Outpost Jackson Hole

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Jackson Hole

Great Grey Gin Old Fashioned

For those of us who find an old fashioned to be a touch on the sweet side — or perhaps you’re trying to lay off the whiskey and bourbon families for awhile (no shame, my friends, we’ve all been there), Jackson Hole Still Works’ Great Grey Gin Old Fashioned may be the perfect spin on tradition you’ve been desperately looking for. With six different dried herbs and spices, the Great Grey proves to be a strikingly flawless balance of bright and tart flavors topped with hints of cinnamon for a cozy winter drink.

While the classic old fashioned calls for bourbon or rye whiskey, the Great Grey version highlights the floral and spice elements found in the more approachable style of Still Works’ spirit, where they (respectfully) exploit infusion and botanicals throughout the distillation process. Since they combine both saturation and vapor infusion for their secret sauce, owners Chas Marsh and Travis Goodman are adamant this spirit is to be stirred, not shaken. If you can embrace the stir, you’ll experience the definition of what it means to prolong the essence of botanicals while supercharging your tastebuds.

Still Works doesn’t stop at a smooth final product — they stick to their mantra of high quality ingredients and the local food movement (not to mention local art featured on the interior of all their bottles). I urge you to arm yourself with this extra credit material at your next party, where you can tout their non-GMO, Wyoming farmed grains directly sourced from the Bighorn Basin. Want to know just how small batch we’re talking? Goodman and Marsh do it all themselves as a two-man team. Oh, and did I mention it’s naturally gluten free?

Sure, it may be daring to call a gin’s delicate, juniper berry base a realistic substitute for a burly, barrel aged whiskey, but I double-dog-dare you to pull this recipe out of your hat during the next snowfall. As Still Works “Cocktail Creationist” Zach Isler describes it, this simple style cocktail uses lemon oleo syrup made from the peel of a lemon combined with Lillet for a subtle layer of softness to highlight the deeper flavors of the gin. Go ahead, stir up a batch and depart on a heady trip to winter’s wonderland you won’t soon forget.

 

 

Ingredients (single serving)

1.75oz Great Grey Gin

.25oz Lillet Blanc

2 Barspoons of Lemon Oleo

1 Dash Aromatic Bitters

 

 

 

Instructions

Combine Great Grey Gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon oleo, and aromatic bitters over lager ice cubes into a large glass or cocktail shaker. Stir to mix & chill the cocktail. Strain & pour into a rocks glass. Zest a large piece of lemon skin, gently rub it around the rim of the glass then drop in to garnish.

 

 

 

Lemon Oleo Recipe

Remove zest from a 5 large lemons in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, leaving behind the white pith. Add 1/2 cup white sugar. Gently toss the sugar into the peels in a medium bowl. Then, using a muddler or wooden spoon, lightly press the lemon peels and sugar until peels begin to express their oils. Cover & let sit for at least 3 hours, but up to one day (flavor will intensify over time). Add 1/4 cup water. Stir & strain into an airtight container, pressing on solids to extract as much oil as possible; discard zest. Cover oil and chill. 

 

For more on all the awesome things these guys are doing check out www.jhstillworks.com.

Tuesday Night Bluegrass

There’s really only one place to be in Jackson Hole on a Tuesday evening: front and center of the well-worn dance floor at The Silver Dollar Bar for Bluegrass night. The longest running band in residency here, One Ton Pig, will have you stomping, head bumping, or full-on country western two-stepping with the first notes of singer-songwriter Michael Batdorf’s guitar.

 

After over eleven years of the weekly gig, it’s no wonder the bar inside The Wort Hotel is packed at 7:30pm by locals and visitors alike year round — these guys know how to have a good time. As I worm my way up through the crowd during a set break, I’m surrounded by cowboy boots, fancy dress boots, sneakers, even ski boots, and a contagious energy that immediately smacks a smile on my face. Bits of conversations hang in the air; locals pumped about getting a ski run in before work, a mother and son banter over their bumpy plane ride in, two old friends catch each other’s eye and run up in giggles to hug.

