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What’s Inside 12 WELCOME
18 Words From the Publisher
Words From the Editor
32 Visitor’s Guidepost
58
36 18 SALUTING 50 YEARS
52 44 OF JACKSON HOLE
MOUNTAIN RESORT
8 – Iconic Mountain Celebrates
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016 Golden Anniversary
– 1 965-1975:
McCollister’s Dream Realized
– 1975-1985:
Pole, Pedal, Paddle
– 1 985-1995:
A Turning Point
– 1995-2005:
Gates Wide Open
– 2005-2015:
Big Red Rules the Mountain
32 INSPIRE
Pup Power
Snowboard Pioneer
Making Turns and Smiles
Giving Back
Keeping Skiers Carving
Spotlight on Nonprofits
44 HIGHSTYLE
Jim Kercher
Hammer Family
Dave Miller
50 BASECAMP JACKSON
Shredding Babe Force Style
Big Mountain Riding
Powder 8 Revival
Recycling Mountain Style
Flying High at Snow King
Team Asbell
Team Player, Nick Krauss
Season for Exploration
BRED TO LOVE.
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S VA L I N N . C O M
3 0 7. 2 0 0 . 1 2 2 3
JACKSON, WY
®
What’s Inside 50 64 TETON VILLAGE
64
78 Born to Be Wild
The Wildest Mountain Alive
Caldera House
Breaking the Ice
Noble House
Mountain Dreaming
Life at the Top
Guns, Bombs, and Slides
78 MOUNTAINSTYLE LIVING
Sleep Slope-Side
Teaching Turns
Greening Jackson
88 HEALTHYSTYLE LIVING
Another Way to Après
A Surgeon with a Song
Cold-Pressed in the Tetons
Writing on the Wall
Ways to Wellness
DINE IN STYLE
98 Where Spice Meets Nice
Innovation and Collaboration
Crafted with Care
98 108 NIGHTLIFE & MUSIC
Melvin Brewery
When the Sun Goes Down
Canyon Kids
112 TETON VALLEY
Powder It Up
Sculptures Great and Small
For the Love of Film
Winter on the Western Side
Garage Grown Gear
118 JHSTYLE CATALOGUE
B outiques and Galleries
10 108
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
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Words from the Publisher]
circa 1978 It’s a Culture
If it were not for the visionaries and extreme On the Cover
athletes of the ’60s, we skiers (teenagers) of the
’70s would not still be living in these wonderful Capturing the spirit of classic vintage ski
mountain communities of Jackson Hole, Telluride, posters, cover artist Steven Beutler gives
Aspen, Crested Butte, and Steamboat (yes, I am a loving tribute to the 50 year anniversary
partial to the Rockies!), and still “trying” to ski of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Steven’s
anything and everything these mountains offer. modern approach, attention to detail, and an
obsession with vintage printmaking combine
In the late 1970s, my folks would drop me off before sunrise in the to showcase one of the greatest drop-ins of
middle of a field just off the highway between Boulder and Golden, all time. Peer over the edge of Corbet’s and
Colorado. The anticipation would mount as I heard the Winter Park feel the excitement of the West as Jackson
Ski Train coming up the tracks. Two hours and 30 tunnels later (and Hole takes you for a ride.
$18—the price of the train ride and your ski lift ticket for the day),
you were clicking into your Olin Mark IVs, donning your fanny pack Drop in to StevenBeutlerDesign.com to
(holding your PB&J and an orange), and strapping on your chest- purchase Steven’s limited edition ski prints
mounted Sony Walkman. And then you were off to conquer all the and gallery canvas wraps.
bumps and jumps you could muster in six hours.
Today, that same energy and anticipation for those first turns remains
ingrained in my blood. I can’t wait for our daughters to make it home
for the holidays to chase them around and witness their own style of
dancing with the mountain. “One more non-stop Thunder lap, don’t
you think? We can make it!” I can easily hear any one of them saying.
Personally, I can’t thank the pioneers enough who built these beau-
tiful playgrounds and gave us a ski culture unto itself. Thanks espe-
cially to Paul McCollister, Alex Morley, Gordon Graham, King Curtis,
and the Kemmerer family for making Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
the place it is today. Enjoy it, JHStyle.
–Jeff Bush
SARAH KERR
Dedicated to achieving your satisfaction.
associate broker
[email protected] | www.RealEstateJacksonHoleWY.com
Cell: 307.690.8605 | Work: 307.734.4821
Office: 307.739.1234 | Fax: 307.739.1249
RE/MAX ObsidianRealEstate, a member of the RE/MAX Global Network | www.facebook.com/JacksonHoleRealEstate | 110 E. Broadway, PO Box 1009 | Jackson, WY 83001
12
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Fine Cowboy,
Indian and National
Park Antiques
255 North G
PO Box 100
Jackson, WY
p. 307.739.1940
e. info@cayusew
www.cayusewa.c
255 North Glenwood
PO Box 1006
Jackson, WY 83001
p. 307.739.1940
e. [email protected]
www.cayusewa.com
Top: “Pow Wow Bound” 1937, Hernando Villa | Left: Arapaho Moccasins circa 1875
Center: Wooly Batwing Chaps, Charles Shipley, circa 1920 | Right: Vintage Navajo and Zuni Jewelry, circa 1920–40
Words from the Editor] ®
Saluting 50 Years Publisher
of Jackson Hole Jeffrey C. Bush
Mountain Resort
Creative Director
Skiing is a huge part of the Teton lifestyle, and we’re Kristal Rhodes
fortunate to have three excellent ski resorts right in
our own backyard. One of these incredible places Managing Editor
to ski, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, is celebrating its Kristen Pope
50th birthday this winter and we’re saluting this golden
anniversary in this issue of JHStyle. Advertising Design
Michelle McCormick
We celebrate the iconic resort and examine five decades of JHMR history in these
pages. We also look ahead and share the exciting improvements on tap for this sea- Advertising Sales
son, including the new Teton Lift which will open up additional terrain and trans- Debbie Bullington
form the way people approach the mountain on big powder days. Nanci Montgomery
We also explore the people who make this resort such an inspiring destination, Connie Tyler
from the ski instructors who teach eager new skiers how to “pizza” and “french fry”
down the slopes, to the avalanche dog teams and patrollers who keep everyone Illustration
safe, to the Tram mechanics and other workers who keep lifts spinning and people Steven Beutler
headed uphill to take more laps.
In these pages, you’ll learn the story of the Doug Coombs Foundation, an organiza- Management Consultant
tion that works to get local low-income families out on the slopes and also spend Mark Mullins
some time with the Jackson Hole Babe Force, a group of local ladies who act as an
inspiration both on and off the slopes. We even travel back in time with the Snow Copy Editors
Rangers, the first group of patrollers who worked to control avalanche hazards on Suzanne Cheavens
the mountain.
But this issue of JHStyle doesn’t just focus on JHMR. We also go beyond the slopes to Kelsey Dayton
share the stories of people who live and work nearby, from yoga practitioners ready Cindy Fusting
to help people unwind at the end of a long day, to restaurateurs eager to feed and
nourish hungry visitors. We delve into the world of a Jackson Hole Moose Hockey Contributing Writers
player who inspires kids as well as local families who share the winter sports they Sarah Baca, Jeannette Boner,
love. These are just a few of the people who make this community so remarkable. Jeff Buydos, Christine Colbert,
–Kristen Pope, editor Kelsey Dayton, Michelle DeLong,
14 J.T. Hayes, Morgan McGlashon,
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016 Tibby Plasse, Kristen Pope,
Brielle Schaeffer, Jeff Thompson,
Jennifer Walton
Contributing Photographers
David Agnello, David Bowers,
Jeff Buydos, Jeffrey Kaphan,
Carrie Patterson, Megan Peterson,
Jonathan Selkowitz, Scott Serfas
J.C. Bush Creative Media, LLC
P.O. Box 1985 • Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 699-5190
email: [email protected]
jhstylemagazine.com
Award-Winning Publisher
Certificates of Excellence
Western Publications Association Maggie Awards
Best Overall Visitor’s Guide
Best New Consumer Publication
Best Table of Contents
Jackson Hole & the Teton Lifestyle Image: shutterstock.com-Jay Petersen©
®
SUMMER/FALL 2014
The Art CERTIFICATE OF MERIT
of Jackson Hole Publication Printers Corporation
JHStyle Magazine
Printed by Publication Printers, Inc.
Copyright© 2015. No part of this publication may be
reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.
