Utah Combined Alta Bird/ Jackson Hole Solo trip?

[Crank]

Hey, I'm looking for ideas and suggestions for a January solo trip to Alta/ Bird and then maybe heading up to Jackson for a few days.

I'm meeting friends Jan. 15 - 19 at Snowbird. I'm looking to head up to JH from there to meet other friends for another 3 days of skiing.

Options? Rent a car and drive up to JH and then drive back to SLC to fly home?
Take public transportation to JH and fly home from there. Is there a bus or shuttle that goes from SLC to Jackson?
Anybody here done this before?

It looks like about a 5 hour drive between the 2 places. Maybe 4.5 from SLC airport to JH.

 

[fatbob]

Yeah I've driven it. 2 routes. I80 to Evanston and north from there or out west via Logan/Montpellier. Both end up in Afton. Drive not too bad until you get into canyons nearer to Jackson. Watch for deer.

 

[Pajarito-bred]

Going solo it might be easier/cheaper to just fly SLC to Jackson, if that's the only time you'd need a rental car. - and if that fits with your origin city, you could avoid backtracking that flight leg on the way home.

One benefit of driving between is you could spend a ski-day at Beaver Mountain, and convert a drive day into a drive/ski/drive day. Beaver is on my list of areas to visit, looks like a great off-the-radar powdery place.

 

[Crank]

Looked at flying SLC to Jackson. It costs right around $200. Hmmm, That is less than renting a car would cost for a 4 day trip and I won't need a car at Jackson.

 

[Matt Merritt]

Last winter I paid dearly for a 4x4 rental car at Enterprise. When we got there I was offered one of two Nissan Armadas on the lot. Both had terrible, mismatched all-season tires. The rental agent said not to expect any car in their fleet to have actual winter tires.

Years ago when I last made that trip I had a grand time trying to stay out of the way of the local ranchers going 70mph on snowpacked roads in their pickup trucks. I have held an SCCA racing license and have driven in snow all my life but that drive scared the heck out of me.

 

[Philpug]

Last winter I paid dearly for a 4x4 rental car at Enterprise. When we got there I was offered one of two Nissan Armadas on the lot. Both had terrible, mismatched all-season tires. The rental agent said not to expect any car in their fleet to have actual winter tires.

That happened to me too, I had rented a SUV and the tires were awful, scary awful. the first part of my trip was in Utah with family, so I needed the space and the foraces wasn't bad, but the second part of the trip was to head up to Jackson, Big Sky and Steamboat solo. I returned the SUV and walked the lot to see which car had the best tires and it was a Impreza.

 

[tromano]

Going solo it might be easier/cheaper to just fly SLC to Jackson, if that's the only time you'd need a rental car. - and if that fits with your origin city, you could avoid backtracking that flight leg on the way home.

One benefit of driving between is you could spend a ski-day at Beaver Mountain, and convert a drive day into a drive/ski/drive day. Beaver is on my list of areas to visit, looks like a great off-the-radar powdery place.

Beaver is a great area. Worth a stop on the way certainly.

 

[blackke17]

Looked at flying SLC to Jackson. It costs right around $200. Hmmm, That is less than renting a car would cost for a 4 day trip and I won't need a car at Jackson.

probably cost ya $200 in gas alone just to drive there and back. i know it would in my truck.

 

[New2]

Hey, I'm looking for ideas and suggestions for a January solo trip to Alta/ Bird and then maybe heading up to Jackson for a few days.

Personally, I'd add those extra days onto skiing Utah... Jackson makes more sense to me as a separate trip. Your timing coincides with the Sundance Film Festival, which has previously been a good time to find lower crowds in Park City and Deer Valley (locals might have more up-to-date information). I doubt you'd be bored by Altabird after just a few days, and there are other great ski areas much closer where you'll have a great time skiing solo, or with new friends.