It has always seemed appropriate to me for the state of Wyoming to offer a huge thank-you to the Rockefeller family for what they did with the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole.

Saturday, Aug. 25 marks a wonderful opportunity for such recognition as the 40^th anniversary of Congress designating the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway, the highway from Grand Teton Park to Yellowstone National Park.

That parkway was the icing on the cake of a series of amazing philanthropic gifts by this family from far-off New York state to the people of Wyoming and the people of America. 

According to Clay James, retired CEO of the Grand Teton Lodge Company, the following represents what the Rockefellers did to preserve this wonderful location:

In the early 1920’s a large group of ranchers and landowners started a petition to support the creation of a recreation area in the valley.  A meeting was held at the Maude Noble cabin on the banks of the Snake River near Moose, and the petition was eventually presented to Horace Albright, superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. Albright had first visited Jackson Hole in 1916 and had wanted to add the Teton Range, which was then part of the Grand Teton National Monument, to Yellowstone National Park. 

In 1926, Albright served as a guide to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his wife and sons on a tour of the valley. They had lunch on a hill just north of present-day Jackson Lake Lodge and that hill is now called Lunch Tree Hill.  

During the visit, the family became very concerned about the poorly planned and haphazard development that was taking place. Albright presented the Jackson Hole Plan petition to Rockefeller who, soon after, formed the Snake River Land Company to purchase land in the valley with the intention of giving it to the federal government to provide additional lands for a park.  

The Land Company was formed to shield the Rockefeller’s involvement to prevent speculation. The Company purchased about 35,000 acres of which 32,500 were eventually included in Grand Teton National Park. It took considerable time for the government to accept the donation and it was not until a proclamation by Franklin D. Roosevelt and an act of Congress in 1950 that Grand Teton National Park was officially established.

Once the park was designated, the Rockefeller family saw the need for visitor facilities and activities. They built the three lodging facilities that still exist, Jackson Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village, and Jenny Lake Lodge.  

These and several other hotel operations provide lodging and activities for the 3 million plus visitors that come to Grand Teton National Park every year.   Activities such as float trips, horseback riding, ranger talks and tours provide the visitors with interpretation and understanding of the park’s history and resources. 

Several dude ranches still exist that provide a real western experience for their guests. The Rockefeller family kept a small dude ranch called the JY Ranch, which they used for family and friends. This 1,100-acre parcel was restored to its natural condition and donated to the Park in 2007.  

Today, the family has very little involvement in Jackson Hole but do maintain a small ranch near Teton Village.

The Park has grown to 310,000 acres, which is one-seventh of the size of its neighbor to the north, Yellowstone National Park. It is one of the crown jewels of the National Parks. 

It remains nearly the same today as it did many years ago. No new development is allowed and great care is taken by the National Park Service to preserve and protect the park for the use of future generations.

If you have ever seen the crazy and haphazard development around Mount Rushmore, you can get an idea of what Grand Teton Park could have looked like without the Rockefeller involvement.

The people of Wyoming owe a big debt to the farsightedness of that family. It is almost impossible to imagine such an act of generosity when you think of how valuable all that Jackson Hole land was back then and how much it has increased to in the present day.

Clay’s recollection of that time is part of a chapter he has written on Grand Teton for my new book, Wyoming’s 7 Greatest Natural Wonders + 33 Other Fascinating Places.

The keynote address at the recognition of the Rockefeller involvement was scheduled to be James at the Aug. 25 event there in the Park that was promoted by the Rockefellers.

         Not sure if it is fair to refer to this time of year as “dogdays” here in Wyoming. In the Midwest where I grew up, August was the hottest month of the year and the humidity and heat during this time of year were unbearable. It was so muggy, it drove dogs nuts, hence the term dog days.

         And yet, a week ago, it was 41 degrees one morning at my coffee mate Dave Kellogg’s house just outside of Lander. Now would not be dogdays.

         My thermometer did read 103 a week ago Tuesday though, so that was pretty darned warm.

         The other sight that is not so comforting is how smoky the mountains have been in the past week. Weather Bureau folks earlier in the week said the smoke flooding our Wind River Basin was coming from fires out west, outside the state.

         On a trip from Casper back to Lander, a week ago, you could not see the Wind River Mountains until you got to the outskirts of Lander. Usually, you can see them from Moneta.

         Here is a wrap-up of follow-up news of previous columns and just items that I wanted to write about:

         • My column about the amazing Spencer West of Rock Springs last week generated a lot of comment.

         But one of the great opportunities in writing escaped me. Spencer, in his book, says he was named after the movie “Spencer’s Mountain,” which, to us old gray hairs, was a wonderful movie filmed in Jackson Hole almost five decades ago starring Henry Fonda. Helluva movie, by the way.

