Monthly Archives: January 2014

Straight Outta Jackson Hole to Outdoor Retailer ’14

The North Face's Annual Outdoor Retailer Camp

The North Face’s Annual Outdoor Retailer Camp

Every January loads of Jackson Hole outdoor industry peeps head to OR in nearby-enough downtown Salt Lake City. Outdoor Retailer houses all the gear, equipment and outerwear under the sun in one big convention center and is a bi-annual mecca for big and burgeoning brands to get in front of a select group of buyers, editors and gear gurus. It’s a heck of a fun time too, especially with beer-infused presentations and fabulous parties.

The Thermoball: A North Face Favorite

The Thermoball: A North Face Favorite

The North Face lead the innovation charge with a usual gusto and roll-out of gear for all-things-outdoor. Favorites like The Thermoball were hot and while specific pieces are pervasively front and center, this year The North Face shakes it up with the introduction of an inspired line for athletes-in-training. Mountain Athletics, launching officially in Spring 2014, outfits outdoor enthusiasts from expert to off-the-couch with a new line of apparel for essential sport-specific training. Mountain Athletics and The North Face athletes Kit DesLauriers present the Inspired Spring '14 line

Mountain Athletics and The North Face athlete Kit DesLauriers present the Inspired Spring ’14 line

Mountain Athletics was presented by a familiar local face. The North Face Athlete Kit DesLauriers is training in the new threads at Jackson Hole’s Mountain Athlete. Kit is mentoring a local and regular 9-5 guy in Jackson looking to improve strength and stamina with an in-depth, multi-discipline training approach in the hopes of reaching higher peaks in the Tetons this spring.

Presenting US Freeskiing Team's Official Threads for 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

Presenting US Freeskiing Team’s Official Threads for 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

Other exciting highlights included the official unveiling of The North Face US Freeskiing uniforms for Sochi-bound athletes. The outfits prove that the brands placement at the top of industry trends. This years Winter Olympics marks the introduction of Freeskiing to the tradition and The North Face is the official sponsor.

Rebel Americana at It's Finest for the US Freeskiers bound for Sochi

Rebel Americana at It’s Finest for the US Freeskiers bound for Sochi

With the recent announcement of the roster and athletes bound for Russia, the accompanying North Face message of ‘Rebel Americana’ inspires a timely readiness for celebrating athleticism at home and abroad. From Jackson Hole to SLC to Sochi, it’s an exciting time for winter outdoor.

 

 

 

 

 

Jackson Hole Apres Ski: The Alpenhof

The Alpenhoff Has a Whole Lotta Heart

The Alpenhof Has a Whole Lotta Heart

Gutten Tag! from the sunny slopes of Jackson Hole! Time for a weekly roundup of watering holes. This week, all eyes are on the Austrain delight that is The Alpenhof.

Catch a Beer in Cozy Euro Style on the Slopes if Jackson Hole

Catch a Beer in Cozy Euro Style 

The longstanding institution with prime time location smack next to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Tram line is a local favorite for it’s cozy atmosphere and occasionally raucous beer drinking scene helped largely by the cup holders frequenting the bar. At the Alpenhof you will find a bar-going blend of vintage return guests who’ve been coming to Jackson forever mixed up with a whole lot of ski schoolers and the occasional patron feeling displaced by the Village Cafe teardown looking for pop in closest proximity to their next tram lap.

Bottums up from the Alpenhoff.

Bottums up from the Alpenhof.

Posting up on the outdoor porch at The Alpenhof promises tramline people watching, perhaps a pear brandy, fondue for two if it suits you, and maybe a little Chanman too. Forgive the rhyming but it feels appropriate to lend some lyricism to this rundown considering it’s hard to communicate a yodel which would be most fitting for one review of this little gem.

 

 

 

Wilson Skating Rink Love

Ice Magic in Beautiful Downtown Wilson, WY

Ice Magic in Beautiful Downtown Wilson, WY

Honestly, could there be anything better than the Wilson Rink? The sleepy, stinkin’ awesome little town at the base of Teton Pass is aglow a few nights a week for townspeople who love stick and puck or just to glide around in the winter night and have fun with friends. It’s a community effort and open to all- reservations for big groups events or games are a snap through park and rec. Suit and warm up in the little hut and don’t forget that lights automatically go off at dark thirty. That’s usually a good time to visit to the famed Stagecoach Bar. Pure Wilson magic.

