16TOP TO BOTTOM 26FAMILIAR FACES 30TEENS AND TWEENS 54 FIRESIDE 56OVER THE HILL 60FAR FLUNG 72 EXPOSURE

WINTER 2014/2015 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Book Talk VALLEY OF THE TETONS LIBRARY GREETS ITS 50TH YEAR

SUMMER 2014 magazine 3 Teton Valley 208.456.9581 307.733.9581

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208-354-3389 WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 1 2 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 www.tvhcare.org GOT ICE?

Kotler Ice Arena Pioneer Park in Victor, Idaho Public Open Skating Adult Pond Hockey Youth Hockey Figure Skating Lessons Go to www.tetonvalleyfoundation.org Women’s Hockey for the 2014/2015 rink schedule and pricing Public Stick & Puck Sessions Special Events: Contact us: Christmas Eve Open Skate Dec 24 [email protected] New Year’s Eve Family Skate Dec 31 208.399.2423 Friday Night Ice Live Jan 9 & Feb 13

Teton Valley Foundation is a donor and sponsor supported nonprofi t organization that works to make the good life in Teton Valley even better. TVF provides cultural and recreational events and facilities that boost the local economy and make our community a better place to live and to visit. Signature programs include The Kotler Ice Arena, Music on Main, and the Teton Valley Great Fest from Jan 23 - Feb 1. For more information visit www.tetonvalleyfoundation.org

WINTER 2014/2015 tetonmagazine valle 3 y PO Box 50, Victor, ID 83455 | (208) 201-5356 | [email protected] FOUNDATION vv

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WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 5 Homesites Commercial Condominiums Variety of Homes 6 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 contents WINTER 2014/2015

8 Editor’s Note 12 Contributors top to bottom 16 30 Ways to Play | Health Care Stop in Victor | Sno’ Joke Targhee Rules | Garage Grown Granting Tetonia our neighbors 22 all in a day’s work Designing Woman 26 familiar faces ‘Man of Steele’ 30 teens and tweens Our Friend One VOICE Matters 42 the Moose 34 back when Cover Story West Side features 64 Story 36 Living on the Line 42 The Mighty, Fragile Moose 48 Super Bowl Sunday in the Tetons compass points 54 fireside Need-to-Know Knots 56 over the hill Every Day Adventure 60 far flung Walking A Guera Goes South 26 with Nature 64 local flavors West Side Story Living on directories the Line 36 13 Advertiser Directory 66 Dining Guide 68 Lodging Guide 70 Church Directory 70 School Directory exposure 72 Ghosts of Winters Past

on the cover ‘Shep’ peeks out from the side as Clayton Beard drives Percherons Max and Mol- ly, and Clayton’s sons Jay (left) and Nate work the hay bales. Photo by Jamye Chrisman. Every Day Adventure 56 Cover

PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN 34 Story

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 7 Copies Shipping Graphic editor’s note Architectural Prints Faxes Computer AccessoriesLOCAL Printer SOLUTIONS Kodak Photos Posters Frames What, winter already? Oh well, we did choose to live in snow Signs Invitations Greeting country. And anyway, the biggest blizzard Mother Nature whips up couldn’t stop the powder-crazy among us from cry- Flyers Lamination Binding ing out: “Bring it on—we want more!” Passport Photos Invoices Postcards Logos Presentations Letterhead As you may recall if you read our newly redesigned maga- zine last summer, we now place our people-oriented stories siness Cards Public Com (tagged “Our Neighbors”) toward the front of the book, and UPS FedEx Office Supplies place-based pieces (“Compass Points”) toward the back. Peo- ple stories in this edition include a profile of the irrepressible and seemingly ubiquitous Andy Steele, who should play Santa Peak Printing Claus at Christmas if he doesn’t already. A naturalist at Grand Targhee Resort, Andy has led literally thousands of visitors on 76 S First Driggs, Idaho snowshoe hikes. In doing so, he has received his own bounty Mon-Fri 10 to 5 of joy by stimulating people’s curiosity and “having them ex- perience and truly see, feel, smell, and listen to the world of nature,” he says. [email protected] Other individuals profiled in this edition include Pauline El- 208-354-7337 liot, a seamstress who has rightfully earned a reputation as the “go-to” person in our area for both making and altering wedding dresses. You’ll also learn about the ladies who built a fire under community members back in the 1960s to get the Valley of the Tetons Library up and running. Meanwhile, contributor and educator Liz Onufer fills us in on the VOICE program, a peer-to-peer mentoring program at Teton High School that helps both the mentor and mentee learn how to accept and be accepted.

Toward the back of the book, our place-based stories focus on commuting over , a popular new Victor restaurant occupying a very familiar building, and Hueyotlipan, Tlaxcala, a small village not far east of Mexico City that has close ties to Teton Valley.

Nestled between the people and places, you’ll find our three feature stories. They tackle a range of largely unrelated top- ics: Living in the “Which state am I in?” community of Alta (answer: Wyoming); our big friend, the mighty but potentially vulnerable moose; and Super Bowl Sunday, Teton Valley-style. Your Home Base for Ski great powder on both sides Relaxation or Adventure of the Tetons...for less bucks! Whether your personal Teton Valley style involves playing in On the road to Grand Targhee the powder, fat biking in the Big Holes, or hugging the wood-

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8 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Christopher Hills, DO David Khoury, MD Rafael Williams, MD Andrew Bullington, MD Adult Spine Surgery Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy Shoulder Surgery Sports Medicine Minimally Invasive Surgery Shoulder & Knee Surgery Hand & Upper Extremity Knee & Shoulder Surgery Complex Cervical Reconstruction Knee Replacement Sports Injuries Joint Replacement Surgery Board Certified Trauma & Fracture Care Trauma & Fracture Care Trauma & Fracture Care Fellowship Trained Board Certified Board Certified Board Certified Fellowship Trained Fellowship Trained Fellowship Trained

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CLINIC LOCATIONS: JACKSON, WILSON, AFTON, PINEDALE, BIG PINEY, LANDER, RIVERTON, & ROCK SPRINGS 307-733-3900 • 800-659-1335 WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 9 A NEW LOOK WINTER 2014/2015 publisher Nancy McCullough-McCoy and a [email protected] editor in chief Michael McCoy [email protected] FRESH MENU art director Sage Hibberd [email protected] photographer Jamye Chrisman marketing + sales representative Nancy McCullough-McCoy [email protected] marketing + sales assistant Joan Mosher [email protected] copy editor Kate Hull contributors Lukas Boone Christine Colbert Meghan Hanson Kate Hull Rebecca Huntington Too cold to ski today? Erin Jensen Rebecca Mitchell Enjoy a view from the air on Liz Onufer one of our scenic ights Mel Paradis Jenn Rein Bridget Ryder Beth Ward Laurel A. Wicks

Teton Valley Magazine is published twice yearly by Powder Mountain Press, Inc. 18 N Main #305 | PO Box 1167 | Driggs ID 83422 (208)354-3466 tel | (208)354-3468 fax LifeInTheTetons.com

©2014 by Powder Mountain Press, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Editorial comments, ideas, Scenic Flights and submissions are welcomed. The publisher Warbirds Café • 208.354.2550 will not be responsible for the return of unsolic- ited photos, articles, or other materials unless 208.354.3100 • tetonaviation.com accompanied by a SASE. 253 Warbird Lane • Driggs, ID 83422 Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 18, No. 2

10 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Fast, Affordable, and On Your Way.

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Keeping Teton Valley Well Groomed Since 2000 tvtap.org Winter Events Calendar DECEMBER 13, 2014 Nordic Fundraising Dinner DECEMBER TBD 2014-15 Teton Canyon Meet and Greet JANUARY 10, 2015 Grooming Schedule Teton Ridge Classic Alta: M, W, F, Su 20 & 40km Classic Style Nordic Race Driggs: M, W, F JANUARY 23 Teton Canyon: T, Th, Sa, Su Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival Pioneer Park, Victor: M, W, F JANUARY 31 Teton Springs, Victor: T, Th, Sa Spud Chase Nordic Race Grooming Reports @ tvtap.org/nordic-grooming Peaked Sports Event supporting TVTAP FEBRUARY 21 DONATE TO TVTAP TODAY! Alta Vista Freestyle Nordic Race Membership donations and event proceeds support grooming 10 & 20k Freestyle (Classic or Skate) race efforts and keep Nordic trails accessible for all users More info @ tvtap.org

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 11 contributors

A Colorado native, Rebecca Mitchell [Living on the Line, page 36] moved to Teton Valley to enjoy a slower-paced lifestyle. Tucked in the woods of Alta, she works from her home office where the pressures of deadline-driven work are balanced by the peace and tranquility of mountain living. When she’s not editing A Grand Wedding & Event Planner or contributing to other regional magazines, she writes project proposals for engineering firms and also volunteers in the Alta community. Outside of the office, Rebecca enjoys an active family life with her husband and two school-age children.

Erin Jensen [Cover Story, page 34] and her husband Jon home school their six children and recently spent a year in Europe on a home-school field trip, living in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, England, and Germany. She likes to knit, read, play the organ and piano, travel, and hike. Erin grew up in Southern California and has lived in Teton Valley for ten years, but says she still doesn’t get the whole snow thing. She blogs at erin.zayda.net.

“Writing is a comfortable process, and as the years go by it gains importance,” says Laurel A. Wicks [Familiar Faces, page 26]. Bru, as she is better known, points to cooking seasonal dishes with fresh ingredients for friends, family, and clients as one of her passions. “Gardening and watching plants grow also brings joy,” she says, “and observing birds and animals in my natural surroundings helps me feel in tune with the rhythm of life. Raising awareness about the need for more conscious and compassionate elder care is a high priority of mine.”

Bridget Ryder [Far Flung, page 60] misses the Tetons but is taking advantage of all the Twin Cities have to offer, which includes her husband, Juan Guttierrez, and the graduate program in Catholic Studies at the University of Thomas. In between cramping her head with Augustine and Aquinas, she still cross-country skis and ice skates. “Since I’ll be surrounded by 10,000 frozen lakes this winter, I might even go ice fishing,” Bridget says.

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12 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 advertiser directory

All Season Resort Realty 5 Frame, Post and Log Construction and Remodeling Barrels & Bins Community Market 28 Blue Ox 40 Broken Spur 1 Moyer Builders has a strong reputation for guiding our Community Foundation of Teton Valley 71 customers through the building process with respect, thoroughness, Corner Drug 24 and quality construction. We are committed to serving our customers Dang Blessed 40 responsively and responsibly to assure that their expectations are Driggs Health Clinic 25 exceeded in all aspects of their home construction experience. Drs. Toenjes, Brizzee & Orme, P.A. 15 Fall River Propane 51 Fall River Rural Electric Co-Op 15 Fitzgerald’s Bicycles 52 Grand Targhee Resort BC Grand Targhee Resort Property Management 53 Grand Valley Lodging 51 Guchiebirds 33 Habitat 29 High Peaks Physical Therapy 47 Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty IBC Jorgensen Associates, PC 59 Kaufman’s OK Tire 12 Linn Canyon Ranch 29 McDonald’s® of Jackson Hole 11 40 Years’ Experience in MD Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. 19, 21 Moyer Builders LTD 13 all Types of Construction O’Brien Landscaping 58 Peak Printing 8 • Plan Designing Available Plan One Architects 41 • Remodeling and Additions Powder Mountain Press Custom Publishing 57 Seoul Restaurant 47 • New Home Construction St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church 28 • New Frame, Post, Log and St. John’s Medical Center 4 Contemporary Construction Teton Aviation Center/Warbirds Café 10 Teton County School District 401 25 Teton Orthopaedics 9 Teton Thai and The Indian 32 Teton Valley Bible Church 59 Teton Valley Business Development Center 69 Teton Valley Cabins 8 Teton Valley Dental Center 33 Teton Valley Foundation 3, 14 Teton Valley Hospital 2 Teton Valley Magazine Subscribe 41 Teton Valley Realty 6 Moyer Builders LLC. Teton Valley Trails and Pathways 11 10125 Rammell Mt. Rd. The Driggs Stovehouse 65 Tetonia, Idaho 83452 The Rusty Nail 40 Valley Lumber & Rental 65 208-456-2385 Victor Emporium 53 [email protected] Victor Health Clinic 52 Idaho Contractor Registration: RCE-60 Victor Valley Market 57 Licensed Resident Contractor Wildlife Brewing 24 Class C Town of Jackson, Wyoming Wilkinson Montesano Builders IFC Yöstmark Mountain Equipment 58

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 13 FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 Snowscapes Snow Sculptures CELEBRATE Backcountry Film Festival SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 Snowscapes Snow Sculptures Snowplane Rally & Exhibition Youth Hockey Tournament SNOW Kids’ Igloo Building Nordic Sprint Relay Races Snow Ball IV Celebration

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 Snowscapes Snow Sculptures XC Ski & Wildlife Viewing Youth Hockey Tournament Kids’ Winter Ecology Activity Dog-Joring Fun Race Ice Skating Kotler Arena

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 Avalanche Awareness Clinic Backcountry Skiing 101 Skijoring & Sno X Pre-Party

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 Skijoring Competition Sno X Snowmobile Races Spud Chase Nordic Race Backcountry Skiing 101 Jan 23-Feb 1, 2015 Kids’ Igloo Building Teton Valley, Idaho Cowboys, Sledheads, & Skibums SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Skijoring Competition Sno X Snowmobile Race Pedigree Stagestop Sled Dog Race Fat Bike Crit Race & Demos Kids’ Winter Ecology Activity

www.TetonValleyFoundation.org/greatsnowfest teton 14valle y magazine WINTER 2014/2015 208-201-5356 • [email protected] FOUNDATION Doctors Toenjes, Brizzee & Orme P.A. COSMETIC & FAMILY DENTISTRY 305 East 5th North • St. Anthony • 624-3757 204 Main Street • Ashton • 652-7868

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These Fall River Electric Cooperative linemen and their families are your neighbors. These men are dedicated and committed to keeping your power on no matter the day of the week, time of the day, or the weather conditions! When they head out this winter in a snowstorm, day or night, they’ll work as quickly as possible to restore your power while working safely to avoid accident or injury so they can return home to their families. We appreciate them!

Fall River Linemen (left to right) Aaron Kearsley, Ben Bollinger, Randy Farmer and DJ Crist NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 15 16 Morning 30

Ways toPlay top to bottom magazine

WINTER 2014/2015 eton Aviation 10 09 08 07 06 04 03 02 01 05

* Soar overtheTetons onagliderridewith Search openwaters Take aleisurelyskitour Make firsttracks Visit spectacularCaveFalls Learn somesecrets Groove onasmoothiefromBarrels&Bins Rent afatbike Kick upyourcore Sip aneye-opener T swans (keepyourdistance, please) Moose Creek,theT Adventure atGrandT tour withT hike withtheGrandT in Driggs groomed snowmobiletrails fitness centerinDriggs Pendl’ Visit ourDiningsection forsomebodaciousbreakfastideas s Bakery&Café eton Valley Adventures andpedaltheBigHoles’ eton’s “crittercanyons” all dayonaSnowcat andyourcardioatBlueOx andpoundapastryat ofwinteronasnowshoe arghee Resort forsnow-whitetrumpeter arghee Resortnaturalist Midday upFoxCreekor

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PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN [BARRELS AND BINS, PINECONE, SKIER, SANDWICH, PIERRE’S PLAYHOUSE, NACHOS]; COURTESY OF GUCHIEBIRD’S [VASES]; STAFF [GEOTOURISM CENTER] Evening

Rip through a Cowtipper deli sandwich at Unleash your inner Tara Lipinski (or Apolo 11 Victor Valley Market 21 Ohno) at the Kotler Ice Arena Inspect the legendary Colter Stone at the Hoot through a boys’ or girls’ home hoops 12 Teton Valley Historical Museum 22 game at Teton High Warm your insides with a steaming hot-pot of Kick back under the lap blankets on a Linn 13 Soon Do Boo soup at Seoul Restaurant 23 Canyon Ranch sleigh ride Find that special American-made gift for a Schuss on over to Teton Thai for some Crispy 14 loved one at Guchiebird’s 24 Duck Pad Gar Pow So what if it’s winter? Slurp a shake at Admire the ice sculptures at the 5th annual 15 Corner Drug 25 Great Snow Fest, January 23–February 1 Curl up and regenerate with a massage Dine and wine at Teton Springs Resort’s 16 at Unfurl 26 Range Restaurant Visit Distillery to learn about Catch a first-run movie at Pierre’s Playhouse 17 the art of crafting fine vodka 27 in Victor Prepare to be wowed at the new Teton Hang out with the local animals at Wildlife 18 Geotourism Center 28 Brewing and Pizza Pick up your Christmas (and Valentine’s and Ski under a full moon on the groomed 19 Easter … ) gifts at the Victor Emporium 29 Teton Canyon Nordic trail Blast into Broulim’s Food and Pharmacy to When your powder legs are pooped, hit the 20 check out the new deli and takeout bar 30 Trap Bar for some live tunes and lively times * Turn to our Dining section for additional local lunch options * Flip over to the Dining section for more delectable dining suggestions

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 17 top to bottom

Health Care 75 Years And Counting At its annual health fair in September, Teton Valley Health Care (TVHC)—now comprising Teton Valley Hospital, Driggs Health Clinic, and Victor Health Clin- ic—celebrated its 75th anniversary. The milestone reflects perseverance amidst an ever-changing landscape. Built in 1938 and opened in 1939, the hospital has endured many challenges, but has strived to stay connected with the community. Originally owned by the LDS Church, the hospital became a county facility in 1965, then converted to a nonprofit in 2013.

