Road Biking in Jackson Hole
This past week the bike path that bridges the town of Jackson to Grand Teton National Park opened. The 6 mile bike path has been a year in the making and connects directly with the Grand Teton National Park bike path. This means that you can bike from downtown Jackson all of the way to Jenny Lake (over 20 miles away) on a bike path. Road bikers rejoice!
Biking through Grand Teton National Park provides a different perspective from driving. The views are incredible and the bike path allows you to focus on your surroundings instead of the traffic. Keep in mind, there is a $12 entrance fee for bikers in Grand Teton National Park.
If you are looking for a nice loop, you can bike from Jackson to Gros Ventre Road and ride the road 
out to Kelly and then up to Antelope Flat Road. This route does require a fair amount of on-road riding, considering there is not a bike path on the loop section. You may also park at the beginning of Gros Ventre Road and bike the loop if you are looking for a shorter trip.
Buffalo and antelope sitings are common along this loop – be aware of your surroundings and always keep a considerable distance between you and the wildlife – Grand Teton National Park mandates a 100 yard distance for bears and wolves and a 25 yard distance for any other animal. If you encounter a herd of buffalo close to the road try to bike close to a car when passing the herd.
In order to complete the loop, start at Gros Ventre Road and east head toward Kelly. Once you reach the town of Kelly the road banks left, 
follow the road until you reach a “T” intersection. Turn left on Antelope Flats Road. Shortly, you will come upon Mormon Row with the iconic Moulton Barn. This is a great place to get off of your bike and stretch your legs while exploring the row of old Mormon homesteads. When you get back on your bike, keep biking west towards the Tetons until you come upon Route 89. Take a left onto 89 South back towards town. Shortly (in 1 mile), you will reach the entrance to Grand Teton National Park and you will be able to join up with the bike path and take the bike path back to Gros Ventre Road or the town of Jackson. The loop itself is 20 miles long and the distance from Gros Ventre Road to Jackson is 6 miles, one way.
Bike Rentals
You may rent bike from a few places in town. I would suggest renting from Hoback Sports, the Hub Bike Shop or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Stand Up Paddleboarding in Jackson Hole
What’s more beautiful than sprawling lakes with a mountain back drop? Stand 
Up Paddleboarding (SUP) on a lake while enjoying the mountain and lake views simultaneously. Stand Up Paddleboarding has become an increasingly popular sport in Teton Valley over the past few years. Last summer, only one shop in town rented paddleboards, now there are more rental options in the valley. You will find information about two of the rental shops below.
What is paddleboarding, you may ask? Essentially, you use a board similar to a surf board. The goal is to stand up or kneel on the board and use a special paddle to move around a lake or river. If you are a beginner paddleboarder I would suggest that you start on String Lake, which usually has flat, calm water, before moving up to Jenny or Jackson Lake or the Snake River.
A note about the weather in Jackson – thunderstorms are common during summer afternoons, so make sure that you plan accordingly. I would suggest 
getting your paddle in in the morning or keeping an eye on the ever changing weather during the afternoons. Also, at 15 miles long and 7 miles wide, Jackson Lake is a large lake. When it’s windy white capped waves easily form and grow, some becoming as large as 3 foot breakers – not something you want to be paddleboarding in.
This past weekend a group of my friends rented 3 paddleboards for the 8 of us and headed up to String Lake. We brought a grill, camp chairs, beers, sunscreen and staked out a nice part of the beach. It was a gorgeous afternoon and the still snow capped mountains popped under a blue bird sky.
You don’t have to be an experienced paddleboarder to enjoy a day on the lake. All you need is a sense of balance and a good sense of humor, so even if you do fall off of the board you are able to have fun with it. Paddleboards may fit on a roof rack (tied down with rags between the bars and the board) or in the back of a truck.
Where to Rent Paddleboards
Rendezvous River Sports – Located off of West Broadway by Sidewinders Grill, Rendezvous River Sports rents non-inflatable Paddleboards for $50 a day. They also rent inflatable Paddleboards for $40 a day.
Leisure Sports – Located off of West Broadway just pass South Park Loop Road, you may rent an inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) for $35 a day.
When renting the Paddleboards you may want to ask the rental shop if you need a permit for your SUP. Permits are $10 for non-motorized water crafts and are available at the Grand Teton National Park Visitor’s center in Moose. Make sure to bring your camera, because photos of you Paddleboarding under the Tetons are guaranteed to make your friends jealous! Enjoy your time on the water and make sure to wear sunscreen to avoid looking like a lobster by the end of the day.
