Sometimes we get stuck in a skiing rut. We find ourselves on the same runs, throwing the same tricks and weaving through the same trees. Pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones makes skiing a challenge again—and a fun one at that. One of the best places to push your grade, improve your skills and get outside your comfort zone is at Jackson Hole.
TERRAIN
Jackson boasts a staggering 50 percent of its 2,500 acres as expert terrain, attracting great skiers looking to push themselves to new heights. Jackson is a pilgrimage where we test our luck down couloirs, stash parks, moguls and unreal tree runs. While there are great expert runs, don’t overlook the superb blue and green trails that serve as the ideal training grounds for skill development before tackling the steeps.
EASY BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS
If you’re itching to get off-piste, Jackson’s backcountry gates offer prime access to insane terrain. With snowcapped peaks all year round, the stoke is an ever-present force and hitting the backcountry unlocks a plethora of new terrain. Think you’ve skied the hardest runs in Jackson? Try getting off the resort.
For those who aren’t as comfortable navigating the backcountry, score a guide or sign up for a camp. A guide will get you up to speed on safety and spotting the best terrain. Alongside a guide, you score early access up the tram and gondola, so you can spend more of your day on the slopes. Once you duck out the south boundary, you’ve practically doubled the amount of skiable terrain you had on resort.
INSTRUCTORS
Three members of the PSIA National Alpine Team (AKA the top 1 percent of ski instructors from across the US) call Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Mountain Sports School home, so you can rest assured that you’re in capable hands. When terrain inspires its own ski instructors, that’s when you know it’s the real deal. Jackson doesn’t mess around when it comes to ski school, and taking a lesson is an opportunity to get better and immediately reap the benefits on harder terrain. Jackson breeds better skiers.
WEATHER & CONDITIONS
In winter 22/23, Jackson Hole garnered 595″ of snow, making history as the deepest and snowiest winter ever recorded in Rendezvous Bowl. Jackson averages around 460″ each season, and with 210 acres of snowmaking territory, you’re rarely without powder on a trip to Jackson. When flurries fall at cold temperatures, you get that sweet cold smoke that we like to call Teton Flow. IYKYK. And with another El Nino year underway, the conditions are a perfect concoction for great skiing.
EVENTS
In years past, we’ve seen daily lift tickets across the country as high as $300. On Jackson’s Ski in Jeans Weekend on December 8-10, rock your best denim and enjoy discounted $60-$99 lift tickets on Friday and Sunday (discounted tickets for Saturday are sold out). With $25 rentals and live music, it’s a weekend in denim that you won’t want to miss.
The Golden Ticket is back for 23/24! Skiers who own a valid 23/24 winter resort season pass ANYWHERE in the world can come to Jackson and receive a very special rate. Travel to Jackson Hole between November 24 – December 20, 2023, January 16-31, 2024 or March 18 – April 14, 2024, and receive a 50 percent discount on lift tickets based on the current daily window rate. Get it while you still can!
GETTING THERE
Ikon and Mountain Collective pass holders—We highly suggest booking lift ticket reservations in advance. Jackson tends to limit capacity so you can enjoy shorter lift lines and ample space on the mountain, so lock in your plans and book your tickets as soon as you finalize them.
If you’ve never flown into Jackson, you’re in for a treat. Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport in a National Park in the entire country. Out one window, the Tetons tower above Jenny Lake, and out the other sits the largest elk preserve in the country. It’s a bucket list vacation, without a doubt. This year, the resort is hooking you up with a $400 Air Credit (up to $1,600 for four travelers) when you book roundtrip flights, lodging and a qualifying dollar amount of activities through Jackson Hole Resort Reservations by December 31, 2023. Plus, book a minimum stay of three nights through December 21, 2023, and save $300/person.
