All Images Courtesy of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
It’s hard to imagine Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) could get any better than it already is, but on opening day of the 2018-19 ski season the resort unveiled a project that has been years in the making. Solitude Station, located at the mid-way stop of the Sweetwater Gondola, boasts nearly 12,000 square feet of space for Mountain Sport School and camp guests to utilize, including a rental and repair shop and two dining facilities.
“It is state of the art in the ski industry in that it’s a facility that houses both children and adults,” says Anna Cole, communications director for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. “So there are two, unique meeting and dining spaces, one for kids and one for adults.”
Just a quick, two-minute ride up the gondola, Solitude Station sits on a naturally flat area of the mountain where Solitude Cabin used to stand. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the resort offered sleigh rides up to the cabin for a cowboy dinner with live music, until a propane leak caused a fire that destroyed the building. After years of planning and designing, the new facility was developed to elevate the guest experience and streamline JHMR’s base area operations.
“Our base area is very tight, it’s a nice area but there’s not anymore room to grow so this was our solution to alleviate base area congestion and create an environment for beginners outside of that congestion,” says Cole.
Along with Mountain Sport School guests, Jackson Hole camps, including its Steep and Deep camp, will call Solitude Station home base. Groups will gather 180 vertical feet above the base area in the morning, congregate at Solitude Station for lunch and even enjoy an après cocktail at the full bar at the end of the day.
In the decade since plans first rolled out for Solitude Station, the goal has always been to improve the experience for everyone who visits the resort. The new lodge provides a designated space for beginners, families and camps, which opens up space at other mountain facilities like the popular Rendezvous Lodge.
“People aspire to ski Corbet’s Couloir, to get to the Hobacks, to get to the backcountry with our guides, so this facility is really adding another layer to get people to that next level,” adds Cole.
