the city council has been discussing various aspects of our dark sky lighting policies, including streetlight retrofits and a public education campaign,” Self says.

The execution of Driggs’ responsible lighting ordinance (spearheaded by the City Outdoor Lighting Committee) states that businesses and residences within city limits have until March 2023 (a tenyear grace period) to comply to what is now considered city code. Many already have. Doug notes that there are some exceptions to this ordinance, such as specific previously installed lighting investments whose value has not been fully depreciated.

Lighting committee organizer and former city council member Ralph Mossman explains that the restrictions aren’t really as tight as people may think.

“It’s not about dark cities, it’s about dark skies,” he says. “You can have a well-lit main street and still have a dark sky. The code actually states that lights need to be pointed down, not up. You can see this on some of the new lights in town; others are also on dimmers that turn down on a timer.”

Crusaders for a Darker Sky

DR. SAMUEL SINGER sits with his first telescope as part of Wyoming Stargazing. The telescope was used as part of a free public stargazing programs held at the Stilson Parking Lot.

Eighty-nine-year-old Teton Valley resident and retired nuclear engineer, Jack Liebenthal, was one of the first on the dark sky advocacy scene in Teton Valley, Idaho.

“I go back to the time when nobody knew what dark skies were,” he says. “And man, it just crept up on us! Soon, people began to realize they were losing their view of the Milky Way and couldn’t see the North Star in some locations. I became an advocate for dark skies and wanted to get a jump on helping set regulations in Teton Valley before it got too late.”

And that was just the beginning.

This past summer, the City Outdoor Lighting Committee’s organized event in Driggs, conducted by Dr. Singer of Wyoming Stargazing, was meant to raise community awareness about local dark sky efforts.

“What we’re doing with this gathering is an attempt to build some organization around dark sky efforts,” Mossman says. “Education is action … It’s similar to wilderness; if you don’t keep enforcing [the protected space], then it is no longer protected. If we have a group of people who say we don’t need streetlights in every subdivision, then we might not lose our dark sky status.”

In Jackson, Wyoming Stargazing spearheaded a similar campaign last August called the “Lights Out Challenge JH” to demonstrate how beautiful the downtown night sky is when residents turn off unnecessary lighting. During this event, residents of the town of Jackson, businesses, and the city were asked to turn off their exterior lights from 10:30pm to 11:30pm, or before going to bed, and then join Wyoming Stargazing on the lawn at the Center for the Arts to watch a show “performed” by the Perseid Meteor Shower.

“One light doesn’t do much, but ten thousand will,” Dr. Singer says about the event.

COLLEGIATE Dr. Singer, circa 2002, alongside his recently completed tracking system for the telescope he began building in high school and finished while at Hampshire College.

A

The Rise in Dark Sky Tourism

Dr. Singer moved to a tiny town in northern Nevada when he was ten years old. He spent nights with his father and a store-bought telescope studying the night sky. Later, at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, he majored in physics and astronomy and built a telescope as part of an independent study his freshman year. It was during this time that he plotted his life’s course. During his junior year, he led a telescope building class and then built an observatory for the college for his senior thesis.

“I found out that I didn’t want to be a professional astronomer and do things like data research, grant writing, and proposals,” he says. “That’s not what I love about the night sky. So, I would set up my telescope on campus and ask people if they wanted to see Saturn.”

Dr. Singer landed in Jackson Hole and launched Wyoming Stargazing in July 2013 as a nonprofit during the fledging years of astrotourism interest. Enthusiasm took off fast due to NASA’s outreach efforts, the premier of “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” (which was a follow-up on the 1980 PBS series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage), and the availability of night sky images on computers. Soon, a more comprehensive form of Dr. Singer’s nighttime college campus productions were coming to fruition.

“Hotel concierges started asking how much I’d charge for private guests,” Dr. Singer says. “Before long, I was hosting a couple viewings a week. Then, Spring Creek Ranch hired me on as a staff astronomer. Soon, I was getting online bookings, and by the end of the third year, it became my full-time gig.”

“The eclipse in 2017 didn’t hurt,” he adds. “We were already established—it was our day in the sun, quite literally, and it brought Wyoming Stargazing to the next level. I hired a full-time staff member, and we had so many bookings we started turning people away.”

Today, Wyoming Stargazing’s team of seven people (most of whom have astronomy degrees) entertains eager viewers as they stargaze in select locations in Grand Teton National Park or private residences in Jackson Hole. Wyoming Stargazing programs focus on offering inspirational and educational experiences. Dr. Singer starts the evening by having clients get acquainted with the night sky on an iPad using the Starwalk app. Then, he sets up a telescope with a mirror diameter ranging from twenty to twenty-five inches, which provides detailed views of the moons, planets, nebulae, galaxies, and stars. Next, he weaves it all together with the story about the evolution of the universe and how we, as humans, got here. This mind-blowing event takes guests on a bucket-list journey that extends into the wee hours of the morning.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Wyoming Stargazing also offers online streaming shows for anyone to see, as well as private astrophotography lessons and year-round public stargazing programs. The organization is also directly involved in the development of the future Snow King Observatory and Planetarium, which will house the United States’ largest modern research telescope devoted to public outreach and will be the first ski resort observatory and planetarium in North America. Dr. Singer anticipates running the astronomy programs when it is completed. The observatory is slated to begin construction by spring 2022.

Experiencing the Night Sky at Home

For those who prefer the DIY approach, Dr. Singer advises purchasing a good telescope (he likes the Dobsonian telescope design). Then, download the Starwalk iPad app to learn where the constellations are in the night sky during certain times of the year. (He says that an old-school paper star map and a red headlamp work just as well.)

Skymaps.com offers free monthly star charts by latitude. Dr. Singer always recommends looking at constellations with the naked eye and going out during a new moon for the best viewing.

“It’s something you have to invest some time into to fully get comfortable,” he says. “Pull out a blanket, lay on your back, and do it during every season of the year. After a while, you get a feel for where the constellations are in the night sky.”

Prehistoric humans had an intimate connection to the natural world. Dr. Singer explains that the earliest people knew that when new points of light appeared in the sky, it was going to affect human life. And while modern times have dampened native connection with the night sky, perhaps it’s time to regain it. Thankfully, local night sky crusaders will continue to help us steer our way through the stars.

Growing

Pains Grand Targhee

A search for balance between the of the resort present and future

BY MOLLY ABSOLON PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON CORSI

THE PROPOSED changes at Grand Targhee Resort include increasing the skiable and rideable acres from 2,517 to 3,407. The resort is continuously applauded for its lack of lift lines and ample powder days.

Geordie Gillett’s vision is to make Grand Targhee Resort a skier and snowboarder’s resort.

“A lot of the proposed changes for the resort come from me or my team skiing around for the last six or seven years, thinking about what would make this place better,” says Gillett, who is the owner and general manager of Grand Targhee. “Everything in the plan comes from our desire as skiers to make this a better mountain and experience.”

His vision includes gladed tree skiing below the fog line that has given Grand Targhee its nickname: Grand Foggy. He wants to have more lifts to disperse skiers and to create better flow between runs. He wants snowmaking, more multiuse trails, ropes courses, and all-season recreation for visitors. He wants more modern overnight accommodations that better suit today’s travelers versus the traditional hotel-style lodging the resort currently has. And he wants Grand Targhee to be a resort that serves all visitors—whether local, regional, or destination visitors.

These dreams have come together in two master planning documents that lay out a vision for Grand Targhee’s future. One is for the resort’s base area, which is located on a private 120-acre inholding secured by Grand Targhee through a land swap with the CaribouTarghee National Forest in 2004. That plan, originally approved in 2008, was amended and again approved by the Teton County, Wyoming, Board of County Commissioners in 2019. (As locals understand, but which often surprises visitors, Grand Targhee is located in Wyoming, above the small community of Alta, although visitors must drive through Idaho to get there.)

Gillett says he ’s been surprised by the virulence of the opposition to the resort ’s plans. He says he doesn ’t want to change the things that make Grand Targhee special—that funky vibe loyal Targhee fans love.

CHANGES ON the table at Grand Targhee Resort include expanding the existing fifteen kilometers of trails for Nordic skiing and fat biking.

The other plan is adding to the 2,517 acres of public lands that Grand Targhee manages under a special use permit with the Forest Service. These acres include all of the resort’s skiable terrain on Fred’s Mountain, Mary’s, and Peaked Mountain. In 2020, Grand Targhee submitted a revised master plan to the Caribou-Targhee National Forest for these permitted lands, as well as a request to expand the resort boundary to include an additional 890 acres. That plan is currently being analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the public land expansion, as well as for the addition of a number of amenities on Forest Service property, is expected to be released sometime in the first half of 2022. [See sidebar, page 71.]