While the night is called Bluegrass night, the small stage is cluttered with reverb and distortion pedals, and One Ton Pig is known to play straight-up bluegrass to blues to funk and everything in between. In other words, if you don’t like the first song (said no one ever), stick around. In fact, the gig has become so popular that about four years ago the bar expanded to double in size specifically to hold the Tuesday night crowd. The renovation is a beautiful one — the new bar is a mirror of the original bar, hundreds of silver dollars making up the long countertops and the same cozy and country feel throughout.

A few minutes later, the band members start to gather back on the stage, tuning guitars, swigging the rest of their beers. At first glance, One Ton Pig looks like a band made for a ski town — baseball caps, mustaches, rough stubble beards. But the moment they let their instruments loose, everyone in the bar is instantly transported to Nashville; these are six incredibly talented musicians, and Jackson Hole hit the jackpot to have them end up here.

“For all you old timers,” Michael yells out from the stage. “Here’s one from out of the dust bowl…” With that, they kick off into high gear, the crowd jumping into dance positions to keep up with them. An older couple who drove in from their (real) dude ranch glide across the floor in perfect form, swinging and twirling between millennials mixing country and pop dance styles. By the time the fiddler and mandolin player tag team a solo to a railroad blurring bluegrass beat, the entire bar is on its feet, and the dance floor only clearing long enough to grab a quick shot of whiskey between songs. Conversations turn to whistles and hollers for more and more music, and with that I’ve got to take my puffy coat off and dive in. Luckily, we’ve still got a nice long set ahead of us — this town doesn’t sleep on Tuesdays because the band plays all night.

Find more about One Ton Pig at www.onetonpig.com

For more info on happenings at the Silver Dollar Bar go to www.worthotel.com/silver-dollar-bar/live-music-in-jackson-hole/

Largest Management Company in Jackson Hole!

Proud moment. With over 120 properties in our portfolio we’ve officially become the largest vacation rental management company in Jackson Hole and we’re kicking off the New Year with a feature in Jackson Hole News and Guide. To read the full story follow this link.

Outpost has been in business for only three years, and our growth is a testament of our passion for what we do. It has truly been an incredible ride. We thank our talented team who have all worked tirelessly, and our amazing families who have been our pillars of support. They’ve all contributed so much to our accomplishments. We also owe a huge thank you to our wonderful clients and supportive Jackson community who we truly could not have done this without! Our crew has our sights set on continued growth, improvements, and success for the future. We have built an outstanding team and together we will all continue to deliver the best experience, performance and service there is.

On behalf of Mekki, Annie, Charlotte, and the rest of our incredible team we wish you all the best in 2019. Here’s to another exciting year ahead!

 

 

Friday Night Strikes & Sunday Football

Summer coming to an end is always bittersweet, but the beginning of Fall in Jackson brings us much to get excited about: golden Aspen leaves, perfect hiking temperatures, bugling elk, and… football season! For many of us, autumn is ubiquitous with tucking in and watching our team play alongside family, friends, and friendly rivals. When Sunday comes around, don’t be caught without a spot to watch, celebrate, and eat a healthy serving or two of comfort food, of course.

Outpost’s favorite place to watch the game just happens to also be a bowling alley! Jackson Hole Bowl is the perfect game day hangout, for so many reasons: 

Room for Everyone

The Hole Bowl has a huge section for bowling, but their lounge/restaurant is actually half of the whole building! Twelve TV’s and a Direct TV football package will ensure that your game is on, and there are plenty of comfy couches to go around. Arrive early on a big game day, though, because the first to grab a couch gets to watch their game with the sound on! 

Game Day Grub

The Pinsetter, Hole Bowl’s restaurant, serves up some of the best bar-style, just- greasy-enough bites around. Get your hands on a cheeseburger made with local Carter Country beef, sinful loaded fries topped with gruyere cheese and braised short rib, or a mushroom and truffle goat cheese flatbread pizza to share. Drink specials abound during football season– look for the Michelada special made with a 20-oz corona. 

