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Jackson Hole

14K views 100 replies 20 participants last post by  LuckyRVA 
#1 ·
Planning a trip to Jackson Hole from Jan 4-11. Already have my flight and place to stay worked out.

Can any locals or anyone familiar with JHMR give me some tips. Any hidden gems on and off the mountain? Good powder stashes or cheap but good eats?


Also, anyone else going to be there about the same timeframe? :cool:
 
#8 ·
nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. you heard wrong ;)

Targhee isn't 2 hours from jackson. maybe 45-1 hour, it depends on road conditions. There is a shuttle that comes from jackson... not sure if its everyday or not, i've never looked into it. Hopefully the snow will be better this season than last. The beginning of jan was pretty horrible as far as snow quality and coverage is concered. Jackson has hidden areas everywhere. Its huge. And its extremely easy to get in over your head there.
 
#9 ·
My family is using our timeshare there this year. So, unfortuently we're stuck for the week that we have. I wished it was later bit later. But, I can't complain too much it's still Jackson Hole and worlds better than what I have access to locally. I'm hoping/praying for a better year all around the US this year. I have positive feelings about this season. :cool:
 
#10 ·
Seems like we got the same Ideas, my choices were Whitefish or Jackson Hole for my Feb. trip. I have never been but a friend went and didn't like it because there were a lot of tracks and flat areas and a little more skier friendly? Maybe they just didn't go down the right runs to avoid all that. Post up videos of you dropping in on Corbet's Couloir when you get back though.
 
#12 ·
Of all the reviews I've read about Jackson I haven't seen anything complaining about it having lots of flats. The opposite actually.
As an aside I went to Whitefish last March and had a blast. Loved riding in the trees there. The locals were awesome as well. Only thing I have to complain about was the fog. It was foggy 3 out of the 7 days I was there. My last day we had to cut short because no one could see their hand in front of their face.
 
#11 ·
I don't know about flat tracks. That mountain is amazing. Some of toughest terrain I have ever been on. And gorgeous. We went 7 months ago at the beginning of march and it snowed the entire time I was there and had a blast. Went with a couple semi pros and acouple complete beginners and we all had a great trip. We had fresh tracks every day. I have done Breck, whistler, Vail, squaw valley, heavenly, and Jackson most recently and Jackson was just as good conditions as any of those . Better snow than some of them
 
#13 ·
I've been to JHMR in each of the past three years, and there's really not a lot to complain about. The terrain is very diverse and it's pretty easy to get from one side to the other, especially with the new Marmot chair they added last winter. The one thing I will say is that if you ride regular and you aren't comfortable riding switch, the mountain naturally funnels from right to left, so the 10 minute heel-side traverses can really burn the legs!

The START bus runs about every 15 minutes to Teton Village. It's $3 each way, and many of the hotels sell tickets so you don't have to worry about having $1 bills on you, so stop into one near your timeshare and ask. Within town, the shuttle is free. As for food and nightlife, the Silver Dollar Bar at the Wort hotel and Sidewinders (sports bar) are solid choices. Mangy is great for après, but it fills up really quickly.

There are a ton of options for great terrain; too many to list. But if the headwall is open, the hike up Pepi's Bench is worth it. If you get a powder day, the lines for the Tram and Gondy will be huge, so hit Après Vous to warm up the legs for a few runs and wait for the lines to subside. There will be plenty of first tracks left for you when you get to them...
 
#15 ·
Can any locals or anyone familiar with JHMR give me some tips. Any hidden gems on and off the mountain? Good powder stashes or cheap but good eats?
Cheap eats are going to be an issue in the village. Burgers at the Moose are reasonably priced for a resort, but you're still going to drop $10+ on lunch on the mountain.

As for powder stashes, I have not usually had a problem finding something if it has snowed the the past 24 hours. Barring that, your best bet for finding lightly ridden terrain is to hike up to (or past) Headwall. Most people don't bother venturing up there. Be warned, though... if you are an out of shape sea-level dweller then the hike will take you 20+ minutes. Most locals hike up it in like 15 min (or less if they are kids!)