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JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Visitor’s Guidepost] Facts and Statistics IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM©-DEAN FIKAR
Image: shutterstock.com-Kris Wiktor©
Jackson Hole • T ime zone: ……..……..…….MST UTC-7 (Summer MDT UTC-6)
• Teton County seat: ……..……..……..……..……..……..…… Jackson
16 • L argest town in Teton County: ……..……..……..……..… Jackson
• Jackson’s 2010 year-round population: ……..……..…….9,577
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016 • Teton County’s 2010 year-round population: ……..…… 21,294
• Winter population increase: ……..……..……..……..……. +5,000
• Summer population increase: ……..……..……..……..… +52,000
• Zip codes: ……..……..……..…….. 83001, 83002, 83014, 83025
• Elevation in town of Jackson: ……..……..……..……..……. 6,237’
• Elevation in Jackson Hole Valley: ……..……..…… 6,069-6,779’
• Grand Teton’s height: ……..……..……..……..……..……. 13,775’
• Length of Jackson Hole Valley: ……..……..……..……..… 48 miles
• Width of Jackson Hole Valley: ……..……..……..…….8-15 miles
• Year Snow King Ski Area, Wyoming’s
first ski area, opened: ……..……..……..……..……..……..……1939
• Year Jackson Hole Mountain Resort opened: ……..……..1965
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort vertical drop: ……..…… 4,139’
• Year Yellowstone National Park established: ……..……..1872
• Year Grand Teton National Park established: ……..……..1929
• Annual visitation in Grand Teton: ……..……..……. 3-4 million
• Most valuable industry: ……..……..……..……..……..…… Tourism
• Percentage of Teton County publicly owned: ……..……..…97%
• Area of Bridger-Teton National Forest: ……. 3.4 million acres
• Number of feature films shot in Jackson Hole: ……..……. 15+
• Mammal species in Jackson Hole/Yellowstone: ……..…… 60+
• Bird species in Jackson Hole/Yellowstone: ……..……..…100+
• Active thermal features in Yellowstone: ……..……..…… 10,000
• Climate: ……..……..……. humid continental (almost subarctic)
Weather
Summer (July/Aug) Average High: 78 / Average Low: 40
Spring/Fall: Average High: 68 / Average Low: 30
Winter: Average 0-30
Record high: 97
Record low: -46
Useful Phone Numbers
Area code (307)
Emergency ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…… 911
Road Conditions ……..……..……..……..……..…… 1.888.WYO.ROAD
Central Reservations ……..……..……..……..……..……888.733.1093
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ……..……..……..……..… 733.2292
START Bus ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…… 733.4521
Hospital ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…….. 733.3636
Airport ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..… 733.7682
Jackson Police ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…… 733.1430
Teton County Sheriff ……..……..……..……..……..……..… 733.4052
Grand Targhee ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…… 353.2300
Snow King ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…… 733.5200
Grand Teton National Park ……..……..……..……..…….. 739.3300
Yellowstone National Park ……..……..……..……..……..… 344.7381
Bridger-Teton National Forest ……..……..……..……..… 739.5500
Jackson Chamber of Commerce ……..……..……..…….. 733.3316
Grand Teton Association ……..……..……..……..……..…… 739.3606
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50Years SALUTING
JACKSON HOLE Background Image: shutterstock.com-Kevin Cass©
MOUNTAIN RESORT
KEMMERER FAMILY’S DEDICATION
LEADS RESORT TO SUCCESS
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
IMAGES Jonathan Selkowitz and
Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is celebrating its golden anniversary this season—
and the ski area is bigger and better than ever. The resort is ready to unveil its
new chair, the Teton Lift, which rises 1,650 vertical feet to access 200 more acres
of in-bound, lift-serviced terrain. The mountain is also opening a new bistro-style
eatery at the top of the gondola.
18
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
[ [“We’ve been firing
on all cylinders.
We’re really looking at
the 50th anniversary
as a lot of years of hard
work and the
dedication of the
Kemmerer family
ownership.”
– Anna Cole
“We’ve been firing on all cylinders,” says Anna Cole, the
resort’s communications manager, “We’re really looking at
the 50th anniversary as a lot of years of hard work and the
dedication of the Kemmerer family ownership.”
The Kemmerer family, including siblings Jay, Connie, and
Betty, purchased the resort in 1992. For the past 28 years,
they’ve made reinvesting in the mountain a top priority,
spending $110 million on capital improvements. One of these
key expenditures was updating the iconic Jackson Hole Aerial
Tram in 2008. Thanks to these improvements and invest-
ments, the mountain is still independently owned and not
part of a larger corporation.
As a result of the Kemmerer family’s dedication, the resort
has experienced unprecedented growth, and the resort was
named the top ski resort in North America by SKI Magazine in
2014 and named best ski resort in the U.S.—for three years in
a row—by Forbes Magazine.
While exciting changes are ahead for the mountain, it took a
lot of time, effort, and dedication to make the resort what it is
today—one of the world’s best. Thank you to the Kemmerer
family and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort team. n
19
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
1965-1975[ [“Paul had 1965-1975
a dream of
creating a resort McCOLLISTER’S DREAM
in the U.S. REALIZED
that was similar
to what he VISIONARY CREATED RESORT
had seen and
skied on his WORDS Brielle Schaeffer | IMAGES Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
many trips to
Europe.” Jackson Hole Mountain Resort was the dream of Paul McCollister
– Bill Lewkowitz who wanted to build a European-style ski resort in the area more
than 50 years ago. After an illustrious career as a radio advertiser in
1964 California, McCollister spent a significant amount of time skiing in Europe
before moving to Teton County to become a rancher in the late 1950s.
Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort “Paul had a dream of creating a resort in the In 1963, McCollister formed the Jackson Hole
construction begins. U.S. that was similar to what he had seen and Ski Corporation along with Alex Morley, Gordon
skied on his many trips to Europe,” says Bill Graham, and King Curtis. He used his inspira-
1965 Lewkowitz, the resort’s business develop- tion from Europe as the vision of the resort—an
ment director. “He was looking for a moun- alpine village at the base of the mountain.
Apres Vous Mountain tain that had a variety of characteristics.” Construction of the resort began shortly
opens to the public. One criterion he had was a spot that had a thereafter with the lifts Teewinot and Apres
4,000-foot vertical drop, which not many U.S. Vous before the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram
1966 resorts had at that time. McCollister looked at opened in 1966. The Tram could take 52 peo-
both Static Peak in Grand Teton National Park ple to the 10,450-foot summit in 10 minutes.
The Jackson Hole and Cache Creek as potential sites for the ski “Paul had some ambition,” Baxter says. “I tip
Aerial Tram starts area before asking a consultant from Colo- my hat off to him to start a ski area with no
running, taking rado, Willy Schaeffler, for his opinion, accord- population base. It was a case of mathemat-
people to the top ing to longtime resort employee Harry Baxter. ics. Could you get enough skiers to pay for
of Rendezvous Schaeffler looked at Rendezvous Mountain your lifts?”
Mountain. and told them, “That’s the best mountain. If The resort hosted the 1967 Alpine Skiing
you don’t develop it, I will,” according to Bax- World Cup Finals—the Wild West Classic—
1966 ter. The decision to build the resort outside with a field that included the best European
of town upset people in Jackson at the time and American skiers, according to an October
Pepi Stiegler is named because they thought it would boost business. 1966 issue of Skiing Magazine. It was the
director of Jackson McCollister took his first run down Rendezvous inaugural World Cup season. “The Europeans
Hole Mountain with Barry Corbet in 1960. Corbet was the one will be unable to resist this one,” the maga-
Resort’s ski school. to identify what is now Corbet’s Couloir as a ski zine said. “The trophies will be spurs.”
run, although he was not the first to ski it. Jean-Claude Killy of France and Nancy Greene
1967 He bought acreage at the base of the moun- of Canada came out as champions, according
tain in what was known as Crystal Springs to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort web-
The resort hosts the Ranch to enable private development there, site. And Killy told Sports Illustrated at the
“Wild West Classic,” and he procured leases from the U.S. Forest time, “If there is a better ski mountain in the
the final international Service to build a ski resort on the public land. United States, I haven’t skied it.” n
race of the season.
1970
The first national
Powder 8
Championship takes
place at Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort.
1971
Bill Briggs becomes
the first person to
ski the Grand Teton
in Grand Teton
National Park.
20
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Pepi
Stiegler
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
IMAGE Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Born in Austria in 1937, Pepi
Stiegler began skiing when
he was just six years old, and
he started winning ski races
soon thereafter. He’s an Olympic
medalist, boasting a silver
medal in giant slalom from
the 1960 Games in Squaw
Valley, California, and he took
home both gold and bronze
medals at the 1964 Games in
Innsbruck, Austria.