When to Visit Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year. However, depending on what you are looking to do, there are specific times of year that are better to visit than others.
For those who want to visit Jackson Hole in the spring, keep in mind that the south entrance to Yellowstone doesn’t open until May 11th. 
Springtime is a fun time to visit Jackson but be aware that it is considered the “off season” until June, so some businesses and restaurants may be closed. However, the spring and fall off seasons offer great lodging deals as well as many cheap dining options. Many restaurants run 2 for 1 entree specials and other discounts. For a list of this spring’s restaurant off season deals, click here. Unfortunately, it’s called the off season for a reason. It’s the awkward time before the start of summer when the hiking trails are still covered in snow, but not enough snow that you want to go skiing. Mid-June marks the start to true summer.
Summer in Jackson Hole offers an array of outdoor and western activities. Take a ride in a covered wagon with Bar T 5 and experience a chuck wagon supper complete with live western music. If you are in town on a Wednesday or Saturday night go see the rodeo at the fairgrounds in Jackson.
For those who are looking to mountain bike, most trails are dry by Mid-June. If you are looking to hike in the Tetons you may want to plan your trip for the end of June to late September. Depending on the amount of snow Jackson received during the summer, some of the trails in Grand Teton National Park remain impassible until July.
If you are planning a backpacking trip you may not want to start your trip until July.
Many of the camp sites in the back country are in canyons that see little sun so they take a little bit of time to melt out. The best way to plan your backpacking trip is keep an eye on the conditions through the Jenny Lake Rangers blog. You may purchase a backcountry camping permit at the Grand Teton National Park Visitor’s Center in Moose the day before you leave on your trip.
If you are like me and like to avoid the crowds I would recommend planning your trip to Jackson between August 20th and September 4th. During this time there is a lull in the visits to Jackson. You may be able to find good rates and the town won’t be as busy.
If you are looking to visit Jackson Hole during the winter to ski, I would recommend planning your trip for February or March. They are the snowiest months and the coverage is at its best during those months. December has variable coverage and January is typically very cold.
So there you have it. Jackson is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year, but if you have certain activities in mind, make sure to visit when you are able to experience Jackson Hole at its best.
Backpacking in GTNP: Paintbrush to Cascade
Grand Teton National Park boasts a large network of trails, a majority of which are not suitable for day hikes but rather 
overnight backpacking trips. One of my favorite overnight trip is Paintbrush to Cascade. Starting at Paintbrush Canyon you ascend through the canyon, passing wildflowers and paintbrushes (a brilliant red flower) crossing the Paintbrush Divide and then dropping down to Solitude Lake and Cascade Canyon and then back out to String and Jenny Lake.
The hike can be broken down into two nights for the slower hiker or one night for the aggressive backpacker. It is the perfect backpacking trip for the visitor who would like to do an overnight in the Tetons and experience the vastness of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) without spending too much time in the woods. Jared and I made our trip two nights. We like camping and I didn’t know how fast we would be able to cover ground. We started midday on the first day and were out of the woods by 9am on the third day.
The day before our trip we went to the GTNP Visitor’s Center in Moose and secured a camping permit for the Outliers campsite and North Fork of Cascade Canyon. The permits cost $25 and can only be reserved the day before your trip. When we got our permit, they also gave us a bear canister that we were asked to use on the trip. We hadn’t factored the bear canister into our packing so we had to repack our bags to accommodate the bulky canister. The canister is about a foot and a quarter long and about 8 inches wide (not exact measurements). You may use a penny, fingernail or knife to open the canister. You are requested to store all of your food, waste and any other items that may attract bears in the canister. For more information on bear safety click here.
Once we were all packed up we drove up to the String Lake parking lot and shrugged on our backpacks. Just keep in mind, the longer you stay out in the back country the heavier your pack will be from food and supplies. I recommend bringing a water filter or jet boil (camp stove) along in order to fill up with water. Both canyons have streams that run down the center of them so there are plenty of places to fill up.
We started our hike around String Lake and then up Paintbrush Canyon, passing picnicking families and kids splashing in the frigid lake. Once in the canyon it was just us and the wildlife. We spotted a moose or two, but no bears, fortunately. It is imperative that you bring bear spray with you when hiking in the Tetons. We made it to our campsite – the Outliers Site, a solitary site located between the Lower Paintbrush Canyon camping area and the Holly Lake Camping area, in about 3 hours.