Moving forward, TVHC seeks to provide better care by tracking services and pro- moting a patient-centric approach. “We keep an eye on the reasons why people Business come to our emergency room or to our clinics,” says Ann Loyola, director of public relations and marketing.

By continuing to take the pulse of the community, TVHC hopes to maintain the Sego Skis support that has kept the facility going over the decades. Through updating tech- nology and increasing services, TVHC has continued to evolve from the days Sego Ski Company, owned by broth- when local doctors used their personal station wagons as ambulances. In fact, ers Tim and Peter Wells, has moved this past August, TVHC partnered with the Teton County Fire Protection District to Victor—specifically, into the va- to create the Teton County Ambulance System. The new management system be- cated space just north of the Wildwood gan offering services in October, overseeing two paramedic-staffed ambulances Room. The pair had explored options staged in Victor and Driggs, with two additional ambulances in reserve, enabling emergency services to further enhance their response capabilities. in Portland, Bend, and Salt Lake City -Christine Colbert in which to base their company; then, after receiving an email from the Teton Valley Business Development Center, they decided to add Teton Valley to Land Trust their list of possible locations. They were sold after visiting last June, say- Success ing their biggest takeaway was the valley’s vision and enthusiasm. “It all starts with the community,” said Peter. Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) recently helped former Tetonia “Here, everyone is stoked on skiing.” residents Gabe and Sara Rogel permanently protect their fifty- In addition to manufacturing skis at eight-acre property along the Teton Creek corridor. Conserving Conservation their facility, the brothers plan to open this area is vital to maintaining winter wildlife habitat, open space, a showroom/tuning shop this winter. and migration routes. In twenty-five years, TRLT has worked with They look forward to testing their new willing landowners to protect more than 31,000 acres of land in designs in the Teton powder, so watch PHOTO: GABE ROGEL , a third of them in Teton Valley. -C.C. for them in the local lift lines. -C.C. PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN

18 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Stop In Downtown Victor That’s right, Teton Valley’s second-ever traffic stoplights went live on Oc-

Town Talk Town tober 21st. They’re part of a complete Idaho Transportation Department makeover of the intersection of Highways 33 and 31, a project that also beautified the area with sidewalk pavers, landscaping, and new street lights and parking spaces on West Center Street.

The region’s premier Alliteration landscape contractor & garden center. In The Garage Serving Jackson & Eastern Idaho for more than 20 years Amy Hatch, a sometimes contributor to Teton Valley Magazine, says her experience

Entrepreneurship growing the business Jackson Hole Packraft & Packraft Rentals Anywhere from her Vic- tor garage sparked the idea for her newest endeavor, Garage Grown Gear. The online enterprise connects clients with companies that Amy and her team have determined make “innovative, high-performing, and wildly cool outdoor gear … the innovators 208.354.8816 of today and the icons of tomorrow.” They 2389 S. Hwy 33 • Driggs, ID accomplish this by way of their online maga- www.mdlandscapinginc.com zine, directory, and store, which had its soft

PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN launch this fall. garagegrowngear.com

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 19 20 Sno’ Joke stay awake! ate heat),andcheckthetail pipetoseethatit’s notblockedwithsnow. Finally, Keep theengineturnedoffasmuchpossible(use candleinacantogener your car, andgoeasytoavoidworkingupasweatifyoutrydiggingyourselfout. set uproadflares.Letfreshairinbycrackingawindow ontheleewardsideof with yourvehicle,whichprovidesasafeshelter, andturnonwarningblinkersor and roadflaresshouldalsobecarriedinyourcar. Whenyoudogetstuck,stay Traction-providing materiallikesandorkittylitter, atowrope,jumpercables, emergency kitandkeepitinyourvehicle: First of all, dress for winter, including warm boots. Second, prepare this basic from adangerouspredicamentintoanunplannedadventure. their cars.With adequatepreparation,however, suchanexperience canbeturned mon occurrence,whileblizzardscanoccasionallyforcedriverstospendhoursin Winters arenottobetakenlightlyintheseparts.Slippingofftheroadisacom top to

Candle andstrike-anywherematchesinadeepcan •Cellphone Short-handled shovel,scraper, andsnowbrush•Whistle First-aid kit•KnifeorscissorsFlashlight Winter-rated sleeping bag•Air-activated handwarmers Drinking waterinplasticcontainers•Energybars bottom Winter Safety magazine

WINTER 2014/2015 - - be good. threepeaksdinnertable.com über-popular Miller Sisters, so it’s bound to winter. Entertainersareselectedbythe Fridayturing livemusicevery nightthis Nonprofits Three Peaks Dinner Table inDriggsisfea 1 and 1.April idcomfdn.org. Learnmoreat willbeacceptedbetweenFebruary cations for the2015competitivegrantcycle. Appli for grants of up to $5,000 eligible to apply are governmental andnonprofitorganizations Teton CountyHealthcareFoundation. Both Can MakeaDifference, 30), page andthe Valley Foundation Education (seeOne Voice thefairgrounds),improvements at the Teton County recipientsincluded Teton County (for submitted. AdditionalTeton applications 135 eastern andsoutheasternIdahoentitiesoutof than $150,000 in grants given to sixty-three rail-trail. The gift was among a total of more thetrailheadof facility at Tetonia-Ashton planning and blueprints for a new restroom ent ofagrant$4,152. The fundswillsupport had selectedtheCityof Tetonia astherecipi itsEasternRegional GrantsPanel last fall that The Idaho Community Foundation announced Tetonia Granting Nightlife EveningTunes Friday

- - -

PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN All the pleasures of home and garden Snow Sports PHOTO: COURTESY OF GRAND TARGHEE RESORT No, Targhee Rules Grand Targhee Resort is one of ten areas featured in “The Most Underrated Ski Resorts in ,” a story that ran last fall in Men’s Journal magazine. “No one is debating the fact that Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort rules,” the piece begins. “But there’s another player in the . Grand Targhee Resort offers a low-key vibe, no lift lines, and wide-open runs with 500- plus inches of the white, fluffy stuff. The resort is only about an hour drive from Jackson, but its unique position on the western slope of the Tetons … makes it a dumping ground for the east-moving snowstorms that leave Jackson Hole dry.”

And it’s only going to get better. In August, Targhee’s management announced that, in the wake of terrific winter and summer seasons, they’re investing $1.5 mil- lion into capital improvements. These include a makeover of the Branding Iron Grill kitchen, a new Pizza Parlor dining option, fresh mattresses in the guest units, and installation of a new heating system on the main plaza, ridding the walkways SEASONAL HOME & of that pesky ice buildup. Improvements in the skiing experience will result from GARDEN DÉCOR the purchase of a new winch cat, glading on some of the north-end runs, and the addition of a new cut-off on Dreamweaver with re-grading of Powder Reserve Tra- INDOOR & OUTDOOR FURNITURE verse. This will provide easier access to the base area from the top of Sacajawea. UNIQUE GIFTS FULL SERVICE FLORIST Print-Making ART SCENE ART Classes Cynthia Stoetzer, program director for the Teton Arts Council, says the TAC will be offering additional print- making classes this fall and through the winter. “We are trying to build up that area of our programs,” Cyn- thia says. The class introduces students to monoprint- 208.354.8816 ing, which is creating unique images by painting on 2389 S. Hwy 33 • Driggs, ID a Plexiglas plate and running it through a press; and www.mdlandscapinginc.com also to screen printing, a process that can be used to transfer an image onto a T-shirt or other surfaces, such PHOTOS: JAMYE CHRISMAN CYNTHIA GUILD STOETZER as wood or window stickers. tetonartscouncil.com

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 21 All in a our neighbors Day’s Work

Designing Woman Pauline Elliot outfits locals for powder dumps and wedding processions alike BY MEL PARADIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

22 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 It is quite difficult to reconcile the der skiing, which she knew she would thought of a silk-and-lace wedding find in the Tetons. In 1995 she fled dress lying next to a one-piece Gore- “Rock Dodge” and moved to Driggs, Tex ski suit. Yet, Pauline Elliot has where she firmly planted her roots. “I made a name for herself designing and love this place,” she says. “The com- making exactly these diverse creations. munities such as yoga, biking, and ski- She is known as the “go-to” seamstress ing are very close-knit. People seem to in the Tetons to both make and alter care.” wedding dresses; and, in addition to After arriving in Teton Valley, Pau- her business, The Apparels of Pauline, line set up her seamstress business, she is also known by longtime valley The Apparels of Pauline, and started ski and yoga enthusiasts for her active her own line of skiwear that she named BECAUSE SO MANY wear line, PauliGear. PauliGear. She quickly established SKIWEAR COMPANIES Pauline grew up in the small fish- a loyal clientele. “Everyone needs a ARE AROUND THESE ing village of Forster, Australia, two seamstress,” she says. “It doesn’t make DAYS, PAULINE ELLIOT hundred miles north of Sydney. From a a difference what your background is, IS SCALING BACK HER young age, sewing was a part of her life. everyone needs their pants taken in PAULIGEAR LINE AND “I used to make clothes for my dolls,” sometime.” FOCUSING ON MAKING she says. “When I got into high school, I One of those loyal clients was AND ALTERING WEDDING took Home Ec instead of French.” Joanne Lucey, then-owner of Front DRESSES. “I GET EXCITED Pauline’s interest in making clothes Street Yoga. She liked the PauliGear BY THE CHALLENGE OF attracted her to the three-year fashion ski line and wanted Pauline to make MAKING SOMETHING FIT design course offered at East Sydney some clothes to sell at the yoga studio. THAT REALLY DOES NOT Technical School. “There, I learned tai- Pauline created a line of active wear in FIT AT ALL,” SHE SAYS. loring and pattern making,” she says. “I both Lycra and Polartec Fleece to go believe formal training made a big dif- alongside her Gore-Tex ski jackets and ference.” pants. Soon, many locals were sporting In Sydney, Pauline befriended a PauliGear, while also employing the couple from Red Lodge, Montana. company’s owner to repair, alter, and/ When they invited her to their wedding or tailor their existing wardrobe. in 1986, she jumped at the chance. In After twenty years of taking in the her twenties and with no responsibili- valley’s pants and outfitting yogis and ties tying her down, Pauline was look- skiers, Pauline is scaling back Pau- ing for adventure. Once she arrived in liGear and taking a pass on everyday the Rockies, she knew there was no repairs. While she still accepts commis- going back: “I loved the mountains sions to make ski gear, she has found and skiing and wanted to stay. I had no that there are too many other compa- prospect of work, but I’ve never been nies out there for her to compete. “I known to do things because of a job. I want to focus mainly on weddings and knew I’d get by somehow.” higher-end tailoring,” she says. Pauline “got by” at first working Having earned a reputation as the for Sylvan Peak Mountain Shoppe, a area’s preeminent alterations expert specialty outdoor retail store in Red and wedding dressmaker, Pauline al- Lodge that also has its own clothing tered dresses and tailored suits for line. By working for that company, she more than three dozen weddings last amassed experience in making active summer alone. “I get excited by the wear and skiwear. “I learned at Sylvan challenge of making something fit Peak how to work with Gore-Tex,” she that really does not fit at all,” she says. says. “I had never learned it living on “Sometimes I get women with dresses the beach.” that require adding an additional six While she liked living in Red Lodge, inches of fabric, while other dresses in her heart Pauline desired better pow- are two sizes too large.” In addition

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24 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 to doing alterations, Pauline custom makes dresses for brides and their wedding parties. “I like making stuff from scratch,” she says. “It is a little bit of work, but I really enjoy it.” The year 2014 has been especially busy for the expat Aussie seamstress. In addition to tending to her bustling business, she became a U.S. citizen and got engaged to be married. Taking the citizenship tests and getting sworn in were “quite emotional” experiences, she says. “I own a house and property here and I have never been able to vote. www.tvhcare.org It seemed like it was time.” The time was also right to take the next step in her long-term relationship. (208) 354-2302 Pauline and her fiancé Tony, who have known each other since 1995, started dating six years ago. “I have always wanted to get married in the winter on the hill,” she says. When asked what she intends to wear, a sparkle lights up her eyes. “I can see myself designing a white ski suit with a hood of fur and one of those muffs. You know? Like something out of Dr. Zhivago.” It seems Pauline Elliot can finally bring together her two specialties, skiwear and wedding attire, all in one package. And if anyone can pull off de- TeTon school disTricT 401 signing, creating, and wearing such an (208) 354 2207 • tsd401.org outfit, she’s the one to do it.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 25 Familiar our neighbors Faces

Walking with Nature This ‘man of Steele’ helps folks see, feel, and hear the wild world

BY LAUREL A. WICKS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

26 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 ur small gathering had as- of winter’s birds. sembled in the Nature Cen- Andy Steele came to his vocation in ter at Grand Targhee Resort. the natural surroundings from his lin- Fumbling with snowshoe eage. His father was a Boy Scout camp straps, bundled in win- director, a professional scout. As a kid, ter-thick layers, it was Andy spent many weekends and his en- easy for a novice to feel tire summers in the mountains of Ari- frustrated. With his sure zona and Northern California. hands,O naturalist Andy Steele helped “My first memory, at about age four, adjust the straps and select the right was walking by myself into an open poles. pine forest,” Andy said. “I watched Andy surveyed his flock and made a mountain lion, not far away, move some suggestions, speaking in a gentle along undisturbed by my presence. I voice. “We’re going for a little walk,” was in awe. That encounter has led me he said. “Leave notebooks, packs, bird to return again and again to the wild.” books, and water bottles—extra dis- As an Eagle Scout on the way to tractions. It will all be here when we the national Boy Scout Jamboree in return. We’ll be fine.” Colorado Springs in 1960, Andy passed Stepping into the bright sunlight, through Yellowstone National Park and we headed away from the bustling ac- Jackson Hole for the first time. These tion of the , the snow crunch- places would eventually draw him ing under our tread as we gained equi- back. librium on our big flat feet. Heading After high school in 1963, Andy con- down an easy slope into the shadows tinued his education at California State of the conifers, still air filled our lungs. University at Hayward, where he pur- A giant tree towered above. sued a degree in chemistry. After gradu- “I want you to tell me about this ating, he joined the U.S. Air Force to fly. a tree,” Andy urged. “Experience it in After a tour in Vietnam as a navigator many ways. Close your eyes. Get close. on a gunship with 137 missions over WITH HAIR AND BEARD AS Touch it. Smell it. What do you sense?” the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he decided to WHITE AS HIS WINTER After some quiet moments, a lively return to the mountains. He came back HABITAT, ANDY STEELE discussion ensued. The needles are to the Tetons. ENJOYS STIRRING UP soft and flat. The bark is craggy. The Andy began meditating on peace CURIOSITY IN PEOPLE AND branches are long, spread in a large when he returned. That practice be- SHARING THE SECRETS OF canopy. One woman shared that she came a reflection on Buddhist phi- NATURE. became aware of the tree as a living be- losophy. For many years, he deepened ing. We learned about that tree, a flat it with weeklong retreats of mindful and friendly fir. Other trees we learned walking in the wild. were the sharp and spiny spruce that While living in Jackson in the early spins, and the pines that have packets seventies, Andy worked as a rafting of needles. Mnemonic tricks that roll and canoeing guide on the Snake Riv- off the tongue. er and as a ski patroller at Snow King In an environment that initially Mountain. Here, he also began work seemed cold and lifeless, we found for the Forest Service that turned into tracks of many animals that inhabit the a career, starting with tree planting and landscape. We heard the sweet voices cruising timber and evolving into rec-

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 27 what are you made of?