Family Friendly

Maybe the best part about watching the game at the Hole Bowl is its unique capability to entertain the entire family: super fans, those just along for the ride, and kids of all ages.  Kids are allowed anywhere in the building, and they can bowl or play games while the adults sip beers and cheer on their team. Pro tip: reserve a lane near a TV so that the whole family can do both.

VIP Treatment

If you want something extra special for your group during a playoff game, you can reserve a private lane, which includes TV’s and your own space to celebrate.

There you have it… bowling and football, the perfect combo.  Of course, there are plenty of other spots around town to hunker down on a Sunday, too. Here are the runners up for Outpost’s favorite spots: 

Best for guaranteeing an SEC game is on: Moe’s BBQ

Miss Congeniality(best local personality): Cutty’s

Best Brisket: Big Hole BBQ

Most TV’s (they have 30!): Sidewinder’s American Grill

Best bar atmosphere (throw your peanut shells on the floor): Eleanor’s

We’re Sweet On Mursell’s

A new shop just opened its doors in Gaslight Alley, and it’s as cute as a candy button. Inside the crisp navy and whitewashed exterior evocative of a New England general store, you’ll discover nostalgic treats like Charleston Chews and Necco wafers alongside artisanal sugars, marshmallows, and gourmet gummy bears in an array of bright colors.  

John Frechette and Christian Burch, the duo that brought you MADE and Mountain Dandy, recently opened Mursell’s Sweet Shop which is a reinvention of former shop owner Mursell McLaughlin’s 34 year old tradition. Mursell, who passed away this past spring, previously sold chocolate and artwork in the space. Her wish was for her friends Frechette and Burch to carry on her legacy, which they have managed to do while also infusing the shop with their own vibrant energy and clean aesthetic. Read on for a few of Outpost’s favorite treats… trust us, it was hard to choose.

1) Gourmet Gummy Bears

Colorful gummy bears made from the purest ingredients are trendy, delicious, and practically begging to be plucked from the whitewashed shelves. They work well as little gifts, party favors, or bridal and baby showers, if you can resist eating them yourself! These yummy gummies come in classic monochromatic flavors like cherry and grape, or in a multicolored blend that will make you smile.

 2) Cotton Candy from Sugar and Spun

Cotton candy is a straight-from-the-county-fair classic, but what if you want to save some sweetness for later? Candy manufacturer Sugar and Spun has solved this dilemma by putting cotton candy in convenient to-go tubs. These portable treats come in crazy flavors beyond the traditional pink and blue, like salted chocolate peanut butter, strawberry cheesecake, and habanero pineapple. 

  

3) Chocolate Covered Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwiches

There are bon bons, truffles, and chocolate-y treats galore under Mursell’s glass case, but this unique little treat is our absolute favorite. Remember those Ritz peanut butter sandwiches you got in your lunch box or as an after school snack when you were a kid? Turns out they’re even better smothered in chocolate. Go figure.

4) Under $1: Rock Candy and Honey Sticks

Mursell’s is keeping candy store tradition alive with sweets you could buy with some loose change you found in the parking lot or under the couch cushion. We are really glad to see cheap retro treats like these alongside the more hip, expensive goods. They add just the right dose of affordability and nostalgia. Sure, honey sticks and rock candy are pure sugar bombs, but isn’t that the point?!

5) Nutella from Persephone Bakery

This isn’t the nutella you’re used to seeing in the grocery store aisle. Our local Persephone Bakery left out the preservatives and reinvented this classic chocolate spread. The possibilities are endless– spread it on toast, spoon it over ice cream, or substitute it for chocolate bars the next time you make s’mores. 

Say Hello to Summer at the People’s Market

There is something so quintessentially small town summer about a farmers market. Winter in Jackson Hole stretches endlessly at times and our trips to the grocery store become a brief, hurried, and necessary yet unappealing chore that may involve running from the car mid snowstorm. For us, mountain folk emerging from a winter full of canned and pickled vegetables, stock soup, and questionable grocery aisle produce, the People’s Market is a sure sign of summer. Come gather in the sunshine and make your shopping experience visceral, delightful, and human once again.

