Warning: Once you visit Jackson Hole, you may never leave

Jackson Hole boasts the longest, continuous vertical -- 4,139 feet -- in the U.S. (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort)

It was August, 2001 when Shane Braman decided he had heard enough of the acclaim from afar and made his move. The native of Westport, Mass. quit his job at Loon Mountain Resort, loaded his Toyota Tacoma with his few possessions — among them, his dog and snowboard — and headed west to Wyoming, where the allure of Jackson Hole could no longer be ignored. 

“A few days after leaving New England, my dog and I were living out of my truck at the base of the Tetons,” the now-47-year-old teacher said. “Twenty-one years later, I’m still here.” 

The reasons he’s never decided to leave are elementary. Jackson Hole receives some 500 inches of dry powder each year, with more available terrain than Braman said he could ski in four lifetimes. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a world-class ski destination located in the remote Teton mountain range, where lift lines are mostly nonexistent and void of the overpopulated chaos that exists everywhere else. It’s an amazing community, he said, with incredible year-round social opportunities and a raucous nightlife. There is limitless, gourmet dining, a pair of national parks, and wildlife viewing from your chairlift.

“And did I mention,” Braman asked, “500 inches of pow?”

Located just south of Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has the longest and continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S., rising 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. In all, there are more than 2,500 acres of skiing and riding available for visitors and locals alike. 

“We’ve got amazing terrain,” Matt Clos, director of the Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School, said. “We can provide amazing experiences and adventures for people. From first-day beginners — folks who’ve never been on skis or or snowboard before — all the way up through absolute expert racers.”

In other words, not everybody has to be able to tackle Corbet’s Couloir. Just as frequently as it welcomes those looking for the thrill of a lifetime, so too does Jackson Hole Mountain Resort cater to beginners and intermediates. An open backcountry gate system at the resort, with a summit elevation of 10,450 feet, makes more than 3,000 acres of pristine terrain available for those willing and able. But of the 131 trails on the map, 50 percent are either blue squares or green circles (40 intermediate, 10 beginner). 

“We have something for everybody,” Clos said, “It’s just a very, very special place; an amazingly welcoming atmosphere.” 

It isn’t a cheap one though. In fact, Sotheby’s International Realty recently discovered that the median home sale price in the first quarter of 2022 topped $4 million for the first time in the Wyoming region. According to a cost of living index, Jackson scores 170.5. The U.S. average is 100. 

That means seasonal lifties, groomers, and ski instructors have to make significant sacrifices just to live there. “Sharing a single room with three other dudes and saving up for a six-pack of PBR is common,” said Craig Thexton, a 48-year-old National Park service ranger at Grand Teton National Park and native of Westport, Mass. who followed his childhood friend, Braman, to the Tetons. 

“Living in this valley is a privilege,” Thexton said. “Things aren’t taken for granted and that especially goes for the skiing. That’s why we’re here. Why would you struggle just to get by if you didn’t love it? It would be so easy not to live here, like a king for many of us. We stay, we love it, and we can’t get enough.” 

Just seeing the place, Thexton said, is awing. And Utah and that whole “Greatest Snow on Earth” thing? Forget about it. 

“Ours is just as fluffy and we get more of it,” Thexton said. “I’ve skied powder days at the likes of Loon and Killington. It’s just different here. The first powder day I hit here people were talking about it being a ‘snorkel day.’ I understood during my first run when, through all the smiling, hooting, and yelping, I literally choked on the snow that was blasted into my face. That’s not something I’ve experienced back East and when it happens on the regular here, that’s pretty special.” 

Jackson Hole does follow a daily lift capacity, so if you are an Ikon or a Mountain Collective pass holder you first need to make a reservation for the days that you’ll be in Jackson Hole. There, you’re likely to immediately revel in the diversity of the terrain. “It’s a mountain where total beginners will be able to hone their craft,” Thexton said. “Equally, those into completely hucking themselves off in-bounds cliffs is totally a thing. It’s a mountain known where folks can push their limits.” 

When it came time to suggesting some special spots of the resort, Thexton said that he agreed with his son who said he prefers the Tram and Sublette lifts. “The Tram obviously goes to the top and dumps people off at the peak of Rendezvous Mountain,” Thexton said. “Before starting your 4,000-foot-plus vertical descent, stop by Corbett’s Cabin for their world-famous waffles. If you wish to avoid the equally world-famous Corbett’s Couloir, a double-black diamond, Rendezvous Bowl offers the ‘easy’ way down, where snow dreams are made of and views surpassed only by being airborne. 

“Sublette lift is the place to go to run laps on some of the most-challenging terrain on the mountain. You can enjoy groomers from this lift but also a very wide variety of terrain that will challenge anyone. In-bounds snow slides happen here telling part of the story of how significant of an experience skiing JHMR can be.” 

There are nonstop flights from 14 major U.S. cities, but none in New England (Salt Lake City is closest to Jackson Hole). The Jackson airport is located only 20 miles from the resort. 

“Once you land, it is a completely, flat drive over to Teton Village, and to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort,” Clos said. “So you don’t have to go up any mountain passes. There’s really no super-gnarly driving. And you actually don’t need a car. You can take a taxi, you can take an Uber. From the airport to Teton Village. And then if you’re staying here in the village, you absolutely don’t need a car. You have all of the amenities that you need right here in the village.” 

Just be warned. Plenty have visited and never come back. Braman and Thexton make it sound like that might be OK too though. 

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Eric Wilbur can be reached at [email protected].