Teton Family 2025 Issue No. 42 by Teton Media Works, Inc.

THE

HYGGE HOME

Elevate the summer season with intentional inclusions

BACKCOUNTRY

Tailgating spreads made from farmers market finds

VACATION PAY

Local kids and their lucrative summertime gigs

FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS!

Join us this summer from June 30-August 21 for our free, family-friendly music events

Jayne and Al Hilde, Jr. Patriotic

Pops

Friday, July 4, 7 PM

Center for the Arts Park

Benjamin Manis, conductor Sara Duchovnay and Clay Hilley, vocalists

Celebrate the 4th of July in downtown Jackson with patriotic favorites. The program celebrates American music, with highlights from Bernstein’s West Side Story, John Williams’ ﬁlm music, selections from Copland’s Old American Songs and more. Come early to picnic and enjoy a special children’s program led by Stoner Family Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich starting at 5 PM. Reserved seats: $35/$50; Lawn seats: free

Free Family Jam with Time for Three

Thursday, July 10, 6 PM

Walk Festival Hall, Teton Village

GRAMMY®-winning trio Time for Three presents a fun, interactive program that introduces the whole family to the wonders of strings. Time for Three deﬁes convention by showcasing excellence across di erent genres, including classical music, Americana and singer-songwriter. Come early for a family reception on the deck at 5 PM, and join Education Curator Meaghan Heinrich in the Barbara Furrer Goodman Memorial Garden at 5:30 PM for an instrument petting zoo.

Free; tickets required

GTMF ON THE ROAD

GTMF On the Road brings live classical music to audiences in Teton County and surrounding communities through free concerts performed by Festival musicians. For the full 2025 schedule, visit gtmf.org/ontheroad.

GTMF On the Road is made possible by program sponsors Mary & Don Shockey. Additional funding for education and community engagement programming provided by Anonymous, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, Frank A. O’Neil Family Foundation, Rendezvous Mountain Rentals, Karen Rockey, Marguerite and Matthew Stoner, and the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund. Special thanks to Jackson Hole Land Trust for hosting GTMF at Greenspace on the Block.

Photo: Cody Downard Fund. Special thanks to Jackson Hole Land Trust for

MOUNTAIN STYLE

The Teton Regional Land Trust celebrates cranes!

How to welcome your college kid back home for the summer SLOW

HOME

Summer hygge tips for creative living

An edible berry guide, plus recipes

THE FARM

Local soil-free growers provide year-round sustenance TABLE TALK

A heartfelt essay on the role of dogs and partnership

This is not your mother’s menopause

Tailgating feasts made from farmers market finds offer a seasonal twist to traditional charcuterie.

Christina Shepherd McGuire

Teton locals are living it up in small spaces, proving that less really is more

On the Cover: Mila Keller (7), Aida Keller (3), and Charlotte Nock (3) sit around the fire on a cozy summer night in the Keller’s backyard north of Jackson. Photo by Lindley Rust

Photos: Lindley Rust (top); Paulette Phlipot (center); Bradly J. Boner (bottom)

Cortisol — the latest “wellness” buzzword — gets a bad rap. In our modern world, this important hormone’s effect has shifted from helpful protector to harmful enemy. What used to be a hormone released by the adrenal glands during emergencies (like being chased by a lion), has now become chronically elevated in most people living in the Western world. And while we generally don’t need to run from hungry animals these days, we can blame persistent stressors — including technology overload, packed schedules, and financial strain — for creating this metabolic imbalance.

A note from the EDITOR

Still, you’d think mountain town locals would be immune to this lifestyle paradigm. After all, we live close to nature, exercise regularly, and are generally removed from the hustle and bustle of urban/suburban life. But when you live in a mountain environment where the “hormones du jour” are adrenaline and dopamine, it’s not hard to see where elevated cortisol comes into play. And this is something I’ve been working on …

I’m realizing the “work hard/play hard” existence I’ve long strived for doesn’t really suit my overall health. (Check out Kerry’s hormone article on page 36 if you want to see where I’m coming from.) What used to be a huge endorphin rush in my 20s and 30s — like hitting the trail straight from work or engaging in a “trifecta” of activities on a given weekend day — now leaves me feeling either wired (and unable to sleep) or exhausted. This is a hard pill to swallow when you live in a community uber concerned with recreation and fitness goals.

Molly Absolon writes to support her outdoor habit. She’d rather be hiking, biking, or skiing in the mountains than doing just about anything else. A former outdoor educator and current mother of a college kid, Molly lives in Victor, Idaho, with her husband.

Kerry Brophy Lloyd has lived in Teton Valley with her family for the past 15 years. As the age of 50 looms close on Kerry’s horizon, she looks forward to the wisdom, grace, and renewed sense of adventure this next chapter in life will bring.

Tibby Plasse moved to Idaho in 2006 after dropping out of a Ph.D. program to snowboard. She found her way to Teton Valley and spent 10 years dairy farming instead. Tibby lives in Tetonia with her son and two spoiled German wirehaired pointers. She contributes to various regional publications.

Anybody with me?

That’s why we designed this issue to share ways in which to offset life’s stressors. A hike in the woods during berry-picking season, interacting with the plants in their natural environment, can surely help balance the inevitable cortisol surges. (Our guide on page 18 will get you started.) My backcountry boards article on page 40 uses farmer’s market finds to create elaborate, yet surprisingly easy, renditions of charcuterie spreads fit for tailgating with friends (to boost levels of oxytocin). And Samantha’s summer hygge read on page 12 urges us all to slow down and coax our bodies out of “fight and flight” with outdoor living ideas and cozy gatherings with friends.

The intricate play of the hormones our bodies rely on (whether male or female) is so incredibly complex. It’s something I wish I learned more about when I was younger, as I would’ve paid better attention to the dangers of running myself ragged. But it’s never too late to learn — so, now I work and play smarter, not harder.

My advice to all families — new parents, those without children, and empty nesters — is the same: Never stop paying attention to life’s pauses and resist the addiction to constantly keep going. Because sometimes, just hanging out on the back porch and petting your dog (see page 31) will better serve you in the end than sneaking in a quick trail run or mountain bike ride. Plus, this will give you time to read the magazine cover to cover, too, and maybe discover some new lifestyle goals like I have. ;)

Christina

Contributing WRITERS

Deb Barracato visited a friend in the Tetons more than 30 years ago and never left. She appreciates the flexible lifestyle her remote work as a communications strategist, writer, and editor allows. Deb’s free time is spent building quality memories with her son, Nathan.

Olivia McGuire is a Teton Valley native and a student at Boise State University. And while she’s thriving in her new “mountain city,” she appreciates the comforts of home and looks forward to reconnecting with her local squad this summer to paddleboard the Teton River and hike to Delta Lake.

Samantha Simma migrated west in the pursuit of outdoor adventures. She’s the digital marketing manager for Snowday, and her writing appears in Dishing magazine, Grand Wedding, and Jackson Hole Magazine. Samantha unplugs by heading into the wilderness with her pup, Timber.

Mandy Crane has been the outreach and events coordinator for Teton Regional Land Trust since 2022. She moved to the area in 2003 to work for Grand Teton National Park and has been in the nonprofit world since 2015.

Lacey McNeff has lived in Southeast Idaho most of her life; she was drawn to Teton Valley for its proximity to nature, conscious agriculture, and amazing community. You can find her wandering the trails, enjoying a good book, and picking summertime berries for creative dishes.

Virginia Powell Symons lives life out loud. Wife and momma to mountain boys, she is an eternal optimist whose glass is half full, usually with something bubbly. She co-owns an event planning company, Vibrant Events, and loves Newfoundland dogs, sunsets in wild places, and vintage campers.

Editor photograph by

Rebecca Vanderhorst

facebook.com/TetonFamilyMagazine @tetonfamilymagazine

Publisher Adam Meyer

Editor

Christina Shepherd McGuire christina@tetonfamilymagazine.com

Art Director

Samantha Nock

Copy Editor

Deb Barracato

Contributing Photographers

Bradly J. Boner

Camrin Dengel

Ryan Dorgan

Luke Gentry

Kisa Koenig

Julie Millard

Advertising Sales

Paulette Phlipot Lindley Rust Linda M. Swope

Karen Brennan, Tom Hall, Chad Repinski, Tatum Mentzer, Tim Walker adsales@tetonmediaworks.com

Ad Production

Sarah Wilson, Lydia Redzich, Luis F. Ortiz, Heather Haseltine, Chelsea Robinson

Circulation Manager

Jayann Carlisle, circulation@tetonmediaworks.com

Kevin B. Olson, CEO

Photograph by

Camrin Dengel

Jackson Hole Classical Academy

Education begins with a sense of wonder. At Jackson Hole Classical Academy, students learn to love what is true, good, and beautiful through joyful discovery of the world around them and their own expanding potential.

Our new building is coming to life - classrooms are taking shape, bright spaces are opening up, and our future home is on the horizon. By fall 2025, students will be learning in this beautiful new space, designed to inspire wisdom, faith, and community. Nestled on our inspiring 80-acre South Park campus, we invite you to see the next chapter of Jackson Hole Classical Academy.