The People’s Market, which occurs every Wednesday from 4 to 7 pm under the shadow of Snow King mountain, was the brainchild of local organization Slow Food in the Tetons, whose mission is to promote our local and regional sustainable food economy. So, they launched the People’s Market as a platform for the community to listen to music from local bands, bring the kids, and buy locally grown produce and art from small community vendors. Intentions of the organization are evident in the use of reusable plates by the food vendors, and the use of reusable cups (be sure to bring your own!) in the beer line for a refreshing Snake River Brewing IPA. The market encourages shoppers to bring their own bags from home, so grab a basket and stroll through aisles of crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs, sunflowers, and a few surprises besides.

  

Must-try market favorites include bison momos (Nepalese dumplings) from Everest Momo Shack, local cheese from Winter Winds goat farm, the fresh produce grown at Cosmic Apple farm, and locally brewed Teatonic Kombucha. The free bike in movie series, a nod to drive in movies but for the eco-conscious crowd (plus, everything is more fun on a bike), begins in August.  Bring your own chair or blanket and relive the good old days under a clear starry sky, soaking in the best of Jackson summer culture. You, too, can forgo the endless grocery store rows in favor of slowing down: all you need is a bike, a backpack, and mug for your beer. 

Come to chat with friends and neighbors, try some of Rosa’s tamales and mango flowers, sink into soulful live music by local bands like The Canyon Kids, and say hello to summer in Jackson Hole.

Snowmobiling to the Granite Hot Springs

The roar of snowmobile engines interrupts the wintry silence of Granite Creek road. After just a few moments, whoops and hollers join in as the cacophony echoes across the wide, snow-padded valley. The group of riders pick up speed. Playfully, and with growing boldness, several sleds begin to veer off the main trail and frolic in the vast expanses of powder at their whim. The riders’ growing exhilaration increases as they flick throttles forward, gassing the engines of the snowmobiles and speeding onward. Masks flip downward against the biting wind as smiles and laughter break out underneath.

Snowmobiling to the Granite Hot Springs

 Destination: Granite Hot Springs. A truly undeniable wilderness paradise whose views and soaking pools render visitors speechless season after season. The vast majority of visitors go in spring, summer, or fall when the rutted and distinctly Wyoming dirt road follows ten miles down the serpentine Granite Creek and ends at a trailhead deep in the Gros Ventre Wilderness. In winter, though, getting to Granite is a different story.

Snowmobiling to the Granite Hot Springs

After the road to Granite closes in late fall, access to the springs is limited to snowmobilers or those excited to spend a twenty-mile day striding on cross-country skis. Certainly, there is a beauty in a cross-country skier’s human-powered effort to reach the hot springs. But the snowmobile version has a physical effort too. Watching these riders play with their sleds and wrestle them into turns makes that clear. Its apples and oranges in a way, and however you get yourself down to Granite Hot Springs, you’re in for a treat. 

Snowmobiling to the Granite Hot Springs

The terrain, providing fun for beginner and expert snowmobilers alike, eventually leads to the foot of the Gros Ventre mountain range with steep walls sloping out of the valley. Granite Falls still cascades, even in the dead of winter, and the playful snowmobilers finally collect to a stop. High-fives abound before a few minutes shedding layers of protective gear and, bravely, most clothing down to swim suits. Steam rises off of warm bodies only to evaporate into the sparkling winter air. Across the creek, a  piping-hot, thermally-heated pool of water gleams invitingly, lined with a circle of rocks. The riders gingerly descend into the gravel-bottomed pool, relaxing against the rock-lined boundary as their bodies acquiesce to the heat of the water.  

At first there is a soothing quietness and lots of closed eyes as everyone gives in to a spa-like relaxation. Soon, the air cracks with the first snap of an aluminum beer top, and eager conversation fills in. Is there any better feeling than to be surrounded by friends deep in the heart of a still winter wood? No matter the vehicle – skis, snowshoes, sleds – it’s the warmth and friendship created by these adventures that makes them so worth it. Finding oneself chin-deep in a Wyoming wilderness hot springs is a memorable day however you plan it. 

