Old West Days Celebration means music, theatre, parades, good food and great skiing

Jackson launches into summer with the 30th Annual Old West Days (locals call it "Cold Wet Days") Celebration May 27-30. With Jackson Hole's rich history, its no wonder Old West Days is a favorite among visitors and locals alike. People from all over the country come to appreciate live music, theatrical entertainment, arts and crafts, delicious food, rodeo events and much, much more.

For more information, contact the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, info@jacksonholechamber.com, or 307.733.3316.

Bring your skis. According to Jim Stanford at JH Underground: 

Skiers and snowboarders should enjoy good coverage and fresh powder when the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram opens for the season Saturday. Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey is calling for up to 8 inches of snow by Sunday, and the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center has rated the danger as moderate.

UW alum Sarah Garlick presents multimedia "Climbing the Unclimbed" April 27

"Wild Stone: Climbing the Unclimbed, from the Arctic to Arabia," a multimedia presentation by renowned climber and University of Wyoming alumna Sarah Garlick, will be presented Wednesday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in Room 222 of the Classroom Building.

With professional photography, audio clips and short videos, Garlick tells stories from her latest two expeditions: A journey to the granite big walls of south Greenland and an exploration of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan.

Garlick's presentation focuses on the common core of both expeditions: A quest to find -- and climb -- untouched cliffs in some of the world's wildest locations.

"Wild Stone" shares stories and images of Garlick's 2010 expedition to Greenland, where she and her three teammates established a new, 2,000-foot free route up a remote granite wall. This expedition was supported by the prestigious Copp-Dash Inspire Award. 

The presentation also premieres new photography and video footage from an expedition to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan this winter, where Garlick and fellow climber Caroline George established a new sandstone adventure route called Uprising.

An avid rock, ice, and alpine climber from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Garlick received an M.S. degree in geology from UW in 2007 and is now a science writer and educator. She is the author of an award-winning book, "Flakes, Jugs and Splitters: A Rock Climber's Guide to Geology," and her climbing adventures are supported by Outdoor Research and La Sportiva.

Photo: Sarah Garlick

Alaska dog musher and author Pam Flowers will tell stories and sign books Feb. 20 in Meeteetse

From the Meeteetse Branch Library in Park County:

Pam Flowers made an extraordinary mid-life career change in 1981. She became an Alaskan dog musher and broke records in the process.

Flowers will be at the Park County Public Library in Cody on Sunday, Feb. 20, to share photos and stories from her 2,500-mile solo expedition above the Arctic Circle.

The family-oriented free public program begins at 1:30 p.m. in Grizzly Hall. Flowers will devote plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Flowers has written award-winning books about her unique expedition and her dogs.

Still based in Alaska, she has undertaken many additional projects, including producing videos and, in 2008-2009, hiking the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail with her dog, Ellie.

Flowers will sign books upon request and has brought Ellie on this current tour to greet audiences who want to meet her.

Ski Bum Music Fest Saturday in Jackson

The 15th annual Ski Bum Music Fest is 9 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Stagecoach in Jackson, featuring The Ski Bum Music Fest Jazz Explosion, Chanman Roots Band and The Outfit. $10. 733-4407.

It’s a classic Jackson Hole event that has deep roots and gives back to the ski community from which it was born – proceeds from the Ski Bum Music Festival benefit Bridger Teton Avalanche Center and Brent Newton Foundation. Fifteen years after its inception, founder Peter “Chanman” Chandler talks with JH Weekly about his positive take on being a ski bum and how the fest came to be.

Photo by Chris Havener of Chanman Roots Band

Ski by day, watch wildlife films by night during December in Jackson Hole

Pronghorns travel winter range from documentary “Out of Yellowstone.” © Scott Copeland

Four films screening at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in December will explore environmental challenges facing a variety of species as part of the museum’s returning “Art After Hours” series.