GREATER YELLOWSTONE CRANE FESTIVAL

Building a Community for Conservation

By Mandy Crane // Photography by Linda M. Swope

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to share a name with one of nature’s most majestic creatures, I can tell you — it comes with some strange assumptions. My name is Mandy Crane, no relation to the feathered kind, but my lifelong association with these birds has certainly connected me to them. Seeing huge flocks of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead and hearing their prehistoric calls made me fall in love with them.

As the outreach and events coordinator for the Teton Regional Land Trust, I organize the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival and love bringing the community together to celebrate cranes and art.

Since 2003, Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) and its partners and volunteers have been monitoring Sandhill Cranes during their pre-migration staging and gathering important data about their populations and habitat use. Every September and October, Sandhill Cranes from across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem gather in Teton Valley to build their energy reserves before embarking on their long journey to wintering grounds in the southern United States and Mexico. Research shows these birds depend on harvested grain fields for fuel, and these fields need to be located within 2 miles of wetland night roosts. Teton Valley, Idaho, meets both criteria, making it an essential stopover for the largest pre-migration staging population in the region.

To help sustain these incredible birds, the TRLT launched the

Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative. This initiative works to protect and enhance critical habitat by securing land for grain production and collaborating with willing landowners to establish food plots. The Grain for Cranes program ensures that 50 to 60 acres of grain are grown each year specifically to support these migrating birds, helping them gain the strength they need for their journey south.

Beyond habitat conservation, the initiative also focuses on community education, engagement, and viewing opportunities.

Founded in 2018, the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival raises funds for crane conservation, while also building a sense of shared responsibility for their protection. By bringing together conservationists, scientists, artists, and community members, the festival strengthens public awareness and participation in preserving critical crane habitats. But the festival’s purpose extends far beyond just birdwatching — it plays a crucial role in raising funds for habitat protection and crane monitoring efforts, ensuring these birds have a future in the Greater Yellowstone region.

Though the activities vary from year to year, the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival offers something for everyone. Crane tours allow participants to observe these 4-foot-tall birds from a safe distance while watching them dip, bow, and flap their wings in an entrancing dance. Films and speakers help festivalgoers learn about new research, crane behavior, and threats to their habitat and

8th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival Event Schedule

• Wednesday, September 17, 7 - 9 a.m., Morning Crane Tour, TRLT office

• Wednesday, September 17, 5:30 - 8 p.m., Paint and Sip with Sue Tyler, Highpoint Cider

• Thursday, September 18, 7 - 9 a.m., Morning Crane Tour, TRLT office

• Friday, September 19, 7 - 9 a.m., Morning Crane Tour, TRLT office

• Friday, September 19, 5 - 8:30 p.m., Photography Workshop with Linda Swope

• Saturday, September 20, 7 - 9 a.m., Morning Crane Tour, TRLT office

• Saturday, September 20, 4 - 7 p.m., Community Crane Celebration at Grand Teton Brewing

migration routes. The big Saturday celebration brings together the entire community to honor these iconic birds with music, dance, and art.

Following a tradition of worldwide crane festivals, the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival seeks to incorporate artistic components. From artist workshops to the festival poster contest, art show, auction, and craneinspired dance performances, the beauty of cranes is best expressed through these various mediums, which serve as a means to further connect people with cranes.

The 8th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival will be held September 17-20 in Teton Valley, Idaho, with viewing tours held each morning. Linda Swope, a professional photographer, will host a crane photography workshop and tour. Local artist Sue Tyler will teach a crane-themed paint-and-sip class. The festival culminates with a big celebration held at Grand Teton Brewing on Saturday, with live music, dancing, food, drink, and a crane sculpture and art auction — all to celebrate the valley’s migrating Sandhill Cranes. (Be on the lookout for a special Grand Teton Brewing beer can featuring the festival poster art.) The proceeds from these events directly fund conservation programs, ensuring that every festival ticket, art sale, and donation contributes to real-world efforts to protect Sandhill Cranes and their habitat.

I am honored to share a name with the majestic birds that pass through the valley each year, and I am so happy to celebrate them at our annual festival. If you have a love for wildlife (or just a fitting last name like mine), come join us at this year’s Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival. It’s a one-of-a-kind celebration that brings people together, raises crucial funds, and builds lasting community support for one of nature’s most extraordinary travelers. tf

Photos by Cecil Holmes & David Akoubian

Back Home Ba er

How to welcome your college kid back into the nest

By Olivia McGuire // Illustration by Julie Millard

If you’re reading this, you are probably waiting for your “pride and joy” to come home from college for a short and sweet visit. And you may be wondering: What should I expect, now that they’ve started school and lived on their own?

Don’t worry — they’re more than ready to come home, as they are probably strung out from doing all the things you told them not to do.

Personally, my least favorite “adulting” chores include making my bed, doing laundry, and preparing my own food (the dining hall gets boring pretty fast). So, parents, that’s a perfect place for you to start! Your “Back Home Baller,” as my dad calls me (watch the Saturday Night Live skit on YouTube if you don’t know what I’m talking about), will be looking for you to help with these things as soon as they pull into the driveway.

And don’t be alarmed when they come in, say “hi,” and go straight to their room to lie on their bed. After all, this is the bedroom they grew up in, so there is probably some

separation anxiety; just let them have a moment. You can, however, make that moment much more special by making the bed with clean sheets. (This will definitely make your college kid feel loved!) Having a clean bed will also encourage them to sleep until noon on their short break, since the midnight to 7 a.m. schedule has taken its toll.

Also, please make sure the refrigerator is well-stocked, and the pantry should be practically overflowing with all their favorite snacks. If you need ideas, I’ve got them: GoGo Squeezes, their favorite flavors of chips, granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers, and anything else from the grocery store that might pique their interest. The fridge should be filled with fruit and berries, cheese and salami, yogurt (not plain please), and vegetables (but only if your college kid likes them). Finally, if your kid happens to be female, make sure you buy some ridiculously priced alternative milk for her triple-shot vanilla lattes.

You’re probably thinking to yourself, wow that is a lot

And it is, but there’s more!

A college kid, by far, misses nothing more than a homemade meal (one they didn’t have to lift a finger to make). So, when they ask for their favorite (you know, the one that takes hours to prepare), well, they would really appreciate it if you would make it for them. And if you’re feeling generous, put a few of their other favorite meals in the weekly rotation, too.

Now for the cherry on top — the laundry. I know any college student will agree that this task is the biggest pain in the butt. While sleeping and eating are necessary — you need them to survive — laundry, on the other hand, can be done tomorrow, or the next day, or even next week. At school, my laundry piles up until I’m finally forced to do it because I can no longer get into my closet. Clothes are spilling out in every direction, so I drag them downstairs to the basement of my dorm and wash them in washers that don't really get the smell out. (I’m sure your newly independent child does the same.)

Now, for this one, don’t ask, just offer. Chances are your college kid’s suitcase is filled with dirty clothes. And if they claim they are clean, trust me, they’re not. So, go straight ahead and throw in a quick load for them. They will thank you later.

And now we’ve come to the curfew. Something you and your teen consistently fought about while they were still living at home.

“Can I please stay out later than 12?”

“No. Stop asking. If you keep asking you are not going out.”

Unfortunately, they don’t live under your roof anymore (at least full-time) and have likely been out until 3 a.m. every weekend. (C’mon, you remember doing that too — it was the time of your life!) So, when they come home for the summer to hang out with friends — friends they haven't seen in months, friends who go to different schools — you may have to budge a little on the curfew (or, as many college students would like, not enforce one at all). This may be strange at first, but don’t worry. Chances are they won’t be out until 3 a.m., as our small mountain valleys aren’t that entertaining.

Kind of overwhelming, right? I mean, after all, you did get used to cheaper grocery store hauls, less laundry, and sleeping through the night without a 17-year-old running around the valley. I know — it’s been kind of nice. But remember, they really do miss you, even if they don’t show it, and they especially appreciate being welcomed back into their home with a clean bed, food coming at them in every direction, and freshly washed clothes.

And — it will all be worth it when your college kid finally sits down with you at the end of the day, confiding in you and relaying stories about all the things you told them not to do. It puts your relationship on a whole new level. And it’s all part of growing up, right? tf

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THE HYGGE HOME

By Samantha Simma // Photography by Lindley Rust

When most people hear the word hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh), they picture a crackling fireplace, knit blankets, and the scent of cinnamon wafting from the oven. While hygge is often associated with wintertime coziness, the Danish concept of comfort, connection, and mindfulness is just as present in the summer months. Warm-weather hygge means embracing the outdoors, creating inviting backyard or patio spaces, and slowing down to savor life’s simple pleasures (especially if you live in the mountains where summertime is fleeting). From biking to the People’s Market to crafting an intimate outdoor gathering space, finding ways to bring a sense of hygge into your life elevates the season.

Outdoor Living

A cornerstone of summer hygge is the ability to take life outside. Creating an outdoor space that fosters relaxation and togetherness can make your home feel like an extension of nature.

“The key to a summer hygge-inspired home is to take advantage of natural light. Keep the blinds open and let the sun shine in!” says Hayden Jones of Festive Living in Victor. “Utilize your outdoor spaces by creating cozy sitting areas accented with plenty of flowers and candlelight.”

