Wyoming

A communications malfunction at a Wyoming Air Force base knocked 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles offline for 45 minutes last weekend as technicians scrambled to diagnose the problem, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. The glitch in the underground cable system linking launch control centers at F.E. Warren Air Force Base to the missile silos affected one-ninth of the U.S. land-based intercontinental ballistic missile force, a key part of the nation's nuclear arsenal, officials said.

One of the best hotel values in the Jackson area is the Alpenhof Lodge. It is steps from the foot of the Jackson aerial tram in Teton Village. And the tranquillity and views are spectacular. Skiers will especially love its convenience to Jackson's world-class slopes. Alpenhof Lodge, P.O. Box 288, Teton Village.; (800) 732-3244, http://www.alpenhoflodge.com . Doubles from $89. William E. Larsen Corona

1. Boise State, fresh off Virginia Tech's crushing loss to James Madison, tries to keep its national title hopes alive with a dangerous trip to Laramie to face Wyoming. Broncos Coach Chris Petersen feared this game almost as much as the season opener against Virginia Tech. 2. Florida at Tennessee should be a good measuring stick for how good Oregon is this year. The Ducks just left Neyland Stadium with a 48-13 victory over the Volunteers, so it will be interesting to see what kind of number No. 10 Florida can post.

If you go THE BEST WAY TO JACKSON, WYO., AND GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK From LAX, United offers nonstop service and Delta and United offering connecting (change of planes) service to the Jackson Hole, Wyo., airport. WHERE TO STAY Cowboy Village Resort, 120 S. Flatcreek Drive, Jackson; (307) 733-3121 or 800-483-8667, http://www.townsquareinns.com . Dozens of log cabins with kitchenettes, close together, with indoor pool and grassy playground next door. About six blocks from town square.

Rolling through Jackson Hole on the way into Grand Teton National Park for the first time, I spotted a boy on the cycle path alongside the road. His family was a few yards behind him, and the Tetons were off to his left, their ragged, snowy peaks jutting above the Snake River and miles of meadow. The boy was taking it all in, his helmeted head tilted back. His legs were pumping. And his arms were off the handlebars, thrown out in scarecrow fashion. He was the King of the World, astride a shiny bike instead of a doomed ocean liner.

The best way to Yellowstone: From LAX, United and Delta offer connecting service (change of planes) to Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyo. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $354. Cody is about 52 miles east of Yellowstone's eastern boundary. WHERE TO STAY Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, in the northern end of the park, (866) 439-7375 or (307) 344-7311, http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com . Open May 14-Oct. 11, then reopens late December-March.

You can book a four-night stay at a mountain lodge within driving range of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and take 25% off the cost of the room. The deal: Togwotee Mountain Lodge, 16 miles from Grand Teton and 49 miles from the south entrance to Yellowstone, has a Spring Solitude package that takes a quarter off the cost of lodge rooms for a four-night stay. This is good for stays between now and June 21. Info: Togwotee Mountain Lodge, 27655 Highway 26 & 287, Moran, Wyo.; (866)

The Future History of the Arctic Charles Emmerson PublicAffairs: 392 pp., $28.95 "In the mind of a ten-year-old almost any line on a map is worth crossing for the sake of it." Charles Emmerson turned his childhood fascination with "our half-imagined Arctic" into a life's work. In "The Future History of the Arctic," Emmerson explains the forces that have shaped the history of the Arctic and will shape its future. He never loses his childhood sense of wonder at the land above 66 degrees 33' 39" north; the Arctic remains for him an idea that cannot be mapped.

The advertisement appeared on Craigslist in early December. "Need a real aggressive man with no concern for women," read the posting on the Internet classified advertising forum. Its purported author was a Casper, Wyo., woman, whose photo also was posted. One week later, a man accepted the offer, forcing his way into the woman's home, tying her up and raping her at knifepoint. "I'll show you aggressive," he allegedly said, according to court testimony. In fact, authorities say, the woman had nothing to do with the ad. Instead, they say, a former boyfriend had posted it, soliciting her assault.

at Wyoming 86, Pepperdine 82 (OT): A.J. Davis scored 20 points as the Cowboys edged the Waves in the World Vision Basketball Challenge. The Cowboys (3-4) lost a 13-point second-half lead but outscored the Waves, 7-3, in overtime for their only victory of the tournament. Tournament most valuable player Keion Bell scored 28 points for Pepperdine (3-4), which won the event with victories over Hampton and Monmouth. Junior forward Jonathan Dupre scored 16 points for the Waves. -- associated press TODAY'S SCHEDULE Cal State Bakersfield at Cal State Northridge.