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[{"type":"text","text":"Fact check: True"}]

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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Bonus Video 1: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Fact check: True

Bonus Video 1: Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Wyoming Life

Penny Counts was showing her boyfriend around the Alcova area on Sunday when she saw something she’d never seen: someone bungee jumping in Fremont Canyon.

“We just happened to be out there when that guy was up on that rock,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “I saw him rigging up, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! He’s gonna try jumping!' And he made the jump, swinging back and forth and hollering all the way.”

Counts filmed the jump with her phone. She said watching it was “insane.”

“The video doesn't give justice to how steep that canyon is,” she said. “Somebody to actually want to jump off of it with that type of rigging is insane. I was worried he’d swing back and smack into the wall, but he knew what he was doing.”

Amid her shock and surprise, Counts admitted it’s something she might have tried in her youth.

“If I were younger, I'd have tried it, but I guess I lost my Peter Pan complex a long time ago,” she said. “But not now. Broken bones and bad wishes on that one.”

Bungee jumpers continue to leap off the 112-foot bridge despite a tragic and notorious history that goes back more than 50 years when a young girl was pushed to her death in 1973, and her sister died at the same spot nearly 20 years later.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bungee Glee"}]

Like many outdoor recreation activities, bungee jumping is becoming increasingly popular in Wyoming.

Eric Lyman is the owner of Over The Edge Bungee in Idaho Falls, Idaho. For several years he has taken people to bungee jump off the Fremont Canyon Bridge, a span 112 feet above the North Platte River about 40 miles southwest of Casper.

“We're always looking for new bridges,” he said. “I had a friend that lived there who stumbled on that bridge and sent me a picture. I was there a month later, and that’s that.”

Over The Edge Bungee travels to bridges in several states to provide optimal experiences.

As bungee jumping becomes more popular, more people are looking for a memorable experience. That’s been the foundation of Lyman’s business for 35 years.

“The beauty of bungee jumping is that you jump from a complete standstill in perfect silence,” he said. “It’s not an airplane that's buzzing at 100 miles an hour. We pick up where skydiving leaves off.  It’s just a great experience.”

Lyman described the Fremont Canyon Bridge as ideal for bungee jumping. There’s low traffic, incredible scenery, and the bridge is an excellent overhead anchor for his retrieval systems.

Beyond that, the same things that made bungee jumping so insane from Counts’ perspective enhance the experience.

“It’s a fairly narrow canyon,” Lyman said. “When you jump, the bottom drops out a lot faster, and the peripheral views intensify the free fall even more. The ground rush experience is intensified, since you can see the water coming straight at you. There's a nice deceleration before you get there, a bounce that shoots you up underneath the bridge, and another big bounce just as lively as the first.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Freedom To Jump"}]

Lyman visits Fremont Canyon once or twice a year for bungee jumping, but not just because it’s a long haul from Idaho Falls.

“We've got a lot of other bridges, here and there, that we jump as well,” he said. “When we come out to Casper, we’re there to see the great things in that area. It’s our way of sharing something we do with the locals.”

That’s not to say that someone has to wait for Lyman to go bungee jumping off the Fremont County Bridge. That’s another perk of the bridge and the experience.

“It’s not illegal, and nobody’s asking for a permit,” he said. “It’s pretty straightforward. You have the anchor right above where you intend to jump, so it's easier to calculate the range and know where you’re going to be.”

Lyman wasn’t anywhere near Fremont Canyon on Sunday, so whoever was bungee jumping there was with another outfit or on their own. He and his clients also jump straight off the bridge, rather than the canyon wall.

“What (the man in the video) was doing was a pendulum swing,” he said. “We do those on occasion, but not at this bridge. When we jump, you climb over the rail of the bridge. It’s awkward and scary, without a lot of fanfare, and then you jump.”

To each their own. Lyman can see the allure of a pendulum swing, but thinks Fremont Canyon offers a thrilling-enough experience with a traditional jump.

“That's a unique-enough activity in the area that people are pretty anxious to give it a try,” he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not Jumping The Gun"}]

There’s another reason why Lyman limits his Fremont Canyon trips. The area is a largely undiscovered gem, and he would like to keep it that way.

“We're not interested in mass production,” he said. “I think there would be a lot more demand if we got the word out, but we don’t let it. It’s still an adventure, not an assembly line or amusement park.”

The Fremont County Bridge is a notoriously tragic symbol to Casper residents as the spot where Amy Burridge, 11, was 

Her sister, Becky, was violently assaulted and pushed off the bridge as well. She survived, only to die at the same spot on July 31, 1992.