A well-placed hammock, comfortable seating with soft cushions, and a fire pit for cool evenings can turn a backyard or patio into a true retreat. For added ambiance, string lights over an outdoor dining area or scatter lanterns around your space. Natural elements like stone, wood, and wicker bring warmth and connection to your surroundings, helping to cultivate that unmistakable hygge feeling.

children’s playspace

natural elements bring warmth and connection to your surroundings

Sourcing Fresh Ingredients

One of the best ways to incorporate summer hygge into daily life is through mindful food shopping. Unlike the weekly bulkbuying trips common in the U.S., many Europeans shop daily, picking up fresh, seasonal ingredients for that evening’s meal. Biking to the Wednesday People’s Market at Center for the Arts, or to the grocery store to select ripe tomatoes, fragrant herbs, or a loaf of freshly baked bread, fosters a sense of connection — to your food, your community, and the rhythms of the season.

Stephanie Housley of Coral & Tusk in Jackson embraces this approach. “Summer is sacred to me. I do everything I can to deprioritize work and focus on all the magic summer has to offer,” she shares. From stopping by the farmers market to

sourcing local produce, summer hygge is about being present and intentional in the small moments.

Savoring Simple Summer Meals

Once you’ve gathered your fresh ingredients, it’s time to craft simple, delicious meals that embody the spirit of the season. Hygge meals are about slowing down and enjoying the act of cooking, eating, and sharing with others. A backyard picnic with a spread of cheese, fresh bread, and fruit, or a casual alfresco dinner featuring grilled vegetables and a chilled soup, creates the perfect hygge dining experience.

A refreshing, non-alcoholic summer beverage can also enhance the moment — like our hygge-inspired serviceberry syrup spritzer on page 23

perennial gardens

Enhancing Summer Comfort

Just as winter hygge incorporates warm wool and soft knits, summer hygge thrives on breathable, lightweight textures.

“For a cozy summer, it’s all about breathable layers, whether that’s what I’m wearing or what I’m decorating with at home,” explains Housley.

Linen and cotton in soft earthy tones create a cool yet inviting space. Lightweight throws, woven baskets, and wooden trays add depth and character without overwhelming a room. For a simple hygge touch, place fresh flowers in ceramic vases or bowls of citrus on the kitchen counter. These small natural accents bring vibrant seasonal charm to any space.

Creating Cozy Gatherings

Summer is a season for togetherness, and nothing feels more hygge than an intimate outdoor gathering with friends and family. Whether it’s a simple wineand-cheese night on the patio or a picnic at a trailhead (see page 40 for suggestions), setting the right tone is key.

Jones suggests small but impactful details. “Adding candles to a dinner table or fresh flowers to an entryway goes a long way in creating a welcoming space,” she says.

Layering textures with wooden serving boards, ceramic plates, and cloth napkins makes a meal feel extra special. And remember, the focus should always be on connection — whether it’s storytelling around a fire pit or stargazing on a clear night.

Slowing Down

At its core, summer hygge is about being present. It’s the joy of lingering over a meal, feeling the warmth of the

sun on your skin, and appreciating the beauty of a long summer evening. It’s about prioritizing moments of rest and connection over busyness.

“There’s natural synergy between slowing down and prioritizing coziness — since there’s an automatic implication of required awareness in order to achieve the feeling of coziness,” says Housley.

Whether it’s taking a leisurely bike ride, sipping coffee on the porch, or watching wildlife in the backyard, these small moments cultivate a life rich in comfort and contentment.

So, you see, hygge isn’t just about winter nights by the fire — it’s also about summer afternoons in the shade, lazy breakfasts on the patio, and spontaneous outdoor adventures. By incorporating natural elements, simple pleasures, and intentional togetherness into your days, you can fully embrace the warmth and magic of this fleeting season. tf

WILD ABOUT BERRIES

A local edible berry guide, plus recipes

By Lacey McNeff

Here in the Tetons, the first signs of sweet wild berries appear in the spring. I listen for the buzz of bees, beetles, and wasps, and watch moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds flock to plants, taking note of where berries should arise in a few months’ time. (My imagination runs wild with delicious ideas, even though harvest is a tortuous wait away.) These telltale pollinators are vital — and each plant calls to them differently with unique fragrances, shapes, and colorful flowers.

Wild berries nourish us, as well as much of the region’s wildlife. They are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B, fiber, potassium, manganese, and antioxidants. According to the National Library of Medicine article Recent Studies on Berry Bioactives and Their Health-Promoting Roles, berries boost immune function, fight inflammation, and tend to our cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. Plus, they are incredibly delicious.

“Any time we eat wild foods, we are connecting with the terroir and receiving whatever is in that soil. The soil is full of microbes, minerals, natural compost, and life,” says Jenna Barnes, a local retreat chef and herbalist. “We are rewilding and rebuilding our microbiome when we eat wild foraged berries.”

In the summer, thimbleberries and serviceberries are typically the first to fruit. The leafy greens of these local wild berry plants provide protection for small animals and act as host plants for butterfly and moth larvae. Some wild berry plants grow near streams and rivers and help control erosion and provide watershed protection.

So, tread lightly to lessen your impact while picking summer berries, being mindful of the other wild beings they sustain. Take time to commune with the plants, asking permission to pick; if a berry doesn’t pull off the branch easily, it might not be time to harvest. tf

Teton Wild Berry Guide

Huckleberry

Sharing the bounty: Bears, deer, elk, mice, birds, grouse, cranes, foxes, pikas, rabbits, skunks, and squirrels

On the hunt: Huckleberries are small, round, and dark blue or purple. The plant’s oval leaves have serrated edges, with a slightly pointed tip. They are low-growing shrubs that reside at mid- to high elevations, often in pine forests.

Picking season: Late July through mid-September

Golden Currant

Sharing the bounty: Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles, deer, rabbits, foxes, skunks, bears, and moose

On the hunt: Common along streams and in ravines and canyons, the golden currant plant is small with smooth leaves made up of three to five lobes. Its bright yellow flowers grow in dangling clusters. Berries can be golden, orange, red, or even black.

Picking season: August and September

Western Chokecherry

Sharing the bounty: Birds, rabbits, voles, mice, bears, squirrels, deer, elk, coyotes, and bighorn sheep

On the hunt: Chokecherries grow on small trees or shrubs with grayish bark. The oval leaves are dark green and glossy with serrated edges and fuzzy undersides. The dark crimson berries grow in clusters, have an astringent flavor, and are often used for making jam. The seeds and stems are poisonous and can be fatal to livestock and moose.

Picking season: August through October

HEALTH

FACT:

The USDA’s plant guide states that blue elderberry contains flavonoids and rutin, which are known to improve immune function and ease cold and flu symptoms. Elderberry syrup is a popular remedy among herbalists.

Blue Elderberry

Sharing the bounty: Birds, bears, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, elk, moose, foxes, and mice

On the hunt: Typically found on moist ground along creeks and in riparian areas, this shrub contains toothed, lanceshaped leaflets. When ripe, the waxy berries are dark blue or purple and hang from the branches in heavy clusters.

Picking season: Mid-August to mid-September

Hawthorn Berry

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center website, Hawthorn berries may be safe and effective as treatment for mild heart failure. They’re also used as a nervine, promoting calmness, and have a mild sedative effect.

Sharing the bounty: Bears, small birds nimble enough to avoid the thorns, grouse, small mammals; deer and rabbits munch on the twigs and bark

On the hunt: This thorny shrub, or small tree, can be found alongside rivers and creeks and as an understory component in aspen groves. The leaves are lobed and have serrated edges and the branches contain large, abundant thorns. Hawthorne berries start out red, and then turn purple, with a five-pointed star at the base of each berry.

Picking season: After the first autumn frost

Rosehips

Sharing the bounty: Birds, rabbits, deer, moose, squirrels, coyotes, and bears

On the hunt: Not technically a “berry,” rosehips are the fruit produced by wild roses that grow rampant in subalpine forests. The flowers of the rose bush are pink with a yellow center, and the hips are typically bright red or orange with a pointed tip. Watch out for the bush’s small thorns when picking!

Picking season: After the first autumn frost

Serviceberry

Sharing the bounty: Birds, bears, elk, moose, deer, foxes, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and voles

On the hunt: Serviceberry bushes are an understory tree that grows on hillsides, in forests, and on rocky slopes. The tree has a smooth gray bark, and the berries look like a large blueberry that turns deep purple when ripe.

Picking season: Late June through July

Thimbleberry

Sharing the bounty: Birds, deer, bears, foxes, voles, mice, and chipmunks

On the hunt: Look for thimbleberries in the mountains, in places that are shady, moist, and cool. The plant’s leaves are shaped like maple leaves with a fuzzy underside. The berries grow in red shallow domes made up of drupelets (small, juicy bits that come together to form the whole, similar to a raspberry). When viewing the berry from the top, it resembles a thimble.

Picking season: July and August

Learning is in our nature.

At Mountain Academy, we believe learning should be immersive, meaningful, and connected to the world around us. Rooted in place-based education, our students engage in hands-on, interdisciplinary learning, foster a deep connection to the natural world, and develop the critical thinking and creativity needed to make a positive impact—both locally and globally. Come discover the Mountain Academy difference.