The next day we continued up Paintbrush Canyon towards 
the Paintbrush Divide. We stopped briefly at Holly Lake, which is a beautiful high altitude lake. We continued on our way to the divide, passing through fields of wildflowers until we hit the end of the canyon. At the end of the canyon the trail started to ascend to the Paintbrush Divide. The trail to the divide is steep and rather exposed. We crossed two snowfields – fortunately for us it had been a low snow year so we didn’t need ice axes. Ask at the visitor’s center if you will need ice axes on your hike across the divide. The view was spectacular, mountains everywhere you looked without a trace of civilization. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but rather windy, since the top of the divide is at 10,700 feet and an exposed ridge line.
We continued along the trail into Cascade Canyon. The hike down the switchbacks into Cascade 
Canyon provide sweeping views of the canyon, Solitude Lake and the Grand Teton. Once again, I was in awe. We made it to Solitude Lake around 3 in the afternoon and then set off to find our campsite. The North Fork of Cascade Canyon has a number of campsites; all which are on a first come first serve basis. As we hiked down from Solitude Lake we peered into each campsite. We were picky at first until we realize that a majority of the sites had already been claimed. To indicate that someone was at the site the hikers put some dead fall timber in the shape of an X at the entrance to the path that leads to the site. We realized all too late that there were a fair amount of campsites on our right hand side but they had no access to running water, which we needed. Before we knew it we were at the end of the camping zone, stuck with no campsite and having to trudge our way back uphill. At this point our patience was running thin – we had 40 pound packs on our back, retracing our steps uphill after hiking about 8 strenuous miles, we were ready to be done.
Finally, we found a campsite that suited our needs, 
to boot there was an unobstructed view overlooking the Grand Teton. I was beyond joyous. Somehow I found the renewed energy to jump up and down and shriek like a little school girl, “How cool is this??” Not to mention the fact that once we set up the tent Jared pulled out a bottle of wine and we were able to have a drink while watching the sun set on the Grand. It is one of those memories that will stick with me forever. We gorged ourselves on Velveeta (nothing tastes better than guilt-free mac and cheese) and then retreated to our tent, exhausted yet fulfilled.
The next morning we were up early with the sun and on the trail by 7AM. Fortunately, the hike from where we were out Cascade Canyon was all downhill. But man, did it get trying towards the end. Once we got to Jenny Lake we knew we still had a mile of flat hiking before reaching our car. I think that was the hardest part: knowing that we were so close to being done yet still having a mile of hiking to go.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this overnight trip. It is a very popular backpacking trip, especially mid July to mid September. To make sure that you get a camping permit in the zones that you want to camp in 
I suggest that you go to the Visitor’s Center on the morning before you are schedule to depart on your backpacking trip. They allow 1/3 of the campsites to be reserved ahead of time online and leave the remaining 2/3rds vacant to be booked the day before on a first come first serve basis. That means getting to the visitor’s center at 8AM when they open. If you can’t get a permit in the camping zones you want, consider doing the route from Cascade Canyon to Paintbrush Canyon. This route offers an easier ascent and is actually the most popular way to do the trip. I hope that you get a chance to backpack through Grand Teton National Park. The views are out of the world and it is an experience that you will remember forever.
Attempting Mount Saint John
Whenever I set out to tackle a high peak I always call it an objective. Why? Because sometimes things don’t go as planned and you don’t end up standing up on the highest point of the mountain at the end of the day. Sometimes your hike becomes a game of survival: dodging lightening strikes or bandaging wounds and getting the wounded out of the backcountry as quickly and efficiently as possible. Mount Saint John is a story of the trials and tribulations of ascending high peaks in the tetons.
Mount Saint John was my second mountain objective in Grand Teton National Park. After having a successful summit on Middle Teton I had asked my friends what mountain we should attempt to summit next. One of my friends wanted to do Mount Saint John: a mountain that requires no technical gear (ropes, harnesses etc.) and was snow free. It sounded like a good objective. After speaking with the Jenny Lake rangers and being cautioned by friends who had attempted it before, we knew that there were numerous couloirs and that only by picking the right one would we reach the true summit. Otherwise, we could end up cliffed out a few hundred feet below the summit.
