Sun Valley & Jackson Hole - Snowboarding Forum

lopro · 01-06-2010, 11:57 AM

A good group of friends and I are heading out in March to escape the East and check out what we've been missing out on in the West. Mountains & place to stay are already set and we are getting ready to book flights now. I read a thread earlier about traveling with gear which was a help so thanks for that.

The plan is to hit up Sun Valley & Jackson Hole, I'm wondering:

- How are the conditions in March
- I'll be 1 of 2 people new to the West, what can we expect and what can we do to prepare for it now?
- Any trail/area suggestions? (If it helps for skill reference We/I've boarded all around the East, glades, greens to blacks, and my little personal badge of honor Tuckermans Ravine which is the steepest grade that I've hit.)
- sights, sounds, scenes .... anything.

Appreciate anything you got for me.

**killclimbz** · 01-06-2010, 01:11 PM

Personally I'd just skip Sun Valley and go to Jackson. Jackson Hole resort is one of the crown jewels of North American resorts. Sun Valley is quality, but it also doesn't really compare. There will be plenty for you to do at Jackson Hole and it has almost double the snow fall of Sun Valley. Targhee is within a day trip if you want to go somewhere else, and that place gets puked on more so than Jackson.

lopro · 01-08-2010, 05:50 PM

Thanks for the advice Killclimbz.

Chances of that happening aren't high because of some situations but it's good to have a suggestion to make for a better trip.

Beacons, probes, shovels... all must haves, nice to haves or not really needed? I think we are hitting backcountry but it's guided and I don't know how things are inside the boundaries.

Tarzanman · 01-08-2010, 10:52 PM

Guided or not, if you are riding BC then a beacon and a shovel are the very first things I would buy. Avalanches do happen. There was an inbound avalanche at Jackson Hole just over a year ago. No one was hurt, but it did bust up one of the lodges.

Jackson hole has plenty of terrain to challenge you. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

When I went, we stayed in the town of Jackson and took the bus to the resort. I was there in Jan in between two snowstorms, so there were heaps of powder all over the mountain. Almost waist deep hour last day... it was crazy.

I don't know what you can do to 'prepare'. If you feel like starting your day off with a bang, then as soon as you arrive on the first day, just take the tram all the way to the top of the mountain. You get packed in there like sardines, but its totally worth it. You should have a good idea of what JH is about by time you make it down.

01-06-2010, 11:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
lopro Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: CT Posts: 87	Sun Valley & Jackson Hole A good group of friends and I are heading out in March to escape the East and check out what we've been missing out on in the West. Mountains & place to stay are already set and we are getting ready to book flights now. I read a thread earlier about traveling with gear which was a help so thanks for that. The plan is to hit up Sun Valley & Jackson Hole, I'm wondering: - How are the conditions in March - I'll be 1 of 2 people new to the West, what can we expect and what can we do to prepare for it now? - Any trail/area suggestions? (If it helps for skill reference We/I've boarded all around the East, glades, greens to blacks, and my little personal badge of honor Tuckermans Ravine which is the steepest grade that I've hit.) - sights, sounds, scenes .... anything. Appreciate anything you got for me. __________________ 10 Never Summer SL-R 155 \| -- 08 Burton Custom X 160 \| 08 Burton C02

01-08-2010, 05:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
lopro Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: CT Posts: 87	Thanks for the advice Killclimbz. Chances of that happening aren't high because of some situations but it's good to have a suggestion to make for a better trip. Beacons, probes, shovels... all must haves, nice to haves or not really needed? I think we are hitting backcountry but it's guided and I don't know how things are inside the boundaries. __________________ 10 Never Summer SL-R 155 \| -- 08 Burton Custom X 160 \| 08 Burton C02

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01-06-2010, 01:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
killclimbz Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Front Range Posts: 9,177	Personally I'd just skip Sun Valley and go to Jackson. Jackson Hole resort is one of the crown jewels of North American resorts. Sun Valley is quality, but it also doesn't really compare. There will be plenty for you to do at Jackson Hole and it has almost double the snow fall of Sun Valley. Targhee is within a day trip if you want to go somewhere else, and that place gets puked on more so than Jackson.

01-08-2010, 10:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tarzanman Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,394	Guided or not, if you are riding BC then a beacon and a shovel are the very first things I would buy. Avalanches do happen. There was an inbound avalanche at Jackson Hole just over a year ago. No one was hurt, but it did bust up one of the lodges. Jackson hole has plenty of terrain to challenge you. I wouldn't worry about that at all. When I went, we stayed in the town of Jackson and took the bus to the resort. I was there in Jan in between two snowstorms, so there were heaps of powder all over the mountain. Almost waist deep hour last day... it was crazy. I don't know what you can do to 'prepare'. If you feel like starting your day off with a bang, then as soon as you arrive on the first day, just take the tram all the way to the top of the mountain. You get packed in there like sardines, but its totally worth it. You should have a good idea of what JH is about by time you make it down.