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A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A COUGAR WHEN ANDY WAS BUT A TYKE HELPED LEAD HIM TO HIS VOCATION, AS WELL AS TO HIS POST-RETIREMENT AVOCATION, OF INTERPRETING NATURE TO THE PUBLIC.

28 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 reation and interpretation. The years took him beyond Wyoming to forests in Washington, California, and Colorado. More than a decade ago, retirement brought Andy and his late wife Sabra back to the Tetons. It was then that he began his avocation as a naturalist at Grand Targhee. Since then, he has led over a thousand snowshoe tours and shared his knowledge and understand- ing of the natural world with more than four thousand individuals. “I love to share the joys of nature with people,” Andy said. “People for- get about 90 percent of what they hear. What I seek is to stimulate people’s cu- riosity by having them experience and truly see, feel, smell, and listen to the world of nature.”

fter winter had given way to spring and its profu- sions of wildflowers, we assembled again to stroll up Teton Canyon, shar- ing birdsong and the roar of the snowmelt-swollen Catherine Coe Photography creek. We walked a path thatA felt like home, as we made friends along the trail with red squirrels, Doug- Linn Canyon RanCh las firs, hairy clematis, and huckleberry plants. Andy laughs easily. His eyes twin- A ElegantClassic Sleigh Taste Ride of Dinnersthe West kle. His bearing and countenance seem holiday Parties • Private Events • Winter activities a cross between John Muir and Santa Claus, with his untamed shaggy hair and beard. To walk with Andy is to fol- low in the footsteps of Thoreau, Muir, or Gary Snyder. If you see him on a hike in the Tetons, ask him the name of this flower or that tree. He will not only tell you its name; he’ll see that you get ac- (208) 787-5466 • 1300 E 6000 S, Victor, iD 83455 quainted, help you make a new friend [email protected] • linncanyonranch.com in the wild.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 29 Teens and our neighbors Tweens

One Voice Can Make a Difference Teton High School program empowers students through acceptance BY LIZ ONUFER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

30 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 VOICE MENTOR ESMERALDA GONZALEZ ASSISTS INCOMING FRESHMEN WITH A FUN HAND- PRINT SIGN AT FRESHMAN ORIENTATION.

The Teton High School auditorium was powerful and tragic. The high school tended a three-day retreat at the Idaho went completely dark, and the faculty staff received prevention training, inter- Outdoor Learning Center at Badger filed onto the stage. The whispers and vention training, and postvention train- Creek, led by Greg Sommers of Idaho murmurs of four hundred-plus teenag- ing. But nothing answered the questions Drug Free Youth (IDFY). The weekend ers ceased. The slide show began; white or lessened the pain of the losses. training focused on team building, self text popped on dark backgrounds: The slideshow ended with a call awareness, and the roles and responsi- for applications for the newly founded bilities of a mentor. I’ve lost a family member VOICE Project, a peer-to-peer mentoring As executive director of IDFY and to alcoholism. program. Out of the three hundred stu- trainer for VOICE Projects across Ida- dents eligible to apply, ninety-eight appli- ho, Sommers notes the most powerful I was teased for being fat. cations were received. One-third of the aspects of the program: “The biggest student body answered the call to help. thing is watching kids get excited to be I have struggled with depression Over the years, various programs leaders,” he says. “They want to take and suicidal thoughts. have existed at Teton High School care of one another and make a positive (THS) to support the emotional and impact in the lives of other students.” As each slide paused, a faculty social well-being of students, but the IDFY provides the VOICE Project’s member turned toward the teenagers, VOICE Project sets itself apart by di- training, framework, and curriculum to stepped forward, and acknowledged rectly connecting older students with schools. It all goes far beyond the title

LEFT: VOICE MENTORS ASHLEY FOSTER AND SOPHIE SCHOEN BRAIN- STORM WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD LEADER AT MENTOR TRAINING WITH IDAHO DRUG FREE the statement as his or her own—a mo- incoming freshmen. Monte Woolsten- YOUTH. ment of disclosure and vulnerability. hulme, superintendent of Teton School RIGHT: VOICE MENTORS The point was not to get personal. This District 401, recognizes the power in (LEFT TO RIGHT) ANNA was about breaking through the dense these relationships. CAVALLARO, AILEEN walls of stigma and shame, an oppor- “VOICE is the best student-level, VAZQUEZ, ESMERALDA tunity to illustrate resilience and the peer-to-peer mentoring program at GONZALEZ, AND REBECA power of reaching out. THS,” he acknowledges. “This is a tre- ORTIZ, EXCITED TO MEET The feeling of helplessness had mendous resource first and foremost THEIR NEW FRESHMEN been a strong one the prior year. Teton for students, and it also creates con- MENTEES. School District had lost three students nections with the staff, parents, and to suicide and the valley had lost many community.” more. The storm of grief that washed In April 2011, an inaugural thirty-six over the community the spring of 2010 mentors were chosen. The group at-

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 31 of “drug free,” embracing a way of life possible and that you are never alone.” that includes inspiration, acceptance, The program was designed to cre- and connection. Currently, eight schools ate this dynamic of open and honest in the state have VOICE Projects, with communication in high school environ- THS being the largest and most active. ments. “Younger students will gravitate Back on campus in late August to the next-oldest student who listens 2011, the VOICE mentors welcomed to them,” Sommers explains. “The the incoming class of 2015 at the first program ensures that the next-oldest annual Freshmen Orientation Day. Su- student has the younger student’s best perintendent Woolstenhulme notes the interest in mind, and that the older stu- importance of making these connec- dent is positive, encouraging, and pro- tions from the very beginning: “The vides guidance for the younger student transition is a positive, welcoming, and to be successful. It’s a powerful thing. supportive experience. It is very differ- Some kids find this on their own, and ent from the traditional model of rigid they don’t always pick the best person. hierarchy and formal cliques.” Some kids are left wondering, ‘Where However, forming these relation- do I fit in?’ and they’ll go to the first per- ships and breaking down the typical son who will listen.” teenage walls is not an easy process Annabelle Perez understands this for the mentors. Edgar Chavez joined issue intimately as both mentee and the VOICE Project in its first year, and mentor. “My freshman year I had a “Some kids are left wondering, ‘Where do I fit in?’ and they’ll go to the first person who will listen.”

he recalls the struggles. “The hardest baby, and going back to school was one thing for me personally was opening of my biggest fears,” she says. “I was so up to my mentees and the other men- worried about what others would think tors about my personal challenges I of me and what would be said. When I faced when I was in school. As soon as was chosen to be a VOICE mentor my I became comfortable with the people sophomore year, I was so grateful. Sud- around me, I was able to be more ex- denly, I became excited to be a part of a pressive—but getting to that point was group of kids that would accept me and a challenge on its own.” not judge me. I got a clean slate and a Now a junior at Westminster Col- place to start over.” lege in Salt Lake City, Chavez reflects Today, Perez is able to give back on the power of his VOICE experience: as much as she has received. “My job “The people I met along the way made is to let my mentees have a safe place a huge impact in my life. They helped to go and express their feelings, and to me see that everyone has problems, but let them feel comfortable in this new they also showed me that anything is place,” she says.

32 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 MENTOR HAILEY FULLMER IN THE THS HOMECOMING PARADE. VOICE PARTICIPANTS SPREAD CHEER BY PASSING OUT BALLOONS AND CANDY.

Despite the mentors’ best efforts, some students remain on the sidelines of Representing over 150 American artisans the THS community. “There are still stu- dents who are isolated and alienated in school,” Woolstenhulme acknowledges. “Bullying and harassment are not gone, and we need to continue to identify and improve those needs and concerns.” For VOICE Project advisor Abby Williams, this is an important focus, especially when it comes to cyber bullying. This year, though, she looks forward to a more positive approach. With twenty-four bright and positive mentors, the question is shifting from “What are the problems?” to “What are the good things going on here?” 208-354-GIFT(4438) For Williams, the progress of the Open 10-6 • six days a week • Closed Tuesdays VOICE Project and its impact on the 160 E. Little Ave. • Driggs, Idaho THS community is evident. “Over the last three years, VOICE Project has opened www.guchiebirds.com up the lines of communication,” she says. “Students are more comfortable walking up to a counselor or a teacher and saying, ‘I’m struggling.’ The stigma is going away because we are sharing the idea that life is hard and sometimes you have to ask for help. There are many op- tions for help, not just one way.” At the district level, fewer major discipline is- el Dentista habla español sues are surfacing and this is attributed, in part, to the VOICE Project. Jim R. Neerings, DDS • 235 E. Wallace Ave., Driggs • By Driggs Park Chavez believes the difference the www.tetonvalleydental.com • 208-354-8181 mentors make is difficult to quantify; often subtle but real. “I think that we made a difference to the freshmen, we treat the entire family even if they did not tell us,” he says. “It a Very relaxing Office - Big windows in each Dental room could have been simple advice, such as which teachers are the fun ones to Free New Patient Exams + X-rays have, to maybe being their only friend Free Second Opinions when they started the school year. Se Habla Español Since many kept to themselves, we Wisdom Teeth Removal might not know how much of an im- Implants pact we had on them. But I can bet that Dentures we did make at least one difference in Insurance plans accepted one person’s life, small or large.” Complimentary Laughing Gas 10+ years Dental Experience The Idaho Community Foundation announced in September that it was awarding the Teton Education Foun- appointments available monday - friday dation a grant of $2,657 to help fund new Patients & emergencies welcome | Payment Options available the VOICE program.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 33 Back our neighbors When

Cover Story Valley of the Tetons Library opened a window to the world

BY ERIN JENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

he story goes that when na Ross, and Beth Tonks. JoAnn Drake “the Chambermaids” went would become the Secretary/Treasurer. before the county commis- After that first disappointing meet- sioners to propose that a ing with the county, Rammell was mad county library be created, enough that she got up the next morn- they were told that it was ing and drove to Boise. There, she met impossible and they should with the head librarian of the Idaho PHOTOGRAPHER NAME go home and do their dish- State Library, Helen Miller, who sug- es.T Apparently, the women thought gested that they start a petition to get they could do both: start a library and a library district declared. They would do their dishes. need 51 percent of registered voters to The Chambermaids, an auxiliary sign the petition. Back in Victor, peti- LOANER BOOKS AND of the Chamber of Commerce, was or- tions were circulated house to house, DVDS ARE AMONG ganized in 1965. At their first meeting, and 76 percent of registered voters THE SERVICES they posed the questions, “What is most signed! Soon thereafter, a library dis- PROVIDED AT BOTH vital for our valley?” and “What do we trict was declared that included Victor, THE VENERABLE need the most?” Fay Rammell shouted Cedron, and Chapin—roughly every- VICTOR AND NEW out “Library!” and, so goes the story, thing south of today’s 4500 South. DRIGGS BRANCHES everyone agreed. A committee was Several libraries in nearby commu- OF VALLEY OF THE formed to pursue the idea. Those com- nities started saving duplicate copies TETONS LIBRARY. mittee members would later become of books to donate to the new library. the first Library Trustees: Fay Rammell, Residents could donate books at Harp- Gertrude Drake, Edna Moulton, LaVo- er Drug in Driggs, Rammell Merc in

34 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 THE LIBRARY LADIES, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CARLA SHERMAN, RASHEIL STANGER, AND BARBARA THOMPSON.

A monthly Library Book Evening sun!” Sounds familiar for June in Teton began immediately, under the direction Valley, doesn’t it? of Clara Parker, held at the Victor Ward With such a small building, the li- LDS Church, since the library wasn’t brary outgrew its space almost imme- large enough to host events. The library diately, so the board soon started work- also sponsored Christmas programs, ing toward building a new structure. readings, and other public events, and Funding was secured from the county, they had a column in the Teton Valley the city of Victor, and the state and fed- News highlighting library events and eral governments, but when bids for new books. construction came in, they were all well Library cards cost one dollar for over the funds available. A short-lived Tetonia, and Victor Drug in Victor. The adults and fifty cents for children. effort proposed buying Victor Drug Idaho State Library would also lend In 1968, the library was added to the from the Egberts and renovating it, but five hundred books for six months at county tax roll, and residents of Victor- the successful scheme turned out to be a time. Two field librarians from Boi- Cedron-Chapin could then get a library buying a Boise Cascade pre-fab build- se came to Victor and stayed for two card for free. The rest of the county ing. With a basement and foundation weeks to help with and teach catalog- paid for library cards until 1976, when built and in place, the new building was ing to eager volunteers. the library district was expanded to delivered in the spring of 1970. One of the scrapbooks in the basement con- tains photos of the new building trav- After that first meeting, Rammell was eling down Victor’s Main Street, still on wheels next to the foundation, and mad enough to drive to Boise. just after being set onto the foundation. The re-opening took place on April 11, 1970, and there the Valley of the Tetons The Egberts in Victor offered the include the entire county. Both before Library has remained since. use of the tiny, nine-by-sixteen-foot and after the library opened, the Cham- From those days when books in brick building behind Egbert’s Em- bermaids were constantly working to and out often numbered in the single porium (now the Victor Emporium), raise money. For a while, they oper- digits, our valley library has grown to which had once housed the telephone ated an arts-and-crafts store in an old an all-time circulation high of 7,843 in equipment and operator. Local women caboose that had been donated. Later, July 2014, a daily average of 302 books cleaned up and planted flowers out- they held innumerable bake sales, raf- checked out for the twenty-six opera- side, while the men came in and built fles, and rummage sales. tional days of the month. The original shelving “all around the walls, up the In the basement of the present li- Boise Cascade building—now housing center of the room, and clear to the brary are several scrapbooks spanning the children’s section, DVDs, CDs, and ceiling. We had no worry about cover- the years, with photos, newspaper ar- tapes, and director Carla Sherman’s of- ing up the windows—there were none,” ticles, letters, and just about anything fice—was added onto in 2002–03, more as one written history puts it. else relating to the goings-on in the li- than doubling the available space. Valley of the Tetons Library opened brary. There’s also a small record book This fall, a second library branch on April 20, 1966, during National Li- spanning almost two years, from short- is opening in the Old Livery building brary Week. Its regular hours were ly after the library’s opening through in Driggs, featuring all the services of Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 1968. Each entry details, in lovely the Victor location, including books, 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. cursive, the numbers of books in and movies, WiFi, fax, a meeting room, and Since the library initially received no books out, renewals, and fees collect- more. Valley of the Tetons Library con- tax money, it was run entirely by volun- ed, sometimes including a few words tinues to enrich our lives, more today teers, largely the five women who were about the weather. One example from than ever, thanks to those determined trustees. But they were also helped by June 29, 1968: “Julia Richins. Books in: women who wanted to provide a win- other women, and by high school girls 18, Books out: 21, Renewals: 5, Over- dow to the world for the members of on Saturdays. due: 63¢ … Cold snow, hail & some our small community.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 35 Living on the Line Alta, Wyoming, residents enjoy the best of both states

BY REBECCA MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

UNDER AN INTERSTATE AGREEMENT, TETON COUNTY, IDAHO, MAINTAINS SOUTH STATE LINE ROAD, WHILE ITS WYOMING COUNTERPART MAINTAINS NORTH STATE LINE ROAD.

