Wrangler Fall/Winter 2024 & Annual Report

the

WrangLer Teton Valley Ranch Camp

Fall/Winter 2024

Includes Annual Report

Letter from the Camp Directors Dear Friends of Teton Valley Ranch Camp, Smoke currently fills the valley. Since early August, the Ranch has been threatened by three forest fires, all started by lightning strikes. First, the Leeds Fire started on August 4th just 9 miles southwest of the Ranch. The smoke filled the air, giving us pause during the Girls' Season Olympics. Thankfully, the wind shifted and the day forged ahead as planned. After our traditional program ended, and soon as the Leeds Creek fire abated, the much larger Fish Creek Fire began due west of us, closing Togwotee Pass and putting us on alert yet again. While we were not directly threatened, we quickly went to our neighbors’ aid by evacuating horses and housing displaced staff members from Brooks Lake Lodge. Almost as soon as the air began to clear, the Pack Trial Fire started and came even closer, burning within just four miles of Camp.

While each of these fires brought the threat progressively closer, the burn scar left from the Lava Mountain Fire that surrounded the heart of the Ranch in 2016 held strong and prevented rapid and significant growth towards our mountain home. The burn scar, a lack of fuel, and the firefighters diligent work stopped the Pack Trail Fire and kept Our Ranch safe. It’s hard to ignore the metaphor “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.” Difficult and challenging experiences create more resilient, prepared, and stronger heroes. This remains the core of what we hope young people will experience at TVRC. We sum it up in one of our Core Values by being “Ready to Ride,” which we instill by developing grit, gratitude, and generosity through challenging western adventure. Regardless of the challenge of wildfires, long hikes, and poor weather; at the end, we stand taller, stronger, more resilient than ever, and overwhelmed by the feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for how far we have come. We are also better prepared for the next challenge we will face, at the Ranch or in our lives on the other side of the TVRC gate. We see this resilience in the eyes of our campers and staff, every summer. We feel it regularly in our roles as Directors and parents and are hopeful you feel and see it in your children and their daily lives.

TVRC is a special place to many people, and it's those people that make it so. You and the rest of our amazing community breathe life into our dusty cabins, and for that we wholeheartedly thank you. Thank you for sending your campers and telling others about your time or a positive life changing experience at TVRC. Thank you for helping us make camp better each year so we can continue to provide the life-changing TVRC experience for future campers.

In Camp Spirit,

Jim and Cora Ligori

From the Program Director’s Desk

Summer 2024 Reflection Marshall Cherry

About this time last year, I remember scouring over the depth chart of 2023 summer staff members who planned to return in 2024, daunted by the number of holes we needed to fill. One of the inconveniences of staffing a remote residential summer camp comes from how much time one commits to work with us each season. We often observe that even the best seasonal staff will only stick around for two or three years. Our first season after the pandemic influenced Outrider summer of 2020 saw a massive amount of turnover amongst the staff in 2021. Sure enough, after three wonderful summers with the staff core we built in 2021, we found ourselves needing to rebuild a large portion of our team once more.

And yet, as it often seems to happen at Teton Valley Ranch Camp, a team painstakingly built on spreadsheets, video calls, and trust came together to deliver meaningful fun, growth, and belonging to our entire community. Over our 77 days together, we saw insecurities become confidences, incompetencies become strengths, and fragility become resilience. I often find that the process of assembling a seasonal staff remarkably resembles a person’s first Rough Ride: a long, uncertain walk (not run) towards an unpredictable challenge, followed by magic, ending in joy and connectedness. Conventional wisdom rarely suggests that one should wager their success on a team of unproven young people, and yet, TVRC has thrived by placing trust in our staff for the past 86 summers. The Strength to Lead and the Faith to Follow create marvelous moments, days, and summers.

What did success look like for the 86th edition of our experiment? Campers and staff alike volunteering to wash dishes and clean the dining hall, showing appreciation for a delicious meal served by our hardworking kitchen crew.