[{"type":"text","text":"That tragedy is what brought Counts to the area Sunday."}]

“I've always considered it a bridge of tragedy,” she said. “I was showing my boyfriend what had happened out there and how far the drop was.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That said, Counts wasn’t taken aback by the bungee jumper."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“It was mind-blowing because I’d never seen it before,” she said."}]

 of and sensitive to the bridge’s tragic symbolism, but he said he feels it’s a place where many others have and continue to find happiness through outdoor recreation. One can be respectful of the past while finding memorable moments for themselves, family, and friends in the present.

“There’s camping, boating, and climbing in Fremont Canyon,” he said. “Lots of people do swings and climb on the walls. I feel (bungee jumping) fits right into the crowd and their level of adventure.”

From his experience, Lyman described Casper as “a pretty adventurous crowd.” He’s sure he could find a lot more business offering more bungee jumping off the bridge, but he has no intention of doing so, both out of respect for the bridge’s history and the desire to keep the experience special. 

“I don’t think we’d ever be overrun in that spot, but we don’t want that,” he said. “Fremont Canyon is a very positive area with a lot of great activities, and bungee jumping fits right in.”

Bungee Fremont Bridge Screenshot 2026 08 05 at 3 16 36 PM 8 5 26

<title>Tragic History Doesn’t Keep Bungee Jumpers From Leaping Off Fremont Canyon Bridge | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Bungee jumpers keep leaping off the Fremont Canyon Bridge or the cliffs below it despite a tragic history that goes back 50 years. “Somebody to actually want to jump off of it with that type of rigging is insane,” said a woman who got video of a jumper.

Tragic History Doesn’t Keep Bungee Jumpers From Leaping Off Fremont Canyon Bridge

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

Agriculture

While Wyoming cattle appear to have endured the state’s 

, a recent heat wave in neighboring South Dakota has killed upward of 2,000 cattle, threatening producers’ livelihoods in an already tough market.

A combination of scorching temperatures and high humidity proved deadly, depleting herd numbers and highlighting just how vulnerable livestock can be during extreme weather.

While not as extreme as in South Dakota, Wyoming ranchers say heat stress has been common this summer.

"We see it all the time," said Trad Williamson of Williamson Land and Cattle in Moorcroft. "Absolutely, we keep a closer eye on our cattle because of the heat."

However, Wyoming ranchers said they aren't aware of widespread cattle deaths. That’s because the state's drier climate, cooler nighttime temperatures and relatively small number of feedlots appear to have spared producers from the catastrophic losses seen to the state's northeastern neighbor.

July's heat wave shattered records across Wyoming. Worland reached 110 degrees on one day and Sheridan climbed to 109, both all-time highs.

"Heat is just as much of a risk in Wyoming as it is in other states," Williamson said.

Although he hasn't heard of Wyoming cattle dying, some of his customers in South Dakota have suffered devastating losses, including one producer near Midland, South Dakota, who lost more than 100 cows and calves.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Deadly Combination"}]

The losses in South Dakota came from a one-two punch of extreme heat and unusually high humidity.

Warren Rusche, a feedlot management specialist with South Dakota State University Extension, said warm overnight temperatures prevented cattle from cooling off after enduring sweltering afternoons. Limited airflow with little wind compounded the problem.

"What that ended up causing was a pretty significant death loss," Rusche said.

Reports of additional losses were still coming in Wednesday, but Rusche estimated the death toll would exceed 3,000 head of cattle statewide.

"It was really a tough deal in terms of financial impact and the stress of trying to care for the livestock," he said.

The losses come as the U.S. cattle industry is already coping with historically tight supplies. The nation's herd is at its lowest level in roughly 75 years after years of drought, high operating costs and continued strong consumer demand for beef.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Why Wyoming Fared Better"}]

Most of the deaths occurred in feedlots, where cattle are larger, heavier and nearing slaughter weight.

Most of Wyoming’s cattle spending much of their lives grazing open range. 

"Wyoming doesn't have a huge footprint with feedlots," said Todd Fornstrom, a Laramie County rancher and president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau. "The cattle ready to go to a harvest facility are more prone to dying from the heat."

Wyoming also benefited from lower humidity and cooler nights, giving cattle a chance to recover after daytime temperatures peaked.

[{"type":"text","text":"Even so, the heat has kept ranchers on alert."}]

Black-hided cattle can be especially susceptible because their coats absorb more solar heat, Williamson said.

