Jackson Hole's version of the Super Bowl!

As usual, there is never a shortage of things to do in Jackson Hole. Our weekend starts tonight (Thursday) as we head out to the National Museum of Wildlife Art for the "Winter Quick Draw." Our friend, Kay Stratman, will be participating in the event, so it will be extra special! We are looking forward to watching more than 10 contemporary artists race the clock to complete a work of art from start to finish in one unforgettable hour. The artists will also include emerging artists from high schools in Jackson Hole.  All works of art will be available for purchase by silent auction the evening of the event. To round out the evening there will be the Rising Sage Café’s famous "Chilly Bar" and the Snake River Brewing Company's "Beer Quick Draw," - that was the ringer for Barry's attendance!  So, a night of art, no cooking and Snake River Beer...TGIT - a great way to kick off the weekend!

National Museum of Wildlife Art

Our weekend festivities will continue as we celebrate the JH version of our "Super Bowl," with a kick-off party on the Town Square on Friday night. The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR) will start in downtown Jackson Hole on Friday night, with 21 teams of sled dogs mushing along Broadway. The IPSSSDR is the largest sled dog race in the Lower 48. The IPPSSSDR was founded in 1996 by Frank Teasley (A Jacksoninte) to showcase the state of Wyoming and to make sled dog racing more accessible to the public. With its unique stage stop format, the IPSSSDR has become a popular mushing event attracting the world’s top competitors.Teasley expects large crowds at all the stage stops as the race hosts 25 mushers—an expanded roster from recent years, this year including a team from Jamaica (Cool Runnings)! Four-time Iditarod winner Lance Mackey and Blayne “Bud” Streeper, winner of the IPSSSDR in 2004 and 2010, will be two of the teams competing for the IPSSSDR title “It’s a mushing dream come true,” says Teasley. “It’s like the Super Bowl of mushing.” Each year the race makes a contribution to communities on the race route for childhood immunizations.

 Check out the website www.wyomingstagestop.org/  if you are interested in keeping track of the race results day by day; or go to this link for a great video of last year's race events: http://dai.ly/fhNjfv

IPSSSDR Route Map

1/30 - Lander Lollypop Loop South Pass 9 AM 42 miles
1/31 - Pinedale to Cora 10 AM 38 miles
2/1 - Big Piney/Marbleton race 64 miles
2/2 - Alpine/Greys River to Box Y 9 AM 54 miles
2/4 - Bridger Valley Stage 10 AM (45) miles
2/5 – Park City Race Start 12 PM 2 PM Finish (8 miles)

 A little bit about the race:
The Race aims are to determine which musher’s team will cover the race trail distance in the shortest time in compliance with the regulations established by the IPSSSDR. The fastest team each day will start in the last position the next day. This procedure will be followed throughout each stage of the race. The overall leader and/or the previous stage winner may be required to wear the designated leader bib.

SLED
Each musher may choose his own sled providing that it meets the necessary IPSSSDR requirements, that is tandem hitch with one tow line and not fan type hitch. Braking devices must be placed between the runners and not extend beyond the length of the runners; all sleds must be provided with a brush bow. The sled must contain a sled bag capable of hauling any injured dogs as well as carrying mandatory equipment and food.

A musher may start the race with no more than twelve (12) dogs on the tow line at any time. No dogs will be allowed in the basket. Dogs will be chosen from a maximum pool of sixteen (16) dogs. No dog may be added to a team once a stage has started.

So it is a weekend of "fast and furious" here in Jackson Hole! We are off to the starting line.....

Fun and Games!

Life continues to be full of fun and games here in Jackson Hole!

The College Bowl games are finally over, not that I didn't enjoy watching them 24/7 (ha) - Barry LOVES that he can ski all day and tape all the football games and come home and watch them all night! We were thrilled to watch TCU end up undefeated, Rose Bowl Champions, and ranked #2 in the AP Poll...GO FROGS! Now it is on to Pro football play-offs and College basketball - doesn't seem like I will get much time for viewing "Live to Dance" or "Parenthood" anytime soon.

There were lots of fun and games going on in Kansas City yesterday as my Mom celebrated her 75th Birthday! As most of you would agree, she is one of the youngest 75 year-olds around! Need some proof? She won an I-Pad at work for having the highest sales volume - she's a ringer. And my brother got her a Wii Fit for her birthday since she had so much fun playing with his kids in Florida over Christmas. So my Mom is one cool and in touch Grandma sporting her new I-Pad and Wii! Hope you had a HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! See you next week to continue the celebration in Texas.