Dozens of skits, featuring songs and dances, prepared by our trip leaders to create just a little more excitement for an upcoming adventure. Infirmary staff members attending fence meetings to pass out sunscreen and spend more time with campers. Program staff and counselors teaming up to create a wacky fun activity that just might make someone’s day. Kitchen staff members spending their precious break time playing volleyball on the green with groups of unmet campers. Our summer was filled with senses of community, commitment and care. The warm, sunny, and healthy camp conditions we experienced for the vast majority of the season seemingly reflected the nature of our efforts.

The end of our summer saw us saying so long to an outstanding class of 48 Trailblazers who too were part of the core we built in our post-COVID 2021 season. As I write this piece at my desk, I once again find myself daunted by the physical and spiritual holes their departures have left in our community. I bet, however, that in eight month’s time we will have assembled a camper roster filled with kids eager for the adventure of a lifetime. Perhaps those kids will end being counseled by those 48 Trailblazers. What a wonderful thought.

Backcountry Trips: Then & Now Backcountry Trips A pillar of the TVRC Experience The Mission of Teton Valley Ranch Camp is to provide inspiring western adventure in the Jackson Hole and Yellowstone area. The founding of TVRC in 1939 pre-dates the formal mission statement, however the sentiment has held true since that first summer season.

The unique backcountry program at TVRC sets us apart from the traditional residential summer camp experience. Over the years, aspects of our program have changed, most notably our move from the ranch in Kelly to our current 2,600 acre location in Dubois, however backcountry trips have remained an essential to the TVRC experience.

Many of our backpacking and pack trips today traverse the same wilderness trails that TVRC campers have explored for nearly a century— connecting campers and stories across generations. Trips such as the Crystal Creek or Jack Davis Pack Trip or the Static Peak and Moose Basin ventures remain trademarks of the TVRC trips program. New trips present themselves each season, as well, taking full advantage of the remarkable Teton Valley we call home. This year, due to the closure of Teton Pass, a group of Trailblazers had the opportunity to hike for five days through the Gros Ventres back to the Ranch in Dubois— finishing their trip by revitalizing an old TVRC tradition of hiking into the Dining Hall on their last morning!

Teton Valley Ranch Camp is one of two youth serving concessioners permitted to travel through the two local National Parks, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone, and is permitted access to Bridger-Teton, Shoshone, and Caribou-Targhee National Forests. Trips are a natural learning environment to foster essential skills such as teamwork, resilience, confidence, and grit.

Our campers have the opportunity to realize that if they can summit a mountain or spend four days in the Backcountry, that they are capable of handling any other challenges that life may present. These are skills that transition not only to life back on the Ranch but to the daily demands of teenage life, as well. The gear might look different, and the protocols may be updated, but the laughter and tales from the trail remain as enthusiastic and energetic as ever, carrying on the spirit of backcountry trips at Teton Valley Ranch Camp.

Backcountry Trips: Then & Now

THE HIGH COUNTRY - YEARLING GIRL BACKPACKERS AN ASTOUNDED GEOLOGIST! From the March 1963 Wrangler Above the Timberline in the Tetons, a group of Yearling Girls (10 and 11 years old), each with her pack on her back and her share of supplies for a four day pack trip, were hiking along the Skyline Trail, accompanied by staff from Teton Valley Ranch. All were chattering and singing. They were approached by two adult hikers— a young, strapping two hundred pounder with a pack on his back, and as the girls expressed themselves, " A real old man. He must have been 40 years old".

This "Old Man" stepped back from the trail and said "No!, I don't believe it. It can't be! I'm seeing things! It must be the altitude!" Whereupon the smallest of the hikers said, "Hello, we're from Teton Valley Ranch and we have been hiking for three days and are having lots of fun and found lots of things and my home is in Connecticut and hers is California and she's from Illinois, where’s your pack”? After clearing his throat twice, this “elderly” person responded with, “Well, you see, my friend carries the pack for both of us. We were out overnight too.”

“Just one night”?