CAMPUSES IN JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING AND VICTOR, IDAHO

WILD BERRY MAPLE

FRUIT

LEATHER

Serves 4 people

Savor the bounty of wild berries throughout the year by preserving them as a fruit leather. You can use any mixture of berries and adjust the sweetness by adding your desired amount of maple syrup or honey.

3 cups mixed berries (huckleberries, serviceberries, currants, or hawthorn berries)

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)

1 tablespoon lemon zest parchment paper baking tray

1. Preheat oven to its lowest temperature (approximately 170° F).

2. Add berries, zest, salt, and water to a stainless-steel pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries turn to mush and only a small amount of liquid remains. (Add water if the fruit appears to be drying out.) Remove from heat.

3. Transfer contents to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

4. Add maple syrup and lemon zest. Pulse to incorporate.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the pulp mixture onto the paper in a thin layer.

6. Bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours until firm and just slightly tacky (or dry in a dehydrator).

7. Remove from oven and let cool.

8. Slice into strips with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

9. Store in an airtight container layered with parchment paper.

*Recipe adapted from foragerchef.com.

SERVICEBERRY SYRUP SPRITZER

Makes 4 drinks

Creating a syrup from wild berries serves as a way to preserve the bounty long past ripening season. This syrup can be used as-is on pancakes, over ice cream, or in the suggested spritzer recipe from wild-chef and herbalist Jenna Barnes.

4 cups serviceberries

1 cup water

¼ cup honey

1 can unflavored seltzer or club soda

4 sprigs lemon balm

FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP:

1. Rinse berries and remove stems and damaged berries.

2. Place berries and water in a stainless-steel pot. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.

3. Let the mixture cool and then press it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.

4. Add honey to the strained berry mixture.

5. Store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.

FOR THE SPRITZER:

6. Place 1 sprig of lemon balm in each glass, add ice and 1 to 2 ounces of syrup, then fill the remaining space with seltzer or club soda. (Add spirits, if desired.)

7. Stir and enjoy!

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GROWING SOIL-FREE

Local growers provide year-round sustenance

KBy Molly Absolon // Photography by Camrin Dengel

atie Salsbury says her latest endeavor makes her feel like a mad scientist.

In a shipping container next to her house, blue and red lights glow purple. The air smells humid and warm, even in mid-winter. Trays on a counter — the designated nursery area —contain

t iny germinating plants. Every hour, water fortified with liquified nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphate, trickles down. Beyond the nursery area, vertical columns of leafy green lettuce, kale, and a mix of herbs — basil, thyme, sage, dill, parsley, and cilantro — grow lined up in rows.

A drip runs down the columns once every hour for five minutes to water the plants; any leftover moisture collects in a gutter and gets recirculated into the system. The farm uses only five gallons of water a day.

Salsbury controls these operations with an app on her cellphone. She can look at pictures of her farm from anywhere, at any time. She can check the nutrient content of the water and see how much energy she’s using at any given moment.

She can monitor the relative humidity and adjust the percentage of red and blue lights to maximize the plant growth. Her container farm — Cattle Creek Ranch — houses the perfect growing environment every day of the year, whether it’s minus 30 or 95 degrees outside.

Cattle Creek’s climate-controlled 40-by-10foot container produces 200 pounds of greens per week, which Salsbury sells through her website, as CSA shares, and in her new farm store located

3 miles away in downtown Victor. The seeds come in via mail order and the substrate (or “plugs”) her plants grow in contains an imported mix of peat and coconut husks. But once everything is here in the valley, the operation has a very light impact on its surrounding environment. Salsbury thinks this kind of farming fills an important niche in feeding the planet.

Hydroponic farms are lauded for their efficiency. According to an article posted on earth.com, the average yield of tomatoes from conventional growers in 2016 was 1.85 pounds per square foot. Indoor hydroponic growers reported averages of 10.59 pounds per square foot. Furthermore, hydroponic plants grow faster, while pests and disease are more easily controlled, so there are a lot of reasons the technique is taking off, especially in places where dirt farms are limited by climate and land availability. Teton Valley’s farming challenge is its long, cold winters.

“It’s the way we’ll grow food on Mars,” Salsbury says. “With the changing climate, it’s a way to grow food in inhospitable areas — food deserts, islands, cold or hot climates. It doesn’t replace dirt farms, but it’s hyper local, has a low carbon footprint, and you can grow super yummy lettuce.”

Skin Cancer Is Just

Salsbury’s inspiration to explore the idea of container farming came from Dave Ridill, a former farmer in Tetonia. Ridill ended up selling his business, Clawson Greens, and moving away from the valley to help his family back in Maine, but before he left, he encouraged Salsbury to dive right in. He’d been successful supplying fresh greens to local restaurants in the region and thought she could make a go of it too.

Salsbury lives on 240 acres owned by her family on the edge of Victor — her parents and her sister and family also live on the property. In the past, they tried different ways to use the land to contribute to the community, but finding options that were economical was challenging. Since Salsbury, a natural entrepreneur, had already started two successful businesses, she wasn’t afraid to try something new. Ridill’s experience made her confident she could follow his model and supply food to the community without losing money. So, she purchased a container-farm kit from Freight Farms.

“I already have two jobs. This is my latest side hustle — the other jobs pay the bills,” says Salsbury. “I’ve learned quite a bit about how to run a business over the years. I know how to treat employees and how to make a

Sleep Organic

In Cattle Creek’s garden, a drip runs down the columns once an hour, while leftover moisture collects in a gutter to be recycled.

business profitable. I know I have to do all the dirty work myself first, so I can figure it out before I teach someone else.”

Of course, like any farm, this one has had its challenges. For the first nine months, Salsbury did everything herself, and she says she had lots of failures. One day, she opened the door to the container and discovered that the floor was covered with a foot of water. She’s had crops fail for all sorts of reasons, but with every failure she learned something.

“It’s a fast learning curve,” she says. “If you think about historic farming, you made mistakes over a lifetime and passed them down to the next generation. It took years. Container farming speeds the process up. I’m a year in now, and I’m confident I can get reliable production.”

Cattle Creek Ranch’s greens aren’t making money yet, but they are close, Salsbury says. She’s confident enough that she hired two part-time employees.

Up valley in Felt, another farm is going high-tech. Sarah and Patrick McDonnell, of Morning Dew Mushrooms, have created an indoor farm that produces gourmet mushrooms and microgreens for restaurants in Teton Valley and Jackson. Like Salsbury’s container farm, Morning Dew’s operation is highly engineered.

provided

Morning Dew Mushrooms grows its mushrooms in a substrate of oak and organic soybean hulls.

Harvest days are on Wednesdays. The lettuce and herbs are cut in the morning, driven to Cattle Creek’s farm store, and sold (or picked up by CSA customers) that afternoon. The shop is open from 3 - 7 p.m., and in addition to the greens, it also sells local eggs and garlic, as well as locally made skincare products and preserves. Salsbury hopes to expand the store’s merchandise as business takes off, but for now she is thrilled to be offering fresh produce for a reasonable price.

“A weekly share, which includes six lettuce heads, a bag of greens, and herbs, costs $25 a week,” she says. “I tried to find a pricepoint that is accessible to most people and still allows me to break even. Any greens we don’t sell, we give to the food pantry.”

“Sarah and I were both into farming, but we have such a short growing season here, conventional farming is hard,” Patrick says. “So, we started to search online to see what we could grow indoors. We came up with mushrooms. It really started as a hobby in a 10-by-10-foot grow tent. It took four years to build it out into what we have today.”

Like Salsbury, the McDonnells have become scientists. Their process involves rehydrating and sterilizing a mix of oak and organic

photos

soybean hulls to serve as the growing substrate for the mushrooms. That sterilization requires them to fill a shipping container with 212-degree steam for 12 hours. The substrate is then cooled, bagged, and inoculated with mushroom spawn. The bags need to be shaken — a process that used to be done by hand, but for which they now have a bag tumbler — to ensure the spawn is evenly distributed. Then, the bag is sealed and moved into a dark room where it sits until it’s ready to fruit. Fruiting takes place in another climate-controlled room.

“For fruiting, we create an atmosphere like a rainy day,” Patrick says. “It’s like when mushrooms pop out in the forest. The fruiting room is at roughly 80 percent humidity.

“Unlike plants, mushrooms take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. They need fresh air from the outside. Our biggest challenge growing mushrooms here is conditioning the air, bringing it up to warm temperatures,” he explains. “Not many, if any, mushroom growers work in such cold areas. We had to work with Steve Roth to engineer our system.”

Roth owns a refrigeration company in Tetonia, but he’d never created a system like the one Morning Dew Mushrooms required. It was a time-consuming process, and it is the primary reason it took the McDonnells four years to move into their current location.

The McDonnells, like Salsbury, love the fact that they can grow food year-round in a harsh environment and make a living. They follow in the footsteps of the region’s original indoor hydroponic farm, Jackson’s Vertical Harvest (currently paused in operations to make vital facility upgrades). Vertical Harvest produces the equivalent of 40 acres worth of produce at its quarter-acre hydroponic farm in Jackson.

You can protect the ecosystem and your family’s health!

