Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've just got back from Jackson Hole. I snowboarded Teton Village for 9 days through 31st Jan-8th Feb.
One or two fleeting glimpses of the sun a couple of afternoons. One day particularly good visibility, but otherwise flat light to continuous light snowing.
The loose snow is generally deep on all pistes (especially blacks). A light to medium covering of loose over soft-pack on blues and greens gives excellent edge hold.
Blacks are where it's at. Some days on cold mornings fresh snow was powdery. As a day wore on it became soft mash potato.
Boarded mostly edge of piste, off-piste, in forest and down heavy snow covered black bowls, gulleys, wooded ridges, and runs. The only time any rocks were visible on runs (and annoying) was at the tops of particular high black runs with steep/tricky starts where skiers had scraped the snow thin.
Went up the East Ridge chair lift once, but far too windy to peek at Corbet's Couloir. Windy at top pretty much every day - some days Sublette was closed, Friday saw most lifts closed (and the road back to town!).
Overall, the best snow I've experienced in around 15 years of 2 weeks per year. First ski trip to US, but done Banff before (in a bad year). Jackson Hole is great for going pretty much wherever you want. Trying to stay on roller-coaster ski runs in dark, thickly treed forests is hair raising. Suffice it to say I had to keep putting the anchors on and having to drop off the path to make my own way down - via occasional other paths I came across.
This was strictly powder ski territory. My other half changed from carvers to wide powderskis and then started enjoying the powder bowls. I found my 6'7" Lib Tech Doughboy was the perfect instrument (apart from not being quite nimble enough to navigate forest paths at speed). Got umpteen comments about its length (I had assumed such boards would be common that week - evidently not).
A tad colder than temperatures I've been used to in the alps. Found a much more enjoyable experience with thermal sock liners, glove liners, long johns, an extra top layer, and balaclava.
The food is ok, but neck and neck with England for quality & cuisine. Lager ain't much to write home about either. Where it admirably surpasses is ribs in Bubba's (best I've ever had) and rib eye steak in the Chop House (both in Jackson Hole). On piste there are just a couple of cafeterias and a posh restaurant I didn't get the opportunity to visit. In Teton Village at the foot of the lifts the Alpenhof is the best lunch/afternoon stop I enjoyed, but falls far short of a true alpine restaurant. The Cowboy Bar in town is the most fun bar for apres ski with saddles for bar stools, 4 pool tables, and live music. Practice cowboy dancing (free lessons Friday evening) because on Saturday the cowboys will brazenly ask your girl to the dancefloor if you don't take her there yourself.
I think I found Jackson Hole at its best, so doubt I'll suffer Crystal's 3 flights each way again, despite a wealth of snow for only £500. If you're in two minds about going in the next few days, the sun will no doubt come out and put the icing on the cake. Go for it! It'll be perfect snow. Ideal for boarders who hate bashed/icy pistes or skiers who love deep/soft snow. I didn't see any corduroy except once on a small, isolated slalom course.
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