Category: Profiles

These profiles are highlighting people that make up our Nordic community.
Each and everyone of these folks has a story and we wanted to help tell it.

Karen Daubert & Jared Smith: Nordic and backcountry skiing enthusiasts who love crust cruising and engaging in community, nonprofit efforts

Karen serves on the board of Friends of the Bridger Teton and Jared serves on the board of Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START)

Bridger Teton US National Forest, Featured, Grand Teton National Park, News, Profiles
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

Karen Daubert and Jared Smith are not only avid skiers but also engaged Jackson residents involved in different organizations. Though Jared has more personal history in Jackson than Karen, since retiring 4 years ago, they have both been actively exploring all the winter trails of Jackson and actively involved in nonprofit work.  Jared’s history in Jackson Jared grew up enmeshed in the Nordic community of Jackson. His parents first came to Jackon in 1945 on… Read More

Renee Seidler: Wildlife advocate, winter enthusiast, Executive Director at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation

Winter wildlife observation, tracking, and protection and citizen science opportunities, winter recreation, and ways to get involved in wildlife advocacy

Featured, News, Profiles, Wildlife
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

With a family full of scientists and a love for animals and the outdoors, Renee Seidler’s passion for wildlife and wildlife biology has been budding since a young age. Though she had a winding path, after getting her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and molecular biology and doing some river guiding in Jackson, Renee decided to go back to school in Bozeman to study wildlife biology. Then her path led her to become the Executive Director at… Read More

Erich Wilbrecht: Former Olympian Who Loves Flying On Skis and Listening to the Birds in Jackson Hole

1992 Nordic Biathlon Olympian and Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club Hall of Fame Honoree

Featured, News, Profiles, Skate Skiing
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

A former Olympic biathlete and an inaugural member of the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club Hall of Fame, Erich Wilbrecht is a Nordic force to be reckoned with.  Erich grew up on wildlife refuges and moved to Jackson at the age of 16 when his dad took the job managing the National Elk Refuge with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Erich grew up cross country running, and when Jackson didn’t have a cross… Read More

Friends of Pathways: Utilizing Pathways to Promote Healthy & Responsible Recreation and Contribute Conservation Advocacy in Jackson Hole

Chris Owen gets into to the data & history of fat biking grooming in Jackson Hole

Bridger Teton US National Forest, Fat Biking, Featured, Grooming, News, Profiles
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

Chris Owen is the Trails Program Manager at Friends of Pathways and works in partnership with the JH Nordic Alliance through his work grooming for fat biking and advocating for responsible trail use. Friends of Pathways is a non-profit that focuses on advocating for the completion of a safe and sustainable pathways system for healthy recreation and transportation opportunities in Jackson Hole. Chris first came to Jackson to work at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort… Read More

Scott Lacy: Grassroots-funded professional Nordic racer (and former Jackson Hole Ski Club Nordic coach)

Pursuit of a Passion for Nordic Ski Racing -Spectrum of Success

Featured, News, Profiles, Skate Skiing
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

Though Scott Lacy grew up in a family full of alpine skiers, he was drawn to the Nordic community. He found that Nordic skiing was a different type of work than alpine skiing–one that required more long-term goal setting and achievement. In 5th grade, Scott won his first race. “[It] was probably just driven by a sugar high from hot chocolate,” he said, laughing. “But I had a great season, and I was [only] 11… Read More

Teton Valley Trails & Pathways (TVTAP): An Essential Part of Our Winter Recreation Landscape in Teton Valley

Dan Verbeten, Executive Director, fills us in on current projects and future challenges

Bridger Teton US National Forest, Fat Biking, Featured, Grooming, News, Profiles, Skate Skiing, Trails
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

For the past 22 years, Teton Valley Trails & Pathways (TVTAP) has worked to promote a trails and pathways connected community. In the summer, they focus on building and maintaining trails on both public and private lands in partnership with the US Forest Service (Caribou-Targhee and Bridger-Teton) and other stakeholders. In the winter, they groom a winter trail system for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and dog walking. Last year alone, they groomed over… Read More

David Hunger, founder/owner of Teton Mountain Bike Tours, on fat biking, human-powered grooming, and giving back

Ever wondered about the origins of grooming for fat biking in Jackson?

Demos, Gear & Clinics, Fat Biking, Featured, Grand Teton National Park, News, Profiles, Tours
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

David Hunger started Teton Mountain Bike Tours in 1991. In the beginning, he focused on mountain biking in the warm months. Before fat bikes came around, David ran winter bike tours on mountain bikes with studded tires, but it wasn’t really going anywhere. Then about 10 or 12 years ago, he got his first fat bike.  “I thought they were crazy right off the bat,” David said. “That’s when fat bikes weren’t really popular, but… Read More

The Bridger-Teton US Forest Service and one of its greatest stewards and advocates, Linda Merigliano

#RecreateResponsibly in our National Forests!

Bridger Teton US National Forest, Featured, News, Profiles
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

Linda Merigliano is the Recreation Program Manager for the Jackson and Black Rock areas of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and one of local leaders in Recreate Responsibly. Spanning from Kemmerer to the Yellowstone border, the Bridger-Teton National Forest is one of the largest national forests in the United States, covering an area of nearly 3.4 million acres and including large swaths of designated wilderness. Linda acts as a dedicated outdoor leader of some of Wyoming’s… Read More

Scott Horn – Nordic Masters Racer, Coach, Cyclist loves the balance of lifelong Nordic skiing

Jackson Hole Nordic Ski Coach, former Masters Racer, and Nordic Enthusiast

Featured, News, Profiles
Posted by JHNordic Posted on

“It is better to go skiing and think of God than to go to church and think of sport.” – Fridtjof Nansen. That’s the quote you’ll find next to Scott’s name on the JH Nordic website, and his passion for Nordic skiing lives up to it.  Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, Scott started Nordic skiing at a little Nordic center in the rural mountains–first working as a lift operator and then delving into the sport… Read More