JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw
Delivered him wings, ‘Hey, look at me now’
~ Pearl Jam, Given to Fly

A public memorial service for ski mountaineers Steve Romeo and Chris Onufer will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the outdoor plaza at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. A reception will follow afterward at the Mangy Moose.

Romeo, 40, and Onufer, 42, died in an avalanche March 7 in Grand Teton National Park. They were ascending Ranger Peak when the slide occurred.

So much has been written about these two in recent days, and the loss so devastating, that it’s hard for me to add much. I had known both since we worked on the mountain at JHMR in the mid-1990s, me as a photographer and them running the lifts. When I started guiding whitewater on the Snake, Steve was a photographer in the canyon before joining the staff of Skinny Skis.

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Posted under Deaths, Media, Sports

Tags: avalanches, backcountry, ppp, skiing, writing

The spring-like weather in recent days has athletes already looking forward to the 37th annual Pole Pedal Paddle race on March 31.

Snake River Brewing Co. has stepped forward to put more fun into the fun class. The brewery is offering a $250 party at the pub to the winning fun class team, the costumed group judged to be having the most fun at the event. Second place gets a 15-gallon keg, and third place a 5-gallon barrel.

The Jackson Hole Ski Club also has lowered the entry fee for fun class to $80 per team. Looking to draw more p-p-participants from out of town, the club is offering a cash purse of $3,500, including $500 to the men’s and women’s racing class winners (individuals and teams).

Register before March 27 to avoid paying a $15 late fee, either online or at the ski club office in Snow King Center.

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Posted under Business, Entertainment, Sports

Tags: beer, jhmr, parties, ppp, restaurants, ski racing

The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board has decided which community groups will receive lodging tax funds for promoting their events this year. The distribution is somewhat puzzling.

The chamber of commerce — well represented on the board — is the biggest recipient, netting $46,500 for Old West Days, Jackson Hole Marathon, Destination Wellness and WinterFest, the News&Guide reported.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will receive the maximum $20,000 for its Mountain Fest, the centerpiece of which is a free concert March 31. The resort has not yet booked a band, but the additional funding gives promoters a stronger hand, said Andy Calder, who produces the event for the resort with Dom Gagliardi of Poppa Presents.

“Let’s shoot for the stars* here,” Calder said.

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Posted under County Government, Economy, Entertainment, Music, Politics, Sports, Town Government

Tags: hill climb, jhmr, ppp, ski racing, skiing, sled dogs, snowmobiles, tourists

Teton Artlab is calling on local creative types to come up with a design for the 2012 Jackson Hole Mountain Festival poster.

The lab will work with the winning artist to make custom, screen-printed posters that music fans can take home to commemorate the event. Grand Targhee has sponsored similar contests in the past for its music festivals.

The seventh annual Mountain Fest will be March 30 to April 1. Besides the Pole Pedal Paddle and Marmot Coombs Classic, the centerpiece of the weekend is a free concert March 31 in front of the Teton Village clocktower. The lineup has not been set yet; past performers have included Michael Franti and Spearhead, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Ozomatli and Blues Traveler.

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Posted under Art, Music, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: festivals, jhmr, ppp, teton village

The Jackson Hole Ski Club has posted overall and leg-by-leg results from Saturday’s 36th annual Pole Pedal Paddle.

Spencer Morton was the fastest individual racer, completing the 4,139-vertical-foot downhill, 7-k skate ski, 20-mile bike and 10-mile paddle in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 31 seconds. Anna-Lisette Davis was the fastest woman, with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes.

Conditions were pretty good for the PPP, especially considering the wintry weather leading up to the event. The nordic course was longer than last year, and there was a fairly stiff headwind on the bike. But boaters were helped by more water flowing in the Snake River.

Even though the morning was cold, paddlers got not just a whiff of sulfur as they churned toward the finish at Astoria Hot Springs. With a flotilla of boats in the eddy and racers celebrating in the sunshine, there also was a faint hint of spring in the air.

And effort on the fourth “P” — party — was as strong as ever, with a spirited crowd for Katchafire and The Deadlocks and an outdoor hot tub party at one Teton Village hotel that had to be cleared by a sheriff’s deputy at 3:30 a.m.

Congratulations to all the competitors on some impressive times and for keeping alive one of the greatest traditions in Jackson Hole.

Posted under Sports, Weather

Tags: cycling, jhmr, ppp, river running, skiing