When I first moved to the mountains from the Midwest 12 years ago — in my mid-20s with about three days on a ski hill under my belt, ever — I was enamored with resort culture. As many of us do in the beginning, I worked an intro-level job at the base of the mountain,
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Growing up in the woods of Maine with two biologist parents instilled a love of the outdoors and the creatures that live there in Aly Courtemanch, a wildlife biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Aly smiles nostalgically, recalling her initial resistance to becoming a biologist. “I thought biology was geeky!” she remembers. A
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In Jackson Hole, the Craighead name is synonymous with groundbreaking wildlife research. Today, the legacy is upheld by Derek Craighead — the founder, president, and senior scientist at Craighead Beringia South. Since its inception in 1998, the Kelly-based institute has conducted 40 research studies, 10 of which have been longterm field projects, and has collaborated
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By most standards, the mountain communities that make up Teton County are considered small. But the beauty and lifestyle of the area draw people from all over the world, and like many other mountain towns, there has been a recent boom in growth. To many longtime locals used to small-town living, this can be frustrating,
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Three cow elk appear almost ghostlike in the soft stillness of dawn. As the first hints of the morning light reflect against their shrouded figures, the quiet intimacy of this moment is almost palpable against the canvas it is painted on. Entitled “Three Matriarchs,” the painting captures a reverent memory from artist Kathryn Mapes Turner’s
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Wildlife biologists, like the animals they study, tend to migrate. For animals, migration allows them to find food and better habitat. For biologists, it allows them to study new species and work in new ecosystems. That’s the story for Frank Durbian, a 25-year U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service veteran whose career has included working with
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The Restaurant at White Buffalo Club offers a dining experience that lingers in the mind long after you leave their intimate downstairs dining room. After taking a seat at the three-sided bar or one of the custom-crafted Douglas fir tables or booths, you’re presented with a menu that features local meat butchered in-house — including
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We sat down with Jill Sassi, a top-producing real estate agent for Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, and Kate Binger, the owner of Dwelling, a boutique interior design studio, to get the inside scoop on real estate and design in Jackson Hole. The women work independently, but enjoy teaming up to help buyers find and
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When Bill Rudd first began studying Wyoming’s big game migrations in the late 1970s, GPS tracking collars didn’t exist. Instead, the young scientist, who was getting his master’s degree from the University of Wyoming, would roam the Yellowstone backcountry trying to gain enough elevation to pick up radio waves from collared elk. The research he
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It’s one of the first warm days of March. The sun is clinging to its post longer with each sunrise and dissipating the winter chill like fog on a misty morning. The warm Chinook breeze, the excited chattering of birds, the scents of exposed mulch and rotting grass, all raise together in a chorus that
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Entrepreneurism and conservation don’t often share an office. However, if The WYldlife Fund (the Fund) and its initiative, Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow (WTFT), are any example, they should. Thanks to the wildlife-supporting duo of Chris McBarnes and Taylor Phillips, the marriage of business savvy and conservation has proven wildly successful. Chris, who is president at
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When Erin and I decided to get married and have kids, I was all in — with one caveat: “You’re going to have to drag my cold, dead corpse out of Manhattan.” So, imagine Erin’s surprise when, following a three-month stint in Teton Village, I proposed we move to Victor, Idaho (population 2,088 at the
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Last summer, I pulled into the Teton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s property and parked alongside Kristin Combs’ cerulean Toyota Prius boasting a droll, self-deprecating sticker that read: “Cool Prius!” — Nobody. She waved me over, standing aside a six-person tent. The rainfly was off, and inside was a meticulously assembled habitat replete with leafy boughs, sprigs
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Stopped by an impenetrable fence on their journey south, a group of pronghorn, their heads bobbing up and down, mill around anxiously, unsure where to go. One mature doe takes the lead and wanders alone along the fence line, moving forward and doubling back until she comes to a gap. Ahead of her, an overpass
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Zahan Billimoria is characterized by movement. The founder of Samsara Training is always on the move, whether it’s exploring in the mountains, beginning new athletic endeavors, or analyzing insights to create effective and functional training programs. Zahan, who is also a longtime guide with Exum Mountain Guides and the subject of a short film from
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Mekki Jaidi recalls the moment everything changed. As the plane approached Jackson Hole Airport from the south, ending the short flight from Salt Lake City, he gazed out the window. And that view — rugged snow-capped peaks, untamed rivers, endless swaths of wild forests — stirred a shift in him. The trajectory of Mekki’s life
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For better or worse, the pandemic has permanently changed how we live, where we work, and how we play. The transition to and continuation of remote work has given us the opportunity to live anywhere we choose rather than near the office. Places like Jackson Hole, Park City, and Breckenridge — and all mountain towns
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Imagine being stranded indefinitely on an isolated island with only a handful of people. When date night rolls around, your options would be … well, quite limited. It’s not difficult to imagine how that might ultimately cause some issues for your island-bound micro-population. This is precisely the situation that the grizzly bears of the Greater
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String Lake is one of Grand Teton National Park’s most well-loved gems. Picnickers bask on the sandy shore and swim in the shallows. Anglers traverse the inlets and outlets. Kayakers cut ribbons through the glass-like reflection of the Tetons on crisp, clear mornings. Hikers, trail runners, alpinists, and skiers set out from the trailhead toward
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It is no secret that historically, Jackson has experienced a near-constant growth in population. Originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Shoshone, Crow, and Northern Arapahoe tribes, the measured migration of Anglo-American settlers to the valley occurred well into the mid-20th century. And in the ’50s, Jackson was a popular road trip destination for American
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Teton Valley, on the western side of the Teton Range, has long been considered “quiet” when compared to Jackson. But that doesn’t ring true anymore. The valley, with its world-class recreation, scenic splendor, thriving arts scene, festivals, and fine food, has come into its own, and many people prefer its rustic, laid-back vibe to the
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