Wyoming
There’s A Secret Road From Idaho To Jackson, But You’ll Probably Need A Jeep
TETONIA, Idaho — There’s a secret route that people living in Idaho’s Teton Valley all know about as an alternate route over to the wealthy enclave of Jackson, Wyoming, to do their blue-collar work.
It’s called Reclamation Road, and some locals think it may be time to dust off — or grade with a heavy equipment scraper— this possible route for travel.
To get there, you have to drive 25 miles or so north of Tetonia, look for the Squirrel cemetery near Ashton, then head west on a dirt and gravel road. About half the trip to Ashton is possible at 70 mph. The rest goes about half those speeds — or slower.
But there’s no traffic. None. Only potato farms and silos.
The road is rough over the Teton mountains and dumps drivers on U.S. Route 191 a dozen or so miles north of Jackson.
Google maps doesn’t work very well in this part of the Potato Belt. But now that the main artery that connects Jackson with its working-class communities in Idaho is out of commission, no other alternative seems out of the question for consideration.
Tyler Hamilton, owner of WreckerBoyz Towing in Driggs, Idaho, won’t go up to Reclamation Road anymore to fetch anyone because they are “tourists and people with RVs, and the cell service isn’t great.”
Everyone in Idaho’s tiny Teton Valley communities knows about Reclamation Road.
“Reclamation is nicknamed ‘Jeep Trail’ because it’s a little rough in spots,” said Tetonia resident Jim Beard.
Even Jerry Anderson, the front desk clerk of Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Victor — the first town outside of the Idaho and Wyoming border along Idaho State Route 33 — knows about Reclamation Road.
“I’m going up there on Friday to check it out,” said Anderson, whose hotel Tuesday lowered its $300-a-room charge to $220 to attract guests.
WYDOT’s Horse
The Wyoming Department of Transportation isn’t familiar with the Reclamation Road route because it is betting on a faster horse.
WYDOT’s alternative to a washed out Highway 22 over Teton Pass in Wyoming is the reason why everyone drives more than 100 miles along five highways of bumper-to-bumper traffic from Victor, Idaho, at the border with Wyoming to Jackson.
This alternative route was developed after the 30-minute drive to Jackson was taken away in a landslide from Idahoans, who are frustrated that their blue-collar pay is now complicated with a big commute.
Highway 22’s loss in Wyoming is a crushing blow to Idahoans.
Tourism is feeling the slowdown on the Idaho side of the border, and pocketbooks are feeling lighter with the extra money everyone is paying for gasoline at the pump.
In Tetonia, the Sinclair station was charging $3.54 for a gallon of unleaded gas.
“I miss having tourists around here,” said Erica Black, manager of the gas station.
This time of year had brought long lines to the gas station, but now a fill-up is quick-in, quick-out, she said.
Others are getting pinched financially by the fewer tourists in the valley as well.
“People living here have been impacted a lot by the Teton Pass closure,” said Zach Bennett, who runs the Teton Peaks Resort in Tetonia. “We’ve seen a lot of cancellations because everyone thinks there’s nothing to do here.”
Tempers also are beginning to flare.
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Idaho State Route 33 is the major thoroughfare that runs through the Potato Belt communities of Teutonia, Driggs and Victor. In the sign above, Idaho SR 32 is one of the roads that a driver would take in order to travel to Reclamation Road — still about another 25 miles away to the north. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) -
Jesse Fritsch, co-owner of Elements Building Specialties in Driggs, said she’s pushing a lot of work off because of the road being out to Jackson. “We’re definitely rescheduling things because of the landslide,” she said. “It’s added to our overall costs because we have to travel around the loop to get to Jackson.” (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) -
Jerry Anderson, the front desk clerk of Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Victor, Idaho, plans a trip Friday to check out Reclamation Road, a secret route from the Idaho’s Teton Valley to Jackson, Wyoming. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily)
Crashing Gates
At the Idaho-Wyoming border, WYDOT traffic electrician Bryce Clements drove up from Cokeville, Wyoming, to repair the closure gates because an unidentified driver rammed them.
“This is not typical in the summer months,” Clements said.
Earlier in the day, he repaired a closure gate in Wilson, Wyoming, to the east of the landslide when a distracted driver talking on a cellphone hit the gate.
“I’m not sure what is going on,” he said. “This type of stuff happens in the winter.”
Sitting at a picnic table outside the Hot Diggity Dog food stand about a mile north of the Bennett’s Teton Peaks, a group of men were chewing the fat on the traffic mess.
