Wyoming
'Catastrophic Failure' On Teton Pass; Road Closed After Highway Falls Off Mountain
A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday has washed away a huge section of the lifeline corridor between Jackson, Wyoming, and Victor, Idaho, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reports.
No vehicles were on the road as it had been closed earlier Friday because of a mudslide.
Road troubles began Thursday after a large crack stretching across both highways was spotted in the road.
A significant portion of the highway at milepost 12.8 has collapsed into the ravine below, while significant portions of the remaining road are cracked and tilted, WYDOT reports, adding that the road faces a long, indefinite closure.
“We’re looking at a few weeks, at the very least,” Stephanie Harsha, a spokeswoman for WYDOT District 3, told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday morning. “At this point, a temporary fix or any kind of detour would be just as cumbersome and costly as a rebuilding the road or another more permanent fix. Our engineers are kind of weighing out those options right now.”
Signs Of Trouble
Teton Pass temporarily closed on Thursday so WYDOT could patch the large highway-spanning crack reported earlier that day. When road crews inspected the damaged section of Highway 22 on Friday, the pavement patch had been damaged and more movement was detected.
“That landslide continued to move despite efforts to put in a temporary detour around it,” Harsha said. “That movement caused it to take out both lanes of travel on that particular section.”
WYDOT road crews attempted to repair and rectify the damage while developing a long-term solution. They were on the scene overnight when the destructive landslide happened.
“Our crews were working in the area last night to construct that detour,” she said. “Nobody was hurt, and no equipment was damaged, but the road is damaged to a point where I don’t believe that there’ll be a quick or detour.”
Highway 22 was closed for most of Friday because of a mudslide that covered both lanes near milepost 15. WYDOT spent most of the day clearing the road, but reported that the mudslide “breached the roadway with mud and debris, overwhelming the channeled drainage ditch and culvert.”
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A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday saw a huge section wash down the mountain. A long closure of the “lifeline” between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) -
A mudslide at about 4:20 a.m. Thursday morning has shut down Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass at milepost 15. The closure comes less than 24 after a large two-lane crack in the pavement of the highway closed the pass for a few hours. (WYDOT Teton County via Facebook) -
Large cracks appeared on Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass on Thursday, prompting it to close for several hours. (WYDOT Teton County via Facebook)
No Easy Alternatives
With Teton Pass closed until further notice, commuters who regularly travel along the primary route between Jackson and Victor will need to find an alternative route. The best workaround is to travel south through Alpine, Wyoming. That takes an hour and 45 minutes compared to the 35 minutes it takes over the pass.
Harsha knows that will be difficult for many.
“That’s such a difficult thing for this area,” she said. “Teton Pass is a lifeline for people who commute and work in and out of the Jackson area. Depending on where you live, especially on the Idaho side, most people detour around Swan Valley and then into Alpine, Wyoming, and come up Jackson from the south.”
WYDOT will share any updates on the status of Teton Pass through its website and social media channels, in addition to the WYDOT 511 app.
“Our engineers are evaluating the area, and they should come up with a plan forward as far as what we’re going to do in repairing that section,” Harsha said.
What About A Tunnel?
The closure sparked an immediate conversation on social media about the need to build a tunnel through Teton Pass.
Although the possibility of such a tunnel is remote, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has discussed it before.
Former WYDOT Director Luke Reiner told Cowboy State Daily in 2021 that he had it on his wish list of projects that he hoped would be covered by President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan.
Reiner said there was a feasibility study of such a project. It never went anywhere, but he said there were real benefits to it.
“One, it avoids the avalanche-prone area, and that would help really make that road more passable,” he said, pointing out that in a part of the state where the cost of living is outlandish for workers, that stretch of highway plays an important role in the economy by getting workers to and from their jobs.
“It’s not lost on us that that has become a major commuter route for employees who work in Jackson and live in Idaho,” Reiner said. “The average daily traffic on that road is one of the highest in our state.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
CASPER, Wyo. — There was magic, or something like it, in the air on Saturday as the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds presented the 2026 Casper Holistic Expo, Casper’s longest running holistic expo and a hallmark of the beginning of spring in Natrona County.
Countless vendors from Casper and beyond gathered with their goodies to present them to eager customers searching for something a little different.
The holistic expo featured crystal and metaphysical shops, tattoo and body piercing studios, henna and glitter tattoo studios, holistic shops, tarot readings, fortune tellers, magic and so much more. There was truly something for everyone, and Christina Kuhn, the lead organizer, said that nobody who came to the expo would leave disappointed.
“This actually started over 20 years ago,” Kuhn said. “I’ve been doing it for years. My mom did it for seven years before me. And Judy Ick, who actually does our photography, she did it before that. So it’s been a very long, very longstanding and growing event.”
Kuhn said that the Holistic Expo has grown exponentially over the years.
“When Judy passed it down to mom, there were 38 booths,” she said. “After mom passed it down to me, there were 78. Now I think we’re up to, like, 98.”
