108
NOVEMBER 2013
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
THE INSIDE SCOOP FROMTHOSE IN THE KNOW
ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER JAMES FIELD
Tommy Moe,
SKI GUIDE ANDOLYMPIC GOLDMEDALIST
“Start your day on Apres Vous, which
has some really nice, long cruiser runs
with really fun terrain—a little bit of
everything. Plus there’s a high-speed
quad, so you can get a couple of runs in
before everybody else.”
Tenley Thompson
FOUR SEASONS RESORT BIOLOGIST
“About 1.5 miles into the National Elk Refuge
there’s a hill covered in bighorn sheep. In
winter they’re in their breeding season, so
they’re bashing heads. They might even give
you a ‘Jackson car wash’—licking the salt
from the road that’s on your car.”
Gavin Fine
OWNER, FINE DINING RESTAURANT GROUP
“Go to Couloir, on the mountain, for lunch.
It’s the same menu as dinner but costs
less. They have rotating local beers on tap:
Snake River, Roadhouse, Teton … and if
you drink too much you can always head
back down on the gondola.”
few recommendations, sparking a chain
reaction from nearby diners: “Definitely
try the pad gar pow duck” … “Oh, and the
pad woon sen” … “Do you like short ribs?”
... “Oh, man, the taro root!”
Concerned that you may be about to
explode, you head to après HQ and live
music venue the
Mangy Moose
, where
party-hearty local outfitWhiskeyMornin’
are just starting their second set. A er an
indeterminate amount of time drinking
Snake River Pale Ale and bragging about
your day’s exploits to everyone within
earshot, you notice that the band has
broken into a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s
“Ramble On.” You take that as a cue. Out-
side, themoonlight reflects off the slopes,
lighting your way back to the hotel.
DAY THREE
| Though it’s a few miles
down the road in a tiny community called
Wilson, your James Beard Award–win-
ning breakfast destination isn’t hard to
find. “Just look for the 20-foot trout on
the roof,” your concierge tells you. Giant
fish notwithstanding,
Nora’s Fish Creek Inn
is a no-nonsense cabin serving up trout
with eggs or corned beef hash to devoted
locals. You opt for the “world famous”
huevos rancheros, whichbarelyfit onyour
plate—and eat the lot.
The coziness of the joint—its stone
fireplace and bo omless cups of coffee—
makes you consider staying awhile, but
it’s time to hit the road back to Jackson,
where you’ve booked a horse-drawn
sleigh ride into the 24,700-acre
National
Elk Refuge
, home to the largest elk herd
on the planet. As you bounce across the
PICKIN’ WINNERS
Bill Briggs, right,
onstage at the
Stagecoach Bar