Spirits were bright at 4am in the morning as we left the String Lake parking lot and 
headed for the trail to the Lake of the Crags and hanging canyon. While walking along Jenny Lake in the dark, my three girlfriends and I made excessive amounts of noise. No way were we going to be seeing any wildlife before the sun rose. As dawn broke over Jenny Lake we were treated to a beautiful sunrise. We sat down on some rocks and watched the sky change colors. Life is good, I thought.
We continued up the steep and unmarked trail (it’s not an official trail on the map so it isn’t maintained by the national forest) and enjoyed the early morning daylight. We reached the Lake of the Crags just as the light began to hit the water. It was a beautiful sight. There wasn’t another soul around.
Now came the challenging part. I had studied the topographical maps through Google Earth before starting our hike and we were told to ascend where the lake was the narrowest. However, as we started hiking upwards on steep scree it became apparent that this wasn’t just going to be just another walk in the woods. From below it seemed rather clear where the summit was, however, once we got halfway up underneath the entrance to the couloirs I started doubting my initial judgment call.
One of my friends had to work that evening and was supposed to just hike up to the lake with us, but when she realized we made it to the lake before 8am she decided that she wanted to try to summit with us. She took my initial judgment call and ran with it.. literally. Without consulting the group she took off and headed up a couloir. Mind you, there aren’t any well worn trails past the lake, so you really need to use your mountain sense and stay together.
Well within minutes she had disappeared from view and wasn’t responding to us when we called out. I knew that she had chosen the wrong couloir but we couldn’t leave her, so we were forced to follow her and try to get her to come down. She couldn’t have chosen a more unstable, scree filled couloir if she had tried. I have no idea how she made it up there so fast. Every few steps I would think “legs don’t fail me now.” One misstep would result in serious injury and in worse case, death. After seeing the panic in my other friends’ faces I knew we just need to get through it and find our friend.
After what felt like hours of scrambling we made it to where she was, perched on a boulder, calling out to us like everything was fine. 
What she didn’t know was the couloir was a dead end and cliffed out about 100 feet from where she was sitting. With utter disappointment and palpable frustration we realized that we were about 200 feet underneath what we believed to be one of the false summits, if not the true summit. Ouch. Then the realization sunk in that not only did we not reach the summit but we had to hike down that god awful couloir. Double ouch.
As we made our way out of the couloir we started to traverse through a boulder field, hopping from boulder to boulder. Long gone was the cheerfulness that we had when we started this journey, it was now shrouded by defeat. I had retreated into my inner thoughts and was hiking on autopilot when I heard one of my friends let up a yelp. I looked 
behind me to find her face twisted in pain and clutching her shoulder. “Oh no, I did it again” she said. Not knowing what that meant I yelled to our friend, Jesi, who is a physical therapist to come check her out. Before Jesi got to my injured friend she said “Yep, I dislocated my shoulder.” Oh yes, I thought, the cherry to top off the day. You won, Mount Saint John, now just please let us be able to get our injured friend out of the backcountry in peace. Fortunately, my injured friend was a trooper and the mountains bequeathed my request. After getting her arm back in with Jesi’s help, she took some ibuprofen and trudged along silently.
We were all pretty quiet on the way down, defeated with bruised egos and bones (well, one person had a bruised bone). It humbled us and reminded us that while we may our own plans, mother nature has her own and in the end she is the one who has the last say. We plan to attempt Mount Saint John again this summer and with any luck we will be able to put our defeat behind us and stand proudly on its summit.
April 18, 2012 at 10:01 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
Summiting Middle Teton
Recently, Outside Magazine blogged about 12 National Park Adventures Off the Beaten Path. Included in their list of 12 adventures was “One-Up the Grand,” which suggests that you summit the Middle Teton, rather than the coveted and crowded Grand Teton. I had the pleasure of standing on the top of the Middle last summer and I have decided tell you a little about my own adventure off the beaten path.
Growing up in New England, I have always been accustomed to being able to stand on whichever summit I pleased, so the first summer that I spent in Jackson I was very frustrated. I saw all of these beautiful jagged peak in Grand Teton National Park but couldn’t find a trail map or simple hiking guide book that showed me how to reach the summits. Fast forward to last summer. I had a determination to make it to the top of something in the park (as we call it) and after discussing it with my boyfriend, Jared, we settled on the Middle Teton.
