Writing
After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, I moved to Jackson, Wyoming to pursue a career in writing. (And, skiing.)
After planting my roots as an editorial contributor for Teton Gravity Research, I became the arts and entertainment editor of the Jackson Hole News&Guide, a small but mighty weekly paper that will renew your faith in local journalism.
I’ve also been published by Live For Live Music, The Hipcamp Journal, Outdoor Project, Jackson Hole Magazine, Jackson Hole Skier, and more.
Here are some of my recent stories:
Don Was on Space, Fearlessness and the Return to Live Music
On a layover day in Minneapolis between tour stops early last March, Don Was felt like Bob Weir & Wolf Bros had finally found their groove. Not counting their warm-up residency at Sweetwater Music Hall, the Wolf Bros were six shows deep into their third tour as a band, which Weir had dreamed—quite literally—up two years prior.
“There’s something new going on,” said Was, the trio’s bassist, as well as legendary producer, head of jazz label Blue Note Records, and owner of a slew of other rockstar titles. “It’s really cool. We’ve hit another level of communication with each other.”
Artlab looks for unique perspectives
Travis Walker has too many chickens. And, as a result, too many eggs.
Turns out, it’s hard to sell eggs for $4 a dozen in Freedom, where the painter recently moved after living in Jackson since 2002. Walker, like many local artists and workers, relocated to a more affordable part of the valley after feeling the financial pressure of trying to “make it” in Jackson as an artist for close to two decades.
“There’s only a few ways to do it there now,” Walker said. “It used to be that a bunch of scrub artists could get together and do something, but it just isn’t like that anymore.”
How To Manufacture Winter In Minnesota
Urban skiing makes cities wild. With the right amount of nerve and just enough manpower, cold concrete becomes a snowy canvas. And if you think twice about that icy set of stairs, imagine the people whose eyes light up at a few inches of snow on pavement and think—it’s time to go skiing.
A wild life in focus
The majority of wildlife photography is just waiting for something to happen.
Photographers spend days scouting areas, and years waiting for certain species to come into frame. Other times, opportunities arise seemingly out of thin air, which is exactly what happened to Isaac Spotts and Jake Davis as they drove toward Moose last week.
Harnessing crystal energy up high
With crystal healing in vogue, 2 large crystals are installed at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Every morning the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrollers boarded the Aerial Tram and chanted a resounding “Om.”
No, they were not preparing for a predynamiting yoga session. Chanting the sacred Buddhist mantra started last winter after Connie Kemmerer, the resort’s co-owner, introduced two behemoth crystals — one between the tram and the Teton Club and another near Solitude Station — believed to have healing, protective properties.
Eat your veggies and get some sleep: The Motet is returning to the Pink Garter Theatre
Ryan Jalbert has slept in his bed only five or six times since the end of October. You could say it has been a busy winter for the Motet guitarist, but really it’s been a busy 15 years. That’s the reality of working as a full-time, touring musician.
“We do this every single day,” Jalbert said. “We’ll get off tour and we’ll get home, unpack our suitcases, and then we’ll have our weekly band and production calls. The next day we’re rehearsing again, writing, sending out demos to each other and then hitting the road.”
Bullshitting the ski industry for free gear: how much is too much?
We all have that one friend who is a complete bullshitter. We watch from the sidelines as they hustle free drinks at the bar, sell their old broken guitar on Craigslist for way more than it’s worth, and get into concerts without a ticket. For me, that person is my roommate, Sarah Anderson. But Sarah’s not interested in cocktails, she’s in the business of scoring free ski gear.
Jackson Hole, “The Last of the Old West.” True or false?
Is Jackson Hole still “the last of the Old West”?
With more skiers here than cattle ranchers, it’s a valid question. Part of Jackson’s charm is its Western heritage: the wide-open spaces, abundant wildlife and historic buildings. The other part is its modern luxury: four-star hotels, sushi restaurants and Tesla charging stations.
Jackson is changing, and if you ask any old-timers they’ll say it’s happening rapidly. Change and growth are inevitable, so the question becomes: How does Jackson evolve and remain a place where people want to live and visit?
Walker turns allegorical in new works
Travis Walker is moving into the allegorical realm.
Known for his soft, peaceful landscapes, Walker’s newest work incorporates more symbols and, in many cases, more humor. Building upon his “Thelma and Louise” series from last year, Walker incorporates familiar images from some of his favorite movies — “Star Wars,” “Forrest Gump,” “Dirty Dancing” — into recognizable scenes of the West.
The result is, naturally, cinematic. But the power of Walker’s work is not his ability to depict a scene, but rather to set a stage.
Grand Aspirations
Tate MacDowell and Brian McDonnell did everything right.
They lived active lifestyles, choosing to settle down in the mountains or close to surf. They exercised and they ate right. From all accounts and appearances the two men were perfectly healthy.
Until they weren’t.
From her yurt in Kelly, still looking for ‘it’
Megan Griswold has been working on ‘The Book of Help’ for more than a decade.
Megan Griswold is a woman of extremes. Take her yurt in Kelly, which has been the author’s primary residence for the past seven years.
Simple yurts have been used by nomadic cultures for thousands of years and can be constructed and deconstructed in a matter of minutes. Many Jacksonites may be transitory, but not necessarily nomadic (unless you count the pop-up community that takes over Curtis Canyon each summer).
The yurt park in Kelly is more or less permanent, but has become an affordable haven for the valley’s workers and artists.
But then there’s Griswold’s yurt.
Close Up: Skier stays true to lifetime love
Sophia Schwartz was one point away from qualifying for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
That winter Schwartz was a rookie mogul skier on the U.S. Ski Team. She had finished top 10 in every event she skied on the FIS World Cup Tour, but ultimately a tiebreaker defeated her Olympic dreams.
“At the time I wasn’t super bummed about it,” she said. “I was so thankful to even have the opportunity to ski on the World Cup.”
How to find free camping in the US
There’s lots of ways to camp—from reserving a highly coveted campsites in national parks to camping on private lands. If you’re willing to forego basic campsite amenities, a whole world of free and legal camping awaits you on your public lands. Here’s where to look.
Tips for Saving on Summer Adventures
Millions of Americans will be traveling this summer – and we hope you’ll be one of them. After all, what are all those hard-earned vacation days for if you don’t use them on…well, vacation? The problem is traveling can get expensive, but don’t worry, that’s what this post can remedy!
If you’re looking to stretch your dollars a bit further this season, use the hacks below to save on all of your travel adventures.