Jackson Hole

[HeatherPR]

Hi Divas! Our family is headed to JH at the end of Feb. I met some of you at Taos ski week last season and had a blast skiing out west—I just learned to ski three seasons ago at Sugarbush-so I’m an Ice Coast skier. I’d say I’m an intermediate skier as there’s not many greens at Sugarbush so I’m some ways I’ve been “forced” to ski steeper terrain. I’ve looked at past posts about JH but they seem to be from 9ish years ago. Wondering if anyone can shed some light on what it’s like to ski off the main tram runs? While my son and husband have their sights on Corbett’s I’d still love to ski down the big bowl that’s up there. Is it all bumps? Will there be terrain that’s not bumps? I figured if I could manage myself in Taos I’d be ok in JH but I really don’t know. Thoughts? Prayers ? And while I’m here I’ll take any restaurant/experience recommendations you have! Thanks.

 

[MissySki]

Hi Divas! Our family is headed to JH at the end of Feb. I met some of you at Taos ski week last season and had a blast skiing out west—I just learned to ski three seasons ago at Sugarbush-so I’m an Ice Coast skier. I’d say I’m an intermediate skier as there’s not many greens at Sugarbush so I’m some ways I’ve been “forced” to ski steeper terrain. I’ve looked at past posts about JH but they seem to be from 9ish years ago. Wondering if anyone can shed some light on what it’s like to ski off the main tram runs? While my son and husband have their sights on Corbett’s I’d still love to ski down the big bowl that’s up there. Is it all bumps? Will there be terrain that’s not bumps? I figured if I could manage myself in Taos I’d be ok in JH but I really don’t know. Thoughts? Prayers ? And while I’m here I’ll take any restaurant/experience recommendations you have! Thanks.

Diva West was in 2020, right before the world closed down.. those threads might be a good resource as well. The bowl coming down from the tram was very nice, not groomed so will probably depend on the snow conditions whether it’s bumped or not. I don’t recall it being overly difficult or crazy bumps though. Would have to look back in pictures to see what it looked like when we were there. I remember it was very foggy when we went up, so couldn’t even get close to see Corbet’s at the top because it was like pea soup. Got some good views of it from below later on. The waffle cabin at the top is a good stop, super yummy.

 

[SarahXC]

I skied it last year at the end of February. I would agree with what @MissySki said—it wasn’t overly difficult but visibility was super low when I was there also. We did the free mountain guide tour as well during our trip and had a great experience with our guide.

 

[HeatherPR]

I skied it last year at the end of February. I would agree with what @MissySki said—it wasn’t overly difficult but visibility was super low when I was there also. We did the free mountain guide tour as well during our trip and had a great experience with our guide.

Oh thanks for that tip. I had no idea they had these free tours. I love this idea. I assume you tip them?! Thanks!

 

[SarahXC]

Yes, we did give her a tip to show our appreciation. As I understood it the mountain hosts volunteer a number of days a season and in return got some level of pass to ski in return. I am not sure how the host duties are split up each day but when we were grouping up there were several levels of groups being formed for the guided tours—maybe 5ish groups about 9:30 or 10 am at the base. The mountain ownership has changed so you might check their website to see about the current details for mountain host program.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Hello and excited for your trip out here. From the Tram there are really only two options. Corbet's and what we refer to as The Bowl, not to be confused with our many other bowls.

To determine if it would be a good choice for you to ski or not without first skiing some other runs we have that are groomed of an almost similar pitch I wonder if you ski black terrain that is not groomed at home? If you don't this might not be fun, and possibly a really nightmarish scenario. Often our snow is softer which makes things much easier, but please reach out and me first! You mention steeper not being green and being forced on to that terrain. That does not sound like you are regularly skiing easy black for fun. am I right?

I do not know your home mountain, so your blues may be like ours or easier or harder. The color rating from one mountain can vary significantly from another mountain's rating. I often hear people say that our blues are like their easy blacks.

The bowl, is never groomed. It is too steep. As stated above, some days the bumps are small, some days big, some days the powder and wind fill in the bumps and we get what we refer to as wind grooming and start back over with a smooth, though seldom firm slate, more like powder day smooth. Those days would require decent powder skills.

The one upshot of the bowl is that it is super wide. If you have a solid side slip or traverse and feel comfortable in steep terrain you can traverse while avoiding downhill skiers, then sit on your bum, flip the skis around and repeat until down to the bottom. It is I believe about 500 vertical feet. Skiers drift aka far south and further away from the tram is probably the shortest and least steep side of the bowl.