The booths are as eclectic as the people who run them. There’s magic, mysticism and moonlight; storytellers and palm readers; conversationalists and creators. There are CBD products, organic teas, energy testing, and even fudge.
“Some of this is kind of a special niche,” Kuhn shared, “but some of it is not. We’ve got a chiropractor. We’ve got people that are working with healing modalities. Some of it’s spiritual stuff. We’ve got crafts, too.”
There’s a wide variety of vendors and customers as the Holistic Expo, and Kuhn said she wouldn’t want it any other way. The most important thing they do, Kuhn said, is donate to local nonprofits.
“People can either pay the $5 door fee — anybody that’s 13 or over — or they can donate five nonperishable goods,” Kuhn said. “We started donating that to poverty resistance, and then we did City Park Church. This year we’re donating to the Wyoming Food for Thought Project.”
Kuhn said this was just a simple way to give back to the community, a community she and her business have been a part of for years. Kuhn owns a store in downtown Casper called A Place for Passion, and the Holistic Expo also allows her to bring some merch from her store and put in on display with a variety of other items. It’s a fun way to spend a weekend, she said, and she’s proud to be a part of it.
“Good lord, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she said. “I helped my mom with it for ages and she wanted somebody that would carry on and keep expanding and doing well with it. Before I was helping run the show and managing it, I was a booth. I started sharing a booth with my mom because I only had a few things and I wasn’t sure how well they’d sell. But then it just expanded and took off, and now here I am.”
Kuhn said it means a lot that she’s able to continue the Holistic Expo for her mother.
“It’s nice to keep expanding something, especially something that contributes so much to the community,” she said. “There are so many people that come out and enjoy everything that they get here. And it’s a big opportunity for them to connect with others, to connect with people that have stuff they want to offer them.”
That, Kuhn said, is her favorite part of the Holistic Expo — meeting people.
“It’s just nice connecting with people and helping them out in any way that you can,” she said. “Everybody’s got their own knowledge, gifts, products that they’re putting out — services, whatever it is. So being able to share that with others is awesome. You’ve got to come check it out. It’s an awesome experience. There’s a little something for everyone.”
The Casper Holistic Expo is happening Saturday until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Industrial Building at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.
Photos from the Holistic Expo can be seen below:
Related
A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida earlier this week.
Sixteen-year-old Aiden Andrews and his father Brian were on a guided dive with Fossil Junkies, a local fossil-hunting tour company.
Captain John Kreatsoulas told FOX 13 Tampa Bay reporter Kimberly Kuizon that while finding small megalodon teeth isn’t uncommon, finding one that size is quite rare.
Video captured the moments when Aiden and his father celebrated underwater after making the remarkable discovery.
Popularized by Hollywood monster movies, the Carcharocles megalodon was the largest shark to have ever lived, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
Scientists believe the largest megalodon reached up to 60 feet in length and weighed up to 50 tons.
And as Andrews can attest — they possessed teeth the size of a human hand.
According to the Smithsonian, megalodon lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago across all of Earth’s oceans.
Wyoming
Outdoor Fun Awaits At Local Parks With Izaak Walton League’s Hiking Series From April To September
Hiking can be an activity that you enjoy doing on your own, but sometimes you need a little extra inspiration, and a group hike is exactly what you need. If you’re looking for a group to explore the outdoors with, the Charles E. Piersall chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America hiking group may be what you’re looking for.
The mission of the IWLA:
To engage the community in the conservation, restoration, and promotion of environmental protection, we focus on the sustainable use and enjoyment of our natural resources, including soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife. This commitment is essential for a sustainable future, and activities like hiking help foster a connection with nature
The group is open to all ages, and even your pup can join in on the fun if they’re on a leash. There is a series of hikes planned beginning on April 1. Nope, this isn’t a prank; it is a real chance to meet other outdoor lovers and take in some of the area’s best hiking trails. The hikes are scheduled on the odd Wednesdays from April to September, weather permitting.
Join us to connect with others who appreciate the beauty of outdoor hiking and environmental advocacy hiking. Remember to bring drinking water, snacks, good walking shoes or boots, and a jacket. A walking stick or hiking poles can also be helpful.
Here are the hikes they have planned for this summer.
April 2026
- Wednesday, April 1, 6 pm, Morad Park to Paradise Valley:
- Wednesday, April 15, 6 pm, Edness K. Wilkins State Park:
- Wednesday, April 29, 6 pm, Tate Pumphouse, Golf Course loop:
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
- Wednesday, July 1, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, North Face:
- Wednesday, July 15, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, Beaver Ponds:
- Wednesday, July 29, 6 pm, Casper Mountain, Biathlon:
August 2026
September 2026
16 Types Of Hikes Explained
7 Trails To Hike In Central Wyoming
There’s no doubt about it, the entire state of Wyoming is covered in amazing hiking trails. If you’re visiting central Wyoming here are 7 trails that you should check out. I’ve organized them from easier to harder, ending with Laramie Peak.
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