Where to Ski: Jackson Hole

Hailed as one of North America’s most difficult ski areas, Jackson Hole is a must on any skier or rider’s bucket list. I had the pleasure of paying the Tetons a visit last season in March and hit It right, 3 days of some of the best skiing / all encompassing ecstatic times I have experienced in a long time. When people ask me where to ski I recommend Jackson Hole.

Getting to Jackson Hole Ski Area:

I won’t lie; it’s a hike from pretty much anywhere. What I can say is that the 160-mile drive up 191 from Rock Springs into the Grand Teton National Park is stunningly beautiful, and that can probably be said about coming in from any direction. Jackson Hole also has an airport in close proximity to the resort with regularly scheduled flights from Delta and United.

When I rolled into Jackson the first thing I remember seeing was an early to mid 90’s Toyota Tacoma with the rear ¼ of a snowmobile hanging halfway out the tailgate. Strapped to the side of the sled was a Neversummer SL board.  Strategically tied down, old green Coleman camp coolers and red gas cans filled in what was left of free space around the sled, if that’s not a telltale sign of a good time, then I don’t know what is.

Jackson Hole Lodging:

There are two areas to stay in. Teton Village is at the base of the mountain, and Downtown Jackson Hole is a 15-minute drive. I recommend The Hostel in Teton Village. Clean, Cheap, Slope slide, Leave your beers in nature’s fridge and no one messes with them kind of lodging.

How to ski Jackson Hole:

It’s pretty hard to miss the tram at the base of the mountain as it’s a really impressive piece of technologically advanced equipment. The thing is big, red, carries a ton of people and they seem to favor pumping the Allman Brothers on the built-in speaker system in the morning. Hop on first thing in the a.m. and before you know it you have a birds eye view of Corbits Couloir, one of the gnarliest inbound runs in the States, and boom, there ya are standing on the peak of Rendezvous Mountain in the middle of the Teton National Forest.

Rendezvous Bowl is a massive open field, skiers right of the tram. As you make your way down the bowl it’s pretty difficult to not make your way to Wally-World or Bivouac. Both are good, relatively short, steep pitches good for warming up on. These will end in the Cheyenne Bowl; follow the remainder of Rendezvous Trail to the Sublette Quad. Once at the top of the Sublette, make your way under the lift until you reach the Laramie Traverse, which will bring you to the top of the Thunder Quad. Ski down under the quad/tram, skiers left you will see Tower Three Chute, then Hoops Gap, then Thunder. These north facing chutes hold the snow really well. I can only begin to tell you how many times I lapped these same chutes over and over with the snow refilling my tracks each run.

Another one of my favorite areas ended up being the Saratoga Bowl on Après Vous Mountain. Saratoga Bowl is a series of wide-open runs with fun, spread out trees. I hit this area in the afternoon a few times and had a ball out there. Long runs, Good steeps.  This is only scraping the surface of the skiable inbound terrain, not to mention the absurd amount of out-of-bounds terrain Jackson has to offer. It goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway, don’t go out of bounds without the necessary equipment and training.

I made my way around to a couple of Après zones while I was there. It’s hard to miss the outdoor snow bar right under the tram at the base of Jackson. Otherwise Teton Thai in Teton Village ended up being the choice decision for food and drinks. This place is small and located just outside the village; I was able to cop a ride in one of the resort hotel’s Suburban’s.  Be prepared to wait in line for a bit but trust me it’s worth it, bring a glove beer and a cliff bar if you can’t hack it.

I love this place, if you haven’t been, GO!