My suggestion would be to start off skiing runs such Laramie Bowl which is a steep long double blue that they do groom with a winch. If that seems fine, then ski the bumps along the groomed part of Laramie. Then graduate to a groomed or ungroomed Bivouac. The cool thing with bivouac is you ski right under the bowl to get to it, so you can look up and see what you think of it all first!

Feel free to ask me any questions. My point of view is only one of many. However, I have been called in to save many skiers who were overly ambitious on their first trip out here.

Finally, do you want suggestions for restaurants during the day, at night, at the resort or in town? Any considerations? Sit down with waiters, specific genres. etc?

 

[HeatherPR]

Hello and excited for your trip out here. From the Tram there are really only two options. Corbet's and what we refer to as The Bowl, not to be confused with our many other bowls.

To determine if it would be a good choice for you to ski or not without first skiing some other runs we have that are groomed of an almost similar pitch I wonder if you ski black terrain that is not groomed at home? If you don't this might not be fun, and possibly a really nightmarish scenario. Often our snow is softer which makes things much easier, but please reach out and me first! You mention steeper not being green and being forced on to that terrain. That does not sound like you are regularly skiing easy black for fun. am I right?

I do not know your home mountain, so your blues may be like ours or easier or harder. The color rating from one mountain can vary significantly from another mountain's rating. I often hear people say that our blues are like their easy blacks.

The bowl, is never groomed. It is too steep. As stated above, some days the bumps are small, some days big, some days the powder and wind fill in the bumps and we get what we refer to as wind grooming and start back over with a smooth, though seldom firm slate, more like powder day smooth. Those days would require decent powder skills.

The one upshot of the bowl is that it is super wide. If you have a solid side slip or traverse and feel comfortable in steep terrain you can traverse while avoiding downhill skiers, then sit on your bum, flip the skis around and repeat until down to the bottom. It is I believe about 500 vertical feet. Skiers drift aka far south and further away from the tram is probably the shortest and least steep side of the bowl.

My suggestion would be to start off skiing runs such Laramie Bowl which is a steep long double blue that they do groom with a winch. If that seems fine, then ski the bumps along the groomed part of Laramie. Then graduate to a groomed or ungroomed Bivouac. The cool thing with bivouac is you ski right under the bowl to get to it, so you can look up and see what you think of it all first!

Feel free to ask me any questions. My point of view is only one of many. However, I have been called in to save many skiers who were overly ambitious on their first trip out here.

Finally, do you want suggestions for restaurants during the day, at night, at the resort or in town? Any considerations? Sit down with waiters, specific genres. etc?

Thanks for your thoughtful response. These are really good tips. And I like your suggestions about progressing on different trails first. I ski the easy blacks at my home mountain. They are groomed however. Last year in Taos I skied a few ungroomed blacks that were very challenging for me. Very bumpy. Admittedly it wasn’t all that fun bc some of the spots were narrow—so I was worried about slowing people down behind me etc. I also had some guy come up behind me and tell me to stick to green runs. (I was with an instructor who was teaching me and it was our last run of the day —she and I felt confident in my ability and I managed to nail it but also fell a few times—which is when he skied up to me—such an #######). I feel much more comfortable when the trails are wider and there’s not a lot of people around —which is originally why I was thinking maybe The Bowl would be ok. And honestly I wouldn’t ski it until my husband did so first. We often do this at our home mountain—if I’m not sure how the snow is on a given day on a certain black I’ll have him ski it first and report back.
We are staying in Teton Village so recommendations there are great. But we have plans to drive into Jackson too. We have an 11 and 15 year old who are joining us but they’re great eaters so we are open to any suggestions. Thanks again!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

You are a lucky woman to be married to person who's reports on snow and pitch you can trust. That is quite precious. Many mean well but can't quite gauge what another's perspective would be.

As for that asshat who insulted you, I am simply going to refrain from stating what he has coming to him from the karmic perspective. Not OK.

Plenty of space but some fast skiers do bomb it if it is not bumped out. But that's mostly the first half of the morning on a powder day.

If Laramie seems too daunting then head over to Wide Open from Casper chair or Sleeping Indian, other double blues with a shorter steep section.

Our easiest black is Ranger which is quite narrow, but Laramie is more daunting from the top even though it is inly double blue.


Every year dining differs in our area based on staff retention and new talent. I have had good meals at Osteria and Corsa at the base this year. Both Italian. The Spur was good too. Piste the fine dining on the hill was good but others have not cared for the menu this year.

Was not super impressed with the Handle bar at the four seasons this year. Have yet to eat at their finer option.

