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After a two-day stretch that saw over two feet of snow fall upon Jackson Hole, the resort celebrated the opening of its brand new Sweetwater Gondola amid blue skies and crisp temperatures.
The new eight-person gondola replaces the Eagles Rest and Sweetwater lifts, rises 1,276 feet from the base, has a 2,000 person per hour lift capacity and has a total ride time of seven-and-a-half minutes.
The main goal of the gondola is to ease base area congestion by significantly increasing out-of-the-base-area lift capacity. The Sweetwater will allow people—the majority of which are beginner and intermediate skiers and ski schoolers—to quickly exit the base area to the gondola’s mid-station or upper lift exit. Sweetwater also provides access to steep, quality runs like Jackson Face and Beaver Tooth, as well as the Casper Chair.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort president Jerry Blann was on-hand to unveil the brand spankin’ new gondola, which I can testify rides as smooth as butter.
“This is an exciting time for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort,” said Blann. “Improving the out of base capacity will greatly enhance skier flow, and the Sweetwater Gondola will dramatically improve the beginner skier and rider experience.”
Local eighties hair metal cover band 86 performed classic tracks from Def Leppard and Van Halen atop one of the resort’s snow cats, big-mountain legend Jess McMillan served as the MC and cookies and hot chocolate were handed out to the many in attendance. It was quite the start to another terrific December day in Teton Village.
What to look for in 2017 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort:
Backcountry Camp — January 10 – 13, February 12 – 15, 2017
Join Jackson Hole’s professional backcountry guides on a four-day backcountry skills camp. You’ll learn about avalanche awareness, efficient touring techniques and strategic terrain selection. For more details, click here.
GoPro Steep and Deep Camp — January 10 – 13, 2017
The GoPro Steep and Deep Camp, with GoPro and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort athlete Andrew Whiteford, is a huge addition to JHMR’s Mountain Sports School for 2017. Meet up with pro big-mountain skier Andrew Whiteford and get a crash course on how to edit your very own viral skiing video. For more information, click here.
Rendezvous Fest 2017 — March 17 – 19, 2017
The four-day music festival is one of the best in any ski town, anywhere. In the Jackson Town Square, enjoy music from acts like Zac Brown Band, Iration, Samantha Fish and Jamestown Revival, all while taking in some of the best skiing of the season. Tickets go on sale December 19. To purchase, click here.
Fly to Jackson Hole, this winter
Located a quick 35-minute shuttle from the mountain, the Jackson Hole airport is incredibly convenient. And, beginning this week, daily non-stop inbound service from many major cities—including Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle—makes it that much easier to get to Jackson Hole. JHMR is also offering air inclusive packages for this season, which includes airfare, lift tickets and lodging for you, your friends and family. For more information on air inclusive packages, click here.