Art After Hours is offered Tuesday nights from 5-9 p.m. throughout the winter, combining intriguing programming -- like the December 28 premiere of Out of Yellowstone -- with a chance to explore the museum’s galleries, all for free. Visitors also can enjoy a tapas dinner before or after the film in the Rising Sage Café; reservations for this option are recommended by calling 307.732.5434.

December films, presented at 7:30 p.m., are scheduled as follows:

December 7 – Polar Bears: Living on Thin Ice: Filmmaker Thomas Behrend follows two polar bear families over the course of a year. 45 minutes; provided by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
December 14 – Yellowstone: Battle for Life: One of the most beautiful wildernesses, Yellowstone also is one of the harshest. 87 minutes; provided by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
December 21 – Expedition Grizzly: Join naturalist Casey Anderson – and the grizzly he raised from birth – in a look at Yellowstone bears. 50 minutes; provided by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
December 28 – Out of Yellowstone: Worldwide premiere explores Greater Yellowstone’s iconic wildlife – elk, deer, and pronghorn – as critical winter range is threatened by development. Produced by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with Phlogiston Media with the support of Deborah and David MacKenzie.

Art After Hours is sponsored by the Dragicevich Foundation and Dr. Christine Laughery/Home Health for Pets. Check the museum web site for information on weekly programming.

A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org/. The museum is also active on Facebook at wildlifeartjh and on Twitter at @wildlifeartjh

"Deeper," new extreme snowboarding film by Teton Gravity Research of Teton Village, debuts in September

Regional tour dates:

9/15/2010, Salt Lake City, Brewvies
9/22/2010, Denver, Oriental Theater
9/23/2010, Boulder, Boulder Theatre
9/24/2010, Fort Collins, Lory Student Center

Vertical Orchestra performs via chairlift July 25

This comes from Bland Hoke, Public Art Ambasador for the Center of Wonder in Jackson:

Vertical Orchestra will transform the Teewinot chairlift at Teton Village into a collaborative instrument on Sunday, July 25. Musicians will ride the chairlift, playing music with each other as the lift slowly mixes the sounds of individual instruments into an auditory environment that spans the length of the ski slope. Meanwhile, hammockers, suspended in the trees below, will listen to their chords waft by.

Custom printed hammocks will be available at the base of the Teewinot lift for $20 before the event on July 25, 1-3 p.m. The hammocks are made from industrial surplus so you can feel good about reducing waste while supporting the event! Proceeds from hammock sales will be used for an artist grant.

Some very interesting volunteer opportunities await anyone that is interested in making the event spectacular:

-Helping print 3000 feet of artwork on the hammocks with sponge stamps
-Creating the worlds first mobile amplification system on 5 chairlift chairs
-Hanging free hammocks in public places to advertise the event (where will you sling one...?)

Feel free to call or email Bland Hoke if you are interested in volunteering.

FMI: 307-690-0097 or blandhoke@gmail.com

NHTIC celebrates anniversity with "A Day at the Rock"

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper is celebrating its tenth anniversary with some special summer activities:

July 11, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Guided Hike: A Day at the Rock

Independence Rock was the beacon in the desert for adventurers, explorers, fur traders and emigrants. This granite monolith is one of the most famous landmarks along the historic pioneer trails.

BLM interpreter Jason Vlcan will present a program that includes the sharing of pioneer diary and journal entries. He will discuss the experiences of the pioneers when they passed this landmark over 150 years ago. Vlcan will also lead a guided hike as the group searches for names of emigrants who carved their names and dates into rock.

This family-friendly hike is part of the BLM’s “Take it Outside” initiative, which encourages families and youth to explore the great outdoors.

Participants will leave the Trails Center in their own personal vehicles at 9 a.m. and return back to Casper by 2 p.m. The program is free, but space is limited. To make reservations, contact Vlcan at 307-261-7783 or 307-261-7780.

July 11, 3 p.m., NHTIC program: Taking the Path Less Traveled: A Modern Day Pioneer on our Historic Trails

April Whitten can relate to the experiences of emigrants on our historic trails like few others. In 1999, she joined a wagon train and traveled from Nebraska to California, walking most of the way.