Still, cattle are generally better equipped to tolerate high temperatures than people, Fornstrom said, particularly when they have room to spread out and air can circulate.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No Easy Solutions"}]

South Dakota producers did everything they could to protect their herds, Rusche said.

Some relied on portable shade structures — large tarps mounted on wheeled frames that can be repositioned throughout the day. But the structures can cost as much as $11,000 for a 30-by-40-foot unit, putting them out of reach for many operations.

[{"type":"text","text":"Even shade wasn't always enough."}]

Rusche said he heard reports of cattle being found dead beneath shade structures after animals crowded together in an effort to escape the sun, trapping heat within the group.

"This was a case where shade alone is not necessarily the silver bullet that will prevent all death losses," he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Planting trees isn't an inexpensive solution either, Williamson added."}]

"A lot of ranchers don't have the money and resources to build things for shade," he said.

Instead, many producers simply intensified monitoring of their herds, checking cattle more frequently and doing everything possible to reduce stress.

"This is one of the things I really want to stress — I know those ranchers were doing all they could," Rusche said.

Producers who suffered catastrophic livestock losses could qualify for assistance through the federal Livestock Indemnity Program, which helps compensate owners for deaths caused by eligible adverse events

Cattle in northsest Wyoming Buddy Mays via Alamy 8 5 26

<title>Drier Air, Cooler Nights Helped Wyoming Avoid South Dakota's Cattle Catastrophe | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Lower humidity and relatively cool nights helped Wyoming cattle endure a record heat wave, ranchers say. South Dakota wasn't so fortunate, losing as many as 2,000 head to heat and humidity at a time when America's herd is at a 75-year low.

Drier Air, Cooler Nights Helped Wyoming Avoid South Dakota's Cattle Catastrophe

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Wildlife

A federal campaign to kill nearly a half-million barred owls in the Pacific Northwest to save threatened spotted owls continues, even though the recent lifting of protections for spotted owl habitat defeats the entire purpose, an animal welfare advocate says. 

It’s costing the government roughly $3,000 per bird to have barred owls shot, Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Centre for a Humane Economy, told Cowboy State Daily. 

And with a recent move to weaken the habitat protection element of the Endangered Species Act, it could be all for nothing if spotted owls’ old-growth forest habitat gets logged, he added. 

Meanwhile, Wyoming’s barred owl population appears to be growing and might include four pairs in the Grand Teton area, Bryan Bedrosian, conservation director at the Teton Raptor Centre, told Cowboy State Daily. 

There’s virtually no chance spotted owls will ever come to Wyoming, he added. 

That means that Wyoming’s barred owls are safe from getting shotgunned to protect spotted owls.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What’s the Point Now?"}]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) sparked controversy in early 2025 by rolling out a plan for permitted shooters into Pacific Northwest coastal forests to 

. They’re larger than spotted owls and reportedly have been hogging their food.   

A new wrinkle was added in July, when FWS finalized a scaling back of habitat protections under the ESA. 

Effective Sept. 14, the change rescinds the regulatory definition of "harm", eliminating blanket protections for threatened species, and streamlines critical habitat exclusions.

Pacelle said rescinding “harm” from the ESA could throw spotted owl habitat open for logging.

In essence, barred owls are being “framed” for damage spotted owls are suffering from habitat loss, he said. 

What’s more, he argues that the killing program is expensive. 

The Hoppa Valley Tribe received a $4.5 million grant to kill 1,500 barred owls, Pacelle said. 

That’s about $3,000 for each owl shot, he said.

A request for comment from FWS wasn’t answered by publication time. 

Barred owls are originally from the eastern United States, but they’ve been moving west, claiming new territory. 

In the Pacific Northwest, they’ve been dubbed an “invasive species", which has been used to justify killing them, Pacelle said.

However, he says it’s more a case of the species naturally expanding its territory. 

Bedrosian said little is known about the history of barred owls in Wyoming. Another species, the great grey owl, is native to the state. 

Great grey owls, barred owls and spotted owls all belong to the same family, he said.

Barred owls are smaller than great grey owls but they’re also more aggressive, he said. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hearty Eaters"}]

Two known nesting pairs of barred owls in Wyoming are known. One produced offspring two years ago, Bedrosian said. 

Researchers recently discovered evidence of barred owl activity in two additional territories, which might indicate two more pairs have moved in, he added.

Researchers have captured four barred owls and placed radio transmitters on them to track their movements. 

They’ve also set up recording devices in the barred owl's territories. 

Recordings help researchers determine “species richness” or the number of different species in an area, he said. 

