All Images: Courtesy of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Most of a ski resort’s glory shines when the sun is up and the lifts are spinning, but the unsung heroes of your ski day aren’t nestled in their beds at night. They are the one’s willfully exposing themselves to the frigid overnight temps to ensure snowmaking operations complement nature’s offerings for premium shredding, day after day. At Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, these brave souls are called Gunrunners and they are the experts when it comes to making artificial snow.
It’s no secret that Jackson Hole is a powder skiing mecca mid-winter, with an annual average snowfall of over 450 Mountain West, cold-smoke inches. Sometimes it can take a while to get there and some seasons just don’t provide like others. That’s where snowmaking becomes crucial for a resort to operate earlier and later in the ski season. At JHMR, there is snowmaking on 210 of the 2,500 skiable acres within the resort’s boundary—focused primarily on the groomed trails of the lower half of the mountain.
As soon as the overnight temperature drops below freezing, usually somewhere between late October and early November, JHMR’s Slope Maintenance Director, Austin Irby, and his team of Gunrunners start firing up the resort’s 150-plus snow guns to build a base down low. Because the resort rises 4,000 vertical feet, the top half of the mountain typically doesn’t need any help building a base early in the season; it’s the first 2,784 vertical feet that get the extra boost. When it comes time for spring melt, nearly 80-percent of the water used to make snow all season returns to the rivers and aquaphor, according to Irby in the new short film, “Gunrunners.”
Snow making is a harsh and arduous job that not everyone can do. There’s a special kind of grit Gunrunners possess and JHMR is proud of the men and women who sacrifice their nights for everyone to have a better ski experience at the resort. Believe it or not, though, skiing isn’t the only amazing winter experience in Teton Valley.
From snowmobiling and snowshoeing to sleigh rides and wildlife tours, there’s a winter activity for everyone to enjoy in Jackson Hole. If you’re looking for something on the sportier side of things, there’s also ice skating, cross-country skiing and winter fat tire biking all under the gaze of the Grand Teton. If you’ve already skied JHMR and Snow King a handful of times, take things up a notch with available cat and heli-skiing operations.
Maybe you want the air-time but don’t have the interest or skills to ski in the backcountry. Scenic flights throughout the Tetons are a spectacular way to see the valley and its grandiose peaks up close and personal, without ever having to put your feet on the ground. Or maybe that’s just your jumping off point on a tandem paragliding flight with expert guides who can point out various peaks within the Teton and Snake River mountain ranges as you gradually descend to the valley floor.
Whatever it is you and your family want to get into on your winter getaway, Jackson Hole has everything you could ever dream of doing in a winter wonderland—including great deals to help you save on your next visit.
From now until September 30th, you can save up to 30-percent on lift tickets with JHMR’s Early Bird Ticket Sale. There are two ways to save here: The Early Bird Sale is 25-percent off and gives you the opportunity to book your ski days early. New this year, the Flex 5 deal offers 30-percent off a five-day lift ticket that can be used within any seven-day period—no reservation needed, even on sold-out days. Both of these deals end on September 30th and there are only a finite amount of Flex 5 passes available.
If you’re a pass holder at any resort in the world other than Jackson Hole, JHMR offers a 50-percent discount with their Golden Ticket deal, based on the daily window rate November 29th-December 19th and March 17th-April 13th. This is all subject to availability and it’s recommended to purchase your tickets in advance as the resort limits the number of daily visitors for a better ski experience, i.e. less lines, more skiing.
To take the savings a step further, Jackson Hole also offers a $500 flight credit per person in your family, up to $2,000, if you book your roundtrip flights, lodging and at least one activity through the resort’s reservation department. The only catch is that you have to book your trip by September 30th to receive this instant savings.
So, what are you waiting for? Winter is right around the corner and Big Red beckons.