Her responsibilities included gathering terrain, location, weather and environmental data, and documenting her journey through journals and photographs. Her journey was funded by the National Park Service.

During her travels, she maintained detailed journals and took thousands of photographs. Whitten will present a one-hour program about her journey. She will also discuss the importance of protecting and preserving the remaining traces of our historic trails. Following a break, participants will be encouraged to ask a modern-day pioneer questions about her adventure.

Whitten, of Applegate, Ore., is a geoarcheologist, and her research focuses on migratory routes and historic trails. She is author of, “Are We There? And Lessons Learned Along the Way."

FMI: Lesley A. Collins, 307-261-7603

"Flakes, Jugs and Splitters" slide show and book signing June 2 at UW

From a UW press release:

"Flakes, Jugs & Splitters: The Geology of Rock Climbing," a free slide show and book signing by geologist, writer and climber Sarah Garlick, is scheduled Wednesday, June 2, at 7 p.m. in Room 133 of the University of Wyoming Classroom Building.

A UW alumna, Garlick brings the stories behind the boulders, cliffs and mountains of the world's top climbing destinations. She tells about granite, limestone and sandstone features gleaned from her adventures in Yosemite, Patagonia and Newfoundland.

"Offering an irresistible combination of plucky adventure stories and well-informed, clearly explained science, Sarah Garlick's presentation of the award winning ‘Flakes, Jugs and Splitter' was the surprise hit of the 2009 Banff Book Festival. Don't pass up an opportunity to hear Sarah speak," according to reviewer Freddie Wilkinson.

Cross Country Connection and the UW Outdoor Program sponsor the presentation. For more information visit: www.rockclimbinggeology.com or call (307) 721-2851.

Photo: Spectacular geology such as this is featured in Sarah Garlick's "Flakes, Jugs and Splitter." She will sign copies of the book and show slides Wednesday, June 2. (Jim Surette Photo)

Gretel Ehrlich will lead Wilderness Writer's Retreat Aug. 6-9

From a press release:

Join Gretel Ehrlich and the Wyoming Wilderness Association in a journey into the Rock Creek recommended wilderness in the Bighorn National Forest August 6-9 for adventure, reflection, and writing.

Wyoming-based author and poet Gretel Ehrlich will lead workshops and readings during the Wilderness Writer’s Retreat. Gretel is an accomplished author of This Cold Heaven, The Solace of Open Spaces, and The Future of Ice, among other works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Gretel Ehrlich’s essays, short stories, and poems have been included in many anthologies and publications. She has received many prestigious awards and is currently at work on a novel.

Are you a writer? All levels and varieties welcome!

Do you feel comfortable in the backcountry? We will be out for 3 nights and 4 days (with a fabulous camp cook and main camp equipment supplied).

Can you hike uphill carrying a mid-sized pack for 5 miles? The horses will carry camp in, but you’ll have to pack your personal gear.

Scholarship Information: Two full tuition scholarships are available for the 2010 Wilderness Writer's Retreat. Successful applicants will have demonstrated financial need in addition to an aptitude and vocation in the field of writing.

To apply, please submit the following to WWA, PO Box 6588, Sheridan, WY 82801 by noon on June 7, 2010:

Your name, mailing address, phone number and email contact information

Tax return receipt for 2009

One 1,000-word essay demonstrating why your participation in the Wilderness Writer's Camp will have value.

An additional sample of your work in the form of poetry or prose, at least 3 poems/pages.

Essays and writing samples will be judged for composition and development of style, and winners will be announced by noon on June 28.

Fee for the Wilderness Writer's Retreat is $700.

FMI: Contact Sara at the Wyoming Wilderness Association -- 307-672-2751; sara@wildwyo.org; 325 E Loucks St., PO Box 6588, Sheridan, WY 82801

Hike the backcountry & earn credit at the Casper College Yellowstone Experience

This comes from Terry Rasmussen at Casper College:

Register now for the Casper College Yellowstone Experience, May 28-June 6, 2010.