And it will also help determine if “there are any species of songbirds, or other birds, that are avoiding the barred owls,” he said. 

Barred owls are voracious opportunists, Bedrosian said. 

“They eat reptiles, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small rodents,” he said. 

Barred owl inset with spotted owls 1 7 25

<title>Feds Continue With Plan To Save Spotted Owls By Killing Nearly 500,000 Other Owls | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A federal campaign to kill nearly a half-million barred owls in the Pacific Northwest to save threatened spotted owls continues, even though recent lifting of protections for spotted owl habitat defeats the entire purpose, an animal welfare advocate says.

Feds Continue With Plan To Save Spotted Owls By Killing Nearly 500,000 Other Owls

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Business

For nearly 30 years, Jackson Hole has grown up around a picturesque 5.43-acre parcel of wooded land along the west bank of the Snake River.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"In 1997, that parcel sold for $275,000. "}]

Not much on the land has changed in the 30 years since. Sure, the trees have grown a little taller, but the grass is as verdant as ever. 

What’s really changed about this pristine piece of unimproved land is its price.

In 2025, the 5.43 acres with its Snake River frontage sold for $5.45 million — despite never having any improvements other than what Mother Nature provided in sunshine, rain and time.

That makes the appreciation of this parcel a whopping 1,981%, according to figures from the real estate team Viehman Group, which has examined the 30-year trend for luxury properties in Jackson Hole. 

That’s an annualized return of 10.65%, which is slightly better than the overall stock market return of the S&P 500, which averaged 10.4% from January 1996 through December 2025, according to calculations by the financial services company Fidelity. 

Though not many properties in Jackson Hole have outpaced the stock market, their appreciation is still eye-catching, ranging from 6.6 times higher on average for luxury single-family homes to 14 times higher for luxury residential vacant land. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Defining A Luxury Property"}]

The report focused on appreciation in just the luxury category.

Nationally, the benchmark set for defining a “luxury” real estate property is the top 10% slice of any market. 

In Jackson Hole, based on the 186 homes sold in 2025, that would put luxury homes starting at $13.5 million.

For its analysis, Viehman Group used a value of $10 million for single-family homes and $5 million for condominiums, townhomes and vacant land.

Luxury land prices in Jackson Hole are driven by factors such as scarcity, extreme privacy and protected natural beauty, all while maintaining a reasonable distance to Jackson for amenities. 

Unobstructed Teton views and vistas add to the premium. Water frontage along the Snake River and Fish Creek, or private trout ponds, can double the baseline value of a piece of land.

Bordering national forests, the National Elk Refuge, or lands secured by conservation easements that ensure seclusion and zero intrusive development also add to the bottom-line value.

West Bank is one of the micro-locations particularly prized for its mature trees and proximity to ski resorts as well as the lush, river-adjacent microclimate. 

The East and West Gros Ventre Buttes, meanwhile, offer sweeping valley lookouts. 

Private sporting enclaves such as the Snake River Sporting Club or 3-Creek Ranch, with integrated amenities, can also add value.

Across the valley, luxury vacant land appreciated an average of 1,384% over 30 years, or about 14 times what buyers originally paid. 

Luxury condos and townhomes rose on average 858%, about 8.6 times higher than their 1990 values, while luxury single-family homes climbed 657%, or about 6.6 times.

The lowest appreciation for residential land was still a 913% gain for a 3.53-acre parcel in the West Bank John Dodge neighborhood, which is a nine-fold increase over 26 years. 

Similar patterns showed up in other luxury categories. 

The weakest performer in the single-family group still more than tripled, rising from $3.6 million in 1999 to $10.45 million in 2024. The best performer, a residence in Schofield Patent on the West Bank, gained 1,522%, going from $1.1 million in 1999 to $16.75 million in 2025.

In the luxury condo and townhome segment, the top appreciation was 1,235% for an original-section Teton Village condo that went from $425,000 in 1995 to $5.25 million in 2026. 

The common thread across all these asset classes is that while not every property beat the S&P 500, almost all delivered long-term returns most investors would envy.

The 30-year report traces the valley’s gains to policy as much as its postcard scenery, according to the Viehman Group’s Devon Viehman.

“It’s not all just the COVID numbers that bumped it up,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “We’ve seen a steady progression over the last 30 years, and every time we see this, we go back and look at this historical data. Every time, more stringent land development regulations have been put on our valley, like in the '90s when they made it so you couldn’t ... our minimum lot size was 3 acres and they made it 35 acres. Property values went up.”