"Yes" "But you see, he carries the pack because we have some rocks to take back with us" "Oh", responded the 82 pounder. “Would you like to see my rocks”? She flipped off her pack and produced one specimen after another of fossils, crystals, petrified wood, and beautifully colored rocks that she was going to cut and polish as soon as she got back in the Lapidary Shop.

"This is unbelievable", said the astonished man. He sat down and watched in silence as this group of girls went up over the ridge and out of sight. When he returned to civilization, the hiker, who turned out to be a professor of geology in one of our leading universities, called on the phone. He asked, “May I come over and see Teton Valley Ranch? I'll never forget these youngsters as long as I live". He went on to say, "If there is anyone in this country who is worried about the future of our youth, he should see what I saw yesterday”

This Summer we welcomed: 35 AND 234 From Four States Campers Countries Boys Season

Girls Season

Emmett B. Hutch M. Gus B. Fox S. Elliot F. Gardner T. Sam K. Wylder v G. Max M.

Girls Season

Boys Season

2024 Wranglers

Evie B. Daisy B. Scarlett B. Addison B. Millie B. Alli B. Avery B. Ella B.

Emerson E. Hadley E. Maggie H. Quinn K. Anita K. Olivia L. Addie L. Esmee M.

Jackie M. Siena M. Ruby N. Finley P. Avi P. Izzy S. Kennedy W. Lucy W.

2024 Trailblazers

Boys Season Graham E. Ben A. Nicholas A. Denton F. Finch F. Beau B. Will G. Rex C. Thatcher C. Alex G. Abbott C. Jake H. Mannix H.

Girls Season

James S. Addax B. Anders J. Maverick S. CeCe C. Kyle K. Henry T. Cha Cha C. Brady L. Tristin W. Arabella C. Nico M. Dave W. Marigny C. Peter N. Ali F. Benjamin P. Liam W. Frank Z. Peyton K.

Bebe L. Rose M. Amelia M. Tally N. Elisa S. Kate S. Liza T.

Grace T. Sage T. Reeves T. Aila T. Charlie V. Annie W. Brooklyn W.

TVRC Archive Project As we continue with the “I Know a Place Archival Project”, we encourage you to share alumni stories and photo with camp. The project includes collecting, safely archiving, and showcasing our important documents, photos, and more from our past so we can better tell the stories of our history. If you don’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube. You can share your alumni stories and photos with camp by emailing Haley at: hpreston@tvrcamp.org, calling the office at 307-7336122, or by mailing them to the Jackson Office at: 290 E Broadway Ave PO Box 4915 Jackson, WY 83001

Alumni & Parent Opportunities Experience a TVRC Pack trip Join TVRC staff and our partner outfitters for a four day alumni & family pack trip! Designed for alumni and current camp families (aged 16+) to experience one of the historic “JD” or “CC” pack trips during Boys Ceremonies week from Monday, July 7 - Thursday, July 10, 2025.

Spend a Weekend on the Ranch Experience the magic of TVRC on the Ranch from Friday, August 29 - Monday, September 1, 2025. This weekend is for alumni, current parents, and their friends (aged 18+) to spend a few days living the life of a TVRC Camper.

If you are interested in early access to rates and registration for the Pack Trip or Weekend on the Ranch, please email Haley Preston at hpreston@tvrcamp.org.

Space is limited for both experiences.

Archival Image from July 1990 Update your Information If you haven't updated your address or contact information with us recently, please fill out our TVRC Record Update form using the QR code on this page or by visiting our website at: https://www.tvrcamp.org/alumni-contact-updates

The TVRC Education Foundation Annual Report Fiscal Year 2023 November 1, 2023 - October 31, 2024

Dear TVRC Family,

Letter from the Board President Brooks Crenshaw Board President Staff: 1997-2000 Parent: 2019-2023

Current TVRC Board Members Jimmy Bartz Daryl Peightal Carla Hodulik Joe Ragland Dan Kunsman Woody Taft Walter McLallen LT Thompson Debbie Meade Darin Wenger Britt Packouz Reyn Whitman David Patterson Jr. Advisory Council Kim Kryder Ernest May III

As winter settles across the Tetons and we reflect on the year behind us, we are filled with gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead. This season, our camp was brimming with energy and felt like the most normal summer in a long time.

