OFFICIAL 2020 Jackson Hole Gathering Information

[Dean]

My wife and I rented a car and have room for a third person for rides from Jackson to Teton Village. We are staying at the Antler Inn. We plan to ski Sunday through Thursday. PM me if you're interested.

Also at the Antler - threw in with @Ogg. Thanks for the offer.

 

[AeroSKI5150]

I made a dinner reservation at the Silver Dollar Saloon at the Wort Hotel for Tuesday evening @ 6:30. There is a bluegrass band scheduled to play starting at 7:30.

If anyone is interested lmk. We can always add more or go with fewer.

Great spot for drinks, dining, dancing...
https://www.worthotel.com/silver-dollar-bar/

Thanks @Crank - my buddy Neill and I will be there (after the Nomad meet-up, but I think that's much earlier, 4:30 or 5, so maybe by 7?) - we've seen the One Ton Pig band before and they are a lot of fun. . . Looking forward to it, thanks! ~Mike

 

[Danny]

Another question about Jackson - is there a lot of hike-to terrain? (I see Casper bowl on the map, but is that something people ski a lot, or more a side attraction). Wondering whether to bring a v skinny designed-for-inbounds pack without ski carry, or a pack with ski carry.

 

[RJS]

Another question about Jackson - is there a lot of hike-to terrain? (I see Casper bowl on the map, but is that something people ski a lot, or more a side attraction). Wondering whether to bring a v skinny designed-for-inbounds pack without ski carry, or a pack with ski carry.

There are probably better people than me to answer this, but I believe that the primary hike-to terrain is the Headwall and Casper Bowl areas. I spent a few days at Jackson Hole last year, and that area was my favorite part of the mountain. For my last couple of days, pretty much all I did was Casper Bowl laps. The Headwall area is fun, but the runs are not super long, and tend to get tracked out more quickly than the Casper Bowl area because Casper Bowl requires a bit more traversing. You can make the Headwall runs longer by doing Coombs or Pair-a-chutes, but I believe that people can traverse into the bottoms of these runs, so it's unlikely that you'll have powder at the bottom of these runs even if there is fresh snow up top. I didn't get the chance to do any of the Shots, but that terrain looks super fun. I would love to check that out sometime in the future.

While the terrain itself is quite good, what's special about it is that it doesn't get tracked out very quickly due to the hiking required. I was able to find pockets of fresh snow for days after the last snow in that area.

I only did the hike from the Tensleep/Cirque traverse. While having a pack for your skis is certainly not a bad idea, I didn't feel that it was necessary. While I didn't do this, you can also do the hike from the top of the Bridger Gondola. Having a pack for your skis would probably be helpful for that hike because it's a much steeper hike than the hike from the Tensleep/Cirque traverse. You can also hike up to the Sheridan Bowl area (and probably Casper Bowl too) from the top of the Teton Chair. I haven't done that hike, so I don't quite know what that entails.

 

[dbostedo]

We will inevitably miss morning meet ups . Will lunch spots/times be posted? Or some sort of secondary meeting spot?

Yes, maybe.... it varies depending on Gathering. Sometimes we pick a cafeteria or other suitably large area, and it gives folks a chance to meet fo afternoon sessions.

I don't know Jackson Hole .... are there particular restaurants or cafeterias that would be good meeting spots? Or would most folks be coming back to the base village for lunch?

 

[Crank]

Yes, maybe.... it varies depending on Gathering. Sometimes we pick a cafeteria or other suitably large area, and it gives folks a chance to meet fo afternoon sessions.

I don't know Jackson Hole .... are there particular restaurants or cafeterias that would be good meeting spots? Or would most folks be coming back to the base village for lunch?

There is a lodge with cafeteria, etc top of gondola which is pretty central

 

[mdf]

Yes, maybe.... it varies depending on Gathering. Sometimes we pick a cafeteria or other suitably large area, and it gives folks a chance to meet fo afternoon sessions.

