Nothing Like a Teton Sunset

Today for your viewing pleasure, some of the best Grand Teton National Park sunsets of this summer. Naturally, several of them were taken right here at our very own marina on Jackson Lake, but we've also included a few from Oxbow Bend, Shadow Mountain, and other picturesque spots throughout the valley. What's your favorite place to savor the last moments of the day?

 

Getting ready for Christmas

No, we haven't misplaced our calendar. We know that the rest of the world marks Christmas Day on December 25th, but in the National Parks, the holiday is celebrated in August. Read on to find out why....... 

Signal Mountain Lodge will be celebrating National Park Christmas this year on AUGUST 22ND. To enable the employees to enjoy this festive evening, the closing times for the following Signal Mountain and Leek's operations will be:

GENERAL STORE: 9:00PM

GIFT STORES:

                     Needles 9:00PM  

                    Timbers 9:00Pm

MARINAS:

Signal Mt Marina 7:00PM

Leek's Marina 5:00PM

RESTAURANTS:

Peaks Dining Room 8:30PM

Trapper Grill 9:00PM

DEADMAN'S BAR: 9:00PM

LEEK'S PIZZERIA*: 8:30PM *Take out until 9:00PM

Adventures on the Snake River

One of the most fun and memorable ways to experience Grand Teton National Park is on a scenic float trip down the Snake River.


A scenic float trip begins with a van ride down to the put-in spot at Deadman's Bar. Once their, the guide and driver help the guests into their life jackets.

 

 Driver backing the raft into the river

Once the raft is in the water the adventure begins! The next 90 minutes or so are spent enjoying a gentle float down the river, gazing at the incredible scenery and scouting for wildlife.

 Some of the most commonly spotted animals are beaver, moose, and bald eagle, but you might also see osprey, various species of duck, or even the illusive Jackson Hole local.  







Our knowledgeable guides can answer all your questions about the geology and history of Grand Teton National Park and the flora and fauna that dwell here and even provide tips on other fun things to do while you're in the area--all while expertly piloting the raft down the river as if they've been doing it for years (because they have!)

You can reserve your float trip today through the SML front desk by calling 307-543-2831. Trips depart daily from the main parking lot at 7am and 5pm.

Summer means Leeks Pizza!!

For those of us in the know, summertime in GTNP is synonymous with good times at Leeks Pizzeria and Marina.

The restaurant is open for just a few short months per year, so it's always a special treat to visit there and enjoy some of the best pizza this side of Togwotee Pass. To experience what we're talking about, just head north on the Inner Park Road towards yellowstone and turn left at this sign....

 Leeks Pizzeria makes every pizza from scratch from start to finish, beginning with our famous homemade dough made with organic flour. The restaurant goes through an average of 100-250 lbs of dough EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Once assembled, the pies go into our 550 degree oven where the mature into hot, crispy, golden-brown joy circles.

like this one----->

Need a table??? Marie has got your number!!!

Come visit us!! Open daily from 11am - 10pm, but only until September 8th! For more info or to place a takeout order, call 307-543-2494.

Let's get out on the water!

It's hot out there!

Let's escape the heat and get out on the water--Signal Mountain Lodge can help you get there!

Jackson Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the United States, at up to 15 miles long, 7 miles wide, and over 400 feet deep. A clear, calm morning like this is perfect for slicing through the glassy waters in one of our rental canoes. (Also a great day for those classic mirror-mountain photos!)

You can also explore the lake in a kayak.

 

Another great way to enjoy a day on the lake is by booking one of our guided fishing trips. You can even have our restaurant prepare what you catch and enjoy it in the Peaks Dining Room.

 If lakes aren't your style (and even if they are), you'll definitely want to sign up for a scenic float trip on the Snake River. It's a great way to learn about the park, have some great photo ops, and see wildlife. Our experienced guides make every trip a blast.










For more information or to book a float trip, boat rental, or fishing trip, visit www.signalmountainlodge.com or call us at 307-543-2831

Some Haiku's for June

Well, flowers are blooming, baby animals are scampering everywhere, and there's a predicted high temperature of 80 degrees for tomorrow. We're going to go ahead and declare it--Summer has officially come to the Tetons. To celebrate, we'd like to share some poetic thoughts and inspiring images of those first few magical weeks. 

Cool breeze and warm wood

scoping canyons to explore

new friendships forming

I'll jump if you jump...

Last one in's a rotten egg...

Holy crap that's cold!

                                 

It's park clean-up day!

Don your best flourescent vest

and go pick up trash!

Jackson Lake sunset

Yellow pink purple blue red

no filter needed

                         

Opening Weekend 2013!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's official--Summer 2013 is under way
(albeit with a fair amount of snow still burying the Signal Mountain Summit Trail).

Signal Mountain Lodge opened for business this past Friday, May 10th. The Trapper Grill, Deadman's Bar, and Peaks Dining Room are all serving up local favorites and new delights, and the Timbers and Needles gift stores are chock full of unique items to suit even the choosiest souvenir hound. All guest lodging  options including the Signal Mountain Campground are also open.

Two major events have marked opening weekend for many years: the Opening of the Bar party, and Mother's Day Dinner. On the evening of May 10th, locals, Park employees and guests, and current and former SML employees got to rub elbows and share plate after plate of nachos, burgers, and sweet potato fries. There were warm reunions between long separated friends and many a toast to a long anticipated summer. A lucky few even scored a free commemorative hat, provided by an enthusiastic Deadman's Bar patron.