36 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 he mountain community of Alta sits ing soil, and adequate streams and riv- at the western base of the Teton Range ers. At the time, Alta was seventy-five in a portion of Teton County, Wyoming, miles away from the railroad and fifty that nestles against the Idaho border. miles from a doctor or post office. This While there is no bustling town cen- distance was significant, and survival ter in this recreational oasis situated depended on self-sufficiency, along Tat 6,440 feet above sea level, residents with a collective effort among com- and visitors enjoy stunning natural munity members. For the most part, beauty and a plethora of outdoor activi- the homesteaders eked out livings as ties, no matter the season. Accessible farmers, ranchers, trappers, big-game by car only from Idaho to the west or hunters, and loggers. They grew alfalfa, by foot via an arduous trek through the barley, oats, wheat, peas, and carrots; Tetons to the east, Alta is geographi- and raised cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, cally isolated. and horses. While border communities are not The Beards, Christensens, Greens, uncommon, the interdependency of Littles, Pratts, Rigbys, Waddells, and Alta residents and their Teton Valley, Wilsons were among Alta’s pioneer Idaho, neighbors is unique. From pio- families. They worked hard to harvest, neer times to the present day, the po- sell, and store enough food and sup- rous boundary between Alta and Teton plies to last the harsh winter months. Valley helps meet the area’s needs. When the railroad came to neigh- Difficult mountainous terrain, harsh boring Driggs in the summer of 1912, THE FORMER PRATT WARD LDS winter weather, and geographic isola- Alta benefitted, too. Goods and freight CHURCH IS NOW HOME TO ST. tion kept Alta free from settlement un- were transported with greater ease and FRANCIS OF THE TETONS til the late 1880s. Prior to the European frequency, mail arrived with added reg- EPISCOPAL CHURCH Anglo explorers, the Indians ularity, and travel to surrounding areas lived in northwestern Wyoming; their could be made more readily. A catalyst knowledge of the terrain and their sea- for increased development in the area, sonal movements aided in their sur- the railroad’s freight and passenger ser- vival. As European and American ex- vice decreased the isolation of Alta and plorers and fur traders came west, they the rest of Teton Valley. passed through the area, but typically Most of the early settlers belonged rendezvoused in southwestern Wyo- to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- ming. However, in 1832, Teton Valley, day Saints (LDS). Upon their arrival, known then as Pierre’s Hole, served as they organized the Pratt Ward, with the site for one of the biggest rendez- Mathoni W. Pratt as bishop. The first vous of all (sixteen were held between church was built six years later. The 1825 and 1840), which led to the Bat- small log structure, with two potbelly tle of Pierre’s Hole—a short but fierce stoves, was used from 1895 until 1935, clash between fur traders and a band of when the congregation outgrew the fa- Gros Ventre Indians. cility. A new stone church—construct- The first homesteaders came to ed with locally quarried rock—took ten Alta—then known as Aline—in the years to complete and was dedicated summer of 1889. After making the on December 8, 1946. Throughout con- three-hundred-mile journey from the struction, the congregation met in com- Salt Lake Valley, the pioneers were re- pleted portions of the church. warded by finding a beautiful valley of In February 1993, a new ward—the tall grasses, deep forests, proper farm- Driggs 3rd Ward—was created by con-

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 37 solidating members from the Driggs progressive anti-saloon attitude, many 1st, Driggs 2nd, and Pratt wards. With patrons from Teton Valley crossed the the Alta LDS members now attending state line to visit the Cheyenne. In 1908, church in Driggs, the Pratt Church was Idaho changed its liquor sale regula- no longer needed. In 1994, the LDS tions, and bars began to open in Teton Church granted the Episcopal Diocese Valley, resulting in the Cheyenne Bar’s of Idaho a five-year lease on the church closure. building with an option to purchase at the end of the lease. Today, the stone nce part of Wyoming’s Uinta Coun- church—located across the parking lot ty, then Lincoln County, Alta was finally from the Alta Elementary School—is incorporated into Teton County when “…it’s about the friendships,” Grant home to St. Francis of the Tetons Epis- the county was created in 1921. Over Wilson says, before quoting one of copal Church. the years, there has been much discus- his favorite friendship verses: “… Until about 1914, Alta children sion about why the enclave is part of Steadfast as the ages roll, binding attended class only in the snowless OWyoming and not Idaho. It boils down closer soul to soul, no matter how months, because the winter weather to longitudinal lines. far or heavy the load, sweet is the was too harsh for travel. With such an In 1848, the western portion of what journey on friendship’s road.” abbreviated schedule, students gradu- is now Wyoming, including Alta, was ated eighth grade at the age of seven- included in the newly organized Or- teen or eighteen. At first, teachers and egon Territory. When Oregon became a students used various family homes state in 1859, the land became part of as classrooms; then, in 1916, the Alta the Washington Territory, then the Ida- School was built, boasting such luxu- ho Territory, before becoming the Terri- ries as running water and plumbed tory of Wyoming in 1868. The Territory bathrooms. A coal-fueled potbelly stove of Wyoming established its borders The homesteaders eked out livings as farmers, ranchers, big-game hunters, trappers, and loggers.

kept the students warm in the winter. along latitude lines 41 degrees north By 1940, the student body had grown to and 45 degrees north, and longitude more than eighty. lines 104 degrees and 3 minutes west In the late 1960s, the Alta School and 111 degrees and 3 minutes west. “My grandfather, Nathan Ricks, was one of made arrangements with its neighbors When the State of Wyoming was admit- the first settlers of Rexburg,” says Mar- to the west to send its seventh and ted into the Union on July 10, 1890, it ian Durtschi Butler. “He served many years eighth graders to the Driggs Junior High adopted the territory’s borders, making in the Idaho Legislature and tried several School. This arrangement provided stu- Wyoming one of three states claiming times to pass legislation to annex Alta into dents with a larger selection of extra- only straight, latitudinal and longitudi- Idaho. The descending votes came from Alta curricular activities—band, orchestra, nal borders. However, the state’s bor- residents themselves. They wanted to stay drama, and sports—which were cost der does deviate slightly—roughly two in Wyoming. I think we have the best of both prohibitive to offer to the small student to three miles—from the true latitude worlds living on the line as we do. We are population of the Alta School. In 1983, and longitude markers, due to survey- quite lucky! The memories of my children the original school was torn down and ing inaccuracies made in the late 1860s: growing up in the Swiss chalet my Swiss the present-day school built. According to local oral accounts, the husband built are a never-ending source of In the early 1900s, Alta was home surveyors stopped in Ashton, Idaho, to delight for me.” to the area’s one and only saloon, the indulge in a drink. One drink led to an- Cheyenne Bar. With Idaho embracing a other, and the hiatus took them off task

38 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 for about three days. To make up time, the school property. These amenities, they approximated the lines through while most convenient to Alta resi- the Teton foothills and then hustled dents, are open for use by the general south to Star Valley, Wyoming, for a public. scheduled meeting. Eight miles from the heart of Alta— Over the years, there has been talk where the school, church, and library of Idaho annexing the Alta community, are located—sits Grand Targhee Re- but water-rights issues have been the sort. Known for its prodigious snowfall, main roadblock. If Alta became part of the year-round resort features nearly Idaho, Alta farmers would lose their se- three thousand acres of downhill ski- niority in water appropriations. ing and snowboarding and more than nine miles of Nordic skiing trails in the oday, Alta is part of the highest-av- winter. Come summer, Grand Targhee erage-income county in America, a sta- hosts popular music festivals and of- Alta Community Information tistic skewed by the many millionaires fers beginner through expert hiking and (Source, 2010 Census data): and billionaires who call Jackson Hole mountain biking trails, including 2,200 394 home. In addition to its natural beauty, vertical feet of lift-accessed downhill Population: abundant wildlife, and recreationally trails. There’s also horseback riding, an Median Age: 44.5 Tfocused yet quiet lifestyle, Alta attracts eighteen-hole disc golf course, a kids’ Total Housing Units: 232 residents with its lack of state income camp, and more. Winter and summer Housing Units Occupied tax and county-funded amenities like alike, the resort draws thousands of 71 an elementary school, public library, visitors from around the world to Teton Seasonally: and outdoor recreational facilities. Valley and Alta. Elevation: 6,440 feet above sea level The Alta Elementary School, which With Grand Targhee’s limited slope- Land Area: is part of the Teton County, Wyoming, side accommodations, restaurants, and 130 square miles (includes School District, accommodates kin- shopping options, the majority of resort private and public lands) dergartners through sixth graders in visitors stay, dine, and shop in neigh- multi-grade classrooms. The enroll- boring Teton Valley. It is hard to put an Population Density: ment fluctuates between forty and fifty exact dollar figure to it, but the resort 3 people per square mile students. For seventh through twelfth provides an immense economic benefit grades, families can choose to send to its Idaho neighbors. Grand Targhee their children to Idaho public school in owns and operates a number of vaca- Driggs (Wyoming will reimburse Idaho tion rental properties in Idaho, as well the associated costs), drive their kids as employee housing units. Nearly 90 to Jackson to attend Wyoming public percent of Targhee’s employees live in school, or enroll their children in a pri- Idaho—and, with upwards of 400 em- vate school—there are many choices in ployees during its peak winter season, both Idaho and Wyoming. that equates to a considerable amount The Alta Branch of the Teton Coun- of wages spent in Idaho. During last ty Library extends free library privi- year’s winter season, the resort hit a leges to both Alta, Wyoming, and Teton record 168,000 skier days, with all of Valley, Idaho, residents. Books, maga- those skiers and snowboarders access- zines, audiobooks, and videotapes are ing Grand Targhee through its gateway available for adults and children with of Teton Valley. access to materials from the main Living a substantial distance from branch in Jackson and through the In- Jackson Hole and on the other side terlibrary Loan Program. of a major mountain range, Alta resi- In the winter months, a Nordic ski dents rely on agreements and service track and small ice-skating rink are contracts with Teton County, Idaho, maintained adjacent to the library and to meet some of their basic needs. school, and a small playground abuts Those include solid waste disposal, fire

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 39 TTHEHE suppression, and emergency medical response. Contrarily, despite the geo- RRUSTYUSTY graphic isolation, Alta depends on the Teton County, Wyoming, Sheriff and Search and Rescue to provide its law NNAILAIL enforcement and search-and-rescue services. YOUR WESTERN Formed in 1995, the Alta Solid Waste RETREAT FURNISHING Disposal District (ASWDD) comprises & DESIGN CENTER Simply... Alta residents—appointed by the Teton County, Wyoming, Board of Commis- Everything Interior ... good rustynailinteriors.com • 208-354-4663 • Broulim’s Shopping Center • 180 S. Main, Ste. C2 • Driggs, Idaho neighbors with a relationship that is mutually beneficial

sioners—who oversee and implement the solid waste plan for Alta, which Clothing, handbags, means coordinating with Teton County, accessories and more! Idaho, Solid Waste & Recycling. This helps assure that sufficient landfill -ca New items pacity is available to dispose of local arriving weekly waste. Each year, the commissioners of 37 N. Main St. Driggs, ID Teton County, Idaho, decide on a user fee for the privilege to use the landfill. • • 208 354 3264 The necessary funds are collected from Open Monday through Saturday Alta residents and commercial users 10:30am - 6pm through Wyoming property taxes, and ASWDD submits its contribution on an annual basis. The ASWDD’s five directors func- tion as a consolidated voice to the Teton County, Wyoming, Commission- ers regarding other matters, as well, re- laying information in an effort to foster and maintain partnerships and open communication between county of- ficials and community residents. Road Get Stronger. Play Harder. maintenance is a frequent subject of dis- cussion. Teton County, Wyoming, main- (507) 400-FITT tains all of its county-owned roads with the exception of a portion of State Line Road. Under an agreement with Teton CrossFit | Bikram | Fitness County, Idaho, the portion of State Line 47 South Main Street, Driggs Road south of Ski Hill Road, known as South State Line Road, is maintained

40 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 by Teton County, Idaho; the portion of State Line Road north of Ski Hill Road, known as North State Line Road, is maintained by Teton County, Wyoming. In 1991, the fire department in Driggs—now known as Teton County Fire and Rescue and operating under the financial arm of the Teton County Fire Protection District—agreed to handle all fire calls in Alta. In 2013, the service agreement was extended for another five years. Teton County Fire and Rescue provides fire suppression and rescue services, while Jackson Hole Fire/EMS provides code enforce- ment and public education to residents in Alta. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS main- tains Station #5, a single-bay fire station located next to the Alta Elementary School. Similarly under contract to pro- vide services to the Alta community is the Teton County Ambulance System, based out of Driggs. It provides emer- gency medical response to Alta, Grand Targhee Resort, Teton Canyon, and oth- er surrounding areas of public lands.

hile some of the agreements be- tween Wyoming and Idaho have changed over the last 125 years, the in- terdependency between the Alta com- munity of Wyoming and Teton Valley, Idaho, has remained constant, and will for the foreseeable future. The area’s 16TOP TO BOTTOM 26 FaMiliar Faces 30Teens and Tweens 54Fireside 56Over The hill W 60Far Flung 72exPOsure rural lifestyle is rooted in taking col- lective action to overcome challenges

and improve situations. Despite the winTer 2014/2015 COMPLIMENTARY COPY formality of contracts and interstate $10/year reimbursements, and the differences in 2 issues | Summer & Winter county politics and government agen- cies, the residents of Teton Valley and Alta often interact as if the state line Subscribe were not there. Simply put, they are good neighbors with a relationship that is mutually beneficial and entrenched TODAY! Book Talk Valley of the tetons lIbrary in respect, cooperation, mutual aid, greets Its 50th year

SUMMER 2014 Love Us on Facebook CALL 208.354.3466magazine 3 or go to LifeInTheTetons.com and friendship.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 41 42 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 The Mighty, Fragile Moose A status report from the valley and beyond BY REBECCA HUNTINGTON

he willows beside the trail North America. Populations expanded are so thick they obscure until around the 1990s, when they start- the source of the agitated ed to plummet. T moan. At first I think bear, Idaho Fish and Game doesn’t track but the seemingly plaintive, rhythmic population numbers for moose that yelp doesn’t sound all that bruin-like. occupy Teton Valley, since counting No matter, the animal sounds big, dis- is expensive and labor intensive, says tressed, and too close. Rob Cavallaro, a Teton Valley resident My partner and I scramble first and regional wildlife biologist with the behind, and then up onto the biggest department. The Wyoming Game and boulder we can find, unholstering our Fish Department oversees the Targhee bear spray as we go. Just then, the dark Herd, moose that occupy the Tetons’ figure comes swaggering out, raking western flanks. They estimate that pop- the willows with the paddles of his ant- ulation at around 250 animals. lers—which, the season being autumn, Teton Valley does appear to be a bit he’ll drop soon. For now, though, the of an oasis from the problems plaguing antlers are firmly intact and he’s put- moose elsewhere. “Our impression is ting on a show, spearing and shaking [it’s] stable and strong,” Cavallaro says the willows like a bull after a matador. of the population. Idaho Fish and Game We perch quietly on the boulder, allows a small hunt for bull moose— which is feeling less and less substan- but not for reproductive females, the tial, and watch the rutting bull moose engines of population growth—issuing until, thankfully, he turns up the trail ten tags a year for the area, he says. and disappears into the conifers. Just over the mountains, the picture This isn’t the first time I’ve been is far more puzzling for moose lovers spooked by a moose. I remember once and wildlife managers alike. Since the hiking alone up Teton Canyon on my 1980s, Jackson Hole’s moose popula- way to Table Mountain when I spotted a tion has plummeted from a high of moose lingering right on the trail wind- 3,500 to about five hundred today. ing through a flower-studded meadow. “It’s not simple,” says Steve Kilpat- The moose didn’t seem aggressive, but rick, who started studying the prob- being alone and without bear spray, I lem as a habitat biologist for Wyoming bushwhacked to the wooded creek and Game and Fish decades ago. Kilpatrick climbed over all manner of deadfall is now the executive director of the to give the moose a ridiculously wide Wyoming Wildlife Federation. berth, just in case. The more researchers dig, the more Moose are a common sight in the they’re discovering a complex web of Tetons, from the winding bends of the possible culprits, including habitat lazy Teton River to the riparian ramps loss, climate change, parasites and of habitat snaking along creeks and up disease, predators, and roadkill. Given the flanks of the Teton Range to alpine all of these, some experts suspect that meadows and lakes. For most of the it’s unlikely herds will ever rebound twentieth century, moose have thrived to their peak populations of the late