Thanks for the heads up. When you were there last year did you stay in the village or in Jackson?
I have stayed both in town (Snow King) and at the Teton Village. The Village is much more convenient for riding, but less so if you have to get in and out of town a lot (for going out to dinner or to the supermarket, etc).

I'll be staying in Jackson, I imagine there's a shuttle from Jackson to the mtn hourly?
The morning shuttles run a little more often than that, but they can be a bit of a pain when you are sitting or standing on one for 30+ minutes with all of your gear, making a dozen stops to pick people up. If you are taking the shuttle to the mountain, then catch the first one that you can in the morning.

I had heard that when storm rolls through that Targhee tends to get more snow. So, I definitely planning on hitting it up at least once.
Only been to Targhee once. It does get nicer snow, but the day I went was windy as heck. Traveling there and back will consume your entire day (especially if you have to take the shuttle back into town). Nothing wrong with the Targhee except the winding route you have to take to get to it.

My family is using our timeshare there this year. So, unfortuently we're stuck for the week that we have. I wished it was later bit later. But, I can't complain too much it's still Jackson Hole and worlds better than what I have access to locally. I'm hoping/praying for a better year all around the US this year. I have positive feelings about this season. :cool:
Town is interesting enough. If you do a half day during the week then you can check out the gear swap (by the K-mart), do a super-cheap day of riding at the Snow King, or check out the very very yummy bakeries around town.
 
#16 ·
As for powder stashes, I have not usually had a problem finding something if it has snowed the the past 24 hours. Barring that, your best bet for finding lightly ridden terrain is to hike up to (or past) Headwall. Most people don't bother venturing up there. Be warned, though... if you are an out of shape sea-level dweller then the hike will take you 20+ minutes. Most locals hike up it in like 15 min (or less if they are kids!)
Being a gym/fitness rat, I'm in good shape. However, I'm not used to the elevation. I'll try to make this hike after acclimating a bit.

The morning shuttles run a little more often than that, but they can be a bit of a pain when you are sitting or standing on one for 30+ minutes with all of your gear, making a dozen stops to pick people up. If you are taking the shuttle to the mountain, then catch the first one that you can in the morning.
We are renting a car as well. Sounds like it might just be easier to drive up in the morning rather than stand on the shuttle for 30 mins at a time. I get enough of that bullshit riding the train everyday to work.

Only been to Targhee once. It does get nicer snow, but the day I went was windy as heck. Traveling there and back will consume your entire day (especially if you have to take the shuttle back into town). Nothing wrong with the Targhee except the winding route you have to take to get to it.
I feel like since I'm there I need to hit Taghee up at least once.

Town is interesting enough. If you do a half day during the week then you can check out the gear swap (by the K-mart), do a super-cheap day of riding at the Snow King, or check out the very very yummy bakeries around town.
Thanks for the tips man :thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
i would stay in the village if possible..like noted above.. its makes your mornings much easier..Ive had this debate at every ski resort ive stayed at..to stay as close to the mountain as possible or as close to town/nightlife/restauraunts as possible.. every single time we have come to the same conclusion.. my philosophy is that Id rather be able to hop out my door and jump on a lift or do a very short walk to the lift. Id much rather ride the bus in my normal clothes to town rather than all my gear. 90% of my time on trips is on the mountain so thats where i want to be close to. the only time i went into jackson was at night for dinner/drinks ..we stayed almost slopeside for very cheap ..i think it was about $380 and that included the condo and 3 days of riding..just my 2 cents
 
#19 ·
I wish that were possible. Unfortunately, as we're using our timeshare we take what we can get with regard to the properties location. I do agree about having access to the lifts since first thing after breakfast I'll be hitting the mountain until the lift stop running. Nightlife is secondary.
We will have a rental car so I think I'm going to skip the shuttle most days and take the car with the family or have them drop me off.
 