While only 971 feet shorter than the Grand, there is far less foot traffic. Many people want to be able to say that they have climbed the Grand, but to be honest, there are so many other people on the Grand with you, it doesn’t feel like you are in nature. In stark contrast, the road to the Middle is a lonely one once you get past the meadows in Garnet Canyon. The post on the Outside blog suggests that you camp in the meadows and make it a two day adventure, however, this past summer we decided to do it in one day. That way we avoided having to backpack up the canyon with all of our overnight gear.
My alarm blasted at 3:30am. Seriously, what makes a person get up at this ungodly hour? Oh yeah, we are going hiking. Jared and I dragged our butts out of bed, grabbed our packs that we packed the night before and piled into the car. We were at the trail head by 4am. Using our headlamps we started our long walk uphill. I don’t know how many of you have hiked by headlamp, but it’s an eerie feeling. You are aware that there is a strong possibility that you will have an encounter with an animal, but you know that you won’t be able to see it until the last minute because you are blinded by your headlamp and your peripheral vision is compromised.
As we made our way up the switchbacks to the Garnet Canyon/Surprise Lake junction 
we saw three other headlights on the switchbacks below us. Good, we aren’t the only crazy ones hiking at 5am. I had never been up into Garnet Canyon, despite having been to Surprise Lake and Delta Lake before. When we made it to the mouth of the canyon we stopped to have some water and beef jerky (don’t judge, 5am jerky is delicious!). We turned off our headlamps and I will never forget my first glimpse of the canyon. It was absolutely breath taking: jagged rocks with a starry backdrop. As I sat there in awe, a huge grin came across my face – now I know why I do this.
We continued to ascend, reaching the meadows as the sun rose. We passed people just waking up, cooking breakfast on their Jet Boil as we marched on up the South Fork. Then we hit the snow. I had never used crampons or an ice axe before, so Jared gave me a quick tutorial on a mellow pitch. Man, what fun it is! Wielding my axe and using my crampons I started up, what seemed to be a not so scary pitch. Boy was I wrong. Midway up it got steeper and then I started to realize why I really needed an ice axe.. this was a no fall zone. Especially considering we were on a snow field that was flanked by huge boulders and jagged rocks at the bottom. Not a soft landing by any stretch of the imagination. As we trekked across the snow fields we tracked the progress of two other hikers who didn’t bring crampons or ice axes: we had a noticeable advantage. If you are ever wondering what the conditions are of a specific hike in Grand Teton National Park, I suggest that you visit the Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers. They have open office hours from 8am to 5pm daily at Jenny Lake. You may also visit their blog, which has frequent trail updates.
When we made it to the end of the South Fork we had a beautiful vista into Idaho 
and a very scary (but beautiful) view of Iceflow Lake about 2,000 feet straight below. We began our ascent of the South East Couloir. Thankfully, you do not need ropes or any other equipment besides a sure foot and sound mind to ascend the couloir. After about an hour of billy goating and rock scrambling we made it to the top, and wow, did the view take your breath away. Just looking down to the valley floor and thinking, I made it all the way from down there to up here, is an incredible feeling. The view over to the Grand didn’t hurt either. We made it to the summit around 11am, which is about the latest you want to be summiting when you are hiking in the Tetons – thunder storms tend to roll in in the afternoons and there isn’t much shelter on the high peaks.
On the way down Jared taught me how to glissade. I switched over to some light snow pants and was having a blast – sliding down on my butt, using my ice axe as a brake. I was all smiles until we reached the junction of the north and south fork.
The clouds had grown darker and as we were hopping from boulder to boulder I heard it: CRACK.. crack…c..r..a..c..k.. the sound of thunder echoed through the canyon. At this point we were still above tree line and unaware of where the lightening struck. We quickened up our pace. I knew that the rain was not far behind and I wanted to be out of the boulder and scree field and onto an actual hiking trail by the time the rain hit. As I was hopping on and off the last few boulders in Garnet Canyon the rain came. Heavy. Within minutes I pulled out my rain jacket (always be prepared) and was back on the trail. Soon thereafter I was dodging puddles and praying that I wasn’t going to get struck by lightening as I hiked at a rapid clip down the trail. After what seemed like hours (and probably was), we made it back to the car. I immediately traded my rain soaked clothes for dry ones in the car and then headed home where I made the biggest hamburger ever.
What a day to remember! After that day I started planning out the remaining weekends of the summer with mountain objectives and I created a bucket list for mountains that I’d like to summit. If this sounds crazy to you, it is. But it provides me with a high and sense of accomplishment like I’ve never felt before. Summer mountaineering isn’t for everyone, and I encourage you to wait until August, when the majority of the snow has melted before attempting any summits in Grand Teton National Park.