But why did I not think of titling my column “Rock Springs native turns Africa’s highest volcano into Spencer’s Mountain?”

         Oh well.

         • I was telling the Spencer West story to a couple of guys, and asked them if they had ever heard of anything like it? Don Dabich, the long-time contractor from Hudson, said his company was doing business in Colorado about 25 years ago and he hiked the Pikes Peak climb – wearing drywall stilts! Must have been quite a sight because Don is already 6-6 tall.

         Maybe he should have gotten his brother Mike involved. Mike, a former NBA player, stands 7-1 and normally does not need stilts when he works on ceilings.

         Ron Hansen said he and his family had a wonderful time driving a loop from Lander to Dubois and over Union Pass, back to Pinedale and then to South Pass on the historic Lander Cutoff gravel road. 

         Out there in the desert, they drove by a guy wearing a big backpack riding a unicycle. Alone. In the desert. 

         Yes, that was a sight to remember. Some story that fella has to tell.

         • In another recent column, we lamented Wyoming’s former gold medal winner Rulan Gardner of Star Valley did not make the Olympic team.

         He still made it to London, though, and was a big part of the festivities.

         It was exciting to see the big guy serving as a color analyst to the NBC broadcasting team when it came to wrestling. He did a fine job, too.

         • More names are being brought to my attention as wonderful Wyoming photographers.

         I left out names of pioneers like Dick Randall of Rock Springs and, darn it, I accidentally left off the name of Michelle Motherway, a fine young photographer here in Lander.

         Two other Rock Springs photographers needed to be on the list, too, John Partain and Val Brinkerhoff.

         Janis Smith of Evanston also mentioned C. S. Baker for recognition. He was a pioneer photographer from that part of the state. His daughter Attie Baker was also a good photographer.

         Keep sending me names, folks. It is my intention to recognize the best – and to not to miss anyone. 

         There are probably a dozen or more other wonderful photographers that need to be mentioned here. 

         • A while back a reliable source told the most remarkable story.

         I called it the biggest story in the history of Wyoming, if it were true. Now it looks like it was either a misunderstanding or a total fabrication.

         How about a Machu Picchu next to Gannett Peak in the Wind River Mountains?

         The rumor was that a Utah team had secretly discovered some 11,000-year old ruins deep in the Wyoming mountains. The melting of the glaciers had allegedly exposed the site.

         Wow, would that be a story or what?

         I thought I had the scoop of the century, but, alas, it was just that – a story.

         Some 15 years ago, it was easy to spot young Spencer West among the crowd of teenagers dancing at a Catholic Youth Organization event in Rock Springs.

         At first you thought he was a child. Upon closer inspection, you realized he was dancing on his hands. He had no legs and the lower half of his body appeared to be missing.

         The story of this Wyoming native is one about refusing to give in to disability.

         He gained fame this year climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, a 19,300-foot high volcano in Tanzania to show folks that sometimes the impossible can be done. And to also to raise money for the Free the Children charity that he now works for in Canada.

         He started the climb wearing his trademark tee shirt “Redefine Possible.” The incredible climb required 20,000 steps, which he made with his hands over the arduous rocks and trails. He finished it wearing a parka.

         To truly appreciate what he went through, please Google “Nelly Furtado Spencer West” and watch the video that the singer made using footage of Spencer’s incredible climb. The name of the song is Spirit Indestructible, which perfectly captures the life of our Wyoming native.

         Following that climb, he was interviewed on both of the CBS Nightly News and the CBS This Morning shows on July 19.

         His goal was to raise $750,000 for Free the Children, and based on the press he has received, hopefully he is getting close. So far, over half a million dollars has come in.

         Standing just two feet, seven inches tall on his hands, West is a physical miracle. He only weighs 72 pounds.

         He was born to parents Kenny and Tonette West in Rock Springs with a disease called sacrelagenesis, which is an abnormality of the spine and resulted in the amputation of his legs when he was five. 

         Despite what happened to him, his parents made sure he had a normal childhood. He says he was born in the Year of the Monkey, according to the Chinese calendar, and he was like a monkey swinging around and walking and dancing on his hands. He was a member of Rock Springs’ state champion cheerleading squad, acted in school plays and was named outstanding student by his peers at graduation.

         After college and a good job, he still felt unfulfilled. A friend had been working in Africa and urged him to come along and help build a school in Kenya.

         During that first trip to Africa, he encountered young people who were not shy about asking him, “What happened to your legs?”

         But what most struck him was when one little African girl said to him, “I didn’t know bad things like that happened to white people.” That one comment was a turning point in his life. He decided he had found his mission.

         What could he do to help raise money for these poor African children?