The Mother's Day dinner is one of the busiest days of the season for the restaurant. It's also the one and only day all year when you can actually make a reservation to dine at SML. It's an opportunity for the Peaks Dining Room cooks to show off their skills, and for guests to celebrate the special women in their families. (It's also a good reminder for staff to call their moms!) It was a gorgeous, warm, sunny Sunday, perfect for sharing fellowship with family and friends, and reflecting with gratitude on where we came from and where we are.

In between those two blessed events, 2013 Ice Off was officially declared on Saturday, May 11th. There is no more ice on Jackson Lake in the SML Marina.
This brings us to a reminder for the next big thing:

Signal Mountain and Leeks Marinas open this coming Saturday, May 18th!!!!!

Happy Earth Day 2013

Happy Earth Day!

I thought we would take some time today to talk about some of the cool environmental programs we have in our restaurants. We are a Green Restaurant Association 3-Star Rated restaurant group, and we do lots of great things to minimize our environmental impacts. Here are a few highlights!

We buy Local
Signal Mountain Lodge is committed to purchasing from local and regional sources whenever possible. Here is a quick snapshot of some of our local items. We get all our burgers in the restaurants from HD Dunn & Son Beef in nearby Tetonia, Idaho. We purchase whole cows, three farm shares of veggies and the occasional pig from Robinson Family Farm and Ranch in Bedford, Wyoming. We purchase locals beers from Snake River Brewing and other great local breweries. When we can't get something from the immediate area, we get it from the surrounding region- such as Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Montana.

We are Committed to Sustainable Seafood
Our oceans are one of our planet's most important resources, and as a restaurant group, we can help preserve our oceans for the future by purchasing from sustainable sources. Signal Mountain Lodge is a proud partner with Seafood Watch, and is committed to only serving food off the 'Green List' in all of our establishments. We also pass out Seafood Watch Cards for guests to keep so that they can easily make responsible seafood choices after they leave Signal.

We Buy Organic and Natural Products
Many of the products we purchase are USDA certified organic, have no added hormones, are naturally fed a vegetarian/grass-fed diet and/or are otherwise grown & raised in a sustainable manner. Both the local beef companies we work with raise grass-fed cows free of antibiotics or hormones. Many vegetables we purchase are USDA Organic. All the milk we serve is free of rBGH. Our coffee is quite the mouthful- it is Organic, Bird Friendly, Shade Grown, Fair Trade certified and locally roasted by Great Northern Coffee Company in Jackson, WY!

Fun Fact: The homemade pizza dough at Leek's Pizzeria is made from Organic Flours and Cage Free Eggs! (And it's the best darn pizza in Jackson Hole)

We Recycle, UpCycle and Reduce Packaging Whenever Possible
Here at Signal we are always trying to cut out our waste. We recycle everything possible through Teton County Reycling and are a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Business Leader in Teton County. Here is an example of how we eliminate waste before it even exists- we do not serve bottled beer, saving thousands of bottles every summer!

Thanks for reading about some of our programs. To learn more, check out our menus online at  www.signalmtnlodge.com, or go to our Environmental Commitment page. Best yet, stop by the main restaurant building and check out our Wall of Sustainability! While you are there enjoy some delicious, sustainable fare.

Nacho Night!!!!

True fans know, SML's annual Nacho Night is one of the highlights of the Winter season for JH locals, especially Park dwellers. It's a great time for this small and close-knit community to get together, eat regrettable portions of cheesy chips, and support a great cause.The 2013 event was no exception. An army of volunteers from Signal Mountain Lodge and the Moose Corner Daycare were busy as beavers, stacking chips, topping chips, busing tables, selling raffle tickets, and slinging margaritas. All in all, we managed to raise over $2,800.00 for Moose Corner Daycare, which provides affordable childcare services to Park parents.

Doc keeps the dishes moving and turns over those tables!

This is where the melting happens.

Now, now, Ladies--Those toppings are for the nachos!

Bartender Lisa keeps everyone smiling while Food and Beverage Manager Erik oversees the whole operation.

Did you win anything in the raffle???

Danny knows it's all about nacho cohesion... or should we say co-cheese-sion..?

So much guac.

C-Store Solidarity

The Signal Mountain Lodge Blog is back!

It's been a great winter here at SML, but reports have surfaced of 2013's first GTNP bear sightings, and we all know what that means-- It's time for the blog to come out of hibernation!
Arguably the biggest news of the winter actually happened way back in November. There was a fire in our beloved Signal Mountain Convenience Store. The structure remained sound, but let's just say the remodel we were planning as part of our new NPS contract got pushed ahead significantly. Contractors have been hard at work trying to get the New and Improved C-Store ready by opening day. To show his support, our Director of Resort Operations has made an unusual commitment. Here is his story:

I , Kieran Gallagher, Director of Resort Operations, submit to you that I have cultivated and will not shave off my beard until the reconstruction of the Signal Mountain Convenience Store is complete and we ring up our first customer of 2013.


I have not shaven face to prove my dedication to you all. After the devastating fire in the convenience store this fall and the subsequent total reconstruction of the interior we all here at Signal Mountain Lodge have been working diligently towards this goal. I am committed to keeping my beard impeccably groomed during this time period so as not to disgrace Signal Mountain Lodge and all the staff and vendors associated with us. It is my hope to be able to shave before our opening day or shortly thereafter. However there are certain people that are trying to convince me to keep the beard anyway because they believe it “looks good on me”. I am no slave to fashion and appearance for this act is done only to prove my desire to provide the best possible services to our staff and guests of Signal Mountain Lodge.

Viva la Convenience Store!