April 5, 2012 at 4:05 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
Mountainfest, PPP & Gaper Day 2012
This weekend is going to be packed with live music, incredible athletes and tons of neon and rear entry boots. Why do I say that? Because this weekend Jackson Hole Mountain Resort hosts their Mountainfest, the Jackson Hole Ski Club puts on their Pole Peddle Paddle event, and the Jackson locals dress up as gapers.
Mountain Festival occurs every spring at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Each year 
the resort brings in a new performer for a live concert in the main parking lot. Previous artists include Katchafire and Grace Potter. This year’s performer is G Love and Special Sauce. They are known for their unique, “sloppy”, and “laid back” blues sound that encompasses classic R&B. Ski all day or watch the Pole, Pedal, Paddle (PPP) and then enjoy music under the tram (Lazy Eyes) starting at 3pm followed by Elk Attack, opening for G. Love and Special Sauce at 5:30pm on the main stage in the parking lot. There will also be a fireworks display following the concert. There will be plenty of START buses on hand, as well cops looking to hand out DUIs, so just a friendly reminder, if you drink, whatever you do, don’t drive.
You may be wondering what the Pole, Pedal, Paddle (PPP) is. This annual event, started 37 years ago, encompasses an alpine and nordic ski race, boating section and bike race and allows the well rounded athletes of Jackson 
Hole to shine. You may complete the race as an individual or as a team. Many take the race seriously, but there are awards in a family class and fun class. In the family class the team members must be immediately related. The fun class is not judged on time, but rather on how much fun the team seems to be having. In the past, one team made a barge with a grill, DJ and dance floor and took it down the boating section. The race is entertaining to watch and will have an award ceremony at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at 4pm.
On Sunday, come ski at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort 
and watch the locals dress up as gapers and play around on April (Gaper) Fools Day. What is a gaper you may ask? Visit my post on the closing of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort from last year to find out. Just expect a lot of neon, one pieces, skate skis, fanny packs, headbands and of course, tom foolery. It is one of the most fun days at the ski resort, where it isn’t about the skiing, but rather entertaining each other. For a show, make sure to ride the Thunder lift and check out the Thunder bump run, where the locals will be trying to one up each other with daffy’s and spread eagles. So dust that one piece off, break out your neon headband and join all the locals on the slopes on April 1. This weekend is bound to be action packed and full of good times. See you on the hill!
March 29, 2012 at 9:03 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
Jackson Hole’s Children’s Museum
Jackson has plenty of activities for adults, be it recreational outdoors activities, strolling through art galleries on the town square or spending time in the local bars and restaurants. However, there are few activities for the little ones. Some popular destinations to consider for younger children are visit the Ripley’s Believe it or Not, the Jackson Hole Museum, the National Wildlife Art Museum or now, the Jackson Hole Children’s Museum. Having grown up going to the Children’s Museum in Boston, I have high standards for children’s museums, but I am happy to say that the Jackson Hole Children’s Museum passes the test!
The Children’s Museum, dubbed the Clubhouse, opened this past winter
. It’s mission is to educate the youth of today on the world of arts, science, ecology, history, and to encourage them to further explore Jackson Hole. I believe that it is a wonderful addition to the valley, helping to spark the imagination of the little ones as well as provide them opportunities to problem solve and learn.
The first exhibits in the museum include a large indoor climbing structure, an interactive ceiling and floor gym, role play areas that include the town market and currently a place where kids can pretend to be a tram operator on the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Tram. There is also a dig pit, bubble tank, library, shadow play and mountain magnet machine wall. So if you are wondering what to do with your children on a rainy day in Jackson, you should head over to the Jackson Hole Children’s Museum.
The museum is located at 174 North King Street, just south of the Teton County Recreation Center. Hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. The entrance fee is $7.50 per person and children under 2 are free. For more information visit their website or call the museum at 307-733-3996. I believe that the museum is a great addition to our community and I think that it is worth a visit if you are in town with your children. Also, if you want to know about any family friendly events when you are in town visit the Jackson Hole Family Events blog. It provides an array of information on local events such as story time at the Teton Country Library to insight on free concerts. Either way, I believe that your children will love Jackson Hole, with all of its beauty and numerous activities they will never get bored!
