Wyoming Trip - Jackson Hole, Snow King, Grand Targhee

[urungus]

Looking for advice for my first ever trip to Wyoming next week. I am staying slopeside at Snow King Resort Hotel for a couple days then sharing a condo with some friends in Teton Village for 4 days to ski Jackson Hole. Appreciate any advice on the following or any other topics.

Trail recommendations for JH/Grand Targhee/Snow King … I’m not good enough for crazy steep chutes like Corbetts although I am looking forward to the view from the tram. So far on my list are
Jackson Hole:
- Tram ride / Waffle at Corbetts Cabin / Rendezvous Bowl
- Hobacks
- Dicks Ditch
- Thunder
- Jackson Hole Wiggle
Snow King:
- old abandonded green trail from the summit (Slow Trail)
- Upper Exhibition - might be too steep for me ?
Grand Targhee:
- Headwall, Blackfoot, North Boundary Traverse - for the views

Any old buildings hidden in the woods at these places - something like Coopers Cabin at Killington, Stowe Mountain Chapel, Stowe Mountain Stone Hut, Bullock Lodge at Wachusett, etc ?

I’m hoping to spend one day at Grand Targhee but am not planning on having a car - anyone ever take the Ride GTR shuttle from Jackson to/from Grand Targhee ? https://www.grandtarghee.com/plan-your-trip/planning-tools/airport-shuttle-services/ride-gtr

Off the slopes, I am planning on hitting the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and I have tickets to see Black Flag at the Mangy Moose - any other recommendations ?

I am apprehensive about riding chairlifts with no safety bars. Looks like the Cougar Triple at Snow King does not have safety bars, are there any other lifts at Snow King, Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee that don’t have safety bars ?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

lol @ black flag at the moose. That’ll be somethin

Cowboy bar is a bit of a tourist trap but I guess it’s worth going to once

I can’t recommend strongly enough that you hike the headwall and then continue the ridge to Casper/crags. It will be one of the best runs of your life and it’s not too steep for comfort a la corbetts

Re: the chairlifts - wait til you ride sublette and are suspended over 100+ foot cliffs. No idea how they would run an evac there…

Alta chutes are all fun and less intimidating than Corbetts. Also tower3 chute

Targhee is fun and great for medium pitch open cruising. I like to put it in the middle of a Jackson week to dial back the gnar for a minute

Have fun. Special place and they’re in a great cycle right now

 

[Smellytele]

Not that this has to do with Jackson but no safety bars. My wife was hesitant and always puts the bar down immediately but at sunlight in CO she had no issue what so ever. Those chairs seemed to be tilted back more and the seat seemed wider.

 

[Smellytele]

Also agree on the MDCB being a tourist trap.

 

[Zand]

Don't miss the stuff skiers left off the Teton Chair (Moran Face area)...really awesome sidecountry feeling area that is easily lappable and has less crowds than the rest of the upper mountain lifts. Really fun and underrated spot.

If the snow is deep and soft, don't underestimate your ability to ski stuff like Alta Chutes and Tower 3 Chute. It's almost too easy to ski them when the snow is good.

Don't miss out on the groomers off Bridger Gondola. Sundance and Gros Ventre are almost 3k vert and have a nice consistent pitch. Nice to have if the legs are getting tired.

Unless the conditions suck, nothing at Snow King will be too steep for you.

 

[kingslug]

Hopefully grand Foggy does not live up to its name...they do get an insane amount of snow. Skied there through the years and 2 years ago..I finaly saw the place!
Some of the deepest and nit too steep. And pretty cheap.
I always do paint brush/ hoops gap at JH...secret cave down there somewhere.
The waffles are pretty good!
Saratoga bowl all the way skiers right at apres vou....not an easy place to ski...the runout unless you bail right before it is sporty and long.
He'll the whole place is good!