After receiving a phone call from Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort founder Paul McCollister, he
became director of the resort’s ski school in
1965 and made the program among the best
in the nation. Stiegler retired from the resort
in 2002, after being inducted into the U.S.
National Ski Hall of Fame in 2001. n
21
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
[ [“I wanted 1975-1985
to come up
with an POLE, PEDAL, PADDLE
event where
everybody had a BAXTER CREATED
good time SPRING’S SIGNATURE COMPETITION
and where no
one could
remember
who won—
because what
difference does
it make?”
– Harry Baxter
1975-1985 1975
On March 9, Franz
Klammer won the
World Cup Downhill
Race, which was the
last World Cup race
to date that has been
held in Jackson Hole.
1975
Longtime JHMR
marketing director
Harry Baxter came
to Jackson Hole. He
created the first Pole,
Pedal, Paddle event
and was instrumental
in getting jet service
to the area.
1978
Melissa Malm
becomes the first
female ski patroller
at Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort.
1981
After the low snow
year of 1980-81,
the resort invests in
snowmaking.
22
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer Melissa
IMAGES Jonathan Selkowitz, Focus Productions and Malm
Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
IMAGE Courtesy Melissa Malm
As the ski area evolved, add-
ing hotels and restaurants Originally from New York,
in Teton Village, the moun- Melissa Malm has skied the
tain’s other offerings also increased. slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain
This included a variety of races and Resort since 1974, when she first
competitions that kept residents and started visiting on school breaks
visitors alike entertained. from the University of Utah. She
started working at the mountain
Harry Baxter, 86, was the brains behind the providing first aid in 1976 and
Pole, Pedal, Paddle race which combines then became the first female ski
Alpine and Nordic skiing, biking to the Snake patroller in 1978.
River, and then kayaking and canoeing to a
party at the finish line. “One of the ski patrollers got injured, so they
hired me to fill the spot,” she says. “The moun-
“I wanted to do something for the local peo- tain was completely different then. There
ple because we had the World Cup races and weren’t any Tram or chairlift lines and not as
all kinds of people who come in from the out- many people were getting hurt so we did a lot
side,” he says. “I wanted to come up with an of skiing and had a lot of fun.”
event where everybody had a good time and
where no one could remember who won— Malm is still on the mountain’s auxiliary ski
because what difference does it make?” patrol, and while not on the slopes, she also
works on her art and with students through the
Baxter, a Korean War veteran, came to Jack- valley nonprofit pARTners. n
son in 1974 after working as ski school direc-
tor at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. At JHMR, 23
he became the marketing director. In this
role, he had yet another reason to create the JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
event. “I wanted to create as much publicity
for the ski area as possible … to get the word
out about Jackson Hole,” he says.
While not a resort event—the race is a fund-
raiser for the Jackson Hole Ski Club—the
mountain plays a prime role in the course.
The race was one of the first multi-sport
events in the country, according to Rich Lee,
a resort ski instructor since 1976.
“The race was simpler back then, from the top
of the Tram to the bottom with a few gates and
a hand off to a biker [and then a] canoer or kay-
aker,” Lee says. “It got pretty famous with a lot
of people coming from Salt Lake City. It started
attracting nationally-ranked kayak racers.”
When Bill Lewkowitz, the resort’s business
development director, arrived in 1981, the
event had grown to be quite the bash with
some 1,000 participants. “It was a major end-
of-the-year event,” he says. “It was really a
celebration event for the end of the season.”
Over the years, the race evolved to what it
is today, including a “fun class” where racers
don silly costumes and floats in party barges
down the Snake River. This year’s race is
March 26, 2016. n
[ [“What was 1985-1995
the point in
advertising the NON-STOP AIRLINE
ski area in SERVICE CREATES A
New England?
How are you going TURNING POINT
to get here?”
ACCESSIBILITY BOOSTED TOWN AND RESORT
– Harry Baxter
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer | IMAGES Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
1985-1995 1986
American Airlines
begins non-stop
flights from Chicago
to Jackson.
1989
The resort installs
new cabins on the
Aerial Tram.
1992
Paul McCollister
sells Jackson Hole
Ski Corporation to
the Kemmerers, and
John Resor becomes
president of the
corporation.
1992
The Thunder Chair is
transformed from a
double to a quad.
1994
Olympic gold
medalist Tommy
Moe becomes the
Ambassador of
Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort.
1995
Jerry Blann
becomes president
of the resort.
24
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Harry Baxter was The first day Baxter and his wife Martha
instrumental in looked over the ski area they knew it had
helping get direct tremendous potential, but they worried
flights from major cities to the community didn’t have the popula-
Jackson in the 1980s, which tion to support it without better travel
was a turning point for the options to the mountain.
resort. The first flight from “What was the point in advertising the ski
Chicago to Jackson happened area in New England?” he says. “How are
in 1986. Before then, people you going to get here?”
could only get to Jackson via Baxter wrote a letter to the president of
regional flights from Denver Frontier Airlines to get jet service to the
or Salt Lake City. valley. He was also involved in getting
American Airlines and other carriers to fly
into the area. The flights made it more desir- Image: dollarphotoclub-Jay Petersen© Rick
able for people to come to Jackson because Armstrong
they could travel to the resort in one day.
Getting flights to the area “propelled WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
Jackson Hole into the future,” Bill IMAGE Jonathan Selkowitz
Lewkowitz, the resort’s business devel-
opment director, says. Now, there are In the 1990s, “Sick” Rick Armstrong
13 U.S. cities that have direct flights to was a young, renegade,
Jackson including San Francisco, Seattle, big-mountain skier pushing
Minneapolis, and Newark. boundaries at the resort. The
Another factor that contributed to the status Durango, Colorado, native spent
of the mountain was the opening of Sublette his days at Jackson Hole Mountain
Chair in the late 1980s. It was the first quad Resort jumping off big cliffs and
chair to be built at the resort, meaning it skiing past the closed boundaries
could take four people at a time per bench, with his ski partner Jason Tattersall.
and it brought people to terrain that had
previously only been accessible by the Tram. Armstrong is a big-mountain ski pioneer and
At the time, besides the Tram, the Thunder was an early member of the Jackson Hole Air
Chair was the highest on the mountain. Force, a group of clandestine skiers who would
Sublette Chair really opened up the moun- sneak out of bounds for untracked pow.
tain, according to Rich Lee, a resort ski
instructor since 1976. “It increased the vol- The group was instrumental in acting as an
ume of skiers on the southern part of the impetus for the resort to open up backcountry
mountain,” he says. gates in 2000. “Their influence on the global
New owners also helped realize the moun- skiing world was major,” he says of the Jackson
tain’s full potential. In 1992, the Kemmerer Hole Air Force. Now, Armstrong is an artist—
family bought the resort from McCollister he’s the owner and curator of RARE Gallery of
and continued to improve the area. Fine Art in Jackson. n
“They were a real lifesaver,” Lewkowitz
says. “They took it and were able to make it 25
to what we knew it could be. [McCollister]
had all the insight and vision but he never JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
had the financial backing to get it to where
it was going.”
The Kemmerers had the resources and will-
ingness to make improvements on and off
the mountain. The efforts paid off as Jack-
son Hole Mountain Resort has been repeat-
edly ranked one of the best in the world and
the top resort in the U.S. n
1995-2005 “Backcountry 1995-2005
[ [access opened up GATES WIDE OPEN
endless
opportunities.” BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS ALLOWS NEW ADVENTURES
– Rich Lee
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer | IMAGES Jonathan Selkowitz
1996
In the 1980s and 1990s, Jackson Hole was known as a
The U.S. Forest skier’s mountain—it was a place where skiers could
Service approves the test themselves and their limits. Opening up the
“Mountain Master backcountry gates at the resort in 2000 expanded on that
Plan,” which calls for even further, according to Bill Lewkowitz, the resort’s
7,690 skiers per day. business development director.
1996-1997
Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort
submits the Teton
Village Master Plan
to continue
development of
Teton Village.
1997
The Teewinot High-
Speed Quad opens.
1997-1998
The Bridger Gondola
opens, as well as the
37,000-square-foot
Bridger Center at
the base.
1998
Teton County
approves the Teton
Village Master Plan.
2000
Backcountry gates
open and allow
skiers to access
thousands of acres of
backcountry terrain
near the resort.
2000
The Moose Creek and
Union Pass chairlifts
are installed.
2004
A permanently closed
in-bounds area, “The
Crags,” opens to the
public and provides
200 additional acres
of expert terrain.