Closer to home, we have had some exciting fun and games happening in Jackson Hole:

Nachtspektakel - it is difficult to pronounce, but "easy to do" (according to locals). Jackson Hole celebrated its first Nachtspektakel last week. It is a "night spectacle" ski tour, an age-old European tradition made popular in Germany where skiers can eat, drink and ski. Sounded like all the makings for a fun evening...and you know me, anything that I can do to become more "local" is on my list! The fee was only $20 and it included drinks and appetizers, as well as demo skis from Dynafit...what a great deal! The problem arose when I read on further and they noted that "participants will 'skin' up to Casper Lodge starting at 5:30." Okay, I can eat and drink and ski, but I don't "skin" (unless of course they were talking about bacon and cheese potato skins). I learned that skins are something that you put on your skis so that you can hike UP the mountain to the Casper Lodge (conveniently located about 3/4 of the way up the mountain) for drinks and light fare. They then went on to promote the evening as follows, "the event will culminate with a group descent at 8:00 pm lit by headlamps." Okay, a few more obstacles - first, I surely would still be trying to "skin" up the mountain at 8:00 pm; secondly I don't have (nor do I have it on my wish list at Nordstrom)  a headlamp! So needless to say, we did not participate in Jackson Hole's inaugural Nachtspektakel. I believe I am going to seek out the parties that are "bring your favorite appetizer to share" or "BYOB!"

Enjoying Nachtspektakel!

US Ski Mountaineering National Championships - Since we are on the theme of climbing UP the mountain, I might as well report on the US Ski Mountaineering National Championships that were held in Jackson Hole last weekend. This event includes a small group of U.S. athletes who start at the bottom of the mountain with skis on their feet (using skins of course), climb mountains, ski them, then repeat the climb several times with varying courses and elements in what you are climbing up and skiing down. This feat is performed as fast as they possibly can (and not even drinks and food for them along the way at the Casper Lodge)! For the lesser of us, there are chairlifts. These athletes scoff at the idea, "you big sissies," they comment. By the time that Barry and I arrived at the mountain to ski our groomed blue runs (via chairlift) on Saturday, these athletes were already home resting for stage two of their competition on Sunday at Grand Targhee Resort. These are what I consider "Mountain Athletes!"

U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Championship - Jackson Hole

Do Moose Play Hockey?

In Jackson Hole they do...last night we went to the Jackson Hole Moose Hockey Club's game against the New York St. Nicks. The Moose compete nationwide in the highest level of USA Hockey's governing board - the Senior Elite Division. Unfortunately we did not win, but it was a fun evening of priced-right entertainment (admission only $8...cheaper than a movie), and the club has a good message:

Melody Ranch Hockey - We also have a neighborhood outdoor Hockey Rink right down the street from our house! This is actually our pond near the walking path, which has frozen  just in time to  let the neighborhood kids and Dad's have regular matches. So, our hockey playing friends (Jeff P.), be sure to pack your skates when you come out to visit!

Melody Ranch Hockey

Moose be fun to live in Melody Ranch - Our resident Melody Ranch Cow Moose and her calf continue to "hang out and play" in the neighborhood. They have really made Melody Ranch "home." It is amazing to watch them just relax in our yards and munch on all of our trees and bushes. Last weekend the Cow Moose was literally standing on our front porch, with her behind in our window, eating our bush near the front door! They discourage people from disrupting the wildlife - if they are in your driveway, you should just call in late to work etc. And if they eat all of your landscaping, you should just replant next spring. We are here to co-exist!

The Cow resting outside our neighbor's
house after eating their apple tree!



Captured this picture from Ashley's bedroom window.
These are our neighbors in the back!
Bet the moose wants to jump on the trampoline!

Not so fun....American Airlines Plane has a "runway excursion." It is funny to me that they create terminology to make things seem "minor."

Crews work to dig out an American Airlines 757 airplane that slid more than 650 feet off the end of the runway after landing at Jackson Hole Airport in early January. The pilot told passengers the brakes on the jet did not work (really??). Luckily nobody was hurt.

Now erase that last picture from your memory, and come on out for some fun and games!

