We would choose a quiet day during the week and make the trek over snowy Teton Pass to Targhee for memorable powder days that ended with a trip to the Victor Emporium on our way back home. These trips were always to get the famous Purple Peaks milkshake.
Right on Main Street in Victor, Idaho sits the most nostalgic and quintessential ice cream shop serving up milkshakes, ice cream, fishing gear, and Teton Valley souvenirs for all the visitors coming through.
On a random “Targhee Monday,” as my friends liked to call it, a really nice and funny guy that I’d met while skiing came with us to go enjoy a powder day at Grand Targhee. Both of us had a plan to leave earlier than the rest due to work so we rode back together, just us. Before we hit Teton Pass, he asked “have you had a Purple Peaks milkshake, yet?”
“No, what’s that?” I replied.
He pointed to make a quick turn into the parking lot right off Victor’s main street. We parked in a parking lot attached to a building with a large, colorful mural of a rainbow trout and a grizzly bear sharing a milkshake, an eagle flying overhead. The words painted across the top read: “Home of the World Famous Huckleberry Shake!”
WORDS AN PHOTOS BY TAYLOR OWENS
Ski days at Grand Targhee were what my friends and I looked forward to each week while working the winters at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
We walked inside and the smell of ice cream and warm waffle cones filled the space. In the back, past displays of local gifts and fishing tackle, was the ice cream counter. People sat perched on retro stools, watching as milkshakes were spun together by hand in metal mixing cups.
It was like taking a step back in time, a time where there were soda shops with brightly colored signs, vinyl seats, and a charm that doesn’t quite exist in establishments anymore.
At the counter, I started to order a regular huckleberry milkshake, but my ski buddy quickly interrupted.
“No, you have to get the Purple Peaks.”
I changed my order and watched the workers behind the counter scoop fresh huckleberries and Oreo chunks into the mixing cups. We paid at the register and took our milkshakes to go and sipped on them as we drove over Teton Pass back down into Jackson Hole.
That winter, I made several more stops at the Victor Emporium after ski days, never realizing that soon, I’d be living close enough to enjoy it in every season.
It was like taking a step back in time, a time where there were soda shops with brightly colored signs, vinyl seats, and a charm that doesn’t quite exist in establishments anymore.
At the counter, I started to order a regular huckleberry milkshake, but my ski buddy quickly interrupted.
“No, you have to get the Purple Peaks.”
I changed my order and watched the workers behind the counter scoop fresh huckleberries and Oreo chunks into the mixing cups. We paid at the register and took our milkshakes to go and sipped on them as we drove over Teton Pass back down into Jackson Hole.
That winter, I made several more stops at the Victor Emporium after ski days, never realizing that soon, I’d be living close enough to enjoy it in every season.
Like many who have lived in Jackson Hole, I eventually lost my housing and found myself moving to the Idaho side of Teton Pass. What started as a place to land soon became home, and with it, the Victor Emporium became more than just a post-ski stop—it became a place that marked the transition of seasons and the simple joys that made this valley feel like home.
That chapter was made even sweeter by the ski buddy who first introduced me to the Purple Peaks milkshake—someone who, not long after, became more than just a friend. Together, we made the move to Victor, where the Emporium and the valley itself became part of our shared story.
Living in Jackson Hole had always been about the grind—working multiple jobs and maximizing every minute in the mountains. Moving to Victor felt like hitting pause. Most of the friends I’d made in Jackson weren’t willing to drive Teton Pass to visit, and there wasn’t much to do at night except the occasional show or trip to the bar. I decided to disconnect completely, pouring all my free time into exploring the woods and immersing myself in the beauty of Teton Valley.
That chapter was made even sweeter by the ski buddy who first introduced me to the Purple Peaks milkshake—someone who, not long after, became more than just a friend. Together, we made the move to Victor, where the Emporium and the valley itself became part of our shared story.
Living in Jackson Hole had always been about the grind—working multiple jobs and maximizing every minute in the mountains. Moving to Victor felt like hitting pause. Most of the friends I’d made in Jackson weren’t willing to drive Teton Pass to visit, and there wasn’t much to do at night except the occasional show or trip to the bar. I decided to disconnect completely, pouring all my free time into exploring the woods and immersing myself in the beauty of Teton Valley.
I spent four years living in Teton Valley, in a house located beneath the shadow of Taylor Mountain off Old Jackson Highway. During that time, I experienced this area through all its seasons, each one offering a new adventure, whether it was running up Fossil Mountain in Darby Canyon, volunteering on a local farm during shoulder season, exploring the Big Hole Mountains in the fall, or enjoying the many powder-filled ski days. In each of those seasons, the Victor Emporium was my constant, my go-to for a Purple Peaks milkshake—a sweet reward after a long day of work or a grand adventure. No matter the time of year, the Emporium remained a comforting, familiar part of my life that I looked forward to—a symbol of the place I called home.
Though I no longer live in Teton Valley, I couldn’t stray too far. I made the move to Bozeman, a place with its own unique charm, but I still find myself drawn back to the valley to visit often. The Victor Emporium remains a must-stop for me, a sweet connection to a chapter of my life I hold close to my heart. Every time I sip on a Purple Peaks milkshake, I’m reminded of the first afternoon my partner and I spent together, sharing laughs and stories. It’s a moment that stays with me, as does the sense of peace I found in Teton Valley—its mountains and the quiet moments that made it feel like home.
Though I no longer live in Teton Valley, I couldn’t stray too far. I made the move to Bozeman, a place with its own unique charm, but I still find myself drawn back to the valley to visit often. The Victor Emporium remains a must-stop for me, a sweet connection to a chapter of my life I hold close to my heart. Every time I sip on a Purple Peaks milkshake, I’m reminded of the first afternoon my partner and I spent together, sharing laughs and stories. It’s a moment that stays with me, as does the sense of peace I found in Teton Valley—its mountains and the quiet moments that made it feel like home.
Outside the house below Taylor Mountain in Victor, Idaho.