After hearty snacks and a good long soak, the group slinks out of the water and quickly dashes back into warmer clothes. Lots of warmer clothes. There’s a moment for pauses, last looks around, and photos. Then engines roar to life and they set off into the woods once again. The thin winter sun dipping fast and low behind them on the horizon.

Book a trip to the Granite Hot Springs by clicking here.

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Images © Taylor Glenn

Supporting the Pursuit of Nature

For anyone who has touched a summit-marker atop one of the Tetons, the feeling is exquisite: overwhelming, invigorating and exhausting all at the same time. The planning, effort, communication, physical exertion, and technical skill required for such a feat does not come easily, and does not come without deliberate experience and determination.

Many people dream of summiting one of these stunning peaks, whether they live in the Tetons or not. You may only get a small window at such an attempt, if visiting, and factors outside of your control may thwart plans.

TG Climber Tetons Wide

In reality, the pursuit of adventure can be molded to any skill level, time frame, or budget. Adventure might not take the form of summiting the Grand, or spending ten hours on the Snake, or completing the Teton Crest Trail. In the Tetons, the pursuit of nature can be found just as easily on a smaller scale, and to no lesser effect. The simplicity of a campfire. The symphony of wildflowers in full bloom on the side of Shadow Mountain. The shifting light on the mountain range to the west. The company of friends, the smoky taste of food cooked carefully over an open flame. The twist of a zipper unfurling a downy sleeping bag.

“Step one, go outside. Step two, stay there until morning.”

Car camping, perhaps the simplest way to get outdoors for an extended period, does not require much. As Teton Backcountry Rentals founder Patrick Collins says, it’s really quite simple: “Step one, go outside. Step two, stay there until morning.” And, of course, if this seems a little too reduced for you, both Patrick and his co-founder Jacques Li are eager to give more specific advice on backcountry outings of all sorts.

The truth is, a night under the stars is attainable for anyone. Especially now that Teton Backcountry Rentals is in the business of making outdoor experiences possible, regardless of how extreme you want to get. Need an ice ax for a fourteen-hour mountaineering expedition? They’ve got you covered. Forgot a stove? Take your pick. Interested in car camping for the first time ever? They’ll set you up with everything you could possibly need, from a camp kitchen to sleeping gear and maybe a portable boom box to make the experience even more fun.

Offering an array of backcountry and frontcountry gear for rent at reasonable rates, TBR is committed to their mission of getting people outside, no matter the background and no matter the goal. With a new storefront at the “Y” on Broadway and Pearl, be sure to check out Teton Backcountry Rentals for your next adventure, whether you’ve had a trip in the works for months or simply want to experience the easy joy of tubing a river or sleeping under a starry sky.

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Visit Patrick and Jacques at Teton Backcountry Rentals if you need anything for an adventure of your own. Inspiration included. 490 West Broadway, or by phone or online at 307.828.1885 and www.tetonbcrentals.com.barn_blog_graphic

Images © Taylor Glenn 

Wildlife Safari in Jackson Hole

It’s a warm summer night, and the airy, comfortable van has come to a full stop along an irrigation ditch in the sage flats. Dust whirls around the tires and Taylor Phillips, owner of EcoTour Adventures, raises a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

“Anybody know if it’s a female or a male?” he asks, quietly, without turning his head.

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He’s looking out across the sage flats by Mormon Row, an aptly named area just east of Blacktail Butte in Grand Teton National Park, and the first settling place of the area’s early Mormon farmers. In the distance, four pronghorn graze majestically, illuminated by the golden rays of the long evening light.   

Taylor has the passengers guess the gender of the elegant ungulates, pointing out territorial and behavioral clues that allow the guests to draw a portrait of what’s happening in front of them.

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“Essentially, these guys are bachelors, and this is their bachelor pad,” Taylor explains. “See all that dead grass and dust? They don’t have the status within the herd to graze in more desirable territory, so here they are.” 

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The pronghorn, seemingly impervious to the EcoTours van parked by their pad, continue to graze. The light shifts, subtly, moment by moment, and the ridgeline of the Tetons cast lengthy shadows across the flat valley floor, creating a two-dimensional outline of the range. At Schwabacher’s Landing, the next stop on the tour, the sun dips behind Mount Owen in a final, flaring, brilliant farewell.