PHOTO: JAMYE CHRISMAN in Teton Valley and other places in 1980s.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 43 PHOTO: BETH WARD

ACCORDING TO ROB CAVALLARO OF THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, MOOSE BEGIN s Jackson Hole moose plants extending above the snowpack DROPPING THEIR ANTLERS AS numbers declined in the for moose to eat were scarce after the EARLY AS DECEMBER. BUT THE 1990s, Wyoming Game fire. The fires also stripped trees that OBSERVANT WILDLIFE WATCHER A and Fish commissioned moose relied on for shade to escape CAN STILL TELL A MALE FROM A the Teton Science Schools to compile the summer heat. Reduced forage qual- FEMALE BY LOOKING FOR OTHER existing moose studies in an effort to ity, moose calf survival, and pregnancy CLUES. FIRST, WHILE YOU CAN’T understand what might be happening. rates have been found in burned areas SEE ANTLERS, WITH THE AID OF When Kilpatrick reviewed their find- compared to unburned ones, as well. BINOCULARS, YOU CAN SPOT PED- ings, he saw a clear concern. In Teton Valley, moose habitat falls ICLES, DISC-SHAPED PLATFORMS “We had study after study from the across a patchwork of public and pri- WHERE ANTLERS ATTACH TO THE 1960s on, saying that we were hammer- vate lands, making the future quality of SKULL. IF YOU FORGOT THE ing the willow population with too high that habitat dependent on how people BINOCS, YOU CAN STILL TELL A of a moose population. We started a decide to use the land. In particular, FEMALE MOOSE FROM HUNDREDS moose crash,” Kilpatrick says, adding moose revel in the lush ribbons of plant OF YARDS AWAY BY LOOKING FOR that managers made “an honest error” life running along creeks and wetlands A DISTINCT WHITE VULVA PATCH. by allowing the moose population to that drain like capillaries into arteries exceed the range’s carrying capac- and into the heart of the ecosystem, the ity. And the timing couldn’t have been Teton River. The lush, water-infused worse. At about the same time, the larg- habitat provides food, cover, and con- est recorded wildfires in Yellowstone nection so moose can winter over, National Park’s history struck. forage, have calves with security, and The 1988 fires left behind a sea of travel safely between riparian ranges. toothpick-like snags, reducing the food Some areas have been preserved available to moose. In winter, “moose through conservation easements and aren’t after grass,” Cavallaro says. habitat improvements, Cavallaro says, Rather, they prefer to dine on the new but the future of other key lands re- growth of woody plants. In northern mains uncertain. “A clear threat for Yellowstone, the plant species that moose in the long term is [reduced] moose like to browse do not come back habitat,” he says. quickly after forest fires. So, woody Development isn’t the only concern.

44 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Land uses, particularly on property productivity is pregnancy. Already, he’s bordering national forests and other seeing cause for concern. Pregnancy wildlands, can have unexpected conse- rates among Sublette moose are star- MOOSE ARE quences. Idaho Fish and Game spokes- tlingly low, dipping as low as 48 percent OFTEN SPOTTED man Gregg Losinski recalls responding in the worst year recorded so far, com- IN WINTER ALONG to one incident near Alpine, Wyoming, pared to more than 90 percent for a typ- THE TETON RIVER where a mother moose and calf died ical moose herd. When moose are not AND IN ADJACENT after consuming Japanese yew planted getting pregnant, that can mean they’re WETLANDS. in someone’s yard. Consuming just a nutritionally stressed. handful of the highly toxic plant can In Alaska, wildlife re- kill an adult moose, warns Losinski, searchers have found that who created a YouTube video show- when moose start con- ing the poisoned mother and calf as a suming more than 30 to cautionary tale to landowners planning 40 percent of a willow’s on landscaping their home or vacation current-year growth, their cabin. population productivity be- gins to decline. In particular, eyond the Tetons, declines females start giving birth in moose populations have to fewer twins. So, Alaskan been reported in other wildlife managers have set a B parts of Wyoming and in threshold of 30 percent con- Montana, New Hampshire, and Minne- sumption of a current year’s sota. So, what’s plaguing the critter? willow growth as a trigger A new study is underway on the to trim moose numbers and Sublette Moose Herd, Wyoming’s larg- give the habitat a break. est, accounting for half of all moose in In Wyoming, a prolonged the state. Researchers have captured drought hit in 2000, adding between thirty and sixty-five moose more stress to the situation. annually from the Sublette herd since A lack of precipitation has 2011. The Sublette population does not dried up wetlands, ponds, face the same pressures from wolves and other microhabitats that and grizzlies (or from the aftermath of moose depended on for food the Yellowstone fires) as moose farther and for comfort, a place to north, according to Brendan Oates, a cool down and get away graduate student at the Wyoming Co- from insects. operative Fish and Wildlife Research “These moose are just Unit. Sublette moose, however, could barely hanging on through be experiencing detrimental effects winter,” Oates says of the from energy development, adding yet Sublette herd. “A couple of PHOTO: JAMYE CHRISMAN another variable to the mix. wet summers could improve the habi- Both the Jackson and Sublette tat and allow [them] to improve their herds were declining in the mid-1990s, nutritional condition.” though Jackson moose numbers fell at Evidence is mounting that the a much steeper rate. animals are acting as hotels for some “Densities of moose in Sublette increasingly numerous and harmful [County] were really high in the mid- guests. For example, moose may be nineties,” Oates says. But as they de- carrying denser loads of winter ticks. clined, “the thought is that this popula- When female ticks are engorged with tion had already eaten too much of its blood, they will drop off of a moose. If habitat.” they hit snow, they die. If they hit bare One “vital rate” Oates is now mea- ground in spring or early summer, they suring to determine the population’s burrow into the dirt and lie there, hatch-

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 45 ing thousands of eggs. The pinhead-size lot of ways physically, and then you parasites then climb up the vegetation, stress that with a severe winter, pred- waiting to hitch a ride. ators, [and] a tick load, and they tip Although monitoring doesn’t indi- over.” cate that ticks are getting out of hand in In fact, compiling a list of possible southeastern Idaho, that’s not the case stressors to moose can be overwhelm- elsewhere. In Minnesota, one moose ing: Traffic fatalities, habitat loss to hu- population has declined to fewer than man development, wildfires or forest a hundred animals, down from an esti- die-offs due to insects, severe weather, mated four thousand. Winter ticks are parasites, competition with other ungu- among the suspected causes. Likewise lates … and predators. in New Hampshire, where biologists estimate that up to 150,000 ticks can he first modern moose Al( - be found dining on every calf, cow, and ces alces) is believed to have bull in certain parts of the state. They arrived in North America af- attribute the moose die-off to this tick T ter crossing the Bering land explosion, which they theorize may be bridge from Siberia during the last ice a result of shorter, warmer winters: age, 10,000 to 14,000 years ago. In the Relatively more ticks landing on bare Tetons, early explorers did not report ground than on snow. seeing moose, and researchers have Ticks aren’t the only unwanted not found references of moose in the guests. On a hot summer day, inside area during prehistoric times among a spacious Wyoming Game and Fish American Indian folklore or art. Scien- Department shop cluttered with ma- chinery and with taxidermy and lab equipment, biologist John Henningsen Moose are built for (now working at the Wyoming State snow, with their long Veterinary Lab in Laramie) slips on la- tex gloves before slicing into a moose legs and flexible joints. head on a stainless steel table. The moose was struck and killed by tists suspect that the animal migrated a vehicle, and Henningsen has retrieved down from Montana, dispersing south the head from the landfill for research in the late 1800s or early 1900s. purposes. The stench of over-ripe flesh Moose arrived into the new habi- is overpowering, but Henningsen re- tat, rich in willows, just as large preda- PHOTO: JAMYE CHRISMAN mains unfazed as he peels back the tors—wolves, grizzlies, and cougars— CAVALLARO ALSO POINTS OUT hide and pharynx to get to the carotid were being eliminated to make way for THAT BULL MOOSE HAVE MORE artery. He’s looking for Elaeophora settlement of a new frontier. The moose PRONOUNCED DEWLAPS, WHICH schneideri, an arterial worm that, when population took off, fluctuating some, ARE THE BELL-SHAPED FLAPS put in a vial, coils like angel-hair pasta. but ultimately peaking in the 1980s. OF SKIN THAT DANGLE BENEATH Its larvae is carried and transmitted by Then, just as managers were realiz- THEIR JAWS. YOUNGER MOOSE, horse flies; the worm frequently resides ing that the habitat needed a reprieve, CALVES OR YEARLINGS, OFTEN in deer, which seldom show symptoms. large predator populations started re- HAVE A LONG, STRINGY ATTACH- But when the worm infects a moose, it bounding. Bears and mountain lions MENT HANGING FROM THE DEW- can block the carotid and other arter- were already well established. Wolves, LAPS; HOWEVER, THOSE ATTACH- ies, restricting blood flow and damag- meantime, took a while after reintro- MENTS TEND TO FREEZE OFF IN ing the brain, optic nerve, ears, muzzle, duction in 1995 and 1996 to reach num- WINTER, SO YOU DON’T SEE THEM and other facial areas. This can impair bers high enough to have a measurable ON OLDER MOOSE. the animal’s ability to hear, see, and eat. impact. Today, predators could be play- “They can’t think clearly, the jaw ing a role in suppressing an already- muscles and tongue don’t work,” Kil- stressed moose population and pre- patrick says. “They’re impaired in a venting a faster, larger recovery.

46 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Seoul Restaurant authentic Korean food

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PHOTO: BETH WARD

In Teton Valley, Cavallaro says, predators do kill moose, but not Bulgogi enough to drive the population; in fact, the species appears to be holding its own here. Deep , ranging from Galbi more than seventy inches on the valley floor to more than five hundred inches in the mountains, still blanket the area each winter. Perhaps all that fresh pow- der helps keep those pesky ticks at bay. Seafood Soon Do Boo Moreover, moose are built for snow, with their long legs and flexible joints, something an ACL-blowing skier might Seoul Restaurant will defi nitely fulfi ll your Very Happy Sushi Roll envy. But even moose have limits, Ca- appetite in this cold winter. vallaro says, estimating that at about 528 Valley Center Drive (North of Driggs) four feet is when the snow is too deep. (208) 354-1234 “Even though [moose] are adapted for snow, it’s still a stressful time for them,” Cavallaro says of winter. And even in Teton Valley, the moose aren’t tick-free. “Winter ticks are a some- what normal parasite for moose,” Ca- varallo says. “The concern is that the incidence and intensity are increasing in some areas.” When moose are infested with ticks, wildlife watchers will notice them losing hair. In late winter, in areas such as Teton Canyon, they will start to roll, and “you’ll see roll tracks where there’s blood and squashed ticks,” Cavallaro says. On the west side of the Tetons, the riparian corridors that moose favor are threaded with trails and favorite places for residents and visitors to ski, snow- mobile, and otherwise recreate. During a one-on-one showdown on the trail with one of these eight-hundred-pound marvels, a moose may not seem all that vulnerable. Yet even here, the animal’s future might be a bit more precarious than we think. Cavallaro urges visitors and resi- dents to be on the lookout when enjoy- ing their favorite canyons, and to be sure to control their pets so they don’t chase moose. “Enjoy watching them,” he says, “but give them a little space.”

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 47 Are You a Bronc or a ’hawk?

Super Bowl Sunday, Teton Valley-style

48 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 or those living in the more remote parts of the Rocky Mountain West, fol- lowing professional sports cannotF often be an up-close-and-per- sonal experience. Many in Teton Valley look to Denver as the mountain mecca of professional teams, and among the Mile High City’s several franchises, it is the NFL’s Broncos that aid in getting many isolated football fans through the long winters. BY JENN REIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN JAMYE BY JENN REIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Yet also among Teton Valley’s grid- long, fulfilling day of skiing iron groupies is a fair number of Seattle epic powder is coming to an Seahawks “12th Man” fans. Not surpris- end, while anticipation for ingly: According to the navigation gurus the game has started to build at Rand-McNally, Denver is 557 miles withinA the walls of Grand Targhee Re- from Driggs, while Seattle is 828 miles sort’s Trap Bar & Grill. Teton Valley’s (all of 74 miles closer than Oakland, the ski hill may boast one of the best-kept third-closest NFL city to the valley). secrets when it comes to Super Bowl Consequently—short of Salt Lake Sunday: This party is a charged-up City or Portland one day landing an crowd. The room is full of locals and NFL franchise—Super Bowl XLVIII on visitors alike, many identifying with February 2, 2014, was the closest thing their own teams. A Ravens jersey is to a “home game” matchup locals will spotted next to a 49er model. This likely ever witness. It provided an op- seems an odd marriage, but the con- portunity for regional fans to showcase versation between the two focuses on their allegiance with jerseys, cheers, their shared hatred of the Seahawks. WYDAHO NACHOS, A and jeers. This was a battle between The startling orange marking Broncos TRAP BAR STAPLE, WERE the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky jerseys is all over the room. Anyone GOING DOWN AS FAST AS Mountain West. The Seahawks had rooting for the team with the osprey SEATTLE TOUCHDOWNS played on the turf at the NFL’s cham- mascot is clearly outnumbered. ON SUPER BOWL pionship game only once during their Football’s biggest event is cause SUNDAY 2014. forty-year life as a team, when they lost for a holiday weekend in some circles. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006. Den- At a table for six in the middle of the ver had been a part of the NFL’s biggest room, Jason Klonp and Michael Rowe show six times before, twice coming are parked and ready. They nosh on out on top. Seattle had a lot to prove. a gigantic order of the Trap’s Wydaho With this year’s pro football season Nachos, and explain their yearly ritual. nearing the end and Super Bowl XLIX The two have been meeting up to ski right around the corner, let’s look back and watch the Super Bowl at Targhee to see how some Teton Valley sports for eighteen years. Both are from the fans celebrated the 2014 version of Salt Lake City area, and they express football’s biggest game. It shows that themselves as Broncos fans. Klonp puts while allegiances do run deep, having it simply: “Who else are we going to fun is the real name of the game. root for out here?”

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 49 SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THE GAME, OBVIOUSLY.

Klonp and Rowe arrive every year ture on which team might dominate on the Thursday prior to the game, abounds, but it is apparent that this set and leave the following Monday. This of fans hopes just to see a good game. sentiment is echoed among others in Bronco pride being a matter of course attendance who have driven hours to at the Trap, LaBelle’s guests are equally marry powder and pigskin. They come split on which team will dominate. to ski and to watch the game, and then Beyond the match at hand, anoth- lollygag home sometime on Monday. er topic playing universally at parties It’s obvious that this annual event has across the country is the Super Bowl established a captive and enthusiastic commercials. Teton Valley is no excep- audience up the hill in Alta. tion. When watching in a private home rather than a rowdy bar, the nuances t JoAnne LaBelle’s home in of the ads become more discernable. Drictor (halfway between The discussion here centers on a Coca- Driggs and Victor, that is), a Cola ad depicting the song “America Super Bowl spread dominates the Beautiful” being sung in many dif- A the kitchen. Jalapeños stuffed ferent languages. The majority in the with cream cheese and wrapped in ba- room seem to see it as a touching re- con are pulled from beneath the broil- flection on our country as a melting er, while guests graze on lasagna, chili- pot. What none of them knows is that, topped baked potatoes, pulled pork, in the days to follow, this commercial and a variety of desserts. Halftime is will be characterized as controversial approaching, and the conversation in on many levels. the room focuses primarily on the bet- This group of friends represents a ting pool, for which there is a drawing wide spread of local attitude. Just as at the end of each quarter. they view the Super Bowl with con- Not one person is taking the game genial neutrality infused with a little too seriously, and even LaBelle admits healthy betting, so goes the life of a citi- that her party is not a tradition. “I just zen here in the valley. Big fans of fun, upgraded my TV and also happened to the people here want to see what you buy a new couch,” she says. “That’s a bring to the table, if only to enhance good reason to have a party, right?” their craving for a challenge. They see At the top of the half, a voice shouts, that everyone can win just from a sense “Honey Jack!” The cry is echoed. Guests of trying, and that a smile can be had stand and circle around a bottle of by merely looking to the horizon in any Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey. Shots direction. A little Jack Daniel’s doesn’t are poured and glasses raised. Conjec- hurt, either.