Near full capacity with enthusiastic campers, we embraced a summer of western adventure, from exploring backcountry trails to honing skills in horseback riding, riflery, and beyond. I had the opportunity to visit the Ranch in the early days of Girls’ Season. It was a joy to witness campers laughter, growth, and see the sense of adventure that defines the TVRC experience. These moments remind us why TVRC is not just a camp—it’s a place where young people discover their potential and create memories that last a lifetime.

In addition to this successful season, we are thrilled to share that 2024 has been one of our strongest giving years in recent memory. As many know, the cost of tuition does not fully fund the camp experience. Thus, we rely on annual support to close the gap between operating costs and tuition. The support from our community has been nothing short of inspiring and has allowed us to keep tuition increases manageable for families while maintaining the integrity of our programs. Your generosity has allowed us to remain in a strong position and ensure that every camper experiences the magic of TVRC without compromise.

Thanks to you, we continue to deliver the high-quality programs, staff, and facilities that make TVRC a leader among its peers.

While this year brought incredible progress, we know challenges remain. As we enter the 20th year on the Ranch in Dubois, a number of the facilities on the Ranch are in need of renovation. Currently, a new Laundry Facility is under construction, while we gather support to rebuild the Grand Bathhouse following the 2025 summer. Every contribution—whether it’s a major gift or a $20 donation to help buy supplies for the Craft Shop—makes a difference and sustains the legacy of TVRC. As we look toward the future, we are excited to continue conversations about what the next chapters of TVRC will look like. How do we honor our traditions while evolving to meet the needs of future campers, staff, and families? This is where your voice is invaluable. We welcome your ideas and insights as we plan the years of inspiring adventure ahead.

Thank you for being part of the TVRC story. Your belief in our mission and dedication to our community have brought us to this point, and together, we are building a brighter future. We can’t wait to see what we will accomplish in the years to come.

With deepest gratitude and enthusiasm,

Facilities Projects Completed in 2o24

Hawks Rest: Staff Housing

Grizzly Gulch: On property tent camp

In Progress for 2025 New Laundry Facility

Looking Ahead

Construction of a new Grand Bathhouse ahead of the 2026 Season

Complete Perimeter Fencing of ‘Camp Proper’

Statement of Activities The Fiscal Year for The TVRC Education Foundation runs from November 1st to October 31st. The information reflected below is based on our most recent audited financial report from fiscal year 2022.

Celebrating the TVRC Education Foundation Types of Funds Annual Fund & Unrestricted

Fiscal Year 2023 Support by Fund

Support f or the Annual Fund at TVRC helps close the gap in operating cost and directly impacts the delivery of the TVRC experience each season. Additionally, gifts to the annual fund help support constant improvements to our Ranch facilities.

TVRC Scholarships Each year we award roughly $100,000 in camper scholarships, creating access to life-changing summer experiences, and instilling the Strength to Lead and Faith to Follow in campers from across the country and world.

General Endowment The goal of The TVRC EF is to teach generations of campers to be Ready to Ride. Gifts to the General Endowment ensure the longevity and sustainability of TVRC.

Annual Fund/Unrestricted TVRC Scholarships

General Endowment In Kind Gifts

$571,339 Raised across all Funds

41%

of Gifts are Under $250

20%

Of Gifts are From first time Donors

Summer Snapshots

Summer Snapshots

In Appreciation Teton Valley Ranch Camp Education Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following individuals, foundations, and corporations who made generous contributions between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024. The generosity of our donors ensures that the next generation of campers will continue to experience the wild wonder of western adventure and learn what it means to be Ready to Ride. $50,000 +

$5,000 to $9,999

Community Foundation of Jackson Hole The Kemmerer Family Foundation John and Karen Kemmerer III Seth and Olivia Thompson

Tim Gardiner Brian George Carla and John Hodulik Marty and Caroline Masterson Christy and Donaldson Miele Rohit and Vandita Singh Nick and Whiteley Wheeler Martin and Debbie Zingg

