Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole has two main mountains: the big one, Rendezvous (10,450 feet/3,185 m) and the smaller Après Vous (8,481 feet/2,585 m). Lifts to both mountains start from the base area in Teton Village and several traversing trails connect the two mountains in both directions.

The ski area covers 2,500 acres (1,012 ha) and has one of North America’s biggest verticals (4,139 feet/1,262 m). But more important than the size of the drop is how steeply it descends: much of the inbounds terrain makes even accomplished skiers think twice, with around 50 percent of the mountain designated advanced or expert, 40 percent for intermediates, and 10 percent (at best) for beginners. There are rock-lined chutes and steep bowls in this category as well as wide-open, rolling slopes, and groomed cruisers for intermediates. The longest trail is 4.5 miles (7.2 km).

Probably the most famous single trail at Jackson Hole is Corbett’s Couloir—there’s a grandstand view of the leap into it from the aerial tram (cable car) passing overhead. In fact, Corbett’s is just one of many opportunities to tackle truly steep and challenging terrain ay Jackson; virtually every part of the mountainside between the major trails can be skied, though in many cases, these areas are for extreme skiers only, particularly those willing to “get air” off the many cliffs.

Snow cannons cover 6 percent of the area, looking after conditions on the lower slopes—the base of Jackson Hole is quite low by Rockies standards—but the steeps rely on the average annual snowfall of 459 inches (1,166 cm) for cover, enough to give good conditions every other day when averaged out over the whole season.

Snow King
Snow King is Jackson’s local ski area, entirely separate from the main slopes. There are 400 acres (162 ha) with 1,571 feet (479 m) of descent, some of which is floodlit for night skiing. It’s mostly for advanced skiers with just a quarter for intermediates and 15 percent for beginners, so novices shouldn’t mistake Snow King for a nursery area.

Grand Targhee
Just 90 minutes away from Jackson is Grand Targhee, famous for its powder. On average it gets 25 percent more snowfall over the season than Jackson Hole, but is nearly deserted for much of the time. It has recently expanded its lift-served terrain to over 2,000 acres (809 ha) but still has a cat-skiing operation to access the best powder. Grand Targhee is ideal for keen intermediates to experience deep-snow skiing as the terrain is noticeably less steep than at Jackson, but bring your goggles: the frequent low cloud that shrouds the slopes earns the resort the name “Grand Foggee” from the locals.