Most U.S. cities grow less than 2 percent of the food their populations consume, according to Vertical Harvest’s website. Vertical Harvest’s mission is to help shift that balance by creating urban farms that produce fresh local food 365 days a year. Currently, there are two Vertical Harvest farms in operation — one in Jackson and one in Maine — but the goal is to export the idea to other urban areas around the country.

Hydroponic farms are not without controversy, especially when it comes to determining if a product is organic. Many farmers believe that the soil is an essential component of an organic plant, and that the heart and soul of organic agriculture is being part of the ecosystem. Furthermore, organic farming supports healthy soils, bacteria, and invertebrates, as well as an array of pollinators. But Salsbury says she doesn’t claim to be organic.

“Hydroponic farming is pesticide- and herbicide-free, but it’s not organic because the nutrients are synthesized,” she says. “But in terms of nutrients in the plants, our greens are super nutritious and tasty. Conventional farms produce one or two crops per season; we get a crop every seven weeks, all year round. We’ll always need dirt farms, but hydroponic farms add a critical source of healthy, locally grown produce to the food system.” tf

Clean and check your shoes, clothes, packs, gear, pets, vehicles, and yourself before and after exploring and stay on designated trails to prevent the spread of invasive species and tick bites.

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Phone: (307)732.6652

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Website: singletonpeeryfinancial.com

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THE ROLE OF DOGS:

An Essay on Partnership and Love

By Virginia Powell Symons

Bix is lying on my feet, her weight and warmth grounding me. It’s now 4:45 a.m., and it has been over an hour since our carbon monoxide alarm went off. The problem has been identified and the house aired out, the windows open wide to the winter’s pre-dawn. My husband and son have returned to bed, but I am wide awake. The adrenaline now worn off, I am shaking and exhausted as I sit in the cold living room. Bix’s breathing is steady, but she is not sleeping. Her head is down, but her eyes look to me. She is completely present.

top: Virginia and Zaagi, 2002

bottom: Rog and Zaagi walking Virginia down the aisle for her wedding, 2009

by kisa koenig

Zaagi was curled on the back seat as we sped through the rural darkness. The sky to the east was barely showing a pink glow, warning of storms (red in the morning, sailors take warning). I had driven through the night, and we were nearing our destination. We were alone on the road. Then I saw a figure far ahead. As we neared, I could see that it was a young woman, her long hair blowing around her face, her thumb out for a ride. I sped past, then in my rearview mirror I saw her jump, waving her arms frantically, running after us as she grew smaller in the distance. She then dropped to her knees, head to the ground. Something deep in my gut told me to turn around.

When she opened my passenger door and climbed in, Zaagi bolted upright, suddenly on alert. As I looked at the girl’s face, I could see that her eyes were beginning to swell closed, her lip was split, blood trickled from behind her ear, and her face was becoming darker and more misshapen by the moment. I reached into the cooler behind my seat and pulled out an ice pack. As I reached over to hold it against her face she winced away from me, shaking, terrified. I handed it to her and told her that we needed to call the police.

“No!” she cried, and the look on her face told me to trust her. “Take me to my mother’s.”

photo

Virginia and Bix photo by jay nel-mcintosh

I put the car in gear as her shaking hand tried to hold the cold pack to her face. Zaagi’s face reached forward, gently and firmly pushing the girl’s hand to her face. She melted into the head of the big dog, leaning into her hard and sobbing. Zaagi leaned right back, holding the ice pack in place as the girl’s slender arm wrapped tightly around her neck.

I followed the girl’s guidance and pulled into the gravel driveway of a small house not far off the main road. She met my eyes and opened the car door. She turned and tightly hugged Zaagi, burying her face in soft, black fur. Then she was gone without a word. As I turned to drive away, I saw a light switch on and the door of the house open. A large dog ran to the girl, and the last thing I saw was her dropping to the ground to throw her arms around the muscular neck.

Zaagi at Palisades, 2008

ZArlo (10 days old), and Zonker, 2015

koenig

onker was not quite 8 years old when my son was born. He was a stunning dog, a lean and muscular 140 pounds of enthusiasm, intelligence, humor, and sweet stubbornness. He had challenged me in more ways than I could count, but perhaps that was one of the reasons that I loved him so dearly. And while Zonker had lived the joyful life of most dogs in the Tetons, it became clear that his purpose had finally been fulfilled when we came through the door with our tiny brand-new human. As a new mother I was overwhelmed, smitten, and blindsided by all the things that I didn’t know and could never have anticipated. Zonker, however, knew exactly what to do. With gentle strength and complete confidence, he would rest his muzzle on the swaddled bundle and all fussing would cease. He kept vigil beside his tiny charge, rarely sleeping, always aware, a steadfast presence to be reckoned with. He was completely in love. Zonker was born to be a nanny dog.

What is the Continuum of Care?

Our services operate on a continuum, like a system with moving parts, each piece serving its efficient, vital role.

Virginia,

photos by kisa

Zeppelin is in her twilight; 12 years is a long life for a big dog. While her outlook remains unchanged, Zeppelin’s body is tired and beginning to fail. There is something about a deeply loved old dog that embodies all that is good in the world — they carry themselves with a wisdom that can only come from years of adventures and growth in the company of a true partner. As Zeppelin and I slowly meander through the early evening on our daily walk, my mind wanders through the years of shared rocky trails, alpine lakes, long skis, beach wanders, toddler walks, crosscountry drives, campfires, and so much more. All of these memories are the colors of the mosaic of my adult life, making the milestones that we’ve achieved together that much more poignant. As I watch her slowly stroll at my side, I can almost see my son grabbing the fur on her shoulder to pull himself up to take his first steps. My life is so busy now, and yet these evening walks that keep her old muscles going are as necessary for me as they are for her. In this time with her, she forces me to slow my world and my thoughts, to be present with her and with myself.

left: Zeppelin and superhero Arlo, 2018

right: Zeppelin and Pepper, 2024

Alexandra Munger

Thirty thousand years ago modern humans were radiating out from Africa and moving into what is now Europe and Asia. The first domesticated dogs have been dated to approximately that same time. For tens of thousands of years, humans and dogs have grown and traveled, lived and died, together. It is clear to me, as my sweet girl now warms my feet and calms my

mind, that I could not be who I am without her and the others who came before her. I, and indeed all of humanity, have had the good fortune of this partnership which is steadfast and true. And while my many adventures are all the more memorable due to the presence of my canine partners, the role of dogs truly shines in the quiet moments in between. tf

Something New

top left: Virginia and Kati, 1986

top right: Zaagi and baby Zeppelin, 2013

photo by katy gray

bottom left: Virginia, Zonker and Zeppelin, 2013

photo by kisa koenig

bottom right: Virginia and Bix in the San Juans, 2023

NOT YOUR MOTHER’S MENOPAUSE

An East-meets-West approach to navigating your “second spring”

By Kerry Brophy Lloyd

Irecently went hiking with my friend Beth, who is older than me and has already entered the phase of life known as “second spring” in Chinese medicine. I like this term much better than “menopause,” a far less inspiring description for the end of a woman’s reproductive years, when the body’s hormones make radical shifts that leave many of us feeling, well, different

Beth shared that she felt pretty alone on her path to menopause, unable to get answers or find someone to treat her mystical symptoms. I told her that’s been my experience, too, as I feel like Dorothy traveling down the yellow brick road, not knowing what’s real or just a scary vision. Is the Emerald City truly my final destination?

Menopause and its precursor, perimenopause, can be confusing, with countless physiological and psychological changes. Adding fuel to the fire, it happens when today’s women are juggling complex

and stressful life events, from caring for aging parents to parenting teens to becoming empty nesters for the first time.

Go Ahead, Blame It on Hormones

Hidden from sight, estrogen and progesterone play a major role in a woman’s reproductive years, from our first period until our last (menopause officially begins when you’ve gone exactly 12 months without a period). As our ovaries begin to retire, changing levels of hormones impact our weight (ugh!), energy levels, mood, sex drive, digestion, sleep … and more.

“Confusion and frustration are the words I would use for what many of my patients experience through perimenopause and menopause,” says Whitney Fessler, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Grand Teton Acupuncture. “Perimenopause can last from two to 10 years, which is insane to me because that’s a huge chunk of a woman’s life. And it’s different for everyone and

really unpredictable. You don’t know what to expect or how long it will last.”

Bio-individuality, the concept that each person has unique biological and physiological characteristics that influence their health, truly dictates each woman’s journey to menopause. Still, Fessler says that anxiety and insomnia are two of the most common symptoms she sees in her practice.

“It’s such a huge shock to the system, whether it happens gradually or overnight. We have so much support through our fertile years, but once that’s over, you kind of feel alone,” she explains.

Finding Hope and Help

Dr. Charlie Echeverria, an osteopathic physician in Jackson, is noticing encouraging trends when it comes to treating perimenopause and menopause.

“More and more women are being proactive about this phase of life,” she says. “They’re much more informed than women were 10 years ago.”

Dr. Charlie uses a holistic approach that incorporates the mind, body, and spirit to alleviate symptoms. She has several treatment protocols to treat both peri- and menopause, including advanced lab work and pharmaceuticals, but her treatments are always looked at through the lens of helping patients detoxify, reduce inflammation, and improve gut health and liver metabolism.