During the scoping part of the NEPA process for Grand Targhee’s expansion plan DEIS, which took place in the summer of 2020, the Forest Service received approximately 400 comments from the public. Most of those comments were skeptical of or opposed to the scale of the project.

Grand Targhee has been an integral part of Teton Valley since a group of locals established the resort in 1969. Their goal was to benefit the culture and economy of what was then a sleepy backwater with little in the winter to

sustain its population. The resort became known for its powder, lack of crowds, and family-friendly feeling. People loved the ski hill, in part for its funkiness and lack of glitz, as well as for the fact that you could find untracked powder there days after a storm. Everyone knew everyone on the slopes. There were familiar faces running the lifts. Cowboy hats, telemark skiers, and duct-tape patches were ubiquitous, and scores of local kids learned to ski on the lower reaches of Fred’s Mountain. Teton Valley residents developed a kind of possessiveness about the place. Grand Targhee felt like it belonged to them. But despite this love and devotion, the resort struggled financially.

In 1997, Booth Creek, a company controlled by the Gillett family, purchased Grand Targhee. The family, including Geordie Gillett—who became general manager in 2011— immediately began looking for ways to make the young resort more economically viable amid the uncertainty of the snowdependent industry. An application for expanding Grand Targhee’s base area that would have allowed 875 residential units and roughly 180,000 square feet of commercial and resort amenities was submitted to the Teton

THE BASE-AREA plan, amended and approved in 2019, allows for 150,000 square feet of space for commercial and resort services.

County, Wyoming, Board of County Commissioners in 2006. Following feedback from the commission, the plan was revised, resubmitted, and approved in 2008. That plan reduced the number of residential units to 450 and allowed for a total of 150,000 square feet for commercial and resort services. But before any development occurred, the Great Recession hit, and everything ground to a halt. Grand Targhee remained the quiet, familyfriendly resort it had always been. For ten years, things stayed the same, and people seemed to forget there were even plans to modernize and expand Grand Targhee.

Then, in 2019, an amended and updated base-area plan for Grand Targhee was approved by the Wyoming, commissioners. Simultaneously, Gillett was working on a plan for the permitted lands in the national forest around the base area. When that plan came out in 2020, the scope and size of the forest plan, especially in conjunction with the already approved development for the base area, seemed to take people by surprise.

“The expansion plan ups skier capacity from 3,000 per day to 6,300, more than doubling the number of people on the mountain,” says Rob Marin, Teton County, Idaho’s representative on the

Forest Service’s interdisciplinary team overseeing the NEPA process for Grand Targhee’s plan. Marin is the GIS and Community Projects Coordinator for Teton County.

Gillett explains that the skier capacity is based on a ski industry design criterion referred to as ‘comfortable carrying capacity’ that is the equivalent of your tenth busiest day of the year. “You don’t build the church for Easter Sunday,” he says. “The better metric for what people will feel on the mountain is [average] skiers per acre. We already have one of the lowest skiers per acre averages in North America.”

Marin notes that the number of skiable acres will make Grand Targhee, which is already bigger than Jackson Hole, significantly larger. “It’s huge,” he says. “The base-area plan [went] through and few people on our side of the Tetons seemed to pay much attention, probably because in the past grandiose plans had been proposed and passed, and then nothing happened. But the expansion plan has raised lots of concerns.

“The NEPA process is taking the base-facility plan as a done deal,” Marin adds. He says the project cannot be looked at as two separate plans—the base and the hill—otherwise, the scope of the entire project is lost.

Marin points to the fact that Teton Valley, Idaho, has added roughly 2,000 people to its population since 2010. Two thousand people is the population of the city of Driggs. Estimates are that another Driggs will be added to the valley by 2025 given current population trends. This growth has already had negative impacts on the quality of life in Teton Valley: Residents complain of more crowds, traffic, housing shortages, lack of employees, and an increasing cost of living. The fear is that continued growth will further erode the qualities that drew people to the valley in the first place. One of those things is, of course, Grand Targhee, and while people love the resort, they worry that its potential growth will exacerbate the perceived destruction of their community.

Gillett says Grand Targhee, as well as Teton County, Wyoming, are going out of their way to mitigate the impacts of its growth.

The resort has built sixteen employee housing units in Driggs that

can accommodate one hundred and twelve people and is looking for a site to build additional housing. A new parking lot for three hundred and fifty vehicles—a 30 percent increase over last year—opened this winter. A shuttle bus circulates around the parking lots to carry guests from their cars to the base area. In addition, Grand Targhee offers three buses from Teton Valley to the mountain. They run from Victor every hour, and from Driggs every 30 minutes, and each bus does approximately fifteen roundtrips per day.

Gillett hopes the increased parking and bus availability will alleviate some of the traffic problems that plagued the resort last winter (which were at least partially due to people avoiding public transit and carpooling during the COVID-19 pandemic). Furthermore, he says, Grand Targhee’s future plans pay careful attention to transportation issues in recognition of their potential negative impact on the valley. Teton County, Wyoming, he explains, has also historically added a variety of different metrics based on the impacts on Idaho leading to paving roads and providing park and rides.

Grand Targhee’s location—in Wyoming and roughly an hour from

ALTHOUGH the proposed resort expansion allows for an increased number of skiers and snowboarders on the mountain, general manager Geordie Gillett says the resort’s skiers per acre remains one of the lowest in the industry.

the next nearest ingress or egress into its home state—complicates the development issue.

“On the surface this looks good for Teton County, Wyoming,” says Luther Propst, a Teton County, Wyoming, County Commissioner. “But it’s not all good. We externalize the costs of issues to Teton County, Idaho. We are using Idaho as a release valve, and it’s going to come back to bite us. Do we want our middle class to live in Idaho Falls instead of Victor?” (Meaning the cost of living in Teton Valley, traditionally a bedroom community for Jackson Hole, could itself become too high for Jackson’s service people to afford.) The county commissioners from both states agreed in late October to collaborate and fund a study on how the proposed expansion may affect Teton Valley. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported that the Wyoming commissioners will contribute $25,000 toward the socioeconomic study.

Currently the resort is accessed by a single road, the bulk of which is maintained by Teton County, Idaho. Traffic is funneled through Teton Valley, which is already experiencing pressure on its roads from a growing number of cars and trucks. Trash from Grand Targhee is

“ The expansion plan ups skier capacity from 3,000 per day to 6,300, more than doubling the number of people on the mountain,” says Rob Marin, Teton County, Idaho ’ s representative on the Forest Service ’ s interdisciplinary team.

disposed of through Idaho’s waste management system. Emergency services are subcontracted out to Teton County, Idaho, EMS. Most season passholders live in Idaho, and the environmental effects of growth and loss of habitat do not recognize state boundaries.

“I have two overarching concerns with the proposed Grand Targhee expansion: environmental and social,” says Michael Whitfield, a Teton County, Idaho, commissioner and life-long conservationist and biologist. “On the environmental side, I am very concerned about resort expansion into Teton Canyon and Mill Creek. … [This] will push developed recreation into vital wildlife habitats on the canyon’s southerly exposed winter ranges and into old-growth forests that harbor several sensitive species. On the social side, full expansion of Grand Targhee at the scale envisioned in the proposal, coupled with the privately owned basearea development approved by Teton County in 2019, could significantly exacerbate transportation, housing, labor, emergency services, infrastructure, and quality-of-life challenges currently faced by the communities of Teton Valley, Idaho, and Alta, Wyoming.

Whitfield explains that tax revenues and impact fees generated by the resort

development will flow exclusively to Wyoming. “Teton County, Idaho’s government—already financially stretched with budget increases constrained by state statute—may not have adequate funding to cover basic public services if the Forest Service selects the full development scenario,” he says.

At the city level, Driggs Mayor Hyrum Johnson says the city is waiting to fully understand the benefits and impacts the expansion will have on Driggs, but more travelers will allow for more funds to the city via resort taxes.

“More travelers would certainly increase the economic activity in Driggs, at our businesses, and ultimately funds in our resort tax coffers,” he says. “This revenue would directly benefit our community by enabling the city to further improve our parks and events, our streets and pathways, and our utility infrastructure.”

He recognizes that the resort’s proposal has the potential to attract further private investment, and high-wage jobs to our community, but the balance of increased infrastructure needs remains.

“We must also consider the impacts of increased traffic, pressure on hous-

ing attainability, and demand for city services, as well as wildlife and dark skies, among others, and ensure that these are sufficiently addressed,” Mayor Johnson says.