Hotel Terra Lobby Apres with Osteria

Just a January 15 Early Evening in the Hotel Terra Lobby

Just a January 15 Early Evening in the Hotel Terra Lobby

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole and in-house ‘tavern’ il Villaggio Osteria are now offering a new way to Apres in the sleek slope side hotel. It’s a welcome reprieve from what can often be a rowdy pursuit- the Apres scene in Teton Village is just such at places like Nick Wilsons and The Mangy Moose. So, instead of duking it out in one of those watering holes, the Hotel Terra lobby begs skiers, families and pals  to sink into one of the cozy couches or cool wing chairs and cheers to a good life in Jackson Hole.

Enjoy a Select Menu from Osteria

Enjoy a Select Menu from Osteria

Along with the gimlets and grenaches on the the paired-down menu, there’s an excellent choice of charcuterie and Osteria classics. Had a long day on the hill? Now you know of another great place  to go.

Terra Cafe in Hotel Terra Jackson Hole: New Look

Terra Cafe Goes a Little Bit Communal

Terra Cafe Goes a Little Bit Communal

Since opening it’s doors six years ago, it’s been fun to watch Terra Cafe’s interiors change and keep current with culinary and design trends. Located on the lobby level of Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, the inspired, almost-all-organic cafe has long been a great spot to sink into an excellent coffee or apres ski drink with a few friends. The fresh crepes and innovative salads keep locals and in-house guests religiously checking in for good, quick and easy slopeside eats.

With the addition of a lovely barn wood communal table now, Terra Cafe suddenly becomes an ideal spot for gathering friends or corralling groups of children for apres (as it is conveniently right next to the play and TV area). Alternatively, it’s a welcoming spot to cozy up with some strangers and dine in a cool farm-to-table atmosphere. Anyway, just a note on spotting of trends in and around Jackson Hole. Take the eye a little further and additionally note the new textured wall- goes great with the Hotel overall which seems to be making increasingly chic updates by the minute. Will keep an eye on the sharp, smart hotel as winter fun continues in Teton Village. In the meantime, follow that arrow and check out Terra Cafe’s new look!

Terra Cafe

 

Turpin Meadow Ranch Nordic Ski Day

Historic Turpin Meadow Ranch, which has been under renovation and construction since it was purchased two years ago took a huge turn over the weekend – it went Nordic.

Turpin Meadow Ranch Has a New Look!

Turpin Meadow Ranch Has a New Look!

New owners Hans and Nancy Johnstone officially opened it’s brand new and beautifully renovated ranch to local Jackson Hole nordic ski-lovers but will continue to operate as a classic cowboy dude-ish ranch in the warmer months.

Ira Glass in Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole Center for the Arts officially kicks off it’s robust 2014 lineup with some stellar entertainers and speakers including Nellie McKay and the members of the Turtle Island Quartet and NPR’s This American Life host Ira Glass. Both evenings promise a back-to-back delivery of only the highest caliber of the art in Jackson Hole.

An Evening with Ira Glass in Jackson Hole

An Evening with Ira Glass in Jackson Hole (Via: jhcenterforthearts.org)

First up: tonight’s Grammy-Winner performance with Ms. McKay. The center reports:

‘Singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, and actor Nellie McKay joins forces with the two time GRAMMY® award winning Turtle Island Quartet to present a delightfully kaleidoscopic view of the music of Billie Holiday, Billy Strayhorn, and the Weimar cabaret of the 1920’s. While the combination of voice and strings has long been a staple of the classical genre as well as of contemporary music, Nellie McKay’s talents on piano, mallets, and ukulele and Turtle Island’s famed innovative rhythmic techniques unleash an unprecedented range of possibilities.’

Then, take a trip through the reinvention of the radio right here in Jackson Hole with inventive and intuitive storyteller Ira Glass.

‘NPR host and creator of This American Life, Ira Glass, is scheduled to speak at the Center for the Arts in Jackson on January 4, 2014.  Glass will talk about his radio program and how it’s put together: what makes a compelling story, where they find the amazing stories for their show, how he and his staff are trying to push broadcast journalism to do things it doesn’t usually do. During his talk, Glass will mix stories from the show, live onstage, combining his narration with pre-taped quotes and music, recreating the sound of the show as the audience watches. And he plays funny and memorable moments from the show, and talks about what was behind their creation.’

Are we lucky to have a place like the Center for the Arts in Jackson Hole or what? The producers and team behind the entire organization do a phenomenal job at bringing world-class acts to our little spot in the universe. Perhaps most remarkably, it’s always a wonder and proud reminder of how unique and  impactful a place Jackson is when you hear literally every visiting on-stage artist proclaim how moved they are by the vibrancy and beauty of community and landscape. The audience,  of course,  agrees and everyone feels the power of this American Life we lead in Jackson Hole.