Beard, Hank Hatch and Os Rigby wondered why WYDOT wasn’t helping out with the grading on the old Reclamation Road that runs up near Grassy Lake Dam in Wyoming by the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.
“Hell, yes,” said Beard when asked whether WYDOT should get involved with improving the road to help the Idaho communities.
Reclamation Road — named after its owner, the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages power and water in the U.S. West — is about a 30-minute drive north of Tetonia over a labyrinth of paved and fine-dirt roads to just north of a tiny community called Squirrel.
On the turnoff to Reclamation, there’s not much except for a dirt road, a collapsing wooden home from a bygone era and a silo.
“Over 25% of the people who live here, work there in Jackson,” Beard said. “No one can afford to live there, where people are paying a few thousands of dollars a month in rent.”
Thousands of people who work in Jackson but live in Idaho’s Teton Valley communities are seeing red over the extra driving time.
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Above from left, Os Rigby, Hank Hatch and Jim Beard, ate hamburgers at a picnic table outside the Hot Diggity Dog food stand in Tetonia, Idaho, chewing the fat on the traffic mess in the Teton Valley. They wondered why WYDOT wasn’t helping out with the grading on the old Reclamation Road that runs up near Grassy Lake Dam in Wyoming by the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) -
Jerry Anderson, the front desk clerk of Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Victor, Idaho, plans a trip Friday to check out Reclamation Road, a secret route from the Idaho’s Teton Valley to Jackson, Wyoming. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) -
In Tetonia, Idaho, the Sinclair station was charging $3.54 for a gallon of unleaded gas. “I miss having tourists around here,” said Erica Black, manager of the gas station. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) -
Tyler Hamilton, owner of WreckerBoyz Towing, is pulling his hair out in the traffic from Driggs to Jackson. He’s hauling cars back and forth between the two towns at a higher price because of the time and expense of gasoline he’s now spending on the 100-mile trip. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily)
Riding Buses
A START bus service run out of Jackson charges $16 for a roundtrip ticket to go from Driggs to Jackson, but that assumes an over two- to three-hour ride that begins at 5:10 a.m.
Commuters are arriving home as late as 8:30 p.m.
START Director Bruce Abel did not return phone calls seeking comment on the service.
Gale Luna, a START supervisor, said there’s been a small uptick in ridership on the buses this week that are taking about three hours to travel from Driggs to Jackson.
“Call volumes from commuters about the service have gone up about 50% since the weekend,” he said.
With the tourism season typically in full swing this time of year, some residents like the light traffic through the Potato Belt.
“Traffic is definitely down,” said Brett Johnson, a manager of Walters Produce Inc., a potato processing operation that runs a lot of 18-wheeled trucks carrying potatoes.
“Most of the traffic was due to tourism,” he said.
While the Potato Belt traffic along SR 33 is lighter than usual, the traffic picks up from Idaho Falls to Jackson.
Tow truck owner Hamilton is pulling his hair out in the traffic.
Traveling to Jackson wasn’t so bad when he left mid-morning Wednesday, but returning as the rush hour picked up around 3 p.m. took more than two-and-a-half hours, he said.
Related to the extra miles that he’s driving, Hamilton raised the price on towing a car from Driggs to Jackson from $375 to $525 with the same charge billed to customers who want cars hauled on a return trip.
“It’s my time and gas that I have to charge for,” Hamilton said.
Jesse Fritsch, co-owner of Elements Building Specialties in Driggs, said she’s pushing a lot of work off because of the road being out to Jackson.
Her business sells appliances to new construction builders near Jackson.
“We’re definitely rescheduling things because of the landslide,” she said. “It’s added to our overall costs because we have to travel around the loop to get to Jackson.”
Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
If you’re planning on visiting Wyoming, for a truly authentic experience, you must include at least one of the state’s awesome downtowns in your travel plans. Positioned at the southern end of the 60-mile-long valley known as Jackson Hole, the character-rich town of Jackson is one such place to consider. A wonderful place to explore on foot, Jackson’s unique downtown, with its Old West vibe, spreads out from the intersection of Broadway and Cache Street. While it consists of just a few blocks, it is jam-packed with fun things to do, no matter what time of year you visit. Its impressive elk arch makes for an excellent photo opportunity, while the charm of its Old West heritage exudes from the historic buildings, cowboy-themed bars, and art installations across town. The wild past also comes to life in Jackson during the Jackson Hole Shootout at the Town Square, a tradition that has endured since 1957.
