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Standing Sentinel One tree on the Elk National Refuge has a long history. // By Samantha Simma RISING UP FROM the sage and grasses of the National Elk Refuge’s prairielike expanse immediately east of U.S. Highway 89, a lone cottonwood tree stands tall, casting a shadow over a stretch of Flat Creek. Today, the tree bears a nickname among local guides and tourists as the “eagle tree,” for its propensity to serve as a perch for the birds of prey. Its more official title is the Winegar Tree, after a family of early pioneers who settled in the area in…

Gap Pucci The ‘last of  the old cowboys’ chronicles his life  of adventure  in three books. // By Jim Stanford Dressed in a maroon button-down shirt, kerchief, and sheepskin vest, he tosses forkfuls of hay into a corral beside his cabin, tucked into a draw by the Camp Creek elk feed ground. One wall is adorned with horseshoes he fashioned with a forge and anvil, while the inside teems with stuffed wildlife mounts, bear hides, firearms, old leather saddles, and horse tack. He may not have been on the Lewis and Clark expedition, but Gap Pucci seems to have stepped out…

Linda Merigliano The Wilderness Diplomat //By David Gonzales In 1991, soon after joining the staff of the Bridger-Teton National Forest as a wilderness planner, Linda Merigliano was dispatched to the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, to speak at a meeting of snowmobilers about why snowmobiles aren’t allowed in designated Wilderness Areas. “I said, ‘Northwestern Wyoming, this is wild country. So, logically, we’re going to have a lot of wilderness here. In Florida, you grow oranges so, there’s oranges down there. And there’s wilderness here.’ They didn’t like that analogy,” she says with a laugh. Since then, Merigliano’s public communication skills…

Deirdre Griffith //By Rachel Walker In the two years since Jackson local Deirdre Griffith won the epic Mongol Derby—a 1,000-kilometer equestrian endurance race that recreates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224—the longtime equestrienne has been busy. She helped to spearhead the Parental Mental Wellness program at St. John’s Health; earned recognition as one of the valley’s top-producing realtors; continued to raise two daughters, Lilah, 8, and Delaney, 6, with husband, Vance; and trained horses at the family’s rural property south of town. If there’s a common thread in these seemingly disparate accomplishments, it is Griffith’s passion…

Leslie Mattson // By Jim Mahaffie She came here to ski powder; in staying, she’s made an indelible mark on the community.  “People love Grand Teton National Park,” says Leslie Mattson, president of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation since 2004. “They step off their flight, and the mountains are right there in their faces. How can you not love that view? We enable people to support what they love.” During Mattson’s time at GTNPF, it has raised over $150 million for the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center; major improvements to Jenny Lake, Antelope Flats, and other areas of…

Water Filters & Purifiers We tested these so you don’t have to. // Dina Mishev PLATYPUS GRAVITY WORKS What is it Fill the 4-liter “dirty” bag of this gravity-fed water-filter kit, connect it to the high-flow filter and “clean” bag, hang it so gravity can do its thing, and walk away. Within minutes, you’ll have filtered water.Strengths No pumping or squeezing required; the bags can be converted to a solar shower.Weaknesses This doesn’t kill viruses, and it can be difficult to fill the bag in shallow water sources.Best for Effortless water filter for small groups.Details $135; available at REI, 974 W. Broadway Ave., and rei.com…

Take it Easy Gear that elevates relaxing. // By Dina mishev Black Diamond’s Alpenglow Hoody is a full-coverage, lightweight SPF layer (SPF 50+) with in-fiber cooling technology; it reflects 71 percent of near-infrared rays and reduces the wearer’s perceived temperature. $95, available at BlackDiamond, 160 W. Pearl Ave.  Icemule’s Pro soft-sided coolers—available in 23- and 33-liter sizes—retain ice for 24 hours. With backpack straps and a drybag-style roll-top, they are easy to carry and water- and sand-resistant. From $135, icemulecoolers.com  We take our Kammok Roo Single Recycled Hammock everywhere, so we’re ready to nap anytime the desire arises. Only 11.4…

Mormon Row // By Dina Mishev “Where’s the barn?” There are hundreds of barns in Jackson Hole, but ask this question of any local and they will all give the same answer: the T.A. Moulton Barn is on Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. More than a century old, this barn might be the most photographed in the world. With the Tetons rising sharply behind it, it does make for a gorgeous image.  But the barn, and the 30-some other buildings that remain on Mormon Row, are more than props. A $7.4 million multi-year public-private partnership now in its…

Calico This former church—bought for $666.66—has been a community gathering spot for six decades. // By Samantha Simma One of the oldest restaurants in Teton County is still the crown jewel of Moose-Wilson Road—an American-Italian bar and restaurant that turns 400 to 500 covers on a busy summer night. At Calico Bar & Restaurant, muted lighting and a crackling fireplace are welcome comforts on dark, snowy evenings. During the summer, parents sip wine at deck tables while kids romp on the large, grassy lawn. It’s date night with a built-in babysitter.  In a past life, Calico’s bar was a church…