“I am not anti-Targhee,” Whitfield says. “This year I will enjoy my fifty-second year of skiing at Targhee on my season pass. I have many great memories at Grand Targhee, and I hope to experience many more in the years to come. Grand Targhee was created to benefit the local economy and has been an important part of the local recreation culture and economy for many years. I want Grand Targhee to be a successful resort and a successful local business. I support new lift construction as has already been permitted within the existing boundary to serve skiers.”

But Whitfield, and a growing group of locals, do not support the scale of Targhee’s proposed expansion. Resort planning and design firm SE Group has been working with the resort on the proposed plan.

“SE Group has done consulting for Vail and Aspen resorts,” Howie Garber says. “They specialize in getting resorts

“ We attract people who prioritize the outdoor active lifestyle over things like nightlife. I don ’ t want to change that, ” GilletT says.

what they want. But do we, as a community, get a say on how much tourism we have here? Can we be one of the few places that controls its impacts? Lots of people don’t want any development at all. That’s not realistic. It tells me they haven’t cut a deal before. We need to compromise. We have to be willing to make concessions.”

Garber is a retired emergency room physician who worked to contain ski area expansions in the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City. He is also a part of Save Teton Canyon, a group of locals charged with preserving “the culture, community, and livability of Teton Valley by reining in the expansion of Grand Targhee Resort.”

Jay Pence, the district ranger for the Caribou-Targhee National Forest’s Teton Basin Ranger District, says that Grand Targhee has no public outreach obligations that coincide with the plan. He says the Caribou-Targhee National Forest has a very engaged and involved public, which is not necessarily the norm. He routinely gets a lot more input from constituents than his counterparts in other forests around the country. People want to be involved, which is good, he says, but sometimes they don’t know the best time and way to offer input. Pence, however, says there are opportunities for public engagement coming up.

“We knew going into this it was going to be a highly controversial project,” Pence says. “Right now, people want to get together to discuss alternatives, but that is not how the process works. The next opportunity for public engagement is when the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is released next year sometime.

“Grand Targhee is a private entity that needs to do its business. … The ski area enhancement act encourages us to work with ski hills in order to expand business and make them into fourseason resorts,” Pence adds.

The act Pence refers to is the Ski Area

Recreational Enhancement Act of 2011, which amended the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 that limited recreation at ski areas on National Forest Land to Nordic and alpine skiing. The 2011 amendment was designed to promote four-season activities—zip lines, mountain bike terrain parks and trails, disc golf courses, and ropes courses— that are natural-resource based and that encourage outdoor recreation and the enjoyment of nature. The push for increased recreational opportunities was projected to boost summer visitation, add jobs, and bring almost $40 million into local mountain communities across the country.

For a while the act seemed like a way to help support struggling mountain towns. But most mountain towns are no longer struggling. In fact, towns throughout the Rocky Mountain West are wondering if they are seeing too much growth.

“Growth had been trickling in at a fairly even rate since 2002,” says Rob Marin. “The bust hit the reset button, but then we went back to good steady growth. Then in 2019 and 2020, things went off the deep end. The word is out.”

Gillett says he’s been surprised by the virulence of the opposition to the resort’s plans. He says he doesn’t want to change the things that make Grand Targhee special—that funky vibe loyal Targhee fans love.

“People talk about Targhee as being friendly,” Gillett says. “That starts with the type of people who come here. We attract people who prioritize the outdoor active lifestyle over things like nightlife. I don’t want to change that.

“If funky means inadequate service, a twenty-minute walk from your car to the base, double-fall line, black diamond cat tracks, yeah, I hope that will change,” he adds. “On the other hand, if funky means what I think it means—a friendly, low-key vibe—that’s what we all love about this place, and what we plan to preserve.”

Summary of proposed changes for Grand Targhee Resort

• Expand acreage from 2,517 to 3,407 by adding roughly 290 acres in South Bowl area and another 600 acres in the Mono Trees area.

• Glading and terrain development within the current resort boundaries.

• New lifts are proposed, one in the South Bowl area, one in Mono Trees, and two within the existing ski area boundaries, as well as two new teaching carpets.

• In addition, the previously approved Peaked Lift is slated to go online for the winter 2022-2023. The existing Shoshone Lift will be replaced with a four-person detachable lift that is better suited for beginner skiers and riders, and Dreamcatcher is also planned to be updated.

• Plans include a 6,000-square-foot restaurant at the top of Fred’s Mountain, a 6,5000-square-foot restaurant at the top of the Sacajawea Lift, and a guest services facility on top of the Shoshone Lift, and two on-mountain guest services facilities.

• Hiking and biking trails will be expanded by 29 miles.

• An adventure course is proposed for the Shoshone Lift base area.

• A dedicated tubing park and expanded Nordic and fat biking trails are also proposed.

• Night skiing on Palmer’s Raceway and the terrain park.

FOR DETAILS ON THE PLAN submitted by Grand Targhee Resort, as well as updates on planning and opportunities for engagement, visit the Caribou-Targhee National Forest’s website.

The forest expects to publish a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the plan in the first half of 2022.

Love Labor of

IN THE KITCHEN WITH TETON VALLEY PASTRY CHEFS

BY CAMRIN DENGEL

WHETHER WHIMSICAL or simple, using homemade fondant or luxurious buttercream—the skills of Teton Valley bakers and pastry chefs run the gamut in inspiration, style, and aesthetics. But no matter the modus operandi, each baker is fueled by passion and shares a common thread of helping create special moments with their thoughtfully created sweet treats and custom cakes.

LAUREN ESTAY LANGER, SEVEN

CONFECTIONS

Known for her vibrant, flavorful French macarons and exquisitely designed whimsical cakes, Lauren Estay Langer studied baking and pastry at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and has since been training and working in many aspects of the industry for more than two decades. More recently, she has shifted her focus to specialty cakes and French macarons with extra attention to combining flavors and art.

“Being classically trained, my work is very much inspired by French pastry and designed with the flow of nature.”

“I love baking because it connects you to generations of baking traditions all over the world. The art of flavor, satisfying the senses, and creating something to make others happy!”

“Everything I do is personalized and I try to bring the warmth, friendliness, and customization to my work that we all value when living in a little town. The word ‘culinary’ literally means ‘of or for cooking.’ When I started my business, I knew I couldn’t just say I was a private chef or a caterer or a cooking instructor or a baker because I incorporate all of those components into my business.”

ERICA LINNELL, TINY TOWN CULINARY

Erica Linnell, owner of private chefing business Tiny Town Culinary, laughingly calls herself a pastry-chef-poser. With a background in mountain guiding, teaching wilderness medicine, and working as an executive director, cooking was an unlikely next path. But a lifelong love of food and a passion to learn and teach led Erica to culinary school in 2018. There, she honed the art of blending classic French and Italian techniques with modern cuisine to incorporate bold global flavors and farm-fresh ingredients. Although private chefing and small party catering is her bread and butter, she also takes on a select few custom cakes.

“There’s something about the process of creating something for others to enjoy that brings a lot of satisfaction. I love that I get to contribute to the celebrations of life, from birthdays to weddings to anniversaries and graduations. It’s honestly an honor.”

“There’s obviously the elements I love about it that keep me going, but people don’t see the sacrifice behind it all: the very late nights and early mornings, having to miss my own family gatherings because I’m creating for someone else’s. … The satisfaction and creative outlet it brings into my life outweighs all that. It surprises me daily how rewarding it is.”

CALLIE SMITH, SWEET PEAKS

A self-taught baker, Callie Smith, owner of Sweet Peaks, is an artist at heart known for her imaginative and fun designs from mountainscapes to Disney-themed creations. Both her mother and grandmother were excellent bakers, she says, and instilled in her a knowledge and passion for the craft. After Callie had children, she put a lot of energy into making them fun and memorable birthday cakes. Soon, friends and family wanted her to make custom creations for their special occasions, and Sweet Peaks was born.

BY KRISTEN POPE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK GOCKE

NUMEROUS CRITTERS ENDURE THE SNOWY (AND SOMETIMES HARSH) TETON VALLEY WINTERS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The golden-hued eyes of a northern saw-whet owl peer out of the bird’s fluffed-up feathers on a cold winter day. Saw-whets are one of the smallest owls in North America at just over six inches tall.

A bull elk strolls through the National Elk Refuge on a wintry day.

The brilliant orange winter coat of a red fox provides a splash of color to the forest surroundings.