Registration and a $500 nonrefundable course fee are due by March 26.

This multi-disciplinary, 7-credit Casper College course, usually held the first week in June, encourages students to experience -- through mind, body, and spirit -- the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park and to write about their critical and imaginative inquiries. During strenuous daily hikes (5-12 mi.), students gather observations and impressions in a field journal, collecting the raw material for a nature writing portfolio submitted in late July. Course includes immersion in the ecology, natural history, and politics of the park. Students stay in historic cabins in Silver Gate, Montana.

Contact Instructors Terry Rasmussen and Dr. Will Robinson: 307-268-2110, or email trasmuss@caspercollege.edu or wrobins@caspercollege.edu
　

Banff Mtn. Film Festival at UW Feb. 24-25

The Banff Mountain Film Festival world tour brings the spirit of outdoor adventure to the University of Wyoming Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 24-25, at 7 p.m. in the Arts and Sciences auditorium.

The free showing, sponsored by the UW Outdoor Program, features award-winning films and audience favorites from approximately 300 films entered in the annual festival in Banff, Canada.

This year's tour features a collection of the most inspiring action, environmental and adventure mountain films. It provides an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.

The schedule of films to be shown at UW can be viewed on at http://www.uwyo.edu/Oap/pdfs/Banff_Film_line-up_UW.pdf

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, produced by Mountain Culture at The Banff Center, will visit in about 285 communities and 30 countries across the globe.

The UW presentation is made possible through the Student Activities Council, Cross Country Connection and the Wyoming Outdoor Council.

For more information, call the UW Outdoor Program at (307) 766-2402 or go to www.uwyo.edu/oap/events.asp.

Tix available for tonight's Opera Colorado performance of "The Barber of Seville"

Attention opera fans in Wyoming:

It’s not too late to get tickets to tonight’s performance of "The Barber of Seville" by Opera Colorado in Denver. Performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

ACT NOW!

Friday is SOLD OUT!

Sunday is SOLD OUT!

Tonight is your LAST CHANCE to see the show audiences are saying is one of their all-time favorites.

Featuring an all-star cast! Isabel Leonard making her debut as a sparkling Rosina…Lucas Meachem as a charming Figaro…Brian Stucki as the romantic Count Almaviva…Thomas Hammons as a hilarious Doctor Bartolo…Wayne Tigges as the conniving Basilio.

Buy online or call 303.468.2030 for tickets now!

Noted author/researcher Dr. Randall Eaton to speak at outdoor education symposium

Dr. Randall Eaton, author of "From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage," will be the keynote speaker at the Big Horn Basin Outdoor Education Symposium on Saturday, Jan. 16. He will speak at the morning session at the Days Inn in Thermopolis at 10:05 a.m. His topic will be "Finding New Pathways in the Old." At 7:05 p.m. at the Worland Community Center, he will talk about "Hunting as a Rite of Passage."

Dr. Eaton has written and edited 14 books. They include "Cheetah: Biology, Behavior and Conservation of an Endangered Species (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974), which was recognized by the American Library Association as “one of the outstanding scientific-technical books of 1974.” "The Cheetah: Fastest Race on Earth, (Dutton, 1981)" was recognized as “An outstanding science book for young readers,” by the National Science Teachers Association-Childrens Book Council Joint Committee.

Two other recent books are:
"The Orca Project: A Meeting of Nations," an anthology of story, essay and poetry, published in fall 1998.
"The Sacred Hunt: Hunting as a Sacred Path," a 1998 anthology of story, essay and poetry.

For more information of the symposium, contact Eric Decker, Worland, 307-347-3946 or eric.decker@wy.usda.gov

Keep an eye out for Zach Even's art

Lander artist and outdoorsman Zach Even has a new web site at www.zachevenart.com. Check it out!