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Full Circle Carl Pelletier is helping shape a new outdoor recreational management track for local high school students. // By Molly Absolon Carl Pelletier doesn’t like to talk about himself. He’d prefer to discuss the climbing gym at the Rec Center that he worked on during construction, or the people who’ve mentored him over the years during his varied career as a climber, educator, and outdoor brand rep. But behind that genuine, self-effacing modesty, Pelletier has a knack for getting things done. And now he’s using that skill to develop an outdoor recreation and management program at Jackson Hole High…

The Teton County Recreation Center A recent addition makes the Rec Center even more amazing. // BY Molly Absolon// photography BY erin burk Thirty years after the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center first opened its doors, it just got a 38,000-square-foot, $33 million addition. Paid for by a special purpose excise tax passed by voters in 2019, the new space, which opened last summer, includes a 200-yard indoor walking/jogging track, free-weights and cardio machines, spin bikes, a yoga studio, an indoor climbing gym, basketball courts lined for volleyball and indoor soccer, childcare facilities, a food pantry, meeting space, and more.  This…

Renny Jackson // By Rachel Walker Renowned alpinist, climbing ranger, and guidebook author Renny Jackson has dedicated his life to the mountains. Born in 1952 and raised in Salt Lake City, Renny grew up watching local climbers in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, spawning his fascination with scaling high peaks. At 18 he took his first climbing course, setting down a path that would define his career, passion, and relationships.  Jackson’s professional journey as a climbing ranger begin in 1976 in Grand Teton National Park. From 1976 to 1989, he worked as a seasonal climbing ranger and spent winters ski patrolling,…

Extreme Cold // By Bevin Wallace Suppose you’ve gotten to that point in the winter when you just don’t want to be cold anymore. In that case, Mammut’s Eigerjoch Pro IN Hooded Jacket—created for bivouacking in extreme conditions—combines RDS-certified goose down with PrimaLoft recycled synthetic insulation for extra warmth even when wet. An innovative double-chamber construction eliminates cold spots. $725, mammut.com For days that go from bitter to brutal, or for stop-and-start activities like alpine skiing, Fieldsheer’s Crest Heated Down Vest is filled with RDS duck down and has a 7.4-volt micro-heating system with four temperature settings that can be…

Insulated Drinking Vessels We tested these so you don’t have to. // by maggie theodora ZOJIRUSHI STAINLESS STEEL TRAVEL MUG What is it A lightweight, slim travel mug with a locking, leakproof lid (that we totally trust) that comes in 12-, 16-, and 20-ounce versions.  Strengths The foolproof lid-locking mechanism can be operated with one hand. There’s a model with a Teflon interior (model SM-SR) and also one with an electro-polished stainless-steel interior (SM-SHE). Weaknesses Can we complain about it keeping things too hot? Six hours into a ski tour on a day with temps below zero, the tea in our Zojirushi burned our…

Corbet’s Cabin A place to retreat and gather. // By Lila edythe A STRUCTURE WAS first built near the summit of Rendezvous Mountain in the early 1960s; it was simple, and its purpose was to provide shelter and storage for the crews building JHMR’s original tram. When construction on the tram was finished in 1966 and Rendezvous Mountain opened to skiers, the building was still primarily utilitarian—ski patrol assembled the bombs it used for avalanche control in it, and, eventually, there was also a radio room—but it did have a small area skiers could come into to escape the elements…

Dan Adams Avalanche safety educator and advocate // By Rachel Walker To hear Dan Adams tell it, the Jackson-born lifelong Wyoming resident is not a natural leader. This, despite his having played a massive role in educating countless snowmobilers about the hazards of avalanches and how to safely sled in the backcountry. Or despite his longstanding partnerships with Polaris and Klim—which go back more than 15 years and 10 years, respectively. Though he was a former Slednecks movie star and professional freeride athlete who cut his teeth in the Tetons and circled the globe in pursuit of steep slopes and…

Pierre Bergman Adaptive athlete and activist // By Rachel Walker Most everyone who has moved to Jackson Hole and made the choice to stay—an endeavor significantly more complicated than moving to a more populous, less expensive place with ample housing and employment—has a specific before/after moment that led to their decision. Before: law school; after: ski bum. It’s a profound shift in one’s life direction. But sometimes, the before/after is truly remarkable. Life-changing. Such is the case for 32-year-old Pierre Bergman, who moved to Jackson Hole in May 2016.  In his “before,” Bergman was a snowboarder from San Diego lucky…

Lena Poduska This Nordic  phenom is in it  for the friends. // By Helen Olsson Fierce competitiveness can serve as intrinsic motivation for elite athletes. But for Nordic ski racer Lena Poduska, a senior at Jackson Hole High School who’s consistently on the podium, competitiveness isn’t the main driver. Her motivation to succeed is more about her girl posse.  “Honestly, the reason I’m so dedicated [to the sport] is the team environment,” she says. “Our friend group is pretty tight. We hang out outside of practice. Team trips are super high energy.” While she often competes against her teammates, they score…

Silver  Dollar Bar Taking its name from the coins embedded into its bar and furnishings, this landmark has been a favorite Jackson Hole gathering place for 75 years.  // By Samantha Simma “When the Wort brothers opened the Silver Dollar in 1950, the idea was to create a bar where the community could gather for good music, fun, and fellowship,” says Jim Waldrop, general manager of the historic Wort Hotel. “We have carried forward that commitment.” In opening the Wort Hotel in 1941, the Wort brothers, John and Jess, fulfilled their father’s dream of the family owning a luxury hotel…

Good Reads // By jim mahaffie ICONIC SKIERS The Arc of Skiing Jackson Hole—45 Years Behind the Lens Wade McKoy  Jackson Hole photographer Wade McKoy selected more than 500 images taken over four decades of “the Golden Age of skiing” for this volume. “My hope is that this book finds a permanent place in people’s homes and offices, something to enjoy and revisit for years. I want it to keep pulling viewers and readers back in like it does to me,” says McKoy.  DARK COMEDY Family Reunion (Charon Family Adventure Book 1)Rod Pennington In the first in a five-book series by Jackson-based writer…