2026 Summer Recap: The Season in Reflection
As the crisp autumn air settles over our Ranch in Dubois and the quiet returns to the Valley, our Director Team has spent the last few weeks looking back on the incredible season we shared. While things at the Ranch are beginning to wind down, and projects are wrapping up before the snow falls, our conversation always returns to the same feeling: deep and overwhelming gratitude.
2026 was a truly phenomenal summer. The season was filled with backcountry trail rides and backpacks, vibrant campfire songs, individual milestones, and a feeling of personal achievement that every camper and staff member carried home in August.
In many ways, this season felt like a wonderfully “normal” summer. For those who love and steward TVRC, that sense of normalcy has been a more rare and precious gift over the last decade.
Looking back across our history, we are constantly reminded of the profound resilience of this camp community. It has been 26 years since the TVRC Education Foundation was formed to save camp and secure our future as a non-profit. It has been 21 summers since we welcomed our very first campers to the Crooked Creek Ranch property, establishing this incredible landscape as our forever home.
Along the trail, we’ve weathered big challenges together, too. It is hard to believe it has now been ten summers since the destructive Lava Mountain Fire of 2016 forced us to evacuate campers and staff and cancel the remainder of our Girls’ Season. It has been six summers since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted camp and challenged our community in ways we had never imagined.
We experienced a season where the rhythm of camp unfolded more easily. Where four full weeks stretched out into a lifetime of memories. Mountains were summited, and the Code of the West was lived out daily, making this summer feel like quite a triumph. It reminds us that while the world around us shifts and speeds up, the heart of TVRC remains steadfast and resilient.
We are already feeling the ripple effect of this successful summer. As we look toward the next summer, we have seen our largest early enrollment numbers in over a decade. To know that our families are eager to secure their spot, and that so many campers and staff left the Ranch this August with a desire to return, fills our hearts completely. It has also extended to families who have rushed to fill out an application so their camper can begin their adventure at TVRC.
Every time a camper gets their Adventure Sheet signed, conquers a trail, or steps out of their comfort zone, we are reminded of why this place matters so much. TVRC isn’t just a four-week getaway; it builds character, grit, and friendships that last a lifetime. Jim and I, along with our whole team, are deeply humbled and grateful to serve as the stewards of this generation of Teton Valley Ranch Camp. Thank you to our camper families who make sacrifices to send their children here, to our dedicated staff who bring the energy every single day, and to our incredible alumni whose legacy supports everything we do.
We can’t wait to welcome you back to our forever home in Dubois for another unforgettable season in 2027. Until then, keep the mountain spirit alive and stay Ready to Ride!
