Pinedale Wyoming Local News
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Nordic Ski Trail Grooming report – January 30 (posted 1/30/2026)

Nordic Ski Trail Grooming report – January 29 (posted 1/29/2026)

Pinedale Wranglers Alpine Ski Team has strong season start at Laramie ski meet (posted 1/27/2026)

Ask Flora–Winter 2026 (posted 1/27/2026)

Sublette Antelope Migration Local Working Group to meet Feb. 2 in Pinedale (posted 1/27/2026)

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Upcoming Events: Full Year Pinedale Community Calendar
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January 31-February 7: Pedigree Sled Dog Race - The 2026 Pedigree Sled Dog Race brings professional sled dog racing to Wyoming. Mushing teams will be competing for a $200,000 purse. The race starts in Jackson on January 30th with a ceremonial start. Teams then travel to towns across Wyoming for individual ‘stage stops’ that include dinners for the mushers and the public in their host towns. Pinedale will host Stages 1 & 2 on January 31st and February 1st. Teams then travel to Big Piney/Marbleton for Stages 3 & 4 on Monday/Tuesday February 2 & 3. Later Stage Stops are in Kemmerer and Lander, with the event ending on February 7th. Mushers are from all over the US and international. Follow the race and get updates at www.wyomingstagestop.org.

Pinedale Local News

Nordic Ski Trail Grooming report – January 30 (posted 1/30/2026)
Mike Looney, Groomer
Friday, 9:35AM: Old Road Trail, Pine Marten, Flatline, Tree Loop, and Elkhart Road were groomed this morning. It was 20F degrees at 8:30AM at the equipment building.

Related Links:
www.sublettetrails.org Additional information on winter and summer trail recreation in Sublette County, including maps and requested trail etiquette
White Pine-Kelly Park Ski Trail Map - (10.3MB PDF)
CCC Ponds Ski Trail Map - (1.84MB PDF)
Road and Weather links
www.visitpinedale.org Pinedale tourism website (links to lodging, dining, area information)
www.whitepinewyoming.com White Pine Resort, 307-367-6606, (Nearby alpine skiing, food services, restroom)
www.greatoutdoorshop.com The Great Outdoor Shop, 307-367-2440
www.sublettechamber.com Local businesses & services, 307-367-2242
www.golfpinedale.com Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course (Additional Nordic ski trails, food services, restroom)

Nordic Ski Trail Grooming report – January 29 (posted 1/29/2026)
Mike Looney, Groomer
Thursday, 9:15AM: Half Moon Tie-In, Kelly Park, Kelly Tie-In, Lower Surveyor, Powerline, Upper Surveyor, Moose Ridge have all been groomed this morning. It was 17F degrees at 7:45AM at the equipment building. There is a dusting of new snow.

Related Links:
www.sublettetrails.org Additional information on winter and summer trail recreation in Sublette County, including maps and requested trail etiquette
White Pine-Kelly Park Ski Trail Map - (10.3MB PDF)
CCC Ponds Ski Trail Map - (1.84MB PDF)
Road and Weather links
www.visitpinedale.org Pinedale tourism website (links to lodging, dining, area information)
www.whitepinewyoming.com White Pine Resort, 307-367-6606, (Nearby alpine skiing, food services, restroom)
www.greatoutdoorshop.com The Great Outdoor Shop, 307-367-2440
www.sublettechamber.com Local businesses & services, 307-367-2242
www.golfpinedale.com Rendezvous Meadows Golf Course (Additional Nordic ski trails, food services, restroom)

Charlie Irrgang. Photo courtesy Jeff Wohl.

Pinedale Wranglers Alpine Ski Team has strong season start at Laramie ski meet (posted 1/27/2026)
Jeff Wohl
The Pinedale Wrangler Alpine Ski Team competed at a ski meet in Laramie on Friday and Saturday, January 23 and 24, 2026.

The women’s varsity team came out of gate winning the Slalom event for the day with 54 points over Cody’s 52. This effort was led by Ellie Tolson with a 5th place finish, Ivy Ward 6th, Adison Davis 8th, Charlie Irrgang 9th, Roxy Melenkovich 13th.