Casual lunches the most choice is the cafeteria top floor of bridger gondola summit Station. Casper lodge is basic grill/fryer and soup. RPK 3 can be pretty decent. I mostly grab a slice at southcable and eat it outside or a yummy sandwich in the mangy moose basement spot which is called the RMO.

For dinner the mangy moose is a Classic with all American fare or catch a 1 minute shuttle to Teton Thai or walk to it, very small place but tasty.

In town there are soooo many choices it would almost be easier if you private message me with the ones that seem interesting and I can give you my personal biased take.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

One thing to know about the complimentary hosted ski tours, is that they are geared to blue terrain skiers and do not include the Tram or the second to last lift which is Sublette, from where you can traverse under the bowl. The tours are a great way to get oriented to the hill and the hosts will show you much of the mountain that way without skiing advanced or expert, but most likely some double blue terrain.

If you enjoy the black ungroomed runs, there is a way to get in below Corbets and video the guys if it is something they decide to do. But again, no groomed or blue run options from tensleep bowl below Corbet's.

 

[skinnyfootskis]

You are a lucky woman to be married to person who's reports on snow and pitch you can trust. That is quite precious. Many mean well but can't quite gauge what another's perspective would be.

As for that asshat who insulted you, I am simply going to refrain from stating what he has coming to him from the karmic perspective. Not OK.

Plenty of space but some fast skiers do bomb it if it is not bumped out. But that's mostly the first half of the morning on a powder day.

If Laramie seems too daunting then head over to Wide Open from Casper chair or Sleeping Indian, other double blues with a shorter steep section.

Our easiest black is Ranger which is quite narrow, but Laramie is more daunting from the top even though it is inly double blue.


Every year dining differs in our area based on staff retention and new talent. I have had good meals at Osteria and Corsa at the base this year. Both Italian. The Spur was good too. Piste the fine dining on the hill was good but others have not cared for the menu this year.

Was not super impressed with the Handle bar at the four seasons this year. Have yet to eat at their finer option.

Casual lunches the most choice is the cafeteria top floor of bridger gondola summit Station. Casper lodge is basic grill/fryer and soup. RPK 3 can be pretty decent. I mostly grab a slice at southcable and eat it outside or a yummy sandwich in the mangy moose basement spot which is called the RMO.

For dinner the mangy moose is a Classic with all American fare or catch a 1 minute shuttle to Teton Thai or walk to it, very small place but tasty.

In town there are soooo many choices it would almost be easier if you private message me with the ones that seem interesting and I can give you my personal biased take.

I second Teton Thai.

 

[Winterlovereno]

We are taking a family trip there 2/22-2/26 as well! We are Tahoe skiers that have a mix of green, blue and black skiers. Also looking for recommendations for all levels!!! Places to eat dinner too please.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

The green terrain is at the base only of JH.

I have yetvto go up there to ski but I hear the new beginner zone on top of Snowking resort in town is a blast and the views amazing. The latter part I can vouch for!

As for blue runs the three easiest ones differ depending on crowds and snow conditions. Our transition from green to blue is pretty stout. The most straightforward blue run is probably easy does it off of casper chair. The other two options require some connecting cat tracks/roads, but one starts off of Apres Vous chair and is werner until one gets to the double blue stretch then head across to teewinot gully. The other would be Gros venture to lupine way to amphitheater then either take marmot back up and download the gondola or ski the road all the across the mountain.

Check grooming reports the morning of and confirm this visually is my big tip. Late afternoons are lovely in the sun off casper chair and apres vous chair as the light can get flat on more north facing slopes up higher.

The best terrain is really all the stuff that is not a marked run but the treed stuff in between. Don't follow random skiers unless you know you can ski absolutely anything. Some lines have serious rock drops with no alternatives.

PM me with specific questions for restaurants. Hard to know where to start for town.

 

[Winterlovereno]

I appreciate your response. I’m glad you said not to follow people because done that at Squaw and Alpine in the past and gotten myself into stuff I wasn’t expecting and had to work my way down.

 

[blueskysunnyday]

I also have a JH trip planned (March, 2 families) and really appreciate all of this info!

 

[TheGreenOne]

I did JH as a boarder on my second season starting the sport in March (quiet a while ago, before IKON if my memory serves correct, so it was fairy quiet, actually had slope to myself few times) and stuck mainly to trails off Apres Vous peak.

Took full day of group lesson on the first day that helped me figure out what trails I could stick to and get introduced to the mountain. Actually in fact, I had only done short groomed blues on in mid-atlantic by then, so JH lesson actually bumped me up.

One caveat to this is that I do think between the beginner-intermediate progression, it's a bit eaiser to handle steeper slope on a board vs. skis in my personal experience.

Enjoy! I loved JH... definitely going back one day.