 

[crank]

Go check out the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and then walk around the corner to the Wort Hotel and their Silver Dollar Saloon. Not a tourist trap and has live music a few nights per week with a lively local swing dancing scene and some great western art in the hotel's lobby, not to mention old pics of folks like Willie Nelson and others who have played there over the decades. A favorite local jamgrass band called One Ton Pig seems to be there every Tuesday and they always get a good crowd.

A much quieter alternative for apres at Teton Village is Il VIllaggio Osteria just across from Mangy Moose. Great appetizers in a very civilized and much quieter setting.

If you get snow head up to Thunder and Sublette chairs. Chances are there will be more snow up there!

There's a secret little lean to thingy off tower 20, I think, of the gondola. My friend likes to go there. I'm not sure why? If you want to smoke just pull off into some trees.

Hobacks can be tough conditions -wise if you don't ski them at the right time. Not gonna kill you and many seem to consider skiing the Hobacks in crappy conditions a thing to brag about. Be smart, go early before they get baked.

If there is no fresh snow and things are crusty, then follow the sun and give it's radiation some time to work. What sucks now can be really good in an hour's time.

We've hit JH the last 4 years in a row and am kind of sorry we are skipping it this season.

 

[urungus]

Thanks for all the great suggestions !! Getting stoked to escape the eastern meltdown.

 

[urungus]

What time of day is best for Hobacks ?

 

[kingslug]

That totaly depends..on many things.
Obviously if it dumps the night before..hit it very early. Worst thing is to get in it when it's icy..2500 vert of...oy.
That can happen though..first half good..then crap.
Western snow gets sunbaked...ask around...ask patrol.

 

[Zand]

If conditions are iffy take a run through like Colter Ridge or somewhere in that area. Similar low elevation area to Hobacks but a lot easier to bail out of if it sucks. Saratoga can also be abysmal when everything else is skiing good so be aware of that. And if Saratoga sucks then Hobacks will be even worse.

 

[crippity]

Wyoming

Antelope Butte Beartooth Basin Grand Targhee Hogadon Jackson Hole Meadowlark Pine Creek Sleeping Giant Snow King Mountain Snowy Range White Pine

liftblog.com

i just did quick glance at all lifts targhee and sk, looks like its just the one at SK, but take another loook

 

[kbroderick]

re: chairlift riding—If it helps, consider how often you've actually used a restraining bar to stay on a lift where you couldn't otherwise. I'm fairly sure my count is zero.

Many, many lifts outside the northeast operate just fine without bars. If it there was a statistically significant deviation in insurance claims as a result, many (if not all) of them would have been retrofitted by now. It took me a while to get used to it when I moved from Vermont to Red Lodge, Mont., (where only one of the five lifts at the time had a bar), but it's mostly a comfort thing. The only time I fell off, a bar wouldn't have helped (chair tipped when someone else caught a ski tip while loading).

 

[raisingarizona]

If you have touring gear climb up Snowking just before sunset and then watch the sun set from up top as the lights in town get turned on. It's really cool.

 

[eatskisleep]

check out the TGR shop while there. Also lots of cool (EXPENSIVE!!) art galleries in Jackson too. Very cool town, but very pricey. If we could afford it, we would move there. Bring your avy gear.

 

[Cat in January]

Have cash and stop by patrol and buy a tshirt

 

[raisingarizona]

I believe Bill Briggs still plays in the Stagecoach band every Sunday at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson. That's something a lot of skiers should go experience. He's 90 or 90 something now I believe.

 

[urungus]

Great info everyone really appreciate it

 

[urungus]

Not off to a good start … got within 9 miles of Jackson before getting diverted to Denver because of low visibility

 

[KustyTheKlown]

that fucking sucks.

there was whispered rumors that my denver flight was going to be diverted to hayden (steamboat) 2 weeks ago and i wasnt comfy til i was on the ground in denver. where we waited 3 hours on the runway for a gate. meant to take off 9:30. took off 10:30. meant to land 11:55. landed 12:55. did not deplane til 3:30. did not have luggage til 4:30. AM.