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52 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 PatagoniaSuncloud • Smith • CarharttSuncloud • Dansko • Temple Fork Fly Rods • ool•LazyOne•StormyKromer•Pistil i t s i P • r e m o r K y m r o t S • e n O y z a L • l o Wo t r a m S • l i e v d u o l C Suncloud • Smith • Carhartt • Dansko • Temple Fork Fly Rods • Patagonia ool•LazyOne•StormyKromer•Pistil i t s i P • r e m o r K y m r o t S • e n O y z a L • l o Wo t r a m S • l i e v d u o l C t Victor’s Knotty Pine, the crowd isn’t huge, but enough HomeHome of of eyes are on the restaurant’s THETHE World World Famous Famous big-screen television to con- • HuckleberryHuckleberry Milkshake Milkshake Can you believe • ToysSmartwool • Bogs Boots Suncloud TEVA • Pistil veyA a sense of heavy concern. The room we got all this at is thick with Broncos fans, and they are the Emporium? IDAHOIDAHO SOUVENIRS SOUVENIRS having a difficult evening. By the start FLYSHOP of the fourth quarter, the score is 36– FLYSHOP 8, Seahawks. The game, fraught GIFTS •FLYSHOP CLOTHING with botched plays, is show- SUNGLASSESSUNGLASSES T-SHIRTS • HATS• HATS• HATS casing the fact that Denver’s SHOES • GIFTS • T-SHIRTS offense doesn’t have a SUNGLASSESSHOES • GIFTS • •SHOEST-SHIRTS chance against Seattle’s IDAHOESPRESSO SOUVENIRS • JEWELRY defense, not tonight any- ESPRESSO • JEWELRY way. It appears as if the Se- ESPRESSO ahawks have actually sprouted wings. The dining room at this classic Teton Valley hangout is unusually qui- et, and the score isn’t the only thing to 208-787-2221 blame. Many folks are busy chewing. Located in downtown Victor, ID They are down with dinner and a game, Open208-787-2221 7 days a week and they’ve made the choice to indulge ~ Just 30 minutes from downtownLocated Jackson in downtown Hole Victor, ~ ID in a menu suited for the occasion. The Cloudveil • Huckleberry Mountain • Native Eyewear • Pistil • Open 7 days a week • Temple Fork Fly Rods • SmartWool • Laken • Rapala • Sportiff • Knotty’s Kansas City-style barbecue is ~ Just 30 minutes from downtown Jackson Hole ~ Cloudveil • Huckleberry Mountain • Native Eyewear • Pistil • offered with all of the sides one might Patagonia • Huckleberry Products • Temple Fork Fly Rods • SmartWool • Laken • Rapala • Sportiff • expect. Other dishes are just as hearty SmartWool • Suncloud • Rapala • Sportiff and flavorful, and their origins sit clos- er to the Knotty’s doorstep. Burgers made from both elk and bison are pop- ular items, and either one feels like the right choice on this particular evening. The food brings a homespun quality to the proceedings. As the clock ticks down, a dread- locked Seahawks fan jumps from his seat to celebrate a play that double- clinches the victory for Seattle. The ten-yard touchdown pass by quarter- back Russell Wilson to wide receiver Doug Baldwin brings the final score to 43–8. Mr. Dreadlocks is clearly in the minority in his preference, and his ac- tion earns stares of contempt from all sides. True, the crowd is viewing this contest at an isolating 6,200 feet above sea level, with nary an NFL franchise in their sights. But when it comes to team loyalty, the fans here are just as passionate as their more urban coun- terparts. Then again, the simple appreciation of good old-fashioned American com- petition will get you a seat at any Super Bowl party in the valley, regardless of who you root for. The odds of having a good time are in your favor.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 53 compass points Fireside

Need-to-Know Knots Five tricks to keep up your rope-tying sleeve BY LUKAS BOONE If you spend any time in the hills backpacking or bikepacking, or hauling your canoe or kayak to the river on a cartop or trailer, chances are you need to use rope or line to accomplish tasks now and then. Knowing some simple hitches (single ropes tied to objects) and bends (ropes joined together) can be an invaluable skill. Practice tying the following five knots at home this winter, and you’ll soon know which one you re- quire to accomplish what task when the need arises. PHOTO: JAMYE CHRISMAN; ILLUSTRATIONS, STAFF

54 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Bowline One of the simplest and most the knot—such as tent guy lines connected to tent stakes. versatile knots around, the bowline It’s also very useful for securing a tarp to a tree or a stake, (BOW-luhn) forms a secure fixed or for tying loads onto vehicles. The knot can be slipped loop that is easy to tie and untie. It freely to tighten or loosen a line, but then it jams under can be tied swiftly and untied eas- tension. ily, even when under strain. Use the How to tie it: Make a turn around a tent stake or other bowline for tying rope to objects, object a couple of feet up the rope from the free end. Coil like a line to a canoe, or to animals the free end two times around the standing line, working when reliability is important. It’s a back toward the stake. Now, make one more coil around the safe knot to use when tying a rope standing line, this one to the outside of the two coils made around the neck of a horse. But be previously. Tighten the knot and slide it up or down the aware that the knot may slip when standing line to adjust tension. tied with slick synthetic rope. It holds quite reliably in ropes made of Sheet Bend natural fiber. The sheet bend is used to tie two How to tie it: Form a small loop lines together, end to end, whether in the line, then bring the free end they are the same size or different di- (or working end) up to pass through ameters. It’s reputed to be far stron- the loop from the underside. Next, ger and more slip-resistant than the wrap the free end around the stand- square knot, yet it can be readily un- ing line and back down through the tied regardless of how tight or wet it loop. Tighten by pulling on the free may be. The sheet bend also goes by end while holding the standing line. the name of weaver’s knot when used in yarn. (The double sheet bend can Clove Hitch be used in fly fishing to attach the fly The clove hitch is a widely used line to the leader.) knot that’s quick and easy to tie us- How to tie it: Form a loop in ing either the end or the middle of the end of one rope (the larger one, if they’re of different the rope. It’s often used to fasten a diameters). Run the free end of the other (smaller) line rope to a post or another station- through the loop from the bottom, around the back of the ary object that’s open on one end. larger rope, and then back down through the loop. Snug it Passing around the post in only one by pulling on all four ends prior to putting any strain on the direction, it puts very little strain on knot. It’s important for the free ends of both ropes to be on rope fibers. The knot is not entirely the same side of the finished knot. (Two wraps around both secure unless a load is acting on parts of the larger rope make a double sheet bend.) both sides of it, so it should be used only as a utility hitch for temporary Two Half Hitches purposes. You can tie a clove hitch Two half hitches, also known as before you need it—so the hoop can a clove hitch over itself, is the Swiss be passed over the top of a post. The Army Knife of outdoor knots. It can more strain it takes, the tighter the be used to secure a cord to a tarp, knot becomes, yet it can be released tie a load to a pack or on a boat, and the moment stress is removed. much more. “Two half hitches will How to tie it: Wrap the free hold the devil,” the saying goes. It end of a rope around a post, then consists of an overhand knot tied cross over the standing line and go around a limb or other object, fol- around the post again. Slip the free lowed by a half-hitch. end under the last wrap and pull How to tie it: Begin by form- tight. ing a loop around the limb, with the working end of the rope on top. Tautline Hitch Bring the working end through the The tautline hitch is an adjust- loop to create an overhand knot able loop knot used for lines under around the pole. Now, bring the load that may need periodic adjust- working end down, loop it under the ment in order to maintain tension— standing end, and pull the working end through the loop in effect, modifying the length of the just formed. Tighten, then slide the knot along the standing standing line without having to retie end up to the limb.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 55 Over compass points the Hill

OPPOSITE PAGE: DEB ADAMS LOVES “BOOKING IT” TO WORK, AND BY THAT SHE DOES NOT MEAN GETTING THERE FAST.

Every Day Adventure For Teton Pass commuters, life has its ups and downs

BY KATE HULL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN Life in Teton Valley can make any grades as steep as 10 percent. day an adventure. For some, it is trek- Most Teton Valley residents make

king through the backcountry to find the haul over the pass at least occasion- that perfect line, or floating the Snake ally. Some have memorable tales of dan- River in search of the next great catch. gerous conditions or too-close encoun- But for others, adventure is as simple ters with wildlife on the road. Others as the commute to work in Jackson are just thankful that it isn’t the metro Hole over Teton Pass. interstate from their past city life. It’s a seventeen-mile drive from Vic- A select few Teton Valley residents, tor, Idaho, to Wilson, Wyoming, on a however, have committed to this com- two-lane road gaining more than 2,000 mute for decades, come snow or blue feet of elevation. The road tops out at skies, and the occasional deer or moose 8,431 feet above sea level before giv- on the road. Take, for instance, the fol- ing back those 2,000 feet at downhill lowing three ladies.

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eb Adams, the executive commute, she is finally scaling back. FTR_Spring14.indd 1 director of the Teton Kathy has made the drive from County Library in Jackson, Victor, where she was born and raised, A comprehensive overview of teton county, idAho, fActs And figures has been making the drive to homes in Jackson as part of running over Teton Pass for nearly her cleaning business. “I know every Graphic design, project budgeting fifteen years. Living in the inch of the houses I go to and every Writing/editing, copyediting borderland of Teton Valley, inch of the pass,” she says, reflecting Pre-press preparation services she started her morning the longevity of her commute. The

drive originally from Alta, Wyoming; wife of Jerry Kaufman, the man behind POWDER MOUNTAIN PRESS LLC D 208 354 3466 later from Driggs; and now from her the automotive service shop OK Tire current home in Victor. When asked if in Driggs, Kathy is well prepared for info@powdermountainpress. she minds her earlymorning commute whatever weather comes her way. com over the mountain, Deb promptly “That is the nicest thing—he [Jerry] replies with a quick, “Not at all. makes sure I have had good tires, siped “There is something about the com- tires,” she says. “I have only slipped mute that just kind of gives me a little one time on the pass. He makes sure time to mellow out before I go to work that I am always safe and good.” or get home,” she says. “It is honestly a beautiful drive. Even after this many years in, it is still just as gorgeous of a The trick, Kathy drive as [it was] the first time.” Kaufman says, Deb, a deacon at St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church (and sched- is to never be uled soon to be ordained as a priest), began working at the Alta branch of in a hurry. the library twenty-seven years ago. She took over as executive director of the Top-notch tires may have helped Every day, every Teton County Library in 2000. Her pas- her attain one of the best driving records grocery need...we sion has always been reading, she says, among pass commuters, but Kathy also so she has made her commute an ex- says patience is an important part of the have you covered tension of that. Morning and evening, formula for success. The trick, she says, she listens to a book on tape during her is to never be in a hurry. And why would drive over in her Honda, calling it the you be, she wonders? Summer lends Every Day perfect way to wind down and enjoy itself to views of vibrant wildflowers, blue what she loves most. skies, and lush forests. Winter, although 7 AM to 9 PM “I work at the perfect place to get more hazardous, is just as scenic. listening materials for my commute,” “I just pretend I am on an adventure Deb says. “I have listened to hundreds every morning and it is just beautiful,” of books on CD, from the classics to Kathy says. “One time I saw a darling suspense and popular teen lit. That is little bear cross the road; I have seen 787-2230 part of what I do. It is my time with one just about every [type of] wildlife you Main & Center in Victor of my passions, which is reading.” can imagine.”

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58 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 PT = 205 + 98.52

PT = 205 + 98.52

205 + 00

PC = 204 + 96.48

205 + 00

PC = 204 + 96.48 20.00

20.00

204 + 00

hen we think of morning

commutes like the ones 204 + 00 undertaken by Kathy Kaufman and Deb Ad- THE LOGIC BEHIND THE INSPIRATION ams, it’s just that—morn- ing. But for Kyra Griffin, Civil Engineering For every home, community, or road traveled, Land Surveying Jorgensen Associates has a solution. We the circulation manager THE LOGIC BEHIND THE INSPIRATION Land Use Planning create the foundation on which your inspiration for Teton Media Works, InformationCivil EngineeringTechnology Forbecomes every ahome, reality. community, or road traveled, the company behind the Jackson Hole W Land Surveying Jorgensen Associates has a solution. We News&Guide, the Jackson Hole Daily, and LandDRIGGS, Use Planning ID 208.354.8330 create the foundationJACKSON, WYon which 307.733.5150 your inspiration a number of magazines, the work day Information Technology becomes a reality. starts at night. Along with her significant other, DRIGGS, ID 208.354.8330 JACKSON, WY 307.733.5150 Hank Smith, Kyra heads out every night at 11:00 p.m. sharp to deliver newspa- pers and magazines throughout both Teton Counties (Idaho and Wyoming). Located across from Teton Valley Hospital on the And believe it or not, she says, traffic is corner of Howard and 2nd St. in Driggs still heavy on the pass at that time. “The pass is very interesting,” Kyra says. “Over the years, it has gotten busier and busier in the middle of the night.” For nearly ten years now, Kyra has worked from just before midnight until 6:00 a.m., and sometimes as late as 10:00 a.m., driving all over the place to deliver the newspapers, six differ- ent magazines, and, in the summer, a biweekly rodeo publication. Working for such a great company in a job she enjoys makes the unique hours and all the driving worth it, she says. Not to mention the fun of seeing the valleys lit up under the night sky. “It is beautiful at night,” says Kyra, whose unusual bedtime is 3:00 p.m. “You get to see all the wildlife at night, but you also see a different side than people see during the day. When you have to drive [around] at night and the moon shines on the water … it’s just www.tetonvalleybiblechurch.org amazing. You see a whole different world at night. It makes it beautiful. I love it.”