A November snowstorm deposits snow on a large grizzly bear as it prepares for hibernation.

homping down on a willow branch, the moose gives a tug and strips the tender leaves off before taking a few steps to a small aspen and browsing on its twigs. With each step, the moose maneuvers its gangly legs through several feet of snow.

Winter is thought of as nature’s quiet season, but wildlife are still hard at work trying to survive the snowy, sometimes unforgiving months. While some animals migrate away from Teton Valley’s harsh winters, others hang around and adapt to the brutal conditions.

The Tetons are rich with resident wildlife and big game migration corridors. Some species migrate altitudinal, moving up and down in elevation according to food availability and other factors. While you may not always spot them, the valley’s lands and surrounding forests are teeming with wildlife behind the scenes: Shiras moose, mule deer, whitetail deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and the ever-present but elusive wolves and mountain lions. Coyotes, foxes, and pine martens are often spotted, as are an array of birds, and so much more. The number of species that call this region home is spectacular.

HIBERNATING THROUGH THE WINTER

The summer months may be when you’re thinking about bruins, while packing bear spray for a hike in the mountains. But just because black bears and grizzlies aren’t often seen in winter doesn’t mean they’re not nearby. “They are true hibernators,” says Jeremy Nicholson, wildlife biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Keep in mind, however, that you could spot a bear late to slumber or early to rise at any time.

In the Yellowstone area, bears will typically excavate their own dens, often on the side of a hill, in a snowbank, or

even under a large fallen tree. Nicholson says they will generally create a new den each year, though some use the same den for more than one winter. Pregnant females will typically enter their dens first, as early as late October, while the larger males usually den around mid-November or December, or even into January if food remains readily available.

Before retreating into their hidden homes, bears enter a period of “hyperphagia” when they are focused on eating as much as they possibly can, consuming up to twenty thousand calories per day. Their goal is to bulk up before denning up.

This is especially important for females, who must have at least 20 percent body fat to be able to have cubs. Bear reproduction involves “delayed implantation,” where a fertilized egg will remain in the female for months after mating, but not implant in the uterus unless she has adequate body fat. “If they’re not in that 20 percent or a little over body fat range, they’re not going to have a real likelihood of having cubs that year,” Nicholson says. (Way up north, Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve celebrates this fattening up period with “fat bear week,” where the public votes on the park’s fattest brown bears, March Madness style, until the fattest bear is declared the winner.)

Bear cubs are born in late January or early February, weighing less than a pound and about the size of a Coke can, according to Nicholson. Newborn cubs start nursing after birth, even though adult bears do not eat during winter. Nor do they urinate or defecate. Rather, they recycle waste within their body, which they use to maintain muscles and other bodily systems. Their body temperature and metabolism drop, and they live off their body fat.

“Another mystery of hibernation is that bears don’t lose bone mass,” Nicholson says. “All other mammals that

A TRUMPETER SWAN flies through a light snowfall. Trumpeters are North America’s largest waterfowl with a wingspan of between six and eight feet.

maintain a non-weight-bearing position for an extended period of time suffer from osteoporosis and weakening of bones. But with bears, their whole life is just built for this.”

Nicholson cautions that bears can quickly arise from hibernation when disturbed. He encourages people to be diligent with keeping food and attractants away from bears no matter the season, making sure bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, garbage cans, pet food, and other such items are secured where bears cannot access them. “They have the best nose in the business,” he says. “They have a nose that has the ability to smell seven times better than a bloodhound.”

WINTER ON THE WING

Around eighty-five different bird species have been recorded in Teton Valley during the winter, and nearly two hundred have been spotted in the valley at some point during the year. While many birds migrate out of the area, others stay or even come to the region just for the winter.

Michael Whitfield is a biologist who has studied bald eagles in the valley since the early 1980s. The fourth-generation Teton Valley resident is currently a

Teton County Commissioner. “I became fascinated with wildlife in Teton Valley from a very early age,” he says. As a young boy, Whitfield would go out to the lodge his grandfather founded on the Teton River and borrow a boat to look for nesting birds. As an adult, his Forest Service career involved researching high mountain ungulates like bighorn sheep and mountain goats, but he transitioned to studying bald eagles, as well as other birds like great grey owls and red-tailed hawks.

Whitfield says if you see a hawk in winter, it’s likely a rough-legged hawk. They come in a variety of plumages, arriving with the snow and heading north in early April. “They’re what is known as a circumpolar species, meaning that their breeding range is all around the globe in the high Arctic,” Whitfield says. “At a time when a lot of our birds are migrating further south from here, we have rough-legged hawks coming here from the far north.”

Great grey owls are another avian species you might be lucky to spot as the snow flies. Soaring over the frozen landscape, they listen for voles with their incredible hearing that is able to track prey moving beneath the snowpack. When they detect one, they plunge into the snow—sometimes diving a foot and a half deep—to emerge often clutching a rodent in their talons.

“They are fascinating birds,” Whitfield says. “They’re gorgeous. They’re mysterious. They’re large birds, but they fly silently so they’re pretty amazing.”

Trumpeter swans fly in from Canada to spend the winter in the valley. Whitfield says he once saw four hundred of the beautiful snow-white birds on a half-mile stretch of the Teton River, where they forage for tubers and aquatic plants. After a period of decline, conservationists are working to restore nesting populations.

Observing wildlife over decades has led Whitfield to notice patterns. In spring, songbirds usually start to arrive around March or April. In mid-March, red-tailed hawks arrive and begin building their nests. But these familiar seasonal rhythms are starting to change. “The climate is changing, and things are a bit unusual,” Whitfield says. “It used to be that you wouldn’t think of a robin, for example, being here in winter and now they are. Typically, they’re coming back in March, but we have some robins that are here year-round now.”

Climate change is also impacting weather patterns and creating unpredictable conditions, which can be problematic for wildlife. “People think of climate change as being essentially just a warming thing,” Whitfield says. “But probably more significantly is it causes more variability in the weather, so the

weather is less predictable, and you’ll get extreme events. You may get a period that’s unusually warm early and then followed by a period that’s unusually cold or that has unusually heavy precipitation, snow, bigger wind events—and that’s a big deal for a nesting bald eagle that has a huge nest structure in a tree.” The wind, he explains, can blow young birds and eggs out of nests, as well as damage the nests.

PROTECTING WILDLIFE DURING THE TOUGHEST SEASON

Winter is a challenging season for wildlife in regard to the weather alone, but human interactions intensify that

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT A pair of trumpeter swans approach each other, flapping their wings as part of their courtship behavior.

A group of bison slowly move through the sagebrush, under the optical phenomenon known as a sun dog or parhelion, in Grand Teton National Park.

A grown calf moose peers out from a stand of frosty willows.

coyote

challenge. Josh Rydalch, regional wildlife biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, urges people to give wildlife plenty of room to avoid causing undue stress. Research shows that

when humans come close to wildlife— even if they mean no harm—the animals’ heart rate and metabolism rise, preparing them to escape a threat.

“Humans have an impact no matter what they’re doing,” Rydalch says, pointing out that Teton Valley is a hotbed for recreation in summer and winter alike. “One of the issues we see is we’re displacing some wildlife with our recreation.”

Rydalch says humans are encroaching on areas wildlife have used for many generations and people can cause harm without even realizing it. “A lot of people don’t understand,” he says, “but a human is a human whether you’re packing a gun or a ski pole, and wildlife doesn’t recognize [the difference].”

In summer, the animals have a lot more room to roam, Rydalch says, but in winter, deep snow, frigid conditions, and limited food supplies often cause animals to congregate in smaller areas, such as on the valley floor or along creeks where they have a better chance of finding something to eat.

Food is scarce in winter, and animals expend a lot of energy moving through deep snow in bitterly cold con-

ditions to search for sustenance. When humans disturb them and cause them to flee from an area, even unintentionally, it makes survival more difficult. “They’re on critical reserves and we try to do everything we can to make sure they don’t run out of gas in their gas tank,” Rydalch says.

Whitfield stresses the importance of working to conserve places for wildlife, while still providing opportunities for people. “I think the biggest issue that we face right now in terms of conserving our wildlife is connectivity,” he says. “By that, I mean ensuring that wildlife have the freedom to move about.

“Conservation of nature also has to consider the human side of it, and protection of opportunities for people, so that’s the double-edged sword,” Whitfield says. “Making sure that we provide that open space, but at the same time providing opportunities for our working people to live here and thrive.”

This winter, remember to always keep your distance from wildlife and take a moment to appreciate what it takes for them to survive, and sometimes even thrive, in the snowy Tetons.

