View of Jackson Hole when flying out... the labels aren't visible from the plane
The national Gathering at Jackson Hole was my 5th straight national Gathering - Aspen, Whistler, Utah, Big Sky, and now Jackson Hole. They've all been great and different, but there's one word this year's Gathering brings to mind.... steep.
This was my first time visiting Jackson Hole, and it lived up to it's reputation for being steep. It wasn't that I skied anything steeper than things I'd skied before; It was more that everything was consistently steeper than other places I've been. There are not many "easy outs" from most of the lifts - no way to decide to take it easy once you've ridden up. No sprinkling of green runs throughout the mountain to give your legs a rest. It's pretty unrelenting. But it was a great experience, really, and by the time you've skied a few days, it doesn't seem quite as steep.
The Gathering had a great turn out, I skied with a bunch of folks I knew, some new ones I met, and as usual it was a terrific week of skiing, drinking, eating, and fun.
Travel
I flew into Jackson for the Gathering, which was pretty easy, though there are no direct flights from DC. The weather was clear, so there were no issues getting in. Arriving at (or leaving from) Jackson airport gives you great views of the mountains surrounding the valley, including the Tetons and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Picking out the resort from the surrounding hills isn't easy if you haven't been there - there aren't many obvious cut runs amid heavy forest like you see other places - the mountains are sort of naturally sparse with trees.
No jetways at Jackson airport, so have your coat handy
The airport is a nice one, with great views out the big windows. There were free mimosas, and birds of prey on display (owls and a bald eagle) and the place is relatively upscale for an airport.
Fireplace and artwork at the airport
I took the Avis shuttle to pick up my rental car, which actually takes you the whole way to the town of Jackson. I checked into my AirBnB, met up with a few other folks for some drinks, and got ready for the Gathering to officially start the next day.
Morning Meet-ups
On Sunday, we drove to the Ranch parking lot, took the shuttle, and headed up to bootup. Based on some notes others had made on the Gathering thread, I tried the new Base Tent JHMR set up not far from the lifts, and wound up booting up there all week. It had some benches, tables, cubbies, and by the end of the week, a PugSki sticker right next to the door. One of the issues with getting groups to the morning meetup is where to boot up. In past Gatherings, we've sometimes had a rented bootup room, but that was prohibitively expensive at JH. And JH has typically only had some outdoor locker and benches, which to me was surprising. I actually took a survey in the Base Tent one day, and emphasized how nice it was to have a real place to boot up, and that they needed a lot more of it.
Base Tent in Teton Village
Decorated with a PugSki sticker, later in the week
Every morning, folks started arriving between 8:30 and 9:00 to form up groups and decide who wanted to head where for the day. Being the Gathermeister meant I met just about everyone who came through, which was nice. Some mornings were busier than others, and the base area in general was busiest on Tuesday, when we had a reported 5" of snow overnight. Even a small powder day can bring out the crowds.
Base area for first morning meetup... most days were pretty sunny, including a few spectacular blue bird days
Teewinot lift, and Sweetwater Gondola. These are the easy ways to start your day, and I took one or the other each morning.
A bunch of Pugskiers meeting up in the morning, with lots of others in the background
@theNitza and @SkiDB in the morning
@jimmy and @Tricia
@LaurelHillCraze talking to @Brad J, with Mrs. LaurelHillCraze on the right
Brad, talking with @Unpiste and @Jim Kenney
David and @Jerez, with @Gary Stolt taking a pic of me taking this pic, as @jimmy looks on
A bunch of Pugs... @jimmy, @JohnL, Anne Mink, @Dean, and @Jersey Skier (I think)
Skiing!
So standing around in the snow waiting for the lifts to start is all well and good... but everyone was actually there to ski. I started most days in the après Vous area, which is the easiest area of the mountain with some nice long groomers, including some pretty steep pitches depending on where you go. We found a couple of inches of untracked a couple of mornings that skied really nicely too, and some slightly deeper and less consistent stuff on the small powder morning on Tuesday.
Bridger and Sweetwater gondolas rising up the mountain
@Weegie McAdams, @Dean and others skiing in the après Vous areas
2 random folks, @David Chaus, @SkiDB, @JohnL, and @theNitza at the top of après Vous
@Andy Mink, @jimmy, Anne Mink, Mrs. LHC, and @LaurelHillCraze
Requisite ski sticker shot
Crowds in the Casper chair area
I spent a lot of time on most of the chairs, but only took the Tram twice. There were fun runs off of all of them... I think Laramie Bowl, Bivouac, and Rendezvous bowl were my favorite for some challenge, without getting over my head. There were some nice tree areas and some bumps I enjoyed as well, including Grizzly Glade and Gannet. Most days, I started more on the skiers left side of the mountain, and worked my way over to the skiers right lifts (Thunder and Sublette) which tend to have less groomers and more difficult terrain.
Laramie bowl, one of my favorite runs/areas of the mountain
@DanoT, @AeroSKI5150, and me
Caden (sp?) skied with various groups of Pugs throughout the week, and was game to go almost anywhere at 10 years old!