$25,000 to $49,999 Anonymous Community Foundation of Northern Colorado Lee Marshall The Primrose Foundation Ann Marie and John Halsted R Foundation Stephen M. Ryberg Claire Dumke Ryberg Adri Ryberg Emily and Mike Nelson Vanessa Whitley

$10,000 to $24,999 Bert Smith Oldsmobile Inc. Margaret and EW Bert Smith III McCrea Foundation Phoebe and Gray Muzzy Walter F. McLallen Sr. The George B. Storer Fund at the Miami Foundation Alexander and Robin Stuart Woody and Jennifer Taft T. Sandy and Romayne Thompson Uncle Larry's Fund Lela and H. Lawerence Thompson IV Kelly and Chris Thompson

$2,500 to $4,999 Anonymous Brooks and Carolyn Crenshaw Nancy Donahoe and Jon Cohen David and Kary Duncan John and Caroline Edwards Annie and George Egan Jackie and John Fallenstein Feldman Weatherhead Charitable Fund Mary and Steven Feldman Sophie Feldman Lucy Feldman Max Feldman Forever Victory Lap The JWJ Family Foundation, Inc. Clark MacKenzie and Ann Mackenzie The Nelson Mead Fund Besty Mead, Nelson Mead The Grant Proops Family The Reinhold Family Foundation Annie and George Egan Neely Egan Grace Egan Ben Egan Sharon and Tom Teles Eddie and Grace Wall

$1,000 to $2,499 James and Garland Alban V Kelley and Miah Armour Kirsten Aunapu and Scott Worsdell The Bedford Family Foundation Peter and Kirsten N. Bedford Boeschenstein Family Foundation Bill and Jo Boeschenstein Jr. Sandi Bozanic Martha Berlin Brown Mason and Lynn Carter Charles and Lael Chester The Chester Family Foundation Karen and James J. Chester Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Robert and Molly Gooch III Christoph Cushman Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole Christoph Cushman Mike and Dawn Fisher Mary Cornelia Ginn Buck and Allison Holmes John and Abby Kean Claire Keeler Beck Callie and Win Kelly Charles and Jane Kusek The Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Charitable Trust-I Reyn Whitman Charley and Kerry MacKenzie Brent and Laura McIntosh Marge McNaughton Wilhelm and Patricia Northrop Brittain and Robyn Packouz David C. Patterson Jr. Maria and David Patterson Julia and Thomas Patterson Susan and Bob Peck Daryl and Fred Peightal Rencourt Foundation, Inc Griffin Hurlbut, Madeleine Hurlbut

Kelvin and Nancy Stirn Richard and Susan Sugden Anne Symchych Sara and Jim TenBroek H. Lawrence and Lela Thompson Norman and Jackie Waite The Waldo Trust WEN Foundation Wilhelm Northrop Wicks Chapin, Inc. (Foley Family Foundation) Noel & Edward "Kim" J. Foley III Kendrick R Wilson IV

$500 to $999 Sara Adamson David and Kristen Balderston Tim Bremner Charles and Fran Calvert Marshall Cherry Katie and Gordon Coleman The Columbus Foundation Elizabeth and John W. Phillips Abbott De Rham Frederick Aldrich Dick Isabel and Lee Dudley Ben Egan Neely Egan Jeffrey and Nancy Fisher Peter and Shimae Fitzgibbons Ryan Foley Daniel and Ruth Goodenough Jackson Hole Shooting Experience Jennifer and Patrick Keenan Carlisle Knight Dan and Isabel Kunsman Cora and Jim Ligori Wight and Betsy Martindale Richard and Katherine May Ernest "Terry" and Rachel May III Allan and Darina McKelvie Maren Muenchinger Scott and Heather Norby

In Appreciation Leslie and Robert Nutting Mark and Olivia Osborne The Parker Foundation Alicia and Doug Parker Joe and Louise Parzick Haley Preston John M. Reynolds Peter and Kay Robinson Brandon and Katrina Ryan Polly and John Timken

