Wyoming's Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

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But then, few people come to Jackson in pursuit of a career; they come to enjoy its beauty and recreational possibilities. Work is what people do to be able to stay.

David and Denise moved to Jackson two years ago from Bozeman, Montana. He's a State Highway Patrolman; she (like many Jacksonites) works three part-time jobs. As is the case for most of the people in Jackson, their finances are often strained. "You can get along here as long as you keep your expectations in line," Denise says. "If you live to enjoy Jackson Hole's natural resources and don't get absorbed in wanting material things, it can be wonderful."

Initially, they found it hard to live and work in a place where most of the people were on vacation. Too often, even the working locals seemed to emulate the vacation ethic: late nights, partying, not much concern for getting up at 5:00 a.m. to go to work. Gradually, though, this couple has learned to coexist with the tourists who provide their sustenance. It's a tension that's all too familiar to anyone who's tried to make a living in a tourist area.

Ron and Rick moved to Wyoming 14 years ago from Texas. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that the Blanchard brothers stopped moving while in Wyoming, after several years on the rodeo circuit. Now they run Wyoming River Trips out of Cody (on the other side of the Absarokas) in the summer, and in the winter they show skiers the right side of the Jackson Hole ski area as well as the other attractions of the region. Ron and Rick seem to have adapted comfortably to careers in tourism. Both are founts of knowledge about environment and history, have the knack to bring out the better side of their charges and seem genuinely to enjoy what they do. Regrets? Well, they're yet to be convinced that the Jackson version of Cajun cuisine is quite the same as it was back in east Texas.

Six of the top eight employers in Teton County are in the tourist business. St. John's hospital and the school district are the only local-service employers that can mingle with that elite crowd. The top private, nontourism employer is Life Link International, which has 70 to 80 workers on staff most of the time. At that, their products—from the well-known Croakies eyeglass retainers to fine Simms fishing waders—are all recreation oriented. The firm has a progressive attitude toward worker participation in product development, and the waiting list for people who'd like to work there is substantial.

Other Communities

Combine hard-to-find work with high cost of living, and you have a good explanation for why many people flee Jackson Hole to one of several outlying towns. They still have the cultural benefits just over the hill but enjoy a less-expensive, more-relaxed lifestyle. Unfortunately, all these towns are too far for a daily work commute.

Victor and Driggs, Idaho, are in the Teton Valley 30 miles west of Jackson. Though it's usually an easy drive, Teton Valley isn't a dependable daily commute from Jackson because of Teton Pass. In the winter it can be closed for a couple of days after a snow.

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