03/06/10

TV Series in Jackson Hole?

Rumors of a television series slated for filming in Jackson Hole first surfaced late last year. Looks like it's not going to happen just yet, but maybe sometime soon--according to this brief AP piece posted at BusinessWeek.com yesterday: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9E8J9900.htm

Young ski bums, stand ready to audition.

Posted at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/28/10

Remembering Wray Landon

I attended the memorial service for Wray Landon in Idaho Falls yesterday.  It was a wonderful celebration of Wray and his life, with remarkable remembrances provided by Wray’s uncle, and friends Matt Lucia, Zahan Billimoria, and Brady Johnston.  

Not long before my geographer great-uncle passed away several years ago, he had written, "It is said that when a young man dies in the Andaman Islands, his peers go to the top of a nearby hill and shoot arrows of protest into the sky.”  The death of Wray Landon truly does make one want to shoot arrows into the sky.  The world needs more people like Wray, not fewer— in the words of Jim Schulz on the "Friends of Big Wray" Facebook page.

Wray left a hole in many...

Posted at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/26/10

Striking Gold

I love taking road trips, and we're often lucky at these unplanned mini-vacations. Last weekend, after spending Saturday at the American Dog Derby in Ashton and overnighting in Bozeman, we drove to Virginia City, Montana. My husband Peter fondly remembered driving through there with his family decades ago and wanted to show it to me.

What a find! Virginia City, a mining town to rival “No Name City” of Paint Your Wagon fame, must have been quite the place when it served as territorial capital of Montana. Now, it’s a National Historic Landmark. A couple dozen original structures remain on the main street (now State Highway 87), with the history of nearly every building outlined on a bronze plaque.

We learned a lot in a short time...

Posted at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/10/10

Talking Pictures Coming to Victor

Attention west-slopers: I received an email this morning from my (former beer-making) buddy Charlie Otto, who said Pierre's Playhouse, long the venue for hiss-and-boo melodramas during the summers, is going to start screening movies. "Now is a great time to show the Egbert family how excited you are about Victor's own movie theater!" he raved. "Pierre's will open this Thursday showing Sherlock Holmes."

Charlie added that the flick is scheduled to show on Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 6 and 9 p.m., and Saturday at 2, 6, and 9 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $5.00 for children and seniors; you can call 208-787-SHOW for more information.

It's been quite a few years since a person could watch a movie in...

Posted at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/05/10

Let It Snow!

Now that the Snow Gods have started to bless the Tetons, it’s nice to see a lot more smiles around town.  Clearly, there are a lot of folks around here whose home element is snow.

If you decide you need an activity or two away from the ski hill, though, here are my suggestions:

Ralph Mossman and Mary Mullaney, the excellent artists of Heron Glass in Driggs, are offering glass blowing classes this winter and spring. Beginner classes are offered on February 20 and 21, though they have reportedly filled up quickly. If you have a little experience with glass and want to improve your skills under the tutelage of the pros, there will be a five-day class in late...

Posted at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/17/10

A Classic at Teton Ridge

The annual Teton Ridge Classic took place yesterday, January 16, at the Teton Ridge Ranch northeast of Driggs. Though it was the lowest snowpack in the seven-year history of the race, the course was groomed to near perfection. The event has grown to become the preeminent classic-technique (as opposed to freestyle, or skating) Nordic race in the Intermountain region. Let's only hope it can continue in the future, as the Teton Ridge Ranch--formerly open as a guest ranch--and its terrific Nordic trails are generally closed to the public as of this winter. (They made a one-day exception for the race.)

The main 28-kilometer event (there's also a 14-K and a 5-K for kids) was won by Sun Valley, Idaho's Jon Engen. A native of Norway, Engen, who's now over 50, has lived in...

Posted at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/03/10

The Wyoming Jet Set

A bunch of us did a great ski tour up Darby Canyon last Friday afternoon, hoping to burn off some calories in preparation for a New Year's Day dinner feast. As we skied, Liz Davy, who organized the outing and the dinner, nonchalantly told us about a jet ride she'd taken earlier in the week. Liz is the silviculturist (tree person) for the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and is stationed in Jackson, though she lives in Teton Valley southeast of Driggs.

"I was invited to help guide [Wyoming] Governor Dave Freudenthal and Harris Sherman, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, on an air tour of the Bridger-Teton," Liz said. "I was told about the trip on Christmas Eve...

Posted at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2

12/13/09

Give Twice

I’ve just spent two days doing a power shop for holiday gifts for my family and in-laws.  I’m delighted to report that I was able to do all my shopping locally.  One day was spent in Jackson, dropping in at seven stores; another was spent in Driggs and Victor, visiting nine.  Phew.

I know there are a lot of talk and a lot of ads about shopping locally.  Obviously, I march to that drumbeat.  

But the way I look at it is this: why give just once when, in the same transaction, you can give twice?  You don’t have to live here very long before you know most of the shop owners and many employees.  Buying your presents (or food or supplies, for that matter) constitutes a gift to these people who are your friends and...

Posted at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/02/09

Protecting our open lands

I recently returned from a national conference on land conservation.  This year’s convocation was held in Portland, Oregon, and I was inspired by that city’s deep culture of local food, recycling, and conservation.  

We in the Tetons are lucky to have expanding opportunities for eating local foods, and we owe a lot to the dedicated individuals who ensure we have opportunities to recycle so far from central facilities.  But what we really have in spades is land conservation and a deep preservation ethic.  Whether a family on a century farm or ranch, or someone new to the area, most of us have an abiding respect for open land and the people who work it.  

We are also lucky to have strong and forward-thinking organizations that...

Posted at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

10/03/09

A New Blogger Joins the Fray