Town Square And The Elk Antler Arches
Though Jackson’s Central Park is officially known as George Washington Memorial Park, locals and visitors alike prefer to call it Town Square. Dedicated in 1934, this centrally located public space occupies the block at Broadway and Cache and is famous for the elk antler archers set at each of its corners.
Made entirely from naturally shed elk antlers, the first arch was erected by local Boy Scouts and Rotary Club members in 1953, with the other three added a few years later. Each consists of around 2,000 antlers collected from the nearby National Elk Refuge and is among the most photographed landmarks in Wyoming.
For a truly memorable experience, try to time a visit to coincide with ELKFEST. Held in May, this community-wide celebration attracts visitors from across the country for events like the Mountain Man Rendezvous, a reenactment of the state’s early fur trading years.
The main event, though, is the highly anticipated Elk Antler Auction. Bidders from far and wide turn up at Town Square to purchase antlers, which are then used to make everything from furniture to jewelry (proceeds going back to the Elk Refuge).
Jackson’s Cowboy Heritage
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Town Square becomes the backdrop of the famous Jackson Hole Shootout. This fun (and free) mock gunfight has been entertaining visitors since 1957 and includes several costumed outlaws and lawmen shooting it out (with blanks, of course). You can add to the experience by hopping aboard the Jackson Hole Stagecoach, a ride aboard a century-old coach that loops around downtown.
The Old West theme is evident in other spots around the downtown core, too. Steps from Town Square, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar has been around since 1937 and is set in what was once the town’s first bank in the late 1890s. Highlights include its hand-carved bar top with silver dollars embedded in it, as well as its cool saddle barstools. Live music is regularly scheduled on the stage that has seen such legends as Willie Nelson and Hank Williams Jr. perform.
The Wort Hotel is another downtown landmark you’ll want to include in your Jackson itinerary. A local fixture since 1941, it’s here you’ll find the famous Silver Dollar Bar with its custom-made S-shaped counter inlaid with 2,032 uncirculated (and therefore rare) 1921 silver dollars. You’ll also want to check out its priceless collection of original Western art.
Other Fun Stuff To Do In Downtown Jackson
In addition to its iconic bars, downtown Jackson also boasts a world-class food scene. Highlights include Persephone Bakery, its old-fashioned stone hearth turning out delicious baked goods, including croissants and artisanal bread. Also yummy, Cafe Genevieve occupies an old log cabin and serves breakfast and lunch with a Southern-inspired menu.
Jackson’s art scene is also worth a mention. Art galleries are plentiful in the downtown area, with establishments like Astoria Fine Art and Mountain Trails Galleries, both on Town Square, featuring works by local, national, and international artists. The Center for the Arts is another cultural high point and features performance spaces, visual arts studios, and an outdoor sculpture park.
Snow King Mountain
Another unique feature of Jackson’s downtown is its proximity to some of Wyoming’s best (and certainly most accessible) ski hills. The base of Snow King Mountain is just six blocks from Town Square and has been in use since 1936, and really took off when Wyoming’s first chairlift opened here in 1946.
Dubbed the “Town Hill” by locals, Snow King now consists of 500 skiable acres, 41 named runs, three chairlifts, an eight-passenger gondola, and night skiing. In warmer months, the action shifts to a thrilling Cowboy Coaster, a zipline, a treetop adventure ropes course, and an alpine slide.
The Snow King Observatory and Planetarium is another excuse to head for the hills from downtown Jackson. Located at the summit of Snow King Mountain, in addition to its large telescope, this must-see attraction features a planetarium theater and a rooftop observation deck boasting incredible views over Jackson and the Jackson Hole Valley.
Explore Jackson’s Not-So-Wild Side
Downtown Jackson has so much to offer visitors seeking an authentic slice of Wyoming life. From its unique elk antler arches to its art galleries and cowboy culture, as well as its unique position steps from the ski hills, few towns in the USA’s Mountain Region can match the long list of fun things to do in Jackson’s downtown core.