Bivouac... it was groomed early in the week, and developed bumps throughout the rest of the week
Another view of Laramie Bowl - steep up top, and mellowing out a bit below
@Andy Mink and @jimmy in Laramie Bowl
The Tram over Laramie Bowl
I didn't take the tram the first couple of days, but figured I'd ski it at least once on the trip. The Sublette chair takes you almost to the same place, so for me, the only difference taking the tram was getting to ski Rendezvous Bowl. I was assuming it would be a big bump run, but snow, wind, and not a lot of traffic made it ski very nicely the two times I did it... especially the second, when it was nice smooth skiing wind-buff.
Sign on the front of the tram building
In line for the tram... we waited through 4 cars from here
@bigguyski and @theNitza waiting in line for the tram
Almost there....
View from the top
Unfortunately, it clouded up a bit on our ride up and we got some flat light for skiing the bowl... it was still pretty nice though.
@Flying Dutchess skiing Rendezvous Bowl
@Weegie McAdams in Rendezvous Bowl
Some days, the ski group grew to be rather large.... 14 or 15 pugs skiing here... @Jersey Skier and @Jimski looking at the camera
Heading up the Marmot lift to Rendezvous lodge... lunch meetup was here most days.... the terrain above the lodge is hike-to
Big after lunch group.... @Andy Mink, @Jwrags, @theNitza, @Philpug, @aveski, @Tricia, @BS Slarver... among others I think
@BS Slarver coming into the lift line
@Philpug and @DanoT coming to the lift
@theNitza and @Tricia
@David Chaus and me on the lift
The small powder day on Tuesday meant people were hunting for some nicer snow off-piste in a lot of places. The trees between Casper and Teton lifts held some deeper and better snow, and folks skied it a couple of times. I did the easier top section before things started getting a little tighter and swoopier. I also skied Grizzly Glade, which started great, got steeper and tougher, and then finished out OK... it was a bit much for me, but I was glad I skied it.
Some powder in the trees between runs
Pugs in the trees... @SKI-3PO, @BS Slarver, @mdf and a few others
Other than that day, most of the week was sunny to partly-cloudy, which wasn't as good as lots of fresh snow.... but it has its benefits too. Overall the snow mostly stayed nice as it stayed cold. Not too much ice or real hardpack to contend with.
Bumps and Pugs in the Sublette area
@MattSmith taking a pic of me taking this pic as he rides the Sublette lift
Some (rare for JH) blue bumps off the tram line
@theNitza sking the bumps
@mdf at the bottom of Bivouac
Light, shadow, and blowing snow on Bivouac
Views
One of the unique things about Jackson is the amazing views available just about anywhere. Since the mountains loom over a big flat valley, pretty much anywhere you look has big wide open views. Here are a few I captured...
Valley View
Looking toward the town of Jackson from the resort... the slopes are Snow King Resort in town
View from the top of Sublette Chair
Teton Village from up high
View looking northwest
Tram and Corbet's Couloir from Rendezvous Lodge
View 1 from the top of Rendezvous Bowl
View 2 from the top of Rendezvous Bowl
Food and Drink
I basically look for 2 things at the resort... a decent place to get lunch, and a decent place to get après drinks. For me that usually means a place where you can get a seat and hang out, not a really crowded and loud bar. Most days I had lunch at the Rendezvous lodge cafeteria on the upper level. It made for a good place to meet up with folks for afternoon skiing. The food was pretty standard fare and prices for major resorts - not bad, but not cheap. Later in the week, quite a few folks hit up the Alpenhof in the village for lunch. They had an $8 lunch menu that was a good deal for the money, and for not much more you could get things off the full menu.
As for après, we met up at RPK in the tram building several days, which worked out well with big long tables. And like lunch, the last day some of us got together at the Alpenhof, which was nice too.
One day at RPK
More Pugs at RPK
Since I was staying in town, dinner was either eat in, or go to one of the many restaurants in town. The first day, the day we flew in, a bunch of us gathered at Bin 22 for some tapas and happy hour wine specials. I can highly recommend it. I also hit Snake River Brewing, Liberty Burger, and Bubba's BBQ and enjoyed them all.
First day at Bin 22
Grand Targhee Day
For this Gathering, a bunch of folks decided to spend the last day for most of us (Friday) at Grand Targhee, over the pass from Jackson Hole. It was a beautiful bluebird day, the snow was nice, and it was a great way to end the week. GT has terrific views, much like Jackson Hole. It's especially known for it's great view of the Tetons from off the back. Overall, a lot of Grand Targhee reminded me of Vail's back-bowls... wide open spaces, sparse trees, ski wherever you choose. It was a lot of fun.
Dreamcatcher lift right at the small base area. This is the central main lift of the three primary lifts at GT.
Riding up Dreamcatcher ... the off-piste would ski very nicely when it softened in the sun
View from the top
This isn't Jackson.... better check the trail map
@Pumba in front of @aveski, with @SkiDB and me
@Gary Stolt, @Stephen, @Philpug, @David Chaus, and @theNitza
Great views at GT
Wider angle view
The cat skiing area is on the other side of this ridge. There was also a college freeskiing competition going on coming down the cliff bands right-center in the photo
Closer view of the competition
Teton view
Thanks
Finally... thanks to everyone I met, skied with, ate with, shared a lift with, and everyone who came out to make it a great Gathering. Thanks especially to @Philpug and @Tricia of course.
And I hope to see everyone next year!!!
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