“The body is smarter than our brains will ever be,” she says. “It has so many self-healing and self-regulating properties that we can tap into.”

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is one of the ways Dr. Charlie helps her patients balance hormone levels, an approach that she says is far from the experience of our mothers and grandmothers. Back in the 1950s, when HRT was first used, women experiencing menopause symptoms were put on a drug called Premarin, made from the urine of pregnant horses. In the 1990s, a series of clinical trials raised alarms about this drug’s potential risks, including cancer, making it unpopular with healthcare professionals.

In recent years, however, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) — hormones engineered in labs, so they are chemically identical to what our bodies produce naturally — has entered the arena as a safer method.

Kristin Coburn, a family nurse practitioner with Teton Valley Health, only prescribes BHRT to patients when it’s the “right fit” (sometimes family history and cancer risk factors make women ineligible for BHRT). A former labor and delivery nurse, Coburn has been practicing for 31 years and sees women in all stages of life.

“The pendulum has really swung in terms of HRT,” says Coburn. “When we weren’t giving women back their hormones, we saw more heart-related diseases, more osteoporosis, and an overall increase in poor health among women. When we give back estrogen, we see heart, breast, bone, and brain protection.”

THURSDAYS at the Victor City Park, Victor, ID

JUNE 19 – Neal Francis

JUNE 26 – The Vandoliers

JULY 10 – Bamba Wassoulou Groove

JULY 17 – Kelsey Waldon

JULY 24 – Object Heavy

JULY 31 – Fruition

AUGUST 7 – Lindsay Lou

AUGUST 14 – Hornbread

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SUPPORTED MUSIC Stay & Play in Teton Valley GATES OPEN AT 5 PM $5 SUGGESTED DONATION

Visit TetonValleyFoundation.org for more info and lodging specials.

LOTIONS, POTIONS AND PILLS, OH MY!

James Blackburn, compounding pharmacist and CEO of Blackburn Drug in Jackson, mixes up hormonal remedies and outlines below some of the more common delivery methods. He encourages women to work closely with healthcare providers to find the best fit and be wary of products sold online that may not use quality ingredients or offer dosing that meets your personal needs.

Oral Pills

• Easy to ingest into the body.

• Must be taken every day.

• Not suitable for people with certain health conditions.

Patches

• Consistent delivery of hormones throughout the day.

• Reduced risk of side effects compared to oral medications.

• Only available in three strengths; less dosage modification.

• Can sometimes cause allergic skin reactions.

• Great absorption into the body.

• Dosage can be fine-tuned for optimal results.

Topical Creams

• Can be transferred through skin-toskin contact for 30 minutes after application.

Pellets

(surgically inserted into the fatty tissue under the skin)

• Out of sight, out of mind, for up to three months.

• Delivers consistent and sustained release.

• Requires scalpels and sutures to implant.

• No ability to adjust dosage after insertion.

“My goal with BHRT is to do it safely and start when symptoms begin, instead of waiting until you’re 60 or older. Women have quite a few options now: pills, patches, vaginal rings, creams — one size doesn’t fit all.”

For women in perimenopause, BHRT can often be just a boosted dosage of progesterone, whereas in menopause, once the ovaries have shut down, it’s a full-on replacement of estrogen.

Choosing Your Guides

An exciting trend in treating peri- and menopausal hormonal imbalances involves the blending of different medical fields — an “East-meets-West” approach that Erin Borbet, a traditional Chinese medicine pra ctitioner and acupuncturist in Victor, says can yield great results.

“I can layer in acupuncture and herbs with BHRT that a woman is receiving from another healthcare provider,” says Borbet. “It’s a nice way to help women holistically by finding things that work and blending them.”

Fessler agrees, saying she often uses acupuncture in combination with what her patients are doing with other medical providers.

“What I’ve noticed is that perimenopause and menopause are moving targets,” says Borbet. “At some point, symptoms switch, and so the treatment needs to shift. This can be the biggest struggle for women, finding something that works, and then a few months later it all changes again.”

For this reason, it can be helpful to have different practitioners

by your side as you go through perimenopause and reach the other side post menopause. (There’s no reason to be alone on the yellow brick road.)

“When you find providers you trust, it’s a relationship, so it should have all of those good qualities: communication, listening, and working together,” says Coburn. “If you don’t get the right answer, go to someone else who will listen. Interview different providers and see who feels like the right fit.”

Your Body Knows Best

As for my own journey towards menopause, I find it strangely comforting to know that my body is doing this for a reason. Humans are the only species that live decades past our reproductive years, a gift of more time on this earth that also comes with sometimes bizarre changes.

“It’s a biological process,” says Borbet, “and the more you can trust your body, the more answers will come to you. As women, we have more access to our well-being than we often remember. Remind yourself, and each other, of the strengths we have.”

Dr. Charlie says to slow down. “I see so many patients trying to do too much during this time in life,” she says. “Then they feel frustrated because they don’t feel well, and that adds fuel to the fire.”

So off I go into the land of menopause, with friends by my side who have traveled this path before, and healthcare professionals I trust to give me safe options along the way. One step at a time, I believe I will guide my body where it wants to go. tf

Backcountry Boards

Tailgating feasts made from farmers market finds

By Christina Shepherd McGuire // Photography by Paulette Phlipot

Ihave this thing I do in the summer. Every Friday morning, I visit the Teton Valley Farmers Market in Driggs to indulge in the local bounty and affirm my commitment to consuming only food produced within a 100-mile radius (at least seasonally). First, I get in line at Boondoggle Bread and Pastry’s booth because they sell out of their baked goods right away. (You snooze, you lose … and believe me, I’ve lost out many times!) Next, I peruse the offerings from local farms like Easy Acres, Canewater Farm, and Cosmic Apple Gardens, planning my weekly menu as I collect enough fresh fruit and veggies to overflow my basket. Lastly, I stop by the farm fromageries, Larks Meadow Farms and Winter Winds Farm, to grab delectable cheeses to enjoy later with my girlfriends.

At home, I cut the tops off my carrots and radishes — all the while taking in the beauty of the food I’ve acquired — before pulling out my cooler to pack the picks for that evening’s tailgating ritual with my local mom posse.

Each Friday afternoon, my friends and I meet at the chosen trailhead to pedal our bikes and leave our weekly woes behind. Sometimes we ride for hours on buffed-out singletrack, while other times we end up chit chatting more than actually riding. Either way, this therapeutic hangout session always culminates with a happy-hour spread of fresh farmers market finds, some specialty add-ins, and everybody’s drink of choice. We all pull out our camp chairs (often creating a scene in Grand Targhee’s parking lot) and proceed to raise our post-workout blood sugar with satiating snacks between rounds of euphoric conversation.

I used to be the only one who cared enough to tote wooden boards, cheese knives, cloth napkins, and bottles of wine to the trailhead parking lot. (In fact, I was thinking about starting a business setting up elaborate trailside spreads for people.) But my friends soon caught on and started contributing their own unique offerings, like makeshift bento boxes filled with crudités, and silicone wine glasses, complete with a refreshing cocktail or mocktail.

I love this weekly gathering so much that I plan my purchases around it, devising new takes on backcountry boards to elevate the experience. My ideas incorporate tinned fish compilations (for possible inclusions, check out Food Shed Idaho in Victor) and sweet spreads that feature superfoods, like Gogi berries and dark chocolate, alongside herbed ricotta cheeses. This summer, in an attempt to be on-trend, I’m even making homemade butter to reproduce one of those gourmet butter boards all the TikTok foodies are raving about.

I’ve included a few easy recipes so you can get your backcountry boards started, too. Use my offerings as guidelines to turn your own favorite snacks into trailside, campfire, or backyard spreads sure to impress your friends. (Just don’t forget the tablecloth.) tf

Classic Board

(with Farmers Market Finds)

This board provides a local twist on the traditional charcuterie board, containing a mishmash of what’s in season. It can include anything from grapes to peaches and sheep’s brie to aged cheddar, all sourced locally — of course.

1 pound mixed uncured salami and prosciutto

1 round Lark’s Meadow Farms Petite Dulcinea sheep’s cheese (can sub goat cheese)

½ pound Lark’s Meadow Farms Farmhouse Cheddar (or another favorite cheddar)

12 Leslie Stowe Rainforest Crisps fig and olive crackers

20 Mary’s Gone Cracker’s super seed crackers

12 Rustic Bakery olive oil & sel gris flatbread crackers

½ bunch champagne (or regular) grapes

¼ cup Chasing Paradise raw wildflower honey (or honey with comb)

10 Jeff’s Natural’s Castelvetrano olives

4 figs, fresh or dried Tamari almonds Local edible flowers

HOW TO PACK:

1. Add cheese, meats, grapes, and flowers to a small cooler with cold packs.

2. Grab a rustic wooden board or serving platter.

3. Don’t forget a small bowl for honey, and cheese knives for cheeses.

TRAILSIDE ASSEMBLY:

1. Using a Yeti cooler (or your tailgate) as a tabletop, position the cheeses on opposite ends of the board or platter, fanning out the cheddar.

2. Fold slices of meat into the center of the plate and tuck them in place with the grapes and the honey bowl.

3. Fill out the board with crackers, nuts, olives, and edible flowers, and dig in!

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Picnic Tailgate in a Box

This is the type of spread you can house in a fancy “snacklebox” or pack away in a convenient metal storage container. Whatever your vessel, presentation matters, so choose items that complement each other and won’t fall apart. (See our play-by-play instructions.)