The expansion would open the spigot for 550,000 barrels per day of crude, the company says. Although the crude would mostly pass through eastern Wyoming, the venture opens opportunities for Wyoming oil producers in the region for more transportation access to U.S. refineries and shipping ports, according to Bridger and local industry officials.“It would be the biggest project in our history, if it comes to fruition,” Bridger Pipeline spokesperson Bill Salvin told WyoFile on Friday. “We are, however, in the really early stages of the project. But we’re very excited about it.”Industry trade groups speculate the Bridger Pipeline Expansion is part of a competitive scramble to fill a gap left by TC Energy’s Keystone XL project. That company, in 2021, abandoned the controversial project in the face of major opposition and protests. It would have transported Canadian tar-sands oil into the U.S. market via a route extending through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among many challenges for Keystone XL was acquiring new rights-of-way easements. Though the Bridger Pipeline Expansion proposal requires some new rights-of-way, that’s not the case for the 210-mile Wyoming segment, according to Salvin.“All of that distance is within, or parallel to, existing pipeline corridors,” Salvin said.
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The Wyoming segment would pass through Crook, Weston, Niobrara, Goshen and Platte counties.Bridger Pipeline, a subsidiary of Casper-based True Companies, submitted a notice of intent to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in January and noted it will formally initiate environmental applications to the agency. Salvin told WyoFile he’s uncertain about the full spectrum of regulatory requirements in Wyoming.However, the company regards the Cowboy State as a great fit for the project, he said. “This [project proposal] just highlights how important the region is and how Wyoming is a very good place for energy projects like this.”Reached for comment, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said the proposed pipeline only stands to benefit Wyoming producers and the state.“Investments like these, along with continued growth in areas like the Powder River Basin, show Wyoming will continue to play an important role in the nation’s energy markets,” PAW Vice President and Director of Communications Ryan McConnaughey told WyoFile. “Connecting in Guernsey allows product to be transported to refining hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma.” WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
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LARAMIE — Nasir Meyer converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to give Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball the lead for good, and Wyoming held Air Force Falcons men’s basketball scoreless over the final two minutes to secure a 66-62 victory Saturday night.
The win marked the 13th home victory of the season for Wyoming, which improved to 16-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.
“Air Force deserves all the credit and let’s talk about a team that has every reason not to fight, but thats why they are Air Force and the cadets and I have a lot of respect for them,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “They were not going to quit, and I didn’t drive that message home enough and hats off to Air Force because they deserved to win. We snuck away with a win. Adam Harakow showed when we need him and he was massive for us. Simm-Marten was made big plays and Naz was clutch for us late.”
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Wyoming shot 35% from the field and went 7 of 28 from 3-point range, making just two from beyond the arc in the second half. Air Force shot 49% overall and 44% from 3, hitting eight shots from long distance. The Cowboys made 13 of 16 free throws (81%) and scored 22 points off 15 Air Force turnovers while holding a 39-36 edge in rebounding.
Damarion Dennis led Wyoming with 16 points and three assists, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Meyer finished with 14 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds. Adam Harakow added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, his first double-figure scoring game since the first meeting with Air Force. Simm-Marten Saadi had nine points in 13 minutes, and Kiani Saxon grabbed seven rebounds.
Air Force opened with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-0 lead. Meyer scored Wyoming’s first basket, and Leland Walker added a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 with 16 minutes left in the first half.
Wyoming responded with a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, with Saadi and Harakow each connecting from beyond the arc to give the Cowboys an 11-8 lead with under 14 minutes remaining. Air Force regained a 12-11 advantage as Wyoming went scoreless for more than two minutes.
Harakow’s second 3-pointer pushed the lead to 22-16 with nine minutes left in the half, and Wyoming used a 6-0 run while holding the Falcons without a field goal for more than four minutes to build a 28-18 lead with six minutes remaining. The Cowboys closed the half on a defensive stand, keeping Air Force scoreless for the final two minutes to take a 35-25 lead into the break. Wyoming scored 15 first-half points off turnovers.
The teams traded 3-pointers early in the second half, and Air Force cut the deficit to 40-31 with under 17 minutes left before trimming it to seven 90 seconds later. Walker answered with a 3-pointer to make it 43-33 with 15 minutes to go.
Air Force used a 9-0 run during a stretch in which Wyoming went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point to pull within one with nine minutes left. The Falcons later tied the game at 51-51 with 5:30 remaining after forcing six straight missed shots.
A pair of free throws by Meyer and a basket from Saadi gave Wyoming a 57-53 lead with under four minutes to play. Air Force answered with three consecutive 3-pointers from Kam Sanders to take a 62-59 lead with two minutes left.
Meyer scored with 90 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, he converted an and-one to give Wyoming a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys added late free throws to close out the 66-62 win.
Sanders led Air Force with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Eli Robinson added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Wyoming closes its home schedule Tuesday against Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Cowgirls.
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