A

lifts its nose to catch a scent carried on a gentle winter breeze in Grand Teton National Park.

in

LEFT Skiers and snowboarders celebrate a powderfilled day at Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, the mom-and-pop owned hill located near Ririe.

BY JEANNETTE BONER

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort

An Eastern Idaho gem

It’s mid-February and the snow is falling. Big, white, thick flakes snuff out the slow burn of the daily grind. It is a familiar, muted sound, unlike the frenzy that’s ignited by summer’s heat.

My son is in the back seat of the car asking, again, “When we will be there?” He’s wearing his sister’s purple ski pants, because when it’s snowing this hard, there is little patience for matching ski gloves or figuring out which pants belong to whom when heading for the hills. If it fits, it’s dry, and it’s warm, we roll.

And today it’s not just snowing, it’s “puking,” as the locals say. We’re headed out of the Tetons for something new, into a different valley carved by the Snake River on the high plains edging against the Big Hole Mountains.

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort is a rare gem folded into the northwest side of this mountain range, about an hour from Victor, up and over State Highway 31’s Pine Creek Pass, punching through a landscape once home to Native American tribes and Latter-day Saints pioneers. As you climb the road toward the resort, you will see the remains of volcanic rock frozen in time. This area was formed when the Heise Caldera erupted four to six million years ago. The rock is still hot to the touch under all that snow as revealed by the hot springs just below the resort.

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort is no less a pioneer in its own right, founded in much of the same spirit as Grand Tar-

ghee Resort—it’s a locals’ hill that farmers groom in the winter when the crops are harvested and stored. As one of the state’s oldest ski hills, Kelly Canyon was established in the late 1950s and has since produced one Olympic athlete, snowboarder Jessika Jenson, a Rigby, Idaho, native who competed at Sochi Russia in 2014 and PyeongChang South Korea in 2018.

We park the car in the lower lot because, despite our best efforts, we found the upper lot full. And rightly so on a snow day like this. It’s smooth sailing into the guts of the resort. We purchased our tickets online in advance, allowing us to bypass a ticket line of about fifteen skiers on this Saturday powder day. All told, it was twenty minutes from car to lift line; mind you, we’re packing our own skis, but rentals are available at the resort.

Kelly Canyon boasts an average of two hundred inches of snow a year and, to date, has about six hundred and eighty skiable acres. And just about any kind of food that can be deep fried is available in a matter of minutes inside the lodge. A variety of picnic tables are dotted outside the main lodge with guests enjoying homemade lunches. Inside the main lodge, long tables overlooking the lifts are perfect for catching

offers lessons for skiers and riders of all levels, as well as a variety of packages to fit just about any snowlover’s needs.

ABOVE Kelly Canyon Ski Resort

SAVORY

one’s breath and grabbing a bite.

Although undoubtedly a relatively busy day, the ski hill itself doesn’t feel full. My kids ski in front of me, floating through untouched powder—and it is mid-afternoon, late for Saturday

I’m feeling like I’m getting more than I’ve paid for with runs that just keep coming.

freshies of untouched snow. This place should be tracked out, I think.

A modest terrain park can be seen above the two-seater chair lift accessing either the center of the ski hill where you can slip off the chair (like old-school Targhee days) or continue to ride the chair to the very top of the mountain. My kids really dug this choose-your-own adventure style on the lifts. For me, the resort is stripped of the pretense that can follow larger resort crowds and I’m feeling like I’m getting more than I’ve paid for with runs that just keep coming.

The ski resort straddles the Madison and Jefferson county line, occupying both Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Bureau of Land Management

properties. The runs are laced with fir trees sagging under the weight of bright white snow.

New managing partner (as of 2020) Mike VanSteenkiste has ties to Teton Valley (he married into the Rammell

family). With VanSteenkiste on the ground and hands-on at the resort, he’s excited to see plans to expand the mountain biking and ski offerings at Kelly Canyon. After last winter’s season, officials announced a new triple-seat lift for the resort, the first new lift since the 1970s. Kelly Canyon will also see a new magic carpet replacing the old towrope that will complement the four other two-seater lifts.

“Mom. Mom, MOM!” A screech, then laughter, followed by a tuck-androll of little skis and purple pants tumbling through the powder: “Can we do it again, Mom?”

Kelly Canyon. You do not disappoint.

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort skikelly.com | 208.538.6251

5488 E. Kelly Canyon Road, Ririe, Idaho 83443 Day and night skiing

Adult lift ticket $49 | Junior 6-12: $39

57 S. Main Street, Victor

PHOTOS BY AMELIA HUFSMITH

Bronze artist Sandy Scott’s “Moose Flats” sits on the northern side of the Sculpture Trail at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. The trail was designed by award-winning landscape architect Walter Hood and stretches along the bluff overlooking the National Elk Refuge.

BY SMITH MADDREY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID STUBBS

Art Bearing Witness

National Museum of Wildlife Art inspires desire to protect, preserve

Perched just north of the town of Jackson, like a medieval castle above US Highway 89/191, and just below craggy East Gros Ventre Butte, the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s 51,000-square-foot structure, with its curving, quartzite walls and outdoor sculptures, strikes a formidable pose.

Its location perfectly matches its purpose. Certainly no coincidence, our country’s largest repository of wildlifethemed art lies directly across the road from the National Elk Refuge and due south of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

Built in 1994 and modeled after a Scottish castle, the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) of the United States (its official name since 2008 when Senate Bill 2739 declared its “national” status) hosts fourteen galleries, a sculpture trail, gift shop, and library, and the Palate restaurant.

Like many popular museums, the NMWA boasts artistic star power in its collection. Works by artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, and Rosa Bonheur fill the rooms, yet the museum remains faithful to its mission:

“To impart knowledge and inspire appreciation of humanity’s relationship with wildlife and nature through art and education.” Thoughtfully curated rooms, complete with audio and visual aids, help visitors access the theme, context, and evolution of each artist’s work.

In the gallery showing Carl Rungius’ paintings, visitors can observe the evolution of this master painter’s style

from his 1880s sketches to his more impressionistic easel paintings from the 1930s (the NMWA holds the largest public collection of Rungius’ work). Or, in the Kuhn Gallery, one might notice how the various artists’ paintings on the left depict a bounty of resources but progress toward mere scarcity as you move farther to the right.

Visitor Jack Hade, a semiretired wildlife enthusiast, has been visiting the museum regularly for more than twenty years. “I like art that can produce a profound effect without a lot of color,” he says. “I can sense the loneliness in the paintings of bison and other species.”

Tong Nguyen, from San Jose, California, stopped en route to Yellowstone with his wife and three kids. “My daughter loved the John Clymer Studio and stayed long enough to do a sketch of the elk head mount,” he says.

friend. “It helps me explain to summer visitors what the refuge looks like in the winter,” she says.

While its permanent collection gets shuffled around and curated differently from year to year, the museum also hosts traveling and NMWA-produced exhibits not to be missed. One current

Bobbi Thomasma, who has served as a museum volunteer docent and visitor guide since 1994, thinks of Tucker Smith’s painting, “The Refuge,” depicting the snow-covered expansive land dotted with wintering elk, as an old

ABOVE Artist Edward Kemey’s bronze sculpture “Gray Spirit,” created in 1900, depicts a seated coyote howling toward the sky. The sculpture is a part of the JKM Collection at the museum.

exhibit is National Geographic’s 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs. There is almost no photography in the museum’s permanent collection (much of their nineteenth century artwork predates the invention of photography), yet the curators know that museum visitors particularly like to see these wildlife images. This showcase features the works of twenty-four photographers. The other current special collection is “A Story of Bears,” an exhibition

“Through

Vanessa Boshoff, NMWA Art Teacher

RIGHT Wildlife sculptor Richard Loffler’s sixty-four-footlong heroic-sized bronze installation, “Buffalo Trail,” features five adult bison and two calves. BELOW The museum’s Sculpture Trail will eventually feature nearly thirty permanent and temporary wildlife sculptures like this bronze coyote.

imagined by museum curators Lisa Simmons-Jordan and Tammi Hanawalt. It features bear-themed art pieces selected from the permanent collection paired with photography by the Jackson-based, world-renowned wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen that is on loan to the NMWA. Both exhibits run from November 2021 until April 2022.

Visitors looking to delve deeper into the museum’s offerings can find plenty to fill their time. The Wapiti Gallery hosts interactive art displays contributed by local students and artists. The museum’s education department has started producing a video series called Bisoncast that connects viewers with the museum’s

art collection via its YouTube channel. (For more information about educational programs, fundraisers, virtual events, and other gatherings throughout the year, visit wildlifeart.org.)