½ round Winter Winds Tomme goat cheese

¼ pound Spanish manchego

8 slices uncured salami (I like Creminelli or Applegate Farms brands)

4 fresh strawberries, sliced

8 fresh raspberries

1 handful pistachios

1 container local jam or preserves

10 dried mangoes or apricots

3 sprigs rosemary or thyme

1 sliced 460 Bread baguette

HOW TO PACK:

1. Assemble your “snack box” using our step-by-step instructions. Pack it in a cooler with cold packs or ice.

2. Slice the bread (toast, if desired) and place it in a sealable bag.

*Recipe adapted from @cheeseboardqueen’s book, Around the Board

STEP-BY-STEP ASSEMBLY:

Build the foundation of your box with cheeses and jam, then add texture and color as you go.

Herbed Butter Board

Butter boards are incredibly trendy, especially with the “good fats” movement. This one, inspired by Natalie Thompson’s book The Grazing Table, contains fresh local herbs elevated by homemade butter. (If you can’t make it, sub softened pure Irish butter.)

FOR THE HOMEMADE BUTTER:

2 ½ cups heavy cream (bonus if you can get it from a local dairy)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh chives

1. Place the cream in a food processor or stand mixer and process on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes until the cream is overwhipped. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to process until the liquid separates from the cream and lumps of butter form.

2. Scoop the butter from the bowl and save the buttermilk for another recipe.

3. Place the butter in a bowl of ice-cold water and knead it to remove any remaining buttermilk. Change the water and continue kneading until the water remains clear.

4. Shake off the excess liquid and place the butter in a clean bowl. Add salt and garlic and mix until combined; then add the herbs and mix again. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

FOR THE BOARD:

16 to 20

1 quantity homemade butter (or 1 pound softened Irish butter with added herbs) radishes, carrots, and celery sticks

½ 460 Bread ciabatta, torn into pieces Fresh basil leaves Chive flowers

HOW TO PACK:

1. Add butter, veggie sticks, herbs, and flowers separately to a small cooler with cold packs.

2. Pack a rustic wooden board or serving platter, a spatula, and butter knife (if desired).

3. Tear the bread and place it in a sealable bag.

TRAILSIDE ASSEMBLY:

1. Using the spatula, spread the butter on the board or platter. Top it with basil leaves and chive flowers.

2. Arrange the ciabatta pieces, radishes, carrots, and celery around the butter.

3. To eat, dip the bread and veggies into the softened butter and enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Natalie Thompson’s book The Grazing Table

To source your own backcountry board ingredients, visit the local farmers markets, Whole Foods and Pearl Street Market in Jackson, Barrels and Bins in Driggs, and Food Shed Idaho in Victor.

By Deb Barracato // Photography by Bradly J. Boner

ki town lore always includes stories of people living in backyard chicken coops or other creatively converted spaces, sometimes without electricity or running water. It’s practically a rite of passage for 20-somethings chasing the ski bum dream to cram into questionable housing with five or six roommates, making do with a bed and makeshift closet and dedicated space on one shelf in the fridge (basically, just enough room for beer).

Nowadays, however, even people of means are choosing alternative housing, whether for freedom from a mortgage, to stick within a budget, or simply because they believe less really is more. Here in the Tetons, modern settlers are living out their dreams in custom digs that could fit into one room of today’s average American house.

“I want to fulfill my life instead of fill my life [with unnecessary stuff],” says Heather Hansen, a web and graphic designer who has lived in 315 square feet for the past seven years with her now 21-year-old son. By focusing on the things that matter to her, she keeps her possessions lean and stocks up on experiences and memories instead.

Hansen lives on the Wyoming side of Teton Pass, but she grew up in Teton Valley, Idaho, and recalls spending hours with her siblings fashioning playhouses out of old chicken coops and haybales and other materials they found in the barn. “I’ve wanted to live like this since I was a little kid,” she says.

Her mom taught her how to draft building plans when she was in high school, so she designed her tiny home to fit on a gooseneck trailer. At 8.5 feet wide, 13.6 feet high, and 37 feet long, it’s essentially a road-legal RV. But the quality of construction and materials matches any well-built conventional home on a foundation, she says. Hansen’s list of must-haves was pretty small, but it did include a bathtub, an art “studio” where she could have easy access to her paints and canvases when inspiration hit, and enough storage for her snowboards and motorcycle gear and other outdoor bits and bobs.

“Everything else that I don’t have room for or isn’t important, I get rid of,” she says.

Fortunately for her son, he was (and still is!) high on her priority list. He can stand in his bedroom, which has enough space for a full-size bed and a desk. His mom, on the other hand, sleeps in a loft with a 4-foot ceiling. But she says it’s perfect for her.

Hansen works from home, with space in the living room serving as her “office.” It might sound cramped to someone used to spreading out among multiple rooms, but she says her home feels expansive because she spends

so much time outdoors – a common theme among tiny home dwellers, who often choose a smaller footprint to support a lifestyle filled with recreation.

While her lifestyle does leave her with some non-negotiable chores — she has to fill up her water tank every couple of weeks and regularly deal with the contents of her composting toilet system — Hansen appreciates the flexibility she’s gained, with less pressure to earn and consume and collect.

“I really like the idea of living in a way where you don’t have to have stuff to be successful,” she says. “It’s all about perspective.”

Ryan Dorgan admits that if he and his wife, Emily Mieure, could have afforded to build bigger, they probably would have done it. “For us, it was never really an explicit goal but just kind of a necessity brought on by the environment we’re living in,” he explains.

photo by Ryan Dorgan

Their 336-square-foot cabin made homeownership in the Tetons possible for them, and it was an easy choice of location over potential luxury in a different market. They spent 10 years renting in Jackson, hopping around from one small apartment to another; each time they moved, it felt like they got less space even though rent got more expensive.

“The only reason we were able to make it work here permanently was because we moved away for a year to Indiana,” Dorgan says. “We were able to buy a house, and when [a job] brought us back to Wyoming, things worked in our favor when we sold that house.”

The profit covered the down payment on land in Star Valley, then Dorgan relocated the historic cabin to the property. He had experience with the process of moving houses through his involvement with Shacks on Racks, a company that rescues and repurposes buildings throughout the region that would otherwise be slated for demolition. While few of the other homes he has helped relocate qualify as truly tiny, most were built during a time when Americans had much more modest expectations.

“With Shacks, we help people find land where the covenants will allow them to live smaller,” Dorgan, a licensed realtor, explains. “It’s tricky for people around here who are interested in living in smaller spaces. A lot of us have tighter budgets than the people building in Jackson or Teton County.”

New subdivisions often have more reasonably priced land, with lots for under $100,000, electric-to-lot lines, and private water systems, he explains. “Where they get you is you have to build a 2,400 square foot house. For a lot of people, it’s not only unreasonable, it’s not what they want.”

Ryan Dorgan spent “an embarrassing amount of time” digging into the history of his relocated cabin. He moved it for the second time after it spent 40 years in a Wilson backyard.

Although both Teton County, Idaho, and Teton County, Wyoming, building regulations theoretically permit smaller homes, the codes, covenants, and restrictions (CCRs) of most subdivisions require what can be prohibitive square footage minimums. With construction costs topping $1,000 a square foot in many cases, the price tag on a new 1,200 square foot home could easily surpass $1 million, putting it out of reach for most teachers, police officers, and service industry workers

Mike Lien intended to address the discrepancy between the cost of homeownership and average salaries when he decided to develop “workforce housing” in Teton Valley, Idaho, in collaboration with local builder Troy Olson. As director of stream restoration and fisheries research for Friends of the Teton River (FTR), Lien was frustrated because the organization kept losing good staff who just couldn’t afford to live here. His proactive approach led to a block of small homes on Little Avenue between 4th and 5th streets in Driggs.

At 612 and 780 square feet, his two models (2 bed/1 bath and 2 bed/2 bath) don’t fit the standard definition of tiny, which generally gets capped at 400 square feet. But they provide people who might otherwise end up in a condo with an opportunity to own ground — a place where their pets and kids can play, they can garden, and there’s room for a shed to store recreational gear.

He and his wife, Sarah, who also works for FTR, have been living in one with their two daughters since 2016. The original plan was to build another home on the front of the lot. But they realized they didn’t need or want anything bigger.

“We’re happy with our small estate,” Lien says, chuckling.

He describes his target market as teachers and nonprofit workers. “Nothing is really ‘affordable’ anymore, but these are the most competitively priced custom stick-built homes in Teton Valley. They’re a good starter home.”

Or a “small estate” meant to be a forever home.

Though technically a one-room cabin, a stick-framed central closet area that separates the space makes their home feel larger, Ryan Dorgan says.

There’s a misperception that a tiny home won’t be nice, Lien says. But their design includes full-size appliances, a mud room, and an oversized crawl space that doesn’t freeze, almost like a mini basement. And the shed-roof style makes a future addition possible, provided the lot can accommodate the added square footage.