26
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Advancements in gear, like shaped out-of-bounds backcountry terrain full A.J.
and powder skis, also allowed people of cliffs, bowls, and chutes that skiers Cargill
to ski off-trail more easily and enjoy could access from the resort.
more challenging terrain. “More and “It opened up endless opportunities WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
more people were skiing all over the and it really was a person’s imagi- IMAGE Courtesy A.J. Cargill
mountain,” Lewkowitz says. “New nation of where they wanted to ski
equipment allowed them to ski in because there were no ropes,” Lee A.J. Cargill has an
places they never went before.” says. “It raised the bar a little bit, impressive mountain
Before the gates opened up per- which was not typical of a ski resort.” resume. She won the Freeskiing
manently, there was backcountry Improvements on the mountain in- World Tour in 1997 and was the
access at the resort during the spring bounds and advancements in grooming first woman to telemark ski the
when things were more stable out- technology also made the mountain Grand Teton in 2004.
of-bounds, according to Rich Lee, a more of a playground for intermediate
resort ski instructor since 1976. Oth- skiers. Those changes, in addition to the Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Sun
ers, like members of the clandestine backcountry option, made the moun- Valley, Idaho, Cargill was “the worst kid on the
Jackson Hole Air Force, would sneak tain a good place for varied abilities. ski team—literally,” Cargill laughs. “I’m a late
out-of-bounds to poach powder. bloomer.” But she blossomed on the slopes in
college and after. She moved to Jackson in 1995
“Opening up the backcountry was a In 1989, Laramie Bowl was not con- Image: dollarphotoclub-Joseph Gruber© to hone her big-mountain skills at the resort.
huge thing for people who wanted sidered intermediate, but when it
more adventure,” Lewkowitz says. “It started being groomed every day, She still spends lots of time on the mountain
made for some of the best backcoun- the difficult ski run became a reality as part of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s
try skiing in the U.S.” for intermediate skiers. The addition auxiliary ski patrol, where she helps get the
The resort and its ski patrol got of the Rendezvous Lodge and Bridger mountain ready for the season. “I enjoy being
together with Teton County Search Gondola in the winter of 1997-1998 a part of that crew and getting out and getting
and Rescue, as well as Grand Teton also expanded the mountain experi- my feet in the snow and seeing the conditions
National Park and the U.S. Forest Ser- ence with varied skiing and restaurants. prior to the public,” she says. Cargill also works
vice, to make the decision to open the Improvements like that really changed as a buyer for JHMR’s Teton Village Sports and
gates permanently. who was coming to the resort. As the Hoback Sports, and she owns the winter hat
The resort then offered 2,500 in-bound terrain became more manageable, company Halo Hardware.
acres, but this number soared to nearly more and more families started choos-
6,000 acres if you counted the rugged ing Jackson Hole as the destination for Her favorite part of the mountain? The Tram.
their ski vacations. n “The camaraderie and ownership that sur-
rounds that phenomenon of accessing the
terrain that’s available on that one amazing
lift—You can’t compare that with anywhere in
the U.S.,” she says. n
27
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
[ “The Tram [ 2005-2015
makes us who
we are” BIG RED RULES THE
MOUNTAIN
– Bill Lewkowitz
AERIAL TRAM UPDATED FOR NEW MILLENNIUM
20052005-2015
WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
The Sweetwater Lift IMAGES Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
is installed, which
links beginner terrain The Jackson Hole Aerial Tram got a
to low intermediate total remodel in 2008 when the
terrain. Kemmerer family decided to update the
40-year-old original.
2006
The new Tram, also known as “Big Red” or the “Red Heli,” is big-
The original Jackson ger and 20 percent faster than the first edition. The expanded
Hole Aerial Tram cars can take 100 people to the summit in nine minutes to
closes in order for shred 4,139 vertical feet. “It’s the longest Tram in North Amer-
a new Tram to be ica,” resort communications manager Anna Cole says.
erected. A study in 2005 revealed that major maintenance would be
necessary to keep the original Tram in operation and that’s
2008 when the Kemmerers decided to fund the new project.
“Swiss company Doppelmayr CTEC built the new steel Tram
The $32 million new towers, terminals, and mechanics in Switzerland,” the Jack-
Tram opens after two son Hole Mountain Resort website says. “In March 2008, the
years of construction. company shipped all these components via 50 sea contain-
ers to Houston, Texas, where they arrived via rail and road
2011 to Jackson Hole.”
While the price tag for the state-of-the-art Tram with
Teton County 360-degree views was substantial at $32 million, replacing
receives a grant from it with a gondola or chairlift was not an option, according to
the Wyoming Business Bill Lewkowitz, the resort’s business development director,
Council for biking who noted the Tram has important meaning.
and hiking trail “It’s an icon for the state, for Teton County, and for Jackson Hole
developments. Mountain Resort,” he says. “The Tram makes us who we are.”
Catching the first Tram or “first box,” at the mountain at
2011-2012 9 a.m. when the resort opens has become ingrained in ski
culture in Jackson. Enthusiastic skiers and boarders arise
The Marmot Chair before dawn to stand in line for the rite.
provides connectivity Author David Gonzales explains this ritual in his book Jackson
across the mountain. Hole: On a Grand Scale, saying, “Despite the patrol’s protests,
the eager occupants of the first box have been unleashed
2012 onto the mountain. They clatter down the metal stairs, throw
skis and snowboards onto the snow, and shove boots into
Construction bindings. A minute later, the mountain’s summit is silent
begins on the Casper again, save for the whirring of the Tram’s haul cable as the car
high-speed quad,
which reduces ride
time from 10 to 3.5
minutes.
2015-2016
Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort
celebrates its 50th
anniversary with the
new high-speed Teton
Lift that will take skiers
to terrain that before
was only accessible
by hiking. The resort
also will open a new
restaurant, the Piste
Mountain Bistro, at
the top of the Bridger
Gondola.
28
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
heads back down. From below, in Ren- Darrell
dezvous Bowl, come the whoops and Miller
howls of paradise found.”
Between 1995-2005, the resort also WORDS Brielle Schaeffer
replaced some of its chairlifts. Thunder IMAGE Courtesy Darrell Miller
Chair went from being a double, taking
skiers two at a time, to a quad, where Snowboarder Darrell Miller
four could share a chair up the mountain. started his film production
Teewinot got an upgrade in 1996 from a company, Storm Show Studios,
double to a high-speed quad, and in 1999 in 1999 after he and his friend Jeff
Apres Vous also became a high-speed Tibbitts saved $10,000 to buy the
quad. The Casper Chair was replaced in necessary video equipment. They
2012 and that change shortened the lift earned the cash by starting a
time from 10 minutes to 3.5. window cleaning company with
The updated Tram and lifts cemented the video goal in mind.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s place as
one of the best. In 2014, the mountain Over the years, Miller has created 15 ski films,
set a record of more than 563,000 skier such as Frosty Flakes and Action Jackson, on
days. And despite a below average snow the terrain at or near Jackson Hole Mountain
year in 2014-2015, that season ranks as Resort. Since 2011, he’s teamed up with fellow
the second best in resort history. snow-shredder Ryan Halverson in filming and
The new Teton Lift will be a big addi- editing his homegrown films.
tion to the mountain, with the capacity
to transport 2,000 skiers per hour to A typical winter day for Miller includes a 6 a.m.
ride 1,650 vertical feet. It’s set to open alarm, a quick check of the snow report, making
December 19. n sure all his video camera batteries are charged,
shooting texts to his crew, and then “getting
Image: dollarphotoclub-Flyin© jacked up on coffee and sending it.”
This born-and-bred Jackson boy spends 100 to
120 days on the slopes each winter to make his
films. “Success isn’t determined by money,”
Miller says. “I love being able to ride 100-plus
days per year and have something to show for it
at the end of the season.” n
29
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Calendar of Events]
Winter Happenings
IN THE TETONS
November December January February March April Images: Sargent Schutt, Courtesy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
and dollarphotoclub-aleksey_novikov©
27: TOWN SQUARE 5: TARGHEE TUNE-UP 22–31: TETON VALLEY 6–7: SKIJORING 19–20: MINI 9: CARDBOARD
LIGHTING NORDIC RACE GREAT SNOW FEST Watch the fourth HAHNENKAMM BOX DERBY
Watch Town Square This race launches On the weekends annual skijoring event TOWN DOWNHILL Grand Targhee hosts
light up with Grand Targhee’s Nordic of January 22–24 held by the Jackson RACE this 16th annual,
thousands of LED race season. and 29–31, enjoy Hole Shriners Club This Snow King spectator-friendly
lights wrapped around 13: FAT BIKE RACE winter fun at this to raise funds for the event draws 200 derby that features the
trees and the famous AND DEMOS fifth annual festival. Salt Lake City Shriners competitors and 500 results of tape, glue,
elk antler arches. Check out fat bike Enjoy snow sculpting, Hospital for Children. spectators a year. paint, cardboard, and
Meet Santa and enjoy races and demos at skijoring, snowcross 13–14: CUTTER RACES Categories include pro, ingenuity.