March 22, 2012 at 6:56 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
St. Patty’s Day in Jackson Hole
Like the majority of Americans, I am a mutt: a combination of multiple ethnicities that leaves me questioning why my last name is Russian when I have more German blood in me. However, one day of the year, the miniscule (or large) Irish part of everyone in the US shines. Boston born and bred, I was under the assumption growing up that St. Patty’s Day was a large holiday, such as the Fourth of July, only bigger. The celebrations are so large that when I studied abroad I went to Dublin for St. Patty’s Day expecting an even larger party. To my dismay, there was hardly a celebration at all, just a family friendly parade through the downtown. When I moved to Jackson I had no idea how big the celebration would be. Would I be in for a surprise!
There is no doubt that Jackson Hole knows how to party, and Saint Patrick’s Day is no exception. The party starts in Teton Village. After a day on the slopes head down to the base area where the local band One Ton Pig will be kicking off the festivities at 3pm under the tram. Make sure you wear your green so that you can get $6 Irish Car Bombs in Wool & Whiskey.
If you are looking for something to do that it is family friendly, head over to Snow King Resort. Snow King’s annual pond skim starts at noon on Saturday. There will be food and a cash bar. The pond skim is always a great time – dress up in your greens or get creative with a costume if you want to participate. Prepare to get wet if you stand near the pond – some contestants aim to spray the crowd with icy water as they attempt to ski or snowboard across the pond.
If you are in town, make sure that you head over to the Snake River Brew Pub. Starting at 11:30am the Brew Pub will be offering liter steins which you may purchase and use for the remainder of your time at the Brew Pub. There will be authentic Irish cuisine and what St. Patty’s Day is complete without green beer? No Car Bombs here – the Brew Pub only serves wine and beer. At 10pm DJ Vert One will drop some beats so make sure to wear your (green) party pants.
Wherever in Jackson you may be, Saturday night is bound to be a lively night. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band is playing at the Town Square Tavern starting at 8pm, Cherry Royale is playing at the Stagecoach in Wilson starting at 10pm ($10 cover) and as always, happy hour at the Cadillac Grille is from 4 to 6 and 10 to midnight. The Cadillac is closing for good on April 1, 2012, so make sure you make it to one last happy hour before then! So start getting your greens together and get ready to celebrate this Saint Patty’s Day with us in the Hole this Saturday.
March 16, 2012 at 3:29 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
Spring Après Ski at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
As temperatures have begun to approach 50 degrees and the sunshine remains bright late into the day, après ski at Jackson Hole evolves. No longer forced to move into a bar to keep warm after you come off the slopes, during the weekends the area under the tram becomes a full on Spring Break party.
This weekend marks the beginning of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Music Under the Tram series. Every Saturday (starting 
this Saturday, March 10) until closing weekend, there will be a live band at the base of the tram dock. The band, which changes each week, starts at 3:30pm. Nick Wilson’s has built a snow bar so that you may have easy access to those well earned beers while dancing in your ski boots. Local’s tip: the base area is actually on overlapping private properties. All of the properties have their own liquor licenses so you may bring your own beer and save some cash. There are two liquor stores at the ski resort: there is one in the basement of the Mangy Moose called the Mangy Moose Cellars & Grocery and the second is the Teton Village Market, located across the main parking lot with an attached gas station. To save the most money, buy your booze in town, the liquor stores in Teton Village mark up the goods.
While waiting for the day to wind down and the music to start up at the base, head over to Casper Restaurant. This on-mountain restaurant 
has a deck as well as many outdoor picnic tables, arranged to perfect your goggle tan. The deck gets plenty of sun and the view of the rest of the mountain is rather easy on the eyes. Casper has a semi-full bar with a few beers on tap and your basic hard alcohols. They have a variety of specialty drinks that hit the spot. The Bloody Mary is a local favorite. New this year, Casper offers a variety of Jello shots. From Rum and Coke, Washington Apple to Lemon Meringue and Key Lime Pie these Jello shots are a work of art! The shots are 1 for $2 or 3 for $5. Clearly buying in bulk is the way to go. Just make sure that you don’t drink too much, it is an on-mountain restaurant after all, so you must ski down after imbibing.
I suggest that you take advantage of the sunshine and warm weather while you can. As the snow softens, the skiing gets more leisurely, no longer having to battle long lift lines for fresh powder. It’s a nice shift and the weather provides a glimpse of the summer to come after a long winter.
March 8, 2012 at 7:16 pm Painted Buffalo Inn Leave a comment