Teton housing vision keeps the dream alive for mountain families

Mike Lien wants to influence a system he thinks favors either condos and apartments or multi-million-dollar homes. He plans to build more small single-family homes on individual lots in Driggs, which makes him somewhat of an anomaly among developers. He thinks his approach could be a catalyst for more projects of this kind throughout the valley, giving locals another attainable option for homeownership or rentals. “Hopefully we’re changing things,” he says.

A philanthropic buyer donated one of his Little Avenue houses to the Teton County Idaho Joint Housing Authority last year. Jerod Pfeffer, executive director of Teton Valley Housing, hopes this becomes a trend too. “This remarkable act of kindness not only provides shelter for a local resident but also reflects a deep understanding of how essential housing [that’s] affordable to our local workforce is to a thriving community,” he says.

While Pfeffer acknowledges the interesting niche of smaller homes, he’s clear that there’s no single magic solution to the workforce housing shortage in Teton Valley. This complicated challenge requires a multifaceted approach. It’s one he and his counterparts at the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust and Jackson/ Teton County Housing Authority are addressing through comprehensive needs assessments, public/private partnerships, development regulations, and support for nonprofit housing initiatives, among other tactics.

To learn more about the issue and efforts to address workforce housing in the broader Teton community, visit these websites:

• tetonvalleyhousing.org

• tetoncommunitywellbeingdashboard.com/housing

• tetoncountywy.gov/2495/Housing-Authority-Board

• housingtrustjh.org

• tetoncountywy.gov/2372/Affordable-Housing

McKenzie Heras, Torin Bjorklund, and their dog, Woz, have ample livable space in their rental in Driggs.

“For us, it’s a lot less cleaning, it’s efficient, and it meets our budget as nonprofit workers,” Lien says. “It allows us to embrace the outdoor lifestyle that we have here. We don’t spend a lot of time at home; we’re out in the mountains playing. That’s the reason we moved here.”

McKenzie Heras, FTR’s development coordinator, rents one of the smaller homes from Lien, and she says she was surprised by the generous amount of storage. She and her boyfriend, Torin Bjorklund, and their dog, Woz, love their place. “It’s 100 percent better than living in an apartment,” she says.

“This house is the reason we can stay in Teton Valley.”

From Lien’s perspective: mission accomplished. tf

photo by Ryan Dorgan

Vacation Pay

Readying kids for adult work, one summer break at a time

By Tibby Plasse // Photography by Luke Gentry

When Isabella Mayberry, age 16, takes orders in her traveling crepe trailer, she often thinks customers don’t realize they’re talking to the actual proprietor of The French Crepe. The trailer, where she prepares sweet and savory crepes, isn’t Bella’s first foray into business. A true self-starter, she began selling churros at the Rexburg Farmers Market during middle school. She then went on to add a few side events and is now a regular at the rodeo in Driggs and Music on Main. When she purchased her crepe trailer, she did so with the revenue from her original booth.

Harnessing Motivation

Kevin Mayberry, Bella’s father, says his daughter first showed her tenacity for business when he and his wife made her find a way to pay for the ingredients to support her baking habit — a passion she credits to living in France. The family

Isabella Mayberry (age 16) owns and operates The French Crepe food truck, selling crepes at the rodeo in Driggs and Music on Main.

photo provided

also lived in Singapore and Israel, before finally settling in Alta, Wyoming, full time in 2019.

Henry Ordonez (age 16) bangs out milkshakes at the Victor Emporium.

“We chose Teton Valley because it was close to how we lived in the Alps,” says Kevin Mayberry (originally from Idaho Falls). But France differs from the U.S. in that children enter the workforce much earlier, typically at age 14.

Bella’s teenage motivation for business isn’t unheard of — there’s babysitting, shoveling sidewalks, and dog walking — but onboarding your kids for their first entrepreneurial experience takes some prep work. And unless they’ve worked on farms or done their fair share of volunteer work, understanding schedules, team responsibilities, and communicating to the public might be brand new.

Navigating a First Job

Beau Jacoby at Barrels and Bins Market in Driggs says the store is a great place for kids to develop a sense of responsibility outside of their homes and classrooms as they navigate restocking, kitchen cleaning, and customer interactions. Jacoby explains that workers can’t really avoid customers at Barrels and Bins, regardless of the job.

“When it’s their first job, it’s hard because a lot of kids don't really communicate well at that age,” says Jacoby. “I’ve watched so many kids start off terrified to be in a space where adults are directing them, but then find out pretty quickly where they fit best.

“There’s a lot of kids that are just excited to be here because their parents shop here, and they already have a desire to be in this space,” he adds. “Some have worked here for years.”

Kathryn Ferris, owner of the Victor Emporium, meets her demand for milkshakes — which totaled 65,000 in 2024 — with a crew of 20 teens every summer.

photo by Todd Johnson

Finn Hutchinson (age 18) washes windows in Shooting Star Ranch for All Star Window Cleaning of Jackson.

The Victor Emporium meets its summer demand for milkshakes (65,000 in 2024) with a crew of 20 teens.

“This has always been a safe place for kids to get their footing, no matter where they’re coming from,” she says. “But this is a really busy workplace, and they have to be a team player — that’s an expectation we put out there in the interview process.”

And the busy chaos pays off. Ferris says she’s had employees stick around for up to eight years or tell her they were hired somewhere else because they were told, “If you can handle the Emporium, you’ll be fine here.”

Todd Johnson of All Star Window Cleaning in Jackson has a bit more of a coach’s mentality when it comes to his employees.

Johnson owns a successful 20-plus-year-old business and says he’s continuously trained employees who fly the coop once they can land higher pay. What started out as a conversation among family friends trying to get their kids off the couch, while also trying to solve a workforce shortage, has become a camaraderie for raising the bar, or in the case of window cleaning, the ladder.

Johnson’s crew started with a group of friends, and he says now they hold each other more accountable than he does. No one is cutting corners, or they know they’ll get chirped by each other. No phones on the job; no headphones.

“[Kids] progress with this discipline,” says Johnson. He began giving his crew autonomy by their third year in. “They got really good because they cared. They were speaking to the clients, they were following up on invoices, and now they’re starting to gain perspective from where they began, especially when a new team member joins.”

After three years, his returning kid force workers were earning $36 an hour.

HOW TO LAND A SUMMER JOB AS A KID

You’ve got to start somewhere, right? Here is a list of tasks that will give you a one-up on your peers. Get started building your resume at age 14. Then by age 18, you’ll have money in the bank and — who knows — maybe even a solid career path ahead of you.

1. Build Your Skills. Start with odd jobs, like babysitting, mowing lawns, and dog walking. Volunteer when you can to gain experience outside of your (wheel)house.

2. Craft Your Resume. Research a template on Google Docs and write a simple-to-read list of your job experiences (however small they may be), volunteer work, and relevant skillset. This shows potential employers you’re serious about finding work.

3. Practice Your Interview Skills. Rehearse practice questions with your friends and family members and come up with some questions of your own.

4. Apply Before the School Year Is Over. Start networking early in May by talking to friends, family and neighbors; check the paper’s classified ads; look for summer job postings on community Facebook pages. And then reach out.

Holden Way (foreground, age 18) and Wyatt Gentry (background, age 18) slay waffles in Corbet’s Cabin at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

“They learn how to have real confidence about who they want to become. In this valley, there are so many kids that need a chance,” he says.

This summer Johnson is incubating another business for his crew, a garage and driveway sweeping service for their clients. “We just learned how to run a business, and now I am going to teach them how to start a business.”

The Payoff

You can ask Wyatt Gentry of Victor when he started working, but he can’t really give you an age.

“I was always on my father’s job sites helping with properties,” he says. Wyatt quickly realized, as an ambitious skier balancing homeschooling and training, he not only needed more social time, but he wanted cash in his pocket too.

“I really wanted to buy my own toys,” he admits.

Wyatt says he first joined the official workforce at Teton Village Sports in the bike rental department. That job, coupled with the following summer up at the Jenny Lake boat ramp, and then others spent as a waffle barista at Corbet’s Cabin, gave him ample training working with lots of people in many different roles. As he eyes what comes next, it sounds like he wants to start his own excavation business.

“I think it’s the fact that I love big machines and being

able to control something like that,” Wyatt says of his plans to pursue his own excavation business. “It’s also creative. When I put in a driveway, and the customer thinks it looks amazing — I love that part.”.

Bella, who just spent her sophomore year of high school with a host family in Normandy so she could learn French, says she intends to pay for college with her crepe business, and then maybe sell it as a turnkey business, not just a trailer. So far, she’s eyeing BYU-Provo or BYU-Hawaii.

“All of this is possible because my parents helped me a lot; this was not something I could have done alone,” she says. “It got me down a bit at the beginning, doing the research for the public health requirements and making sure my trailer was running properly … there’s a lot that goes on that people don’t see.” For Bella that includes human resources, menu planning, and accounting.

She credits her father for her industrial spirit, but according to him, everything started because he had his daughter participate in 4-H

“To her credit, even though she didn't love it, she still worked hard at it,” he says. “It taught her how to deal with problems, and now we’re having all our kids do 4 H.”

Bella’s biggest piece of advice when it comes to ambition — just stay positive. “And don’t care what others think,” she says. “If you have a dream, just go for it and stay true to yourself.” tf