2020 National Gathering at Jackson Hole, WY, February 23 - February 29
NOTE : This is a living post and will be changed as new information becomes available (last updated 2/21/2020)
The PugSki National Gathering for the 2019-2020 season will be held at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, from February 23nd through February 29th, 2020.(For resort information, see https://www.jacksonhole.com/)NOTE : This is a living post and will be changed as new information becomes available (last updated 2/21/2020)
As with most PugSki Gatherings, anyone and everyone are welcome, and everyone is responsible for their own travel, lodging, and lift ticket arrangements. Just be there the right week, and plan to meet up and have a great time. Some people come for the whole thing, some just for a few days - it's open to whatever works for you.
If you don't have lift ticket plans, many Gatherers will come with Ikon or Mountain Collective passes, which are great options for Jackson Hole. For more details, see https://www.ikonpass.com/, and https://mountaincollective.com/ .
Note on other resorts: At past events at Jackson Hole, some folks have taken the opportunity to ski Grand Targhee as well... based on feedback in this thread, the day for Grand Targhee is Friday, Feb. 28th. This is, of course, weather, conditions, and transportation dependent, and up to each attendee to decide where they would like to ski. Please see this thread for more info or to add yourself to the roll call:
https://www.pugski.com/threads/grand-targhee-day-during-2020-gathering-week-at-jackson.18903/
Snow King is also in Jackson, and has night skiing that some folks may choose to partake in too.
DAILY MEETUPS
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.
TETON VILLAGE
The village map showing lift and building locations is included here for reference.
TUESDAY MEET AND GREET
On Tuesday, February 25th, after skiing for the day, Nomad Sports will be hosting a meet and greet for PugSkiers. Nomad is located in the bottom floor of the Alpenhof hotel in the village. We'll be meeting to "talk shop", and see a demonstration of their world class tuning machinery.
RENTAL DEAL
In addition to the meet and greet, Nomad will be offering special discounts on demo ski rentals, which include Stockli, Kastle, and Bomber. More details to come.
GROUP LEVELS
We typically try to sort into groups in the morning or after lunch with those at similar skill levels. If you're joining a group, please be realistic about assessing your ability with regards to the group you belong in. Jackson Hole's terrain can be downright gnarly so please consider your physical condition, ability to ski a given trail (as opposed to “able to get down it”) and whether your gear fits the conditions if it’s a significant powder day. You can change groups, but that can be difficult once everyone is out on the the hill.
- Intermediate- You prefer groomed terrain and avoid moguls if possible. You may avoid powder and terrain like glades and narrow runs.
- Intermediate / Advanced- Generally you are comfortable on Intermediate (blue) terrain and need to pay attention (but don’t panic) on groomed (black) single diamond terrain. You may venture off into some boot-top (or less) powder on the edge of the trail. Not a big fan of moguls, but you can work your way through the smaller ones. It may be time to explore the (widely spaced) trees on an easier Intermediate run.
- Experts - You generally ski the whole mountain. You can make your way through the vast majority of snow and terrain conditions but still may need to pay attention (vs just being on auto-pilot) in bumps, heavily treed terrain, open bowls with rock or avi debris and tight chutes. Intermediate terrain is for getting back to the lifts. It’s black and double black diamond for you.
- Extreme- Anywhere / Anytime / any conditions. You want to go where the others aren’t. In other words…you wouldn’t hold anyone back ever.
Intermediate groups may have guides - members familiar with the mountain - to help with lift and run selection and keep safe and having fun.
Advanced and expert groups will likely be self guided (though often members may be familiar with the mountain).
We would like to get guides with most groups, but it's done on a volunteer basis, so it depends on who is willing to step up, and how many gatherers are familiar with the mountain. This is why the upper level groups will likely need to be “self guided”. We have done this successfully in the past by mixing new comers to the areas with those who are familiar with the area they are skiing that day.
LODGING
Most attendees will likely stay in the Teton Village at the resort, or in the town of Jackson. There is bus service available from many places, or you can drive to the resort if you have a car. Many Gatherers will share lodging, and some folks may have rooms/beds available as they book. A separate thread has been created to discuss lodging arrangements, and can be found here :
https://www.pugski.com/threads/2020-jackson-gathering-accommodations-questions-advice-shared-group-rentals-etc.16017/
PARKING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Driving and parking details for can be found here : https://www.jacksonhole.com/by-car.html
Public Transportation info and schedules can be found here : https://www.jacksonhole.com/getting-around.html
GETTING TO JACKSON
Most people will be flying into Jackson airport. Some may choose to fly in to a more major airport and drive, and some folks might just be driving from home. To check out Wyoming highway conditions if you're driving in, please see this site: https://www.wyoroad.info/
ROLL CALL
If you're going to join us, please add your name to the Roll Call thread, here : https://www.pugski.com/threads/2020-jackson-hole-gathering-roll-call.16036/
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Jackson Hole!!
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