$250 to $499 The Alexander and Sally Bracken Family Fund Sally and Alexander E. Bracken Charles and Jane Allen Cinkala Family Fund Susan and Dean Cinkala Jeffrey and Cristina Craigmile Katherine and Steve Elms Tommy Feldman John and Robin Fields Scott and Petria Fossel Gregory and Elizabeth Gerhard The Glenmede Trust Company Shawn and Kristin Klein Spindel Megan Kowalchick John and Valerie Goettler Merrill Chester Gregg Shepard and Melissa Harris Bruce Hawtin Jennifer Huffman Malcolm Kostuchenko and Susan Burlazzi Kim and Gus Kryder Wayne and Helene Moore Rachel and Jeff Moss Betsy and Art Murphy Chris Ooten Patricia and David B Penske Courtenay Reese Farrell Henry and Mary Thompson

Up To $249 Sara and Nathan Aldinger Jason and Stephanie Anderson Paul and Nancy Armstrong Anna Balderston Cynthia and Jimmy Bartz Tom and Mari Becker Jeff Bianco Joe Billings Louise and Robert Bland Joan and Henry Bose Dan and Tenley Bowen Wyatt and Isabel Bradford Graham Brown Karen and Ted Casey Amy and Jason Cherry William Chester Cornelius and Catherine Colley Leslie Davidson Eliza Dean EcoTour Adventures, LLC Grace Egan George Eisenhauer Jo Ellen Flynn Cindy and Paul Flynn Lynne Fothergill Charles and Linda Frick Ned Friedman Rachel Garrett Jill and Mark Garvin Carrie Davis and Agustin Gomez-Leal John and Leslye Hardie Catherine and Tom Holland Mark and Deborah Jennings Allan Johnson III Peter And Kristin Karpen Bradley and Charlotte Krugh Matthew Lee Peter Lehrman Beverly and George Leys David and Gerrie Lunger Baker and Jody Mallory

Lisa and Charles Markham Maxwell Maurer Robbin Levy Mommsen William Rava and Sara Morris Lauren Morrissey Marjorie and Rob Mountain Jan and Martha Van Nierop Deirdre M. O'Mara John and Margot O'Mara Thomas and Denise Ochsenschlager Whitney Oppenhuizen Laura Parker Gretchen Pitcairn Edmund and Anne-Marie Resor David and Linda Robinson Lee and Charles Rogers Thomas G. Safford Kathleen Sauer Mary and Harvey Schmidt Katharine D. Schutt Christine and Fred Seely Robert and Ann Silliman Jr. Stephanie Smart and Allen Vander Meulen Elizabeth Smyth Jessica and Derick Snare Liz Storer and Luther Propst Frederick and Anne Stratton Robert E. Strawbridge III Stephan and Linn Syz Teton Toys Robert and Rachel Thebault Kelly Storer Thomas Patty and Rob Thompson Sarah Trenton Jane and Trey Tune Holly E. Hancock Von Guilleaume Terry Von Guilleaume Frank and Lakyntiew Watrous John H. Wenner Ellen Wilson and Richard Tambor

In Memory Ernie Campbell Davey Elliot Alex Razzolini David and Charmian Robinson Lynn Sparks Weenie and Mary Ellen Wilson

In Honor Rudy Gray Terry May George and Oliver Peck

Our staff and board are the true behind the scenes heroes. The TV Brand represents staff and board members who donated this fiscal year.

We have done our best to assure that we have captured the names of all donors correctly. If we have made an inadvertent error, please contact Haley Preston, Director of Advancement via email or phone at hpreston@tvrcamp.org or 307.733.6122 so we can correct our mistake.

Enrollment is Open for Summer 2025!

Boys Season June 14, 2025 - July 12, 2025 Girls Season July 16, 2025 - August 13, 2025 stay in touch with TVRC! Like our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TVRCamp Follow us on Instagram: @tvrcamp Checkout our videos on Youtube: www/YouTube.com/ TVRCamp