Christmas carols, Grand Targhee. races, activities, and The 45th annual Cutter recreation, telemark, 22-24: CRAZY HORSE
cookies, cocoa, and 31: TORCHLIGHT entertainment for the Races will be held junior, fat and baggy, SNOWMOBILE
coffee at this fun PARADES AND whole family. by the Jackson Hole and snowboard. HILLCLIMB AND
family event from FIREWORKS 29–FEBRUARY 15: Shriners Club to raise 26: KAREN OATEY BONUS SKIING
5 to 7 p.m. Events will be held at JACKSON HOLE funds for the Salt Lake POLE PEDAL PADDLE WEEKEND
Grand Targhee, Snow WINTERFEST City Shriners Hospital This classic rite of Head over to Grand
King, and Jackson Hole This sixth annual event for Children. spring features four Targhee to enjoy
Mountain Resort. highlights the best of 20: MOOSE CHASE legs: Alpine skiing, this third annual
winter with two weeks NORDIC MARATHON Nordic skiing, bicycling, hillclimb event and
of festivities, including This 23rd annual Nordic and boating. The event a bonus weekend
race events, skijoring, race at Trail Creek raises funds for the of skiing (conditions
and cutter races. Nordic Center features Jackson Hole Ski and permitting).
29–FEBRUARY 6: a 30K—that skis like Snowboard Club.
INTERNATIONAL a 50K—and shorter
PEDIGREE STAGE options for skate and 24-27: WORLD
STOP SLED DOG RACE classic skiers. CHAMPIONSHIP
Opening ceremonies SNOWMOBILE HILL
are held January 29 CLIMB
in Jackson, and the Watch racers from all
race wraps up in Uinta around the U.S. and
County, Wyoming, on Canada compete in
February 6 with an this Jackson Hole Snow
awards ceremony. Devils event where
competitors race their
machines up Snow
King’s Exhibition Run
for charity.
30
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
THE CENTER
Redefining exceptional SeRvice
307.732.0303
www.dianenodell.com
[email protected]
cell 307.690.0303
690 S Highway 89, Ste 200
Jackson, Wyoming
Licensed over 30 years
307.733.4900
265 CACHE STREET
JHCENTERFORTHEARTS.ORG
31
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Inspire]
GROVER CLEVELAND STELLA JOSIE CORNICE CRICKET
PUP POWER
DOGS HELP KEEP RIDERS SAFE AT JHMR
Every day, ski patrol members work the slopes at Jackson Hole Mountain
Resort to keep skiers and snowboarders safe. While most of these dedicated
employees wear black and red uniforms, five special members come to
work clad in fur, wagging their tails.
WORDS Kristen Pope
IMAGES David Bowers
and Courtesy Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort
32
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
the workers and that’s sort of an indication of the
dogs’ training and maturity,” Brindisi says.
[ [“We start training Sometimes this work also requires a little cre-
them in essence ativity maneuvering around the slopes. The dogs
to be good will often hop on a chairlift to head to the top of
canine citizens the mountain. “They all ride the chairlifts and we
from the day we put a handle on them with one of those vests,”
get them.” Brindisi says. “Sometimes they need a hand up,
but they’re generally quite comfortable.”
– Chris Brindisi Hopping a chairlift is fairly simple, but getting
downhill is a bit more complicated. Allowing
the dogs to run downhill every day would cause
a lot of strain on their shoulders, and powering
through deep snow can be rough on their hips.
“We’ll let our dogs run in places that are flatter
and on firmer surfaces but because we do want
them in service for so long, we try to exercise
them in ways that are more appropriate for joints
and serve well cardiovascularly,” Brindisi says.
The ski patrol dog program uses these Brindisi works with his five-year-old German Dog handlers often ski with the dogs on their
high-powered canines and their sniffers to shepherd, Josie Wales. He got her when she was shoulders for a short distance. But carrying a
search slide paths and recover people from just seven weeks old, and the pair began scent dog, such as 55-pound Josie Wales, on a patrol-
avalanches. Ski patrol dog program coordinator training right away. It can take two years before a ler’s shoulders can have its own challenges, such
Chris Brindisi notes that a dog can search an dog is fully trained to work with ski patrol. as being flat-out tiring and increasing the risk of
avalanche path far more quickly than a team of Handlers work with their pups on obedience and injury to both dog and human.
humans. “Using dogs is clearly the fastest way manners to prepare them for working around so This is why handlers will often transport dogs
to search a large area,” Brindisi says. “They can many people. around the mountain on sleds between two ski-
do the work of 10 people looking for an hour in “We start training them in essence to be good ing patrollers. “A sled is a lot safer and we’re a
roughly 10 minutes.” canine citizens from the day we get them,” lot more fresh when we get there,” Brindisi says.
Brindisi notes that this statistic applies to buried Brindisi says. “Being around the ski hill all the “That’s when the real work starts.”
skiers or boarders who are not wearing elec- time, you want people to like your dog. Good And their work often extends beyond the resort
tronic transceivers. “Most resort skiers don’t manners are a large part of that.” boundaries. Sometimes, patrollers and their pups
wear transceivers,” he says. “This is the main rea- The other dogs in the program include black will be called out to Grand Teton National Park,
son why we have K9 service.” lab Cricket, golden retriever Cornice, flat-coated Teton Pass, or other areas where avalanche slide
However, it’s up to the handlers to set the canines retriever Grover Cleveland, and Boykin spaniel paths cause concern that people may be trapped.
up for success. “It’s very much a teamwork situa- Sable, who is in training. No matter what’s going on elsewhere, the dog
tion,” Brindisi says. “Everyone thinks it’s all about Each dog generally works with their specific program always has at least two dogs at the
the dogs, but the handler’s job is to help the dog owner and handler, but they’re also prepared to resort. “If it’s a big, bad, hairy day, we need to
to succeed. That means putting them in the right work with any team member when necessary. have at least three or four dogs there so if we
place on the slope so they can be successful in “We strive for all of the dogs to work for any of need to send somebody out off-campus, we have
hastily searching as much of the slide path as our area covered,” Brindisi says. “It’s never an
they can as efficiently as possible.” option to let our guard down at the ski hill.” n
33
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Inspire]
From
Hometown
Skier to
Snowboard
Pioneer
RICE’S JACKSON HOLE ROOTS RUN DEEP
WORDS J.T. Hayes
IMAGE Scott Serfas
Jackson is known for breeding world-class athletes,
and snowboarder Travis Rice was bound to be one
of those athletes. He grew up with a ski patroller
father and lived just a few miles away from one
of the best ski resorts in the country. It’s not
surprising that this recipe turned him into one
of the most famous snowboarders in the world.
Rice was born right here in Jackson and grew up in a house his
parents built in the Aspens development in Wilson. Living just a
few miles away from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Rice was
on skis before he can remember.
As a kid, Rice would be on the mountain every chance he got,
roaming around with other ski patrollers’ kids, hanging out in
the ski huts, listening to the dispatch radio, and skiing all over
the mountain. “We had a little gang of kids that would whip
around the ski area every weekend and holiday,” he recalls.
Often, Rice and the other kids would help ski patrol do the
end-of-day mountain sweep. “That was always a fun one
because it was a really well-orchestrated event where dif-
ferent patrollers descend from different points and tra-
verse back and forth on the full mountain,” Rice
says. “It was this really coordinated move-
ment down the hill. I always remember
that being a cool moment.”
34
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
“I decided to throw caution to the wind BODY SAGE SPA
At the Rusty Parrot Lodge
[ [and just go out and try.”
– Travis Rice You overdo.
We undo.
Back then, in the ’90s, Rice had heard of snowboarding, but it hadn’t
quite become popular in Jackson Hole yet. It was on the mountain 307.733.4455
that Rice first witnessed the sport. rustyparrot.com/spa
“One thing I remember is that there was an old half-pipe at the bot-
tom of Apres Vous,” he says. “It wasn’t even a half-pipe, it was more 35
of a hand-built transition that the snowboarders carved. I always
remember that the snowboarders would hang out in the area and JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
ride this big transition. I just thought that it looked so fun.”
After watching others try the sport, one day Rice decided to give snow-
boarding a try. He hasn’t put on a pair of skis since. “I keep intending
to go skiing again, but every day I am just too excited to go snowboard-
ing,” he says. “The process of learning was extremely fun to me.”
