So, I have to admit, when Google Earth first showed up, I spent hours searching the globe for all the places I’ve always wanted to visit. Not only did I realize that I need to brush up on my geography, I also found that many places were just fuzzy dots that made it hard to really see anything. But hey, I could travel around the world!

Well, Google Earth has come a long way since it first came out and it seems they keep adding high resolution imagery daily. In short, Google Earth is becoming a great trip planning tool on so many levels! Read More »

Sure, most people think marmots are cute but we all know that in reality, there is a sinister air about them.

They love your food, and they will do anything within their power to steal it from you. Don’t you ever wonder why some marmots are so goddamn fat? And if you think that food is the only thing the little bastards want to steal, think again. Same goes with your sweat soaked shirts or hats. The little kleptos love those. I’ve had the pleasure of getting not only a shirt stolen by one, but a hat as well. Probably by the same little f**ker.

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Having lived in Jackson awhile and not yet climbed the Grand isn’t really a topic I throw out at cocktail parties. Always been meaning to get up there, but with the mountain biking, fly fishing and other various local options, not to mention work and family, road trips and the Brew Pub, it has always ben too easy to put off for another day. I’m not a super devout climber, but c’mon, it’s the Grand. So, with the dual prodding of Greg Williams and local Freeskier ad rep Jason Smith, we settled on the day. Read More »

As summer rolls into town, so do a number of other multi-wheeled vehicles. They come to do the Yellowstone/Grand Teton RV safari.

Living in a tourist town (approximately four million visitors pass through Jackson in a year) can be frustrating, but it’s also a solid economic base, a renewable resource. Although we’re mostly happy to see people experiencing the beauty of Jackson (the whole loving it to death thing is another story that we can get to later), summer’s are the worst.

There seems to be this invisible barrier at the edge of town, and when crossed by incoming visitors, all traffic laws that are applicable everywhere else in the country just evaporate. Stoplights are for decorative purposes only, right hand turns from the left hand lane are perfectly normal, driving 15 mph in a 55 zone is standard operating procedure and stopping in the middle of the highway to take pictures doesn’t earn a second thought.

Road biking in Jackson is a contact sport. Read More »

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This video takes about three minutes to watch. The climb depicted, up the Upper Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton, and down the Owen Spalding route, took about 340 times that. We moseyed up that mountain, socializing, dawdling, detouring, and snacking the entire way. BTW, the climber in the video who says “Shwing!” is Ken Jern, who, several years ago, slipped on ice (right where he’s standing in the vid) and tumbled about 50 feet down the pitch below him, breaking several ribs. “It made for an interesting, painful day,” he recalled with a smile. The video is brought to you by thesnaz.com. The song, “Simple Life,” is from Jason Spooner.

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On June 24, 2007, Cloudveil founders Steve Sullivan and Brian Cousins climbed their company’s namesake, Cloudveil Dome, for the first time, on the exact 10 year anniversary of Cloudveil Mountain Works. Video brought to you by thesnaz.com.