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Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Montana man's drunken attempt to impress women leaves him humiliated
A drunk man in Montana was left red in the face after attempting to impress a woman by climbing the iconic Wyoming elk antler arches moments before police arrived. The humiliating spectacle began after the man, on a night out drinking, had met two women and stumbled across the archway on May 13. Around 12.40am, the Jackson Police Department said Teton County Dispatch had been alerted to 'people on top of the arches,' Cowboy State Daily reported. His daring act, however, left him red in the face after climbing onto the archway and reaching the top, only for a police officer to arrive on scene. The man, from Belgrade, said he had 'been drinking and wanted to climb the arch to impress some girls he had just met.' Which only seemed to backfire when he was handed a fine for $100 from the police officer for climbing the arch. The four elk antler arches are iconic for the Jackson area and a popular spot for tourists, but climbing them is not advised and has been made illegal. Lt. Russ Ruschill with the JPD told the outlet that it's uncommon for people to attempt to climb the arches and could only recall a handful of times throughout his career of reports of such behavior. 'I've seen it a couple of times in my career here, but don't remember the last time we've written a citation specifically for climbing one of the arches,' he said. However, he was surprised that the man was able to, while drunk especially, climb so high onto the arch. 'I don't think I've ever seen anybody quite get up as far onto the top like this gentleman,' Ruschill added. 'We usually catch them thinking about it, talking about it or just starting to climb.' Photos shared on Instagram showed one woman reach near to the top of the arch before the gentleman climbed and managed to reach the very top. The photos showed one woman remaining on the ground with her phone out before police arrived. The gentleman's actions, however, spurred outrage online as the account that posted the photos wrote: 'Idiots in Jackson get caught climbing up the arch antlers in Jackson Square.' 'Being drunk or being a dumba** isn't an excuse!' Commenters on the post shared the same frustration, with one who wrote :'They should be fined at a minimum. Community service, maybe. Unbelievable!' Another called the climbers 'entitled,' while others said more respect should be shown especially when visiting from out of town. One said: 'The arrogance of people never surprises me any longer. Where is the respect?!' Ruschill also stressed the dangers of climbing on top of the arches, especially when intoxicated. 'It's a long way to fall from the top of the southwest arch,' he said. 'Someone could get injured or killed doing such a thing. That's the public safety message to this incident.' The man can pay the $100 bond or plead his innocence, Cowboy State Daily reported. 'Our defendant is innocent until proven guilty,' Ruschill said. 'But in Jackson, it's illegal to climb something that's not meant to be climbed.'
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Travel + Leisure
12-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Is the First U.S. County to Be Fully Dark Sky Certified—and It Just Added the World's First Dark Sky Airport
The night skies over Wyoming have seen some major milestones in recent weeks. In late April, Teton County—home to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Grand Teton National Park, and part of Yellowstone National Park—made history as the first county in the world to be certified as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International. Just 10 days later, Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) followed suit, becoming the first airport ever to earn the designation as an International Dark Sky Place, a recognition typically reserved for parks, preserves, and remote communities. But these "world's first" designations come as little surprise when you consider the data. Light pollution is the enemy of dark skies, and Teton County's small, low light-impact communities help keep night skies pristine. The town of Jackson, the county's largest population center, has just over 10,000 residents, while the tiny community of Kelly is home to only 254. Add to that the vast stretches of protected open space—including all of Grand Teton National Park, 40 percent of Yellowstone, parts of three U.S. National Forests, and the 24,700-acre National Elk Refuge—and it's clear why Teton County is leading the way in night sky conservation. Similarly, the Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport located within a national park, which incentivizes the airport to take care of the area's natural resources—dark skies included. 'JAC staff dedicated hundreds of hours to updating lighting fixtures and programming to adhere to responsible lighting practices," DarkSky International said in a release. "These measures will not only improve the stargazing experience, but they will also help protect the wildlife in Grand Teton National Park as well as surrounding areas that rely on the natural nocturnal environment to thrive.' The state's journey towards these dark sky designations started in 2013 when Wyoming Stargazing began hosting weekly public stargazing programs. 'The stars are literally etched into our DNA,' said Samuel Singer, the executive director of Wyoming Stargazing, in a press release. 'If dark night skies ever disappear, we will have lost a part of what it means to be human.' Teton County and Jackson Hole Airport's efforts to improve lighting policies not only improve the experience of every visitor that will come to its two national parks, but every creature living within them as well. 'This community commitment to ensuring future generations of park visitors and county residents all have access to the beauty Wyoming skies offer in the night is something we are all proud to be a part of,' said Chip Jenkins, a Grand Teton National Park superintendent, in a statement.