Rice joined the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club as a snow-
boarder when he was 14. “There was definitely a cool little snow-
board team at that time,” he says. “We had a couple of great coaches
that were in Jackson.”
At 18, Rice made a decision that altered his life forever. He decided
to drive out to California’s Mammoth Mountain in order to attempt
to compete in Snowboard Magazine’s Superpark competition.
“I didn’t have an invitation, and it was actually Rich Goodman who kind
of talked me into going out there,” Rice says. “They said, ‘We will get
you in, don’t worry about that. Even if you have to sneak into the event,
just come out and barge it.’ I decided to throw caution to the wind and
just go out and try. Sometimes, when you are young, you have to sneak
into places where you aren’t necessarily supposed to be.”
After throwing a backside rodeo across an 117-foot gap jump at the
event, he was approached by Absinthe Films to appear in a snow-
board movie.
And the rewards for his feat didn’t end there. The event that Rice
wasn’t even supposed to be at launched his professional career and
he soon earned awards and starred in numerous films. He was even
named one of the most influential snowboarders of the last 20 years
by Snowboard Magazine.
Today, Rice still calls Jackson his home base. He spends his time work-
ing on films, creating his own snowboarding competition, and found-
ing and co-owning the local art gallery Asymbol. He’s also collaborated
with Wyoming Whiskey and helped the Wyoming Tourism Board.
This year, he’s looking forward to hitting JHMR’s slopes to celebrate
its 50th anniversary season, and he’s particularly excited about the
new Teton Lift and the terrain the lift will make easily accessible. “I
think the opening of this new lift is really going to change the flow
of the local powder attack that goes down every morning that it
snows more than eight inches,” Rice says. “I have been planning for
this season for 32 years now.” n
Inspire]
Making Turns and Smiles
DOUG COOMBS FOUNDATION GETS KIDS OUTSIDE
WORDS Kristen Pope | IMAGES Courtesy Emily Coombs
Jackson offers some of the best skiing, snowboarding, and outdoor recreation opportunities in the world, but
a lot of local, low-income kids weren’t getting out and experiencing those things. Emily Coombs noticed this
and made it her mission to reverse that trend by creating the Doug Coombs Foundation.
Her late husband, Doug Coombs, was a legendary ly’s income, and almost all participants are eligi- The program is a true community effort, with
ski mountaineer who passed away in the French ble for free or reduced price school lunch. local ski resorts, brands, retailers, guiding compa-
Alps in 2006 while attempting to rescue his skiing But the foundation doesn’t just get kids out- nies, and other businesses all pitching in to help
partner. Emily Coombs created the foundation, doors—it also encourages their parents to learn get the kids outside. Exum Mountain Guides,
in part, to honor his memory. “He was all about how to ski and participate in outdoor sports so the Wilderness Ventures, and The Hirschfield Cen-
instilling the spirit of adventure and the belief whole family can enjoy these activities together. ter have all donated lessons or camps to partic-
anything was possible,” she says. They’ve taught 25 parents to ski and enjoy other ipants. Many community members and outdoor
Now, thanks to the foundation, many local kids are outdoor activities, including going into Grand lovers throughout the country often pitch in a
able to experience the joy of outdoor recreation Teton National Park. “It creates a ripple effect to few dollars when they can in order to help low-in-
and sports. Coombs started with just seven kids ‘Let’s go outside this weekend’ rather than going come Jackson-area youth have opportunities to
in the program over the winter of 2012-2013, and to the mall in Idaho Falls,” Coombs says. experience the wonders in their backyard.
she paid for the initial costs out of her own pocket. When the snow melts, the foundation still works And the results are rewarding. Coombs refers
Soon, many donors and volunteers offered to to keep kids outdoors. “The effort is to keep to two local program participants who typi-
help with the cause, and the following winter 75 them active, integrated, and engaged,” Coombs cally spent their school vacations in their fam-
young people participated. Last year, over 133 says. Over the summer, kids can participate in a ily’s basement apartment before they became
low-income Jackson kids were able to get out on number of activities including soccer, lacrosse, involved with the program. Last summer, the kids
the slopes, and the program is also reaching out rock climbing, and one student was even able to joined a hike to Phelps Overlook in Grand Teton
to children on the Wind River Reservation. Kids attend a pony camp thanks to a generous com- National Park. “They were so interested in every-
are eligible for the program based on their fami- munity member’s donation. thing,” Coombs recalls. “They were infatuated by
things we take for granted.” n
36
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
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proGram features:
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tetonhospital.org/joints
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Inspire]
Giving [ [“This is home.
Back My roots are deep here.
I really have no interest in
FORMER OLYMPIAN living anywhere else.”
KARNS HELPS YOUNG
BIATHLETES SUCCEED – Pete Karns
WORDS J.T. Hayes
IMAGES Megan Peterson and Courtesy Pete Karns
Pete Karns is a staple of the
community, and his family
roots run deep here. You’ve
likely noticed “Karns Avenue”
and “Karns Meadow” around
town, showing just how fully
his family’s heritage is instilled in
this valley.
He is also credited with bringing a new sport to
the community: biathlon. Karns competed in
this skiing and shooting contest in two World
Championships and one Olympics, and he’s
gone on to coach several others to compete in
the Olympics as well.
When he was born in Jackson Hole, he was the The Jackson Hole High School ski team in those in four events for their ski team. He did well in
third generation of his family in the area—his days included five events—downhill, slalom, giant downhill, jumping, cross-country, and slalom,
grandfather was an original homesteader. slalom, jumping, and cross-country—and Karns and he was a champion at a four-way combined
“In the early days, skiing was a big part of the competed in all five. event called Skimeister. During three of his col-
school program,” he says. “After school and After excelling at skiing in high school, Karns lege years, the team placed second, third, and
weekends were just totally taken up by skiing in attended the University of Utah and competed fourth in the NCAA championships, and Karns was
the winter time.” named All-American for two of those years.
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JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Following college, Karns went into the army
for two years and was stationed in Anchor-
age, Alaska, a city with a biathlon training
center. He switched from skiing to biath-
lon and began a rigorous training regimen.
“I was always best at cross-county,” Karns
says. “I grew up here being a hunter with
good shooting skills and good skiing skills,
so it was easy to put the two together.”
Karns went on to become the national
champion in biathlon in 1970 and 1972, and
he competed in the World Championships
in 1969 and 1970.
In 1972, he competed in the Winter Olympics
in Sapporo, Japan, where he set two records
for Americans. He placed 14th in the individ-
ual 20-kilometer event, which no American
had done before, and his relay team placed
sixth, which was—and still is—the highest an
American biathlon team has ever placed in
the Olympics.
After the 1972 Olympics, Karns retired from
competing in the sport of biathlon, but that
was hardly the end of his Olympic career.
He went on to coach for the U.S. Biathlon
team for four years, coaching the World
Championship team for three years, and
returning to the Olympics as a coach at the
1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid,
New York, Karns was the chief of timing for
the biathlon races, and in the 2002 Winter
Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, he was the
chief of forerunners for the biathlon events.
Most recently, he attended the 2010 Win-
ter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, and the
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, as
a spectator.
During his time competing and as an Olympic
coach, he still managed to find time to give
back to the Jackson community. “I was the
coach of the Jackson Hole High School Nordic
team for several years and, while I was doing
that, I introduced some of the high school kids
to biathlon and they did quite well,” he says.
In fact, several of the kids he coached went on
to compete in the Olympics and Biathlon World
Championships. Local Jackson biathlete Martin
Hagen competed in three Olympics and Rusty
Scott was on two World Championship teams,
just to name a couple. The first time the U.S.
had a junior championship in biathlon, kids
from Jackson won first, second, and third place.
In 2013, Karns was inducted into the first
class of the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard
Club Hall of Fame. He loves this community
where he is rooted. “This is home,” he says.
“My roots are deep here. I really have no
interest in living anywhere else.” n
39
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Inspire]
Keeping Skiers Carving
SEGO SKI CO. OUTFITS LOCAL ATHLETES
F WORDS Morgan McGlashon | IMAGE Jonathan Selkowitz
or a mountain culture hot spot that’s one of the world’s top ski destinations, it’s surprising so few outdoor com-
panies are actually based in the Tetons. With a plethora of athletes drooling over gear, an endless supply of
social media gurus, and countless industry experts, there is arguably no better place to start a ski company.
