Latest from Jake Nichols
For 100 Years, Horse Diving Was A Thing, And Was Every Bit Crazy As It Sounds
For about a century, the novelty of horse diving from great heights into a tiny tank of water was all the rage in America. And was every bit crazy as it sounds.
Jake NicholsApril 20, 2024
Sometimes International Tourists In Yellowstone Just Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
From trying to pet the bison to destroying toilet seats, some international tourists visiting Yellowstone aren’t ignoring the rules, they just don’t know what they don’t know, says a cowboy from Wyoming who lived in China.
Jake NicholsApril 14, 2024
Micro Wrestling Building A Huge Following In Wyoming And Beyond
With superstars like Syko, Pinky Shortcake and Andrew the Giant, the Micro Wrestling Federation is building a huge following in Wyoming and across the U.S. Their live shows are a combination of wrestling bouts and Jerry Springer shows gone wrong. It’s the WWE for “South Park” fans.
Jake NicholsApril 13, 2024
Locals Outraged At Cartoonist For Exposing Free Parking Hack At Jackson Ski Resort
Hundreds of employees at Wyoming’s largest ski resort had finagled a way to park for free (regular rates $35 - $45 per day) until a popular Jackson cartoonist accidentally exposed the hack. Now the free ride is over and so too, perhaps, the love affair with the artist.
Jake NicholsMarch 24, 2024
Jackson Hill Climb A High-Octane Snowmobile Sprint Up North America’s Steepest Ski Run
The World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb in Jackson this weekend is NASCAR for sledheads, an annual highmarking event that’s high-octane, adrenaline-fueled mayhem straight up the steepest ski run in North America on a snowmobile.
Jake NicholsMarch 24, 2024
The ‘Wyoming Way’ Of Knowing For Sure When Spring Has Sprung
Spring officially arrived this week, but next week’s forecast calls for snow every day in some parts of the state. Therein lies the difficulty of pronouncing the change of seasons in the Cowboy State. Those who live here use the "Wyoming way."
Jake NicholsMarch 23, 2024
The Next Taylor Swift? Discovering Cody's Teen Sensation Jillian Nordberg
Jillian Nordberg says she would not mind being the next Taylor Swift. The teen singer out of Park County could be on that type of trajectory with an estimated thousand gigs already under her belt buckle.
Jake NicholsMarch 22, 2024
‘The Dome’: Tiny Mountain View, Wyoming’s Cathedral To Basketball
Like a lot of Wyoming small towns, Mountain View lives and dies by its basketball team during the long, cold winters. The gym-dandy place they call “The Dome” is where the Buffalos roam, and it’s unlike any other arena in Wyoming.
Jake NicholsMarch 16, 2024
Jake Nichols: Locals Reeling Over Ski Death Of Kelly Krause, Restaurateur And Soul Of Old Jackson
Jake Nichols writes, "Krause died Friday while skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He fell into a tree well on the North Woods run between Rendezvous Trail and The Hobacks. It was the second such incident in the area in less than two weeks."
Jake NicholsMarch 05, 2024
Longtime Wyoming Photographer Gets Some Screen Time In Oscar-Nominated ‘Oppenheimer’
Garth Dowling spent four decades as a photojournalist in Jackson, Wyoming, but got some time in front of the camera in the 13-time Oscar-nominated film “Oppenheimer.” He played the role of 'Scientist A31' and can be seen many times in the movie.
Jake NicholsMarch 02, 2024
Wyoming's Year-Round Roller Coaster: You Can Ride It During A Blizzard
Not only does Snow King Mountain have the steepest zip line in North America which reaches speeds of 60 mph down a 36% grade. It also has a year-round roller coaster that operates even in snowstorms.
Jake NicholsFebruary 24, 2024
Skier Dies At Wyoming’s Grand Targhee Resort After Getting Trapped In Tree Well
A skier died Saturday at Grand Targhee in Alta, Wyoming, after falling headfirst into a dangerous tree well, an area of deep, soft snow created around the base of trees that are easy to fall into, and almost impossible to get out of.
Jake NicholsFebruary 20, 2024
Uh-Oh, Deadly Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Wyoming Hot Springs
A deadly brain-eating amoeba has been confirmed in Grand Teton National Park hot springs for the first time. The lead author of the scientific paper that was published last month, said he still soaks in hot springs but uses nose plugs when he can.
Jake NicholsFebruary 17, 2024
75 Years Ago, The Blizzard of 1949 Crippled Wyoming
It’s been 75 years since the Blizzard of 1949, a relentless two-month storm that crippled Wyoming. Accumulation measured in feet. Winds clocked 65-80 mph. Double-digit subzero temperatures for weeks on end.
Jake NicholsFebruary 11, 2024
The T.A. Moulton Barn -- The Most Photographed Outbuilding In The World
A Chinese tourist was asked what he knew about the T.A. Moulton barn as he busily snapped away on a picture-perfect July morning. An interpreter relayed the question. He smiled as wide as a Wyoming sky. “Ah, cowboy,” he said with excitement, and went back to clicking.