The museum’s winter hours run from 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays through Sundays. Adult admission costs $15 and for children ages 5 to 18 the cost is $8. Area locals (including residents of Teton Valley, Idaho) should remember that the first Sundays of each month from November through March are free and, in the past, have included art projects, film viewings, Santa visits, snow sculptures, live music, scavenger hunts, and more.

Finally, for those wanting to see outdoor art on a wintry day, the threequarters-of-a-mile-long Sculpture Trail

offers plentiful viewing areas, with more than twenty works of art. It is free to the public. Highlights include the Lost Birds Project (depicting a flock of five extinct birds in bronze outside the museum entrance), as well as Richard Loffler’s heroic-sized bronze installation, “Buffalo Trail,” which features five adult bison and two calves, measuring a total of sixty-four feet in length.

After spending time at the museum, any visitor is likely to start pondering the same questions prompted by the artwork and the graphics found throughout its exhibits: Can art help save wildlife?

Jackson area native and occasional NMWA art teacher Vanessa Boshoff puts it like this: “Through art, I think we can inspire people to care about things, and once you care about something, you want to save it. What art helps people understand is the importance of these animals, and the beauty, and that this globe—it’s really big—but we’re all connected.”

LINN CANYON RANCH

inside the Colter Building

Pictured (left to right) Landon Smith - Escrow Assistant, Tiera Parker - Escrow Officer, Daryl Fauth - Manager, Ruth Corcoran - Title Officer (not pictured)

ABOVE While it may seem counterintuitive, many winter campers prefer a lightweight, floorless tent. With no floor, the snow becomes a meduim for sculpting out more room or creating seating.

LEFT Campers enjoy a tentside afternoon warmed by puffy coats and the midday sun.

BY RYAN ARIANO PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON CORSI

Sleeping in the deep freeze with ease Cold Play

The stars filling the frozen black sky seem almost as countless as the snowflakes crunching beneath your sleeping pad. The only things separating you from the single-digit night are the tent walls and an insulated sack.

Your boots and clothes teeter between damp and frozen. The nearest road is miles away. There’s no light but that which you’ve brought with you.

It’s absolute paradise.

“The conditioning of modern convenience has taught us to avoid discomfort when there’s a lot to learn from discomfort,” says Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute founder Jacob Urban.

Jacob, who organizes year-round backcountry overnights via tetonsnow geek.com, waxes philosophically about winter camping. “It’s all about reminding myself what’s important in life: food, shelter, and companionship,” he says.

There are arguably few better places than the Tetons to spend a night in the snow. Jackson Lake even got its name from the pioneer Davey Jackson, who spent a winter camping on its shores.

“I usually like to go winter camping at least once a year,” says Teton Valley resident and retired National Park Service (NPS) ranger Mike Nicklas. “If you’re prepared and have the right gear, you can feel super comfortable.”

With more than thirty years working for the NPS, Mike boasts a snow camping resume that includes winter ski traverses along the spine of the Teton Range and expeditions up Alaska’s Denali. After decades camping

with every setup imaginable, Mike prefers to go light with a five-sided, floorless tent.

Yes, floorless.

“Tents with a floor get a little claustrophobic,” he says. “With a floorless tent, you can dig down [in the snow] to be able to stand up and have more room to sort all of your gear. You can also dig out a bench to have somewhere to cook.” Plus, with the floorless tent, you carry considerably less weight.

Jacob goes for the same low-weight approach, though with a different technique. “You can dig down into the snowpack in a rectangular shape, throw your skis over the hole, and then throw a tarp over those,” he says. This requires friends to help with the dig and laying enough skis across to support the tarp. “But it’s quiet, because you’re out of the wind and it’s warm,” he says.

Rich Rinaldi, co-owner of Driggs outdoor store Yöstmark Mountain Equipment, agrees. “When you’re using snow as your shelter, it provides great insulation,” he says.

Jacob prefers to sleep in a bivy sack, while Mike uses just a sleeping bag— but suggests synthetic fill since snow moisture will turn bird down into a soggy mess. “They make sleeping bags super lightweight now, and warm,” adds Rich.

To the winter camping neophyte, it might come as a surprise to learn that snow is in fact a fantastic insulator, as Rich Rinaldi says. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, fresh, un-compacted snow is composed of 90 to 95 percent trapped air. Since the air can barely move, heat transfer is greatly reduced, creating a surprisingly warm option for shelter.

These experienced winter campers have some additional tips to share. Jacob fills a bottle with boiled water at night and puts it into his bag alongside socks, liners, gloves, and anything else he wants to get warm and dry. In the morning, he’ll chug the water to get off on a well-hydrated foot. Mike, meanwhile, says he brings an “oldschool candle lantern that you don’t have to worry about tipping over. Plus, there’s a psychological element [of the flame] where it at least feels warmer.”

Once you have acquired the needed camping gear and mastered some mode of getting over the snow, whether on skis, snowboard, or snowshoes, familiarize yourself with the components of your kit. “Practice melting snow with your stove in the winter,” Jacob says. “Sublimation is something people new to winter camping don’t necessarily know about.” Meaning if you melt your snow wrong, it’ll skip the liquid stage and go directly from ice to vapor.

And let this author’s experience be a confirmation that the old adages are indeed true: Practice makes perfect, and know before you go! My first winter camping experience was on the glaciers of Mount Rainier in Washington state. By the time I’d partially hydrated my dinner and gotten my water bottle half full of melted snow, I was able to get two hours of sleep before our alpine start time. Don’t be like me. Practice first, then plan your destination.

“For somebody new, I would [suggest] not camping in high traffic areas,” says Jacob, adding that he recommends the glacial moraines above Bradley Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Mike also loves winter camping in the park. Summer crowds are gone and while you still have to get a camping permit, they don’t typically sell out. As for camping on the Idaho side, Mike suggests Teton Canyon as a destination.

“This winter I was itching to go camping and couldn’t wait until spring or summer,” Mike says. “I skied from the

FROM

is composed of 90 to 95 percent trapped air, making it a fantastic insulator. Winter campers utilize the elements to turn snow into water, but be sure to practice: too hot of heat source, and your snow can turn to vapor instead of water. A winter camper removes his snowy shoes outside the tent to keep things inside dry.

There are arguably few better places than the Tetons to spend a night in the snow.

trailhead about 4 miles in and camped in the Teton Canyon campground.” He set up his tent atop a snow-covered picnic table and dug down to use the table’s wooden sitting bench. South Leigh Creek is another option Ryan recommends, having camped on Beards Mountain in the past. Rich, who also runs Yöstmark’s backcountry ski mountaineering guide services says, “Camp somewhere that’s safe out of avalanche terrain and provides good skiing.”

As for any outdoor activity, winter camping is not to be taken lightly. Consulting and/or hiring a professional guide for your first outing is a great idea.

“The more an individual engages in an environment, the more a person becomes comfortable in a variety of different conditions,” Jacob says. “Winter camping just gives us a better opportunity to understand who we are.”

CLOCKWISE

TOP LEFT Snow

Rise Coffee House

A place to gather

its delicious baked treats and the popular breakfast slider to freshly brewed espresso drinks, Rise Coffee House is a favorite place to start or savor the day.

way you’d like it … and more.

When owner Kisa Koenig took over the space in December 2017, she envisioned a gathering hub. “I was hoping it would turn into a community space,” she says. “And it has. We have hosted some nonprofit events here and there and had evening dinners in the summer. I still want to do cribbage night.” Whether or not cribbage will come to fruition is still up in the air, but what is certain about Rise is its status as a locals’ staple and visitors’ favorite.

“I see many a pastor meeting with parish members, a lot of business meetings happening, and social gathering,” Kisa says. But no matter the reason for stopping in, she and her talented team of baristas and bakers are sure to serve up something tasty. Kisa’s go-to coffee order is a tried-and-true Americano, and a latte remains the favorite of Rise patrons, closely followed by a sweet, chocolatey mocha or a warming spicy chai.

For something a little out of the ordinary, order a Chopper Gunner, a strong and slightly sweet beverage, for when you need an extra pick-me-up. Made with two shots of espresso, one pump of vanilla, and a kiss of cream, this creative concoction was dreamt up years ago by Kisa, her husband Chris, and her sister and brother-inlaw, all new parents, at the time. It was designed to help them survive sleepless

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“Our goal is to make it very thoughtful, from the design to the food to the staff. How we greet people and how we remember their names, Rise is more of an intimate experience.”

nights with newborns.