But just over a year ago, Sego Ski Co. seized the Meanwhile, Tim’s brother, Peter, was living the they were on the right path, the brothers real-
opportunity to open up shop in the heart of the ultimate ski bum life, shredding powder and ized Portland was not the ideal location for a ski
Tetons. Their factory is located in downtown Vic- tearing up the Wasatch scene in Alta, Utah. But company and they wanted to take the next step
tor, Idaho, and their athletes are primarily Teton- Peter also realized that working at a mid-moun- to grow their business. They soon sold Deviation
based. The entire staff also resides within spitting tain ski shop and busing tables at a hotel restau- and began searching for a new location to grow
distance of the shop, including co-owners and rant wasn’t a long-term solution to living in the their artisanal ski company.
brothers Tim and Peter Wells. mountains. So Peter called up his brother and Teton Valley was the perfect place. The proximity to
together they decided to start a ski company. the mountains, the high potential for sunrise laps
Both the Wells brothers grew up ripping around “We both wanted a sustainable lifestyle in the on Teton Pass, and the incredible community allow
upstate New York in the Adirondacks, but they spent mountains and a ski company combined both of the Wells brothers and the rest of the Sego team
the last decade taking a winding path to Teton Valley. our backgrounds—mine in business and his in to craft skis and put them to use on the same day.
the design and product side of things,” says Tim. Sego skis are sure to be seen everywhere this
CEO and founding brother Tim Wells graduated Tim wrote the business plan and came up with winter, from local roof racks and slopes, to Lynsey
from Cornell University and moved to Baltimore some cash and, before they knew it, the Wells Dyer’s GoPro ad. Interested skiers can even stop
to work as a financial analyst. Eventually, he took brothers had a team and small-scale ski company by their factory for a tour this winter to see the
a job as the director of finance for a large-scale in Portland, Oregon, called Deviation. Though ski shop action firsthand. n
real estate company in Baltimore until Tim real-
ized that he’d rather do something different.
40
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
LUXURY PROPERTIES JACKSON HOLE
Vacation Rental • Caretaking • Lifestyle Concierge
LUXURYPROPERTIESJH.COM
307.200.2121
Quality Medical Care
Away From Home
Immediate medical attention for injuries and illnesses
Extended hours 7 days a week
Walk-ins welcome
On-site x-ray and lab
Hours: Mon - Fri: 9 am - 7 pm; Sat - Sun: 10 am - 4 pm
1415 S Highway 89, in the Smith’s Food Center Plaza, Jackson, WY
307 739 8999
41
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Inspire]
Spotlight Senior Center of
on Nonprofits Jackson Hole
In each issue of JHStyle we highlight several Serving seniors since 1979,
organizations that work to make this community the Senior Center of Jackson
a better place. Hole offers a variety of ser-
vices to help local residents
aged 60 or older. They provide lunch service and Meals on Wheels, as well
as a wide array of activities including yoga, Pilates, card groups, outings,
presentations, and more. Seniors can use their transportation service to
get around town to medical appointments and run errands. In-home care
services also help people find the care they need with certified nursing
assistants and housekeepers to help with daily needs. SeniorCenterJH.org
Dog Is My CoPilot Wyoming Stargazing
Saving pets is the mission of this local nonprofit which rescues abandoned Gaze into a telescope and learn all about the wonders of the night sky
dogs and cats and flies them to their “furever” homes in a single-engine with one of Wyoming Stargazing’s educational programs. The organiza-
Cessna. The organization works with a variety of nonprofit animal rescue tion offers free public stargazing programs (scheduled for every other Fri-
organizations in order to coordinate flights in their 11-state service area. They day night this winter) that allow people to use a 20-inch telescope to see
work to reduce the number of animals killed in shelters and transport animals the craters of the Moon, planetary features, star clusters, nebulae, galax-
to areas where they have waiting homes or are more likely to be adopted. ies, and other fascinating features of space. They also offer planetarium
On each flight, they transport as many animals as possible to lower costs programs, private stargazing programs, and are hard at work designing an
and increase efficiency. An average flight includes 40 animals, but they often observatory and planetarium for the top of Snow King which will feature
transport more, including one flight with 84 cats and kittens. DogCoPilot.org a one-meter telescope. WyomingStargazing.org
Teton Free Clinic
Every Tuesday evening, low-income, uninsured, and medically under-
served people who live or work in the Jackson Hole area can find the
primary medical care they need at the walk-in Teton Free Clinic. Since
opening in 2003, the clinic treats up to 30 patients a week using the help
of nearly two dozen medical and non-medical volunteers. Patients need
to prove eligibility with specific documentation at their first visit, and the
clinic provides eligible patients with adult and pediatric primary health
care services, lab work, radiology services, prescriptions, and referrals to
other community resources. TetonFreeClinic.org
IMAGES Courtesy photos and Stargazing by Mike Cavaroc
42
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Free. Family. Fun.
Join us for “YearFive 2016”
JacksonHoleLiveMusic.com
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a creative design studio
307 690 9124 LILYPADCREATIVE.COM 125 E. PEARL, JACKSON, WY
branding marketing messaging
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Showroom at Fish Creek Center in Wilson
By appointment: 307.734.8744
www.StoneWorksofJacksonHole.com
43
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
[HighStyle
Coming Home
JIM KERCHER RETURNS TO JHMR
WORDS Kristen Pope | IMAGE Jonathan Selkowitz
Coming back to Jackson was coming home for Jim Kercher, who had longed to return to the valley
since his previous stint as Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s ski school director in the mid-’90s. Kercher
is once again the ski school’s director, filling the role after Brian Maguire left the position at the end
of the 2014-2015 season.
“We’re so happy to be back here,” Kercher says. area. He spent every spare moment skiing in the
“It’s wonderful. It has a great feel, people are so Sierras. When he was in high school, he worked
friendly, and the natural beauty is unsurpassed.” as an instructor at the resort that is now called
While he was away for nearly two decades, upon Homewood Mountain Resort.
his return Kercher quickly noticed that much of He was drafted into military service, but when
JHMR’s character has remained the same. “It’s he returned home, he found his way back to the
really retained the genuine Western feel,” he says. mountains, teaching skiing at Alpine Meadows,
Squaw Valley, and Mammoth Mountain, where
However, the school itself has grown tremen- he worked as ski school director. He also worked
dously—Kercher says it’s grown nearly 10-fold at Colorado’s Breckenridge Ski Resort and, most
since the mid-’90s. The Mountain Sports School recently, as director at Beaver Creek. Kercher
now employs hundreds of instructors—a sharp even worked internationally for a time, traveling
contrast to the earlier years. “It was pretty quiet to the mountains of eastern China and reviewing
here back then,” he recalls. “There instructor certification programs in the area.
weren’t so many people here tak- From time to time, he still likes to get out on
[ [“We’re so happy to be back here. ing lessons.” the slopes and instruct eager students. “I teach
It’s wonderful. It has a great feel, He appreciates the reputation the every year, often when it’s busy, for at least a lit-
people are so friendly, and the natural school has developed ever since its tle bit,” he says. “It’s my real passion, teaching
inception in the ’60s. “The reputa- and training instructors, and being part of that
tion of this school is wonderful,” he product. Seeing families come in and grow up
beauty is unsurpassed.” says. “It offers unique programs not and come back with their kids is one of more
rewarding facets of job.”
– Jim Kercher offered anywhere else. It started He especially enjoys watching people meet and
with [JHMR’s first ski school direc- exceed their goals. “What’s enjoyable is the way
tor] Pepi Stiegler and continued people accomplish a task, situation, or condi-
on with Brian Maguire. The guides tion and get really excited,” he says. “They’re
in the mountain guide program here are spec- really in the moment, taking in the beauty of the
tacular. You don’t get that kind of big mountain accomplishment or overcoming the fear. It’s most
experience in the U.S. Jackson is a very different rewarding when a family comes in and there’s a
mountain than anywhere else in the U.S.” breakthrough, and their child is super excited and
the parents are beaming with pride.” n
And he knows a lot about U.S. ski resorts. Mov-
ing to Northern California as a teenager, Kercher’s
fascination with skiing started in the Lake Tahoe
45
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
HighStyle]
Slope-Side
Family Fun
HAMMERS CONTINUE
SKIING LEGACY
WORDS Kelsey Dayton
IMAGE Jonathan Selkowitz
Hadley Hammer didn’t
just have to finish her
race in Andorra last
winter—she had to win to stay
on the Freeride World Tour.
As the pressure mounted, she
turned to her brother, Michael
Hammer. He’d worked with
her on technique, but on that
day what she needed was
someone to calm her down
and remind her that whatever
happened, it wasn’t the end of
her ski career.
That’s the thing about being a Hammer. If you
ever need skiing or racing advice, all you have
to do is turn to your family.