Jake NicholsFebruary 10, 2024
Wyoming People: Tim Coleman, Legendary Riverton Pilot Put In Aviation Hall Of Fame
Wyoming's Tim Coleman was once airdropped a propeller for his downed plane on a mountain in a raging snowstorm. He put it on and flew home safely. One of the many stories in a 50-year career that put Coleman in the Aviation Hall of Fame.
Jake NicholsFebruary 03, 2024
Jackson Rookie Steps In For Mentor To Run Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race
“Promise me someone is going to run those dogs.” Those were Alix Crittenden’s last words before she went under the knife for a brain tumor less than two weeks before the start of the 2024 Pedigree Stage Stop Race. Her understudy is stepping in.
Jake NicholsJanuary 27, 2024
Jackson High Phenom Tai McBride Wrestles Like A Girl — And Can’t Be Beat
16-year-old Tai McBride is pretty much like any other Wyoming teenage girl, until the whistle blows. Then she becomes 120 pounds of, 'f*** around and find out.'
Jake NicholsJanuary 27, 2024
Spaghetti Westerner Gap Pucci, 88, Is The Last Wyoming Mountain Man Of His Time
Spaghetti Westerner and modern-day Wyoming mountain man Gap Pucci is the last of his kind. The 88-year-old legendary outfitter still lives like he always has — straight-up cowboy. No phone, no internet, no modern amenities.
Jake NicholsJanuary 20, 2024
Skier Buried, Killed In Massive Wyoming Avalanche In Star Valley
A skier was killed Sunday morning after he was buried in a massive avalanche in Prater Canyon in the Salt River Range, midway between Alpine and Afton, Wyoming.
Jake NicholsJanuary 15, 2024
After Months Of Complaints Over ‘Tyrannical’ Style, Jackson Fire Chief On Leave
An embattled fire chief in Jackson is on administrative leave after public outcry for his resignation reached a fevered pitch last month. Critics claim the chief's management style is threatening, tyrannical, confrontational and dysfunctional.
Jake NicholsJanuary 11, 2024
How Long Would It Take To Zamboni Wyoming’s Fremont Lake?
We're all about answering the most important questions on the minds of Wyomingites. After learning that it would take 693 years to resurface Lake Superior with a Zamboni, we asked two local Zamboni drivers how long it would take to resurface Wyoming's Fremont Lake. Good news -- not nearly as long.
Jake NicholsDecember 30, 2023
Wyoming Cowboys Big Favorites In Return To Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
The University of Wyoming Cowboys will be big favorites when they kickoff against the Toledo Rockets on Dec. 30 in their return to the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. It's also a chance to send head coach Craig Bohl out a winner.
Jake NicholsDecember 25, 2023
Wyoming Winter Tourism: Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides Offer Intimate Tours With Wildlife
The Double H Bar in Teton County hosts nearly 40,000 visitors for sleigh rides every season. In addition to elk, passengers routinely see bison, moose, coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, ravens and other wildlife.
Jake NicholsDecember 23, 2023
Wyoming Ranchers Salute Great Pyrenees In Georgia Who Fought Off 11 Coyotes To Save Livestock
A sheepdog in Georgia that killed eight coyotes in defense of his flock is nominated for Farm Dog of the Year. Wyoming ranchers say "Casper" is proof of how livestock protection dogs prove their worth day in and day out.
Jake NicholsDecember 16, 2023
Laramie’s Chicken Wings Food Truck Tailgates At Every Buffalo Bills Game
Laramie-based chicken joint on wheels "Double Dubs" is tailgating Buffalo Bills football games this season — home and road — to make sure the Bills rabid fanbase get their favorite wings prior to kickoff. It all started because Josh Allen vouched for them.
Jake NicholsDecember 16, 2023
Jackson's Iconic Town Square Has More Than 8,000 Elk Antlers In Its 4 Arches
Each of the four arches surrounding Jackson's George Washington Park is constructed entirely of elk antlers, more than 2,000 in all, weighing more than 14,000 pounds. In all, there are nearly 60,000 pounds of antlers in the city park.
Jake NicholsDecember 10, 2023
Disappearance Of Amy Wroe Bechtel Still Haunting After 26 Years
The unsolved disappearance of Amy Wroe Bechtel in 1997 remains one of the more baffling cases in U.S. history. The massive search launched when she vanished was like no other in Wyoming then or since. Even the Russians were asked to assist.
Jake NicholsDecember 09, 2023
Wyoming Cowboys Head Football Coach Craig Bohl To Retire After Bowl Game
University of Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl announced his retirement on Wednesday. His final game will be at the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl on Dec. 30 in Tucson. Defensive Coordinator Jay Sawvel will take over as the new head coach
Jake NicholsDecember 06, 2023
What Happens When A Bear Hibernates?
In hibernation, a bear’s heart slow between 8 and 12 beats per minute — about a third of its normal rate. It takes a breath once, maybe twice a minute. Body temp is reduced from 98 to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jake NicholsDecember 02, 2023