Sunrise-Sunsets, Wide Views, Stream, Fire Pit, Guest Apartment

SUNDANCE LODGE

Sundance Lodge is a handsome, rambling house built of old woods and recycled materials, a testament to Wyoming traditions and replete with Wyoming character. Broad-shouldered, it unfolds over open grassland, at one with the landscape and with itself. The stair treads, the front doors, the rafters: each piece of Sundance Lodge has a story to tell. Walls are log and mortar, board and batten, fine masonry. Massive beams support the shingled roofs and vast windows take in the glorious views. The property seems endless, set at the very end of a quiet cul-de-sac on many wide-open acres; there are two distant neighbors. A willow-fringed stream slides by swift and silent at the back of the house; and from there, the land rolls away uninterrupted to the towering Tetons.

A circular drive stops at Sundance Lodge’s lantern-lit front porch, where a pair of heavy old wooden doors open to the foyer and then into the living room. A great wall of glass brings the eye through and right back outside to the mountains. At Sundance Lodge, indoors becomes outdoors—the landscape is a part of the interiors and the splendid rooms are part of the land.

In the great room, glass spans a wall from the shiny concrete floor to the peak of the trussed ceiling, mullioned by rough-cut beams. Dark natural woods are enlivened by rich textures and dashes of brilliant color: bandana-red bar stools, golden, jewel-like table lamps. A huge stone fireplace faces a long leather couch, which is front row seating for the daily Wyoming extravaganza—wildlife wandering by, stars wheeling across the sky, dazzling sunsets, granite mountains in epic proportion.

The kitchen stands just off of the living area; it is a sumptuous, top-of-the-line affair. From the stovetop set in the long island/breakfast bar you can look across the living room and out through the big windows. The walls and counters of the kitchen are faced in gorgeous, many-hued stone; wood, copper, forest and earth tones swirl across the smooth polished surface. The stainless steel appliances—Viking ovens, Sub-Zero refrigerator—gleam against the weathered wood cabinets. Six crimson bar stools stand at the breakfast bar, for casual meals or conversations with the cook. Doors lead from the kitchen out to the covered BBQ porch; the dining room, steps away, has its own door opening to the front porch, and is rimmed with windows that frame the stream and the river willows.

A stone tower, like an old silo or a castle turret, rises up to a candlesnuffer roof; inside, a massive tree trunk forms the axis of a circular stair, which leads to a private apartment. The tower’s curved stone walls are illuminated by iron sconces and a skylight. The apartment waits like a gift at the top, complete with two bedrooms, a washer and dryer, and a full kitchen with pearlescent backsplashes. One bedroom has a step-out balcony with views to the southwest. The apartment is the perfect private place for teenagers, nannies, chefs or honored guests to call their own.

Sundance Lodge’s three-car garage is fronted by a long covered exterior walkway, a nod to the iconic wooden sidewalks of old cowboy towns. Above is the second-floor sleeping wing. The stairs to reach it are weathered and rustic, rich under foot. Two bedrooms wait up here, each with private baths. One faces the Grand Tetons, and has a private bath with a huge soaking tub. On the opposite side of the landing, another bedroom has a step out balcony and a personal, stacked washer and dryer set. From the bed, one can look out toward the western pass, and to the southwest.

There are two more bedrooms on the main, ground floor. The master bedroom has double doors opening to the summer terrace. The Grand hangs in the big windows, visible from the wide, sumptuous king size bed. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and a private bathroom with a shower and a water closet. The master shares a hallway and a huge, gleaming, new laundry center with another guest room. This spacious guest room has a queen bed and a sitting area, and looks out past the circular drive to the mountains; it does not, however, have a private bathroom, but uses a powder room just down the hall. Father along, a long windowed corridor heads toward the garages; doors open both out to the west to the lawns and hot tub, and to the front drive.

Moose are especially drawn to the quick, quiet stream in the early hours of the morning and evening; fox, coyote, elk, deer, eagles, hawks, bluebirds, heron, sandhill cranes and osprey are regular visitors as well. The stream calls out to children, too: wading, rock-collecting and setting paper boats a-sail are favorite pastimes. A charming little bridge spans the slim waterway to arrive at a meadow with a fire pit, a pair of cranberry-red Adirondack chairs and a double chaise lounge. This is the place for stargazing, marshmallow-roasting and tale-telling, winter and summer.

One of the coolest little communities in Jackson Hole, Wilson’s funky restaurants and interesting, little-bit-of-everything market is a short walk from Sundance Lodge. Hiking and mountain bike trails, back-country skiing, the Snake River and Fish Creek are all right here, which is why Wilson is “guide central,” where all the guides meet and greet their excited adventurers. Smooth, flat bike paths connect Wilson to Teton Village, and midway between the two—five minutes by bike from Sundance Lodge—is the wonderful neighborhood of the Pines. Guests of Sundance Lodge are welcome to avail themselves of the dining, market, fitness center, swimming pool and dry cleaners of The Pines. Sundance Lodge has the best of everything, close to both wilderness and civilization, and brimful with the wild, extravagant beauty of Jackson Hole.



Keywords: Lodge, Cabin