Hadley, 29, is a North Face-sponsored skier. All three of their kids learned to ski on the rope tow While Max kept skiing, Hadley took time off to
Her older brother Michael, 31, coaches ski- at Snow King when they were only two years old. But focus on other sports, attend college, and work in
ing in Jackson. Their younger brother, Max, they all had different styles and levels of interest in Washington, D.C. When she returned to Jackson
was an accomplished racer and now skis for the sport. Max would aim for an object he thought six years ago, she set her sights on racing. But she
Teton Gravity Research films. Their mother, would stop him, point his skis, and go. Hadley became had a huge learning curve ahead of her, and Mike
Francesca, is a skier and USSA-certified Alpine interested in other sports, like figure skating, Nor- warned her there might be a gap between her
Official who was the Jackson Hole Ski and dic skiing, and volleyball, while Michael first played ambitions and skill set. For the first two years, she
Snowboard Club’s (JHSC) race secretary for hockey and then turned to snowboarding. worked on technique and relearning how to ski.
14 years. And their father, Mike, is the interim
director of the JHSC.
Mike grew up skiing even though he lived in
Southern California. His mother was a skier
and she taught her kids how to ski and shut-
tled them to races far from home. “Skiing was
a family adventure,” Mike says.
Mike raced through his college years, and he But the sport taught all three kids important les- While Hadley didn’t have the years of racing expe-
arrived in Jackson in 1980 as a partner and sons in self-discipline, goal-setting, and how to rience—she’d stopped in middle school—she had
developer for Spring Creek. Within a few deal with disappointment. But mostly it was about a different advantage: a family of seasoned com-
years, he joined the JHSC board. having fun as a family. petitors and coaches.
46
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
[ [“Skiing was a family adventure.”
– Mike Hammer
The Hammer family is close and Hadley frequently be because Max received so much free gear that Her time on the tour was over, but she’s not done
traveled to watch Max race when they were grow- Michael could use. “He’s the most understated skiing. This winter she hopes to travel for ski
ing up. Her family came to many of her competi- athlete of all the family,” she says. “He came back shoots and sponsored expeditions, but she’s also
tions and offered advice on technique and lines. to skiing and was just an amazing skier.” excited for more time in Jackson.
Max recently became an Exum Mountain Guide. “It’s an incredible coaching team to have in your “There’s such good skiing here,” she says. “It
He’s the perfect guide since he’s patient and one corner and hit up for free advice,” she says. would be nice to get some time to play around.”
of those people who simply wants to get others And, even more importantly, to help pick you up And she’ll be sure to get in a few laps with her
outside and stoked about the mountains, accord- when the day doesn’t go as you’d hoped. family. n
ing to Hadley.
Michael also recently returned to skiing after Hadley crashed into a tree on her run in Andorra
years of snowboarding. Hadley thinks this might and found herself hanging upside down by a cliff.
47
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
HighStyle]
Man of the Mountains
MILLER KEEPS GUIDES AND CLIENTS SAFE
WORDS Kelsey Dayton | IMAGE Jonathan Selkowitz
Sometimes all it takes is a single decision to totally change your life. For Dave Miller, that decision
was picking up a hitchhiker when he was 22 years old and driving through California.
The hitchhiker told Miller that Aspen, Colorado, way to stay out on the mountain, and back then
was the best place in the world. A month later, we really didn’t have that many clients,” he says.
Miller moved to the town where he’d meet his
future wife, Sally Yocum, and learn to ski—a pas- A wind sock hung in the window of a building near
sion that would take him to Jackson where he the Tram alerted guides if there was a client. If there
would make his home. was no windsock in the window they took another
Tram run. They skied a lot of Tram runs. During most
[ [“It was something I always knew: Miller, now 58, grew up in Kansas, of the 1980s, the guide business was slow and the
I needed to go to the mountains.” but he was always drawn to the guides were poor, working odd jobs all summer try-
mountains. “It was something I ing to make enough money to survive the winter.
always knew: I needed to go to the
mountains,” he says. In 1993, Miller helped Doug Coombs establish
– Dave Miller Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, and he even took the first
He became an avid backpacker when the sport run with him in Alaska, but guiding at Jackson
became the newest craze in the 1970s, and he Hole Mountain Resort remained his winter job.
spent time exploring Colorado, Washington, Ore-
gon, and the Tetons. When he arrived in Aspen it Miller still has a painting business he started years
was natural he learned to ski since that was yet ago, and he’s hired his share of “ski bums.” He also
another way for him to explore the mountains. works in real estate when the market is busy. He water
skis and bikes—he’s finished the grueling LOTOJA race
He spent 100 days that season learning to ski, and (which covers over 200 miles from Logan, Utah, to
then he moved to Jackson. A trained welder, he Teton Village) 17 times, and he most recently placed
worked in his trade until ski season neared. Then, sixth in the pro division. But each winter he returns to
much to the shock of his boss, he quit to wash guiding at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
dishes at the Alpenhof so he could spend his days
on the mountain. Today, he supervises about 20 guides, assisting
trips in areas like Cody Peak and running morn-
He became friends with a group of skiers that ing guide meetings to go over avalanche hazards.
called themselves the Jackson Hole Air Force, and “The guides I have are world-class so it gets really
within four years, he’d skied everything on the technical,” he says.
mountain and explored the backcountry.
And while there is no longer a windsock involved,
When legendary Jackson skier Howard Henderson Miller still spends most of his time taking Tram laps,
started Teton Video, he hired Miller along with an ready to assist wherever he’s needed. “It’s a ridicu-
assortment of people—like Doug Coombs—whose lous amount of vertical I do every day,” he says. Once
names would become tied to Jackson skiing lore. he got in 19 Tram laps—real laps with no groomers—
but he wrecked and his partner nabbed 20.
“We’d just all go out and charge around and it was
a blast,” Miller says. Being on the mountain just never gets old. “I
love any of the classics—Corbet’s [Couloir] on a
Thirty years ago, Miller started working as a ski good day is amazing,” he says. “It’s hard to beat
guide at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It was a Hoback [run]. And now that the backcountry is
almost like an in-bounds service, but if the condi- open we try to get fresh tracks in every drainage.”
tions were right, Miller and the three other guides
took people to Granite Canyon and other easily And what about that hitchhiker who changed
accessible backcountry terrain. “For me it was a Miller’s life? He never saw him again. n
48
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
Basecamp Jackson]
Shredding
StyleBabe Force
LOCAL GROUP INSPIRES FEMALE SKIERS AND
PROVIDES WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL
AGES AND ABILITIES
WORDS Morgan McGlashon
IMAGES David Bowers
Do you ever wonder about the blur of pink flying
past you in the Mushroom Chutes at Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort? Or do you ponder where the pack
of skiers with ponytails and tutus carving mellow turns
mid-mountain came from? Quite likely you just saw the
Jackson Hole Babe Force.
The name implies a spin-off of the secret For Smith and other valley women and
society boys club called the Jackson girls, the Babe Force provides not only
Hole Air Force, but it would be a mis- a supportive community but also an
take to compare the two. Although the incredible group of mentors and role
Babe Force is comprised of an incredible models. “The women I look up to are
amount of female talent, it’s far from a these incredible skier ladies who rip sick
secret society. lines just like the dudes,” Smith says.
The group was co-founded by Freeskiing As a way to get more ladies out pushing
World Tour Champion Crystal Wright and their skiing, the nonprofit hosts a number
her friend Sarah Felton. With the motto of events each year including an annual
“Strong, sexy, and soulful,” the group GALentines Day Ski Day, an International
encourages women and girls of all ages Women’s Ski Day, and on-mountain scav-
and abilities to push themselves both on enger hunts. They even added a summer
and off the mountain. event to the roster in 2015, hiking to
Delta Lake in Grand Teton National Park.
The group even has a website and a “We have goals that are similar to other
board of directors. Among the board of female-oriented outdoor organizations,
directors is Elsa Smith, the youngest Babe to empower girls and get them excited to
Force “patch holder” at just 17 years old, do things,” Wright says. “We also want to
who holds the title “Teen Captain.” create a close-knit community of women
who want to empower other women.”
“I was 15 when I became a part of the Wright emphasizes that skiing abil-
Babe Force and it has really guided ity doesn’t matter and every woman
me and helped shape the person I am is welcome to come out and join the
becoming and the path I am on,” Smith lady posse. “The JHBF reaches all ages
says. “Being a teenage girl stepping into of women and all abilities,” Wright
this male-dominated sport, the Babe explains. “It is not just about being the
Force has helped build my confidence best skier on the mountain.”
and made me realize that I actually stand
a chance in this industry.”
50
JHStyleMagazine.com | Winter/Spring 2015-2016
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