In the Spotlight: The Wort Hotel

Established in 1941, the Wort Hotel has served as a town landmark and social hub ever since. This cornerstone of Jackson’s frontier history is widely involved in many aspects of the community, including support for Foundation initiatives—trail restoration, wildlife research, and youth engagement—in Grand Teton National Park.  Here to discuss the iconic property and its commitment to Jackson is Jim Waldrop, general manager.

 

What’s your favorite part of the hotel’s history and how does it feel to work for such a renowned place?  As stewards of this landmark, it’s an honor to carry on the Wort’s rich traditions.  I enjoy the lore surrounding gambling and the unconfirmed escape tunnels under the hotel.  I also love the story of how the community rallied to get the Wort back in operation within one year after it was devastated by fire in 1980.

Recently the hotel has won several prestigious awards, including a Four-Star rating from Forbes and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Best Small Historic Hotel in America. What steps has the hotel taken to achieve these accolades?  There were critical steps in three areas:  staff development, capital improvements, and community involvement.  We have undertaken intensive staff training specific to providing gracious hospitality, our ownership has committed the capital dollars to restore every inch of the hotel, and we’ve encouraged all levels of our organization to get involved with the community.

The Wort is a tremendous community partner and has supported Foundation initiatives for over 9 years.  Why did the hotel decide Grand Teton was a priority?  We believe that a visit to Grand Teton is at the core of every guest's experience.  From front desk agents to housekeeping and engineer staff, we encourage each of our associates to share their experiences with guests and to get out and enjoy the park. We recognize the importance of preserving one of our nation's greatest treasures and committing dollars toward this cause is a priority for the Baxters (the owners) and the Wort. 

Given the Wort’s long history, are there legendary stories to share about the hotel?  The hotel has a history of high profile guests.  One of the most talked about events was in 1951 when the cast of the movie Shane stayed at the hotel.  Each morning locals would gather at the base of the stairs to watch leading lady Jean Arthur slide down the banister in grand style.

We would like to thank the Wort Hotel for its widespread support for the Jackson community and Grand Teton. To learn more about the Wort Hotel, check out this fantastic article in the Jackson Hole News and Guide.

March 2014 Wildlife Whereabouts

Bear tracks have been spotted in the snow, signifying that some bears are out and about after spending the winter in hibernation. Here is an update on a few of
Grand Teton's most famous bears, and few other tidbits!

Photo by Diana Stratton

•     Grizzly bear 610, now 8 years old, could emerge with new cubs of the year.  She weaned her last litter last spring and likely bred shortly thereafter.
•     Grizzly bear 399, now 18 years old, should emerge with 2 or 3 yearling cubs this spring.  She spent most of last summer with 3 cubs of the year, but observations late in the fall suggest a possibility she may have lost a cub before denning.
•     Bears with cubs of the year are usually the last ones to emerge from their dens.
•     Adult male bears are the first out of their dens, with more than half out and about by the end of March.
•     As our snowpack slowly wanes on the valley floor, courtship and breeding is occurring among many wildlife species, including wolves, ravens, river otters, bald and golden eagles, wolverine, great-horned owls, and Canada geese.
•     Migrating birds are also showing up in numbers, buds on deciduous trees are starting to swell, and locals are eager for green leaves to emerge, even though this likely won’t happen for another 6 weeks!
•     In the coming weeks, snowshoe hares and long-tailed weasels will begin to shed their white winter fur.
•     At higher elevations, snow continues to accumulate, promising a good summer run off and adequate forage production for many herbivores – bighorn sheep, moose, elk, pika, marmots, and white-crowned sparrows among others.

Spring in Grand Teton: Bike, Run, or Walk the Inner Park Road

Spring in Grand Teton has begun! On Monday, March 24, Grand Teton National Park road crews began plowing the Teton Park Road from Taggart Lake to Signal Mountain Lodge. Winter trails adjacent to the road may still be used for Nordic skiing until the snow melts. While the roadway is closed at this time, it’s expected to re-open to non-motorized traffic in mid-April. Leashed dogs are also permitted on park roads. Just remember to clean up after your pet! The road will open to all traffic on Thursday, May 1. 

Park employees will continue to enforce entrance fees:
•    $12     7-day permit for foot/bicycle entry into Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
•    $20     7-day permit for motorcycle entry into Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
•    $25     7-day permit for vehicle entry into Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
•    $50     Grand Teton/Yellowstone Annual Pass valid for one-year entry into both parks
•    $80     Interagency Annual Pass valid for one year entry to all fee areas on federal

The Grassy Lake Road in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkways will remain closed till May 31 due to springtime grizzly bear activity.

Take advantage of these quiet spring months in the park to get out and enjoy the scenery!

Rave Reviews: Weekly Grooming of Teton Park Road

Thanks to all who supported this winter’s ski trail grooming collaboration between GTNPF, Grand Teton National Park, Teton County/Jackson Parks and Recreation and Jackson Hole Nordic Alliance. With your help, the inner park road was groomed 7 weekends this winter. 

Phil Leeds of Skinny Skis, a local Nordic ski shop, provides some feedback on the grooming schedule’s success:

“It’s fantastic. The regular grooming schedule makes such a difference, whether you’re using the trails personally or recommending them to a customer.  In past years, the conditions have just been too unpredictable. 

The groomed park road is the #1 destination for Nordic skiing in the area – just as the inner park road draws many tourists in the summer, park visitors in the winter want to visit the same beautiful area.” 

Parks and Recreation’s primary grooming machine, a PistenBully, has been put away until next winter as snow removal on the inner park began on Monday, March 24^th.  Hats off to a great season!

NPS Academy Spring Break

       In mid-march, 25 students from across the nation participated in National Park Service Academy’s spring break orientation in Grand Teton. Developed four years ago, NPS Academy introduces diverse college students to a range of career paths within the National Park Service. After the orientation, qualified students are placed in 12-week summer internships in national parks across the country. During their orientation week, students attended workshops about environmental conservation, resource interpretation, and the need to diversify visitorship to national parks across the country. Participants also went on field trips, such as snowshoe hikes, in the park with rangers and Teton Science School instructors.

 

This year’s groups contains participants from 14 different states with varied career goals. Some students, like Isamar Garcia, 23, already plan to enter careers in the park service. Others, such as Lacey Lumpkin, 20, are using this opportunity to learn more about the field of environmental conservation and to interact with like-minded students. Megan Kohli, Grand Teton's education and diversity outreach coordinator and volunteer program manager, was quoted in a recent Jackson Hole News & Guide article  about the program.  "We like to see these students come into National Park Service positions, but it’s conservation employment as a whole.” NPS Academy continues to foster motivated conservation enthusiasts who will ensure public lands thrive and that the importance of national parks is passed on to future generations.

Since its founding in Grand Teton in 2011, NPS academy has spread to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska and National Parks of New York Harbor. Over 190 students have participated in spring break sessions and completed a summer-long NPS internship. The Foundation is proud to continue to partner with Grand Teton to fund valuable experiences for college students across the country.

Photos by Ryan Sheets. www.SheetsStudios.com