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In many ways, the year 2012 came and went like many others do in Jackson Hole. We climbed mountains, floated the rivers and tried our luck at hunting or fishing — just like every year.

But just as events like the Town Downhill and the Teton County Fair are as predictable as the seasons, many others are not. This year we said good-bye to a few friends, many of whom left us far too soon. And from our back porches, we watched as a fire threatened our little mountain town.

Predictable or not, the photographers at the News&Guide took a few pictures along the way.
This year also marks the end of two eras at the News&Guide.

Elizabeth McCabe, who produced the weekly photo column “This is Jackson Hole,” died at 101. Many considered it an honor to have McCabe’s lens trained upon them. And her dedication to the people, places and critters of the valley was reflected on the front page of the Valley section every week for more than 30 years, even when her body failed to keep up in old age. McCabe took her final photograph for the column in early June, less than two weeks before drawing her final breath.

Michael Sellett, who owned and operated the Jackson Hole News and later co-published the News&Guide with McCabe, retired and sold the paper, but not before ensuring it would remain in the hands of a Jackson Hole family. Sellett’s belief that strong photography was an essential part of good storytelling set the standard for visuals at the newspaper.

As we move into the new year, we will strive to do our part to live up to the expectations of those who came before us and to those of the community we serve.

—Bradly J. Boner, chief photographer