 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone, Im thinking to take a week break in middle Jan; never been to JH or BSky before ; looking forwards to steeps, lots of powder and challenging runs.
I love skiing in N america/Canada been to WInter park Colorado, Banff, and last year Whistler...So much different to European resorts
Just wonder if anyone could give me some tips or suggestions of both resorts , and help me make a decision. Thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hi toro
just booked to go to big sky at the end of feb . never been before so im in the same boat . three flights to bozeman and a full days travel , i would have longer than a week .
ive got 2 weeks in big sky then a 4 day roadtrip not decided where to yet .
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Skied Jackson, stayed in Jackson, really liked the skiing, loads of fresh snow and a the town is an interesting place from a cowboy point of view, nice bars and restaurants. BUT if your staying in Jackson and not in teton (the small village at the base) then you have a bus ride there and back every day, 20-30 mins each way, not loads but we were there for 2 weeks and it got to be a bit of a pest. Can't just pop back to your accommodation. That said its stills great place.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've been to Jackson but not Big Sky. As far as steep and challenging runs, Jackson has plenty to keep most expert skiers happy for a season. But it's well known the competition for powder are fierce and powder don't stay un-track for long at all. In fact, between storms, most black pistes all turn to fields of giant moguls hanging off a slanted wall. 
Big Sky is much less popular so powder last much longer. Terrain is also varied and has quite a lot of challenges. Don't have first hand experience though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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thank you all for your tips; it sounds Jh could be a good option ,just wonder what it will be the snow condition and crowd for the second week of Jan, or perhaps will be better the third week? Did you ski any backcountry while you were there? Apparently it should be the hard core of JH..
I must admit, Big sky really feels and sounds like somewhere special, not crowded ,lot of powder; will be good to have a first hand experience feed back...cheers 
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toro, I've been to both. Be aware that some years much of the better skiing in both places won't have opened by mid Jan. Both have plenty of steeps and powder. Jackson is probably somewhat more extreme but not many people could ski the Big Couloir in Big Sky so you're unlikely to be lacking challenge in either place. But there are important differences.
Big Sky is more remote and usually has a much longer journey time as a result. A week will be easier in Jackson. The snow deteriorates in Jackson much more quickly as there are far more skiers and the slopes face south; lower slopes in particular can become cruddy and icy very quickly there.
Both places have small slopeside villages, but Jackson also offers a town - my preferred place to stay but only with a hire car. I think that Big sky offers a bigger skiable area, but the uninterrupted vertical is smaller and there's no top to bottom lift to help make really long runs easy. Trails and lifts are completely deserted in Big Sky; in Jackson, they can become busy at peak times and queues are much more common. Queues occur at Big Sky only for the tram on powder days.
Jackson tends to be cheaper - sometimes much cheaper - but prices are obviously fluid in both places. Big Sky has far less of any kind of facility that you can imagine.
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Both.
Go to Japan for powda.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Jackson off piste also skis out very quickly since most ways down, however steep have marked trails. There are steeper marked trails than you get almost anywhere in Europe. Many of them would be off piste over here. There is some side country (out of bounds to skiers' right of the main face) which is easy access and return and mostly not very exciting, and much more exciting skiing into Granite canyon which runs across the back of the mountain and very few people ski. We were able to make the very first tracks on several routes there long after the front of the mountain was skied out. However it is a long slog traversing around to the front of the mountain again so you would probably not do it more than once in a day. Anything beyond those needs a lot skinning to access - basically touring country.
I don't know Big Sky.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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from your view doesn't sound much exictement or happy about JH...? need some positives...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Targhee is fun 
Actually JH is a unique experience - unlike anywhere else you'll ever go skiing and with a level of local ability you'll struggle to find most places. Yes inbounds gets tracked fast but so does anywhere decent in N America - Tram to base via the Hobacks is still a challenge enough for most jaded skiers. For people who only ski guided non-obvious terrain in Europe it might be a shock but I've never personally been one to subscribe to the view that if there's a track in it it's not worth skiing.
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| toro wrote: |
| from your view doesn't sound much exictement or happy about JH...? need some positives... |
America may not suit me since I like to make fresh tracks most of the time, and we weren't lucky with snow (most of the front of the mountain had been scoured by wind).
However I enjoyed the steeps and the powder in Granite. It was extraordinary, when everything on the front was hardpack, to go over the top from the first out of bounds gate after the tram and find NO tracks! With better snow I imagine it could be great - especially for piste skiers.
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