Garret Saunders started the meet by winning the first run of Slalom, but had a mistake in the second run which moved him back. Dune McCartney had two consistent runs and finished 5th. Grant Carter skied well to 7th.

Slater Bell won the Men’s Junior Varsity Slalom and Nora Davis came in third for Women’s JV.

On the second day, the team raced the Giant Slalom, an event with more speed and larger turns. For the men, McCartney and Saunders laid down good runs finishing fourth and fifth. On the women's side, there were solid performances, but they slipped back in the overall standings. Braxton Hanson skied a career best getting 3rd for Men’s JV.

Coaches Wohl and Williams are extremely pleased with how this team is skiing. Wohl said, "We know that all our athletes skied well, and can do better when we can get more finishes. Both girls and boys varsity teams have the ability to win meets. This is really a great start for the season. We also have a lot of depth on our men’s junior varsity side, which shows a lot of promise for future races."

Results:
Team points:
Overall:
1st: Jackson 154 points
2nd: Pinedale 143 points
3rd: Cody 140 points
4th: Natrona 135 points
5th: Laramie 74 points
6th: Kelly Walsh 37 points

By Gender:
Men's
1st: Jackson 128 Points
2nd: Pinedale 61 Points
3rd: Natrona 44 Points
4th: Cody 41 Points
5th: Laramie 38 Points
6th: Kelly Walsh 29 Points

Women's
1st: Cody 99 Points
2nd: Natrona 91 Points
3rd: Pinedale 82 Points
4th: Laramie 36 Points
5th: Jackson 26 Points
6th: Kelly Walsh 8 Points

Day 1 Slalom
Varsity Women
Ellie Tolson 5th
Ivy Ward 6th
Adison Davis 8th
Charlie Irrgang 9th
Roxy Melenkovich 13

Varsity Mens
Dune McCartney 5th
Grant Cater 7th
Garrett Saunders 20th
Finn McGuire 21st
Tristan Robertson DNF

JV Women
Nora Davis 3rd

JV Men
Slater Bell 1st
Cade Filkins 4th
Arlo Swenson 9th
Tucker Filkins 19th
Braxton Hanson DNF

Day 2 Giant Slalom
Varsity Women
Ellie Tolson 6th
Roxy Melenkovich 9th
Charlie Irrgang 16th
Ivy Ward 17th
Adison Davis 22nd

Varsity Mens
Dune McCartney 4th
Garrett Saunders 5th
Grant Cater 7th
Slater Bell DSQ
Tristan Robertson 19th

JV Women
Nora Davis DSQ

JV Men
Braxton Hanson 3rd
Slater Bell 1st
Cade Filkins 8th
Tate Williams 9th
Finn McGuire 13
Tucker Filkins 17th
Braxton Hanson DNF

Ask Flora–Winter 2026 (posted 1/27/2026)
Sage & Snow Garden Club
Dear Flora,
We’ve accumulated a lot of wood ash over the winter. Can we add it to our garden soil or compost? I’ve heard conflicting advice on this.
Signed–Woody

Dear Woody,
I would caution you on using wood ash in your garden or compost pile. You would really need to have your soil tested to see if the pH is below 6.0 (meaning soil is moderately acidic). If your soil is acidic, adding wood ash can increase soil fertility by increasing the availability of phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, along with some micronutrients. Most Wyoming soils are naturally alkaline, so adding ash can quickly raise pH too high, harming plants. Most vegetables prefer a pH around 6.0–7.0 (The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a list of ideal soil pH levels for growing different types of plants–get the latest copy from the Big Piney Library or https://www.almanac.com/plant-ph). Ideal pH allows plants to absorb nutrients from the soil to produce healthy plants with better production. Moderation is the key–you can add small amounts of wood ash to your compost pile or into garden soil in the winter or early spring into moist soil. At most, a five gallon pail of ash can be spread over 1,000 square feet per year, but always check the pH of your soil first. You don’t want to risk ruining the soil conditions in your garden. Soil testing information can be obtained from Colorado State University Soil, Water, and Plant Testing Laboratory. Go to their website for pricing and instructions on how to submit soil samples for testing–
https://agsci.colostate.edu/soiltestinglab/soil-water-plant-testing-laboratory/soil-sampling/