I don't know Jackson Hole .... are there particular restaurants or cafeterias that would be good meeting spots? Or would most folks be coming back to the base village for lunch?

The best on-mountain dining is at the top of the gondola. It is large and has good food.

(And crank just said the same thing while I was typing.)

The base options would be the restaurants in the various hotels -- I've never done that.
The JHMR-run cafe at the base is quite small.

 

[Jimski]

The best on-mountain dining is at the top of the gondola. It is large and has good food.

The aptly named Rendevous Lodge.

 

[mdf]

Another question about Jackson - is there a lot of hike-to terrain? (I see Casper bowl on the map, but is that something people ski a lot, or more a side attraction). Wondering whether to bring a v skinny designed-for-inbounds pack without ski carry, or a pack with ski carry.

There are probably better people than me to answer this, but I believe that the primary hike-to terrain is the Headwall and Casper Bowl areas. ... I didn't get the chance to do any of the Shots, but that terrain looks super fun. I would love to check that out sometime in the future.

I only did the hike from the Tensleep/Cirque traverse. While having a pack for your skis is certainly not a bad idea, I didn't feel that it was necessary.

The first 20 or 30 feet can be a bit terrifying (steep with poorly-formed icy bootpack steps) and then it levels out into just a simple uphill walk. I'm going to bring a pack on days I think there is a fair probability of hiking, but then I'm a poor hiker.

I've done that hike maybe five times (over a couple trips), but each time I did the same line since I was leading and didn't want to take inexperienced people into the unknown. That line was Beartooth, the first entrance into Casper bowl. (You sneak in through the trees and drop though a fairly wide notch.)

The left yellow highlight is the uphill hike. After that it is a mostly-level traverse. The right highlight is Beartooth. (The cyan lines are summer bike trails.)

I would like to try some other lines into Casper Bowl.

While I didn't do this, you can also do the hike from the top of the Bridger Gondola. Having a pack for your skis would probably be helpful for that hike because it's a much steeper hike than the hike from the Tensleep/Cirque traverse.

I've never done it, but I've been told it is much more difficult and only makes sense for young, fit, altitude-adapted people in a hurry. I think it may be more altitude gain than the other route, too, but it is easier to get to the start of the hike.

You can also hike up to the Sheridan Bowl area (and probably Casper Bowl too) from the top of the Teton Chair. I haven't done that hike, so I don't quite know what that entails.

The last time I was in Jackson was before they put that chair in, so I don't know anything about it.

 

[mdf]

It just occured to me I have photos! (from the last Jackson Gathering in 2015)
Looking back at the start of the hike:


Looking forward at the simple slog part:



Dropping off the traverse


Beartooth from the top


and from the bottom

 

[dbostedo]

First post updated with additional lunch/afternoon meetup info:

The Daily morning meetup location is between the Bridger and Sweetwater gondolas, outside the Bridger Center. Meetups are at 8:30, starting Sunday, the 23rd.

Look for PugSki stickers on helmets and skis, and we'll also be handing out orange ribbon/streamers for tieing on to helmets or poles to help folks find each other on the mountain.

For lunch and afternoon skiing, it's likely a lot of folks will choose to eat at the Rendezvous Lodge at the top of the Bridger Gondola. Meetups there are likely to be around 12:30 - 1:00. Lunch and afternoon meetups are more ad hoc, depending on when groups choose to stop for lunch, where they are skiing, and where folks choose to have lunch.

This is subject to change after the first day, and changes will be posted in this thread.

 

[SpikeDog]

You can also hike up to the Sheridan Bowl area (and probably Casper Bowl too) from the top of the Teton Chair. I haven't done that hike, so I don't quite know what that entails.

Heading up from the top of Teton lift to Sheridan Bowl is a no-no. Don't ask me why, but Ski Patrol frowns on this, even though it's a shorter hike They only want you headed over into Granite Canyon from the Teton lift backcountry gate. If you want to access the Sheridan Bowl and Limber Pine, you have to schlep over from the Headwall hike.

