Hi guys, planning a trip to Jackson Hole , Grand Teton. (Me and wife) Any advice on flights , accommodation , packages ? Thanks
Best advice is to go in January or February due to Jackson's south west orientation. Make sure you catch a day or two over the hill at Grand Targhee for reliable snow and low crowds. My preference is to stay in the town of Jackson. It has a great atmosphere and is just a short bus ride to the hill. Catch some apres at the Mangy Moose right on the mountain before you get the bus home. I haven't checked out the local hill - Snow King - but plan to get some night turns there in when I'm in the area in a few weeks. I have flown into Salt Lake City and grabbed a car for the drive north. I guess you could fly straight into Jackson itself but then you wouldn't have the chance to sample the world class skiing at Alta/Snowbird in SLC.
My preference is to fly into Jackson Hole airport. Stay in Teton Village - there is a inexpensive bus to town so no need for a car. Eating out is cheap in town but not in the village so a kitchen or kitchenette is beneficial. If staying in Teton Village is out of your budget (there used to be some great cheaper units but they have just about all been knocked down and replaced with expensive 5 star options) it is actually the down season in the town of Jackson in winter so you can negotiate good rates for accommodation. I always get a couple of quotes from providers like Skimax and TravelPlan when planning trips to more well known resorts as they sometimes have access to accommodation and lift pass deals which you cannot get yourself. Then do lots of research and compare.
As well as trip to Targhee make a day for a snowmobile trip into Yellowstone and Old Faithful. There is a concierge desk in the basement of the Mangy Moose that will sort you out. If you like critters there are lots of critters in the area and a few critter spotting tours. Half a day wandering around the tourist traps, galleries and taxidermists of Jackson (the town) are worthwhile. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is wonderfully kitschy. Tom Mangelsen's photography gallery is amazing. Also a trip into the National Elk Refuge is interesting. Don't forget to set aside a day or so for skiing.
A bit different to above, I would stay in Jackson town rather than Teton. You have a million things to do and if you want to go skiing, its and easy 20 mins to do so. Heaps of great food options, nightlife of all description (disco to relaxing lounge etc). Concur about snowmobile tour. We did a ripper out to Hot springs with these guys https://www.togwoteelodge.com/snowmobiling/jackson-hole-snowmobiling-experience/ Was really well run and a heaps of fun. Ski Grand targhee for at least 1 day for some awesome variety.
No one has touched this for years, but the basics are there http://www.wikiski.com/wiki/index.php/Jackson_Hole
WOW , thanks for all the info people ! We went to Big Sky 2 years ago and did the snowmobile tour into 'Jellystone' () , the best experience of our lifetime (and we did lots in our lifetime !) We ski ( me expert, wife beginner) and also love wildlife, touring etc... Expedia looks a good option , I'll check Expedia and some of those travel companies. Thanks
Definitely stay in Teton Village. Has a great vibe and easier to get first lifts. Unless you enjoy starting and ending your ski day with a drive.
@euexp just remember that unless you are flying really well, you won't have many opportunities to ski Jackson Hole, so make the most of it. Nother better than being in the village when a dump of snow comes through and while they are still clearing the access road, you are skiing laps of Bridger or hitting the Tram. Yes it is expensive, but not eye wateringly so like Switzerland.
Grand Farghee is small. It is great skiing, but limited terrain and a very limited village. I have day tripped there 3 times and I only saw it the 3rd time (hence the Grand Farghee nickname).
Plus Teton Pass can be quite the experience. My old shitbox that I owned in the US had brakes that were prone to overheating and the pass provided a little bit of puckering.
Agree , maybe Grand Targhee just for a day trip I really like this one : https://www.firesidejacksonhole.com/
I would ask them one question. Are you on the Teton Village resort shuttle route (or are you on the START bus route)? Actually - it is in Wilson. The answer to those questions is No, so you will be renting a car. If you don't want to drive you should look for accommodation in Jackson or Teton Village.
^^ This. I would however say flying into Jackson Hole there is a smaller plane and postal will take preference over your ski bags.... you may be without them for a bit. Often they will truck them to you...next morning delivery or if they end up in the system it could take a few days.
