6 minute read
Trail Town Feature
By Liz Schmit (she/her) CDTC Community and Outreach Program Manager
Welcome to Pinedale, a CDT Gateway Community nestled in the heart of Wyoming’s picturesque Wind River Range. Located in Sublette County, Pinedale is known for its breathtaking natural beauty and warm hospitality. Surrounded by vast expanses of pristine wilderness, including the Bridger-Teton National Forest, outdoor enthusiasts flock to Pinedale for its abundant recreational opportunities and its embrace of CDT thru-hiking and section hiking culture.
Tyler Hofer, an avid backpacker and the owner of the Jackalope Motor Lodge, talked to us about what it means when thru-hikers and community members converge.
Pinedale, Wyoming
Pinedale is in Sublette County. The town sits high in the Bridger Wilderness Area, which encompasses the Wind River Mountains, about a 10-mile hike to the nearest Continental Divide Trail access point.
Ancestral lands of the Cheyenne, Shoshone-Bannock, Eastern Shoshone, Crow, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla
Population: 2,242
Elevation: 7,182 ft
Economy: Ranching, outdoor recreation, tourism
THE JACKALOPE MOTOR LODGE | A LEGENDARY STAY
Tyler Hofer and his family were living in San Diego when they traveled to Pinedale for the first time to visit friends. Immersing themselves in the small town, they felt connected to the community and the outdoor recreational opportunities it had to offer. Having lived in California, Hofer grew to love the world of backpacking, mountaineering, and being outside. When COVID-19 changed the scope of his work, Hofer and his wife decided to get creative. During Hofer’s visit to Pinedale, he saw the Wagon Wheel Motel for sale and his friends jokingly suggested he and his family purchase it.
When the Hofers returned to California, buying the Wagon Wheel Motel grew from a dream to reality after thorough research and finding inspiration from other businesses – including the Amigo Motor Lodge in CDT Gateway Community Salida, Colorado. Hofner and his family decided to go for it.
In the spring of 2021, after a period of back-and-forth negotiations, Hofner acquired the business and moved to Pinedale for two months to get the property operational. He painted the walls, placed TVs in each room, and noted it was still in rough shape. Yet, he was surprised by the number of clientele being none other than the CDT trail users. “Hikers really loved what we had to offer because it was the lowest price in town. They just wanted a hot shower and place to rest,” he shared. The newly named Jackalope Motor Lodge has 15 rooms in total, and that first summer in 2021 was overrun with hikers. “We had 8 rooms open, there wasn’t even water hooked up yet. We let hikers crash in the rooms because they came into town and word spread we were a cheap place to stay.” Hofner listened to the hikers and took notes of what they wanted when they look for lodging in town.
“Hikers are our passion,” he said.
At the end of that summer, they gutted the property with hikers in mind. They took two of the open rooms and made them hiker-style bunk spaces to keep prices low for those passing through on the CDT. In the winter, they are turned into private rooms for families, snowmobilers, hunters, and others enjoying the winter in Pinedale. The Jackalope has a back area with a patio, shower, washing machine, hiker bin, fire pit, and place for hikers to hang out. The hostel also has loaner bikes for hikers to use to try and make their stay in Pinedale as comfortable as possible.
“We have been welcomed by the community and are lucky to share resources in a community-driven environment; it really is a team effort in Pinedale, there is no ego,” Hofer shares.
When asked to share his favorite CDT hiker story, he pauses. “Thru-hiking is a communal thing. What I noticed about CDT hikers is that they hop around a lot; they don’t necessarily stay the course. Oftentimes, we will have hikers come back several times in a season because of weather, but sometimes they simply want to be back in Pinedale!”
One hiker in particular came through town and hitched northbound to complete a section after leaving her car parked in town. She kept coming back to the Jackalope, then doing different sections. Luckily for Hofer, the hiker was telling everybody about his property and the amenities they have to offer.
“I learn a lot from the hikers about the CDT. Last summer, I was finally able to be on trail and started asking folks where they were planning to stay as they neared Pinedale. One hiker told me he planned to stay at the Jack Rabbit. I asked, in response, do you mean the Jackalope? I hear that’s a really great place.”
COMING TOGETHER
“There certainly is a friendliness and eagerness to help out,” shares Sublette County Visitor Center Executive Director, Peter Paulin. “The ranchers have a big heart, there are outdoor recreation and gear shops, bike shops…everyone really leans on each other.”
Paulin echoed that the community of Pinedale rallies around CDT thru-hikers and section hikers. He spoke of locals going out of their way to help an injured hiker in the summer of 2022, driving almost 15 miles outside of town to bring someone to their local clinic. “The town really comes together to support hikers and encourage our tourism extension.” The Sublette County Visitor Center serves as a hub for information and a newly appointed hiker box, named after Finis Mitchell, so folks feel welcomed before enjoying local businesses. Paulin shared that they even have loaner clothes while hikers stop to do laundry in town and offer “pitchfork fondue” at the local fairgrounds for hikers and locals to enjoy during the summer months. What exactly is pitchfork fondue? “It’s a cowboy cookout, complete with pitchforks to skewer the steaks,” Paulin says with a laugh.
Aside from the hiker amenities Pinedale offers, the town evolves as the season transitions. “There’s summer Pinedale and there’s winter Pinedale,” Tyler Hofer shares. He really likes winter Pinedale and always tells hikers at the Jackalope to come back in the winter to enjoy the local ski mountain, ice skating, or world-class snowmobiling. Not to mention, the town does a pretty good job at hosting events.
The annual winter carnival, backed by Mainstreet Pinedale, is said to host skijoring and a cardboard sledding contest. “People go all out and make these elaborate sleds,” said Hofer. It must be this creative spirit and intuitive connection that makes Pinedale so special for locals and visitors alike.
Contact CDTC Community & Outreach Program Manager Liz Schmit about Trail Town Features or for more information about CDTC Gateway Communities: lschmit@continentaldividetrail.org.