New Years + 10

Happy 2011! I thought that since I did not get to blog about our wonderful New Year's celebration in a timely fashion that I would wait and report about it on a cool day - 1-11-11....almost like New Year's Day!

Jackson Hole proved to be a fun place to ring in the New Year. Unfortunately, the days following New Year's caught me down with a terrible cold or mini-flu, so no blogging was accomplished. Then we found ourselves out and about again enjoying the winter activities - so blogging has  been on the back burner.

Back to New Years...first you need to understand that there are two distinct areas here in Jackson Hole. There is "Teton Village," which is where the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is located (ski area). It is a great little area with world class hotels, fabulous restaurants, shopping, beautiful homes and most importantly skiing! We live about 15 miles from the Village - an easy and absolutely beautiful drive. Then there is "Town," Jackson Hole's downtown area (don't even think city). This is where the Town Square is located, which is surrounded by wonderful shops, art galleries, restaurants and many local motels. In "Town" we also have another small ski area called Snow King Resort. We live about 5 miles south of "Town." It is about a 20 minute drive between the Village and Town, so most people staying at the Village for the ski resort, frequent our Town Square.


Jackson Hole, WY


 We started our New Year's celebration out at the Village. The weather was about 10 below zero when we arrived to watch the Torchlight Parade and fireworks. We tried out the seats around the large fire pit outside, but due to the extremely cold temperatures we opted for a cozy place in the Four Seasons Resort at the bar to wait until dark! This is rated as one of the top resorts in the World, and the finest in the Four Seasons chain of hotels - worth at least a drink in the bar or dinner when you visit. We met some very interesting people, who no doubt did not make it all the way until New Years, but they made for fun "pre-parade" conversation. The Village was really bustling with tourists and those who "winter" here in Jackson Hole (if you "winter" or "summer" here, you most likely have a beautiful, multi-million dollar second, or third, home located here). It was amazing to us the difference in the feel of the area once it filled with tourists - probably the first time that I did not feel like I was the one on vacation! The torchlight parade is open for anyone to participate in - it will have to be much warmer before you find me in the parade! Once it was nightfall, the skiers start at the top of the North side of the mountain and ski down carrying torches - it was awesome to watch them descending the mountain and as they got closer to the base all of the New Year's revelers started cheering and clapping - what a thrill it was....I almost forgot that I was freezing to death. But nobody could have been as chilly as the participant who skied down the mountain naked (well he did have his torches) - YIKES! The Parade was followed by a beautiful fireworks display over the Village.

 

 We really enjoyed the festivities and excitement of being at the Village to start our evening. The only down side was that we were REALLY COLD (did I mention that already?)! When we ran back to our car, it was 15 below zero. I will remember to wear long underwear next year! We had planned to head into town to catch an early movie, but we needed to make one stop on our way to pick up some "warming agents" to enjoy at the movie with our popcorn & diet coke!

The Village Liquor Store :)

 
On our way from the Village into Town we were able to see the Torchlight Parade that they had at Snow King Resort - what a great celebration....two parades in one night! We saw "The Tourist," which turned out to be better than we expected. Their lives in the movie were a bit more action-packed than our "tourist" experiences in JH! We then went and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Burke's Chop House in Town. We came home to ring in the New Year (can't be out too late when you have to get up and ski the next day) watching the tape-delay of Dick Clarke from NYC - I love that guy from my days of watching American Bandstand! We were still so cold when we came home (partially due to the heat going out in the restaurant for a part of the evening), that we rang in the New Year in our coats and hats (consider them the JH version of a party hat)!

Cheers!

Skol!

Yummy, cheesecake with Amaretto & champagne!
Happy 2011!

 We woke up bright and early on New Year's Day so that we could enjoy a day of skiing before returning home to watch some football. On or way out to the Village we were greeted by this jolly fellow along Village Road:

This snowman was erected by Yellow Iron Excavating to convey holiday wishes.
The snowman is about 20 feet tall, and a 55-gallon trash can serves as its hat!

So the New Year has officially begun with a bang. We continue to feel like we are on vacation and can't wait to have some visitors to our winter wonderland to enjoy all that Jackson Hole has to offer!

Best Wishes for a very Happy, Healthy and Beautiful 2011!

PS - Our holiday cards just got sent out yesterday - consider them a Martin Luther King card if you wish!!