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 59 Far compass points Flung

A Guera Goes South

Traveling the Teton- Tlaxcala Highway

STORY BY BRIDGET RYDER ILLUSTRATION BY MEGHAN HANSON

60 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 was about to cross the street told, Ishmael was waiting for me. when the driver of a dusty I had made contact with Ishmael, black pickup truck stopped in the oldest Robles sibling, through ac- front of me and rolled down his quaintances of mine in Teton Valley window. who are relatives of the Robles and “Where are you from?” he also from Hueyo. When I told them I asked in English. wanted to go to their hometown, they It’s not every day a non-Mex- said their cousins would give me the Iican guera (a young woman with fair grand tour. Indeed, Ishmael turned out skin) wanders the streets of Hueyotli- to be a natural guide. pan (“Hueyo”), Tlaxcala, Mexico. “It’s been so long since I’ve talked “I’m from Teton Valley,” I said; to anyone from [the Tetons],” Ishmael “Driggs, Idaho.” told me over lunch. “Are you a skier? The interlocutor, who introduced Are you good?” himself as Ricardo, was obviously de- I confessed to my intermediate ski- lighted. His hometown rarely shows ing abilities, but from his question I up on the Mexico tourist’s map, but knew he must have been as good as I Teton Valley, Idaho, is well known to had heard. I would learn more on the Hueyotlipan’s locals. Ricardo—like the day of our grand tour. fellow I talked to running the Internet cafe and the guy on the bike who gave e stashed bottles me directions one afternoon—is one of of drinking water hundreds from here who have worked in the Robles’ blue in the Tetons for months, seasons, even pickup truck and years. As for Ricardo, he spent six headed out that Fri- years in the Tetons in the construction day to the ruins of industry. Cacaxtla, a sprawl- “What are you doing here?” he ing archaeological asked. site about ten miles away from Hueyot- I was exploring, I told him, and on Wlipan. We followed a winding, back- my way to Casa Robles to meet up with road route, dotted with colonial towns, Ishmael Robles, another former Teton to Nativitas, the closest municipal- Valley resident. ity to the site. The prehistoric people Casa Robles, the store attached who built the four-tiered, flat-topped to the Robles family home, was easy pyramids sometime between 600 and to find. The American-style log cabin 900 A.D. had disappeared by the time perched on the roof of an orange build- the Spanish landed at Veracruz, but ing gave it away. Ishmael and his broth- the remains of their civilization—four er, Pablo, built the cabin about ten years structures and brightly detailed fres- ago, using skills they learned while coes—were discovered in the 1970s. constructing cabins and homes in the We climbed up the designated path- Tetons. Ishmael was the master drywall way and wandered through the ruins installer, Pablo the expert woodworker. of rooms at the upper levels of the an- Entering the store, I found that it of- cient complex. The view from the east fered everything from guavas to school side perfectly framed an identical pyra- supplies. I was greeted by Gracielle mid located a couple of hundred yards Robles, the second oldest sibling in the away. family of three boys and two girls, and While we admired the murals de- the one who had built up the business picting battles and feline gods, Ishmael while her brothers were in the United reflected on his past, telling me he was States. Then I slipped behind the coun- in college pursuing an engineering de- ter and into the garage, where, I was gree when he left for the U.S. in 1994.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 61 THE ROCK-AND-COBBLE PATH LEADING TO THE MONASTERY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Most immigrants leave for economic reasons—due to the paucity of jobs and the low wages in Mexico—but what Ishmael wanted was adventure. Ishmael found a job in Texas, but Al- berto Martinez, one of the first Hueyot- lipan natives to settle in Driggs, con- vinced him to move to Idaho. Brother Pablo, also seeking adventure, soon followed. After working the potato har- vest and doing a stint delivering lum- ber, the brothers landed winter jobs as dishwashers on the night shift at Grand Targhee Resort. Their pleas for a dif- ferent schedule went unheeded. “I was like, what are we going to do all day?” Ishmael recalled. “One day Pablo said, ‘Let’s go skiing.’ I had no idea it was go- ing to be such a big thing.” A season at Grand Targhee trans- formed the brothers from beginners into snow addicts. Within a couple of years, they were full-fledged ski bums who had mastered the rhythm of sum- mer work and winter play. They had LEFT: THE VIEW OF also mastered the slopes on both sides THE TLAXCALAN of the Tetons. CAPITAL CITY OF “There’s nothing like Corbet’s on a TLAXCALA FROM powder day,” Ishmael said, referring THE STEPS OF THE to the notoriously challenging Corbet’s MONASTERY OF SAN Couloir at Jackson Hole Mountain Re- FRANCISCO. sort. RIGHT: THE CHURCH Ishmael acknowledges that he and OF SAN JOSE IN his brother are demographic anoma- TLAXCALA REMAINS lies. Most of their compatriots don’t get AS EVIDENCE OF THE in nearly as many skier days—if any SPANISH PRESENCE at all—as the Robles accumulated. In IN MEXICO. fact, Ishmael may have overdone it, as untreated knee injuries took their toll. He returned to Hueyotlipan two years after his brother had already re-settled

in their hometown. PHOTOS: BRIDGET RYDER

62 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 A sister city Hueyotlipan, Tlaxcala, Mexico, has a few things in common with Teton Valley besides peo- ple living there who have built houses and har- vested potatoes between Victor and Felt. Located about fifty miles east of Mexico City, “Hueyo” is a small, close-knit town where you can ask people y the time we had climbed he kept vigil by her side until he even- on the street to help you find the house or person back down the pyramid, I tually froze to death. The gods turned you’re looking for. According to its newly elected was starving. We headed to the deceased couple into the second president, Petronillo Roldan, it also has its infra- Tlaxcala, the state capital, and third highest volcanic mountains structure needs—such as a hospital with doc- for lunch. in Mexico, the active, 17,802-foot Po- tors available twenty-four hours a day, economic The afternoon storm pocatépetl and dormant, 17,160-foot development to increase job opportunities, and a that met us there failed to Iztaccíhuatl. recreation center. And it has its own unique his- wash away the colonial charm of the After lunch, we took a walk along tory, starting with the natives for whom the state Bwell-preserved town. The name Tlax- an ash tree-lined avenue through the of Tlaxcala is named. cala applies not only to the Mexican archway entrance to the Monastery of When Hernán Cortés reached Tlaxcala after state and its capital city, but to the in- San Francisco on the city’s hillside. landing in Veracruz and marching across the con- digenous people who occupied the re- “These trees are hundreds of years tinent, he encountered a people and a territory gion in the 1500s when Hernán Cortés old,” Ishmael said. hemmed in by the Aztec Empire and convinced arrived. History tells us that without Perhaps as old as the convent itself, of a prophecy that anticipated the arrival of a help from the Tlaxcaltecas, Cortés and built in 1540. The Franciscan friars also fair-skinned god. The circumstances made the his Spanish conquistadors would have had a great view of the city and a direct Tlaxcalans good allies for Cortés and his soldiers. been unable to topple the Aztecs. look into the bullfighting arena. With the assistance of the Tlaxcalan warriors, The towering dome of the Church I was more interested in learning Cortés attacked the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan of San Jose and the colonial city hall about a piece of more recent Mexican (now Mexico City). The first battle left Cortés in- remain as evidence of the Spanish history. “Why did you come back to jured and morally deflated. He retreated with his presence. Inside the government build- Mexico?” I asked my guide. troops to Hueyotlipan, where he was welcomed ing, murals depict Tlaxcala from its “When I hurt my knee, I needed to by one of the governors. indigenous origins through its colonial reinvent myself,” Ishmael said. “Do The governor affirmed the Tlaxcaltecan- metamorphosis to its more recent past. you think I’d be here if I didn’t have a Spanish alliance, and Cortés and his army healed After my introductory history les- messed-up knee?” their wounds under his protection. In gratitude, son, we dashed across the perfectly Obviously, the answer to the rhe- the Spanish crown decreed that Tlaxcala remain square Plaza de la Constitución into torical question was no. an independent republic free from colonization a restaurant called Los Portales (“the Now back in Mexico, the adven- (though conquistadors did eventually gain control portals”), appropriately named for the turer is working to develop tourism. of the territory and establish the hacienda sys- arches we passed through to get there. Ishmael made the time to be my guide tem). For Hueyotlipan specifically, Cortés sent a I ordered the mole, a regional dish to surrounding sites that also included crucifix from Spain and built a small Franciscan of chicken and rice with a spicy, faintly historic haciendas such as San Blas, monastery, which now serves as the city’s cultur- chocolate-flavored sauce. It’s said that where scenes from 1998’s The Mask of al center. Even the history of Hueyotlipan comes the dish descends from the Tlaxcaltecas. Zorro were filmed. His tours can also be full circle in Teton Valley: A replica of the historic “Look at that,” Ishmael said, point- done on bike; Ishmael has a collection crucifix hangs in Good Shepherd Catholic Church ing above my head. “Do you know the of bicycles and knows from experience in Driggs, a tribute to colonialism, immigration, legend of the sleeping woman?” the hundreds of miles of newly paved and cultural exchange. No, I said, I didn’t know the story roads winding through the cactus- behind the painting, a dreamy scene of and pine-studded countryside. And he a native woman lying near a fire with a knows the way to the summit of La Ma- warrior in headdress leaning over her. linche, a 14,636-foot dormant volcano As Ishmael explained it, the father of in La Malinche National Park. Iztaccíhuatl, the Tlaxcalan princess de- Though Hueyotlipan sits at about picted in the painting, sent the warrior 8,500 feet above sea level, it rarely gets Popocatépetl off to battle, promising snow. Yet it’s a great, way-off-the-beat- that the two lovers would be wed when en-path destination for biking, hiking, the soldier returned. However, Iztac- and cultural tourism, with local con- cíhuatl’s father falsely told his daugh- nections already in place for Teton Val- ter the young man had died in battle. ley residents. I may have been one of In response to the news, she dashed a the first North Americans to travel the dagger through her heart. When Popo- Teton-Tlaxcala Highway to Hueyotli- catépetl found his lover’s dead body, pan, but I’ll bet I won’t be the last.

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 63 Local compass points Flavors

West Side Story Not your daddy’s Timberline BY LUKAS BOONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMYE CHRISMAN

64 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 LOAD LIGHT

he space occupied by the LIVE longtime Victor establish- ment known as the Tim- VOYAGEUR GRAND WOOD INSERT berline Club has under- gone a makeover you must AUTOMATIC see to believe. COMBUSTION CONTROL Now known as West Side Yard, the new estab- COMPLETE BURNS & lishmentT opened around June 1. De- LOW EMISSIONS spite sitting smack in the middle of the EASIER TO LOAD, START & construction project at the main inter- MAINTAIN THE HEAT section in Victor for much of the late summer and fall, the restaurant pre- quadrafi re.com vailed over jackhammers and backhoes to fast become a valley favorite. Authorized dealer for Among the additions made by the new Gas Stoves • Wood Stoves • Pellet Stoves owners, Justin Gumm and Kriss Smith, Fireplaces • Installations • Chimney Sweep are garage doors that, in warmer weath- er, open onto patio dining alongside the 208.354.8027 • [email protected] namesake west-side yard. Even in winter 720 N. Hwy 33 • Driggs, Idaho 83422 the glass doors shed light on what for de- cades was a dark interior space. Veteran Timberline goers are pleased that the ambiance of the full bar up front remains; four screens now show sports events there. Justin and Kriss have instituted a free Tuesday movie Time For New Paint? night, and they feature occasional live music on the old stage in back. They also own Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria in Odgen, Utah, so they’re not new to the restaurant biz. For a chef at West Side Yard they brought on Jerry Riegel, whose previous work included gigs at the Rusty Parrot and Nora’s in Jackson Hole, and at Warbirds Cafe in Driggs. Virtually everything he does is from scratch, to the extent of ferment- ing his own sauerkraut for the Teton River Reuben (not to be missed). And the thirty-one beers on tap aren’t just for customers’ drinking pleasure—the chef uses beer for all of his braising. That includes the melt-in-your-mouth Mary’s Little Friends, which are lamb ribs braised for eight hours in Wildlife Brewing’s Bison Brown Ale. Open 7:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri Lunch-through-dinner hours are 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and brunch is 8am-3pm Sat served Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 208.787.WOOD • 9 Sagebrush Drive • Victor, Idaho a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mimosa anyone?

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 65 dining guide

Barrels & Bins Linn Canyon Ranch 36 South Main Street 1300 East 6000 South Driggs, ID 83422 Victor, ID 83455 208-354-2307 208-787-LINN (5466) Open Daily 9am–7pm linncanyonranch.com

Teton Valley’s source for all-natural and organic products includ- Linn Canyon Ranch is a winter wonderland where sleigh bells ring as ing local and organic produce, meats, cheeses, and bulk food; 460 you dash through the snow in an authentic horse-drawn sleigh. Join us Bread baked fresh daily; beer and wine; nutritional supplements; for a cozy western evening and an elegant dinner in our historic lodge. health and beauty products; all natural pet foods; and much more! Experience the fine hospitality the Linn family is known for. Twenty- Juice & Smoothie Bar is now open 9am to 2pm daily. Check in for four hour advance reservations required. We also offer holiday and pri- a sandwich-of-the-day selection, as well as other various grab & go vate parties. [p. 29] takeout options. [p. 28] McDonald’s® Broulim’s Food and 1110 West Broadway @ Hwy 22 Pharmacy Jackson, WY 83001 240 South Main Street 307-733-7444 Driggs, ID 83422 Open daily 5am–12am or later 208-354-2350 mcwyoming.com/6435 Open Mon–Sat 7am–11pm broulims.com/driggs Fast, Affordable, and On Your Way! Whether you’re driving over the Order sandwiches to go made from your choice of Columbus meats pass on your way to Grand Teton National Park or commuting to and cheeses. Breakfast sandwiches and paninis made fresh daily. your job on the “other side,” make McDonald’s® a part of your day. There’s a full menu at the Pack Saddle Grill, with burgers and sand- We’re serving your breakfast favorites like the classic Egg McMuf- wiches, as well as hot baked or rotisserie chicken, take-and-bake fin®, new Egg White Delight McMuffin®, and McCafe™ beverages pizza, and other meals to go. Check out our thirty-eight-foot-long featuring Lattes, Mochas, and Frappes. Premium Salads and new display of hand-cut specialty cheeses! Freshly prepared salads, our McWraps®, Real Fruit Smoothies, and Fruit and Maple Oatmeal are own Sushi Bar, and hot Asian food. Daily specials of smoked meats delicious choices to support your healthy, active lifestyle. [p. 11] available. Inquire at the Deli for catering services. Pendl’s Bakery & Café Corner Drug 40 Depot Street 10 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 Driggs, ID 83422 (1 block northwest of the stoplight) 208-354-2334 208-354-5623 Open Mon–Sat 9am–6:30pm Open Tuesday–Sunday driggspharmacy.com pendlspastries.com Looking for a latté and warm Apple Strudel? Find them at Pendl’s, Located at the stoplight in historic downtown Driggs, the family- where Kitzbuhel Konditor Fred Pendl has passed his baking tradi- owned and -operated Corner Drug has been a local favorite for sat- tions on to his daughter Martha. From Nussknackers to Florentin- isfying that ice cream craving for more than a hundred years. Try a ers, Linzertorte to Chocolate Rolls, Old World Austrian pastries and fresh lime freeze or a huckleberry milkshake. Corner Drug also has confections continue. Delectable assortments of hand-rolled pastries your weekend essentials and a full-service pharmacy. Hunting and and strudel baked daily, with homemade muffins, savory quiches, and fishing licenses and tackle available. [p. 24] cranberry granola rounding out your morning. Enjoy fresh coffee and fine espresso any time of the day. Eat in or take out. We look forward to welcoming you at Pendl’s. Grand Targhee Resort Alta, WY 83414 800-TARGHEE (827-4433) RANGE at Teton Springs grandtarghee.com Resort & Club 10 Headwaters Dr. Victor, ID 83455 208-787-8130 Open Thursday–Saturday 5pm–9pm The Branding Iron Grill offers casual dining slopeside using fresh rangedining.com local ingredients and Wyoming-raised beef. You’ll find about a dozen The RANGE at Teton Springs Resort, under new management, prom- beers on tap at the Trap Bar, sports on TV, and Après live music. ises the most unique, fun dining experience in Teton Valley, includ- Snorkel’s Coffee House & Bistro serves freshly baked pastries, pan- ing activities like wine and beer tastings and live music. Chef Luke cakes, breakfast burritos, and piping hot coffee in the morning and Hall is creating inspired dishes weekly using regional ranches for deli items and homemade soups for lunch. Enjoy authentic Mexi- meat, game, and fresh fish, complemented with full bar service and can fare evenings on the weekends and holidays. Wild Bill’s offers a an extensive selection of wines at affordable prices. Also featuring range of fresh lunch options—from soups made from scratch daily, the Sage Café, led by Pastry Chef Dominique Piumarta, offering fresh to south-of-the-border creations, to American “Kobe” Wagyu beef pastries, quiches, specialty coffee drinks, and a wine and beer bar burgers. [BC] from 8am to 2pm daily.