If you're looking in town, we stayed at https://www.townsquareinns.com/properties/cowboy-village-resort/ a few years back - cabins with cooking facilities, bus stop outside, walking distance to downtown central. Worked pretty well
The drive from SLC to Jackson is fantastic. We stayed here in Jackson. Google Maps Link On the high-side of town, easy walk in for dinner/beers, a little slower back home. But not much. Jackson has plenty of Accommodation / Food / Services on offer.
we went to Jackson for our 20th anniversary in late Feb 2014. 12 days, snowed for 10 of them. Epic, epic skiing - everything was open and deep. We flew into Jackson and yes, our skis turned up the next morning but early enough that it didn't bother our plans. We stayed at https://www.aman.com/resorts/amangani for the first 3 nights, which was amazing, then some friends joined us and we moved up to Teton Village. From memory we stayed at Teton Mountain Lodge which was great. There were lines for first lifts every morning and the line up for the Tram was insane even 1 hour before lifts opened. Be preprared to get out early. It's an easy drive downtown to Jackson for dinners at the places noted above and yes, the Mangy Moose goes off every afternoon. Waffles at Corbett's Cabin at 10,450' ASL are a tradition and then (if it's open) you can go watch the lunatics and punters in Corbett's - the kid below is the son of the NZ guide I had in AK in 2016 and if you think his balls are big after watching this go and search Hank Bilous video from this morning FWT in Hakuba....
Oh and if you have a (gasp) day off the Elk Refuge is a good way to kill an hour or two. We also went on a Ranger guided snow shoe tour. Very informative about the ecosystem in the Tetons. https://www.gtnpf.org/adventure-journal-ranger-led-snowshoe-hike/
In Jackson at the moment and staying at the new Continuum. Having a ball exploring the resort and BC. Mangy Moose has been good, great music for apres. Awesome vibe around the resort.
Awesome , have fun . Go for a snowmobile tour in Jellystone , unforgettable experience. Now we are undecided where to go , looking at the canadian option , Lake Louise , Banff , kicking horse etc...
Thanks to this bloody virus we decided to don't go anywhere , way to risky . "If you don't do it this year you'll be an year older when you do" (Warren Miller) Oh well ! Not a big deal
In this case, "small" can be a good thing. Takes very little time to figure out where to go at Targhee, especially in comparison to JH. But definitely better to go the first time when the sun is shining. Very few areas with trees to provide guidance. But a day or two after a powder storm, the place is magical. Ride to the top of one of the the three lifts, then point the skis down. The green trail from the top of Dreamcatcher has wonderful views for advanced beginners. That high-speed lift from the base feels like it accesses 50% of the terrain, both groomed trails and hundreds of acres of ungroomed open bowl skiing. The separate area set up for kids and beginners is good fun as well, complete with glades and other features besides groomed trails. There is a day trip bus from Jackson if don't have a car or don't feel like driving over Teton Pass. https://www.grandtarghee.com/the-mountain/mountain-statistics/ WINTER MOUNTAIN STATISTICS Total Acreage: 2,602 Annual Average Snowfall: 500+ inches/41+ feet Vertical Drop: 2270 Base Area Elevation: 7851 feet Number of Lifts: 5
@euexp overreact much? Lock you and your family up for six months and it may be safe to come out........
We live in Melbourne. The worry is being caught up on a plane or airport area where somebody is found positive and you are not allowed to leave even just for precaution . Even though the risk but be quite low , ask those people on the Jetstar flight : Tigerair is contacting hundreds of passengers from 13 different flights after two people who travelled on the same plane tested positive to coronavirus. The airline pulled the plane from service on Thursday after Queensland Health alerted it to a positive case of coronavirus on board. What are the signs and symptoms of coronavirus and how is it spread? As the number of confirmed cases of deadly coronavirus in Australia continues to grow, experts are beginning to get a greater understanding of the disease and its impact. Two people with the virus are in isolation in the Gold Coast University Hospital. If we had already paid we would probably go but , I didn't so ....can go next year .
I guess that’s different if you haven’t paid. See how the dust settles and if all is well in a month book an Easter trip and take in some great spring skiing at (take your pick) - Tignes, Cham, Zermatt, Ischgl, Banff, Whistler, Snowbird, Mammoth, Bachelor, Breck, A Basin or Telluride. Can’t lose.
aaahhhh didn't know you had not forked over the dollars.... think of it this way, you'll have more cash for a bigger, longer and better trip next season.
If they don't find a solution soon we'll have to forget about all the trips we have in the bucket list , I'm afraid
seriously!?? I think you have less than ice of catching 'it' in a ski resort in Nth America than you do in Aus. Reminds me of me moving to a ski resort shortly after 9/11. People told my parents to stop me (yeah right I was an adult!) And thankfully my mum said "she is an adult we can't stop her, but we think she is safer in a remote mountain in American that an office job in Syd"
Yep I did a season in the US just after 9/11, figured with all the extra security it would be as safe as you could get. Plus I was living at an Olympic venue, the security was off the charts, the metal detectors for the games were dialled up so high that they were tripped off by the metal in CG’s bra.
My concern is not really the destination but the travelling , flights/ stopovers . You get sick with the common flu ( flu season in the northern hemisphere) and you end up in quarantine until they are sure is not the Corona virus , can't afford that possibility.