There's another way up to the top of Beartooth run. It's called the White Spider. You head up from the back of the Bridger Gondola Summit building. You can see it when you get off the gondi. Freakin' straight up, lung-busting slog, but you don't have to ride either the Tram or Sublette lift to get to the Casper Bowl. Comes in handy on a powder day morning.

 

[Jerez]

We got here a few days early and skied today. did not get up the tram. Lines ridiculous and we wanted to get our bearings. They had a huge dump whith warm and then very cold and warm sunny after. No snow in a while. Any off piste we attempted was set up and hard. I don't see much snow in the forecast if this info helps inform people's choices of skis and other equipment to bring.

 

[Jersey Skier]

We got here a few days early and skied today. did not get up the tram. Lines ridiculous and we wanted to get our bearings. They had a huge dump whith warm and then very cold and warm sunny after. No snow in a while. Any off piste we attempted was set up and hard. I don't see much snow in the forecast if this info helps inform people's choices of skis and other equipment to bring.

Tempted to pull the 107's out of my bag and replace them with 78's. 95's come either way.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Looks mostly sunny next week except for a chance for a couple inches of snow on Monday.

 

[Andy Mink]

We got here a few days early and skied today. did not get up the tram. Lines ridiculous and we wanted to get our bearings. They had a huge dump whith warm and then very cold and warm sunny after. No snow in a while. Any off piste we attempted was set up and hard. I don't see much snow in the forecast if this info helps inform people's choices of skis and other equipment to bring.

Hmmmm.... @Philpug, did we chose wisely?

 

[BS Slarver]

@Jersey Skier - you might have the right idea on a change in the lineup. After 80” here this month in MT the surface has tightened right up and is a very packed powder.
I’ll have the identical SR 107 with demos in the van that your more than welcome to borrow.
**** unless the 1-3” / 1-3”/ 1”-3 turns out to be 12”+ Then they are taken, sorry.

 

[lone pine]

Prolonged sunny weather can play havoc there, as the aspects I recall are east and south facing. But it snows a bunch, so there is that.

 

[givethepigeye]

We got here a few days early and skied today. did not get up the tram. Lines ridiculous and we wanted to get our bearings. They had a huge dump whith warm and then very cold and warm sunny after. No snow in a while. Any off piste we attempted was set up and hard. I don't see much snow in the forecast if this info helps inform people's choices of skis and other equipment to bring.

I’m far from an expert on terrain here BUT, been here.a couple of days - Headwall hike was worth it yesterday (Beartooth) not so much today. Think heavy, sun crusted snow on Coombs. Its a fairly easy hike (Im 50+ and live at 600 feet), that said with the inversion, you’ll get sweaty fast. Pack not needed IMHO, if you can carry your skis on shoulder.

off piste - pick your aspects - Riverton Bowl was nice. Wallys was nice too. You actually want to find stuff that HAS been skied IMHO. Groomers nice early up high.

tram was a 4 box wait at 1pm. Yesterday was shorter, but was later ie 3pm.

just my tourist opinion. It’s been cold, but very bright sunshine. I’ve got my SR95s - seem to be fine.

JHMR never disappoints tho.

 

[DanoT]

There is a lodge with cafeteria, etc top of gondola which is pretty central

There was once the Headwall Cafe/Deli (excellent made to order sandwiches and salads) on the lower level and a sit down restaurant upstairs, at the top of the Bridger Gondola. Now the Headwall Cafe is gone and I think replaced by a sit down order off the menu restaurant.

Casper Lodge is a cafeteria and they have a room downstairs that was locked today but if opened up would be perfect for a Pugski lunch meet up. Meanwhile the upstairs was full at 1 or 1:30 we should probably lunch at 11.

Also today (Friday) there was a Moose cow and calf on the loose in Jackson Hole. Now you probably think that cow and calf would be in some far flung area of the resort like Saratoga Bowl but you would be wrong. Large cow and calf were seen by me and thousands of others as they nibbled on bushes a couple hundred feet up from the Bridger Gondola base. I viewed them from a gondola cabin.