#25 ·
Ok then it's not just me. I was trying to find something in JH but couldn't find anything. JH has a "Cat Skiing" link on their website but its blank when you click the link. They do have heli trips it seems. But that's too rich for my blood this year.
 
#29 ·
There is no shame in letting quicker hikers pass you on the way up. I speak from experience! There are actually two ways to access the Headwall/Casper Bowl/Crags. One is up Pepi's Bench, which can be annoying to get to on a board because it requires a straight line through some choppy terrain and a spot where you have to go uphill and around a corner, and by then you may have to skate the rest of the way. Wen you come around that corner there is a little chute they call Meet Your Maker, because if you dont exit cleanly you can cartwheel down into the rocks and trees below. I've still yet to try it. The other way up is called the Whote Spider, which is accessible directly behind the gondola building. Patrol will boot pack it if the area is open. It feels like climbing an 800 foot ladder, but it's a much quicker way up.

Targhee is worth hitting. There are almost no crowds there, and much of the terrain is wide open, though I did somehow manage to hit a tree while there... A buddy of mine lives out in Jackson an he says that Targhee will often get more snow than JHMR, but the real key is that it doesn't usually have the fog JHMR does. If JHMR is socked I, it can be really dangerous to ride the upper mountain. Those are the days to hit the Ghee. I think it's about an hour or so from Jackson, and they have shuttles that pick you up in town.

TM is right...I think it's $15 to park at the mountain. Also, if you like to eat before riding, check out Bubba's. They have a great breakfast. Ask for the Worker Special. It's not listed on the menu and it's only available on weekdays. It's your standard eggs/bacon/hash brown/toast fare, but $2 less than the menu version.
 
#31 ·
There is fog on the mountain a fair bit, but it isn't always thick enough to make riding not fun.

My first experience with the fog there was my first snowboarding trip ever and my first time up the tram. Imagine hearing all of these horror stories about the steep dangers at JH and then having to ride town from the top of the mountain in 10-15 ft visibility when you barely know how to ride a snowboard..... ha-ha good times.

The fog can be a mixed blessing though... sometimes it means that the conditions at the top (above the clouds, depending on what the weather is doing) are spectacularly awesome.

here are two photos for your perusal. both of these photos are from the same trail (different spots, though) atop Rendzevous mtn at JH.

Not-awesome fog at JH - http://riftwave.net/phpalbum/main.php?cmd=image&var1=jackson/IMG_2278.jpg&var2=0_100

Awesome fog at JH - http://riftwave.net/phpalbum/main.php?cmd=image&var1=jh2011/IMG_5508.jpg&var2=0_100
 
#38 ·
Targee is definitely a must go, the drive from Targee to Jackson isn't that bad, it's a freeway compared to the Mt BAKER hwy. Me and a couple buddies rented a 42' motorhome and road tripped from north of Seattle to Targee, then Jackson for 2 days, then up to Big mtn, then over to Schweitzer, the only place we had an issue was in the JH parking lot, we parked the motorhome in the front lot only to get woken up at 4 a.m. asking us to move so they could plow the parking lot, so the guy had us follow him to the backside (mtn side) of the resort which put us right next to the Mangy Moose and right under the tram (killer). You should have seen the looks we were getting for "camping" in the parking lot :confused: from the locals
 
#40 ·
The Hostel (which is close enough to throw a baseball and hit the Tram house) is so cheap ($94 a night for a room that sleeps 4 or 5), that the locals probably don't understand the need to put an RV in the lot.

I've never asked anyone what the local policy is on RVs... but if they don't even like car traffic, then I imagine that that RVs wouldn't make them happy either.

Hostel website - The Hostel | Teton Village Lodging | Jackson Hole, Wyoming
 
#41 · (Edited)
Sitting here in the sweltering humidity planning another trip to Jackson Hole in 2014. Planning on heading up in mid March this year.

Can anyone advise what the typical conditions are in mid March? And I know that's in the middle of some school's Spring Break. Are the crowds in full effect from Spring Break in Jackson Hole?
 
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