66 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Seoul Restaurant Victor Emporium 528 Valley Center Drive, Suite #4 45 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 Victor, ID 83455 208-354-1234 208-787-2221 Open daily except Wednesday, Open seven days a week 11am–10pm

Trying to stay warm? Come in and try Seoul Restaurant, where au- For more than sixty years the Victor Emporium Old Fashioned Soda thentic Korean food will surely warm you up inside. We serve boiling Fountain has served milkshakes, including the World Famous Huck- hot-pot soups such as Kimchi Jjigae, and Soon Do Boo along with leberry Shake. Gourmet coffee and espresso served daily. The Em- Dumpling soup, and Jombong soup. Not in the mood for soup? We porium is also a great place to pick up those unusual gifts. Where the serve hearty meat entrees such as Galbi, Bulgogi, Dolsot Bibimbap, locals meet before and after skiing!! [p. 53] Sushi, and much more! Located north of Driggs, Seoul Restaurant will fulfill your appetite on a cold winter day. Bring in your Grand Targhee 2014/15 season pass or day pass to get 10 percent off (lim- Victor Valley Market ited to one discounted meal per table). We also offer takeout. [p. 47] 5 South Main Street Victor, ID 83455 208-787-2230 Teton Thai Open daily 7am–9pm 18 North Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-787-THAI (8424) Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm; Victor Valley Market is your local grocer and THE place to get fresh dinner Mon–Sat 5:30–9:30pm seafood and choice meats in Teton Valley. Offering a unique selection tetonthai.com of groceries, from organic and specialty items to your everyday needs, including a full selection of wine and beer. Our gourmet deli counter Voted “Best Restaurant, Teton Valley” in the Jackson Hole Weekly, offers delicious house-made takeout dishes, along with sandwiches Teton Thai offers something for everyone. Enjoy a variety of exotic made with locally baked bread, fresh salads, house-made soups, and dishes, from Crispy Duck Pad Gar Pow to Muslim-style Masaman so much more! Victor Valley Market has all that you need to make a curry, all made from our family’s recipes first created in Bangkok. Sit delicious meal, whether for eating in or picnicking. [p. 57] at the kitchen counter and watch our chefs prepare your dish. Enjoy specialty saki cocktails, as well as a range of imported beers and wine. Dine in or take out. [p. 32] Warbirds Café/Teton Aviation Center The Royal Wolf 253 Warbird Lane 63 Depot Street Driggs, ID 83422 Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-2550 208-354-8365 Lunch 7 Days and Dinner Tues–Sat Open seven days a week; serv- tetonaviation.com/warbirds-cafe ing lunch and dinner 11am–late Enjoy delicious food seasoned with spectacular views of the Tetons theroyalwolf.com at Warbirds Café, located at the Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport, one Since 1997, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed discovering this mile north of downtown Driggs. A full bar and thoughtful wine list off-Main Street establishment offering a diverse menu of sand- complement our contemporary bistro fare, which is enhanced by daily wiches, burgers, salads, appetizers, and entrées served in a casual, specials and occasional live music. Our window-banked dining room smoke-free, pub-style environment. Complementing our menu is a parallels the taxiway, where an impressive array of private planes ar- full bar serving all of your favorite beverages, including cocktails, rive and depart throughout the day. You can turn your meal into an wine, and a selection of regional microbrews on draft. Enjoy outdoor adventure with a scenic airplane or glider ride; or, if you prefer to stay dining on our spacious deck during the summer. Daily food and beer grounded, visit our free display of restored vintage warplanes. [p. 10] specials, WiFi, and billiards. Stop by to meet old friends and make new ones. Snow sagas and fish tales told nightly. Wildlife Brewing & Pizza 145 South Main Street Tony’s Pizza & Pasta Victor, ID 83455 364 North Main Street 208-787-2623 Driggs, ID 83422 Open 4–10pm daily; Lunch Fri– 208-354-8829 Sun beginning at 12 noon Open for lunch and dinner sev- wildlifebrewing.com en days a week, 11am–11pm tonyspizzadriggs.com Teton Valley’s most popular establishment! An award-winning, fam- ily-friendly microbrewery with the best pizza in the Rockies. Also At Tony’s Pizza & Pasta we use 100 percent fresh products for our offering salads, appetizers, sandwiches, pastas, wraps, buffalo chili, hand-tossed pizza and Italian entrees, and we bake all of our items nachos, desserts, a kids’ menu, and yes, even vino! Come in and en- in an Italian brick oven. Try our exciting grill items, such as burgers, joy a game of shuffleboard, pool (free on Sundays), darts, or bub- steak, and salmon. You can choose from our selection of twenty-five blehockey, and stop by on Wednesday evening for Open Mic Night. beers on tap while you watch your favorite sporting event—includ- Groups and private parties are welcome, and kegs are available on ing football, basketball, baseball, and hockey—on one of our nine request. Come see why Wildlife Brewing is the locals’ place with big 45-inch flat-screen TVs. Come in and enjoy our vaulted-ceilinged, log- taste! Like us on Facebook. [p. 24] cabin ski lodge/Italian restaurant. We deliver to Teton Valley!

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 67 lodging guide

Fin and Feather Inn Linn Canyon Ranch 9444 South Highway 31 1300 East 6000 South Victor, ID 83422 Victor, ID 83455 208-787-1007 208-787-LINN [5466] finandfeatherinn.com linncanyonranch.com

The Fin and Feather Inn is a small bed and breakfast in Teton Val- Our Lodging combines the best of luxurious accommodations against the ley situated along the Teton Scenic Byway. We combine luxury and backdrop of an Idaho winter wonderland. Sleep peacefully in our timber- country hospitality, making for a very relaxing and comfortable stay. frame cabin, nestled in the snowy foothills of the Tetons. Join us for a Our three rooms feature Grand Teton views, spacious bedrooms, pri- sleigh ride and dinner during your stay. We are also happy to help you vate bathrooms, dual-head showers, a deep soaking bathtub, HD/Di- reserve off-site adventures, such as snowmobile tours or cross-country rect TV, and free wireless Internet. Come stay at the Fin and Feather and downhill skiing. [p.29] Inn and experience the wonderful adventures that Teton Valley has to offer, while staying at a quality bed and breakfast. Teton Springs Lodge & Spa 10 Warm Creek Lane Fox Creek Inn Victor, ID 83455 273 E 5500 S 855-231-7956 or 208-787-7888 Victor, ID 83455 fax 208-787-7889 208-604-0831 [email protected] thefoxcreekinn.com TetonSpringsLodge.com Year-round, Natural Retreats property offering fifty-one elegant guest rooms and suites plus luxury mountain log cabins nestled on the border Located on the Idaho side of the Tetons along Fox Creek, our inn of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The Stillwaters Spa & Salon of- features four luxurious rooms with no TV but free WiFi. Located 3.5 fers a full range of services, and the Range provides an intimate dining miles from Victor, 6.5 miles from Driggs, thirty minutes from down- experience. Winter fun includes heli skiing in the Tetons and surround- town Jackson, and one hour-plus from Grand Teton National Park. ing mountains, ski and snowcat packages with Grand Targhee, and For skiers, it’s thirty minutes to either Grand Targhee or Jackson snowmobile trips into Yellowstone. Back at the resort, don snowshoes Hole resorts. A full breakfast is served each morning, and guests en- and follow the tracks of a winter hare or enjoy a leisurely cross-country joy a great room, patio, hot tub, fire pit, and star-studded night skies. ski on the resort’s groomed trails.

Grand Targhee Resort Alta, WY Teton Valley Cabins 34 East Ski Hill Road 800-TARGHEE [827-4433] Driggs, ID 83422 grandtarghee.com 208-354-8153 or 866-687-1522 [email protected] tetonvalleycabins.com

After a day of skiing, it’s time to relax with the family in one of a variety Nestled amongst mature cottonwoods, Teton Valley Cabins welcomes of western-style slopeside accommodations. All lodging is located just you for your special getaway, vacation home base, or family or group steps away from an array of shopping, dining, and activities. For those reunion. Quaint charm, rustic cabins, and affordable rates await you who desire a more intimate family retreat, consider Grand Targhee Re- at Teton Valley Cabins, just one mile from Driggs, with its restaurants sort’s Vacation Rentals in Teton Valley, perfectly situated between Vic- and shops. Enjoy our grounds complete with Jacuzzi, or explore Teton tor, Driggs, and the resort. Call 800-TARGHEE to book your stay. [BC] Valley from here. We are centrally located, with Grand Targhee Re- sort just up the road, and other recreational opportunities within a few minutes’ drive. Various room types are available. Our rooms are Grand Valley Lodging equipped with microwave, fridge, satellite TV, and WiFi. [p. 8] Property Management PO Box 191, 158 N. First Street Driggs, ID 83422 208-354-8890 or 800-746-5518 Teton Valley [email protected] Realty Management grandvalleylodging.com 253 South Main Street Driggs, ID 83422 Grand Valley Lodging is the premier property management company 208-354-3431 in Teton Valley, Idaho, successfully renting properties since 1992. We [email protected] offer great rates on short term rentals that include vacation homes, vacationrentalstetonvalley.com cabins, and condominiums throughout the valley. We are also the larg- est long-term (six-months-plus) property management company in the We hope you will allow us to find that perfect home or condomini- valley, and can help you optimize income and maintain your property. um to make your vacation a memorable and extra-special one. All of With twenty-three years of experience in the housing rental business, our homes are nicely furnished, meticulously maintained, and fully we would be happy to discuss with you the management of your valu- equipped to accommodate your group at a fraction of what you would able investment in Teton Valley. [p. 51] pay for a few hotel rooms. All homes come complete with linens, kitchen necessities, cable or satellite TV service, soaps, and paper products; some have high-speed Internet service. Basically, you re- ceive all the conveniences of home, away from home. [p. 6]

68 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 Have it Made in Teton Valley, Idaho PHOTOS: MARK FISHER

Idaho’s Teton Valley offers unparalleled year-round recreation, scenic beauty, a thriving arts culture, and an affordable, soul-nourishing, low-stress lifestyle. Many of our 10,000 residents came to play and have stayed to live and work.

A Great Place to Grow Your Business

Teton Valley Business Development Center’s mission is to develop a stable and diverse economy by retaining, strengthening and expanding businesses in Teton Valley.

Brian McDermott, Executive Director 57 South Main St., Driggs, Idaho 208 354 1008 | [email protected] | www.MadeInTetonValley.com

WINTER 2014/2015 magazine 69 church directory

Calvary Chapel Teton Valley Teton Valley Bible Church 53 Depot Street | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-WORD [9673] 245 South Hwy. 33 | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-8960 ccteton.org [email protected] Visitors welcome. Our motto is to simply teach the Bible simply—and Sunday School starts at 9am; Morning Worship at 10:30am, with Pas- thus, our pattern of study is verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book tor Jim Otto teaching. Youth group meets Monday nights (seventh by book, right through the Bible. Sunday service starts at 10am, and through twelfth grades). AWANA meets Wednesday nights during the typically consists of worship, teaching, and fellowship. Dress is nice school year at 6:20pm. [p. 59] casual and the service usually lasts about an hour. Children’s church and a nursery room are provided. Wednesday Bible study starts at 7pm and lasts about an hour; dress is casual. One block north of the stoplight in Driggs, turn left (west) on Depot Street (opposite Wallace Street and the gas station); the church will be on your right.

Church in the Tetons Driggs City Center | Driggs, ID 83422 | 208-354-HOPE [4673] churchinthetetons.org school directory We gather for worship in the Driggs City Center at 9:15 on Sunday morn- ings, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of the month. On the fifth Sunday we go out as the hands and feet of Jesus to serve our neighbors however we may. We are a biblically grounded, Christ- TETON SCHOOL DISTRICT 401 centered, mission-focused community that exists to serve Teton Valley District Office: 208-228-5923 and the world to the glory of God. We are often described as authentic, tsd401.org relational, genuine, and honest. Nursery is available for infants and tod- Teton School District 401 strives to provide a safe and exceptional dlers two and under. Education is provided for kids three and over. learning environment, where career and college readiness are the academic cornerstones of a relevant and progressive education. Our daily student focus is having Respect, being Responsible, and Ready. LDS Driggs Idaho Stake [p. 25] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Teton Valley Wards Driggs I Roy Moulton 354-8211 11am Teton High School Driggs II Wade Treasure 354-8806 9am Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5924 Driggs III Mitch Blake 354-2379 1pm tsd401.org Tetonia I Brent Robson 456-2871 11am Tetonia II Jim Douglass 456-2362 9am As a four-year high school, THS strives to recognize the uniqueness Victor I Lynn Bagley 787-2211 11am of the individual in preparing the student for a lifetime of learning. Victor II Val Kunz 787-2026 1pm THS provides a safe and academically focused learning environment, Victor III Stan Marshall 787-3678 9am where students are challenged for career and college readiness.

Our Redeemer Church Basin High School American Legion Hall | Driggs, ID | 208-456-3060 Grades 9–12 | 208-228-5928 Pastor Steve Gilmore, M. Div. We are a church family that welcomes tsd401.org both valley visitors and residents. Every Sunday at 10am we trans- Basin High School is an alternative option for students who meet the form the American Legion Hall into a chapel for our service. A nurs- state criteria for enrollment. Students obtain credits through a state-ap- ery for small children is provided. We exist to love and help one proved independent-study format, with assistance from certified staff. another, and to show God to everyone we meet, as we explore our individual and collective relationships with Him. We are a traditional, non-denominational Protestant church. Teton Middle School Grades 6–8 | 208-228-5925 St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church tsd401.org Ski Hill Road | Alta, WY 83414 | 208-354-8960 Teton Middle School is dedicated to providing a quality education stfrancis.episcopalidaho.org through which students will grow in academic achievement, respect Sunday worship includes Sunday School for children at 10am. St. for themselves and others, self-discipline, integrity, honesty, and re- Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church welcomes worshippers of sponsibility. all walks of faith. In the shadow of the Tetons, this historic church offers an opportunity to experience God’s presence and join in fel- lowship, spiritual renewal, and service to others. [p. 28] Teton Elementary Schools Grades K–3 at Victor 208-228-5929 | Driggs 208-228-5927 | Tetonia 208-228-5930 | Rendezvous Upper Elementary grades 4–5 in Driggs 208-228-5926 tsd401.org The mission of the elementary schools of Teton School District 401 is to be integral in the partnership between school, home, and commu- nity in nurturing and encouraging all children to become productive citizens and lifelong learners.

70 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 the POWER of generosity

The Community Foundation of Teton Valley exists to “improve lives through the power of generosity” by supporting the nonprofit sector, maximizing the impact of the valley’s donors, promoting a culture of giving, and serving as a catalyst in addressing critical community needs.

ERICA TREMBLAY

In just 7 years, the Tin Cup Challenge has raised over $7 million benefiting the critical work of Teton Valley’s nonprofits.

196 5,000 5 Victims of domestic Hot meals served by Individuals who have violence served by the Seniors West of the received their GED with Family Safety Network. Tetons to Teton Valley help from the Hispanic senior citizens. Resource Center.

The number of people it takes to make a difference with the Foundation.

1ST LIGHT PHOTO

cftetonvalley.org | [email protected] | PO Box 1523 | 175 North Main StreetWINTER 2014/2015 | Driggs, IDmagazine 83422 71 exposure Ghosts of Winters Past ABANDONED STRUCTURES LIKE THESE PEPPER THE RURAL LANDSCAPE OF TETON VALLEY, HARKENING BACK TO A DAY WHEN WINTER WAS AN ISOLATING TIME OF YEAR.

72 magazine WINTER 2014/2015 We are Teton Valley

When you list your home with a Jackson Hole Sotheby’s agent, you’re getting the expertise of someone who lives right here - someone who knows Teton Valley, Idaho. In addition, you’re also harnessing the unparalleled power of Sotheby’s International Realty’s extensive network and global reach. If you haven’t yet experienced our innovative service, please allow us to show you how we are a different kind of brokerage.

888.354.8880 www.jhsir.com

Pictured property is offered for sale by Huntsman Springs Real Estate. ®,™ and SM are licensed trademarks to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty is Independently Owned and Operated. SUMMER 2014 magazine 5 2 magazine SUMMER 2014