Kisa Koenig, Owner

While espresso drinks are the Rise specialty, freshly baked goods and hearty burritos are a pair of must-have breakfast treats. In the summer, the patio invites patrons to sit and soak up the season, sometimes alongside live music from local acts. But on cold winter days, the inside is just as cozy, with its lovely surroundings and friendly staff.

“Our goal is to make it very thoughtful,” Kisa says, “from the design to the food to the staff. How we greet people and how we remember their names, Rise is more of an intimate experience than just pumping out coffee drinks.”

Whether to gather, fuel up, or both, Rise Coffee House is the spot to hit. Find hours and menu at risedriggs.com.

Kisa Koenig opened Rise Coffee House in 2017. Inside the little blue house, delicious items like flaky croissants and steaming cappuccinos await.

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! [p. 98]

Barrels & Bins

36 South Main Street

Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-2307

Open Daily 8am–7pm barrelsandbins.market

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 open 9:30am to 1:30pm daily. Check in for sandwiches and salads, as well as other grab-and-go takeout options. [p. 103]

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. Breakfast sandwiches and paninis made fresh daily. Our deli has 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. New coffee bar.

Butter

57 South Main Street

Victor, ID 83455

208-399-2872

Visit website for menus, hours, and online ordering butterinvictor.com

Butter makes it better, that is the true belief of husband-and-wife team Marcos Hernandez and Amelia Hatchard. Stop in or order online to go for a delightful spin on brunch classics such as al pastor hash, smothered cowboy burritos, or our Mexican grilled cheese. For delicious brunch anytime, the only question is: Our place or yours? Follow our Instagram @butterinvictor for specials and updates. [p. 87]

Citizen 33 Brewery & Restaurant

364 N Main St, Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-2073

Open Daily 4pm - 9pm citizen33.com

From the team behind Forage Bistro and Tatanka Tavern, Citizen 33 Brewery & Restaurant in Driggs is dedicated to serving fresh, delicious, and locally sourced food and beer from the Main Street pub. Enjoy ever-changing brews on tap by Brew Master Nick Farney and a delicious menu by Chef John Perry featuring elevated bar bites like local fried cheese curds and 460 Bread olive thyme toast, burgers, sandwiches, and flavorful entrees. Citizen 33 was built for the community members and visitors of Teton Valley to come together and celebrate this amazing place with delicious food and cold craft beer. Cheers to the citizens, “a native or inhabitant,” of Route 33! [p. 23]

Forage Bistro & Lounge

285 Little Avenue, Suite A Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-2858

Open Daily 4pm – 9pm

Reservations Recommended forageandlounge.com

Forage Bistro, specializing in seasonal regional cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients, offers creative, chef-inspired dinner seven days a week. Enjoy half-priced bottles of wine every Wednesday. Amazing burgers, steak, trout, market fish, pasta, homemade desserts, and more made from scratch. Our open kitchen with nothing to hide offers diners a unique experience in Teton Valley. [p. 23]

Grand Targhee Resort

Alta, WY 83414

800-TARGHEE (827-4433) grandtarghee.com

The Branding Iron is the best-kept dining secret at Grand Targhee Resort and one of the best restaurants outside of Driggs, Idaho. You’ll find a welcoming atmosphere that is both upscale and casual, and family-friendly. Eric Gruber, the new executive chef, has a rich culinary background that has taken him to resorts throughout the American West. Come taste his inspiring culinary creations, including his signature pickle-brined fried chicken. At the Trap Bar and Grill, enjoy a wide selection of local microbrews on tap, great food like the famous Wydaho Nachos, and HD TVs with your favorite sports teams! Snorkels is your slopeside bistro; enjoy a cup of hot coffee or cappuccino with a Wyoming-style breakfast burrito. Return in the afternoon for homemade soups and sandwiches! [83]

Grand Teton Brewing

430 Old Jackson Highway

Victor, ID 83455

888-899-1656

Open Daily 1pm–8pm grandtetonbrewing.com

Grand Teton Brewing’s Tasting Room is open daily this winter from 1pm to 8pm. With a wide selection of beer on tap and cans to go, there is something for everyone. Visit our website for more information and upcoming events. [p. 49]

Linn Canyon Ranch

1300 East 6000 South

Victor, ID 83455

208-787-LINN (5466) linncanyonranch.com

Join us for a winter wonderland dining experience! We’ll greet you at the lodge with warm drinks before we board the horse-drawn sleigh for a tour of the ranch. Upon your return, you’ll enjoy cocktails and hors-d’oeuvres before being seated at your private table in the historic lodge. Experience the fine hospitality and elevated dining the Linn family is known for. Advanced reservations are required. For holiday and private parties, please call to inquire. [p. 91]

Pizzeria Alpino

165 North Main Street

Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-8829 pizzeriaalpino.com

Dine in and take out available. Visit website for menus, hours, and online ordering. Inspired by the chalet-style trattorias and pizzerias nestled high in the Italian Alps and Dolomites, Alpino serves simple, delicious Italian fare in a warm, cozy, historic Teton cabin. Fresh, handmade pasta. Long-fermented dough.

Rise Coffee House

40 Depot Street

Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-RISE

Open Thurs-Tues 7:30am-2pm (closed Wednesdays) risedriggs.com

Rise Coffee House is a place where our community gathers and connects with one another. If you are looking for a beautifully crafted espresso drink, breakfast, or a mouth-watering baked good, you’ll be sure to find it here. Come enjoy culture, community, and excellent coffee…voted best coffee three years in a row! Cheers!

Tatanka

Tavern

18 North Main Street, 3rd Floor of the Colter Building, Suite 315 Driggs, ID 83422

208-980-7320

Open Daily 4pm–9pm tatankatavern.com

Tatanka Tavern offers wood-fired artisan pizza, salads, and the finest craft beers and wines. Bring in the family for a night out, or grab a seat at the bar and watch the game. Enjoy local favorites like the Fungus Amongus for dinner daily. [p. 23]

The Royal Wolf

63 Depot Street Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-8365

Open Daily; serving lunch and dinner 11am–late theroyalwolf.com

Since 1997, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed discovering this offMain 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, WiFi, and billiards. Stop by to meet old friends and make new ones. Snow sagas and fish tales told nightly. (Hours and menu subject to change.)

Three Peaks Restaurant & Catering

15 South Main Street

Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-9463

Daily happy hours 4pm–6pm threepeaksdinnertable.com threepeakscatering.com

Enjoy classic Italian dishes with a wild western flare: Elk Meatballs, Spicy Pork Sausage Lasagna, and Idaho Rainbow Trout, just to name a few. A great downtown Driggs restaurant close to the stoplight. Boutique wine selection available for takeout or on-site enjoyment. Plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options. Private inhome or on-site catering and cooking classes available. We feature locally made artwork in our unique, circa 1940s building. Visit our website or call for reservations. [p. 34]

Victor Emporium

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 delicious milkshakes, 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 enjoying the great outdoors here in Teton Valley. [p. 97]

Victor Valley Market

5 South Main Street

Victor, ID 83455

208-787-2230

Open Daily 7am

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, housemade soups, and so much more! Victor Valley Market has all that you need to make a delicious meal, whether for eating in or picnicking out. [p. 10]

Wanderlust Bistro

Located at Teton Valley Resort 1208 Highway 31 Victor, ID 83455

208-821-1982

Open Daily wanderlustbistro.com

From the owners of Butter Cafe in Victor and Streetfood at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson comes Wanderlust Bistro, serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily influenced by regional and global favorites. Hidden inside Teton Valley Resort, catch the shuttle to Grand Targhee in the morning and feast on Chef Marcos’ comfort meals each night. Follow us @wanderlustbistro. [p. 95]

Wildlife Brewing

145 South Main Street

Victor, ID 83455

208-787-2623

Open Wed-Sun, 4pm–9pm wildlifebrewing.com

Since 2003, Wildlife Brewing has been a cornerstone of Victor’s restaurant scene. Locals and visitors alike visit daily to enjoy awardwinning microbrews and freshly made hand-tossed pizza. With a large family-friendly seating area and a unique stainless-steel bar, Wildlife is the perfect place to enjoy a quick brew after a fun-filled day or bring the whole family to enjoy the best pizza in the valley. Come on in and ‘Live the Wildlife!’