         Thus, the idea for the climb came about. Some 25,000 people start at the bottom of Kilimanjaro each year but just 10,000 make it to the top. Could Spencer West, with his crushing disability, actually pull off such a feat?

         His upper body strength is amazing.

         According to his book Standing Tall: My Journey, his heroes when growing up were Superman and Batman. His favorite mythical hero was Hercules, which is fitting. The man has Herculean strength.

         But he also has a sense of humor. He often tells people that the bottom half of his body was accidentally sawed off in a magician trick.

         Or he was swimming and the sharks got him.

         Or he left the other half of him home. Put it somewhere and still hasn’t found it!

         What makes West so amazing has been his ability to overcome so daunting a handicap that he is now in demand as a public speaker. He spends most of his time giving motivational talks and raising money for his charity.

         During an event for Free the Children charity, he shared the stage with folks like former Vice-President Al Gore, the Dalai Lama, Dr. Jane Goodall and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. Some 18,000 people attended the charity’s big event last spring. 

         Spencer West is now doing what he does best – inspiring people, both with disabilities and without them. His message is that no matter what bad thing befalls you, with determination, you can make it turn out all right.

         At the young age of 31, the miracle baby has grown up a miracle worker.

         How about this for contrasting views of Wyomingites, who have been in the national news lately?

         A Wyoming doctor is famous for getting almost to heaven – and then returning home.

         A Riverton Olympian is mentioned prominently on an NBC telecast.

         A Worland photographer and a Jackson writer do the cover story for a major piece in National Geographic this past week.

         And meanwhile, Craig Johnson’s Longmire character just keeps on getting rave reviews on Cable TV.

         Whew! Keeping up with these folks is fascinating stuff.

         First, is Dr. Mary Neal, an orthopedic surgeon who was featured on the Today Show July 19. She told her fascinating story how she had been under water and considered dead in South America during a kayaking accident over a decade ago. While under water, she vividly recalled being visited by angels and peeking inside heaven.

         Her best-selling book To Heaven And Back has had her also on the Dr. Oz TV Show and on the Fox News Channel.

         Her story is an amazing tale of someone who had an otherworldly experience, which foretold the death of her son, champion Jackson high school skier Willie Neal among other things.

         My wife Nancy and I read her book and found her to be down-to-earth and absolutely sincere. This is one of the most amazing stories to come out of Wyoming in awhile.

• Last Sunday, Riverton native Brett Newlin was the only one of the eight rowers in his boat during the first heat of the race at the Olympics in London to be singled out by commentators.

         He was mentioned by name and they talked about him being from Wyoming. Great to get publicity on the big stage.

         When it comes to providing Olympians, Wyoming had more athletes, per-capita, than any other state. That sure is funny. California came in second. I think they had 36 or so?

         Besides Newlin, Wyoming’s other Olympian was Cheyenne archer Jennifer Nichols.

         I also miss the big guy, Rulon Gardner, of Afton, who was trying for his third Olympics but came up short in the trials. They have referred to him occasionally in the build-up to the games, but not much since.

         • The latest National Geographic includes a cover story about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

         It is written by well-known author Alexandra Fuller of Jackson and the photos are by Aaron Huey, a Worland native. The feature covers 37 pages and is one the biggest spreads of its type done by NatGeo in some time.

         Congratulations to these Wyomingites for some good work on a national scale.

         • The hit cable TV series Longmire, based on books by Craig Johnson of Ucross, continues to draw rave reviews.

         It is on the A&E network on Sunday nights. The constant references to Buffalo, Jackson, Casper and other Wyoming landmarks and icons sure gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

         Plus Sheriff Longmire is just about as good a guy as you could portray on national TV.

         With that said, Johnson has given him a major secret concerning some kind of crime event he was involved in down in Denver. Stay tuned.

         • One of the more amazing places in Wyoming is the Medicine Wheel, high in the Big Horn Mountains above Lovell on US 14a.

         The formerly 110-acre site was increased in size by a factor of 37x, as it became The Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Monument.

         This occurred late last fall but I just learned about it. Seems like a great plan.

         Considered America’s Stonehenge, it is truly a remarkable site located in an even more remarkable location. Very remote and very high up in the mountains.

         Another of Wyoming’s treasures.

         • Here in Lander, one of more ubiquitous scenes around town are empty Utah tourist buses. Lots of them. Most of them empty.

         What the heck are they doing here?

         The answer is that the buses have been bringing the faithful to re-visit the Mormon Trail, which covers the same area as the Oregon Trail. 

         Each summer, hundreds and even thousands visit places like Martins Cove, Rocky Ridge and other historical and sacred places to people of the LDS faith.

These folks recreate the Willie’s handcart journeys from Martins Cove to South Pass. There is a big encampment of trailers at Sweetwater Station. It`s their support while pushing those carts on the trail.