Originally from Oregon, Spaniol relishes his time managing the hot springs where he has access to the wilderness he loves. (Emily Cohen)

Making the 10-mile trek to Granite Hot Springs from Highway 89 is a bucket list item for many visitors to Jackson Hole — and the folks living here. But while the springs are “hot” in both name and popularity, caretaker Gary Spaniol says “lukewarm” might be a more accurate description.

“The pool’s never warm enough for me… so I heat water. I have a six gallon water jug. I put all that boiling water in… And then when there’s nobody here, in my underwear, I walk down – and it’s seven below or whatever – and I get about a 10 minute shower.”

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Emily has served as executive director of KHOL since June 2019. She has a background in ecological design and urban planning and has worked as a teacher on the US-Mexico border in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley,...