Every restriction has acted as a curb to supply, Viehman added. In a place where supply is already restricted to 3% by surrounding federal lands, the significance of such rules has carried outsized weight.

“We have so much conservation in the valley and so little land,” she said. “It’s just supply and demand. And those regulations made it worse starting in the ‘90s. That’s kind of the big takeaway.”

One recent deal that shows just how far Jackson Hole’s luxury market has come — and how outsized some of its biggest transactions are — was the sale of the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Teton Village.

That was the largest real estate deal in Jackson Hole history, Viehman said, with a price tag so high the Viehman Group team decided to leave it out of the 30-year analysis. 

“If you add in the Four Seasons sale, we did have a record year,” Viehman said. “But if you take that out, it’s pretty on par from last year. So we didn’t add it to our numbers, because it would have skewed everything so much.”

The landmark transaction for $1.1 billion included two properties: The Four Seasons Resort in Orlando at Walt Disney and the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Jackson Hole. 

The exact distribution between the two properties has not been disclosed. But Viehman said industry sources estimate the value of the Teton Village asset alone at about $650 million. 

That pushes the total real estate transaction volume in Jackson Hole for the first three months of the year past $1 billion. 

For the “lower” end of Jackson Hole’s market — where values are under $2 million — there’s been little turnover, Viehman said. 

“People have these great interest rates that they don’t want to leave,” she said. “And then, also, people don’t want to go get a 6% loan right now, so those are really tough to sell.”

On the other hand, a well-priced home in that range sometimes sells quickly. 

“The Aspen Reserve on the cover our report went under contract in less than 24 hours,” she said. “It had multiple offers because it’s new, it’s beautiful, and the upper end buyers didn’t want to deal with waiting to build. So if there’s a nice new product, it’s getting multiple offers at the high end of the market, which is really interesting.”

Jackson Hole real estate 8 5 26

<title>Value Of Jackson Luxury Property Grew 1,981% Since 1995, Beat Stock Market Gains | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A new 30-year analysis shows longtime Jackson Hole luxury property values matched — and in some cases beat — stock market gains. One 5.43-acre property increased in value from $275,000 in 1995 to $5.45 million in 2025, a 1,981% gain.

Value Of Jackson Luxury Property Grew 1,981% Since 1995, Beat Stock Market Gains

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Around Wyoming

For much of the summer, residents in Pinedale watched smoke drift into western Wyoming from fires burning hundreds of miles away.

[{"type":"text","text":"Tuesday night, the smoke finally came from their own backyard."}]

"It was our first plume of the summer," longtime Pinedale wildlife photographer Dave Bell told Cowboy State Daily. "We've had smoke off and on, and the smoke's been thicker lately from other places, but this is the first smoke plume we've had in our surrounding mountain ranges all summer long. That's always a sad sight to see." 

The Bare Fire, burning north of Bare Pass and east of Bare Creek on the Big Piney Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, grew to an estimated 431 acres Tuesday after exhibiting active fire behavior that included torching and spotting.

The wildfire also spread from national forest land onto adjacent Bureau of Land Management property before moderating during the early evening, says the U.S. Forest Service.

[{"type":"text","text":"The cause remains under investigation."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Response Escalates"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"As the fire grew, the firefighting response expanded with it."}]

Resources assigned to the fire include one Type 1 helicopter, two Type 3 helicopters, smokejumpers, a suppression module, one water tender, one Type 3 engine, three Type 6 engines and additional firefighting personnel.

The U.S. Forest Service has also ordered a Type 3 Incident Management Team, a multi-agency organization of wildfire specialists used when a fire becomes more complex than local forest personnel can manage alone.

[{"type":"text","text":"Fire managers are using both direct and indirect suppression tactics."}]

Direct attack involves engaging the fire's active edge to stop its spread, while indirect confinement means firefighters work farther away from the flames to steer or contain the fire using terrain and firelines.

Wednesday, crews planned to strengthen an established anchor point before constructing a direct fireline along the north and south flanks of the blaze. Helicopters will continue dropping water to slow the fire's spread along its eastern edge.

The public is being asked to avoid Bare Creek Road (Forest Service Road 10046) and South Cottonwood Road (Forest Service Road 10050) while firefighters work. A forest closure order is expected.

Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect throughout the Teton Interagency Dispatch area, including the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge. 

A wildfire burning in timber west of Pinedale in the Wyoming Range has grown to nearly 450 acres and is expected to bring forest closures. "I can't see the Wyoming Range from my house," said a Pinedale photographer Wednesday about smoke in the area.

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