C & C HomeServices

57 South Main Street

Victor, ID 83455

307-201-1861

cchsjacksonhole.com

C&C HomeServices provides luxury vacation rentals as well as vacation rental representation and premium home management services to homeowners in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley. We stand by uncompromising standards designed to overachieve the expectations of our owners and guests alike. Homeowners and rental guests enjoy meticulous attention to detail and twenty-four-hour service. We offer services including short-term rental management, long-term rental management, caretaking, housekeeping services, snow removal, and lawncare. It is our pleasure to care for our clients’ homes and provide our guests the best in comfort and convenience. [p. 2]

Grand Targhee Resort

3300 Ski Hill Road Alta, WY 83414 800-TARGHEE [827-4433] grandtarghee.com

After a day on the mountain, it’s time to relax with the family in one of a variety of western-style slopeside accommodations. Be ready for first chair as you relax in the high alpine setting with a quaint mountain village that offers dining and shopping. Rooms vary in size and budget, from sleeping four to ten guests. The Sioux Two Bedrooms offer a small kitchenette and are perfect for your next resort getaway. The resort is dog friendly and offers pet friendly rooms. Call 800-TAR-GHEE to book your stay. [BC]

Linn Canyon Ranch

1300 East 6000 South Victor, ID 83455

208-787-LINN [5466] linncanyonranch.com

Experience our authentic timber-frame cabin nestled in the snowy foothills of the Tetons, where quiet luxury awaits. While you’re here, take a ride on a horse-drawn sleigh, and join us for an evening of elegant western dining in our historic lodge. We’re also happy to reserve off-site adventures, including snowmobile tours, downhill skiing, and cross-country skiing. [p. 91]

Moose Creek Ranch

2733 East 10800 South Victor, ID 83455

208-787-6078

moosecreekranch.com

Come experience the new Moose Creek Ranch, a four-season private guest ranch located near the base of Teton Pass in Victor, Idaho. The historic ranch has undergone renovations on units and improvements to the guest experience, operating as Teton Valley’s premier destination lodging. Moose Creek Ranch is conveniently located near Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, and Grand Targhee Resort and is a luxury basecamp for all the epic adventures and sightseeing this region has to offer. Featuring diverse accommodation options for every traveler, including canvas glamping tents, cabins, and five-star RV-sites. The ranch also hosts unforgettable weddings, family reunions, holiday parties, and corporate events. [p. 16]

Teton Springs Lodge & Spa

10 Warm Creek Lane Victor, ID 83455 877-787-8757 or 208-787-7235 tetonspringslodge.com

US News & World Report’s #1 Hotel in Idaho multiple times, Teton Springs Lodge & Spa is nestled in the heart of the Yellowstone-Teton area. This all-suite destination hotel includes 36 elegant one and twobedroom suites, as well as 3, 4 and 5-bedroom luxury log homes. Offering the best of both summer and winter activities. The Stillwaters Spa & Salon is the perfect place to rejuvenate. Lodge and cabin guests have access to the Bronze Buffalo Sporting Club amenities, including two Byron Nelson designed golf courses, outdoor heated pool, tennis courts, fitness center, and more.

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 picnic and activity grounds 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 WiFi. [p. 10]

Teton Valley Property Management

253 South Main Street

Driggs, ID 83422

208-354-3431

info@tetonvalleypm.com

tetonvalleyvacationrentals.com

Allow us to find that perfect home or condo to make your vacation memorable. All our homes are nicely furnished, meticulously maintained, and fully equipped to accommodate your group at a fraction of what you would pay for hotel rooms. All homes come complete with linens, kitchen necessities, smart TVs or satellite TV service, high-speed internet, soaps, and paper products. Book online and receive all the conveniences of home, away from home. [p. 8]

Teton Valley Resort

1208 Highway 31

Victor, ID 83455

877-787-3036

tetonvalleyresort.com

At Teton Valley Resort, our goal is to provide you a comfortable and memorable basecamp for your mountain adventure. Whether you choose to camp in an RV site, stay in one of our luxury cabins or glamping units, or enjoy a completely unique experience in one of our rustic tipis, you’ll appreciate the wide variety of lodging and amenity options we offer. Enjoy a refreshing swim in our pool, clear your mind with a facial or deep-tissue massage in our day spa, share in a fun competition on our pickle ball courts, or plan an outdoor adventure excursion coordinated by our guest services team. Let us help you design your perfect stay at Teton Valley Resort and, together, we’ll create memories that last a lifetime. [p. 95]

Specializing in Wyoming

Experts in Joint & Spine Care

Whether you're skiing, hiking, or fishing, our orthopedic care gets you back to the activities and lifestyle you love. Leading joint and spine care is just one of the ways we're specializing in Wyoming, and specializing in you.

DO

www.stjohns.health

Pictured: Christopher C. Hills,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

[As it relates to potential ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, please contact Zane Calderwood (208-317-3325) or Wade Treasure (208-3514480)]

Teton Valley is home to three meetinghouses of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds are invited to attend Sunday worship services in Victor (87 East Center Street), Driggs (225 North 1st Street), and Tetonia (209 South Main Street).

Worship services are centered on the partaking of the bread and water of the sacrament. This one-hour meeting includes congregational hymns, prayers, and brief sermons focused on the love of God and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Following this meeting, visitors of all ages are invited to attend one-hour Sunday School classes, divided by various age groups from toddlers to youth to adults. Additional information can be found at ChurchOfJesusChrist.org

Headwaters Calvary Chapel

500 Ski Hill Road | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-WORD [9673] headwaterschurch.fun

Our vision 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 whole Bible. Sunday service starts at 10am; dress is nice casual. Wednesday Bible study starts at 7pm; dress is casual. From the stoplight in Driggs, head east on Ski Hill Road and the church will be on your left as you round the turn.

St.

Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church

20 Alta School Road | Alta, WY 83414 | 307-353-8100 sftetons@silverstar.com | stfrancis.episcopalidaho.org

Join us for Sunday morning worship beginning at 10am. St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church 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.

Teton Valley Bible Church

265 North 2nd East | Driggs, ID | 208-354-8523 tetonvalleybiblechurch.org

Teton Valley Bible Church exists to glorify God and exalt Jesus Christ as Lord through Holy Spirit-empowered living and worship. Our mission is to make disciples through gospel-centered outreach, the spiritual building-up of believers, and living in loving fellowship with one another. We gather together to worship the Lord on Sunday mornings; please visit the website for service times. Pastor Jim Otto (MDiv) is committed to expositional preaching and Biblical theology. Child care is available and all are welcome. [p. 49]

Grandview Baptist Church

2301 North Highway 33 | Driggs, ID | 208-220-0351 grandviewbaptist.org

As an Independent Baptist Church, we believe in traditional hymns and use only the King James Bible for all services and Bible studies. Join us Sunday mornings at 10am for Sunday School followed by a service from Pastor Daniel McDonald at 11am. A children’s program is available during service times. We also offer a Thursday night (7pm) prayer meeting, Saturday night (7pm) men’s prayers, and a Sunday evening (5pm) service. Visit our website to learn more about our Christian Homeschool Co-op, Kids Camp (Fall), and Vacation Bible School Camp (Summer). We provide transportation to all services with our van route ministry, just call for a pick up. Come join us in God’s word and make the world a better place!

Teton School District 401

District Office: 208-228-5923

tsd401.org

Empowering our students to reach their full potential—Teton School District 401 provides a safe and exceptional learning environment where career and college readiness are the academic cornerstones of a relevant and progressive education. [p. 86]

Teton High School

Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5924

tsd401.org

Teton High School strives to recognize the uniqueness of the individual in preparing 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 for students who meet the state criteria for enrollment. Students obtain credits through a stateapproved independent-study format, with assistance from certified staff.

Teton Middle School

Grades 6–8 | 208-228-5925

tsd401.org

The mission of TMS is to be a safe and innovative organization that empowers each student and staff member to develop a foundation of self-efficacy, build relationships, overcome challenges, stretch their grit and resilience, and recognize their potential.

Rendezvous Upper Elementary

Grades 4–5 | Driggs 208-228-5926

tsd401.org

Rendezvous’ mission is to create a caring community of learners who inspire each other to embrace curiosity, value others’ opinions, and develop a foundation of self-efficacy.

Teton K-3 Elementary Schools

Victor 208-228-5929 | Driggs 208-228-5927 | Tetonia 208-228-5930 in Driggs 208-228-5926 tsd401.org

The mission of the TSD 401 elementary schools 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.

The (Tall) Tail of Drake

PHOTO BY KATIE COONEY

WHILE HUNTING EXCURSIONS ARE A LITTLE LESS FREQUENT these days for Drake the Lab, You may see him perched on the banks of the river, awaiting his chance to make a grab.

Before the snow flies, he listens for the nearby sounds of waterfowl, preferably a duck.

And he just might retrieve them for you, with any luck.

Is he an ordinary black Lab? Maybe. It’s hard to say.

But one thing is certain for Drake the Lab—any day in the Tetons is a good day.

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