Visit Jackson Hole Ski Resort rests in the Tetons—perhaps America’s most iconic mountain range just south of Grand Teton National Park.
For the record, the resort is in Teton Village, not Jackson; and Jackson Hole refers not to he town, but to the fifty-mile valley that lies to the east of the mountains.
Where is Jackson Hole Ski resort located?
Jackson Hole’s terrain is spread over two mountains: Apres Vous has the lion’s share of the area’s easier terrain; Rendezvous has everything else, and is the mountain that defines Jackson for most comers.
There are places that get more snow than Jackson, but with an average of almost forty feet, good coverage is not an issue.
The area’s 4,100-plus feet of continuous vertical is shared between 2,500 acres of inbounds terrain and another 3,000 acres that can be accessed through the backcountry gates.
Its bowls, couloirs, and cliffs are the stuff of legend. With the tram, you can climb the whole 4,100 feet in one fell swoop. It only takes twelve minutes.
Not only do you have a vast network of inbounds terrain that’s steep and technical, but you can get to the backcountry.
Jackson Hole is the kind of area that inspires a fanatical commitment. “My first time skiing Jackson Hole was on New Year’s Day in 1996.
My friends and I were all hungover, and it was raining out. Conditions were terrible.
Future visits showed the mountain in all its glory, and I moved to Jackson in 1998, right after college.
I was pretty poor that first winter, and slept on a Therm-a-Rest in my sleeping bag in a room I shared with a hippie friend. Still, I fell in love with it.
Being surrounded by those beautiful mountains is part of the appeal, but it’s also the culture.
People are there to be outside, whether it’s skiing, fishing, or mountaineering.”- said Andrej from Germany, skier.
Once a car is ready to hit the wintery Jackson roads, drivers should ensure they are making smart decisions behind the wheel.
Please see winter driving tips in the graphic below: More information on winter driving in Wyoming can be found in this online WYDOT brochure. Drive safe out there, and stay warm.
Corbet’s Couloir
Jackson Hole’s most famous trail not its most difficult—is Corbet’s Couloir. This vertiginously steep chute was named for Barry Corbet, founder of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides;
the story goes that when he and Paul McCollister (the area’s initial developer) made their way up Rendezvous Mountain for McCollister’s first descent, Corbet spied the couloir and declared that “Someday someone will ski that—it will be a run.” (A ski patrolman named Lonnie Ball is believed to be the first person to ski Corbet’s;
Barry did eventually run his namesake couloir.) Many who gaze over the precipice simply lose their nerve, as the first move you face is a two-story drop onto a fifty-five-degree slope.
If you don’t carve a right turn quickly enough, you come face-to-face with a rock wall. If you survive these initial turns, the remainder of the run, with a “modest” forty-degree pitch, will seem easy.
Corbet’s is the test piece of Jackson. It’s very exposed, as you’re right under the tram. You’re on a stage, and it’s nerve-racking, as you don’t want to screw up. In a lot of ways, that’s what makes it so difficult.
Though inbounds trails like Corbet’s Couloir will provide more challenge than most can bite off, aficionados believe that it’s Jackson’s backcountry that really makes it shine.
Oddly enough, the three thousand backcountry acres were only made available during the 1999/2000 season—though that’s not to say that they didn’t see tracks in previous years.
“Before the boundaries opened, you had the Jackson Hole Air Force, a group of ski bums that would poach the out-ofbounds areas,” Andrej said.
“These guys were engaged in a constant cat-andmouse game with the ski patrol, cops, and other authority figures.”
The Air Force’s lead instigators—Bennie Wilson, Howie Henderson, and Doug Coombs —became infamous for eavesdropping on ski patrol radio channels,
constructing small on-mountain huts (to hide from patrollers), and otherwise conspiring to lead fellow scofflaws to the powder on north-facing Granite Canyon and other beyond-the-gates areas.
Members of the Air Force could once be identified by a tiny pin, bearing a skull, crossed ski poles, and the legend “Swift.
You need to know where you’re going, as it’s serious stuff; some of the chutes end in death cliffs.
But in a clean run, you’re in among these big cliffs and spires that are covered with different-colored lichens.
It is named after Jackson Hole ski instructor and mountain guide Barry Corbet who famously spotted the narrow crease of snow shaped like an upside down funnel and remarked,
“Someday someone will ski that.” It was first skied by local ski patroller Lonnie Ball in 1967.
Entrance into the couloir requires dropping off a cornice with a fall ranging from three to six metres, depending upon snow conditions and exactly where you choose to drop in.
You can opt to ski down the first part of the south face, dropping the rest of the way, but you must make a quick right to avoid a wall.
Granite Canyon
Granite Canyon is one of the most beautiful places. You’re on the north face of an enormous canyon, and you feel very small, like an ant.
From here, it’s a two-thousand-vertical-foot drop. The snow is usually great in here—knee-deep powder. You don’t want to stop along the way, as you’re vulnerable to what might fall from above, so you keep going.
There’s a little creek at the bottom. To get back to the resort, you have to traverse forty-five minutes. It’s pretty burly, almost all side-stepping.
> Trail Map Winter- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Arrival in Jackson Hole
Jackson is served by several airlines, including American (800-433-7300; www.aa.com) and United Airlines (800-864-8331; www.united.com).
Season in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole is generally open from late November through early April.
Lift Tickets: Full-day tickets range from $74 to $99. Visit www.jacksonhole.com for details.
Level of Difficulty: Jackson is known as a mountain for advanced skiers and the 116 named trails reinforce this perception: 10 percent beginner; 40 percent intermediate; 50 percent expert.
Accommodations: A broad variety of lodging options around Jackson Hole are listed at www.jacksonhole.com
Visit Jackson Hole- perfect place for celebs to support an active and healthy lifestyle.
With close proximity to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and access to rivers, lakes, mountains, and valleys, visitors enjoy year-round outdoor activities to suit every ability and interest.