Local Beta: Jackson Hole
Here’s the inside line on where to eat, sleep, ski, repeat
Hadley Hammer
Age: 30
Hometown: Jackson, Wyoming
Sponsors: CEP Compressions, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Lange, Line Skis, Mountain Athlete, Runa, Smith Optics, The North Face
On any given day, skiers at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will be stepping up to behemoth cliffs, dialing up the speedometer through technical rock gardens and harvesting faceshots in powder stashes galore. As a first-time visitor to the resort, one may very well be overwhelmed by all of the awesomeness, from the on-hill skiing options to the off-hill food and après offerings. Leave it to none other than pro skier Hadley Hammer, who has skied the mountain since early childhood, to help you maximize the fun and enhance your experience.
Best place to catch the sunrise: Corbet’s Cabin with a waffle in hand.
Best inbounds line: I love the burn of top-to-bottom tram laps on a powder day. Or, during a dry spell, I’ll head over to Apres Vous, which has the best high-speed turns and a solid jump line.
Best lift to lap on a pow day: The new [for 2015-16] Teton lift. It opened up a ton of additional terrain and, for me, it’s pretty fun to feel lost at a resort I’ve skied my whole life.
Best place to scare yourself: Following any of the Jackson Hole Ski Club racers and park skiers around the mountain. Nothing like having bones made of rubber and being on your parents’ insurance plan to make you an incredible, seemingly fearless skier.
Best place to stay for fancy digs: Amangani. It has an insane pool and there are frequent Justin Timberlake sightings.
Best breakfast spot at the mountain: Il Villaggio Osteria. Get yourself a warm burrito to go and head to the tram line.
Best lunch spot on the mountain: Throw some snacks in your pocket and skip lunch. Most tourists will break for lunch, which gives you the opportunity to have the place to yourself.
Best nightlife spot: Stagecoach Bar, where you can party in a double-wide trailer. Thursday disco nights are popular with the young crowd of Jackson, while Sunday evenings offer your best chance at dancing with a true local cowboy. But I prefer Monday and Tuesday when the bar is empty and I can play endless ‘90s R&B on the jukebox and dance with my friends.
Best thing about the surrounding backcountry skiing: It’s endless. Between the sidecountry off the resort to the Tetons to the Pass to the Gros Ventre Wilderness, there are always new places to discover.
Best hot tub to poach: The Snake River Lodge and Spa; it has a grotto. Or, the Teton Club; there are five tubs. Or, one of the empty mansions around the village.
Best place to feel like a local: The Hootenanny on Monday nights. Join other locals as they listen to the famed first person to ski the Grand Teton, Bill Briggs, yodel along with other people brave enough to face the open mic.
Best place to take your girlfriend or boyfriend: Take them for a romantic night to sleep in the Rock Springs Yurt off the tram.
Best thing about Jackson’s history: The collection of local, rad individuals—from Bill Briggs to Doug Coombs to Resi Steigler—who have pushed the sport of skiing in the valley and worldwide. I am also obsessed with the Lewis and Clark Expedition and its relation to the area.
Best thing about Town Square: Persephone Bakery. Croissants are my favorite food group and this place serves the best in town. If you arrive early enough, you can snag a Kouign-amann, an impossible-to-pronounce caramelized croissant.
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