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Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho. Named by French trappers, “grand tetons” was the name given to the mountain range on which Jackson hole lies. Jackson Hole’s current population is 10,553 as recorded during the 2019 census. Jackson Hole has one of the largest populations of single men aged 18 to 24 at 20%. This proportion reflects the reason for the nickname “lonely cowboy town”. The term "hole" was used by early trappers, or mountain men, as a term for a large mountain valley. These low-lying valleys, surrounded by mountains and containing rivers and streams, are good habitat for beavers, American bison, Elk, Moose, Bighorn sheep, Grizzly bears, Black bears, gray wolves and other fur-bearing animals. The Snake River is the largest tributary of the Columbia River at 1708 miles long. The snake river flows throughout the town of Jackson and is the habitat for the cutthroat trout which is commonly caught by Jackson hole fly fishers. Jackson Hole is located on the outskirts of the Grand Teton National park and is 57 miles away from Yellowstone National Park. Grand Teton National Park is classified as a corniferous forest biome. Evergreen trees are commonly found within this biome and grow apart from eachother. The annual precipitation average of rainfall is 20 inches while snowfall is 109.0 inches. Jackson Hole’s proximity to ski resorts such as Jackson Hole, King’s Mountain, and Grand Targhee serve as a skier’s delight and the town experiences its busiest time during the winter months (November-April). Jackson Hole is home to the National Elk Refuge which allows free roam of thousands of Elk. Commonly found Elk in the refuge are the Roosevelt Elk, American Elk, and the Tule Elk. Jackson Hole is 55 miles long (89 km) long by 6-to-13 miles wide (10 to 21 km) and is a graben valley with an average elevation of 6,800 ft (2,100 m), its lowest point being near the southern park boundary at 6,350 ft (1,940 m). Jackson Hole is located at the lower point of the valley at 6,237 ft (1901 m). Climates can range in Jackson hole with summer average temperatures of 65 degrees Fahrenheit down to lows averaging at 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
History
The city of Jackson was named in late 1893 by Margaret Simpson, who, at the time, was receiving mail at her home as there was no post office. She named the area in order for easterners to be able to forward mail west. Jackson, which became incorporated in 1914, was named after David Edward "Davy" Jackson, who trapped beaver in the area in the late 1820s with a partner in the firm of Smith, Jackson & Sublette.[1] Jackson, of Irish and Scottish descent, was one of the first European-Americans to spend an entire winter in the valley.[2]
Though the valley was used by Native Americans for hunting and ceremonial purposes, it was not known to harbor year-round human settlement prior to the 1870s. Descriptions of the valley and its features were recorded in the journals of John Colter, who had been a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After returning to the Rocky Mountains, Colter entered the region in 1807 in the vicinity of Togwotee Pass and became the first European-American to see the valley. His reports of the valley, the Teton Range, and the Yellowstone region to the north were viewed by people of the day with skepticism. The first people to settle the region were Native Americans, then fur trappers, and then homesteaders. Because the soil is not ideal for raising crops, the valley was used for cattle, and tourism quickly became popular with the establishment of dude ranches.
Settlements
The only incorporated area in the valley is Jackson, located at its southern end. Other communities in the valley include Hoback, Kelly, Moose (Moose Wilson Road), Moran Junction, Teton Village, and Wilson. West of Jackson, Teton Pass crosses the southern end of the Teton Range, providing access to Alta on the western side of the Tetons, as well as Victor and Driggs in Idaho. This area was known as Pierre's Hole and hosted the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in 1832. Numerous elk use the valley for grazing during the winter, and sleigh rides are offered to tourists. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snow King, and Grand Targhee Resort ski areas, as well as the nearby Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, are major year-round tourist attractions.
Geography
The valley is formed by the Teton Range to the west and the Gros Ventre Range to the east. Grand Teton National Park occupies the northwestern part of the valley, encompassing much of the Teton Range and Jackson Lake. The city of Jackson is at the southern end. Between them lies, on U.S. Route 26, "Glacier View Turnout" offering a view of Teton Glacier on the north of Grand Teton,[3] and the National Elk Refuge, home of the largest elk herd on earth. The Snake River threads through the entire valley from its headwater in Yellowstone in the north to the mouth of the Snake River Canyon at the southern tip of the valley. Blacktail Butte is a prominent landform rising from the valley floor. The average elevation of the valley is over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level.
High altitude and steep mountain slopes on all sides of the valley often cause calm winter nights to be very cold, as radiational cooling from snow-covered ground creates cold air near the surface, which then slides down into the valley due to the higher density of the air. In 1993, this effect during an already severe cold snap plunged the morning low temperature down to −56 °F (−49 °C) in the valley, officially recorded by the National Weather Service. The state record low temperature was also recorded in the valley at Moran at −66 °F (−54 °C) in 1933. Summers are warm to mild, due to the surrounding mountains.
Economy
Jackson Hole Airport is the largest and busiest commercial airport in Wyoming. The Jackson Hole Airport is also the only airport in the US that is located inside a National Park.[4] Strict noise abatement regulations and the terminal building's low profile allow for the airport to operate within federal guidelines inside Grand Teton National Park. However, it becomes difficult to fly in the winter months. Major airlines serve the valley with jet service, some of which is seasonal (summer and winter).
In 2016, the Jackson Hole Tourism website put up 20 live webcams of Jackson's town square in order to boost tourism. Since then, the audience of the live screening has grown rapidly, with up to 2,000 people watching at any one time.[5][6]
Jackson Hole was rated in 2017 as the best campsite in Wyoming in a 50-state survey conducted by MSN.com.[7]
In popular culture
Films set and/or shot in Jackson Hole include 3 Bad Men (1926), The Big Sky (1952), Shane (1953), Spencer's Mountain (1963), Any Which Way You Can (1980), The Mountain Men (1980), Rocky IV (1985), Dances with Wolves (1990), and Django Unchained (2012).[8] It is also a major location in the action-adventure video game The Last of Us (2013) and its sequel (2020), in which Jackson itself is home to a large community of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. Additionally, the hip-hop artist Kanye West used these mountains on his album cover for his album Ye.[9]
Gallery
The "Sleeping Indian" series of rock formations on Sheep Mountain
See also
References
- ^ Hays, Carl D. W. (1983). "David E. Jackson". In Leroy R. Hafen (ed.). Trappers of the Far West: Sixteen Biographical Sketches. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-8032-7218-9.originally published in Leroy R. Hafen, ed. (1972). Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West vol. IX. Glendale: The Arthur H Clark Company.
- ^ Mattes, Merrill J. "Grand Teton NP/Yellowstone NP: Colter's Hell and Jackson's Hole (Chapter 6)". Colter's Hell and Jackson's Hole. Yellowstone Library and Museum Association, and Grand Teton Natural HIstory Association, in cooperation with National Park Service. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Grand Teton National Park Photographer's Map & Guide. Earthwalk Press. 2008. ISBN 978-0-915749-25-6.
- ^ "Jackson Hole Airport". Jackson Hole Airport. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ^ "Confession: I'm addicted to the goofily charming Jackson Hole webcam".
- ^ "Jackson Hole Tourism website".
- ^ "The best campsite in every state". Msn.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ^ Maddrey, Joseph (2016). The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625492.
- ^ Mense, Ryan (June 1, 2018). "Kanye West Took Landscape Photo Used on Album Cover Himself With iPhone". Fstoppers. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
Books
- Daugherty, John. "A Place Called Jackson Hole". Grand Teton Natural History Association. Retrieved October 6, 2006.
- "The Mystery of the Colter Stone". Grand Teton National Park. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
External links
Media related to Jackson Hole at Wikimedia Commons