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Dear Flora,
I recently moved to Sublette County and am hoping to start a garden here in the spring. Do you have any special considerations for growing plants in Sublette County that you can share with me?
Sincerely—Hope For Spring

Dear Hope,
There are many considerations for growing in a short season like we have here in Sublette County. Here are just a few of the most important:
- Start small and focus on growing veggies that really do well in a cool climate–try spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, peas, radishes, beets, onions, garlic. We generally have 50-75 frost-free days in the summer for growing. Look for varieties that mature quickly and don’t mind a bit of frost.
- Warm up that soil by using raised beds, row covers, or other types of season extenders. Raising the soil allows the sun to warm the growing area more quickly, which means your roots will be warmer and allow the plant to grow more easily. Row covers can heat the soil and protect your plants from the wind.
- Don’t underestimate the wildlife that would like to enjoy your harvest! Deer, moose, rabbits, voles, gophers–can all wreck havoc on your garden. Fencing, raised beds with hardware cloth underneath & protective hoops over the top, lick tubs or planter gardens are all ways to deter unwanted guests.
- Learn about gardening from other gardeners here by joining the Sage and Snow Garden Club. Members are generous in sharing information, answering questions, and always striving to improve their knowledge about growing in our climate.

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Dear Flora,
I would love to learn more about gardening in Sublette County. Does the garden club have any upcoming activities?
Ever Grateful,
Sage Snow

Dear Sage,
You are in luck! "Gardening Goes Underground" is an upcoming class taught by Arlinda McLaughlin, Master Gardener, on Saturday, March 7th from 9AM–12Noon at Sublette BOCES. Learn all about growing root vegetables in Sublette County.

The Sage and Snow Garden Club welcomes gardeners, from novice to expert, to join our club to learn more about successful techniques and plants that grow in Sublette County. We just hosted our annual business meeting and are working on our updated 2026 schedule for gardening events.

For more information, to ask questions for our next Ask Flora column, or to join the club—go to our website at https://www.sageandsnowgardenclub.org/ or contact Arlinda McLaughlin, Master Gardener at 307-231-9402.

Sublette Antelope Migration Local Working Group to meet Feb. 2 in Pinedale (posted 1/27/2026)
Office of Governor Mark Gordon
Governor Gordon’s (R-WY) Sublette Antelope Migration Local Working Group will convene for their first meeting Monday, Feb. 2 in Pinedale. The meeting will be held BOCES Board Room, 665 North Tyler Ave. and begin at 8:30AM.

The local working group is ultimately charged with reviewing the Game and Fish’s risk assessment, corridor components, potential impacts to socio-economic conditions of the region, conservation opportunities, highway projects, and other factors appropriate to the potential designation. Following their analysis, the working group will make a final recommendation to Governor Gordon, who has the authority to either designate the corridor, return the recommendation to Game and Fish for refinement, or reject the proposal for designation.

The Governor’s appointed working group members are:
Craig Rood - Industrial user - oil, gas, mining and renewable resources
Jasmine Allison - Industrial user - oil, gas, mining and renewable resources
Maggie Hudlow - Wildlife/conservation/hunting
Mike Brennan - Wildlife/conservation/hunting
Michael Henn - Agriculture
John Erramouspe - Agriculture
Dave Lankford - Motorized recreation
Robb Slaughter - Sweetwater County Commissioner, Working Group Chairman
Lynn Bernard - Sublette County Commissioner
Kent Connelly - Lincoln County Commissioner
Teton County Commissioner - To be announced soon

The public is invited to attend in-person or watch online. A full agenda is available on the Sublette Antelope Migration Corridor website:
https://sites.google.com/view/wywildlifemigrationadvisorygrp/sublette-antelope

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US 189 north of Marbleton - View looking south

US 191 at Farson