"Do Beavers Eat Fish?" - An Inquiry - September 23, 2004
by Noah Koerper

     We Westies are a simple group. Really, it doesn't take all that much to make us happy. So when we woke up on the morning of the 23rd to a dry camp in Yellowstone, spirits certainly lifted a bit. Once we were fed and the trailer packed, the convoy rolled southwards through Yellowstone, stopping at Geyser Basin for some good steamy fun (and lunch) and continuing on to Old Faithful where we just missed the last eruption but arrived in time for Ye Olde Gift Shoppe And Cafeteria. Once kitsch had been ogled and "American Tradition" RVs sufficiently mocked, we continued south out of Yellowstone and into adjacent Grand Teton National Park. Geysers were left, pictures taken and we arrived in Jackson, Wyoming by late afternoon and met up with Jackson locals and distinguished Whitman alumni Chris Kitchen and Sam Pope.

     After being led into the hills above Jackson, we gaped at the sun setting behind the Tetons before sitting down to dinner. Ari Agnew and Rob Spooner, other alums, soon joined the group and we were treated to an after-dinner discussion on the socio-economic state of Jackson and effects of the huge local ski resort scene. We were told of incredible snow conditions and a large ski bum population, in contrast with thousands of second homeowners and massive Starbucks-ization. They explained the necessity of transportation and access in supporting the ski economy, the locally-subsidized airport and overused mountain roads that keep the town alive. The small airport, though unprofitable in itself, was presented as perhaps the major catalyst in the polarization of Jackson between the service/ski bum/transient population and the second homeowners and one-time vacationers. The rapid increase in land values in a restricted, public land-dominated area has caused many low-wage workers to move outside of town and commute, causing huge stress and congestion on the road over nearby Teton Pass. Our conversation above Jackson proved to be an invaluable primer for the time we would spend studying Mammoth, California, another rapidly growing ski town. Once we had exhausted ourselves with questions and answers, we returned to the golden aspen, half moon and the campfire, where drinks were quaffed and we were regaled with stories of Whitmans past long into the clear night.