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In between Taylor’s discussion of the earth’s stretching crust and scraping glaciers we wander trails by the twisting Snake River and giggle as beaver heads plow through the still water, creating ripples in the fly-strewn calm. The bison, elk, and moose, not visible now, but present, wander the plains and among the willow banks, sharing the cooling mountain air with the small group.

“I want people to think about how landscape and wild interact.”

While its glaring beauty never fails to arrest, this frequently crossed Antelope Flats area of Jackson Hole can lose its novelty as an exciting part of our local wilderness in its own right. Yet even here the captivating connections Taylor draws between species, plants, geology, and people shed new perspective on this giant ecosystem many call home. For him, the EcoTours experience is “to go ‘beyond pretty.’ Everyone is impressed with the beauty of this place. But I want people to think about how landscape and wild interact. How can people interact? How can a deeper understanding of this place make a visitor’s trip to the Tetons more memorable?”

The mountains have healing powers for us humans, and land holds the power to heal itself. For visitor or local, those stories of wilderness, nature, and history are etched across the valley, sprinkled across the high moraines, and sunken into the riverbeds. Those stories are written again every day at the hatch of a caddisfly, the unfurling of a scarlet gilia flower, or the brush of an elk’s leg against the silverleaf. EcoTours helps bring those stories to life.   

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To book a wildlife safari in Jackson Hole or Yellowstone with Taylor Phillips or his other naturalists click here.

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Images © Taylor Glenn

Paddling the Tetons’ Turquoise Necklace

The boat leaves the shoreline in a lurch, its stern tracing a line in the sand until it launches into the clear water. String Lake stretches forth, a crystalline, glassy plane that seems to support the entire Teton Range.

In the calm morning’s light breeze and still water these piedmont lakes are at their finest: Jackson, Leigh, String, Jenny, and Phelps lie strewn like a necklace of turquoise beads at the foot of the impossibly jagged Teton Range. As ancient glaciers scraped out the valley bottom almost 2 million years ago on their thoughtful journey southward from the Yellowstone Plateau, they left the earth pocked and pitted. The Jackson Hole valley retains, and boasts, the glorious scars of this age — scars apparent in the wide canyons, sharp ridges, moraines, and deep piedmont lakes.

The inlet stream at String Lake bubbles forth under a low wooden bridge, continuing its slippery southbound journey to Jenny Lake, the next of these shimmering liquid emeralds. Although most visitors are drawn, understandably, to the seemingly endless (and epic) hiking opportunities in the area, accessing the Tetons by boat offers a unique perspective into the quieter corners of the park. While it is impossible to paddle all the lakes successively, short portages make exploring clusters of them a rewarding endeavor. From the canoe, quietly sliding across the water, the mountains reveal subtleties not visible from the forested intimacy of the hiking trails.

Each stroke of the paddle westward propels the little vessel past the fir-lined shore, closer to the mountains than before. The paddlers fall into an easy rhythm, correcting their course every few strokes. In the tranquility even the gentlest shifts of light are startling as the stern Cascade Canyon cliffs become sharper and more pronounced. As our steady paddling passes time along, the morning imperceptibly blossoms into daytime; the lake water takes on a new hue of blue as the sun intensifies.

A series of white sand beaches stretch between clusters of lodgepole forest. A perfect picnic spot. The canoes coast toward the beach: not a sound aside from a breath of wind and the calm dropping of water beads falling from the glossy wooden paddles. Being on the water does that. It eliminates excess and distraction. The sand, warm to the touch, welcomes the watercraft as we haul them ashore. Our tidy beach spot frames the lesser-known Moran canyon, sparking talk of potential adventures, logistics, and future days of pure exploration.

On the water, time seems to slow down, just a little bit, and maybe just for a morning. The Tetons’ piedmont lakes, when explored patiently, offer a unique and unforgettable perspective of our majestic range. All that matters is to keep the bow straight and take another paddle onward.

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Images © Taylor Glenn

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